A modest proposal for Toronto politics: more Bolivia-style junk shots

It’s video like this (at left) that makes us want to learn more about Latin American politics. In a soccer match designed to show that Bolivian president Evo Morales and his main political rival could play hard but still keep it clean, things went a bit awry when Morales kneed Luis Revilla hard, and where it counts. It might be a big fail when it comes to keeping it clean on the pitch, but it’s a big win in terms of YouTube hits right now (10,129, and it’s been posted less than a day).

We would never endorse political violence in Canada, of course, but the occasional knee to the groin would be a lot quicker, and perhaps even more merciful, than the endless debates in Toronto’s mayoral election. And wouldn’t we all like to see Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff settle their differences in an old-fashioned hockey fight? The winner gets to be prime minister, and the loser has to carry the bag of hockey equipment from Halifax to Vancouver. (Frankly, we’d only bet against Harper’s Liberal-smashing software if Ignatieff is allowed to carry a big magnet.) Come to think of it, our new governor general might look good in a referee’s jersey.

• Bolivian President’s Knee Meets Opponent’s Groin [New York Times]