>From your posts Mervyn, I have already figured out that Canada is the best country to live in! If only we could be so lucky. My comment is in regard to Canadian job postings that I read in 'EOS', the American Geophysical Union's newsletter and other Earth Sciences job sites which state that Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given preference. Specifically, last week I saw an advertisement for a Chair at the Geology Dept of the U of Toronto. I dont know about Canadian colleges being second to none but I will take your word for it as you have probably studied in one? I would like to point out that Canadian scientists have benefited immensely from the largesse of the US funding system, be it the NIH, NASA or recently the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As for discrimination - although I do not have statistics on racial discrimination in Canada (and one needs numbers to make such a serious accusation), I have read two articles in Goa Voice, Canada, one of which stated that new and colored immigrants find it hard to get jobs while the second states that first generation Canadians of Asian parentage are often sidelined for white kids in the job market. Although anecdotal, many of my friends from Goa, Bombay and the Middle East who have immigrated to Canada have found it very hard to get jobs - especially the men and they have complained of being severely discriminated. Or are they are plain incompetent? A social worker friend who works at Etobikoke has been bitterly disappointed with the complains of racial discrimination especially from African families. It doesnt surprise me but its also not something I want to discuss any further. What does concern me is that in your effort to nail Mario Gouveia you do a great disserve to many of us who do not agree with this regime as well to almost half the American police who did not choose this government. There are plenty of Americans who are against the death penalty, who fight for equal rights, same sex marriages just as there are plenty of Canadians (including those who claim to be Goans) who vociferously oppose the same sex marriage ruling in Canada. Does Canada not have its conservatives who are very much against immigration and the changing demography of their country? You also do yourself a disserve because you come across as the archetypical Canadian whose greatest sport is American bashing. You could do better Mervyn - perhaps you could even advise the droves of Goans who have taken the plunge into the icy cold waters of Canada and help them get through the first few difficult years. In my opinion those postings would be extremely valuable to our Goans rather than your polemics with Mario.There are many other forums where you opinions would hold more import. As for 'Perhaps the US should take a clue from us' I am sure that the USA has a lot to learn from other countries and vice versa. As a very interesting article in last week's NYT magazine has pointed out, Reinhold Niebuhr an intellectual who shaped the foreign policy of early Democrats (Americans for Democratic Action) argued that 'Americans should not emulate the absolute confidence of their enemies' (then the Communists) rather 'they should cultivate enough self-doubt to ensure that their idealism never degenerated into fanaticism'. There is benefit in humility and there is a lesson to learn everywhere.
Helga do Rosario Gomes _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list ([email protected])
