I am taking a break from all my 'participating' in Canadian politics. As I wrote in my last blog post, there is a pro-democracy movement underway in Canada right now. Along with many ongoing projects and initiatives, Canadians across the country are sharing information and discussing the anti democratic and primarily secret actions of the current Progressive Conservative government. This is primarily taking place on a Face Book Group named CAPP (Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament). Currently, there are over 225,000 members, over 28,000 links, 142 videos, thousands of ongoing side discussions and numerous initiatives underway. The most visible face of the movement right now is 'flash rallies' that take place whenever the Prime Minister or his Cabinet Ministers show up in public. I am not a fan of Face Book and there is a whole lot of 'cat herding' going on over there however, surprisingly, so far it is working. The only way I can describe it to you is raucous, as in boisterous, rowdy and disorderly. I have no idea how much longer this will last and it is obvious (to me at least) that there are disinformation specialists at work there along with obvious trolls (provoking endless emotional responses) and the more subtle types who seek to create division and centralize power etc. All in all an interesting experience...only in Canada, eh!
I am not sure if there is anyone left out there to read this but here is a roundup of some of the articles I have been reading lately.
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McJ's News Roundup - Feb. 11, 2010
President Peace Prize is busy spreading 'peace' around the world - notably near the Russian and Chinese borders and neither of these countries seem to want to get with his peace program.
Veiled Threats Directed against Russia: U.S. Expands Missile Shield Into Black Sea
by Rick Rozoff
Dmitry Rogozin, Russian envoy to NATO was quoted as saying "The U.S. is using Iran's actions to globalize its system of missile defense....Our military shouldn't believe some promises or intentions. We need to go on the assumption that a foreign military potential is approaching our borders."
Retired Colonel Igor Korotchenko said "Russia must warn Romania that if the elements of the U.S. missile shield are placed in the country they will become a target of Russia's preventive missile strikes."
Russia is all for nuclear strikes against potential aggressors
''The President informed the members of Russia's Security Council yesterday that he has approved two documents - the military doctrine and the Fundamentals of the state policy on nuclear deterrence until 2020,'' presidential press secretary Natalia Timakova said.
...
"The seizure of strategic initiative, dominance on the ground, at sea, and in aerospace will be the decisive factors in attaining goals,'' it said.
''Military actions will be characterised by the growing significance of high-precision, electromagnetic, laser, and infrasonic weapons, information control systems, unmanned aerial and autonomous sea vehicles, and guided robotised types of weapons and military hardware,'' it said.
China threatens U.S. sanctions over Taiwan arms
China threatened to impose sanctions on U.S. arms firms and cut cooperation with Washington unless it cancels a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, in an unprecedented move signaling Beijing's growing global power.
China's hawks demand cold war on the US
More than half of Chinese people questioned in a poll believe China and America are heading for a new "cold war".
The finding came after battles over Taiwan, Tibet, trade, climate change, internet freedom and human rights which have poisoned relations in the three months since President Barack Obama made a fruitless visit to Beijing.
..."This time China must punish the US," said Major-General Yang Yi, a naval officer. "We must make them hurt." A major-general in the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Luo Yuan, told a television audience that more missiles would be deployed against Taiwan. And a PLA strategist, Colonel Meng Xianging, said China would "qualitatively upgrade" its military over the next 10 years to force a showdown "when we're strong enough for a hand-to-hand fight with the US".
The Crotch Bomber has mostly dropped off the MSM radar however there is good news for Michael Chertoff, Perv Scanner sales are skyrocketing!
Christmas day crotch bomber tied to Israel, FBI
The Christmas Day "terrorist" is the latest in a series of staged incidents meant to make The Clash of Civilizations appear plausible and "the war on terrorism" rational.
The storyline does not hold together. Not even a little bit. As usual, the source of this media-fueled fear campaign traces directly to Tel Aviv - with a supporting role by the FBI
...
Israeli-American Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security (aka the rabbi’s son), now promotes firms that manufacturer highly intrusive body scanners that are terrific for spotting crotch bombers unless, of course, an Israeli firm is in charge of security.
News reports suggest that the stock of body-scanning firms soared $3 billion in value after this latest “terrorist” incident. Imagine the glee among clients of the Chertoff Group.
Meanwhile the U.S. has been transformed from the wealthiest nation to the world’s largest debtor. Nobel economist Joe Stiglitz projects a $3 trillion tab for a war based on fixed, flawed and outright fabricated intelligence—every cent of it borrowed, including $700 billion in interest.
The concept of "stimulus" may soon take on new connotations in the days ahead. The federal government is poised to emplace full-body scanners at airports across the nation, capable of peering under a person's garments.
...
This is essentially a form of high-tech voyeurism masking as security, and it portends more such incursions into liberty and privacy. How did it come to this, and so suddenly at that?
...
This new paradigm of high-tech security by way of scanning devices has become lucrative in recent years, and promises to become even more so in the near future. However, as Mother Jones Senior Washington correspondent James Ridgeway noted in his blog Unsilent Generation, "the TSA has a dismal record of enriching private corporations with failed technologies, and there are signs that the latest miracle device may just bring more of the same.
...
Beyond the lack of guaranteed functionality, a number of additional critiques have appeared questioning the untested nature of these technologies and whether they are in fact safe for widespread use. As an article from NaturalNews (recently reprinted by Truthout) observed:
"In researching the biological effects of the millimeter wave scanners used for whole body imaging at airports, NaturalNews has learned that the energy emitted by the machines may damage human DNA."
The Olympics are about to start just down the road from me. I won't be attending the festivities. The torch was trotted around town here last week but I didn't make it out to see it. However, one of my daughters did get to meet Arnold Schwarznegger's buddy our provincial premier, Gordon Campbell, at a restaurant in town where she was working. He was here for the big celebration.
In related news, the Terminator will be taking that same torch for a run on a prominent part of the last leg of it's trip. To add to this, yesterday the torch took a detour over the Peace Arch into the US. All this comes as a surprise to Canadians, nobody here seems to have known any of this was going to happen.
Arnold Schwarzenegger will carry the Olympic torch
Despite zero Canadian heritage, Schwarzenegger will join Canadian heroes such as Steve Nash (two time NBA MVP), Walter Gretzky (father of Wayne Gretzky), and Michael Bublé (singer my mom really likes).
Even more perplexing is that Schwarzenegger will carry the torch on Friday morning, a scant twelve hours before the Opening Ceremony begins, meaning that an Austro-American politician will be a major figure during one of Canada's finest moments."
Schwarzenegger unworthy to carry our Olympic torch
John Furlong and VANO C should be ashamed of themselves for embarrassing all Canadians by allowing an Austrian-born American with no connection with this country or with the Olympics to carry our torch.
...
How Schwarzenegger, a national symbol of American violence and mindless U.S. media culture was deemed suitable to carry the Olympic torch for our Canadian ceremonies simply boggles the mind.
On a more serious note, the bills for this two week party for the rich, famous and connected are piling up, with cost overruns through the roof and security costs at the top of that heap. Turns out it was more expensive than they estimated to turn our beautiful city of Vancouver and the Whistler/Blackcomb resort towns into militarized security zones. Things like military helicopters, navy warships in the harbour, troops stationed on mountaintops and in town, snipers, private contractors, the US Department of Homeland Security, RCMP, local police, bylaw officers, high tech crowd control weapons, spy balloons, enhanced airport security and extra border controls don't come cheap! At least everyone will be safe, right?
Olympic security estimated to cost $900M
"It would be nice if we could do it for less, but our approach has not been to set a budget and then deliver security for that budget," said Peter van Loan, the federal minister in charge of Olympic security.
The province initially estimated its contribution for providing security for the Games would be $87.5 million. As recently as last July, Hansen announced the entire security budget would be $175 million.
And then of course there is this to think about along with the fact that the head electrical inspector for the 2010 Olympics was mysteriously let go about two weeks ago.
Could Vancouver 2010 be the next 9/11? (UPDATED 5pm EST 2-7-10)
"...an attack during the Olympics while it is being highly guarded would be the perfect way to bring in more police state measures and to more fully integrate the US and Canada into a functioning North American Union; I will provide some evidence of this taking place already but there may be another motive at work here to expand the “war on terror” into more nations while blaming an attack on their scapegoat for everything, Al-Qaeda; however, the question remains, is that what will happen? In more recent news, it looks as if Iran may be the one to take the blame."
Top electrician dismissed weeks before Olympics
The City of Vancouver has drawn fire from safety experts after letting go of its chief electrician just weeks before the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Games.
...
"The chief electrical safety officer has all kinds of things to do in a busy time like this. There's all kinds of temporary installations going up, tents and all those activities that have electrical power in them."
Dave Jackson worked with Tsissereve until his retirement in 2007, and said he is one of the best of his profession.
"I was totally surprised to hear Ark had been dismissed," Jackson said. "He's probably recognized as the number one expert in Canada on electrical codes."
Industry leaders have written to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson demanding Tsisserev be reinstated -- but the mayor says his plate is already full.
And finally from the HFF (that's the Holy F**k File).
A scheme only psychopaths could invent: Israeli mind-scanner planned for airports
As part of stringent measures to beef up airport security, US authorities may use an Israeli-made mind-reading scanner that allegedly predicts whether a passenger is a potential threat or not.
...
the system aims to project images onto airport screens, such as symbols affiliated with a terrorist group or signs only a terrorist would recognize.
Givon said while the WeCU system would use humans to do some of the observing, it would rely largely on concealed cameras or covert biometric sensors that can distinguish a rise in body temperature and heart rate, however slight it may be.
"One by one, you can screen out from the flow of people those with specific malicious intent,"...
Comments
Hey McJ
that thing on Arnie sticks out like a sore thumb. Weird. I htink Canadians are being conditioned to accept something here. How's that US constitutional amendment allowing foreign born citizens to be President going, I wonder? Maybe a North American President would do an 'end run' around that.
Speaking of conditioning, that is what's behind the body scanners, no doubt (apart from profits, of course); getting people used to being treated as criminals and being humiliated. Nevermind the possible health problems for the regular air traveller. Unless of course, you have access to private planes like the CEOs of Big Pharma have. That's different
Scary Thought
"that thing on Arnie sticks out like a sore thumb" - it's a really big sore thumb for a lot of Canadians right now. Most however, are seeing this as our premier pulling strings for his buddy Arne (he actually had to get special permission for this from the Olympic Committee).
"Maybe a North American President would do an 'end run' around that."
Now that's a really scary thought, The Right Honorable Terminator Guy, Prime Minister of Canada.
Actually now I think about it, it kinda fits Stephen's M.O.
"Unless of course, you have access to private planes like the CEOs of Big Pharma have"
Exactly!
btw that comment by silverfish over on Penny's blog was hilarious.
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
James
Your struggling financial student struck out on her own this week and started a discussion thread over on the CAPP Face Book Group about the Canada's $75 Billion Bank Bailout. I'm getting an education over there as well but surprisingly I can help out with the newbie's to this whole 'money out of thin air' thing. I thought you might like that.
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
What do you mean'somebody
What do you mean'somebody your mum likes', Buble is somebody I like and I'm not that old
The rest, esspecially the HFF are scarey. Thnaks McJ.
HaHa Debbie - I didn't write
HaHa Debbie - I didn't write that, it was a quote. I was going to do more formatting on this but I was getting tired of all the cutting and pasting and adding the code.
I like Buble as well but then I'm old.
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
Thanks mcJ
Thanks for the news roundup. It's practically enough to raise a fellow's blood pressure. Shouldn't Arnie be home working on the dismal California economy? hahaha yeah right.
Can't say I've heard of Buble before now, why don't they get Geddy Lee to carry the torch (or maybe he already is for all i know)? Just kidding mostly, he's the first Canadian singer that came to mind...
Debt tips
Maybe Arne is up here to give us some tips on how to deal with the massive debt we will have accrued. The hangover from this party is going to be a doozy!!
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
Home
Gotta tell you - I'm enjoying all my new Canadian friends but it feels more like home when I'm here with all my international friends.
I sure wish Winter would come home or let us know he's OK.
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
Happy St Valentine's Day
Hi McJ -
> I sure wish Winter would come home or let us know he's OK.
I'm glad to report I received an Email this morning from WP, but sad to report that circumstances beyond his control prevent him from staying in contact at this time. He asks that we don't worry and says "Please hang tough and know that I am with you in spirit if not in email or the blogosphere."
I hope we will hear more from him but only time will tell. I hope you are all doing well!
Thanks NJT
Thanks NJT - that's good news for Valentines Day. I couldn't find a heart in the smilies so this will have to do.
Glad to hear he is ok.
Glad to hear he is ok.
RE: US Canada Integration
Our PM just signed this outrageous trade agreement with the US while he has our parliament prorogue. Democracy in action - Canadian style.
Stop me if you think you've heard this one before ...
Canwest :
"Because the president cannot rely on Congress to pass the legislation ... sources say the agreement as structured would allow the White House to use executive power to treat sectors of the Canadian economy as American by claiming supply chains are so integrated they cannot be separated.
While Canadian government officials declined to comment, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative distributed copies Thursday of the Canada-U.S. agreement for review by members of an industry advisory committee."
Harper and Co have been working hard since their dismissal of Parliament. Coincidentally they have decided now would be the best time to introduce a crippling new extension of NAFTA into our lives.
The Deal : In exchange for a 10 day window of opportunity in which Canadian corporations will theoretically be exempted from just some of Obama's protectionist Buy America economic provisions, Canadian provinces and municipalities will permanently relinquish their right to award local contracts to local businesses."
More at link: - http://creekside1.blogspot.com/2010/02/stop-me-if-you-think-youve-heard-...
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
plughole
Congrats on getting your wings as a high flier in high finance, McJ
Yep, I'd say Canada is circling the plughole right now and will be passed the "S bend" before Harper deigns to reopen Parliament.
The Opposition (if there is one) needs to give notice publicly that ANY agreement Harper makes without parliamentary approval will be considered illegal and unconstitutional and will be revoked upon the recommencement of democratic government. In other words, any party to any agreement with Harper will enter those agreements in full knowledge that they WILL be revoked and declared illegal and therefore no compensation will be forthcoming. Indeed, restitution will be sought from those parties for all expenses incurred in righting these illegal agreements.
WooHoo James!
Proudly displaying them wings!!
on our opposition doing anything but posturing.
The only real opposition to this is 'we the people'.
I really like what you wrote - mind if I use it?
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
Yes, by all means, McJ, feel
Yes, by all means, McJ, feel free.
" on our opposition doing anything but posturing." Yeah, it's times like these the 'bought and paid for' show their colours.
Thanks
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
New 911 Photos Released
Never-seen-before images of the 9/11 attacks were released by the NYPD. They were taken from a poice helicopter. Why now? Freedom of info request perhaps?
http://www.ctv.ca/gallery/html/World_Trade_attacks_20100210/index_.html
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
more photos
More photos here plus a little explanation but not much.
Interesting discussion over at Nobody's if anyone is interested
Something for Canadians to get behind
and the rest of us for that matter.
A superb article from The Canadian National Newspaper. Found via the equally superb Aangirfan
"So-called conspiracy theorists, some of whom deserve the pejorative connotation of that much-abused term, often imagine that secret societies of Jews, Jesuits, bankers, communists, Bilderbergers, Muslim extremists, papists, and so on, are secretly controlling history, doing dastardly deeds, and/or threatening to take over the world. As a leading “conspiracy theorist” according to Wikipedia, I feel eminently qualified to offer an alternative conspiracy theory which, like the alternative conspiracy theory of 9/11, is both simpler and more accurate than the prevailing wisdom: The only conspiracy that matters is the conspiracy of the psychopaths against the rest of us."
You can sign up for it here
I thought this might go well on your Facebook group, McJ
James - A dog's breakfast, Israel and an attack on Iran
Thanks James,
A great read and right on the mark. I noticed when you try and click through to the blog, or to comments, you get an ominous warning about it being an attack site. I'm guessing someone doesn't like what they are writing about! Also, your last link didn't work.
As for the FB group, I am never quite sure what is appropriate to post, it is quite a dog's breakfast! I mostly comment in discussion threads that spin off from the main wall, where topics are more specific and focused. There are a number of frequent posters over there who have no idea how to control their emotions or to engage in a respectful debate. Some days it's a challenge to pick your way through the infighting and acrimony to get to the gems, and there are some gems. It also moves very quickly, akin to a stream of consciousness, and if you are only checking in from time to time it can be difficult to figure out what is going on. I am finding myself very grateful for having had the time here at WP.com discussing with the informed, intelligent and respectful posters this site has attracted. It helps a lot when I am over there in the scrum. I am probably wasting my time but hope springs eternal or something like that.
Right now, I am commenting and participating in a thread started to discuss the Harper governments pro-Israel stance. Our junior foreign minister, Peter Kent recently announced from Israel that any attack on Israel would be considered an attack on Canada. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/attack-on-israel-is-an-atta...
As you can imagine, it was a big surprise for many Canadians! While it is mostly an excellent discussion with lots of good links, it is contentious. The focus is mainly on the Palestinians (Gaza) and the perceived threat from Iran. Most people are generally of the opinion that Israel's moves on Gaza are motivated by their desire to expand their territory to full fill biblical prophecy, and that the attack on Iran is about oil. I think they are missing the connection between the two and I haven't read any discussion about Gaza's offshore oil yet which I plan on posting for them. I remember discussing with you some months ago about Gaza's (and Lebanon's) strategic positioning with regards to an Israeli (US) attack on Iran. I believe you made the point that Israel's attacks on Gaza and Lebanon were aimed at closing the backdoor (so to speak) in the event they do attack Iran. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to to expand on this a bit for me.
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
Backdoors and pipelines
Your link to the Globe, McJ, shows Peter Kent talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time. Pretty impressive. No doubt, he did it without batting an eyelid.
I'll come back with a couple of comments on israel/Gaza/Lebanon/Iran and oil in a day or two. It's all about oil, pipelines, shipping lanes and money. It involves Turkey and the shit going on in Yemen as well.
I didn't get that attack notice when I accessed the Canadian Newspaper site yesterday. Hmmm . . . they must be worried. Might be worth putting it up on the front page here. Wadja tink?
israel/Iran and Gaza
Just realised you need something timely here, McJ. Ok, shorter version goes like this-
1. the people behind israel and the US i.e. bankers (a disproportionate number of whom are jewish) want to rule the world
2. To do that they need a One World Currency
3. And to make that stick, they need to control ALL the oil sales and have them denominated in this currency.
(Iran presently sells oil in Euros and pretty much anything else a buyer may want. This is a major ongoing problem for the people who create and control US currency.)
4. Iran will not play ball with this agenda so Iran must be attacked and their oil infrastructure rendered useless so they can't sell oil and so nobody can buy oil in anything other than the new OWC.
5. But when israel attacks Iran, Iran and Syria will retaliate with missiles and so, no doubt, will Hizbollah from Lebanon. I doubt the israeli govt is too concerned about loss of life to israelis from incoming missiles but there is something else they would fear. With pandemonium breaking out in the homeland of 'the drama queens' there will not be the military available to quarantine the Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank and Southern Lebanon. What are they going to do? Pore out of their prisons and into israel. (Many of them still have the door keys to their stolen homes, remember). The israeli govt will lose control over its own population and it will be set back to the 1940s. But this time there won't be an ignorant nor sympathetic world to allow them to go back to where they were prior to starting yet another murderous, genocidal war.
6. This is the reason behind numerous attacks and continual harassment against the people of Gaza and Lebanon, to eliminate the potential for attack, to cower them psychologically. But it hasn't worked. This is also why the israelis have armed Fatah in the West Bank – to control their own people for the benefit of israel in the event on a major attack from Syria or Iran.
Hope this answers you question, McJ
Thanks James - you're a gem.
Thanks James - you're a gem.
I didn't want to start spouting off before I had that clear in my head. Now, I'm wondering if the Harper government would be willing to send in troops to help with some 'peace keeping' at that backdoor - hmmm....
"the homeland of 'the drama queens'"
I love that.
"I didn't get that attack notice when I accessed the Canadian Newspaper site yesterday. Hmmm . . . they must be worried. Might be worth putting it up on the front page here. Wadja tink?"
Sounds like a plan to me - go for it.
"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson
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