Divine right of kings
Re Harper To Shut Down Parliament (online, Dec. 30): I had thought that the absolute power of the monarch to prorogue Parliament died with the beheading of Charles I of England. It appears I was wrong.
Alan Price, Cumberland, Ont.
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Stephen Harper: the man who put the “rogue” into “prorogue.”
Andrew Leith Macrae, Toronto
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What’s the lesson to be learned now that Stephen Harper has folded the people’s tent? Is it that government happens only in the shadows? Is Canada now a pro-rogue state, sort of like Libya used to be?
Bill Engleson, Denman Island, B.C.
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Will MPs’ salaries be prorogued?
Tony Capon, Kingston, Ont.
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So the man who said “cutting and running is not my way” is now running away?
Iain Turvey, Toronto
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If I were your cartoonist, I’d draw the man with his tail between his legs hiding behind the Governor-General’s skirts.
Kathleen Teillet, Winnipeg
Divine right of China
China’s execution of British citizen Akmal Shaikh for importing four kilograms of heroin into the country is remarkable. Not because it was a brutal act against a man who may have been innocent and may have been mentally ill but because it was carried out despite 21 formal pleas for clemency from the British government (China Brushes Aside British Rage Over Execution – Dec. 30).
For the past 200 years, Europeans have enjoyed special rights in China. Until 1949, they were exempt from Chinese law and could insist on being dealt with under their own legal system. Since the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the special treatment has been informal, but Westerners generally have been exempt from harsh Chinese laws. One way or another, their governments were almost always able to secure their release. China did not want to offend foreign governments for fear of reprisals.
Now China is telling the world there will be no more special deals. If foreigners want to come to China, they’ll be treated the same as ordinary Chinese. China is telling the world it has regained its world power status and will now insist on being treated the same as any other world power. Imagine how the U.S. would react if Britain tried to interfere with its criminal justice system. Why should China be any different?
Garth M. Evans, Vancouver
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I have lived and worked in China since 2002. Here’s what I’ve learned: There’s a venerable saying that goes something like “cut off the chicken’s head to scare the monkey.” The chicken’s innocence is irrelevant. The execution of Akmal Shaikh delivers a simple message: Don’t even think of messing with China.
Vincent Lauzon, Dalian, China
The power nap
I’d like to tell your readers how the post-prandial siesta period plays out in the field of medicine. In short, I advise your readers never to book an afternoon appointment between 1:30 and 3 p.m. I have seen my own physician slowly lose consciousness while I was talking to him. This involves the narrowing of his eyes to the point of closure, followed by his head falling back and his mouth hanging open. He wakes up in a few seconds, so I just keep talking.
Michael LeGault (Today’s Real Energy Crisis – Dec. 29) describes the cure, which is a brief afternoon nap (difficult but not impossible when with a patient). If necessary, patients should administer a pinch or a gentle slap in the face if the nap exceeds 30 seconds. This is a kindness, and the embarrassed doctor will thank them.
David Rapoport, MD, Toronto
The advanced age club
