“I will be popping a tall can of Stella and reading the decision through at my leisure this evening. But on a cursory reading the BCHRT seems to have based its dismissal on a failure by the Mohammedan Legal Titan Faisal Joseph to lead expert evidence going to the actual promotion of hatred and contempt.

It is an intentionally narrow ruling based on a factual determination and not on a matter of law. As such it virtually eliminates the capacity of the complainants to appeal. But it is not helpful in setting the height of the bar; rather it tells the next complainants what evidence they need to bring.

Over at my place truewest suggests that the respondents could have sent a junior down early in the process to make application for dismissal on the grounds no case was made by the Islamists. In fact, given the basis of today’s ruling, such an application would likely have failed. The Tribunal nowhere states that the article was not hate speech; rather it relies on the failure of the CIC to adduce evidence of the effects of that speech.

The ‘roos found a way to blink in the face of a serious, well-funded, respondent which, from a legal perspective, sets no precedent and raises no bar. Damned clever ‘roos.

They have left the more interesting question of what constitutes “hate speech” to another day (with a less well armed respondent). These ‘roos are boxing smart and trying very hard to avoid having the statute underwhich they exercise their power brought before the SCC. They skulked away this time. A bit bloodied but ready to fight another day.

With luck, those of us who do not want the government censoring speech, will press the attack in other venues.”

“We are not going to have any legal recognition of sharia judgments that would withstand appeal to a secular court,” she said before the Tory conference in Birmingham, .

Speaking the day after Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said Britain had “done something terrible to ourselves” by encouraging multiculturalism, Lady Neville-Jones said that the Conservatives would make the case for more “integration” among all British people, whatever their backgrounds.

She said: “We want unity and opportunity, despite difference, through integration.”

She accused the Government of leading the country down the “blind alley of multiculturalism, which has deliberately gone down the road of separation for its own sake.” Pauline Neville-Jones, a former head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, shadow secretary for security via the flea

But, as nick points out, if she said this in Canada the lamer leaders would likely fire her for insufficient sensitivity.

Many of us may not agree with Zionism, but the reality is that Zionism is the founding philosophy of Israel. Jews have longed to return to Jerusalem for well over 2,000 years, long before any Christian or Muslim walked the holy paths of Palestine.

Palestinians need to stop saying that Israel is an artificial state, and therefore doesn’t have any historical right to exist. That is a toothless argument: Half the states of the Middle East are artificial constructions - this is the legacy of the colonial era. If Israel has no right to exist, then explain Lebanon and Jordan. The first was a mountain and the other a gift by the British to the rulers of Hejaz - who now claim a land called Saudi Arabia, which too is an artificial construct. Natasha Fatah CBC

Now the poor woman has to share a page with Heather Malick, but she gets stuff right.

The Green dolts at the last Liberal Convention seem to have won their last battle….

Say what you will about the Jackal….he has the visceral political instincts of a scavenger. He smells dead before the heart stops beating.

Lefties overjoyed at the prospect of banks running out of cash should note that money markets also hold federal and local government securities. What happens when Maryland doesn’t have the cash in its coffers to make payroll, and the money market no longer exists? What happens is they send the employees home and tell them to come back when they get more cash. To the extent that you think a large and well paid civil service is a good thing, this should distress you. megan mcardle

In so far as the current credit crunch has registered in the lefty blogosphere it seems to have been greeted as a long awaited comeuppance - which it is. But, as Ms. McArdle points out, big state liberals would be wise to hope it passes. The alternative is that all those public sector union jobs vanish. No more helpful interventions from government. While this would be grand from a libertarian perspective, it would be the end of the world for the public sector left.

Up until quite recently people who made the claim that the big yellow thing might have more to do with climate change than, say, CO2 were branded as “deniers” and disinvited from the better class of cocktail party and any participation in the so called “climate debate”.

Well, the absence of spots has become sufficiently pronounced that NASA has called a press conference Tuesday. In the press release NASA states, “The sun’s current state could result in changing conditions in the solar system.”

via Watts up with that

Sarah Palin Facts

via Chuck Norris via the flea (who can pick up goth girls just by saying “steampunk” in a sort of academic chav accent.)

Say what you will about Sarah Palin…she has single handedly revived SNL.

Apparently, John Bennett, who styles himself Communications Director of the Green Party, threatened a blogger, a lefty bloger as it happens, with a suit for slander unless that blogger took down the video above.

Yo, John, there really is nothing dumber than threatening a blogger with legal action…It can give you a nasty virus.

I phoned John Bennett on his cell. He stated this is a doctored interview (though not who doctored it) and then hung up on me before I could confirm his quote. He also stated that the interview was obtained illegally.

Listen and judge for yourself.

Meanwhile, Steve Taylor, who I have to say I trust a lot more than “John Bennett” confirms the authenticity of the tape.

Here’s the deal John, don’t threaten bloggers with legal action if you want to bury an embarrassing quote. Don’t try to tell people that “The Agenda with Steve Paikin” is in the habit of doctoring tapes. You look dumb and you embarrass your leader and your party. It is pretty clear May said that Canadians were stupid. Deal with it.

(Huge hattip to SDA)

Update: Last night as I tried to post this 4000 people had watched the video, as of (9:00 Pacific this morning 10,400 people had seen it. Way to go John.

Update II: TVO confirms the tape is intact.

Update III: 14,956 views at 9:24 PM Pacific and the Communications genius for the Green Party, John Bennett, has apologized but managed to refer to Leftdog as a Conservative blogger twice on Mike Duffy. Dolt.