King Herod, who ruled Judea when Jesus was born, was a brutal man who killed his father-in-law, several of his ten wives, and two of his sons. He ruthlessly suppressed any challenge to his rule. Herod’s heavy taxes, used to pay for lavish projects, forced an unfair burden on the Jewish citizens who were in a state of groaning over the oppressive Roman rule

These last few weeks have found me sifting through the aftermath of the U.S. election in the hope of finding some salvageable life lessons with which to move forward. One thing I have learned is that I no longer desire to be a brick in any wall that serves to further alienate me from others.

The world has truly lost a great leader in the death of Fidel Castro. This greatness is unarguable, for by greatness I mean charismatic leadership and creation of change. What will likely be debated is whether the good of the man, the good of his actions, outweighed the bad. And, as is often the case, determining this tally may lead to a study of the alternatives, those that were and those that could be.

As Canadians, we have enjoyed the unusual amount of entertainment presented by the political arm wrestle taking place south of the 49th. The current contest borders on a gong show. In most presidential contests, the complexity of the system, combined with the uniquely American ability to viciously attack opponents on all levels (personally and ideologically), produces the show. The American Empire has been likened to the historical Roman Empire, with New York as the new Rome, and perhaps our U.S. friends have embraced more than just empirical aspirations; they seem to lust for blood sport as well, with Washington D.C. as the new colosseum.