the last place on earth you probably want to be » politics

Free Admission in France

Marissa — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:23:40 +0000

I was excited about the prospect of free-for-under-25 for the National museums in France until I remembered I wasn’t 25 anymore. Truly, however, this is great news, and it’s a policy I hope other institutions feel moved to implement, particularly in Toronto (and at least for students).

From the Associated Press:

NIMES, France (AP) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the country’s national museums and monuments will soon stop charging admission to visitors under 25.

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Lies & Life

Marissa — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:13:54 +0000

I don’t claim to have a deep understanding of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, or of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, but in reading The Social Contract I came upon a passage whose startling prescience speaks to the injustice of land stolen by states:

Is it enough to put one’s feet on a piece of common land in order to claim it at once as one’s own? Is it enough to have the power to keep other men off for one moment in order to deprive them of the right ever to return? How could a man or a people seize a vast territory and keep out the rest of the human race except by a criminal usurpation — since the action would rob the rest of mankind of the shelter and the food that nature has given them all in common? (Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, and Maurice Cranston. The Social Contract. New York: Penguin Books, Limited, 2004. 23)

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President Obama

Marissa — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:29:02 +0000

While I am moved to see an African-American President of the United States of America elected so early in my lifetime, being moved, or even having hoped for this prior to last night’s election, only validates the “democratic” electoral system whose ruling members have oppressed black people (and women, and immigrants, and poor people, and everyone but themselves) for centuries.

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OK, folks. It’s election day!

Marissa — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:51:07 +0000

Don’t forget to vote.

Visit elections.ca and nodice.ca for all the logistical information you’ll need. Visit howdtheyvote.ca if you need help deciding.

Posted by email from collections from the last place (posterous)

Bravo! Town Hall: Does Art Matter?

Marissa — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:36:54 +0000

Bravo! is hosting a Town Hall meeting on Sunday, September 28 at 3pm at the Masonic Temple (888 Yonge St. at Davenport Rd.) I recommend you RSVP and attend if you have something to say, or are interested in what other voters are saying about the value of arts in Canada.

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The Value of Artists

Marissa — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:08:38 +0000

I’m happy to see that the question of arts funding is still in the news. I hope that in some way, the value of articles like Atwood‘s will resonate with the “ordinary people” who actually don’t care about the arts. I’m unpopular in thinking so, but as much as I agree with Atwood, Harper’s right too. One only needs to scan the comments on Atwood’s essay to see that the value of art and artists is a highly contested topic.

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Quick Links

Marissa — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:29:56 +0000

This might seem entirely biased, but I happened upon these two articles this morning and wanted to share. They’re both from the CBC, and no, I won’t be visiting alternative news sources to publish links about the other side.

Give us the plan on culture, federal leaders urged

Cultural sector helps drive economy: report

Canada 20/20: Stephen Harper Scares Me

Marissa — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:49:44 +0000

The Canada 20/20 panel is a survey group that’s facilitated by the Innovative Research Group. You sign up, you get email alerts to new surveys, and if you’re eligible to participate you can win $500. The surveys usually cover current events and are your standard survey fare of providing a statement and asking whether you strongly agree, agree, are neutral, disagree, strongly disagree.

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Update re: Surely We Can Do Better Than Swing Teams

Marissa — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:05:35 +0000

I didn’t expect my post about the Town Hall Meeting to gain as much traction as it did. I feel it would be wrong to go back and pacify some of my statements, particularly as I continue to stand by them.

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Surely We Can Do Better Than Swing Teams

Marissa — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:42:14 +0000

I went to the Town Hall Meeting regarding the Tory funding cuts to the arts. My heart was warmed to see so many people there, including the media and local MPs. But I have to vent my frustration about what function this Town Hall Meeting served, and how the meeting’s organizers are intending to deal with the $62.06 million in cuts.

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