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RIGHT MINDED: Haiti’s real problem

by Brendan Steven on

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On February 9, Max Silverman wrote an article that viewed the aid effort in Haiti through the prism of Naomi Klein’s “shock doctrine” theory. The shock doctrine posits a theory of “disaster capitalism,” where practitioners take advantage of emergency or upheaval to force free market reforms onto a rebuilding country. While I know Max meant well in writing this piece, I disagree with many of his comments about Haiti.

Max refers to former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide as a “repeatedly elected populist leader.” This is an exaggeration. Aristide refused to step down after the Haitian Parliament passed a non-confidence motion in 1991, leading to a military coup. When Aristide ran for a second term in 2000, the opposition protested after the Provisional Election Commission (CEP) declared Aristide victorious. The CEP – which Aristide controlled – declared victory for Aristide before the votes were even counted, and ignored constitutional stipulations for runoffs in senatorial elections.

So I find it inappropriate to suggest that Aristide was some sort of “populist” hero, or that the U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti can be characterized as a case of white people thinking that they know what’s best for poor black people. It’s those sorts of baseless accusations that perpetuate racial conflict.

It’s not corporations that have left the Haitian economy in shambles. Neither is it globalization, sweatshops, or anything else remotely neo-liberal. The problem is socialism. Socialism creates dependency on foreign loans and is anti-populist because it denies people their right to choice and personal ownership. Socialism is the enemy of development.

According to the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom, Haiti is 141st on a list of the most economically free countries on Earth. While tariffs are average, Haiti suffers from crippling non-tariff barriers, import quotas, and customs corruption. A terrible export market worsens this: Haiti comes in 165th for the value of its exports, according to the CIA. Inflation is high, and the government distorts domestic prices. There is little freedom to invest in Haiti, especially for foreigners. The wealth of the world is waiting at Haiti’s doorstep, but the government won’t let it come in.

A suffocating regulatory environment means that it takes, on average, 195 days to legally open a business in Haiti. The world average is 35 days. Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of Haitians live below the poverty line – many employed illegally in black market sales.

Property rights barely exist, according to the standards of the Index of Economic Freedom. All natural resources are considered property of the state (the state that, of course, doesn’t have the proper infrastructure to use them). Property can barely be considered tenable when a civil registry does not exist, and the informal system that has developed often has two individuals claiming the same piece of land, with whoever can bribe the judge coming out on top.

The call for economic reform and international aid is not driven by the “white man’s burden.” Latinos, Asians, Africans, and other ethnicities from around the world have reached out to this impoverished nation. And while capitalist reform is necessary to ensure democracy in Haiti, much more has to be done. The stabilization effort must invest in state infrastructure to create the bureaucracy necessary for capitalism to thrive. This includes a strong judiciary, and independent agencies to act as oversight for a government with a history of corruption. The Haitians also need help from the private sector. Corporations have poured millions of dollars into reconstruction efforts. Beer companies are shutting down their assembly lines to bottle water instead. World Trade Center St. Louis organized thousands of units of “Medika Mamba” – a food endorsed by the WHO as excellent for specifically dealing with malnourishment – to be shipped to Haiti. Several companies have matched their employee donations dollar for dollar.

Max has good intentions in trying to protect the Haitian people, but protectionism and foreign aid has been tried for more than 50 years and it has summarily failed. All it has done is fund corrupt Haitian governments who shackled their nation in poverty while hiding behind the rhetoric of social justice and populism. It’s about time Haiti was given the chance to stand on its own two feet. Let’s give Haiti a dose of the free market.

Letters to the Editor, Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Tribune misses the point of the endless Dr. Cornett letters.

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Re: “Dr. Cornett’s favorite play? Monty Python’s Spamalot.” by Anait Keuchguerian (9.2.10)

Under the banner of academic transparency, a recent student letter advocated the screening of Alanis Obomsawin’s documentary about the remarkable teaching style of Norman Cornett, a professor whom McGill let go three years ago. Perhaps because the letter contained a lengthy, and probably misconceived, disquisition on the various meanings of transparency, the editorial staff at the Tribune entitled the letter: “Dr. Cornett’s favourite play? Monty Python’s Spamalot.” This was no doubt intended as an exasperated comment on the volume of letters that the Tribune receives concerning him. It seems that the Tribune has missed the point: if normally apathetic university students are writing letters frequently enough to bother the Trib, maybe their insistence indicates a matter of great importance.

I believe this is a question of character for McGill, a question of how many ideas it is able to house. Cornett’s style of teaching is indeed unorthodox; that unorthodoxy has helped open many minds to new and wonderful ideas, which seems to me the quintessence of education. McGill has deemed this style unworthy of a place in its constellation of opportunities, an unfortunate error that has made this excellent institution a lesser place. Many McGill students, as well as luminaries in a number of different fields, have recognized Cornett’s classes for what they are: a transformative educational experience. They have protested the administration’s decision and will continue to push for its re-evaluation. A key step along the way is for people who haven’t had the privilege of being taught by Cornett to see what his classes are like, and Obomsawin’s documentary provides a compelling introduction. I therefore join those who are calling for an on-campus screening. McGill students have much to gain by finding out just what they are missing. (Ed. note – A screening of Obomsawin’s documentary will be presented at 7 p.m. on March 22 in LEA 132.)

– Fraser DicksonB.A. ’09

Letters to the Editor, Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fostering open dialogue.

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Re: “Why Gaza Remembrance Week misses the point” by Adam Winer (26.1.10)

Although Adam Winer’s commentary concludes on a somewhat optimistic note – calling on us to have open dialogue and broaden our knowledge about the Arab-Israeli conflict – the manner in which he wrote his op-ed makes clear that he has yet to follow this important piece of advice. In the beginning of his piece, Adam Winer makes the claim that the whole purpose of Gaza Remembrance Week is to “stifle dialogue and promote a simple analysis of a nuanced conflict.” This is simply absurd. There is no hidden agenda behind Gaza Remembrance Week. The sole purpose of this event is to commemorate the atrocities that took place in Gaza a year ago, nothing more. Claiming otherwise is a cheap attempt to overlook the thousands of lives that were lost as a result of this war. This outlandish claim made by Adam Winer comes as no surprise to me. It is all too typical to hear shouts of outrage whenever there is an event or symposium that displays how Israel, like any other state, is capable of perpetrating violence against civilians.

What I take most offense to, however, is Adam Winer’s claim that SPHR used the Goldstone Report “as a starting point from which to demonize Israel and undermine its legitimacy as a state.” Believe it or not, Adam, this is not what SPHR is attempting to do. SPHR drew on this report because it is based on documented facts to highlight how war crimes were committed by both, yes by both sides during “Operation Cast Lead.” You simply cannot expect a report to place equal emphasis on Israel and Hamas when the Palestinian death toll greatly outnumbers the Israeli death toll (this, after all, would be biased). Lastly, by stating that SPHR used the Goldstone Report to demonize and delegitimize Israel’s statehood, you are conflating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, and such a statement does nothing to foster open dialogue on campus.

– Sarah GhabrialPhD Middle Eastern History

Arts & Entertainment, Music

CD REVIEWS: Rebecca Ramone: The Flood

by Kyle Carpenter on

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Rebecca Ramone’s debut EP, The Flood, doesn’t start with a bang. Instead, the opening track features a repeating blues riff beneath Ramone’s delicate-yet-strong voice. The song shifts when the blues riff accelerates, hitting a grungy overdrive with thrashing symbols. From there, the album takes off with track two, “Back in My Bed,” which opens with the same brand of addictive opening guitar riffs that made The White Stripes famous. Then, a few seconds into the song, it hits you: this isn’t girl-power rock, or even just a model plastered in front of a rock band (sorry, Emily Haines) – it’s just rock. Dirty, bluesy rock.

But it doesn’t stay that way. “Worryin'” is a departure, but an album without departures is an album without risk. It’s a mix of pop, folk, and even has hints of jazz emanating from the drummer’s brushes. However, this is a nice platform for Ramone’s voice, as we get to hear her softer side against a soft background for a change. While it may not have started with a bang, the album goes out with one: “Like I Knew” returns to the blues rock feel that reigns supreme throughout The Flood, and it just might be the album’s best song. While it’s only a quick taste, it’s a promising start – after just 16 minutes it’s obvious that Ramone is on to something. In the immortal words of Bucky Haight: “The way you play … it’s yours. Keep it.”

Arts & Entertainment, Music

CD REVIEWS: Holly Miranda: The Magician’s Private Library

by Carolyn Yates on

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Holly Miranda is better known as the frontwoman for The Jealous Girlfriends, a Brooklyn-based rock band. Now flying solo, the indie-pop newcomer’s full-length debut, The Magician’s Private Library, shows that she’s got a flavour of her own.

Produced by Dave Siteck of TV on the Radio, the album was reportedly recorded primarily between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m., which is also the time of day most suitable for listening to it.

The opening track, “Forest Green, Oh Forest Green,” sets a chipper tone not repeated elsewhere on the album before moving into the more sombre “Joints.” One of the stronger tracks is “Waves,” which embodies the essence of the album, though with soft electronic melodies and a 5 a.m. feel that is more upbeat and heartfelt than the rest. Another standout track is “No One Just Is,” which combines soft vocals and disjointed beats for a truly synesthesiac experience.

The album has a cohesive feel, which is surprising considering the almost-but-not-quite disjointed harmonies and blend of electronics. Miranda’s vocals make Feist comparisons inevitable, and while at times they’re buried by brass horns and artful keyboarding, her voice – though skilled – is rendered less important than the overall atmosphere of the album.

The Magician’s Private Library presents a dreamy musical landscape laced with hints of jazz, horns, and just a touch of magic.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Cop Out lives up to its title

by Alison Bailey on

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Kevin Smith’s supposed comedy, Cop Out, aims to be a big-budget action movie but falls flat with a potentially talented but ultimately disappointing cast. Combine Smith’s lackluster directing efforts with a poor script written by Mark and Robb Cullen and mediocre performances by both Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, and you have a two-hour long movie that feels more like four, with only a handful of scenes that are laugh-out-loud-worthy.

The film is essentially a rehash of many buddy cop films that were popular in the eighties and nineties. This may have worked well for Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour, but in the case of Cop Out the Cullen brothers fail to capture the right balance between fast-paced action scenes and witty bantering that this type of movie requires.

The movie depicts two cops, Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan), who have their badges taken away at the beginning of the film, a typical obstacle of the genre. Jimmy and Paul then face a number of misadventures while they try to relocate Jimmy’s stolen vintage baseball card, a prized ’52 Pafko, which leads them to encounter a thief named Dave (Sean William Scott), an attractive Hispanic woman (quintessential to any testosterone-driven cop movie), and, of course, Mexican drug lords. As a side note, Ana de la Reguera, who plays the alluring Mexican named Gabriela, seems to have been cast solely based on her looks and her ability to rant for long periods of time in Spanish, because she doesn’t bring anything else to the film.

The movie does succeed in one of the traditional aspects of the buddy cop genre: Cop Out is full of car chases and shoot-outs. Especially noteworthy is the scene in which Jimmy and Paul’s vehicle is being pursued through a graveyard – a great example of what an action flick should be.

The hard-ass seriousness of Willis juxtaposed with the immature and impulsive character of Morgan should yield an entertaining, odd-couple dynamic, but instead leaves the audience embittered by the lack of harmony between the two.

Morgan plays the same character he always plays: a childish, spontaneous, irrational caricature of himself. Despite this character being well received in 21-minute episodes of 30 Rock, 107 minutes of Morgan describing his bowel movements and yelling profanities becomes tiresome long before the credits arrive. He does, however, have his comedic moments. One of the most entertaining scenes in the movie consists of Morgan’s character interrogating a suspect, using only quotations from various movies including Schindler’s List, Star Wars, and Beetlejuice.

Willis, on the other hand, puts on one of his most disappointing performances, reciting his lines as though he knows how bad they really are. Jimmy’s character could have easily have been more developed, but instead he is mostly overshadowed by the obnoxious jeering of Paul and forced into a bland role in which he mostly ends up babysitting his partner.

However, the supporting role played by Sean William Scott is the best performance in the movie. His ADD, jokester character – who has a knack for climbing urban structures – outshines both Willis and Morgan. This film would have been better with more of Scott.

It’s no wonder Smith tried to distance himself from this movie and was quoted on his Twitter page saying that Cop Out was “not MY movie; a movie I was hired to direct.” Whether Smith, the Cullens, Willis, or Morgan are to blame, the overuse of standard clichéd farces is the final straw in this attempt at a comedic buddy cop flick. Do yourself a favor and spend your time watching 30 Rock and The Fifth Element instead.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

We Are The City take on the rest of the country

by Brittany Rappaport on

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After recently winning Vancouver’s first-ever Peak Performance Project, a contest created by radio station 100.5 The PEAK and Music BC to encourage up-and-coming artists based in British Columbia, We Are The City is humbly starting to realize that what lies ahead for them is going to be a huge departure from their beginnings.

“We [Cayne McKenzie and David Menzel] were friends and started jamming in grade eight and it was the most awful jams you could ever imagine,” says vocalist and keyboardist McKenzie. “He started on bass and I was on guitar, an awful purple one, and our main influence was P.O.D.”

The boys from Kelowna have progressed a lot since these early days. McKenzie invited drummer Andrew Huculiak to join the band in high school after Huculiak’s screamo band fizzled out. Although the band fit together perfectly, they had no idea that the band’s future would be as promising as it’s become.

With Menzel on the guitar and Huculiak on drums, the three youthful composers were shocked to even be accepted into the Peak Performance Project alongside 490 other applicants.

“All the bands in the top 20 were amazing and then [to get into the] top three was just crazy,” McKenzie says. Inspired by artists like Mew, Radiohead, and Coldplay (they quickly realized P.O.D wasn’t their thing), We Are The City was one of only two indie bands to advance in the contest.

But McKenzie barely mentions that they won the entire competition, along with a whole lot of cash. This could be because, for them, it was never about winning but rather about making music together.

“It’s crazy that I’m getting paid for this, but I don’t think any of us are looking at it like that,” says McKenzie. “We’re not concerned with making money, we want to do this.”

The fact that they are now $150,000 richer hasn’t fazed We Are The City. “I feel like this is our test to see if we can really stay true even with tons of money … I feel like we’re doing a pretty good job because for us it’s kind of like the band is a friendship before anything,” says McKenzie.

Their tight-knit friendship is exactly what has helped the band propel themselves onto the Canadian indie music scene. “The three of us are best compared to a marriage, I don’t see anyone else more than I see them,” says McKenzie. “We all share a bed on our manager’s floor, work together all day, and then play together, so I sometimes spend more time with them than with myself.”

Despite its name, We Are The City’s debut album, In A Quiet World, is not very quiet at all. With a refreshing sound, heavy on the keys while staying in the realm of pop-rock, the album – and the band – are full of potential.

“The fact that we love playing and writing music with each other and having that be able to come out of us … as long as we keep [that] intact then I think we’ll be okay with not becoming too hot-headed. We’re not really guys like that anyways.”

On their Reckless Bravery Tour, We Are The City plays at The Green Room on March 6 at 9 p.m.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

CD REVIEWS: Jay Malinowski: Bright Lights & Bruises

by Kyle Carpenter on

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Jay Malinowski is best known as the singer/lead guitarist for Bedouin Soundclash, but his solo album, Bright Lights & Bruises, shows that he can stand on his own. It conspicuously lacks the reggae feel of Bedouin Soundclash’s repertoire, but for non-reggae fans this is all the more reason to give Bright Lights & Bruises a chance.

The first two songs indicate a pattern on the album: the songs are chiefly piano songs or acoustic songs, but Malinowski manages to keep them from sounding bare. With very few exceptions – “Animal” being one – each song sounds rich, filled““` out by the vocals. However, there are times when Malinowski’s voice stretches too high and sounds whiny. “Remembrance Day,” is guilty of this, which is especially noticeable because it’s followed by a similar yet much better use of his voice on “How It Comes Is How It Goes,” a strong acoustic track.

It’s hard to pick the best song, so with the illusion of being categorical instead of indecisive, I’ll say that the best piano song is the opener, “There’s A Light” – an immediate attention-grabber – while the best acoustic song is “Santa Monica,” the album’s first single. There’s a lot to the album, and it rarely strays too far from the feeling of the previous song, but the mix of piano and acoustic songs keep it from being too repetitive. Reggae-haters, rejoice! We can finally like Bedouin Soundclash (well, almost).

Sports

Hometown hero comes full circle by suiting up for the Habs

by Matt Chesser on

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Officially, the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues on January 20 was the 102nd of Mathieu Darche’s 10-year professional career. But in many ways it felt a lot like his first.

On that cold Wednesday night, Darche played his first game for the Canadiens – the team he idolized while growing up in St. Laurent, Quebec – in front of a raucous crowd at the Bell Centre. In doing so, he became the first McGill graduate to dress for the Habs in over 72 years.

“The first time I heard them say, ‘Accueillons nos Canadiens’ I got goosebumps,” said Darche. “[Canadiens’ Head Coach] Jacques Martin put me in the starting lineup and I was in a bit of a daze for the first few shifts. It felt special, a lot like it was my first game.”

Although he didn’t register a point in his first appearance, Darche has impressed the coaching staff enough to remain on the Habs’ roster for 13 games to date. For the journeyman forward, who has spent his entire career bouncing between the NHL and the minor leagues, it’s only the third time he has played more than 10 games in the NHL in a single season.

“I’ve learned to never take anything for granted,” said Darche. “Even though things have gone well, I know I’ve got to prove myself every day I’m here.”

Darche is certainly no stranger to criticism – he has had to prove himself to the doubters ever since his time as a member of the McGill Redmen. McGill had not produced an NHL player in nearly 50 years before Darche played his first NHL game in 2000. In over 100 years of Canadian university hockey, only 158 Canadian university players have made the leap to the NHL, as scouts focus most of their attention on prospects playing in the Canadian Hockey League or for American university teams.

While Darche hopes that he has drawn some attention to the quality of play in the CIS, he admits that he likely wouldn’t have attended McGill if he had wanted to seriously pursue a career in the NHL.

“I never thought I’d play professional hockey,” said Darche. “It wasn’t until my senior year that it became a possibility. I picked McGill because it was a great school, because my brother [J.P. Darche] was already [attending McGill], and because they offered me the chance to play both football and hockey.”

The chance to play on the same football team as his brother was too enticing an opportunity for Darche to turn down. Both Darche brothers were talented linebackers – J.P. would go on to play as a long snapper for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL – and played side-by-side in Mathieu’s freshman year. But Darche struggled to make the transition to varsity hockey in the winter semester. The 238-pounds he packed onto his 6’1″ frame made him too heavy and slow to play hockey at a high level. After notching only one point in his first season with the hockey team, Darche decided to quit football and slim down to 228 pounds. The next season his point totals began to steadily climb above a point-per-game pace.

“J.P. is pretty much my best friend,” said Darche. “We’re each other’s biggest fan, and we’re both really proud of the fact that we made it professionally in our chosen sport – even though neither of us had the intention to make a career out of playing sports.”

As Darche blossomed into an offensive powerhouse during his fourth year at McGill – he finished his final season with 62 points in 26 games – scouts began to take notice. By the end of the year, eight NHL teams made offers to Darche. He ultimately decided that signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets – an expansion team entering their first season – would give him the best chance to earn a place on an NHL roster.

But success at the NHL level has been elusive for Darche. He played 24 games over three seasons with the Blue Jackets, and has subsequently spent time on the rosters of four NHL and six AHL teams – despite leading each of those AHL teams in goal scoring. Darche’s best NHL season came in 2007-08 when he scored 22 points in 73 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“It’s hard to break in, no matter how well you do in the AHL,” said Darche. “You sign with teams as a free agent in training camp, but a lot of them already have their lines set, and you’re competing against first-round picks or guys with million-dollar contracts. But I love playing, so I just had to keep working hard at it.”

Despite the difficult travel schedule in the AHL and the constant uprooting of his family – the 33-year-old Darche is married with young children – the McGill product doesn’t regret his decision to pursue a career in hockey.

“Sure, it’s been tough at times,” said Darche. “But I’m so lucky to have a job that I love. To have graduated from McGill and have made it into the Habs organization is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Dead wives and daydreams test Leo’s sanity in Shutter Island

by Grace Glowicki on

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Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese’s new psychological thriller, has dominated the box office since its release on February 19. Grossing a mean $40.2 million, it also marks the illustrious director’s most successful opening weekend to date. Though not on par with his best films, Shutter Island reflects Scorsese’s genius simply by being meticulously put together, well-cast, and generally captivating – a feat that many films currently in theatres have failed to achieve. Dealing with the shaky definitions of crime, insanity, and reality, the film firmly holds the audience’s attention.

The plot follows US Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), who has been sent to Shutter Island to investigate the report of a missing patient from Ashecliffe Hospital, an institution for the criminally insane. As soon as Teddy becomes certain that the doctors are illegally experimenting on patients, his grasp on reality is weakened by vivid nightmares and incapacitating migraines. Towards the end of the story, reality and fiction have furiously bled into one another, forcing the audience to decipher the truth. Set in 1954, the film trembles with a combination of Cold War paranoia and emotional trauma from World War II.

As always, DiCaprio delivers a vigorous performance, leaving even the most inert of audience members feeling exhausted. We identify with his Teddy throughout the entire film and fight alongside him to uncover the truth of Shutter Island. Perfectly embodying the thematic tension of the film, his last scene exudes a fantastic uncanniness that could only be conjured up by the likes of Leo. Also commendable is Sir Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of Dr. Cawley, a head psychiatrist at Ashecliffe who exudes an uncomfortable eeriness, playing tricks on both Teddy and the audience.

Scorsese orchestrates surrealist scenes of nightmares, flashbacks and hallucinations in ways that are so hauntingly beautiful and vivid that they move like waking dreams. Particularly captivating is Teddy’s nightmare in which his dead wife (Michelle Williams) bleeds water, smoulders red like embers, and finally turns to ash in his arms. Equally impressive are Teddy’s reoccurring flashbacks of liberating a death camp during the war – in one we see a German officer bleeding to death in his office as Mahler blares from a gramophone and papers float around the room, invoking the mood of a sinister snow globe.

Scorsese references Hitchcock’s Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Case of Mr. Pelham, and Psycho in ways that merely index, but do not expand the themes of identity and psychosis “the master of suspense” first brought to the table. He also emulates aspects of many classic horror films: a storm blows in right when it should, doors fling open, the power goes out, cellos wail, crazy people jump out of the dark, and so on. However, these references come off as intentional rather than unimpressive. Scorsese cheekily appropriates throughout his entire film, giving it the feel of a found-footage concoction, which emerges not as cheesy, but as entertaining pulp fiction.

Shutter Island is no Taxi Driver or Goodfellas, but it definitely deserves its current spot at number one.

Shutter Island is playing at Scotiabank Theatre.

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