A small case of mistaken identity

I diligently spent my Saturday at the former Lenin Library -- now the Russian State Library -- still fondly referred to as "Leninka". Until my laptop battery ran out, that is. Some of the government-funded research institutions I've been visiting are ill-equipped for contemporary technological uses. At others, grim archivists respond with one word -- "crisis" -- to my futile question about recharging, evidently in reference to saving on utilities under uncertain economic conditions.

As I headed to stand in line for an extremely overpriced cappuccino (to do my part in alleviating the said crisis!) in central Moscow, I began encountering various signs of patriotism. First, I saw a number of thin, nonchalantly chain-smoking youth donning military-styled caps, wrapped in giant white-blue-and-red flags. Then -- a couple of excited fashionable ladies with smaller flags as well as a group of emo teenagers in scarves with the same color scheme.

Perhaps it was the advertisement for Edinaya Rossiya party in white-blue-and-red that led me to link all this activity to today's Moscow City Duma elections. The campaign banner covered an entire side of a building where New and Old Arbat split, as late afternoon sun rays flooded its leader's -- Putin's larger-than-life photograph with divine light.

"Could all the people I just saw be part of the status quo-supporting Nashi movement that I've read about? Am I witnessing urban political activism in action?"

Further, I passed by two athletic males in dark bomber jackets, their military pants tucked into combat boots, and, later yet, a non-descript adolescent with a sun wheel awkwardly drawn onto his brown faux-leather bag with a black permanent marker.

"Are these extreme right-wing nationalists? Will I be able to photograph something curious?"

...

"Will they kick my ass if I do?"

It was not until I successfully consumed the somewhat-botched-but-still-overpriced cappuccino and got onto the subway, as my laptop bag attempted to travel by itself pulled by the human deluge, that I (embarrassingly!) discovered the actual reason for all this commotion.

They were all simply going to a soccer match.

Canadian democrazy in action

The issue that irritates me the most about the current Canadian federal election process is not:

the generally apolitical voters' ignorance regarding the basic platform of each party and electoral decision-making based on rumor

the almost omnipresent belief that the government needs to become even more of a babysitter to it subjects than it already is and the consequent sense of false entitlement that this belief brings along

the wide-spread hatred for self-achieved financial success and the notion that it needs to be penalized

the shameless and childish mudslinging and fear tactics in advertisements on the part of the party in power

the hypocritical assumption that there is a single
set of Canadian values, conveniently defined by the ruling party, that every Canadian possesses, but that current opposition does not, which makes this opposition anti-Canadian

the blatant America-bashing on the part of the ruling party

...but rather the fact that almost every district profiled on Toronto / Greater Toronto Area radio stations seems to contain a member from the Communist and the Marxist-Leninist parties running for election. Expectedly, each of these homo (hopefully) sapiens spews regurgitated Robinhood vomit from the Manifesto that even Jack "Lenin" Layton himself would not dream of.

Embarrassing.