All sorts of fascinating potential fallout from the Jeremy Hinzman refugee claim, currently being decided upon by the Immigration and Refugee Board. To begin, the board has rather abruptly decided it will hear no arguments based on the logic that the US invasion of Iraq was illegal. I’d like to hear the reasoning behind that decision.

I did a bit of reading yesterday that suggested Vietnam draft dodgers did not generally apply as refugees, but rather applied for permanent resident status in Canada through standard means. Of course, a very famous guidebook for draft dodgers was published by Toronto’s House of Anansi press (probably still one of their greatest selling titles of all time). Check out some info on it here:

Manual for Draft Age Immigrants to Canada

Can someone explain what is different about the climate or laws today that this method of escape from the US killing machine is no longer an option?

Margaret Wente offers her standard ex-pat American opinion in today’s Globe, but I refuse to pay the internet fee to read the column, so I’ll scrounge around for it at the diner over lunch.

Some interesting questions: Does Canada have a moral obligation to participate in Mr. Hinzman’s perfectly admirable conscientious objection? Will he be forced to kill if he returns to the States, or will he rather face jail time as a deserter? If jail time awaits, is that not his most effective avenue of protest?