Coyote Times

2011-04-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Up Next

Openinbg Up, A Gaping Vacuum on The Left

In Canadian Politics

Coyote Times is "essentially", at this point, a one man show, and I am really more a physical than intellectual person. New material here. especially as spring and summer come on, is going to be a tad spotty. (I can only sit on my ass for just so long, and cannot long be a Marat (French Revolutionary) hunkered down day and night writing tracts and agitprop in his garret. I am simply ill suited to it.) Even Tyee where I comment frequently, starts to wear on the patience of my ass from time to time.

http://thetyee.ca/

That said, it has become clear to me, over this Federal Election, that there really is a great gaping vacuum that is opening up and begging to be filled... on the Serious Left in Canadian politics. I even hear rumblings that the Canadian Action Party (CAP), at least from its recently released programme document reported on CBC News, is or seems aware of that, judging from this document... and may be moving to try and fill it. How successfully, time will tell.

Anyway, more and more clearly this vacuum on the Left exists, and the rest of us had better begin to discuss it, and its possible direction of development etc. soon. Which, give me a day or two to write it, I will attempt to begin to do.

Watch for it.

Love, Peace and Revolution

Coyote

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2011-03-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Crap Shoot Electoral Politics

by Coyote“

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by giving you a big welcome to Canada. Let's start up with a compliment. You're here from the second greatest nation on earth. But seriously, your country, and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world.” Taken from a speech Harper gave to a June 1997 Montreal meeting of the right-wing U.S. Council for National Policy… reprinted in the esteemed online rag, The Tyee. I recommend, if you have not already, check out Tyee and read this speech. It is very enlightening. http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/03/23/StephenHarpersEyes/

Here we are again, in another round of choosing the lesser of Evil political choices, in what passes for “parliamentary democracy” here in suddenly neo-conservative capitalism Canada. And while the alternative party choices to Harper’s fascists are “perhaps”, or may seem not quite so extreme in their right wing views as this quote from Harper above, since the late ‘70s, they have all acted more or less the same “in actual power… And the "drift" direction of development of all the parties to capitalism, without exception, has been toward their neo-liberal ideology, less in words than practise.

The right wing Blairite NDP, who have themselves sought to be ever more overtly “busines friendly”, code for accepting the neo-liberal economic paradigm's parameters, have largely enabled and gone along with the dismantling of the postwar Social Democratic State of Capitalism, offering token resistance only, or at best working to slow it down. The Greens largely likewise on the dismantling of the Social Democratic State, saying pretty much nothing, have only an offer of “green capitalism” to mitigate “some” against the harm of “endless growth capitalism” upon population growth and environmental degradation. Nonetheless accepting that the endless growth, so much an integral part of the status quo and its casino capitalism, so-called "free market", will nonetheless continue unchallenged.

Finally then, there is the Liberals who much first introduced this extreme right wing period to us with NAFTA, which ties us closer to Neocon America, to tighter integration into and participation in their war plans, in Afghanistan, the shifting of the tax load to the working class (GST) from corporations, and to cuts in social safety net spending. All these so-called “vanguard parties” to capitalism and its bullshit democracy have been, to one degree or another, enablers of its ruling class neo-liberal economic agenda. None have challenged it straight up, and up front, let alone to seriously organize the citizenry against it. (Which will take a serious "revolutionary" party, or preferably "movement".)

Which describes pretty much, I think, regardless of what the “average Canadian” is currently thinking at this unravelling of their postwar prosperity period world, how at least what remains of a “serious Left” in this country must be seeing the economic and political realities of this sudden late neo-conservative capitalism Canada. At least I just can’t believe it is only I. I know for myself, there is even a certain despair at this retrogressive development going on across not only capitalism in this country, but across the full reach of global capitalism entirely, evidenced by the G20 demonstrations here, Wisconsin and other States in the US, in Greece and elsewhere throughout “advanced western capitalism”..

I can’t think, in fact, of one exception that has been left untouched… including Sweden and the other citadels of hereto Social Democracy. All have bent before and effectively submitted, to one degree or another, to the new neo-conservative/fascist wind blowing across the entire capitalist economy and its political institutions, and what has and is happening to the little even that passed for “bourgeois democracy” in the postwar II. Such as which period included waves of anti-communist and anti-socialist hysteria of course, as has placed the “Serious Left” in the decimated condition it is in, and needing to rebuild, in most “advanced” countries… including Canada.

Now, in the lead up to, and as this country finally goes into this federal election, we have the spectacle of Layton, the leader of the NDP, first trying to make a budget peace with the Conservatives, which effectively placed them to the right of the Liberal Party. (Even if they argue it was purely for “tactical” reasons, true or not, the optics were terrible, and has sown even more popular distrust of this Party.) Foreign policy-wise they are virtually deadpan silent, mouthing liberal niceties but raising no serious opposition to the country’s participation in Afghanistan, NAFTA and the Northern Command Agreements which sets the tone for further military integration and dependence. Now, they are fully onboard with the Anglo-American Empire intervention into Libya, while it is more and more fully clear that it is largely a Britain and France grab for the largest “proven” oil reserves in North Africa. (The US may itself also have ambitions of extending its current 1% share of Libya’s oil. Certainly they have all been silent, including Canada, on the slaughters of civilians in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia etc… the US Empires choice held oil source and port for its 5th Fleet. Such as is part of the Russian and Chinese claim of what is actually happening.

In any case, the NDP is saying even less of what it stands for or even “optically” indicating what it would do in power than the Liberals.

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale for example, while I don’t have his exact words immediately before me, on CBG News this morning, which I watched, was sounding more and more Left of the NDP… sounding like they were taking advantage of the NDP attempt to place itself to their right, in the early discussions leading to the budget. They are themselves angling for this, what passes for “left social democratic” vote, it sounded very much to me. Judge for yourself, from his Facebook page, which pretty much says the same thing.

“The Conservatives are using up every bit of Canada’s financial capacity on three big, risky, expensive projects:
·      buying stealth warplanes without even the semblance of decent competition ($30 billion);
·     building US-style mega jails ($10 billion); and
·      extra corporate tax cuts for the six big banks and other large businesses that have already had their taxes cut by 35% ($6 billion/year).
The net result is nothing left for families – for education, healthcare, pensions, child care or family caregivers.

The Harper regime is spending 1,000-times more to buy warplanes than they’re investing in helping students get to university or technical school.They’re spending 1,000-times more on jails than on youth crime prevention.
The Harper regime wasted more on one-day of G-20 extravagance in Toronto last summer than they’ll spend in a whole year to help low-income senior citizens.
This is just not good enough. Even more pathetic is the Harper regime’s appalling lack of ethics. “

On the surface of it, sounding about where the NDP should be, rather than seeking a budget deal or "understanding" with the Conservatives.

The reality is of course, we’ve heard all this shit coming out of all these same “political players” to capitalism before. Meanwhile nothing changes, and our nation and world drains away and slides deeper and deeper into the fascist dead-end we are being led into with no serious existing options or prospects for a different political/economic course. Except for the Conservatives, there is only the sound of a great homogenous "suck" across the landscape. All of which leaves us with the net result of a diminsihed society from the postwar II even, costly blood and treasure draining engagements in the war schemes of The Anglo-American Empire, and the declining wellbeing of the environment and “the people”... as we’ve got.

This is where the Left practise for the near entire postwar period of capitalism, of buying into voting for the Lesser Evil at bullshit ruling class manipulated election times, code for voting NDP, has led. For the brief period of the Social Democratic State, or the Welfare State of Capitalism, as you wish, when capitalism did “seem”, and I would say “was”, by nth degree by degree evolving “in the direction of” a “kind of” State Socialism/Capitalism, there did again “seem” to be a good rationale for. That rationale however, long ago dissipated, starting in the late 1970s, with the effective movement of all the parties to capitalism, more and more, to the neo-liberal/neocon Right, including the NDP model of hereto Social Democracy. Its previous vision is now nearly completely compromised... co-opted into full acceptance of the status quo.

The country is being betrayed, by NAFTA and the Northern Command and other economic, military and “security” agreements with the US, into “continental integration” or, more accuarately, absorption into the most extreme and dangerous example of capitalist economic and political conservatism in the advanced capitalist world… the United States of America. And as part of that agenda, we are being step by step “harmonized” economically and socially with them, meaning our hereto Welfare or Social Democratic State is being dismantled, and our citizens thrown into their system of Socialism for the wealthy and Corporations, and the most lean and mean Capitalism for everyone else, certainly the great mass of the working class.

In my view, as desperately decimated as the “Serious Left” is, in this late stage of capitalist development in Canada, in large part a consequende of all the anti-Left pogroms of our postwar history, it is necessary for it to recognize and come to fully understand, if there is to ever be any hope of its recovery to a new greatness, that this practise of wasting our material and human energy resources on a Lesser Evil NDP needs to end. It is past time. As relatively minor, perhaps even aged demographically as what remains of The Serious Left might be in this country, it is time at least, for it to begin to agitate and work as best it can, against this chain as ties us and “the people” down, and hampers the creation of a political pressure for any other alternative and more serious progressive development model.

For myself, I will not give any money donations to the NDP, or any other party to capitalism. And such energies as I still have, I will not squander away on them either. Nor any of the other old vanguard parties of The Left still wed to now ancient notions of revolutions from another time… for all their historical lesson value. Nor will I vote for them.

And if that means that I will not vote at all… so be it.

I will, however, do everything I can for the creation of a movement or movements of defense, agitation, and the street challenging power of “the people”… the great mass of the working class. I will do everything I can to contribute to the building of a mass movement and organization of the people, to transform society away from capitalism, and in the direction of a more truly democratic, co-operative and egalitarian economy and larger political society.

But as for voting any further for what is, and the people who speak for it… it holds absolutely nothing, not even hope for me. Not any longer.

I will no longer play Crap Shoot Politics with The System’s players.

Next: Towards a Serious Left Political Programme Development for Canada.

build the movement of the people...

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2011-03-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Crap Shoot Politics

Next: To Vote or

Not to Vote _ the coming

federal election.

Unfortunately, the country is heading into a federal election at a time when its very independent and progressive existence has never been more threated, and when it is fully engage under conservative/fascist leadership in the imperial war schemes of what was a dominant US Empire, now evolving into a broader Anglo-American Empire. This latter which, like the Old US Empire now near terminally enfeebled, is seeking a new alliance basis to continue the old Western Colonial domination of the world... especially the Middle East.

And in this coming federal election, we have the spectacle of all the vanguard parties to capitalism in Canada, virtually without exception, competing with each other to see who can be more Right, without "overly" losing their traditional bases in the populace, and all effectively committed to this new rising Anglo-American Empire global push. Particularly, it increasingly seems, Social Democracy manifested as the NDP in this country, is evidencing as much of a desire, be it for opportunist political expediency or whatever, to co-operate/work with the Conservatives as the Liberals. Indeed it has now almost entirely abandoned its positions on the Left, and planted its feet firmly on the Right side of the "business friendly" spectrum.

Those of us on the Left who see and understand what is going on here, perhaps to here having at least felt we could hold our noses and vote NDP, as the lesser of all the evils... what are we to do? Should we continue to vote NDP, even while they seem to have abandoned near all of their progressive instincts, and are coming out more and more effectively supporting, at least "going along with" this rise of the most aggressive fascist tendency within capitalism in the entire post WWII in this country?

OR, is it finally time to abandon this collaborative "going along with" the NDP, and the Greens who have proven themselves fundamentally no better, and husband our precious remaining manpower and other resources in the building of an alternative option?

Which questions I will begin to attempt to address in my next article here on Coyote Times.

Watch for it, and express your own views.

Peace, Love and Revolution

Coyote

2011-03-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Chinook In Winter

Early Morning Feeding

by Coyote

Rude awoken into the cold still dark,

Winter Solstice morn,

From where I was gripped firm my wife’s warm cheeks,

To be set here on the new fallen snow,

Still in mournful shock,

My breath clouds becoming beard icicles,

My cheeks puckered like taught crumpled parchment.

I am one with leafless limbed ash grey trees,

Chiselled from hoarfrost,

Reached out to me as though they are in pain,

Like frozen synapses in mid writhing,

Lost their connection.

To the life giving force of the Spring sun,

To which they still reach, long and aspire.

And there amidst the rising morning fog,

As it were their sea,

Exhausting impatient puffs of white smoke,

Chinook insists with his hoof in the snow,

That I heed right now,

His priority in all things on earth,

As might tend to distract my attention.

Which makes me cranky.

“Ya buggers you and that Thoroughbred skanky ,

If knew could be over that fence and blown.

To starve down to bone,

Upon the dry grass ‘neath that foot of snow,

Or the bark and rot of the fallen low.”

Ah, smarter than that.

“We’d rather delight in the irony,

Of your pathetic hubris slavery.”

They say in one voice.

Upon which we glare each at the other,

Shared hostile affection brother to brother.

They are my Horses.

“Neigh!” they quick counter.

“You are but our slave poor human flounder,

For so long as you learn and ‘wise behave.

Feed us then go knave!”

Even Barn Cat upon the hitching rail,

As well waits my service and flicks her tail,

Showing her askance,

And shuns my hand with not so much a glance.

She will not pacify me either one small fave.

“The barn now!” she mews. “You’re also my slave.”

Dec. 24, 2010

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2011-03-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Military We Really Need
The final installment.

First, I'm just a citizen, not an expert. I have "some" living experience familiarity with the military, especially the Navy, less the Army, and the Airforce only from a distance. (My Dad, who became a small plane pilot late in life, always had a special interest in the RCAF and fighter planes.) Though I definitely, from the evidence of living it for some years, and personal contact, do not believe that all the Commanders General/ officer corp know a "great deal" better than myself. (Which was essentially the problem I had in the military :-) That said, in any case, the citizenry needs to attempt to make "logic sense" of this issue, re the kind of military the country needs... IF we are to pay for it, as we will, and it is to be of a type we actually need in the "national interest". What you want, I suggest, is NOT what we have; a military that is much dependant upon and under the control of the US Empire "national interest", in controlling foreign lands for their own imperial purposes. (However they dress it up, or attempt to hide it behind layers upon layers of bullshit.)

And the kind of military forces you need is, by and large, to my mind and experience, determined by the operating vision you have of the country... of Canada.

Are you subservient to another country, being in fact, however much you idealize it, put lipstick on it, or never speak of it? In which case, if true, admitted or not, your country is the more likely to be engaged by the dominant country, in fighting foreign wars with it, or acting as a kind of "diplomatic surrogate", acting as an "enabler" in relations with third party countries. Especially if the country you follow about, not unlike a puppy dog in my service experience, is such as the US, which has extensive "foreign" interests it occupies and/or otherwise controls through a system of foreign military bases etc.
Or are you, in fact, a truly independent country... with potential enemies near or/and far, but concerned purely with the security of your own borders, lands and resources? In which case you have no imperial ambitions or extensive foreign "assets" that you feel you must "protect/control", within the country of another? If true, one can assume you have an operating foreign policy that starts from the premise of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. It is up to other people and countries to resolve their own problems, as we seek of ours. Period. Which does not mean that one may not have a view of these matters, express them, or even choose to do what one can, short of direct military intervention to effect an "indirect" influence. But always short of direct, especially military interference within the affairs and lands of another people and country. (Again, one of the pivots of your foreign policy is, it is up to all national peoples to resolve their own internal affairs.)

While there are doubtless many other particulars that go into determining the kind of military you need or have, these are the two broad starting points, in my view. Which, if true as I say they are, places this country into the first category, by all logical reckoning. For the legal and empirical evidence says that our current civilian governance and military command commitments in agreements, constant joint exercises, integrated command structures, equipment and parts dependencies, and or engagement in foreign conflict zones and other service with and at the behest of the US Empire, clearly places us so. Ours is ipso facto a subservient country, much owned and or controlled economically by foreign, largely US corporate interests (but others as well), and sharing the same essential foreign policies with it. Our military culture reflects that reality. Of which reality, most Canadians are pretty much well aware... if not knowing what to do about it.

Now some will and do defend this, and think it is the way it should be. I understand that. Especially powerful interests within capitalism in this country, and on the political Right, who see their, and the country's interest precisely as a hewer of wood and drawer of water for the US, and being an ally of it abroad, militarily and broadly in all other contexts. While a long line of Liberal governments, with the brief exception perhaps of the Trudeau period, were as well a party to this "quasi-colonial" stamp on the country, in my read and experience of the historical record, it is in the process of being fully sealed and delivered by the Harperite, Conservative/Fascists now. We are increasingly fully engaged as an adjunct to the US Empire. The die, economically and militarily, is cast.

But clearly I advocate for the second option above: A fully independent country, that takes its borders seriously, North, East, West AND South, owns, controls and husbands its own lands and resources in first, the interests of its own people and their fully rounded national economic development. They make, or should in my view, the "stuff" they need for themselves and for the purpose of being self-reliant fully as much as possible. THEN "possibly" trading "some" of its resources for what others can do more prudently. In this latter, the interests of the people, their needs and that of their homeland being considered first.

The Vision and The Military Need

Canada's submarine, HMCS Corner Brook loading politicians
during recent "sovereignty assertion" manoeuvres in our North.

So, clearly I advocate for a vision of the fullest sovereignty and independence for the country... over our territory, airspace, and economic resources... raw materials, plant and equipment. And I do this from the perspective that what we, in fact have, is something a great deal less than this... more a territorial, resource and military "quasi-colonial" adjunct of the United States. This dependency, I say, hampers the country's "all rounded" economic development and decision making, ties it via blood and treasure to engagement in the foreign wars of an "imperial other", that majorly serves its own interests and not those of this country. Which is the product of and leads to economic and military agreements such as are already in place and being contemplated further. (NAFTA, Norther Command Agreements etc) Which additionally, at the very least, conclusively jeopardizes the fullest territorial, economic, military and political sovereignty of this country. Indeed it has already created a condition of "quasi-colonial" dependence and obedience to the diktats of the US Empire.

But speaking specifically militarily here, to achieve and secure this new vision I advocate, we need a military as well with a quite different vision of the country and itself, a quite different cultural ethos, organized and trained differently for a quite different mission from that which is its present. For example, my friend and co-writer here, Koot Coot, has observed and posed the question elsewhere on Coyote Times:

...the inappropriateness of the F-35 stealth attack fighters that the "Harper Government" wants to spend billions on. I can't understand why the opposition focuses ONLY on the expense when the impracticality and unsuitability for Canadian needs is so much more relevant in my mind and a deal killer right there.
     The F-35s are designed specifically for attacking defended air space with the assistance of a mother ship to provide navigation and targeting support. Thus they seem only useful to a country planning on invading other developed countries with sophisticated air defenses (ala "Shock and Awe" over Baghdad).
     For more Canadian uses like patrolling the Arctic they are not so useful due to limited range (due to limited fuel capacity, they also have to be refueled enroute to almost anywhere either by air or landing and fueling). Not handy for protecting Canadian sovereignty in the North.
     They are also a single engine aircraft, again not the most dependable configuration for a patrol aircraft patrolling the vast wilderness of the Canadian North.

Which is exactly the kind of eye that needs to be turned to the Canadian Forces, given this different vision of the social, economic and political direction in which this country needs to develop, IF the object is a fully sovereign/independent Canada, friendly to all but beholden to none. (And my friend Koot Coot started out in the US, coming to Canada as a young man.) The threats that exist to this country, its territorial, airspace, resources, economic and political integrity are not found far off in the Middle East, or even Kosovo. Those were and are European and US Empire agendas. The threats described to this country exist, fortunately/unfortunately, much closer to home; within those who would sell the country off, and externally, again much closer to home, in the persons of those who covet our vast resource richness, much already own and control our economy, has historically had a"contingency plan" in place for invading this country, and now under recent Northern Command agreements has the jointly agreed "right" to do so .

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=1691

US made Chinook CH-47 Helicopter of which Canada plans to purchase 15.

Russian Mi 28 "Combat Helicopter"

It is not the only threat to the territorial, economic and political integrity of this country for sure... only the most serious. We have such other threats as a consequence of illegal activity and attempts to enter the country off our West coast, fisheries issues, a similar threat to that of our southern border along the "northwest passage" of our North, from Russia and other, including the US again (They are everywhere about us.) Likewise there is a need to monitor and control the immediate skies about our entire perimeter.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/02/27/f-arctic-sovereignty.html

We have enough immediate threats to our territory, people and resources here, close to home, to claim our attention, military assets and dollar resources such as we can afford for this task, without frittering it away by the billions fighting wars in far off lands, certainly for or as a surrogate to one of the major threats to the sovereignty of this country... the US Empire that has long coveted us itself. Rather than troops being trained to fight "in place" or "set" battles alongside the US Empire forces, entering made up impoverished Afghan villages on the Canadian prairies, for example, we need an emphasis on light infantry forces trained to fight a more "Ranger" or "guerrilla" style of war. A war that is of greater likelihood and consequence to be fought on our own diverse territories, against what is the more likely, hopefully never occurring, a superior ground and air force of much greater numbers and better equipped than we.

Which is by far a more likely scenario nonetheless, much closer to home. Such as say, intruding its way across our southern border, or across from Alaska, or even our high north, disputing our sovereignty and/or claiming a "right of invasion" given it under an agreement signed by those who have already betrayed us from within our own parliamentary institutions. Even if some future government, which they might refuse to recognize, removes its signature and abrogates these agreements. I mean, it's not as if the US doesn't have a history of this either.

In any case, we have been placed in a pickle here.

But first, for the moment ignoring the politics, we need an Army equipped, trained and in place to fight a more "light infantry", "Ranger" or "guerrilla" style of warfare over an extended period and landscape, much living off the land and the people, up against a significantly superior force in numbers and war toys. (It is though, a potential enemy our military have much trained alongside, and know much about, even intimately. Possessed of such knowledge and experience being far from all a total loss.) And we need, perhaps joint, army and naval bases and a permanent presence in our High North, that has become familiar with the issues of fighting there, as the Russians are, for example, and for constant patrol. (Which, in part, we cannot afford now, because we are squandering our resources fighting the US Empire cause in Afghanistan etc. It is nothing short of criminal.)

Again, we need light and high speed naval ships, designed to "slow down" and worry sea invaders, and do patrol and interdiction along our own extensive shores. A case can likely be made as well for submarines, to assist similar, with even more stealth capacity, and to quietly patrol on station, our northern waters on a constant basis, for extended periods. The operative principle again being, for all our armed forces, direct defense of the homeland on the homeland, as that which shapes our entire defense investment, training, form and style, and the kind of military equipment assets we develop and manufacture "for ourselves". Self reliance, NOT dependence.

Likewise for our airforce, with which I am least familiar, I admit, but that which best defends the homeland, assists the mobility of and covers ground forces across our entire territory, and makes it as light, fast, hit and run as possible. A case may be made for some relatively long range heavy lift and bomber aircraft, but it is light infantry troop carrying helicopters that most seem to have potential to me, for rapid deployment and movement about the regional theatres of operations. It strikes me that in the case of the most real invasion scenario, aircraft dependent on permanent and/or paved airfields, are the most likely to be the least useful and most vulnerable, from the get go. Aircraft that can be used in natural and diverse, less than ideal terrains, seems more appropriate to me. Some ideally dual equipped as gunships.

Reserve Unit of Canadian Rangers on
northern training manoeuvres

Light, diverse, self-reliant, rapid deployment and support, hit and run, easily maintained in the field and diverse terrains/conditions for extended periods, are some of the descriptive concepts that best describe what should characterize the military that this country needs, in my view, to best serve our own "national interest". This as opposed to dependant on the eyes, ears and command priorities of "others", or the repair "parts" manufactured by them.

But again, one's view of our military needs will be shaped by your vision and perceptions of the country's "national interest". Mine is very particular, and only includes the US as preferably a friend and neighbour for sure, but held to a distance for a time, as we sort this all out. Unfortunately, because it is simply part of our geographic, political and economic reality, that they are a potential, even most likely "invasion source". It's their historical record in the world also, again unfortunately, and in this country, Lest We Forget the War of 1812 entirely. And I don't think we should.
http://www.cryslersfarm.com/battle.htm

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2011-03-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sometime tomorrow, the final installment will be up, in this series about the reality vs the needed vision of the country, Canada, and the reality vs the kind of military this vision needs... In the real world with the real neighbours we have, friendly to all but beholden to no dominant power.

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2011-03-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

War of 1812 (Canada & US) "Climax of Action at Crysler's Farm"
painted by Adam Sheriff-Scott, photo by J. Gray

Whither Canada's Armed Forces
Second in a series considering the country and its armed forces.

First, for a statistics eye view of Canada's militray, check out a Profile of The Canadian Forces, provided by StatsCan at this link:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2008107/pdf/10657-eng.pdf

Recently and currently, the Canadian Forces have plans in place, purchased or are purchasing the following. From a CBC News report found here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cdnmilitary/procurement.html

According to news reports and what the military has said to date about its requirements, the purchases are expected to fall into five categories:
Up to four heavy-lift long-range transport planes to move troops, tanks and entire hospital units halfway around the globe in one shot. Estimated cost: $3 billion.
Up to 17 heavy-lift, mid-range transport planes to replace Canada's aging fleet of Hercules aircraft. Estimated cost: $4.6 billion
A fleet of between 12 and 15 heavy-lift helicopters to move troops and supplies quickly around war zones. Estimated cost: $4.2 billion.
Three new troop carrier ships. Estimated cost: $2 billion.
Up to 1,000 new trucks for the army, likely to be built in Quebec. Estimated cost: $1.1 billion.

Particular notice should be taken of the fact that most of what is involved here, particularly in the aircraft and troop carrier ship procurements, is that they are designed for heavy lift, as the report says, "to move troops, tanks and entire hospital units halfway around the globe in one shot. Estimated cost: $3 billion." Which speaks to the Conservative/Fascist view of our armed forces and their role as, though never said publicly of course, but apparent in the empirical reality and evidence, being an adjunct extension to the US Imperial interest in controlling "faraway lands" around the globe, especially currently the Middle East and oil shipping lanes.

In short, everything here in these procurements, is complimentary to the actual foreign policy role we are engaged in, of being a virtual extension of global US Imperial policy and interests. By Conservative policy makers, the US interest and ours is seen as one and the same. And we only speak our so-called "policy mind" after they have first spoken theirs, and ours is seldom anything other or less than theirs. Unless we ourselves have a real material national interest in The Gulf and Afghanistan, for example, i.e. there is some empire building material benefit we are to derive in these places for ourselves, we are there merely to serve what I claim; the US Empire interest. We are, in effect, serving as a kind of loyal "colonial military" adjunct, much for example as did say The Ghurka's of Nepal, or troops from colonial India for the British Empire. Though, for sure, the Ghurka's certainly, were an outright integral part of the British Empire Army. On which score they were at least more honest. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10782099

Of course, the US and Canada share the North American continent. Like Russia and China share Asia over much of their territory. As such, we are probably destined to have a close kind of relationship with the US, hopefully "friendly", even outside of the current one in which they are the dominant continental power and "supplier of value added finished products" to our being the more or less humble "supplicant", hewers of wood and drawers of water and other resources for The Empire . (The classic "colonial" relationship , in our case, possibly more correctly "quasi-colonial, for at least our "formally" independant Statehood .) Though in ongoing neo-liberal economic and neo-conservative political times. there is a greater dependancy all around on cheap labour "offshore Asian value-added" products... becoming increasingly problematic to both Canada and the US economies.

Canada's planned purchase: US manufactured Boeing Globemaster for heavy global reach to serve The US Empire

So, while we yet retain the "formal" appearance and Britsh Parliamentary trappings etc of independant Statehood from the US, and indeed, with the huge assist of Mother England in 1812 fought successfully to retain it, its critical underpinning, economic independance has long been and is more and more being compromised and made meaningless. Begun under the Liberals and being pushed to new limits under the Harper Conservatives, continental integration measures such as NAFTA and a host of other Security and Prosperity Partnership agreements are in the process of stripping this national independance of any real content. For a Mexican view, this link is some useful:

http://www.banderasnews.com/1012/edat-danagabriel28.htm

And as I've said already in the first part of this article, Canada's military, underlined by the nature of the procurement list above, but especially in training, joint US-Canada military agreements, style, ethos and Command mindset reflects this, what I describe as quasi-colonial economic and political reality of Canada's position vis a vis the US. We have gone from being such a country and military part of the old British Empire, now a hollow shell, to playing the same essential role for the US Empire, with but the briefest period of intervening actual independance in the immediate postwar II. (As a "maybe", or "kind of".)

At the outset of US Northern Command in April 2002, Canada accepted the right of the US to deploy US troops on Canadian soil.
"U.S. troops could be deployed to Canada and Canadian troops could cross the border into the United States if the continent was attacked by terrorists who do not respect borders, according to an agreement announced by U.S. and Canadian officials." (Edmonton Sun, 11 September 2002)
With the creation of the BPG in December 2002, a binational "Civil Assistance Plan" was established. The latter described the precise "conditions for deploying U.S. troops in Canada, or vice versa, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack or natural disaster." (quoted in Inside the Army, 5 September 2005).

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6572

We, Canada, as a country, are in a time and reality place in our relationship with the US Empire, where we very soon have a choice to make, even if only passively so, by our inaction... before it is made for us by the most politically reactionary, pro-corporate and pro-American government that this country has likely ever had... at least not since the Great Depression. The one difference being, that the then Conservative government in Ottawa, of "Iron-Heel" Bennet was British Empire Loyalist. This time around, the Conservative government of Harper's is more US Empire Loyalist. (Though the old British Empire still gets some genuflection and lip service. I need only mention "The Queen", to tease that out of the knee bending blighters.)

Coming from a particular historical tradition of this country, of submission and loyalty to Empire and "authority", and quiet acceptance of a secondary status, it is not going to be easy. But... and it's a mighty big BUT... if the decision can finally be taken, and the citizenry set in motion to secure and enforce a full "national prolitical and economic independance", it is going, at some point, to need to be backed up by a military that is quite different in training, culture and ethos from what we currently have. And all of that is going to have to begin to be created and built over the course of the struggle itself, to secure the independance of the country, hopefully relatively peacefully at least.

But we should make no mistake or presumptions on the degree of difficulty and risk. on many, many fronts that it is more than likely to be.

NEXT in Part III, I will consider an outline of the kind of military we would have already IF we were truly independant and fully dealing with the "national interest". Hence, what we will need when and IF... and the risks.

"Guerilla Warfare: Picket Duty In Virginia"

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2011-03-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

On Screen Tomorrow

Okay, I am not the most astute seer into the future. What I had thought would be a quick article on Canada's military is already at three in the written already and planning stages. A critique of our military requires a parallel critique of "the nation(s)", Canada. Our military is but an armed reflection of the reality of the country, particularly at least, the State, its political realities and economy. So, in practical terms, it turned out to be impossible to critique one without, and relating it to the other, the military.

Tomorrow, my second installment: Whither Canada. And with it, our military.

Love, Peace and Revolution

Coyote

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2011-03-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Canada Serving The US Empire Cause In Afghanistan

The Canadian Military Considered

The Canadian military has probably, across its entire history, most typically been either an outright or quasi "colonial" armed force, than anything fully serving the real, predominant or exclusive "national interest" of Canada. Which is my own, but I think an essentially correct statement. Certainly it was my experience in the Canadian military, not a particularly "in depth" or certainly "glorious" one I'll grant, across a "fair" length of time as first a kid of under 14 yrs in Sea Cadets, in the reserve Regina Rifle Regiment, and finally in the full time then Royal Canadian Navy.

I "served" across two quite distinct periods in time, in the history of the Canadian Forces, both with their particular and unique features no doubt, but both at the same essentially the same in their character. For the greater period of my service, the Canadian Military was steeped in British Military traditions, of heirarchy, dress and "ethos". Indeed it was the tail end period of the British Empire itself, with loyalty to the Queen, Great Britian, and the British Empire still a dominant cultural feature of the entire country, and reflected in the Canadian military as well, of course. And this military fought the wars of Mother England in both the 20th Centuries World Wars, save near the post WWII end of The British Empire, when Britain was basically left alone to fight for and lose its African, Asian and Middle East colonies. After which the British Empire sun that it was said in the day would never set, did in fact.

During which latter period, the Canadian "quasi colonial" military, reflecting the similar character of the State, was already beginning to "transition" in dress, cultural style and ethos... and loyalty, moving away from the British Motherland, except in the most formal terms, to closer association and wannabe your puppy dog behaviour with the new rising empire of the postwar II age, The US Empire. (Though the brief tenure period of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau did manifest a brief and relatively shallow display of a never fully tolerated, let alone realized "independent" spirit and national and foreign policy display... for which time and content there is still a certain Canadian populace "nostalgia".)

But by and large still, this country was exhibiting again, that ruling class behaviour stamped upon it across near all of our history from earliest colonial times with Britain, with the noted brief lived exceptions of course, of wanting to be a part of, serve and hold the coat of The Winner at World Domination. With which second place and living vicariously through a "real winner", we were "quite" content. It was there, in our insecurity of place, was our greatest perceived safety and road to economic prosperity... serving another. (Which essential character of our history both civil and military, while essentially true, through the postwar prosperity period that was what I call the Social Democratic State of Capitalism, or the Welfare State, we did somewhat shy in our relative material comfort, from fully serving the New US Empire. While we did fight their "anti-communist" cause in Korea for example, we later served only as their bum-boy "diplomatic" enabler in Vietnam, and throughout their anti-communist subjugation period in Latin America. Though of late, in The Gulf area of Iraq and Iran, and Afghanistan, under both the post-Trudeau Liberals and current Conservative/Fascists, we are back to a more activist role in serving the domination ambitions of the US Empire.)

And Paying The Price

And with this quasi-colonial essential history, mindset, and face to the world character of the country, whether others saw it or not, and I think they did, or were just too polite to say so to our face, our military likewise was shaped in large part to serve others primarily... first Britain, and of more recent history, this US Empire. Over the cold war period especially, with our attention directed north towards the Russians, ignoring the quiet takeover of our economy and the growing internal political influence that was in reality coming from the south, our military was increasing involved with and over time effectively being "integrated" into US military command and other structures. Not unlike current Egypt. (Through the DEW line, or Distant Early Warning system in our north, which was to warn of an impending polar attack from the then Soviet Union, that never came of course, later through NORAD, the US dominated Fortress North America military command structure. And over time through joint air, land and sea ventures and exercising,, the scuttling of our own strategic independant military equipment procurement and supply capacity , especially in air defence, which was the Avro Arrow fighter jet, and onward, downward into the ranks and upwards through the officer corp, US perceptions of threats and priorities, our equipment needs and what OUR priorities should be, has seen, I suggest, our entire military culture become effectively Americanized hand in hand with the rest of our State. Which is not to say it is total or complete yet, just pretty much so, the latter through NAFTA and other so-called "continentalist" commitments.)

Of late, because of threats to our land and offshore rights and claims in the North, coming some from the Russians and Europe, but especially the US claim that our previously uncontested sovereignty over the Northwest Passage was now "intenational waters", to which they have a right of uncontested use, we have engaged in some modest northern military exercises to bolster our historic, if not acutally enforced claim. As part of which our State and military sought to organize the Inuit to watch these waters for us. (Seriously.) Despite this need to have a serious military presence and capacity in our own North however, contested mostly by our hereto "friends", we are strategically and tacticly hampered, in fact, militarily enforcement-wise, by our material and cultural integration into serving the military and Empire ambitions and foreign wars of the US. Which we continue to do without much serious or evident questioning.

We are still largely a quasi-colonial country, is my analysis conclusion, with a like military capacity that reflects that... pracrically set up, with the culture and military training and other more material capacity to serve a more dominant Imperial power... currently the US Empire. (And which persists despite all the accumulating body of global evidence, and the evidence from within its own borders, that this Empire is already beyond its "Best Before" date... only dangerous, as much to itself as anyone, in its final thrashing death throes.)

NEXT: Whither Canada. What kind of a military do we need, now already, and in the future?

Exercise Trident Fury 2007

See this link re details this Trident Fury Naval Exercise;

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/04/22/trident-fury-on-the-horizon-for-the-canadian-and-u-s-navies.aspx

2011-03-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

In The Wings

Though I certainly cannot be considered a "military man" per se, as a problem child lad :-) I did spend some considerable time in and around the Canadian military as a cadet, army reservist, and regular navy. So I am not totally lacking in "lower decks" experience militarily. Plus, as a more or less "radical" left-wing political person especially, I have always been aware of the need to likewise be aware of what is going on there in the "enforcement arms" of the Canadian capitalist state . As part of which lifelong study, I have sought to further understand how it all works, and as a "kind of " nationalist as well as an "internationalist", concerned with the interests of my country no less than the world, I have evolved my own critique of the Canadian Military, and a view of what is needed there... in "the national interest".

Which subject I started today, as an article or two for Coyote Times, and which hopefully I can have up here for your reading and commenting pleasure, in a day or two. (Though damn! I'm going to have to make bread tomorrow morning. And I've started doing ground work with and riding my young paint horse, to get him ready for hopefully, a summer of backcountry riding.) Anyway, a couple of days for at least my first installment.

Love, Peace, and Revolution

Coyote

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2011-03-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

NOTICE

I am trying a new moderating system, as I quite dislike this advance moderation of everything I've been using to keep spam out. What I'm trying is a system whereby all comments will be posted for one day, after which I will be required to moderate it This will allow everyone to immediately see comments. After which, the trash will be weeded out, what my spam controls don't get... or is simply obnoxious crap with really nothing to say.

And I'm very tolerant of language and different ideas, so long as something useful is actually being said, as contributes to a discussion. Though issues of liability are ever present in the "modern world". More

2011-03-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Coming Shift In Global Power

Around here where I live, spring has finally begun to look like it might actually happen. Which has kept me busy, preparing for the coming flood of water and mud… especially around my barn, where I keep my now lone horse, and of course, the Princess who actually Rules All, our barn cat. We have had so much snow here this year that I’ve had to push as much of it as I can, away from about the barn, to places where it can melt and run elsewhere… hopefully.

At the same time however, being a lifelong political animal, long tuned in to the larger world outside of my own, I’ve been having some conversations of recent with my friend kwd. And we are agreed, more or less, as much as he and I ever are, that it is becoming clear that there is more than just a garden variety political crisis in the Middle East, shaping current energy AND food prices. As much as the speculators of Casino Capitalism may be taking advantage of the situation additionally, as is their fear and greed driven wont. Gas prices in particular, driving up as well other energy form prices, have been steadily rising for awhile now anyway, as we are or should by now be aware. And these price rises reflect more real supply problems already taking shape, now being exacerbated by real growing demand in especially China and India at the same time.

To here, the US, which represents about 5% of the world’s population (at least according to recent statements on CNN), itself consumes about 25% of global oil supply. (Apparently 10% of global oil supply alone going to power US automobiles.) More, by far, than any other country in the world. Which supply guarantee presumptions are now being challenged by other global consumer ambitions. Hence, rising prices in the face of what is already known, future diminished supply prospects.

All of which is what really drove US interventions in oil rich Iraq, and in Afghanistan, where the US has long wanted to build an oil pipeline from the northern, again oil rich “stan countries (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc) , across Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the Arabian Sea. From there, of course, loaded into tanker “bottoms” bound for the Imperial Motherland.

These we have known of well enough:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_Oil_Pipeline

as a good starting point.

Enter a civil war in Libya, and a growing revolt of the masses spreading across the entire Middle East. (I well recall at the time of the US invasion of Iraq, many military analysts, even in the US, predicting that before this was all over… Afghanistan and Iraq… the entire Middle East and perhaps beyond (Indonesia etc.) would be in flames. How right these predictions are now being proven to be!)

While the US Empire is not itself currently dependent on Libya for any of its oil supply, apparently Europe and China certainly are. If this important source of supply gets interrupted for any serious length of time, as a consequence of a prolonged civil war in Libya, these parts of the globe will be forced into competition with the US in other global oil markets. Hence growing alarm and thoughts of possible further interventions by The Empire into yet another oil rich country in the Middle East. And perhaps additional secret “bedroom thoughts” that if they could covet and control also this oil supply with force of American arms, along with those of Iraq, (Afghanistan looking less and less likely.), that could be an eventual supply bonus for themselves too. The temptation grows in thoughts of “boots on the ground” and “control of the air”… called “contingency planning”.

Of course, perhaps in anticipation and alarm at this prospect themselves, the British clearly attempted some kind of pre-emptive “probing” strike of their own into Libya, sending in a unit of armed Special Forces (SAS), dressed in Arab civilian garb. Shortly after being secretly installed into the desert in the middle of the night, by helicopter, they were of course caught by Libyan rebel forces. (Whereupon they claimed it was a “diplomatic mission”, but were promptly installed in a ship out of the country by the rebels. When they really deserved to be killed as terrorists or spies.)

Anyway, a major paradigm shift, perhaps the greatest in our lifetimes, at least as great as the collapse of the British Empire, in global economic and political relations is clearly already underway. First, the Middle East IS in revolutionary flames against those regimes that have aided their domination by Western Imperialism, never to again be exactly the same. US power, already straining militarily and economically under the cost of Empire, is increasingly evidencing a desire to extricate themselves from their dilemma… even while it has delusional dreams of a further intervention in Libya. More and more there is emerging WITHIN the global capitalist system, signs of growing angst and competition for scarce, especially oil energy resources, in part I suggest, evidenced by the British pre-emptive military attempt in Libya, clearly to scout the ground and oil supply issues. As well, China and Russia are expressing their own alarm.

Badge of British SAS

And two elements more than almost any other that have underpinned the “American Dream”, and our own, more than any other, cheap food for their bloated bellies and cheap gas for their gas guzzler SUVs, are more than in just jeopardy, beginning to rise dramatically and spread alarm amongst their populace. The depth of the shit they are in is becoming ever more evident.

What we have here are all the ingredients for a major shift in the global economic and political system… and a crisis of extremely threatening proportions, in my view, to capitalism itself, as the impacts get driven and compounded home. That which has underpinned it more than anything else, equal to cheap third world labour at least, itself under threat, but especially cheap oil is beset by supply, and serious and growing competition for that dwindling supply… amongst the US, Europe, China and India, with concern about the potential for further imperial war interventions, being expressed by the Russians. We have here all the elements for a collapse of the US Empire, of which there are already many signs and issues, but also future global war between virtually all the major players to capitalism themselves.

We are entering again, into yet another historical time of great danger…. BUT, but also opportunity to make major social and economic changes benefiting masses of the global working classes, out of the possibility of the implosion of the global capitalist economic and military system itself… Which arises out of terminal harm by none other than its own greed driven hand.

In any case, there is no way of stopping it anyway… if it is as objective and inevitable a process that is underway as I think it is.

British Journalist witnesses capture of British SAS infiltrators in Libya:
http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/03/09/birmingham-photographer-on-libya-s-front-line-97319-28303346/

What British media are saying on the SAS bungle:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/06/liam-fox-sas-unit-libya

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2011-03-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

A piece by contributing writer kwd, in response to a business article contained in the Montreal Gazette... quote from below.

Great opportunities for
Canada as the price of
oil rises

By L. IAN MACDONALD, Freelance February 28, 2011
Read more:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Great+opportunities+Canada

The price of oil tested $100 last week, and the Canadian dollar rose with it, to two cents above exchange rate parity with the U.S. dollar.
It's no mystery - the turmoil in oil producing and transporting countries in North Africa and the Middle East is responsible for the $10 surge in oil prices in the last two weeks. And the loonie, as a petro currency, has risen along with it to $1.02 U.S.
This is all good for the Canadian oil industry,
“Oil price means opportunities for Canada”, TC Mar 1.

Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East may be good news for the Canadian oil industry, however, political unrest is a minor factor behind oil’s recent price surge.

The truth is, aside from increasing demand, the escalating

price of oil is a direct function of three factors: The decline

in production from known reserves; the increase in production

from newly discovered reserves is less than the rate of decline;

and the energy costs in producing a barrel of oil from

unconventional sources, such as the tar sands, are considerably

higher than the energy costs in producing a barrel of conventional

crude.

It is this latter point that is not well understood by oil-

addicted consumers. The energy costs in conventional production

are approximately one fifth the energy costs in tarsands

production. So, while Canada’s proven reserves may be 175 billion

barrels, the tarsands are not a bottomless well of cheap oil. Far

from it. And when social and environmental costs of the tarsands

are factored in, it is easy to why oil costs are rising.

The oilwells supplying us with cheap crude are drying up, and so

should the inkwells supplying cheap excuses; particularly those

that blame raving lunatics and autocrats for the high cost of oil.

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+price+rises/4357760/story.html#ixzz1FkTza2Bb

2011-03-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

Below here, contributing writer kwd offers his analysis of current events, as a background to speak to the issue of democracy in the future. What are the issues? How is it likely to evolve? An important, I think, contribution to this very important issue and discussion which has only just begun... in such places as the comment threads on Tyee, as well as elsewhere.

Redefining Democracy

written by kwd

Recent civil unrest and the overthrow of autocratic (dictatorial) governments in a number of Arab countries should be telling those fighting for an egalitarian, compasionate democratic polictical structure that they have a new, very powerful ally: social media. Is anyone listening?

At no time in history, since the tribal drum, has society had communication tools that allowed the creation of instantaneous, direct, participatory democracy. In the 60s, Marshal McLuhan (“Understanding Media”) foretold today’s events and the conundrum instant communication would present for existing political systems. Apparently very few listened to his message, even fewer understood its evolutionary impact on social discourse.

Below: Marshall McLuhan

Social media have become very powerful tools. Two recent events made this fact vividly clear. The first was when politicial forces tried to shut down Wikileaks, and the second when the leaders of countries in turmoil tried to shut down the internet in order to quell protest. Fortunately, (for those seeking retribution and change) what these leaders didn’t realize is that it was too little too late: the message was out and there was no turning back.

The ‘net’ has become global. Stopping ‘net’ communication in one region will not stop the protests nor will it prevent the message from reaching the rest of the world. (It’s somewhat ironical that the ‘net’ may become an Achilles heel of its rich and powerful profit-seeking promoters.)

The reluctance … or inability, if you believe MSM has their hands tied by those that pay for their ink, paper and electricity … of mainstream media to expose corruption and fraud in politics and economics is obvious. Because political power is linked directly to the power of rhetoric, profit driven institutional policies and ideologies can be used to conceal and hide negative social impacts. This gatekeeping means that the means of making political statements and giving credence to those statements is not equally available to all segments of society. Censorship must be concidered a system of oppression and, depending on the means used to limit the voices of dissent, a form of violence.

As the masses come to recognize that MSM are providing only part of the story, that knowledge will guarrantee a surge in the power of social media. The public will place a far greater reliance and trust in media through which they find balance in the messages that shape their future.

If we believe the ‘net’ has this latent power are we being willfully blind if we cling to the idea that existing governing systems and top-down party politics offer society the best mechanisms for directing social discourse that seeks a common good?

This awareness does not mean party politics will become obsolete; it won’t. However, what it does mean, and this should now be obvious, is that the direction socio/econo/poltical evolution follows is being determined by demands at the street level, not from the top down. The internet has put power in the hands of those who form the front line in the daily battle for survial: the voter. As we watch the ever-increasing impact of mass rallys, and the forms of government resistance, including the use of lethal force, we are witnessing a role reversal in the ownership of power.

The initiation of discourse on the ‘net’ does not require formal structure, protocol or leaders. But, of even greater importance is understanding which demographic is contributing the most to the discourse and protests. If we pay attention to MSM news broadcasts we see the majority are young folks, those that consider themselves left out of the decision making process: disenfranchised, disillusioned and angry.

Obviously this doesn’t sit well with those that think they have the right to govern; particularly older folks, those that enjoy the benefits of power and control inherent in the structure of current political systems.

It is unlikely that protestors will address the structural components of the mental frameworks used to build political identity. Without addressing the structural inequalities that offer one group access to social power and other benefits civil, while denying it to others, conflict will not be short lived. The fact that most of those on the streets are politically naïve means building new froms of governance will not be quick or painless.

The conflict we are witnessing is just the start of a change in the way governance will take place; not just in Lybia, Tunisa and other Arab nations but also in those countries that consider themselves democractic.The leaders of so-called democratic countries are fooling themselves if they believe otherwise.

As resource scarcity puts more and more pressure on our ability to lead the lives we’ve become accustomed to, there will be greater demand on existing governance systems. The inability of governments … democratic or otherwise …to meet those demands has become obvious, and we are witnessing the outcome.

In democratic countries open defiance by the victims of political ‘violence’ is the least common form of resistance. How much pain, oppression and political violence is required before the masses in so-called democratic nations rise up and take to the streets?

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight; somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

“The Second Coming”, W. B. Yeats (1919)

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2011-02-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Coming Tomorrow

Redefining Democracy by contributing writer kwd. About the new social media technologies and their likely influences on the character and content of future democracy. A thought provoking piece of analysis that looks back at, and brings forward into our time, some of the relevant ideas of Canada's own Marshall McLuhan... only now becoming clear in their possibly revolutionary import. More

2011-02-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

The Survivor
Part II

But getting down into the earth level soil of the times in the early 80s, where people actually live, and where I have always claimed that this neo-conservative period we are currently living through is the jumping off point from the post WWII prosperity, Social Democratic State of Capitalism period. (In which overly idealized time many people still live delusional, maybe especially many NDPers).

As the real nature of what was happening in the late 70s to early 80s hit us and many, many others in what still is, this ongoing transitional time in the new "Lean and Mean Capitalism", though Mrs. Coyote and I managed to hold it all more or less together until 1982, when it all unravelled. Then in our early 40s, the Mrs and I, "BOOM!", found ourselves suddenly farming on the historic Douglas Lake Ranch for then owner Chunky Woodward. (There were those down in the mud, the blood and the beer events that led to there, of course, but that's another story... not for here.)

For myself though, I was in a state of... How to describe it? ...It was much like what being in a state of shell shock must be like for battle scarred soldiers. That intertwined with a scarcely controlled rage over the loss of our own place, that presumably only I was aware of, ever threatened to break out into violence. I was not pleased with the people and events that led to our finding ourselves financially broke, there on an extremely isolated part of the Douglas Lake Ranch known as Norfolk. It was a time of great trial for both the Mrs and I. We struggled to adjust, no longer young, our energies sapped, in strange circumstances, working for a Big City capitalist who used the Ranch's 200,000 hectares as a kind of feudal estate, it seemed to us serfs, into which he could periodically fly in, in his private corporate jet, like royalty, to play cowboy with real cowboys. I don't know how it is on Douglas Lake now, but then in 1982, the Ranch had many serf-folks like us, basically "hiding out" like ourselves, from the bailiff and others.

(Chunky, the Lord of Douglas Lake, many of you will know, now deceased, was the owner of then Woodward's Stores. Which too eventually became a victim of "The Recession" and the collapse of retail consumption that was part of it, as the Recession went on and on. Then, as now, "Recovery" just around the next corner.)

I remember well, like it was yesterday, the Mrs and I sitting in the living room of the old frame house that came with the job there on Norfolk, an old cookhouse from the "old days" of big farming crews, pre-big time agricultural mechanization. It was our first winter there. Both of us sat there looking out at the unbelievable world of snow and leafless ash grey trees, with snow that was to the window sills that winter, all white, cold and rather the end of the earth looking. At least that was how it looked in our then state of mind.

Suddenly we both looked at each other, neither of us saying aloud, but each of us hearing the other thinking, "What the fuck just happened? How did we get out here in the middle of this strange nowhere... that is not ours.?!"

Norfolk Winter Scene

Crystal cold the world,

Of ice and new snow,

With a billowy frosty breath unfurled,

From hungry cattle moving thick and slow;

Saddened, torpid beasts,

Frozen in stern time,

Soup-line derelicts to a chilly feast,

There against winter’s tapestry sublime.

A whining tractor,

Startles into view,

Bearing gifts from the Great Benefactor;

Timothy, Canary and Red Fescue.

As His serf passes,

A Sprite’s wand is waved,

And the mass stage left, noses to asses,

Heel-kick, soft-shoe shuffling off to be saved.

From the frosty silence

of the treeline,

Coyote stares out across

that milk white field,

At now clamouring cattle

as they dine.

He narrows his eyes

into thoughts concealed,

Curls his lips into a wry

sceptic smile,

And thus genuflects thereby

to man’s style.

Written:

December 1983

Which poem I wrote the second winter after arriving at Douglas Lake. But, I think, gives a feel for the place.

Around this same time, at the height of my, lets call, Time of Great Pain, which at times was really quite extreme, early one morning I'm coming out of Norfolk, headed to another part of the ranch, Minnie Lake or some such, to be part of the haying crew working there. I turn the company pickup right at the main road to head in the direction of Home Ranch. Immediately there before me, right in the middle of the road, is this coyote. I slam on the brakes.

Initially I'm not even sure what manner of beast it is. It's just a large blur of fur. It is however a coyote. But no ordinary coyote. This one has been severely damaged, that is immediately apparent. I immediately jump to the conclusion that it has either been shot in its hind quarters and rendered paraplegic, or hit by a vehicle, because its hind legs are completely useless. He, or she, has his legs splayed out behind itself, pulling its entire hind quarters along with its front legs only. (Keep in mind, we are in a slow-mo time warp here, where a few seconds is stretched out into only this endless moment.)

After us initially looking at each other full in the eyes... I mean our eyes actually locked, so that I could see the full fright of fear in his eyes and he, he had to, have seen the shock in mine. ... he/she, which gender I could not know, smack on my side of the road, suddenly wheels about, using only his front legs and takes off down the dirt road. I mean, just pulling himself along with his front legs, dragging his/her useless hind end, at a clip that a fully sound animal would have moved at the lope.

My first red-neck reaction was, weirdly, that I should kill it and put its out of its misery. Which notion I, happily today, quickly discarded. (Again in this same weird slow-mo state, of what was only surely seconds.) After which I immediately decide that I should nonetheless catch it and get it to some vet help. Though even by then, I'm starting to realize, that whatever happened to this animal, it is now fully healed, and this is the condition of its life. It's moving just too much like it knows exactly what it is doing, is not really in pain, just panic mode to get the hell away from me.

It comes to a log rail fence in tall grass at the side of the road, and runs along it in panic mode for a bit. I get out of my pickup and walk towards it... to do what, I didn't really have formulated. I just feel like I should do something. Though I've at some point put my leather gloves on, as some kind of protection presumably, from being bitten. Duh!

Anyway, it looks back at me again and sees me coming, and immediately slithers like a snake between the rails in the fence onto the other side. I run to the fence then, thinking it may have hung itself up, but when I get there, and look over the fence, this critter is nowhere to be seen. It is totally and completely gone.

Even after climbing over the fence and combing through the grass for what must have been a half hour, seriously looking for this coyote, I'm forced to conclude it is history... like it was never there. Or if it's hiding, it's where and at a distance I'm not going to find it. I listen intently for the sound of rustling grass. Nothing.

Which, over the course of that long work day and after, as and whenever I revisit this critter, and his brief, seconds long appearance into my life, is where I find the moral that saw me through this period. It ain't over 'til its over. Never give up. No matter how bad things may seem, and I have seen this attribute in coyotes many times since... never give up. It's amazing what critters, and we humans can endure and overcome, if we have the will.

Now that coyote had really grim circumstances to overcome. Worse than mine. Whether it would have made it through the next winter or not... It would have been tough. But then, maybe it had already survived one or more winters. In any case, none of us is getting out of here alive. But until the Grim Reaper actually reaches down and snatches you into the Void of No Return... NEVER GIVE UP.

My Brother, The Coyote

My angry tractor roars across

the field,

The giant vacuum cleaner behind

it,

Exposing that which the crop

had concealed,

Another link in the chain

of the fit.

Wily Bob Coyote slinks out

of harms way,

Having observed Power follows

a path,

Though sometimes toward him

it will ill stray,

To finish his days as

cattle feed chaff.

His goal,

Is but a mole

Caught out of its wee hole,

A mouse,

Far from its house,

As a petite hors d’oeuvre.

I lie weary upon my bed this night,

With my sleeping wife’s soft warmth

at my side,

Grateful to be removed from sound and sight,

Of a maelstrom world

that has briefly died.

When suddenly my brother the Coyote,

Sets his sorry cousin Dog

to pleading

As he cries from the depth of ancient rote,

An arousing poignant

hand out greeting,

Into the still heart of the cold, cold dark.

Answers a joyous

Choral clarity,

Rending through the black,

Reaching for needed

Solidarity.

Written:

1983

2011-02-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

Coming Tomorrow

Part II of The Survivor. A "kind of" morality tale, in that it has a moral that it tells. It is a twist on your typical social, political and economic analyses. Expect the unexpected.

2011-02-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Survivor...
a morality tale

Part I

It's the early 80s, some months in advance of the election of the first Neocon to the presidency in the US, and his imposition of Friedmanesque "neo-liberal" economic practise onto what had to there been the postwar period of the Social Democratic State. To augment the outside cash flow subsidy that our family farm required, we went into also a relatively small scale export dependent shingle mill and contract logging operation on private land. Small in the context of the system, but big to us, in terms of its capital and labour intensity... involving taking on a considerable debt load.

Interest rates at the time had been "pegged" in the area, if I recall correctly, of about 6-8%. And interest rates had been so pretty much throughout the entire prosperity period of the Social Democratic State of Capitalism... at least pegged for predictable periods. Which we were well able to handle for as far ahead as we could see, had rates more or less held.

But which was of course, in still the heady days of endless prosperity capitalism that had been to then, throughout the entire postwar, and which I mean everyone had by then come to the conclusion would NEVER end. (Even most of the what had been in the 30s, the "revolutionary left", had fundamentally by then gotten on board with the assumptions of the Social Democratic State and its presumed endless prosperity.)

Suddenly, shortly thereafter, through the corporate media, around the election of Ronald Reagan to the US presidency for the first time, one started to hear of talk that he and his Republicans planned to "free" interest rates and get society back to the "lean and mean discipline" of the "free capitalist market place". Which I remember at the time did catch my attention and cause me some concern, but hell, I was working day and night falling trees, cutting shingle blocks, running them through our mill, and putting together truckload orders for our market in Germany. Everything else in the world was going by in a kind of work intensity haze to produce product and pay the bank. Besides, people wouldn't stand still for that, and it is one thing to talk crazy Right Wing shit like that in an election, and quite another after, in the real world of governance. Right?

Well, we now know of course, that I was wrong. Reagan did get elected, also Margaret Thatcher in England, the first two postwar Neocons pursuing the "neo-liberal" economic theories of "capitalist fundamentalism" being espoused by Milton Friedman and his Chicago School of Economics. What followed was the fast and furious rise of interest rates to previously unseen levels throughout the postwar, again if I remember correctly, getting as high as 20%, and possibly more. Which, to make a long story short, brought about the great economic collapse of the 80s period, and with it, still going on today, the destruction, nth degree by degree, of the great Social Democratic State of capitalism, and the endless prosperity time.

Now, there were many complex elements that went into the ruling class decision of the time, to take capitalism there of course. One being the great task of rebuilding postwar Europe had been completed, which task had acted to "more or less" smooth out the historical cycles of boom and bust that have always been a part of capitalism, and to especially, enrich us here in North America. Another element, expressed at the time was a right wing concern about "creeping socialism", and still is, which manifest ruling class concerns that the logical conclusion of the line of development the postwar Social Democratic State was on, in fact, led away from Capitalism and in the direction of State managed "Socialism". The claim being that Capitalism was ultimately doomed if it continued to go along with this ongoing building of the Social Democratic State, and its systems of economic intervention and regulation. Which, from their perspective, was true enough, and in my view as well.

Hence, the Social Democratic State had to be stopped and dismantled; including its systems of medical care, unemployment insurance and welfare etc., and its State interventions in the economy, at least in so far as these interventions served the working class masses and their interests in safe work places etc. Instead, it was to be Capitalism as it was historically from the time of the Industrial Revolution, and is in the process of becoming again; socialism for the wealthy and their corporations, and capitalism for everyone else.

The Survivors, Part II, to follow soon.

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2011-02-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

Construction Delays

With a medical appointment out of town today, a much beloved horse I just have to part with, to trailer load and move to her new digs tomorrow, along with some volunteer work for the Saddle Club I belong to, there's a bit of delay here getting new material up. That's the weakness of a one man show. But fear not good folks, Thursday is looking clear to do a piece I kind of want to do, on the theme of coyotes and politics, with a little bit of poetry thrown in. A little artsy fartsy, for the likes of me, but... I think you all will find it interesting.

Keep the faith, and you come back now and again. We's here to thunk on human affairs, agitate and entertain, just a tad. 8-D

Love, Peace and Revolution.

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2011-02-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

A Bit of History to Coyote Times

First, welcome to Coyote Times.

This site has over a number of years now, gone through a number of name and other manifestations, and a long period of lying dormant, awaiting my renewed interest. It was first Liberation Voice and then Freedom of Speech.

I have gone to this latest title format for a number of reasons. First, because I have long been an admirer of the coyote as a wild critter of two worlds now, urban and rural, in both of which it survives and prospers, and in greater numbers than ever. Which, to me at least, speaks to my many years in both these environments, about equally, and to my long years on the margins, materially and intellectually, and in the political wilderness as a left wing political and philosophical person. And no, I'm not really complaining. That's just life as it has been within certainly North American capitalism since the time of the last Great Depression of the 1930s, and the last great foment and movement of the working class in that time.

Thereafter there was the Great World War II and the prosperity period of the reconstruction of war destroyed Europe, in which especially North America grew affluent, and on the basis of which, even capitalism went along with the building of the Social Democratic State and its social safety net, and frequent State regulation and interventionism in the economy. During which time, of course, also occurred the great pogrom attacks on "official" Communism and all the Left within capitalism, as well as without as McCarthyism. Which attacks resulted pretty much in the isolation and decimation of the Left numerically and as an influence in all society, especially the trade union movement and the broader working class. All of which was only marginally less in Canada than the US.

The worm has turned again however, as it is cyclically wont to do within capitalism. And driven by individual Big Capitalist greed and the upheavals and distortions of its thinly veiled attempt to establish its full hegemony and imperialist ambition domination over the entire global economy, even the hereto "advanced" Western capitalist economies and socio-political orders have and continue to fall into a period of deepening crises.

As well, and a consequence of, neo-liberal economic policies of undoing the now old Social Democratic State order and seeking to return capitalism back to an imagined more ideal laissez faire capitalism time, before unions and shared working class prosperity, has also acted to destabilize capitalism, both economically within as well as socially.

All of which it seems to me is beginning to work, to once again call back into existence from the political wilderness into which we were driven, the serious, or if you will, revolutionary Left, to once again re-emerge as one of the leading working class forces and influences acting within and on capitalism. Attempts to turn back history, which arise from within the ruling class order, also quite naturally call back into being its old class enemies and political foes, with their different, by now updated and reinvigorated vision of the direction beyond capitalism that society needs to move in the direction of.

Time spent in the political and ideas wilderness, it turns out, echoing it would seem the biblical experience, can be extremely useful. :-) lol

Coyote Times is a small, extremely modest attempt to contribute to this process, now struggling to re-establish and re-root itself within current state of affairs capitalism, which the system and the capitalists have themselves created.

As time goes on, the old materials written by Coot and myself will be pushed out and archived... which I will hang onto, because it is part of the history of this site.

Again, welcome.

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2007-09-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Military
Canada's Big Bro'?

Barbara Yaffe is often like a breath of fresh air at the Vancouver Stunned, as she often writes about relevant issues while actually acknowledging reality. She tends to get a bit stunned herself if Israel is the issue, but that seems to be required to maintain employment with the Mainstream Propaganda Machine. I must admit, I felt she strayed a bit off the reality-based reservation with her recent piece Symbiosis: We have energy, the U.S. can defend us. Granted though, much of what she says here is accepted as common wisdom, in spite of the weaknesses of many of the assumptions. Her piece begins:

A compelling dynamic increasingly is at play in Canada-U.S. relations: Symbiosis.

The United States is going to find itself more and more beholden to Canada for energy supplies, as Canada has always leaned on Uncle Sam for for military protection.

Not a bad arrangement, when you think about it.

The U.S. is the world's greatest military power and its defensive shield, built in its own best interest, has been designed to protect the continent.

Why would we spend billions when we couldn't hope to defend ourselves against the Americans, and the Americans would protect northern soil from any outside invader?

Indeed why should we spend "billions" on defense, when we can't defend ourselves from the country MOST LIKELY to invade us, indeed the only country that has engaged Canadians in battle on the North American continent. Mexico has oil also, but theUS hasn't invaded them lately. Indeed Mexico seems to be getting even nowadays, though their occupation of the US is much less violent than the US occupation of Iraq. But, really, why accept the bully most likely to roll you as your protector.

Perhaps Canada should consider the Swiss model. The Swiss have survived centuries of warfare among the "powers" of Europe, often being in the center of the action, yet have managed to stay above the fray and un-invaded. Perhaps if it were common knowledge that Canada would have to be won house by house, by farm, by ranch and logging camp rather than by capturing Stephen Harper and making him say "uncle" it would be more convenient to deal with Canada honourably when seeking say...resources.

There is no question that the United States of Greed covets what Canada has - the oil, the timber, the minerals, the agricultural bounty AND soon maybe most importantly the DRINKABLE water. Of course maybe I'm giving the U.S. more credit than they deserve and should just admit that they will just take what they want by military conquest if they can't get it through economic swindling - which is working pretty darn well for them at the moment. If Stephen Harper gets his coveted majority in Parliament and stays at the helm very long, he will probably retire as the governor of the largest state in the union.

Ms. Yaffe is right when she says:

To be sure, in saving on military spending, we have certainly expended some political capital; there has been a psychological price to pay in that the U.S. has always resented Canada for freeloading on its defense capacity.

Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci went so far as to say so in 2005, when he publicly urged this country to start investing in its own military.

I agree with the angry Italian who preceded the idiot missing from a village in the Carolinas, but Canada should invest in a military to defend its own territory and interests. Canada needs a high-tech air and sea oriented defense to patrol and protect its immense borders, all of which are shorelines, except that with our biggest threat, the bully down south. Our military shouldn't be designed to help the US and its Global Corporate interests in exploiting the rest of the world. Needless to say, there is little that Canada should emulate that characterizes the US, especially the US of Bush the Lesser.

Right now the United States is trying to corral all the resources of the globe by scam or by the gun, using money borrowed from people who don't necessarily like them and won't necessarily continue to fund their dreams of empire. Canada should remember that it is a sovereign nation, with its own interests, which aren't necessarily the same as those of Amerika. I know the US is the biggest customer for Canadian exports, but all of the riches that Canada has are just as valuable everywhere on the planet. Making the US pay for Canadian goods in Euros might be something to think about in the meantime.

It seems to me like Canada should re-consider the whole idea of being the bum boy to the biggest arsehole on the block.

2007-09-25T07:12:00.001-07:00

Mulroney
The Great!

(cross-posted from House of Infamy)

What does the Jaw That Walks Like a Man, to borrow a phrase from Foth, have to do with the House of Infamy? Well not much, but so much of the reason for this blog, or any blog that tries to cover the BC Legislature Raids and BC Rail Trial is the failure of the local Canned West/Glowball media to even cover theses issues. Worse yet is the tendency of the same suspects to minimalise or distort the facts when they do actually pay attention to these important issues.

Don't expect much coverage of the Independent Power Producers and the transfer of water rights on most of the streams in British Columbia, other than some Campbell and Cronies P.R. about debatable future hydro power shortages (in Phoenix, Arizona). TILMA, outsourcing (often out of province or Canada) of everything including Court Clerk Services, Medical Records and Billing, BC Hydro Billing, and ferry construction aren't really important enough for much coverage in our great news outlets. They have to save prime journalistic (to use the term loosely) real estate on the "Issues and Ideas" page for advertising and puff pieces like Mulroney redux.

This paean to the man that almost single handedly (with the help of his cronies) destroyed the old Progressive Conservative Party, leaving the carcass for the Reform Church of Steven Harper to crawl into to use as a disguise, should actually be labeled as advertising. Probably it was passed off as an "opinion" piece to avoid prosecution under fairness/honesty in advertising regulations (though I'm probably dreaming to think there are any, anymore in the new de-regulated Neo-Con Paradise). Upon reading (with periodic breaks for gagging) this virtually fact free revision of recent history, one is not surprised to find that its author, Gregory Thomas, "was national co-chairman of Youth for Brian Mulroney in the 1983 Progressive Conservative leadership campaign." I can only imagine that now Mr. Thomas is writing to the Pope to nominate Lyin' Brian for canonization.

Those with a strong enough stomach can follow the link and read the whole fairy tale, but I would like to point out some of the more absurd statements it contains. The sub-title is:

Despite the views on some mean streets in Toronto, the former PM is hugely popular and has a sterling legacy

Some people might say he's lucky to be un-indicted, and owes that fact to the ability to obstruct justice from a high enough political position......hmmmm, sounds like justice in British Columbia. Paper bags full of money are somewhat of a legacy in British Columbia also. It turns out those mean streets are all in a small part of Toronto.

.....beginning just west of Spadina, proceed 700 metres or so, continue another four blocks to Yonge, then 600 metres back toward the lake under the Gardiner Expressway, you can visit most of his detractors in the space of 10 minutes.

They work in three newsrooms -- the Toronto Star's, the Globe and Mail's and the CBC's -- inter-mingling and inter-marrying, thinking no original thoughts.

In other words, kinda like the only three newsrooms in Canada that aren't owned by somebody named either Asper or Black.

And so we come to myth No. 2, the suggestion that Mulroney's legacy is somehow inferior to that of Trudeau, who, by all accounts, looked pretty good on TV.

It is grossly unfair to compare the two men. Mulroney was simply better -- a better leader, a better husband, a better father, a better man.

Mulroney's foreign policy initiatives tower in comparison to those of Trudeau -- free trade, an end to apartheid, and the expansion of NATO to include Eastern Europe.

His constitutional vision, embodied in the Meech Lake Accord, has outlived and outlasted Trudeau's Ottawa centralism.

Seems to me that Mulroney and his sycophants, like Thomas, suffer from a near terminal case of P.E.T. envy. I don't care how many times you repeat lies it still doesn't make them true. Let's examine the first statement:

better leader? - Trudeau didn't destroy the Liberal Party, even though he led it twice as long as the Jaw took to destroy the PCs.

a better husband? - I'll admit that Brian managed to find and keep a woman just as shallow and materialistic as himself - but better?

better father? - Pierre appears to have produced the superior offspring, and I doubt if Justin or Alexandre would concur

better man? - how do you determine that Greg, do you have a queer eye for the straight guys?

I'll give you Free Trade, indeed, I wish I could give it back. Did you notice there is no free trade? Free Trade is whatever the USA wants, as in the Soft Wood Lumber dispute and eventual giveaway thanks to Harper and Emerson the Quislings. But Apartheid, Brian ended it, eh? and expanded NATO too, eh? Are you sure you aren't getting confused between Brian and his BFF (Best Friend Forever) Ronnie Raygun or things that required a lot of multi-lateral co-operation?

.....Mulroney was willing to put everything on the line with Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, his most powerful ally, to secure Mandela's freedom.

Oh yeah, I didn't know Brian broke Nelson Mandela out of jail in South Africa, with Maggie and Ronnie's help. There were more countries than Canada and the ones led by Brian's hero and heroine that put pressure on the Apartheid government which led to the freeing of Mr. Mandela. What did Brian "risk" or "put on the line," by the way, in supporting the sanctions and boycott of South Africa? Oh, I get it, he was afraid that the South African government would cut off the diamond supply for Mila, and we hadn't discovered our own in the North yet!

Then Greg raves about Mulroney's Constitutional Vision - The Meech Lake Accord. I will point out just one minor point and then I will go. But in just a few words, in this case quoted from mapleleafweb (just so Greg doesn't think I'm just making stuff up, like he seems to do). Without going into the details or whys and wherefores the great legacy of the Meech Lake Accord can be summed up thusly:

The Meech Lake Accord is a set of failed constitutional amendments, proposed in the late-1980s.

I guess my buddy Kirk must have approved this ad, "heckuva job Pointy," as usual! Maybe someday there will be a genuine big-city newspaper in Vancouver or some genuine TV News - but I'm not gonna hold my breath!

2007-08-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

You Tube
Weapon for Truth

When I first became aware of You Tube, it seemed like a good idea and Google apparently agreed as their acquisition of the dewy cheeked start-up would soon demonstrate to the world (and the instant moguls who had created You Tube). The nifty little web application seemed like such a handy way for folks to share videos of their cats being endearing or to display their own wacky humor to the world. But I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised at how this baby and totally democratic medium has become a weapon in the war against the Corporate Media and the Lies it tries to promulgate.

Two recent incidents here in Canada demonstrate some early victories against the likes of GlowBall/Canned West and the Faux News Liars of the airwaves and printed news.

The recent protests against the secret agenda of the three North American Clowns at Montebello are the first example I will discuss. I would recommend going over to the Canadian Cynic to pursue an elevated interest in this incident as he has been all over it ever since it happened, telling and showing it like it is/was and de-constructing the reich wingnuts and their blathering around the truth in his Canadian and Cynical style.

What occurred, in short, was that the only "demonstrators" that appeared to be agitating for and promoting violence (and carrying rocks to throw) were confronted by other protesters at which time these "violent types" headed FOR the police lines and were taken into custody, without having their masks removed or removing them themselves. Then mysteriously these dudes(the only violent "bad" actors) were released without charges and their identity remained a mystery as well. When protest organizers and others suggested that these "mystery" men were police provocateurs the representatives for the various cops had this to say:

The RCMP has refused to comment, while Quebec provincial police have flatly denied that its officers were involved in the incident.

It said it is not releasing any names as no charges were laid.

Videotape and still photos then flooded the internet, many of them on You Tube, including some that suggested the "violent" rock toting protesters and the police shopped at the same shoe store and had the same sense of style. Eventually we got this from the Quebec Provincial Police who earlier had denied having any "pretend protesters" planted with the real protesters.

The RCMP and Quebec police force have denied allegations their officers posed as protesters to try to provoke peaceful demonstrators at the recent Montebello summit.

"I confirm (to) you that there is no agents provocateurs in the Surete du Quebec... It doesn't exist in the Surete du Quebec," spokesperson Const. Melanie Larouche told The Canadian Press

Lo and behold, now the story starts changing, since so many people were watching so much actual you know "evidence" and believing their lyin' eyes in spite of the fact that Stephen Harper had told them there were only a half dozen demonstrators. By today the statements from the Pork in Uniform are very different than what they had to say at first (when they didn't realize everyone could see for themselves what had happened). The official story now is:

Quebec admit they went undercover at Montebello protest

Quebec provincial police admitted Thursday that their officers disguised themselves as demonstrators during the protests at the North American leaders summit in Montebello, Que.

The police came under fire Wednesday when protesters accused the force of planting undercover officers in the demonstration to provoke violence. A video surfaced on YouTube that appeared to depict disguised police in the crowd.

The provincial police, in a news release, said its officers went undercover to identify and stop non-peaceful protesters.

Somewhat conveniently the Spokesman for Uniformed Pork didn't mention that the only protesters packing and threatening to throw rocks and wearing masks WERE THE UNDERCOVER COPS. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised by that. Even more amusing, as the Cynic (Canadian variety) points out:

I'm guessing somebody is going to regret not taking the time to come up with a better lie than this one:

Police said that after viewing the clip, they were able to confirm the men were Quebec provincial police officers.

I'm sorry ... the police are saying that they had no idea that the three provocateurs were also police until they watched the YouTube clip? They didn't know that while those three idiots were cavorting around with rocks, while they were being arrested or while they were subsequently being freed without being charged? Not during any of that time!? They're saying that that's how they would normally treat potentially violent demonstrators?

This so needs a public inquiry in the worst way. This isn't even remotely close to being over.

Switching Yard Accident in PG

Prince George Switching Yard (...right!)
Early this month an incident occurred that was described in all the media as an accident in the switching yard in Prince George by CN, the Rail Road that never ran a train that it could keep on the track, in BC at least it seems. According to most reports there was no environmental risk, no REALLY dangerous materials, just a minor accident in the yard putting trains together. BC Mary was the citizen journalist all over this one, and she had the help of some local people in Prince George who posted video clips on You Tube, shared photos with us showing clearly that it was more like a train collision on the mainline, on a bank above the Fraser River, close by parks and residential neighborhoods. Oh yeah, I don't know what qualifies as dangerous materials, but when thick black smoke is rising in the air even higher than the 10-15 meter high flames and water bombers need to be called in to fight the fire it ain't exactly just an overheated break drum on a set of wheels.

Once again the OFFICIAL CN, BC Government, and GlowBall/Canned West story was shown up as the skein of lies that it was, thanks to the internet and the ease of sharing pictures and videos on You Tube. This is why I think You Tube is more than just an amusing little piece of software, rapidly it is becoming one of the average citizen's best weapons in the important battle to defeat the forces that would like to make George Orwell's nightmares come true. This is just one reason that Net Neutrality is so important, the same media conglomerates that control the so-called Main Stream Media can't be allowed to control the internet too, or we might as well just bow our heads and be fitted for our slave collars.

2007-07-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

Stephen Harper
The RCMP
...Towards a Fascist State in Canada.

*******Introductory Stuff***************
*NOTE (from kootcoot). The following is a new column written by that concerned Canadian, Robin Matthews. I am going to just post it as I received it and let it speak for itself, which it does powerfully. Thank you Robin, so much, for permission to post it here. For more of Robin's important writing at ViveleCanada click here. It is all important stuff of interest to anyone who cares about Canada as a free and independent nation for Canadians rather than a colonial stockpile of resources for the US of A and the Corporations that think the world was created for their benefit.

*NOTE (from Robin). This column expresses an idea that will be offensive to some people. They might conclude the column is the product of a fevered (not to say insane) mind. Time may prove them correct. Time, unfortunately, may prove they are wrong and that the column is more correct and far-seeing than any of us wish it to be - it attempts to force attention to a real, major invasion of Canadian freedoms which most Canadians are refusing to see.

************************

Begin with Stephen Harper: always a servant of the large, private corporations and now of the US expansionists. In addition, he is a modern Capitalist/Christian Fundamentalist - which means a stalwart in the present war against the poor, the vulnerable, ordinary Canadians, the sovereignty of Canada, policies of social equality, and - of course - against The Infidel anywhere in the world.

To do its work effectively in Canada, the Harper group needs to coerce Canadians into fear and undemocratic submission. That's where the RCMP comes in.

Any organized proto-fascist group moving to take State power into a totalitarian grip needs a repressive police force. And it needs (in the short term) to cooperate with any force - however named - in the society that will ally with it. British Columbia has, by name, a "Liberal" government (which is perhaps the most reactionary government in Canada). A Liberal government should be at odds with a Harper Reactionary government, one might say. But there is a rumour in B.C. that top Liberals in the province are working against a Stephane Dion victory and for a Harper victory in the next federal election. That makes sense. There are spoils to share in the dismantling of Canada and in the development of a fascist state; get in line.

The role of the RCMP in the move to the Right, in the move to close off democratic freedoms has been growing relentlessly, alarmingly, unchallenged and even unexamined in any serious way. The seriousness of breaches of trust in the RCMP is persistently underestimated, glossed over, discounted.

It's role in the Asia Pacific meetings at UBC in Vancouver was proto-fascist and was alarmingly whitewashed in the Inquiry Report by former judge Ted Hughes. That was the only scandal of the list I will mention that has been inquired into - and the Report was a disgraceful, compounded cover-up of RCMP wrong-doing. (Notice the role, in the move towards totalitarianism, of present and retired judicial figures.)

The RCMP role in the B.C. Gustafsen Lake "stand off" with a few dozen Native people is worthy of a major film - to say nothing of its' screaming for an independent Inquiry. The RCMP action was corrupt, military, secretive, fascistic, and "historic". "Historic" in many ways - one being the use of/cooperation with the Canadian military in the "events". One of the most poignant historic moments, in addition, was the statement by a major media liaison RCMP officer - on a film to be used for training new RCMP recruits - that "smear campaigns are our [the RCMP's] specialty".

The role of the RCMP in what I call "the fraudulent investigation and trial of [B.C. NDP premier] Glen Clark" was so questionable that a full inquiry is absolutely necessary. A question hangs in the air - and grows more insistent: did [now premier] Gordon Campbell or did his associates work, with active RCMP cooperation, to effect the fraudulent destruction of Glen Clark and his NDP government on the way to an Ottawa/B.C. proto-fascist movement?

We must return to that question.

First. Two more instances of deep suspicion about RCMP activities. Out of the corrupt sale by the Gordon Campbell cabinet of BC Rail have come criminal charges for fraud and breach of trust against Campbell-appointed cabinet aides. Were the men fingered because they double-crossed their bosses and allegedly were making money on the side? Did honest RCMP officers begin proceedings that couldn't be stopped - and so have to be scuttled?

Whatever the case, an RCMP officer is alleged to have handed information to at least one (family relation) top Liberal in a pipeline to Gordon Campbell. RCMP, moreover, closed all investigations of Liberal cabinet ministers and, it would appear, of other highly placed B.C. Liberals. In addition, RCMP has repeatedly failed to assist or has fallen short when evidence has been required by the Defence in the fraud and breach of trust proceedings.

Response by the presiding judge, Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett, to the visible, astonishing failure of the RCMP in the matter of the production of evidence has appeared to be slow, listless, ingenuous - there may be other more pointedly descriptive terms.

What is more, Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm, who signed the search warrants on December 24, 2003, to allow far-reaching search, has adamantly refused to release the search warrant texts - which he is normally obliged to do when the searches are complete. Justice Dohm "released" a search warrant document nine months after the searches. Pages upon pages of the document are totally blacked out.

Does that mean there is more than RCMP and proto-fascist government co-operation in Canada?

Now headquarters of the RCMP has exploded with corruption and allegations of corruption. RCMP Commissioner Juliano Zaccardelli has been forced to resign in disgrace. Allegations of coercion, of favouritism, of cronyism are heaped on allegations of serious misappropriation and misspending of funds. There is not only suspicion but undoubted fact involved in the corruption at RCMP headquarters.

Serious investigation? Names named? Charges laid? Don't be silly. The opposite. The Stephen Harper government is doing everything it can - from all appearances - to cover up everything illicit there and to paper over all the cracks. And perhaps with good reasonŠ.

A huge question about an open betrayal of democracy is before all Canadians. During the last federal election the RCMP announced a (fraudulent?) investigation into the Ralph Goodale (Liberal Minister of Finance) Income Trust measures. The announcement was unprecedented, was apparently fraudulent, and is alleged to have seriously changed the outcome of the election in favour of the Stephen Harper forces.

Were the Harper forces privy to and a part of the, almost certainly, fake investigation (which was quietly dropped after the election)? Did Harper or the Harper forces make promises to Juliano Zaccardelli in order to "pay" for help with the election? Certainly, Harper seemed to approve of Zaccardelli, promising him an increase of 1000 officers for the RCMP not long after the election.

In fact, until Zaccardelli's disgraceful actions could no longer be hidden, he was solidly supported by Stockwell Day and Stephen Harper. The House of Commons Committee forced (some of) RCMP corruption into public view. The revelations were forced upon Stephen Harper. A full-scale, independent, no-holds-barred inquiry is desperately necessary in this case - and the Harper forces are making absolutely certain such an inquiry doesn't take place.

If there was a deal between the Harper forces and the Zaccardelli forces, it had to be a proto-fascist deal. A political party seeking power working illicitly to use the national police force for political ends with promises of pay-off constitutes treason. Is there an independent commission of inquiry into the RCMP invasion of the last federal election?

If there was a deal between the Harper forces and the Zaccardelli forces, what is the situation now that Zaccaradelli is gone?

The situation may, in fact, be more favourable for a movement to a police forces-supported fascist state in Canada. The exit of Zaccardelli has had strange results. One: Stephen Harper has prevented the absolutely necessary full, independent, public inquiry. Two. He had a limited and carefully contained "review" conducted - a wholly stage-managed "inquiry". Three. He has appointed a political loyalist to be the new RCMP Commissioner - an almost certain guarantee that the force will work for the Harper interests rather than as an independent force working for Canadians.

William Elliott (the new "independent" Commissioner) was quite happy to be a close deputy to Stockwell Day before being named RCMP Commissioner. There is, therefore, no reason to suppose Elliott will tackle the real problems of the RCMP. There is every reason to suppose he won't. As assistant-secretary to cabinet in the Privy Council Office, with responsibility for security and intelligence, he apparently saw nothing wrong with the operation of the RCMP.

The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP is one of the running sores on the diseased body of law and justice in Canada. William Elliott has made no comment, that I have been able to find, about that disgrace to Canadian democracy.

Now a Task Force will undertake another phony review of the RCMP. It will eventuate in a structure that further releases the force from the legal bonds by which other Canadians are bound. It will very likely chop up the RCMP and policing duties in Canada, the easier to place them under the control of political thugs. It will produce no wrong-doers in the huge corruption at RCMP headquarters; it will increase the "Gestapo" powers of the new policing entities - under the pretence of National Security.

The sickness of the RCMP cannot be over-stated. The announced criminal investigation of the Ralph Goodale Income Trust matter during the last election was - on the national level - an outrage of immense proportions, showing that an unregulated RCMP, apparently, was ready to go into what may very well have been criminal interference with the democratic process (and, as I say, maybe with the approval and support of the Stephen Harper forces). A full-scale investigation of that event is absolutely essential to Canadian democratic freedom.

The present, ludicrous, Kafka'esque killing and "investigation" - on the private level - of twenty year old Ian Bush of Houston, B.C., shot in the back of the head by an RCMP constable in a police office, requires a full-scale, public inquiry now. The contradictory evidence - to put the matter gently - is so alarming only a full-scale, independent inquiry can satisfy the requirements of justice. An independent forensics expert, for instance, insisted the constable's description of his shooting of Ian Bush described an impossibility. An adequate inquiry will not be held.

The Ian Bush story - "small" and "private" - is the Juliano Zaccardelli story seen through the other end of the telescope. In the case of Ian Bush a (carefully hobbled) coroner's inquest had to be held. (The coroner - upon whose orders? - seriously restricted the jury which should have defied the coroner and made a public report independently.) Gary Mason (Globe and Mail, July 10 07 S1) counts up the contradictions that came out of the inquest: "that Constable Koester destroyed the notes he made of what happened the night he shot Ian Bush; that he huddled with RCMP's chief investigator in the case to craft a short account of the shooting the day after it happened; that he waited 18 days before providing his first detailed statement of what happened. And then there's the fact that it took three months before Constable Koester was interviewed by RCMP investigators who provided him with a list of questions he was going to be asked two days before the interview took place."

The news of the corruption at RCMP headquarters and of the painful contradictions in the Ian Bush killing should fill Stephen Harper and his cabinet with consternation, leading them to a publicly declared determination to (a) find any wrong-doers, (b) to charge them, and (c) to construct a system where such behaviour becomes impossible - after full-scale, wide-open independent public inquiries.

Gary Mason describes a lawless and unregulated police force far, far beyond responsibility to the people of Canada, a force that appears to work happily with the corrupt B.C. Gordon Campbell government, openly and covertly. At the other end of the telescope the failure of Stephen Harper to have a major inquiry into the RCMP corruption in Ottawa - and beyond - confirms that there have to be, I allege, officers in many positions in the RCMP who are - in all likelihood - criminals.

Those ugly facts are exactly, I am arguing, what the Stephen Harper and proto-fascist forces in Canada want. Fascist police forces are not made out of honest men and women.

by Robin Matthews

******************

When I start worrying unduly about all this kind of stuff, I just remind myself to remember that this guy is looking after my safety:

Stockwell Stands on Guard, for Me and Thee!

2007-05-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Do We Really Need a
Blogger's Code?

Although speech is still free here at freespeechca, words have been in short supply here of late. The call of Spring and the tragic loss of Mr. and Mrs. Coyote's daughter recently have a lot to do with Coyote's absence from these pages. There are few more tragic things in my mind than a parent having to deal with the funeral of a child, the kids are supposed to come to ours, sometime waaaaay in the future. I ran into an article today that I thought should be discussed here though rather than somewhere else. The very name of the blog and some of the discussions with the Sentinel make the following relevant here and now.

Thanks to David Poque, the tech writer for the New York Times I was pointed to Call for a Blogger's Code of Conduct at the blog Radar, blogging home of Tim O'Reilly, publisher of the classic standards in programming so treasured by geeks and so familiar that they are referred to by the animal on the cover of the particular one. Perl in a Nutshell is nicknamed "the Camel Book" The tech writer for the Times is also a much more reliable writer than say Judith "kneepads" Miller and not as prone to putting spin on everything (say for Microsoft or Sony instead of Bu$hco).

The experiences of his friend (and writer) Kathy Sierra prompted Tim to consider the possible need for a code of blogger conduct.

Tim) was quoted in a BBC article a few days ago and a San Francisco Chronicle article on Thursday calling for a "Blogger's Code of Conduct" in response to the firestorm that has arisen as a result of Kathy Sierra's revelation that she's been targeted by a series of increasingly violent and disturbing anonymous comments on her blog and on a series of weblogs that appeared to have been created for the purpose of celebrating cyber-bullying.
Tim proposes seven steps in what he points out "are just a work in progress, and hopefully a spur for further discussion."

1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you allow on
your blog.

There's an attitude among many bloggers that deleting inflammatory comments is censorship. I think that needs to change. I'm not suggesting that every blog will want to delete such comments, but I am suggesting that blogs that do want to keep the level of dialog at a higher level not be censured for doing so.
There are many real-world analogies. Shock radio hosts encourage abusive callers; a mainstream talk radio show like NPR's Talk of the Nation wouldn't hesitate to cut someone off who started spewing hatred and abuse. Frat parties might encourage drunken lewdness, but a party at a tech conference would not. Setting standards for acceptable behavior in a forum you control is conducive to free speech, not damaging to it.

2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments..

3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.

When people are anonymous, they will often let themselves say or do things that they would never do when they are identified. There are important contexts in which anonymity is important, for example, for political speech in repressive regimes. But in most contexts, accountability via identity changes how people behave. Requiring a valid email address for comments won't prevent people who want to hide their identity from doing so, but it's one more indication that accountability is valued.

4. Ignore the trolls.

5. Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.

6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.

7. Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person.

The next time you're tempted to vent your anger or frustration online, imagine you're talking to your mother. Or if you have no respect for your mother, imagine you're talking to a big, mean dude that you met on the street. Or simply imagine the person you're speaking to as a real person, standing in front of you. Would you say what you're saying to them if you were in the same room?

There's a lot more over at Radar, and if you have an interest in blogging, it is well worth checking out the link. David Poque has some interesting comments on the subject in his newsletter for April 26, and I imagine that column can be found at the Times, unless he too is behind the pay wall, like Mo Mo Dowd and Frank Rich. Of course some so called writers like Tom Friedman and David Brooks - I'm so glad they are behind the paywall, make it higher even, for them. O'Reilly ends his posting with:

......frankness does not have to mean lack of civility. There's no reason why we should tolerate conversations online that we wouldn't tolerate in our living room.

A culture is a set of shared agreements that allows us to live together. Let's make sure that the culture we create with our blogs is one that we are proud of.

2007-03-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

And Likely It
Will Come
to Canada
Wrapped
In The Same US flag
And Carrying
the Same Cross.

Or The State of Our Democracy
by Coyote

All the changes currently occurring within our capitalist dominant and structured social, economic and political systems, over the period since the beginning of the collapse of “socialized capitalism”, as it evolved in the aftermath of WW2 until the late 1970’s to early ‘80s, and of late around NAFTA, TILMA and the neo-conservative ruling class calls and initiatives for a North American Union (NAU), are having a profound effect on our democracy, or what has at least passed for such to here. And the implications for further modifications and deteriorations are manifold and becoming increasingly obvious.

. "I believe in democracy because it releases the energies of every human being" - those are the words of our 28th president of the USA, Woodrow Wilson," said Bill Moyers in a recent article titled A Time for Anger, A Call for Action.

http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0322-24.htm

Nonetheless, as we are now witnessing, this president of the United States also obviously understood something else about the nature of the class system that capitalism gives rise to, though he might not have chosen to put it quite the way I have, being then a liberal spokesman for it, when he sounded anyway, what can only be interpreted as a warning as far back as his time, (between 1913-21).

In his now-forgotten political testament called The New Freedom, Wilson described his reformism in plain English no one could fail to understand: "The laws of this country do not prevent the strong from crushing the week." He wrote: "Don't deceive yourselves for a moment as to the power of great interests which now dominate our development... There are men in this country big enough to own the government of the United States. They are going to own it if they can." And he warned: "There is no salvation in the pitiful condescensions of industrial masters... prosperity guaranteed by trustees has no prospect of endurance."

Which bears repeating: “There is no salvation in the pitiful condescensions of industrial masters... prosperity guaranteed by trustees has no prospect of endurance." The undoing of which egalitarian prosperity ideas and practise within capitalism was precisely begun with the rise of neo-conservative Reganism and Thatcherism, in the late 70s through early 80s: Here with the Bill Bennett, Social Credit “Restraint Budgets” in BC, and Conservatives Mike Harris in Ontario and Ralph Klein in Alberta, all sounding the early warning death knell of “socialized capitalism”.

Which process has now twisted, turned, wound and evolved its way down to the present, and as Larry Gambone correctly stated, in effect, here in one of the comment threads on Freedom of Speech.ca, to where the new neo-conservative capitalist ideology, influencing virtually all the “accepted and sanctioned” parties of capitalism to one degree or another, is attempting with TILMA and other such legislation and agreements, to cut off any attempt to reform the neoconservative ideology and practice of all levels of goverrnment, or to go back to even postwar“socialized capitalism". And it is doing that, as in the case of TILMA, by formulating inter-provincial and international agreements and legislation restricting what policies and practises, be they trade, monetary, budgetary, or social policy that duly “elected” governments can even consider or pass into legislation and practise. What "the public" might want or choose, where it does not conform to the new neo-conservative capitalism practise, is to simply be incised out of the loop as a possible consideration.

Not content with the normal limitations of the capitalist class system on what passes for democracy, and such as effectively restricts control and manipulative influence over it into ruling class hands in any case, and as cuts out or limits working class and other social class strata participation, they want to “build in” further blacklists on economic, social and political policy reforms such as will be outside the pale of what can even be raised or considered, by those reformist tendencies as yet may emerge through even the limited “democratic processes”, despite the controlling “Big Money” media and other corporatist influences that effectively “own” it..

While there is a popular social pressure beginning to well up, demanding an opening up and extension of “democratic practises”, and calling for electoral and other reforms, the action that is actually occurring within the New Neo-conservative Capitalist World Order, and arising from its corporate ruling class, is moving in entirely the opposite direction, away from even its own limited past, relatively democratic order practise. All of which represents nothing more nor less than an attempt to prevent any practical possibility of reforms to the new capitalist order of things. There is to be no going back to socialized capitalism. Period. (Though they themselves want to take society back to a time before even it, or back to that future, via a kind of suit and tie "legislated" fascism.) Nor are we to be allowed especially to move forward, away from capitalism, into any other social and economic arrangements, or notions of democracy.

This reactionary vision of our future, which comes out of an insistence on ruling class privilege and prerogatives has to be resisted and fought against with the utmost ferocity and determination.

More

2007-03-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Another
SOAP-BOX OPEN THREAD...

The Mrs and I just had a death in the family, so we have been basically shut down for a few days. I will now begin to work myself back into it here. Meanwhile, whilst I organize some new material, you folks have yourselves a chat here, about anything your hearts desire.

Spring is slowly happening here, but damn, winter just does not seem to want to let go.

More

2007-03-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

COMMENT
CONTENT
WARNING

or...The Sentinel for Dummies

Starring

in his own Words!
Regular readers here will undoubtably remember a dude who calls himself The Sentinel, who single handedly made Coyote and I resort to moderating our comments. We didn't want to do this, but since the SentAnal insisted on posting text pornography under his own moniker and everybody else's he left us no choice. Eventually we tired of the cesspool that spews from his keyboard and told him

"You are a guest here and if you cease to amuse can be easily disposed of..."

To which he almost immediately replied:

Censorship?

Go ahead, it is the natural course for you hypocrites anyhow.

Freedom of speech? Do me a favour!

I should point out that he seems to be spewing here, spewing on other blogs or maintaining his own cesspool at The Sentinel pretty well 24/7. Just his deleted comments from here, which I saved of course, amount to 200 to 300 KBs of data in plain text. The text from the posting illustrated above is hard enough to read on his site thanks to the multi-colored characters on a black background, much less in the reduced size image. However in order to analyze this posting it is reprinted here:

COMMENT CONTENT WARNING

In my ongoing attempt to engage 'opposing' political blogs in debate, I have had the misfortune to bump into some pretty strange types. However, the insults are usually just political and localised. Unfortunately, I have inadvertently stumbled across a couple of very strange, very delusional, very perverted old men. (Who, for example now believe that I am David Icke and refer to me as Dave.) They have left a variety of comments on this blog relating to pedophilia, homosexual acts and other such depravity and post under assorted assumed monikers. I have deleted these disgusting comments as and when I have found them but please be aware that they may be present until I review the blog. The perverted perpetrators belong to blogs (ironically) called: Freedom of speech.ca and House of Infamy and go under the moniker of coyote and kootcoot.(E-mail: kootcoot and coyote)

As to:

I have inadvertently stumbled across a couple of very strange, very delusional, very perverted old men. (Who, for example now believe that I am David Icke and refer to me as Dave.)

The reason we started calling this idiot Dave might have something to do with the fact that he left this comment on one of our blogs.

The Sun is stimulated vibrationally to produce more intense radiation when we are entering a warm cycle and less when we are starting a cooler period. That's what global warming is - a changing solar energy cycle. I have been predicting this and its affects since my first book on these subjects written in 1990 called Truth Vibrations. These 'truth vibrations' as I called them were the very 'magnetic energy' changes that are now causing climate change and I even talked about the weather affects in that book

Now to a literate person the statement about would appear to be made by the person who wrote "Truth Vibrations" and since David Icke wrote that book, ergo David Icke = Author of above statement. Of course maybe our SentAnal dude accidentally copied and pasted a statement by Mr. Icke, or willfully and knowingly plagiarized David Icke. However when I pointed this out and asked if the SentAnal was either Mr. Icke or just a plagiarizing liar, he simply wouldn't address the question, as the following exchange will illustrate.

kootcoot said......
......I will give you a multiple choice question to answer, with only two choices - one of them will be true, or possibly even both of them.

Answer (a) or (b)

a. My name is David

b. I am a Liar

No answer still means that at least one choice is true, if not both. So I'll just assume that both (a) and (b) are true, unless you tell me different.

Saturday, March 17, 2007 2:16:00 PM PDT
Delete
coyote said...(this is SentAnal, posing as Coyote)

I warned you about this David and now your talking about another man- thats it I am going to come in both your eyes for this.

So you should be able to see that it is obviously Coyote and myself that are constantly resorting to the "homosexual acts" statements, even if the SentAnal has to impersonate us so we will do so.

Below the fold I will share an unedited section of one of the comment boards that was graced with the SentAnal's presence. Please be warned that the language and subject matter may not be suitable for all people. So click on Read More! at your own discrettion.

Before I share with you the SentAnal in action, here are a couple links to give you an opportunity to see the slimeball in action at his own place and elsewhere. He says in one of his later comments, just before we had it with hime, for us to quit "obsessing" about him. Well you may get confused about who's obsessing about whom when you consider the posting quoted above and this one - nonces-rockspiders, etc. Or perhaps you would prefer to check him out in full troll mode at another Blogger's place as they discuss(?) the squatter's riots in Copenhagen at benno's newsvine.

Also, if you read his drivel titled "Comments Content Warning" you will notice that he claims that:

They have left a variety of comments on this blog relating to pedophilia, homosexual acts and other such depravity and post under assorted assumed monikers. I have deleted these disgusting comments as and when I have found them but please be aware that they may be present until I review the blog.

Well that is so outrageous. I left two comments on his blog that day, and they were both deleted as soon as he found them. But I will let you fair reader be the judge of how disgusting they were. I admit that I did use his own monicker, but since I was just quoting him, I thought that was pretty appropriate. Here are the two comments, which are just copied and pasted from his comments at our place to his.

2 Comments
Close this window Collapse comments

theSentinal said...(really me quoting him - kc)

The Sun is stimulated vibrationally to produce more intense radiation when we are entering a warm cycle and less when we are starting a cooler period. That's what global warming is - a changing solar energy cycle. I have been predicting this and its affects since my first book on these subjects written in 1990 called Truth Vibrations. These 'truth vibrations' as I called them were the very 'magnetic energy' changes that are now causing climate change and I even talked about the weather affects in that book.

18 March 2007 17:58
theSentAnal said...

Correction:

I misspelled my own name. It is supposed to be ----- (kc)

the SentAnal (kc)

18 March 2007 18:02 (the following was left by the Sentinel)

I am exhausted after having spent quite a bit of time 'coming out' on all the blogs I visit, but I just had to let everyone know what I am.

I am still suffering from some odd delusions and think that I am being followed by some guy called Dave, though I still cant think of his surname or actually link him to any real person, probably I suspect because I am making it all up.

Its what I do best- talk shit and suck cock.

- is SentAnal bragging, again?-

So doesn't seem all that disgusting, especially since the SentAnal originally typed everything but the mis-spelling of his name. Get a grip - I think you are the one obsessed. If you quit showing up a spewing potty mouth drivel here and at the House, I'm sure we'll all forget about you in no time.

So just for an illustration of why we got tired of this guy here is the complete comment thread from a posting containing a cool picture of Don Quixote and inviting an "open" discussion. The following is unedited except for the "comments removed by author" and those were deleted by the Sentinel him self (I even have those as they came in my email, before he realized he wasn't happy with his drivel). The parts that are in bold and italics are my comments on the spewing drivel. Other than my added comments the following is totally unedited!

I forgot how many of SentAnal's comments were so crude and off point that Coyote deleted them, but the one's that remain serve to show how off topic and potty mouth crap the SentAnal can bring to the table.

41 Comments
Close this window Collapse comments

kootcoot said...

We could talk about the illustration, of Don Quixote and his pard. It is really cool.

March 14, 2007 2:58 PM
Delete
apathysux said...

Very cool picture. You find some of the coolest artwork, coyote!

As an artist of various mediums, including tattoos BTW, I especially like this type of painting with the various figures hidden within the big picture. Alot like life :-)

apathysux

March 14, 2007 3:44 PM
Delete
bear said...

Yeah, a lot like life indeed Apathysux.

It's interesting to hear comments about art. Everyone has such unique and yet at times common takes on the same peice. I have worked in clay to pour forms in bronze and it is always of animals. Often it is the animals that are struggling to survive in the harsh realities of today...ie grizzly bears, wolves and so on… I have often wondered how or if my art would change if it was a perfect world for all. Would I have enough "anx" (sp) or passion to work intensely on each one of my pieces? Would my heart come through if I tried?? Or would I be too comfortable…hummm

I love coastal art intensely, and many FN's art styles, so I absolutely love many different styles of art, but I do stay true to my path...

Tat's are beautiful Apathysux... Over the years I have appreciated them more and more. Such personal art... I haven't got any on me, but this primal art continues to fascinate me. Cool art.

This picture is provocative. Many personalities and emotions put down with an interesting use of light...

Anyhow, ranting on... Thanks for the time 'Yote Kootcoots and friends :-)

Peace all,

Bear

March 14, 2007 7:24 PM
Delete
kootcoot said...

Hey there bear, I think you mean "angst." Not trying to be a know it all, just so you can get it right the next time, it is a meaningful word.

March 14, 2007 7:52 PM
Delete
Coyote said...

My arms are covered with tattoos, apathysux. Mind you, they are now old and faded like myself, and not nearly as good, I think, as some of the work being done today, but I never regretted it. In my day, not many folks had them.

But being a sailor at the time, it was practically mandatory. :-)

If I had the bucks, I'd try and get some of these ones I have cleaned up and improved upon-, if possible.

Eh, glad you guys found the time to stop in and use this open thread. I like the concept myself.

And the Quixote pic is fantastic, isn't it.

I actually spend quite a bit of time looking for art and pics to add to, what would otherwise be, or could be, the tedium of endless type. I think art helps add interest and colour to the place.

Take care, sisters and brothers. :-)

I also like having koot out there, making little improvements to the site.

March 14, 2007 8:36 PM
Delete
The Sentinel said...

"But being a sailor at the time"

Oh, I see. Your a sailor now. Not a soldier in the elusive "Colonial Canadian Armed Forces."

Next week you'll be a fighter pilot, or fireman.

What do you really want to be when you grow up?

March 15, 2007 7:21 AM
Delete
Coyote said...

I agree Koot, weird shit at his site. Classic Aryan garbage collection, as one might expect from this goose stepper. And that fondness for fascist black of the Blackshirt wannabe. Very Mosely, English.

Catch ya's later. :-)

March 15, 2007 8:28 AM
Delete
apathysux said...

Coyote,
Tattoo's can always be touched up and improved upon it if they are faded. the pigments used nowadays are incredible! Some of my best clientele have been over 65 years old. If you ever find yourself in Haida Gwaii....

Bear,
I would love to work in clay again. Awesome medium, to just watch it grow in your hands!
I used to paint in oils and always loved watching the painting morph. I wish I could sketch like that more often, no time to it seems. Mostly I do a lot of custom designs and I get to do alot of Haida & FN artwork, (my husband is part Haida and we have done a bent wood box and a paddle so far, painting a drum next). I am currently drawing a polar bear on a pile of skulls for my hubby's arm, black and gray is my forte'. I am also working on a portrait of my mom to tattoo on my leg. It will be the first time I tattoo a portrait. I can draw them but do not yet have the confidence to recreate them on skin.
I am also learning to airbrush, my husband wants bigger tanks for his Fatboy and wants me to paint them. Wish I could paint and draw full time, unfortunately it doesn't pay the bills, at least not yet. ;-)

apathysux

March 15, 2007 9:41 AM
Delete
apathysux said...

Coyote,
Tattoo's can always be touched up and improved upon it if they are faded. the pigments used nowadays are incredible! Some of my best clientele have been over 65 years old. If you ever find yourself in Haida Gwaii....

Bear,
I would love to work in clay again. Awesome medium, to just watch it grow in your hands!
I used to paint in oils and always loved watching the painting morph. I wish I could sketch like that more often, no time to it seems. Mostly I do a lot of custom designs and I get to do alot of Haida & FN artwork, (my husband is part Haida and we have done a bent wood box and a paddle so far, painting a drum next). I am currently drawing a polar bear on a pile of skulls for my hubby's arm, black and gray is my forte'. I am also working on a portrait of my mom to tattoo on my leg. It will be the first time I tattoo a portrait. I can draw them but do not yet have the confidence to recreate them on skin.
I am also learning to airbrush, my husband wants bigger tanks for his Fatboy and wants me to paint them. Wish I could paint and draw full time, unfortunately it doesn't pay the bills, at least not yet. ;-)

apathysux

March 15, 2007 9:41 AM
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This post has been removed by the author. (SentAnal made a boo-boo)

March 15, 2007 9:42 AM
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The Sentinel said...

coyote,

Hey fantasist!

You are responding to thin air!

"koot" didn't say anything. (Apparently and fortunately this asshole isn't
reading Coyote's e-mail)

"And that fondness for fascist black of the Blackshirt"

So any black background is "fascist" now is it?

It must really hurt when you try to think.

You would be probably be happier just imagining a new past military role for yourself- say Napoleon this time.

March 15, 2007 9:44 AM
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apathysux said...

ooops...sorry for the double post :-0

March 15, 2007 9:45 AM
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apathysux said...

hey sentinel...this was a nice open thread where the current discussion is art...so unless you want to join that part of the discussion...fuck-off and take your shit to another thread.

March 15, 2007 9:47 AM
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kootcoot said...

Fuck you too sentinel, you don't know what coyote was responding to, this ain't the only place either of us exist. As usual you are talking through you posterior orifice.

" The Sentinel said...

Fuck yourself anonymous-or is it just really 'coyote' and 'kootcoot' making up space? "

speaking of non-existent people, who is this anonymous that you are referring to or can't you tell the difference between apathysux and anonymous, I know it involves some of the same letters.

You seem like an angry little man with an angry little mind - emphasis on the little, in all respects.

March 15, 2007 10:53 AM
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bear said...

First...Hey Sentinel, again, the topic is "ART". What do you think of when you think of ART Sentinel? Are you drawn to a style, a medium, or a texture in art? If you have nothing to add in this warm and comfortable conversation... Fuck Off Dude!!

Keep up the Good Work kootcoot, and thanks for the spelling correction bud. :-) Peace man.

B.

Apathysux...!

Cool on the art choice, and understandable given your hubby is part FN’s. I love Haida, and other coastal art. It makes me feel good. The paddle and the drum sound’s amazing... If I was to tat-up, I would consider asking permission to use coastal art for sure.

A Fat Boy eh...awesome. My hubby has what started as a 88b softail, and now is a fire-breathing 116inches of unreliablity :-D Lol. Cool bike though. I am getting a new sportster N 2007, blacked out edition. Ride On...!! Painted tanks an absolute consideration for both of us. Anywhooooo, lots of fun, and summers coming. :-)

Yeah apathysux, three dimensional is a what I do best, but I do understand and enjoy drawing. Clay, is very grounding for me though, and as you said, a great medium indeed. I think the same heart can do either...flat work or 3-dimensional. In fact I think if we lost our hands we would likely use our feet :-) … never know.

Peace to you apathysux,

Bear

March 15, 2007 1:32 PM
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Coyote said...

Sorry for the glitch, Bear. Blogger must have read my mind, re the troll nutbar here, and up and enabled the "Moderating" function. Which meant I had to approve all posts. :-)

Beauty, the surge of power it gave me, at least insofar as one could control these troll wreckers. Unfortunately, it also creates other problems with you "good folks" as well. :-)

Still, there is more than one way to skin a cat-, or a troll. B-D lol

March 15, 2007 2:57 PM
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bear said...

"Yote,

Understandable given... Thanks my friend, I appreciate all your efforts very much :-)

Yeah...skin a troll 'Yote, a troll... :-)

Cheers,

Bear

March 15, 2007 3:13 PM
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Larry Gambone said...

Apathysux, what's it like running a Harley on Haida Gwaii? I have never been there but it seems like there wouldn't be a hell of a lot of traffic and you could really have the place to yourself - a bikers dream! Course it rains alot though...

March 15, 2007 3:28 PM
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March 15, 2007 3:31 PM
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March 15, 2007 3:36 PM
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Coyote said...

Folks may want to check out the somewhat changed definition of the parameters for this blog, at the top in the main banner. (You gotta do what you gotta do)

Nothing is ever absolute.

:-) Love 'n peace, brothers and sisters.

March 15, 2007 5:25 PM
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Coyote said...

Though it is great to see the interest in this open thread idea. I've always liked the concept, going back, as I've said before, to one of my favourite US blogs, from whence I've stolen the concept, even if it is a little too Democratic Party beholden in its underlying prejudice, Daily KOS.

Ehhh, we all have our underlying "prejudices", or predilections.

March 15, 2007 5:35 PM
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apathysux said...

Sentinel...Actually using MY moniker makes you a troll in my opinion. Also ,hijacking a thread about ART by being an asshole also makes you a troll.

Bear, The new sportster models are nice. Have some great options. Not such a girls bike anymore. I just got a 2003 Hugger with the 1200 kit and all the modifications that I would ask for, except I, too, would like a bigger tank.

So true, I work alot with my hands but not so much with sculpture. Something I would love to aspire to tho. Always wanted a pottery wheel and a kiln. I have been getting into beading, and enjoy creating with leather. I've been working on medicine bags and moccasins. Did some designs in leather for my husband's regalia for his clan's potlatch. I'm part Cree so I am using some of those traditional artforms such as beading to transfer over into the coastal art. Experimenting.

Larry...The weather here hasn't cooperated much but when it does the ride here can be pretty awesome. We're a little short on highway, only about 190 kms all together but they are some very nice kms with a great range of curves and a nice long straight stretch to reallly stretch your legs. For some real riding we try to get off island once a year. Last year we rode to Stewart...beautiful! This year it is to Watson Lake and circle through FSJ and Hudson Hope. Nothing like checking out BC's beauty on a bike.

apathysux

March 16, 2007 7:01 AM
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apathy_sux said...

Now my moniker is no longer 'anonymous'.

March 16, 2007 7:21 AM
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apathy_sux said...

Bear...BTW...blacked out is my fav.

Eventually I want to black wrap my exhaust, either that or black ceramic with chrome covers. Maybe consider some black powdercoating if I ever have to rebuild the engine. Love the minimalist look when it comes to bikes, Russel Mitchel style.

apathysux

March 16, 2007 9:15 AM
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March 16, 2007 9:45 AM
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apathy_sux said...

Oepn thread or not, we were having a pleasant discussion about art before you rudely interrupted.

"Actually it is; and so is 'bear's: It doesn't link to a profile, but more importantly a blog."

And so does yours...point???
My point is now you can no longer sign in as me. Regardless as to whether or not you or anyone else knows my true identity or anyone else's for that matter,you can NO longer fuck with my blogger identity.

apathysux

March 16, 2007 10:33 AM
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March 16, 2007 12:10 PM
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March 16, 2007 12:13 PM
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kootcoot said...

Apathy_sux, do you mean from Tlell to Port Clements when you mention the long straight stretch? I used to live up there in the 70's and know some folks that are still there.

I haven't been back for decades, but I did drink from St. Mary's spring, so can't die until I get back there. Maybe that's why I'm delaying it. I almost went up with the Walkers in the early nineties, but had another vacation that I was already in the middle of doing.

The Sentinel is a lot like crotch itch don't you think? He's about as useful as crotch itch also, except maybe less.

March 16, 2007 1:14 PM
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March 16, 2007 1:26 PM
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apathy_sux said...

done proving your point asshole?
good for you now you have blogger account with my moniker. (He doesn't)

Like it is difficult for those who read this blog to tell the difference between the real apathysux and you. No matter what name is used personality speaks loud and clear.

Whatever...you are such a waste of my time.

Anyway...kootcoot...yep that's the staight stretch I meant. It's a little warpy...but you can really test your legs. I haven't drank from St. Mary's spring but I do intend to die here ;-)

me....apathysux

March 16, 2007 1:39 PM
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bear said...

Sentinel said: "Anonymous in blogging terms doesn’t mean giving out real credentials but being authentically bound to some online identity. Empty monikers are a popular trick to propagate otherwise empty comment boxes and especially to lend an air of unity and moral backing when used to attack other commentators in a pseudo-third party fashion..."blah-blah-blah...

Con-fusing :-\

Anyhooo, apathysux, thanks for the posts and I like blacked out for the simplicity, and lack of upkeep. I would think it would be good for high precipitation or coastal (salt) areas too eh? Although my hub's bike is black with a powder coated front-end also in black, he still shines, shines, shines any chrome that is left :-D . EXILE is beautiful, and my hubs fav... And oh, he likes bigger tanks too :-) On his bike is a 7 gallon stretched fat-bob tanks mostly 'cause we likes to go on long rides. Haida Gwaii would be a wonderful ride as we love the rainforest and all it smells of life... Rainforests---"tis where we will hang our hat one day for sure...

A pottery wheel and a kiln absolutely...so functional too apathysux. I think of doing sculpture in clay and firing it as a one off piece, but to do my own dishes would be wonderful... A kiln is on my wish list one day.

Interesting as I too am part Cree, and love the arts that you mentioned... I have a medicine bag done by Mary Williams of the Xeni Gwetin'people near Williams Lake. I love the combination you have approached bringing together the two forms of art from the two FN's groups. Beautiful concept apathysux. By the way, what does the polar bear and the skulls tattoo signify if it is not too personal?

Nice visiting… Peace and love,

Bear

March 16, 2007 1:54 PM
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apathy_sux said...

Bear...wish it was that deep...My hubby just likes it and the picture I found to use will be beautiful in black and gray. Actually the plan is a sleeve of animals au-naturalle, except the skulls of course, and all haida style animals, totem poles, etc. on the other arm. We have thrown a dragon in there too somewhere. The skulls are just our dark side coming to the surface, our eternal fascination with death...or something like that ;-)

It would be awesome to see you here one day...this is an absolutely beautiful place to live.
Self sufficiency can definitely be accomplished here.

me...apathysux

March 16, 2007 2:35 PM
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March 16, 2007 3:27 PM
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March 16, 2007 3:34 PM
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bear said...

Hey apathysux...with this Sic MF Blog Troll, this is going to get weird. Right on about the sleeve tat's for your hubby, they will be a wonderful peice of living art apathysux.

Talk soon sister, Peace :-)

Me...Bear

Coyote,

No problem 'Yote, I am sure you'll get it straightened out bud. Thanks for all...

----------------------------------

Below, not me....

(bear said...
Now I am really confused. Who are you?

WHO AM I????????)
----------------------------------

March 16, 2007 4:15 PM
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March 16, 2007 4:47 PM
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March 16, 2007 4:49 PM
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kootcoot said...

Hey Sentinel, do you cross dress in meat space too, or do you just impersonate women online?

March 16, 2007 5:36 PM
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The Sentinel said...

It couldn't possibly be me.

I was emphatically told "you can NO longer fuck with my blogger identity" and someone with that much profanity and conviction couldn't be wrong, could they?

Besides, it is you or the other one (or both) inventing these "commenters" isn't it?

Go on, be honest for once.

Is meat space all you have in your vocabulary?

Is it because you like meat in your space, you dirty old slag?

March 17, 2007 5:47 AM
Delete

2007-03-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Child labour in early capitalism - USA

TILMA: The Neocon Agenda
Completing the Destruction of The Post-WW2 Socialized Capitalist State
by Coyote

There is no real mystery or rocket science here, to the agenda that underlies the recently signed TILMA Agreement between British Columbia and Alberta, or what the intentions are of the two neo-conservative administrations of these two western provinces, one nominally “Liberal” and the other overtly “Conservative”. The hope additionally being expressed by the parties that it will soon include Saskatchewan and spread westward across the entire country. Indeed, “Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has already discussed bringing TILMA to his province with B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, while groups such as the Canada West Foundation are pressing Saskatchewan and Manitoba to join the agreement.” ( Source from an article by Wayne Peppard, in a special written for the Globe and Mail.).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070314.wcomment0314/
BNStory/National/home

All that it is really necessary to know and understand are the basics of the deal, and the essential political/ideological characters of the parties to the agreement, if one does not already.

“TILMA is the BC/Alberta Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement. This agreement, which goes far beyond existing trade agreements, was signed by British Columbia and Alberta in April, 2006, after zero consultation with the general public. Although few people realize it even exists, it will come into effect in April, 2007. “

But according to Ellen Gould a consultant who has advised various local governments, consumer groups and other organizations on the potential impacts of trade agreements, TILMA’s purpose, in the spirit and intent of NAFTA and the NAU at the level of bi-lateral relations internationally, between Canada and the US, is really much more far reaching and sinister in its implications for the economy, the Canadian and provincial state apparatus, and the hereto relatively more benign dominant ideology which has underpinned Western World Capitalism since the end of WW 2: being the ideological notion of a Socialized Capitalism. This notion hereto even, having enjoyed generally wide support amongst the working class and other of its lower class strata, here and in Western Europe.

“TILMA limits government’s ability to govern at both the provincial and local levels. The agreement is essentially a long list of things governments will be prohibited from doing, regardless of whether they are acting completely within their jurisdiction. Even if a majority of citizens in a province are demanding a new government initiative, the government will be blocked from acting if the initiative would conflict with TILMA. TILMA enables private investors to challenge governments, allowing commercial interests to trump the public good.”

Hmmm. Beginning to sound familiar of the neoconservative capitalism period and the times as we have all come to know it since the late 1970s?

Ellen Gould argues that Canada’s most ideologically right-wing provincial governments have, in fact, joined forces in an agreement that erodes their own powers- ,and now they are trying to sell other provinces on the deal. Ellen Gould argues that the rest of Canada would be well-advised to reject the deal as an attack on their very right to govern.

So why would right wing governments erode their own powers and ability to govern, you might well ask?

Most succinctly put, leave it to private enterprise. Particularly global/continental corporate enterprise of course.

Despite the bullshit Western Canada boosterism being used to sell the agreement to an unsuspecting public. its real intent is to complete the destruction of the old Socialized Capitalism State that arose out of the working of even then class limited democracy, in Post-WW2 western capitalist societies-, and to replace it with a new kind of gangster/fascist state model, isolated and “protected” from the influence of the people and their organizations, and beholden only to corporatist interests and imperatives. (Which is really not a “new” model at all, of course, but a return in fact to a much older model of Dickensian Era capitalism such as existed during and before the Victorian period .)

On a recent CBC news programme I listened to within the last couple of days, for example, getting public reaction around the most recent Harper Conservative government’s budget, one especially neocon representative, whose name and organization I cannot recall at the moment, was really pissed at even the few crumbs it tossed to the public, in order as he rightly claimed, “…to buy the next election.”

What he and his conservative businessmen’s group were advocating for was, the making it illegal for any government, six months in advance of an election (during a period when, especially in the case of a minority government, “the people’s” influence is at its highest, with the best opportunity to wring concessions out of a majority seeking government) to bring in any new social legislation or spending programmes. The intent being to further staunch the people’s influence and benefit during a period of capitalist state vulnerability, within even the current limited democracy potential anyway, and prevent it making concession to the ordinary citizenry.
TILMA is fundamentally that kind of legislation. It is to tie the hands of the Capitalist State and its functioning, to limit its scope for serving “the peoples” interest, and to put much of the decision making and ability to function for the good of “all society”, such as had previously existed in the now passing Socialized State model, into the hands of the new corporate “private enterprise” sacred cow.

Again as consultant Ellen Gould said in a recent article:

“A study done for the BC government in the late 1990s pointed out that trade barriers among the provinces are actually very low, meaning that, contrary to the recent claims of Hansen and Mar, “efforts to liberalize inter-provincial trade will have almost no effect on inter-provincial trade flows.” Any projections of TILMA-related economic growth are, consequently, iffy at best. The agreement is certain, on the other hand, to result in deregulation, private sector challenges to government programs and policies, and the termination of economic development initiatives.

Far from being a recipe for prosperity or a stronger Canadian union, this agreement in fact represents a major step towards deep integration with the US—the process of harmonizing Canadian and US policies and regulations.”

The full reality is that TILMA is an extension of the NAFTA and North American Union process already well underway in this country. Indeed, TILMA is in fact more dangerous than NAFTA in its threat to, at least, even nominally democratically controlled capitalist governments.

“Already, NAFTA suits launched by private investors have meant that Canada has had to pay millions of dollars in compensation because it refused to export PCBs (which would have been a violation of its international environmental commitments). And the Canadian government is now in danger of losing a NAFTA challenge to Canada Post launched by UPS, the American parcel delivery firm. Less obvious is the damage done by the “chill effect” from the threat of investor lawsuits under NAFTA, such as when the federal government backed away from requiring plain-paper packaging of cigarettes or when Ontario and New Brunswick were dissuaded from introducing public auto insurance.

TILMA, however, goes even further than NAFTA in creating legal jeopardy for governments. The grounds that private investors can sue over are limited in NAFTA to clauses in Chapter 11 (investment) and Chapter 15 (state enterprises). In contrast, a private investor can take a government to a TILMA dispute panel over “any matter regarding the interpretation or application of this Agreement” (emphasis added). “

TILMA is but one more extremely dangerous step in the process begun with NAFTA in the “harmonizing” of the regulation and legal regime of this country with that of the US Empire. Indeed, as we have seen it is more really a further “deregulation” step, designed to facilitate the absorption and burying of this country into the US initiated greater North American Union.

TILMA is but one more nail in the coffin of the notion of an independent and self-sufficient Canada , possessed of its own sovereign State, and possessed of the powers to serve its own people’s interest, and be subject to their will.

This is, simply put, a traitorous crime being committed against this country and our people, in the name of a goddamn continental, corporatist serving “free enterprise”.

Girl child factory labour in early capitalist USA

More

2007-03-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

The Raid - A Novel. By Ken Merkley

Anyone walking past Trafford Publishing in Victoria could drop in, pay $30., and have them print up a copy of Ken Merkley's book, The Raid - A Novel.

I was so eager to see the book, I paid the extra $15 to have it Priority Posted to me. After all, the cover shows the famous photo of the police carrying file boxes out of the B.C. Legislature on 28 December 2003. The cover also says "RCMP Corporal Tim Murphy uncovers inter-connected criminal activities leading him to a shocking secret with major implications for the Province of British Columbia and all of Canada." The back cover talks about a major federal political party which may have used the proceeds from drug sales to pay membership fees for thousands of new party recruits. With tragic ramifications for B.C. and Canada. Doesn't this sound like a book about The Legislature Raids?

Well, it isn't.

Not until the reader gets to Page 377, with only 2 more pages to go, does it become perfectly clear that those of us who search for the significance of the Legislature raids ... have been sucker-punched. Forget minor annoyances such as crossing "Georgia Straight" or hearing from "legal council". Forget where Tim chats up Tomm. Let's just go to where the hero (Tim, not Tomm) meets a political analyst who explains corruption, p.377. This is the nub of the story. Tim, our hero, has just arrested Mr Big and is being asked if he thought Mr Big would have got away with his evil schemes, if Tim hadn't caught him.

The analyst (Tim explains) says yes, with the political climate in B.C. "at a stage where it is feasible for someone like [Mr Big] to succeed ... where the stage has been set by many years of corrupt business-oriented governments being in power in the province and across the country. Especially in B.C., their policies have made the electorate truly cynical, apathetic, defeatist. When you combine that with a monopolistic media that supports their agenda, the voters feel that they can do nothing to change the situation and are truly open to manipulation."

RCMP Corporal Tim Murphy (believe it or not) continues: The political analyst "said you have to look at the effects of privatization and globalization ... wages and benefits have been driven down ... businesses increasingly manufacture their products offshore. Then they put in place laws that remove the right to strike for most public sector workers, destroyed the public health care system, and cut back on pensions and workers' compensation benefits. This created an atmosphere of fear amongst the working class.

"Naturally" continues our mythical hero, "you would expect them to turn to pro-labour parties to form an alternative government, but the media has hammered away at the dastardly consequences should they ever again obtain power ...

"Next you add corruption. Voters witness greedy governments and businesses working together to reward each others' friends." Legislating huge salary increases for themselves, switching parties, with punishment for blatant infractions going only to minor players or whistle-blowers. "This, in turn, causes the public to determine it is fine to take advantage of the system ... in fact, this political analyst thinks the political climate is now such that a majority of the electorate believes it is permissible to accept money for casting their votes and it's especially okay to be paid for voting for a particular party.

Not everybody feels this way, says Tim. "But enough do, that the same governments continue to be re-elected no matter how greedy and corrupt they are." [Which sounds like the story-outline for a really good book! - BC Mary]

So Tim has captured Mr Big, "the first to take advantage of this business-dominated political climate to attempt to obtain total control of the government anywhere in Canada. And if we don't learn quickly from this lesson, he won't be the last."

But Corporal Tim, his friend asks, "You say it is the first, but wasn't there a similar episode a few years ago that started out the same with a raid on the legislature?

"Yes ... some of the circumstances were the same, including the police pinpointing a couple of cabinet ministers' aides who were accused of taking advantage of their positions to better themselves economically. But it turned out they were just a couple of two-bit players who may have been trying to benefit from the provincial sell-off of a Crown corporation by feeding insider information to one of the bidders. I don't even remember what, if anything, they were charged with, but it pales in significance to this operation."

"So," says Tim's friend, "you wouldn't put Mr Big's scheme in the same category?"

"No," says the Corporal (soon to be Sergeant) Tim. [Now pay attention, folks, here's the big clue about this book ...] "Over the last 10 years matters have become a good deal worse than they were then. People are willing to play for keeps and be very brutal to get what they want when the rewards for success are so much more meaningful. After all, this is 2013."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ken Merkley is a retired senior military officer living near Victoria, B.C.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Posted By BC Mary to The Legislature Raids
The Legislature Raids

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2007-03-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Technorati Link Post

Technorati Profile

2007-03-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Gordo getting ready to sail off, pillage, rob and
rape his way acoss B.C.

Neocon-Liberal Piracy of The People's Treasure...
BC Hydro, Our Creeks and Rivers

Below is an article sent to me by a reader of Freedom of Speech.ca, from a published source unknown to him or us. It is of an issue we have dealt with here many times of recent, and of sufficient interest that I am going to print it anyway. Should the author come across this article, contact me at jerry_coyote@yahoo.ca

, and if he or she disapproves, I will certainly withdraw it. Otherwise I will put up such additional credits and links as this author might wish.

by Austin Boyd

A select few industrialists and their politician friends are withholding vital information about BC Hydro that could destroy the Crown corporation and send power prices soaring. Billions of dollars worth of electric power contracts are being negotiated in secret and supporting legislation passed through orders in council, with no public debate.

Premier Gordon Campbell is not allowing the public, or even municipal governments which most closely represent the public, to have input on any private hydroelectric developments, following passage of Bill 30. As a result, various stakeholder and citizen groups are now organizing their own meetings to examine the facts.

On March 22, World Water Day, we need to talk about dividing resources among the populations of Earth as corporations increasingly “buy” public water assets. Canadians are no different from the people of Congo or Bolivia. To believe we are immune to water thefts will cost us dearly. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney started it when he agreed to a NAFTA provision which included water as a commodity, after promising Canadians he would never sign away our water.

If readers take nothing else from this article, they should be aware of this: The people of BC have been receiving 100 percent of the benefits from BC Hydro because of a system put in place in the 1950s. Now we will get only three percent because of private power purchase agreements. BC Hydro is being loaded with enormous debt, enough to eventually bankrupt it as future income from hydroelectricity is being diverted into private contracts.

The BC energy plan was imposed on us without debate and utility rates will never stop rising because of it. The Ashlu River power licence, for instance, was sold to Ledcor for $10,000. The public overwhelmingly rejected Ledcor’s zoning application to the regional district. The BC government signed a power purchase agreement between Ledcor and BC Hydro that guarantees that the people of BC will buy power from the licensee at inflated prices for 40 years. After that the licence holder can sell BC power for whatever the market will bare anywhere in North America.

Water licences come with ownership of adjacent lands plus the dams, turbines, tunnels and other facilities will belong to the company in perpetuity. If the Ashlu River project gets connected to the grid, it will initially generate at least $50 million per year in income to the private owners.

Whether or not you know about TILMA, SPP, NAFTA, WTO or the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, BC is very close to an energy catastrophe. Hundreds of rivers are at risk and we will never get back to an efficient, functional BC Hydro if we don’t act now.

The BC Utilities Commission found that the premier’s offer of $203 million per year in perpetuity to Alcan for power was not in the public interest. The profit was 1,320 percent and there was an extra gift of $100 million as a signing bonus for Alcan.

Currently, there are private purchase orders with BC Hydro worth $24 billion, which need public scrutiny. The rule of law makes us different from other places in the world. It is time to invoke the rule of law. A fully transparent inquiry is necessary to avert what has the potential to become BC’s crime of the century. In the simplest of terms the people of British Columbia are being defrauded of their energy sources and their water.

All across the province, work crews are assembling for an assault on more than 500 wilderness rivers and the premier is still trying to give Alcan the Nechako River. When Campbell announces his next move soon, he will say the Natives are supportive of the government. A public inquiry would allow time for the truth to come out, which is that the indigenous people of BC are not nearly as supportive of these private hydro deals as the government would have us believe.

Replica of Actual Flag of Blackbeard

Time for Citizen Concern
About the Betrayal of
The Province and The Country to US Corporate Interests

Resources:

www.worldwaterday.org
www.ourrivers.ca
www.hydrofactsbc.ca
www.publicpowerbc.ca
www.canadians.org
www.citizensforpublicpower.ca

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2007-03-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Another

Soap Box
Open Thread.....

"Gord and His Scribe" by Bruno The Hairdresser

A blank piece of paper for you kiddies to scribble on, while Daddy is away tending to what has to be done today. Entertain yourselves and behave.

Be nice to each other, and don't worry about trolls or bogey men. Daddy has checked under the bed and in the closet, and vanquished all Evil. :-)

More

2007-03-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

NOT JUST CUTE, CUDDLY
NATIONAL COPS!!

What's wrong with this picture?

RCMP
The National Police Force Gone Bad

Something leaps out at you.
by Robin Matthews

RCMP team leader in December, 2003, "of the investigation into whether any fraud or breach of trust offences were committed in relation to [the sale of ] B.C. Rail" was Sergeant Debruyckere "brother-in-law of then-Executive Director of the B.C. Liberal Party, Kelly ReichertŠ. [who was] on the Provincial Liberal Party Election Campaign Team with [Finance] minister [Gary] Collins and acted as the Campaign DirectorŠ." (pp. 6-7)

In 2004 a leak of information was recorded regarding "star" crown witness against Basi and Virk, Eric Bornmann. "Specifically, the leaked information pertained to Mr. Richert knowing that Mr. Bornmann had been granted immunity from prosecution in exchange forŠinformation against Messrs. Basi and Virk." (p. 7)

This, and more, is in the Application for Disclosure of February 26, 2007, filed in the Supreme Court of B.C. by the Defence in the Basi, Basi, Virk matter of the legislature search warrant "raids" on Dec. 28, 2003 which seem - more and more - to be the tail that is wagging the dog in the dirty (perhaps criminal) sale of B.C. Rail by the Gordon Campbell government.

The implications of Liberal/RCMP connections to the legitimacy of the sale, to the role of Gordon Campbell and leading cabinet ministers, and to the focus on the three men charged may well turn out to be enormous. Ominously, the Application for Disclosure (item 62, p. 8) reports that finance minister Gary Collins may have been guilty of telling Dave Basi to inform U.S. OmniTRAX - a supposed bidder for B.C. Rail - that a "consolation prize" would be awarded if they would fake continued interest. Collins then met with OmniTRAX "Executives privately at Villa Del Luppo Restaurant" on December 12, 2003. Nonetheless, "the RCMP elected not to conduct further investigation of Minister Collins".

Before the search warrant "raids" on the legislature on December 28, "RCMP", according to the Application for Disclosure "were focused on developing a major communication and public relations strategy to be executed following the search of the Legislature". That, says the Application, involved "a massive media campaign, talk of the "cancer of organized crime", and an RCMP "media release and televised briefing on December 29 [which] drew a clear connection between Mr. Basi, Mr. Virk and organized crime." (item 59, p. 8)

We have to keep in mind that the Application for Disclosure comes from Defence which wishes to bring forward material demonstrating their clients are not guilty of crimes. The presentation to the court, however, pointing to evidence that is apparently solid must be taken seriously, for it is not in the interest of Defence counsel or of their clients to be frivolous or to appear to be misleading the court.

Perhaps to understand fully what a "major communication and public relations strategy" for the RCMP might entail we should look at a little history and experience.

What follows is information that suggests the RCMP has had highly questionable relations with the Liberal forces of Gordon Campbell, that the relations go a long way back, and that they appear to suggest the RCMP has gone bad and needs total national reconstruction from the top down. A point that has to be born in mind, of key importance, is that there is no effective RCMP oversight body in Canada. None. (The reasons for that go back to the McDonald Report in the 1980s).

The system which involves the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (the ONLY review organization) is patently ridiculous, an obvious, expensive game of smoke and mirrors. The Commission - let us say - agrees an investigation should be made. The RCMP investigates itself. The Commission may interpret the investigation. The result goes to the top levels of the RCMP for consideration. RCMP has no obligation to do anything, to mete out penalty, to censure officers, anything. It usually writes a little note back to the Commission ( saying "get lost" in one way or another).

My own complaint concerned the RCMP investigation of Glen Clark, BC premier, charged with having accepted "favours" for influence. The RCMP alleged they had begun the investigation I asked for - the RCMP investigating the RCMP. I received a letter from an RCMP officer a few months after my complaint saying they had 28 or 29 volumes of "evidentiary material" and they were terminating the investigation. Period. I wrote in protest and heard absolutely nothing.

More than three years after I had lodged the complaint - having received not a single word for years - I received a telephone call from the second-in-command at the Commission saying they had completed their investigation and I would be receiving the report after it had been sent to the top level of the RCMP and had been finalized. It arrived with the conclusion that two experienced RCMP officers had WRONGFULLY terminated the investigation. The Commission recommended better training of officers to prevent such things happening, with which the RCMP top brass had no quarrel. And the Commission stated it would leave to the discretion of the RCMP whether they would re-open the investigation or not. The RCMP chose not to do so. For all intents and purposes there was no investigation whatever. The result is that I may fairly retain my conviction that the British Columbia RCMP worked with the Gordon Campbell forces to fake a case that could be fought against Glen Clark with the intention of destroying his political career.

The Glen Clark case arose out of the politics of the time - Liberals under Gordon Campbell, in fact, fighting to break the hold of the NDP on B.C. (More of that to come.)
A totally non-political complaint receiving the same kind of insane treatment as mine involved an ordinary citizen in the Kelowna area who believed he had very important information about the (still unsolved) Mindy Tran murder case. The RCMP refused to take his testimony, coerced him, and much more. The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP took years to do nothing whatever about his case. Find out about all that at <www.transfixed.net> or at <www.mindytran.com>

I cite the two widely different cases to show that the Commission for Public Complaints is not a genuine oversight body. Whatever it thinks it does, in fact it provides a cover for RCMP wrong-doing because it gives the public the impression that RCMP illegalities and other kinds of misbehaviour are dealt with - and they are not. As a result, the RCMP can work - legally and illegally - for political forces of its choice and face no penalty or serious review.

In B.C. - to trace a single, revealing line - we may ask if the RCMP has not only obstructed the court proceedings in regard to the Basi, Basi, Virk charges, but has it been working for Gordon Campbell Liberal interests over more than a decade? And has it been perfecting "major communications and public relations" strategies that involve what has come to be called (using RCMP phrasing) "smear and disinformation" tactics?

In the mid-nineties (with Ujjal Dosanjh in the Attorney General position), an almost insane "war" was conducted against Native people and non-Native supporters (about 30) at Gustafsen Lake. (read From Attica to Gastafsen Lake, by Splitting the Sky and Sandra Bruderer, self-published, 2001). The incident involved the RCMP, the Canadian Armed forces, and, it is alleged, wildly illegal activities on the part of "the forces of order". Of particular interest was one RCMP officer who had a significant place in the set of events.

His name is Sergeant Peter Montague. At one point he convinced CBC radio to give special emergency time to broadcast into the Gustafsen Lake community because, apparently, of an impending crisis involving threat to human life. Professor Anthony Hall, a Native Studies expert, and another researcher, concluded the supposed basis for impending crisis argued by Montague was, almost without question, a fabrication.

RCMP Media Relations officer, Montague was a very busy man throughout the operation. At one point in the set of events he was caught on an RCMP videotape - parts of which are missing - saying with a smile "Smear campaigns are our [the RCMP's] specialty" (p. 435, >From Attica to Gustafsen Lake). His words were echoed by Sergeant Dennis Ryan who admitted in court to his statement caught also on videotape that plans were to employ "smear and disinformation". Ryan admitted in court, also, that the RCMP "illegally used juvenile criminal records of some of the militants they believed to be in the camp" with the purpose of discrediting. (p. 435, From Attica to Gustafsen Lake)

At one level the Gustafsen Lake "standoff" was a huge experimental chamber for "smear and disinformation" tactics, RCMP/media collaboration, government complicity, and try-outs of illegal activity to further policy ends. I have barely touched on the astonishing story.

Ujjal Dosanjh made his way to the premiership after (as Attorney General) he had publicly reported the criminal investigation of Glen Clark who, then, resigned in the appropriate fashion. What ensued I call "the fraudulent investigation and trial of Glen Clark, premier of B.C." Dosanjh's New Democrats lost the election to Gordon Campbell (as I saw it, almost as if that was what Dosanjh wanted). Probably for the first time in Commonwealth history, a premier (Dosanjh) announced nearly a week before the election that he expected to lose it. In a short time Dosanjh was working for the Liberal Party. He became a part of Paul Martin's B.C. "dream team" and went to Ottawa to become a federal Liberal cabinet minister.

Peter Montague's transformation is equally interesting. He was twice wooed by Gordon Campbell, it is reported, to run for the B.C. Liberal Party, but refused. After Gustafsen Lake, however, he joined the branch of the B.C. RCMP that conducted the "investigation" of Glen Clark, becoming "the chief investigator in the Clark corruption case" (Globe and Mail, Oct 30 02). He was a part of the strange search warrant "raid" on Glen Clark's East Vancouver home that was marked by the presence of BCTV, filming what became in the minds of many people part of a smear campaign, part of - you might say, to quote from the February 26, 2007 Defence Application for Disclosure in the Supreme Court of B.C. - "a massive media campaignŠ." Glen Clark (in 2002) described the BCTV event as "a carefully orchestrated strategy to maximize media exposure".

Clark's comment was made in the context of a special retirement luncheon for Peter Montague held by journalists on October 29, 2002. Robert Matas, in his Globe and Mail story the next day, wrote "The Vancouver television crew that filmed former premier Glen Clark in his kitchen during a controversial police raid gave a retirement gift yesterday to the chief investigator in the Clark corruption case.

Gary Hanney, a cameraman with BCTV, made the presentationŠ. Senior BCTV reporter, John Daly, who was at Mr. Clark's house during the police raid on March 2, 1999, was also at the luncheon.

Both Mr. Daly and Mr. Hanney refused to explain why they presented a token gift to Staff Sergeant Montague."

Calls have been made in both cases - the Gustafsen Lake "stand-off" and the Glen Clark investigation and trial - for full-scale public inquiries. They have not been forthcoming. As a result, the RCMP feels more and more at ease in its behaviour and practice. On April 10, 2004, the Vancouver Sun reported "RCMP Commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli and members of Canada's diplomatic corps win honours as big spenders of expense accounts for cabinet ministers and top civil servants". (p. A9) Fallen into disgrace over his conduct involving the RCMP and Maher Arar three years later, Zaccardelli seems to have continued his grand "lifestyle". The Globe and Mail reported in March, 2007 that the "RCMP paid a communications consultant almost $25,000 to help Guiliano Zaccardelli prepare for parliamentary hearings that ultimately led to the former commissioner's resignation." What would he have said if he hadn't the benefit of $25,000 worth of help?

We should not forget that at RCMP headquarters the very large pension trouble and misuse of money commented upon by the auditor general involved misuse of expense accounts, "rampant" nepotism in human resources, miss-sourcing of contracts for $2 million, misuse of consultants, and a case in which "an officer was promoted after working on his superior's house". (Vanc. Sun, Sept 23 07 A4). Notice that no discipline or penalty was meted out to any of the people involved. But innocent Glen Clark, we remember, was charged, investigated for months and months in full public spotlight, tried for 136 days, and ruined for a rumour that he might have thought of giving a favour to someone who worked on his house. Was that whole piece of history the result of a carefully calculated "smear and disinformation" campaign?

Does the RCMP live in a world of double standards? Is it free to commit crimes, certain it will never be penalized? Does it work increasingly for and with - legally and illegally - particular political parties on the Right? The answer to all those questions seems to be: Yes.
Careful Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin did something of a summary of RCMP lows on December 7, 2006, listing many large fiascos - but neither the Gustafsen Lake nor the Glen Clark scandals were among them, perhaps because there are too many RCMP violations of integrity to keep track of. Martin gives room for "honest mistakes". Then he adds: "But too many of the RCMP's recent activities haven't had the look of honest mistakes" (A19). Will the "B.C. legislature raids" be added to the list of large, shady (perhaps criminal) undertakings by the RCMP?

Replacement (temporary?) for the disgraced Guiliano Zaccardelli is former top B.C. RCMP officer Beverley Busson. She was a senior officer and then top officer during many of the events described here. She was top officer when a brother-in-law of a leading B.C. Liberal was "the team leader of the investigation into whether any fraud or breach of trust offences [especially, of course, among Liberals] were committed in relation to B.C. Rail". (item 49, p. 6) She was top officer during the time when - some have alleged - there has been an appearance of a concentration upon the charges against Basi, Basi, and Virk and a parallel RCMP neglect, perhaps, of investigation and (maybe) charges against senior legislature and non-legislature Liberals. She was top officer when Defence was arguing that the RCMP was not cooperating and, perhaps, was blocking evidence necessary to the conduct of the trial presided over by Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett.

And so we come back to the Supreme Court of B.C. where the Basi, Basi, and Virk trial is imminent, though motions to stay proceedings and/or to call them invalid in the light of Charter violations must still be heard. Bets are still being taken on the likelihood of the trial going ahead. Madam Justice Bennett has said all documents not universally bearing a publication ban will be available to the public. The public's high interest in the case, she declares, must be served. That is reassuring, but it is relatively easy to say.

Much, much more difficult to say is how plain and direct have been the laying of charges and the pursuit of justice in the matter. Could the case against the three men charged have been purposefully fudged (a) to take attention away from the real malefactors? (b) Could it have been purposefully fudged in such a way as to be destroyed by a Charter challenge, declaring violations of the men's fundamental rights in a search for evidence? (c) Could it all be smoke and mirrors prepared by the Gordon Campbell forces and the RCMP working together? And could we all wake up some morning soon to be told the trial has been stayed, no charges exist, and no one will be found guilty of anything? And, in fact, might we be told that the Crown has decided the waters have been so muddied the best thing to do is to turn completely away from the whole matter And Get On With Building British Columbia?

Have the RCMP and the Gordon Campbell Liberals (and the Crown?) worked successfully together in the past to prevent justice from being done, or worse, to engage in acts of injustice (called "crimes")? If so, what is to stop them from being as successful in the present?

Robin Matthews frequently contributes to Vivelecanada
http://www.vivelecanada.ca/

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2007-03-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Liberal Government
and
BC’s loss of competitive power

Jenny Kwan, NDP Economic Development Critic: Published on Global Chinese Press
9.3.2007, Dawa Business Press 10.3.2007 and Ming Pao Daily 12.3.2007

In British Columbia, we have the second lowest electricity prices in North America. Our people, businesses, and industries are able to enjoy this benefit because of the advantageous geographical position of the province, the energy policies of the former government, investment in hydroelectric power and the public hydro service.

However, as a result of the energy policy of the Liberal government, B.C. will lose this important competitive edge of cheap electricity.

Canada is rich in oil resources. However, we pay the highest prices in North America at the gas station. The crucial factor that creates this price gap between electricity and gas is the fact that the price of electricity is determined by the cost of publicly owned electricity generation, while gas prices are determined by the commercial market, which involves very complicated market factors and business interests.

The energy policy of the Liberal government in 2002 prohibited BC Hydro from building new, publicly owned electricity plants the way it did before the Liberals took power. The best locations to develop hydro electricity in the province, found by research-funded by taxpayers’ dollars, were given to private electricity companies. The provincial government then entered into agreements lasting 15-40 years with private electricity companies to buy electricity from them at a price double the expected market price.

In 2006 the average price of electricity in the contracts signed by the provincial government through BC Hydro was $87.50/MWh. Since the price in the contract was indexed, it will increase as the price index rises. So by the year 2051, the price could increase to $124/MWh. In view of the present price we pay, at $63/MWh, and $37/MWh for big volume industrial users, future increases in electricity fees are inevitable. When electricity fees increase, the cost of business and our cost of living will rise.

Because of the investments made in hydro-electrical generation in the 60s and 70s, the cost of electricity production is $5.81/MWh today. If BC Hydro built its new plants by itself, the cost would be $42/MWh. Under the old policy, BC Hydro was able to bring hundreds of millions of dollars per year to the public treasury.

What made the Liberal government so eager to sign electricity contracts with private companies lasting 40 years at such high prices? Why are the best locations for power generation given to private companies?

In order to justify its policy, large sums of money were spent last year by BC Hydro to put up ads to create the false impression of a future “energy crisis.” However, it is difficult for the B.C. Liberal Party to hide the real possibility that it is transferring rewards to its supporters.

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2007-03-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

NOTE

Sorry folks. I note this morning that my "fix" of the moderating option in my settings did not "save" yesterday, and that "moderation" was still on this morning. I have "fixed" it again, and posted the comments that were backed up. We'll see as the day goes on if this holds.

I prostrate myself before your tender mercies. :-)

Coyote
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2007-03-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Is The Sky of Capitalism Falling In?
An Analysis of Recent Stock Market Events
by Coyote

There is not likely anyone out there who, at least known to me, really knows fully what is happening here or its full possible consequences, but clearly the global stock markets and investors in them are suddenly behaving extremely skittish.

Though the warning signs of impending difficulty have been there for awhile. They arise out of especially the highly speculative and super heated economic growth in China, upon which investment and markets growing numbers of US jobs depend, at the same time alongside reports of 10,000… Yes, ten thousand! … major civil unrest events occur annually, and have for a number of years now in China. Largely this civil unrest exists amongst rural, but include urban poor-, those masses of people who are cut out of and disaffected with the new so-called “liberal” capitalism practises of the Communist Party, and the huge differences in class income share between the top and bottom levels of Chinese society. .(Welcome to our world, folks!) At the same time there has also been all the warning signs of a perilous level of consumer (especially mortgaged homeowner) indebtedness and declining real purchasing power within the global engine of the world capitalist economy itself, the United States.

Yet, even major players were caught out, so to speak.

“Mark Headley, portfolio manager of Matthews Pacific Tiger fund, says it's not all about China. "This is more about the vulnerability of the U.S. economy," he says: A 9% decline in an index that was up 44% in 2007 on top of a 110% gain in 2006, was not surprising and, therefore, should not have warranted such a big sell-off here.” (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2007-02-27-wallstreet-daily_x.htm

Which quote I include here merely to demonstrate the shallowness of the analysis of many market players themselves. For clearly more is happening here than even this fellow is capable of understanding. (Stock markets reflect the “perceptions” of the players, as to what is happening in the stock market, and may or may not, more or less accurately reflect reality. The evidence of this is seen time and time again in the bubbles and panics such as frequently occur there.)

“Suddenly, the first major crisis facing the Bernanke Fed arrived without much advance warning - a rash of defaults on sub-prime home loans that if unchecked, can drive the US economy into recession in 2007. Shares of many US sub-prime lenders, such as New Century Financial (NEW.N), and NovaStar Financial (NFI.N), have been brutally hammered in recent weeks, as defaults mount among homeowners with poor credit histories, and where there is smoke, there is fire.
Skyrocketing property values during the US housing boom made it easy for homeowners to borrow heavily against their homes with second mortgages and home-equity loans. But if home prices continue to slide amid a glut of unsold homes and foreclosures, many over-extended homeowners will lose their ATM machines.” (By Gary Dorsch Editor Global Money Trends magazine Mar 1, 2007)

Still, the epicentre of this current collapse, which continues, after showing some early stabilization, started out not in the US, but in China.

“But the stock market plunge did not just affect China. It soon spread to the stock markets of Japan, Europe and the US. They fell by 3-4% in a day, not a huge fall but significant after the huge steady rise that these markets have seen since last summer.

That a hiccup in China should ripple throughout the world's stock markets shows how globalised capitalism, particularly its finance sector, has become. Truly, chaos theory applies in the anarchy of world capitalism: when the Beijing butterfly flaps its wings, the snow falls on New York.” (by Michael Roberts, World Socialist Web Site.)

And there, as old Ed Deake from Tyee might immediately recognize, is the nub of it. While there are a number of interplaying elements in this current problem with the financial markets of world capitalism, which now actually includes China, regardless of what flag flies from this or that pole, and local economic drivers in all countries that can add to bubbles and their popping, and compound either in particular ways, wild speculation in China and collapsing consumer/homeowner capacity in the US, it is the complexity of capitalism that is the underlying source of its fragility and vulnerability. It is precisely that very interdependency within its new “globalized” manifestation, thought to be the source of its strength on the one hand; the flow of cheap goods, cheap labour and money, that also sends crisis and collapse around the world in an instant. And it is what makes it difficult to control and contain in any situation for good or ill.

Clearly, capitalism is going through at least another one of its unsettling and periodic global gyrations, made worse in fact by its own increased and fragile global interdependency network system. But what of its significance for capitalism? Does it signal a major crisis ,or more particularly one that may go on and worsen for a very long time, like say the Great Depression of the 1930s?

Certainly I do not know the answers to this question. It might very well signal, given the return of capitalism to its Industrial Revolution roots of a more pure “market determined” rather than regulated/ managed practise, that we may see a more classic “bust” of old as well. Though I would not hang my hat on that possibility just yet though. (Nor would I totally discount it.)

But what is clear, is that even in its new globalized manifestation, there is still much that is familiar and recognizable within the so-called “new capitalism”, as has always been there; growth and development bubbles followed by bust, all the classic wide share disparities between the wealthy capitalist ruling class and the other lower stratas of capitalism’s class system, again asserting itself as well in the new Neocon "de-regulated" period (within and between all societies), laying environmental waste and poverty, and the ever present danger out of its greed and fear profit driven market workings that it will all suddenly go irretrievably south, at least for a very long time.

This latter possibility with which my parent’s generation was much more intimately and tragically familiar, coming out of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Second Great War as they did, always exists, of course.The greater possibility is though, I really think, that it will finally be brought down by people simply getting irretrievably fully fed up with all of capitalism’s bullshit. Though these periodic economic crises that are a hallmark of capitalism, doubtless serve to hasten that eventuality.

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2007-03-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

A SOAP-BOX OPEN THREAD...

I have a meeting I have to prepare some materials for tonight. Hence, unless I finish early, I will be unable to post new material today. So here is a blank page, Soapbox Open Thread, for those of you who as might wish to scribble your well worn or original thoughts upon-, or simply chat with each other. The subject(s) are entirely up to you.

Have a good day folks. Catch ya's later.

Coyote

2007-03-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an article by a Yakov M Rabkin, a Professor of History at the University of Montreal, sent to me by a reader of Freedom of Speech, such as I just have to put up here and provide some minimum commentary. And I do so largely because Yakov Rabkin and his piece from the Baltimore Sun, March 8, 2007 again demonstrate a point that needs to be made again and again in these times; that the Jewish opinion and attitude toward Zionism in particular, and out of that toward Palestine and the Zionist Israel claim to it, is no less divided, complex and nuanced than opinion outside that secular AND religious Jewish community. (Which puts the lie to the continuing even modern fascist attempt, along with Zionist efforts no less, to create a unified and stereotypical theory of a single global Jewish conspiracy entity on the one hand, or out of the Zionists, that a critique of Israel and Zionism is an attack on all Jews and therefore, anti-Semitic "racism".

Coyote

Mustafa Al Hallaj's "Self-Portrait as God, the Devil, and Man" is part of a Palestinian artwork exhibit inSan Francisco

Gap among Jews widens on question of Zionism
By Yakov M. Rabkin
printed in the Baltimore Sun

A profound division has developed between Zionist advocates of Israel and Jews, secular and religious, who reject or question Zionism and actions taken by the state of Israel.

Public debate about Israel's place in Jewish continuity has become open and candid.

Many Jews try to come to terms with the contradictions between the Judaism they profess to adhere to and the Zionist ideology that has taken hold of them. This coincides with serious concerns expressed across Israel's political and religious spectrum about the future of Israel.

Quite a few Jews now publicly ask whether the chronically besieged ethnic nation-state in the Middle East is "good for the Jews." Many continue to be concerned that militant Zionism destroys Jewish moral values and endangers Jews in Israel and elsewhere. This debate has entered pop culture as well: The recent film Munich by Steven Spielberg sharply focuses on the moral cost of Israel's chronic reliance on force.

The Israel lobby in the United States, aligned with the nationalist right in Israel, viciously attacked the Jewish director and his film even before it was released. It also lashed out at several books published over the past few years - Prophets Outcast, Wrestling With Zion, The Question of Zion, The Myths of Zionism - all authored by Jews who are concerned about the same essential conflict between Zionism and Jewish values.

A few weeks ago, the Israel lobby (through its constituent American Jewish Committee) issued a report alleging that Jews who criticize Israel endanger its "right to exist" and foment anti-Semitism. This provoked a number of prominent Jews in Britain, Canada and the United States to speak out, moving candid debate about Israel into mainstream, even conservative, publications. In January, the eminently pro-establishment Economist published a survey of "the state of the Jews" and an editorial that called on rank-and-file Diaspora Jews to move away from the "my country, right or wrong" attitude adopted by many Jewish organizations.

Making a stand for Jewish emancipation from the state of Israel and its policies has bridged some old divides and created new ones. Thus, an ultra-Orthodox critic of Israel, usually antagonistic to Reform Judaism, commended a Reform rabbi for saying that "when Israel's Jewish supporters abroad don't speak out against disastrous policies that neither guarantee safety for her citizens nor produce the right climate in which to try and reach a just peace with the Palestinians ... they are betraying millennial Jewish values and acting against Israel's own long-term interests."

First, what leaps out at me, unlike as one finds on some self-proclaimed liberal online forums, for example, such as Tyee, here, though I have been unable to confirm it, from a person I nonetheless assume is either a secular or religious Jew, because of the intimate knowledge he has of his subject, he acknowledge firstly, the existance of an "Israel Lobby" in Britain, Canada, the US, and elsewhere throughout the West. Which I suggest is not so much, in his or my view, evidence of some fascist equivalent "theory" of a Jewish attempt to take over the world, as simply rather, the normal working of any attempt at fundamental democracy. Catholics have lobbies, such as the Knights of Columbus, and sundry other Catholic Leagues etc, and such, as likewise do Evangelicals, and sundry immigrant groups in this country and elsewhere, along with other more really conspiratorial "business" special interest lobbies. So, to acknowledge the existance of a "Jewish or Israeli Lobby", in and of itself, does not require the leap of faith that there is then a plot in any fascist or bigoted context at all. (We having our own resident British Blackshirt espouser frequenting our threads who nonetheless, would doubtless beg to differ. Whereupon one but merely considers the source, especially after one comes to know it as intimately as we do.)

That said, the complexities around Jewish action and reaction, attitudes and the Zionist effort first to steal the land of the Argentinians as a homeland for the Jews, and only later Palestine arise out of the desperation of the Jews in the WWII Holocaust aftermath, the deceits and scheming of the real Jewish fascists themselves, the Zionists, playing against and upon the then prevailing, especially British Empire interest in Palestine, and Europes desire to escape any real reparations itself for what happened to the Jews. There was, and remains to a degree, a complex dynamic that arose out of this reality, the homeland cost of which, of course, continues to be borne not by the Germans or the other former fascist states of Europe, the actual perpetrators of the Holocaust, but by the poor Palestinians and the other Arab states-, who had themselves been victims of Western imperialism throughout the war, where the then extant western imperial rivalries were also much fought out, upon Palestinian and/or other Arab lands, and spilled their blood as well. And dead is dead, no matter how you arrive there.

Emblem of Mossad (Israeli Intelligence)

Their relationship with the state of Israel and with Zionism has polarized the Jews. The axis along which this polarization has taken shape does not correspond to any of the habitual divisions:
Ashkenazi/Sephardic, observant/non-observant, Orthodox/non-Orthodox.
In each of these categories are Jews for whom national pride, even arrogance (chutzpah), is a positive value, and who give their enthusiastic support to the state that incarnates what they identify as a life force, a triumph of the will and a guarantee of Jewish survival.

But each of these categories also includes Jews who believe that the very idea of a Jewish state, and the human and moral price that it demands, undermines all that Judaism teaches, particularly the core values of humility, compassion and kindness. They, along with Israel's staunchest supporters, point up the paradox that has seen Israel, often presented as an ultimate haven, become one of the most precarious places for Jews. Israeli media report unprecedented levels of concern not only for the future of the state but also for the physical survival of its inhabitants. Some attempt to redefine "Israel's national purpose" as a means to revitalize Israel's largely demoralized society.

Divisions about Israel and Zionism are so acute that they may split Jews as irremediably as did the advent of Christianity two millennia ago. Christianity, which embodies a Greek reading of the Torah, eventually broke away from Judaism. Like Christianity, Zionism, reflecting a nationalist, romantic reading of the Torah and Jewish history, has come to fascinate many Jews.

It remains to be seen whether the fracture between those who hold fast to Jewish moral tradition and the converts to Jewish nationalism may one day be mended. However fateful for Jews and Judaism, this fracture may not necessarily affect Israel, which nowadays counts many more evangelical Christians than Jews among its unconditional supporters.

The circle of which history of war crimes, treachery and the theft of another people's land is now come back around to complete itself, in an effort to find a real lasting solution both for the crimes committed against the Jews, and the Zionists in turn against the Palestinians. (It is also much a story of the European attempt to avoid the real cost of their crimes against the Jews, just about successfully pulled off, were or are not yet the Palestinians able to endure in their ongoing struggle against Zionist Israel and the US Empire. It is there, in Washington, in the current period, and in London, no less than in Berlin lies the real reponisibility for all this.

It is all what really underlies the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and more recently in Lebanon, and continuing in their remnant toe hold on what remains to them of their Palestine homeland in Gaza, of the no less long suffering and struggling Palestinians, who are scarcely if any less victims than were Holocaust Jewry.

Time to deal with those in Europe who passed the original buck, and those imperial forces in Britain and the US who are responsible yet for attempting to utilize the long continuing crisis result to fulfill their own imperial/empire ambitions in the Middle East of today. The blame lies neither entirely with just the Jews, or even the Zionists for that matter. There is enough to go around for just about all the major players of Global Capitalism as well.

And a definite worthwhile read in all this, to complete one's understanding of the current major issue of our time, that underlies even 911, in the interconnectedness character of events within a titanic struggle, is this book below.

** Yakov M. Rabkin, author of "A Threat From Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism," is professor of history and associate of the Centre for International Studies at the University of Montreal. His e-mail is: yakov.rabkin@umontreal.ca.

Flag of Palestine

2007-03-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Evolution of
The North American Union
The Final Stage in the NAFTA/Corporate Globalization
Process
by Coyote

October 3, 1987: The 20-chapter Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA or FTA) is finalized. U.S. trade representative Clayton Yeutter offers this observation: "We've signed a stunning new trade pact with Canada. The Canadians don't understand what they've signed. In twenty years, they will be sucked into the U.S. economy.

On the other hand, perhaps the Jean Chretien and later Paul Martin Liberals, and the corporate ruling class for whom they speak, did understand. The grounds for suspicion are mountainous. Certainly there is an ongoing continuous theme to their behaviours.

In 1993, Jean Chretien and The Liberal Party, after having promised, as part of their "Red Book" campaign platform, in the national election then taking place, to "renegotiate NAFTA", almost immediately thereafter, before the year was out, in December, evoking memories as well of another promise to scrap the GST, which is still with us, signed the NAFTA without any changes-, knuckling under to US pressure to do so.

But which was and is not the end of the matter, of course, because already "business elite class" continentalist forces were further gathering and marshaling their forces to build their case and advocate for an even closer "Union" with Amerika, later to include Mexico.

September, 1999: The Canadian right-wing think tank the Fraser Institute publishes a paper by Herbert G. Grubel titled "The Case for the Amero: The Economics and Politics of a North American Monetary Union." In the paper Grubel argues that a common currency is not inevitable but it is desirable. See: The Case for the Amero

But, bad enough as this proposal is, over the heads of all the national populations of the countries involved, in a separate "elite" process, bypassing even the limited norms of what has historically been corporatist controlled and manipulated "democracy" across the continent, even that is not the end of the matter. There is a wider neo-conservative ruling class vision beginning to take shape in its "think tanks", the ruling class based Trilateral Commission, and other continental "business councils and chambers".

August 30, 2001: The Institute for International Economics issues a press release advocating that the United States and Mexico should use the occasion of the visit of President Vicente Fox of Mexico on September 4-7 to develop a North American Community as advocated by Robert Pastor in his book "Toward a North American Community." See: A Blueprint for a North American Community

And then again, by December of the same year, in what should be well remembered in broader circles even than the radical left in Canada, for its uniquely overt interfering and preachy imperialist advocacy style, likewise :

December 2001: New U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci publicly advocates "NAFTA-plus". See: The Emergence of a North American Community?

And not only in US ruling class circles, and amongst its financed and beholden "tame" politicians, but here in Canada as well amongst our own "ambassadorial strata".

September 11, 2002: The National Post publishes an article by Alan Gotlieb, the chairman of the Donner Canadian Foundation and Canada's ambassador to the United States from 1981 to 1989, titled "Why not a grand bargain with the U.S.?" In the article, Gotlieb asks "Rather than eschewing further integration with the United States, shouldn't we be building on NAFTA to create new rules, new tribunals, new institutions to secure our trade? Wouldn't this 'legal integration' be superior to ad hoc responses and largely ineffective lobbying to prevent harm from Congressional protectionist sorties? Wouldn't our economic security be enhanced by establishing a single North American competitive market without anti-dumping and countervail rules? Are there not elements of a grand bargain to be struck, combining North American economic, defence and security arrangements within a common perimeter?" See: Why not a grand bargain with the U.S.?

Until finally, in the US media, on CNN, even such right wing "populist" US nationalists and figures as Lou Dobbs and other Republican "nationalist" conservatives begin to take notice and become alarmed, heard even over the voices from the US Left, who actually seem to be caught by surprise. A strange responding concencus begins to emerge and take shape as well around this "national" and "democratic" issue.

Good evening, everybody. Tonight, an astonishing proposal to expand our borders to incorporate Mexico and Canada and simultaneously further diminish U.S. sovereignty. Have our political elites gone mad?
Lou Dobbs on Lou Dobbs Tonight, June 9, 2005

After which the pace of events suddenly quicken, while most of the citizenry of this country certainly, possibly over comfortable in the assumptions that they are "smarter than Americans" (from a Tyee article), or yet presumably preoccupied with the deteriorating social and economic minutia of their daily lives, going into 2006, participate in yet another staged, ruling class Big Money managed election, that in itself takes matters to a new and more dangerous, fraught with risk level-, at least for all categories of Canadian nationalists concerned with the sovereignty and self-sufficiency of this country. Afterall, we and the citizens of Mexico are the intended lambs being prepared to lie down with the US Empire lion.

January 2006: Conservative Stephen Harper is elected Prime Minister of Canada with a minority government
.
March 31, 2006: At the Summit of the Americas in Cancun, Canada (under new Prime Minister Stephen Harper) along with the U.S. and Mexico release the Leaders' Joint Statement. The statement presents six action points to move toward a North American Union, aka a North American Community. These action points include: 1) Establishment of a Trilateral Regulatory Cooperative Framework 2) Establishment of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) 3) Provision for North American Emergency Management 4) Provision for Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza Management 5) Development of North American Energy Security 6) Assure Smart, Secure North American Borders. Read the full statement at: Leaders' Joint Statement

Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling, (July 18, 1887 – October 24, 1945) was a Norwegian army officer and fascist politician. He was Minister President of German occupied Norway. Here he shakes Hitler's hand. The name Quisling is now synonymous with treason across the world.

The US scholar, Daneen G. Peterson, PH.D., (See ** below) says treason abounds in Canada and the U.S. over this elite sponsored, and surreptitious move toward a North American Union (NAU)

The American people and Canadians are being betrayed by government cabals associated with the U.S. George W. Bush administration and Stephen Harper government who are bent on destroying national sovereignty in order to create a North American Union. The miscreants include many who function at the highest levels in our government. Many hold membership in the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Trilateral Commission and pursue a subversive agenda. The cabal is deliberately circumventing the U.S. Congress and 'We the People' [and the Parliament of Canada] in blatant violation of U.S. and Canadian Constitutions. Collectively they are committing TREASON. In America specifically, If you continue to believe that the "illegal alien invasion" is the biggest threat to America, you will never understand that there is something far more dangerous to our country called the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" (SPP). As bad as the illegal immigration situation is... you will learn that the U.S. is in dire peril far exceeding the "illegal alien" problem.

Further, in the online national magazine, The Canadian, she advises:

Educate yourself. For example, read what your own government has posted on their official websites such as the Whitehouse.gov, SPP.gov, State.gov and Canada.USembassy.gov. You will be aghast at the nearly complete destruction of our sovereignty, Bill of Rights, Constitution, laws, Republic, and freedoms they have ALREADY achieved. This heinous ongoing treason has been engineered by an entrenched cabal of legislators, courts, military brass, and government employees in this and prior administrations. The tyranny is being facilitated by hundreds of people embedded at all levels of the executive branch constituting a so called 'Shadow Government' who are working in concert to dismantle this country in plain sight. The agenda was engineered by political-military-industrial elites and kept secret by their deliberately mute media collaborators.

Many in the U.S. Senate AND the House AND the Executive (and their counterparts in the Stephen Harper government in Canada) are working in concert to create a North American Union. They are capitalists whose agenda is authoritarianism, which makes them classic fascists. These elites embrace the concept of a world run by a wealthy few, which they apparently believe will be themselves. Their goal is to achieve the few remaining unfulfilled tenets of a sort of Fascist Manifesto in order to put an end to America, along with Canada and Mexico.

RESIST!!!

Anti-globalization protesters in Mexico

The hour is late of course, and much of the populace is blissfully unaware for want of information and context, in which the corporatist media is complicit, or all merely somnambulate. There is desperate need of both a militant and broader nationalist movements to emerge in this country, in order to turn this state of the populace around and organize its willingness and capacity to resist. Additionally, it needs to be directed toward rebuilding posthaste, the independent economic and political self-sufficiency of this country, where necessary wresting control of threatened economic assets from their corporate owners, while at the same time building solidarity alliances across the hemisphere with all who have a shared "resistance to the US Empire ambition" interest with us. Which doesn't exclude progressive US citizens either, as part of the laying a foundation, on the other side of this period, to formulating and establishing the preconditions for new friendly relations between all peoples-, based on mutual respect for each others independence and shared need for self-sufficiency first however.

Notes:

** Daneen G. Peterson, Ph.D., an author who writes and speaks about the illegal alien problem and the coming North American Union. Her articles are heavily researched and referenced with 'clickable' URLs that will take the reader directly to the source material. Her accompanying photos and graphics add to her vivid exposes. All of her articles can be found archived on the StopTheNorthAmericanUnion.com website.

At one time she was a professor at both Temple and Jefferson Universities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she taught behavioral science research statistics and methodology. After leaving academia, she created and directed the first Department of Research and Program Evaluation for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America's National Office in Philadelphia.

Dr. Peterson is currently researching and writing on the issue of the One World Order and the United States Government's covert acts to create a North American Union without consent of Congress or 'We The People.'

** Much of the reference material here was secured from ViveleCanada, though from other sources as well.

2007-03-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Is Anyone Out there
out there
out there
out there?

This week, west coast environmental activist Betty Krawczyk was sentenced to 10 months in Jail, by so-called Madan Justice Brenda Brown of the Supreme Court of BC. She was sentenced for protesting against the Eagle Bluffs highway expansion in West Vancouver, as part of the construction project in advance of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

Betty Krawczyk if a grandmother, and the harshness of the sentence is generally viewed, and certainly by myself, as a message that is being sent to all those many citizens from many walks of life and social classes, not only opposed for social and economic reasons to these games, as a huge expenditure of capital that could be better spent in more socially useful ways (low income housing, day care etc.), but also to such destruction of the environment as that at Eagle Bluffs, in order to facilitate the games and move more polluting vehicular traffic. The message being, behave your fucking selves, don't interfere with the Big Money dreams of the Howe St. Big Boys at the Chamber of Commerce and the Vancouver Club. Tend to your goddamn knitting instead, Granny.

The viewpoint below is that of one of her friends and fellow activists, currently being widely circulated, and stands on its own merit.

For myself however, I would say that what has happened to Betty is part of the price that is going to have to be paid by far, far greater numbers of citizens, unfortunately, fed to the teeth with the neo-conservative ruling class agenda, driving not only these Winter Games but the general deterioration of such limited democracy as has only ever been in place at the best of times, the sell-out of the country, its people and resources to a likewise 2010 North American Union, already likewise apparently signed, sealed and just waiting to be finally delivered.

There are too few people yet, likewise unfortunately, possessed of the qualities of this woman of courage, prepared to make the sacrifice and engage in a struggle with the system. And until there is such a movement with more breadth and depth, the social retreat and rise of this more aggressive ruling class right, armed with its Madam Justices and Courts will continue to hold sway over all our lives.

The tip of my hat to ya, good woman. Takes me back to my own arrest and trial for blocking the Naval Dockyard in Victoria, years ago, during the Vietnam War, protesting the presence of US warships there. (I was hardly out of the navy myself, as I recall. :-)

Why I ask is I often wonder at the general unawareness on a subject that concerns each and every citizen and affects our lives on a daily basis. Canada is a democratic nation governed by the rule of law. This may sound like a rather simplistic statement of fact. However, many confuse justice, ethical and moral rightness with law and continue to labour under the delusion that because a certain subject matter is morally right and ethical it is enshrined in secular law.

I am a firm believer in the necessity of the Rule of Law as a tool (as slow and as cumbersome as the mechanics of it are) that offers recourse and protection for average citizens. However, I am not naïve enough to think there is justice apart from appropriately written, people-oriented law. There is NO justice, without the appropriate law, only law. Period. And, as soon as people who are fighting for the protection of citizens such as Betty Krawczyk, for example, realize this, the sooner positive steps may be taken to change, write or amend laws through legislation to further protect the rights of citizens.

Much more could be said about the process but I do not want to get bogged down in detail.

Recently there was an online suggestion to write letters of support for Betty Krawczyk and forward them along to Madam Justice Brown prior to sentencing Betty for contempt of court.

While I fully support environmental activists, being one myself, I do not support writing letters to any judge prior to sentencing on a contempt of court charge. I feel this is not a good idea and may do a lot of damage to defendants, perhaps even resulting in heavier sentences and the increase of jail time.

Pertaining to Madam Justice Brenda Brown (1), she was the judge who, in an unprecedented move, froze the assets of the BC Teachers Federation stopping the BCTF from (direct quote) “using their assets to further the breach of court order”.

Madam Justice Brown stressed emphatically in her ruling that it is (direct quote) “imperative that all citizens obey orders of the court”. She also used the term “immanent attribute”, which implies orders of the court as being (according to Webster’s New World College dictionary) “inherent” or “ without question”and to stress the seriousness, “present throughout the universe; distinguished from transcendent”. (2)

There is no doubt in my mind that Justice Brown would ever change her judgment as to the “immanent attribute” of court orders. Therefore, all the letter writing in the world, would neither budge nor influence this judge in lightening her sentencing. (3) The opposite may very well be true.

I am also reminded of the last court case I witnessed wherein the man accused was initially protecting his property and water source from being poisoned and was given advice from counsel prior to his sentencing. The lawyer told the man that when the judge asked, “Do you have anything to say in your defense”, to reply “No” and leave it at that. Why? Because, as the lawyer explained, too many people take this opportunity, rattle on as to the reasons why they did what they did, and all it does is annoy the judge and he has seen too many sentences come down harder because of it.

Likewise with letter writing judges in support of defendants prior to sentencing…bad idea…why run the risk of annoying the judge and making it harder on the defendant?

I would hope that supporters and/or advocates of those charged with contempt of court take this suggestion seriously. The criminal contempt of court charge is not about protecting the environment; it is about flying in the face of the rule of law by deliberately defying a judge’s order. There’s nothing like pissing off a judge!

It is wisdom on the part of citizens to gain accurate knowledge of the legal system under which we live and function, for to naively think that justice will prevail based solely on natural laws plus ethical and moral rightness leaves people vulnerable and open to all sorts of bitter disappointments, not to mention jail time.

What does the Rule of Law mean? “It means that everyone is subject to the law; that no one, no matter how important or powerful, is above the law…” it also means that, “If anyone were above the law, none of our liberties would be safe.” (4)

The time to lobby for people-oriented regulations and laws is well prior to the fact, not after it. Otherwise, the tune as sung by the Bobby Fuller Four, “I fought the law and the law won” could well become a jailhouse lament.

(1) http://www.justice.gc.ca/en/news/ja/2002/doc_30272.html

(2) http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/Jdb-txt/SC/05/14/2005BCSC1443.htm

(3) http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/workplace/archives/018631.php

(4) http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/rule_of_law_print-e.asp

More

2007-03-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Photo from Neturei Karta
Jews Against Zionism
http://www.nkusa.org/activities/demonstrations/israeliflag.cfm

Should It Be Legal Under International Law to Criticize The State of Israel?

(From the Anti-Empire report, by William Blum:)
http://members.aol.com/bblum6/aer35.htm

Should it be legal under international law to criticize the state of Israel?

"On Faith", an Internet feature of the Washington Post and Newsweek magazine, poses questions each week to a panel of more than 50 persons from the world of religion. A recent question was "Can you be critical of Israel and not be anti-Semitic?"

Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University replied: "Much depends on the motives of the critic. The unworthy critics today are easy to find. ... their shrill voices are neither moderated by love nor tinged with sadness. Their desire is to see the Jewish state destroyed. The worthy critics, by contrast, are more scarce. ... their words mingle praise along with reproof. They speak directly, sadly, and always in pain."

So there you have it. A question so ridiculous on its face that it should not even be raised by two media giants or anyone else with any intellectual pretensions, but is being raised because of the unrelenting pressure of the Israeli lobby in the United States and throughout the world. It then receives an appropriately ridiculous answer.

Can anyone express reservations about a papal decree and not be anti-Catholic? Can anyone be critical of the pilgrimages to Mecca, which often end in tragedy, and not be anti-Islam? Can anyone be critical of the African negligence on the AIDS crisis and not be racist?

For anyone in the world to criticize the US war in Iraq do they have to love the United States? To be taken seriously -- to be judged a "worthy critic" -- must they in the same breath offer some kind of praise for the US? Are we to judge that those who don't do so desire to see the American state destroyed? Can those in Palestine and Lebanon, upon whose heads and homes Israeli bombs fall, be worthy critics of Israeli policies? Are they not speaking "directly, sadly, and always in pain"?

An entirely legitimate question to be raised, in this time where any criticism of the Zionist State of Israel still tends to be scourged with the lash of unforgivable anti-semitism. Though I would certainly go further even than this article tends to.

And that is, I think it needs to be firmly established and accepted as well, as part of a simple and lesser right to simply "criticize" the State of Israel, were I a Palestinian suffering the loss of my country to the Zionists certainly, for example, though anyone else no less who has an understanding of the founding history of the State of Israel, that there is a right as well to question the very founding legitimacy of the Israeli State itself. This, to me, seems elementary, especially if the world, including such Jews themselves, as well as Palestinians, who question this founding legitimacy, are ever going to have the opportunity to have their critique and proposals heard and treated seriously, as well as their proposals for a viable and lasting solution to the problem of Palestine/Israel, such as increasingly threatens the peace and stability of the entire world.

It has gone on overly long already that the United States and Israel have been exclusively allowed to frame the issue, the discussion, what is and is not legitimate, and such solutions as may or may not be considered by the world community and its citizens. Meanwhile, the war danger, even a world war risk grows as a consequence.

It is time to move on from this repressive environment, such as we have seen even here, around the issue of my banishment from Tyee.

More

2007-03-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

SOAP BOX OPEN THREAD............

Bound for Salmon Arm early in the (Wednesday) morning. The Mrs. seems to have developed a "heart murmur" that they are going to check out. Catch ya's later in the day or Thursday, to put up some new material. Meanwhile, use this as an open thread to talk about the state of your love life, :-) or lack thereof, them friggin' Amurrikans still rampaging about the world, fuckin' it and themselves up, and digging a deeper poo hole for themselves, or as an even better idea, your favourite herb, beer, whiskey or other libation. Or anything else that just occurs to you.

The movie selection in this town isn't great. Just one theatre. Coming up is "Breach", about "the highest level security breach in US history". Anybody seen it? What's it like?

Know of any other good movies you've seen that I might not of yet, out here in the hinterland swamp?

Whatever, have a good one. Gotta take care of my sweetie. :-)

Update:

The Mrs has to get the report from her doctor yet, of course, but the guy doing the Cardio Echo Sound did say that he didn't see anything that looked too serious. Which I take as a positive. (She has the family history, unfortunately.) She looks and acts perfectly healthy.

I'll get some new stuff up today, posthaste.

More

2007-03-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan

US NUKE POLICY
and
Gangster State Hypocrisy

Now how long have we, in this country and the world, been listening to shit like this coming out of the US Empire and its political class goon squad? Like they were some divinely sent state of political saints, given the right to rule the world and preach to its multitudes of lesser peoples, including us? And mete out its archangel punishment.

SYDNEY, Australia — U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said Friday that China's recent anti-satellite weapons test and rapid military buildup were "not consistent" with its stated aim of a peaceful rise as a global power.

In a speech in Sydney after visiting Japan, Cheney also expressed wariness about North Korea's commitment to a landmark deal on ending its nuclear programs.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253900,00.html?sPage=fnc.world/australia

Here they are, the US Empire, with just about a world monopoly on nuclear weapons and an almost infinite array of weapons of mass destruction, which they have never been shy about using, typically against lesser, backward or poverty stricken people and states, or one's already crushed by them, preaching about peace, freedom and international law like they were the State Pope over the World, without moral contradictions of their own, especially against Iran and North Korea of late as well, about their sudden rush to develop nuclear technology. (Indeed, thus far, the US Empire is the only state in the world to have ever actually used nuclear weapons, not once but twice against mass city "civilian" targets, of a state, Japan, with which it was at war and had already effectively defeated.) Additionally, this is the state that has invaded more countries over the entire post WWII period, down to and continuing into the present day, in nearly ever global hemisphere and region in the world than all other big or small power states of the world combined.

Hell folks, given the continuing record of this global gangster state, it's a bloody wonder every other country in the world isn't in the process of developing nuclear weapons,including us, and all other weapons of mass destruction, as a defence against precisely this rogue state, the US Empire. Think about it and connect the dots, let go of the true believer sentimentality, colonial mindset that has victimized us all for too goddamn long, and nowhere more than in this country Canada-, it is this state, the US Empire, not Iran or North Korea even, China or Russia, let alone poor Iraq with its dummy despot Saddam, or Afghanistan, that is the main threat to the peace and well being of the world, including Canada.

From the same article on the Fox News web site:

Cheney praised China for playing an "especially important" role in the negotiations that resulted in the North Korea deal, under which the North is to seal its main nuclear reactor and allow international inspections in exchange for fuel oil.

"Other actions by the Chinese government send a different message," Cheney told the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue, a private organization that promotes ties between the two countries.

"Last month's anti-satellite test, China's continued fast-paced military buildup are less constructive and are not consistent with China's stated goal of a peaceful rise," he said.

Well, Lord liftin' bejezzus, it you still ain't convinced of the gangster hypocrisy of this rogue state that is the US Empire, consider this bit of recent news, which I first heard on one of the TV news stations, I can't remember which, and went looking for it, and found the story here. (Though it is in many places on line with a simple Google search.)

Israel Nuclear Facility at Dimona
photo taken by US Corona Spy Satellite

Bush Pushes Nuclear Weapons Development in US

By Sarah Olson
t r u t h o u t | Report

Friday 01 September 2006

In the face of increased Congressional opposition to US nuclear weapons development, the Bush administration appears to be making an end run around governmental checks and balances. The bizarrely named Divine Strake project is a 700-ton explosive experiment, first scheduled to detonate at the Nevada Test Site in June of this year. Thanks to furious grass-roots opposition to the proposal, Divine Strake has been twice delayed, and is currently projecting a detonation date of no sooner than early 2007.

But as the Department of Defense attempts to justify this explosion, many say the government is simply obfuscating and delaying: the blast, they say, is a simulated nuclear explosion designed to provide important test and calibration data for existing and possibly new nuclear weapons. It will happen at the Nevada Test Site after the elections, and it will kick up a 10,000-foot mushroom cloud potentially full of Cold War-era radioactive dust.

Further, as the UN Security Council deadline for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program passes, and hostilities throughout the Middle East increase, many find the possible threat of US nuclear weapons development to be an unnecessary exacerbation of hostilities. The Bush administration, they say, is engaging belligerent nuclear swashbuckling, and as a result, it is putting US citizens in danger.

What is occurring here, according to both anti-war and environmental critiques of this attempt to develop a new generation of "low radiation yield" tactical nuclear weapons is firstly:

There are two largely interconnected types of objection to the Divine Strake explosion. The first is that Divine Strake appears to be a test to simulate a nuclear weapons explosion, and as such it puts the United States on a path towards a new generation of nuclear weapons. The second is that if Divine Strake were to be detonated at the Nevada Test Site, the blast is likely to unsettle radioactive dust from the Cold War-era nuclear tests.

And this concern extends into the US Congress itself:

Utah Congressman Jim Matheson wrote DTRA's director that he was greatly concerned that Divine Strake was an attempt to build low-yield nuclear devices. The DTRA budget, Matheson writes, "states that the demonstration 'will develop a planning tool that will improve the warfighter's confidence in selecting the smallest proper nuclear yield necessary to destroy underground facilities while minimizing collateral damage.' That sounds like preparation for a low-yield nuclear weapon to me."

While DTRA's Irene Smith declined to comment on whether Divine Strake would provide information for nuclear weapons, she did say that it "is part of the Hard Target Defeat program that develops and demonstrates new weapons, delivery concepts and planning capabilities to defeat hard and deeply buried targets. The improved computer model planning tools that are expected from the Divine Strake experiment could eventually help give combatant commanders greater operational flexibility and confidence in their ability to defeat hardened and deeply buried targets."

In general, DTRA has been reticent on whether they were testing for the effects of nuclear weapons, but they officially declined to rule it out. Hans Kristensen, at the Federation of American Scientists, reported that on April 3rd, DTRA acknowledged in written correspondence that Divine Strake was "a low-yield nuclear weapons calibration simulation against an underground target."

This confirmation alarmed peace and environmental activists. "The reason you want to see the effect of the impact of a weapon is to see if the weapon works," says Vanessa Pierce, director of the environmental advocacy group HEAL Utah.

Beginning to get the picture. Think US Naval ships at sea, in the Gulf off Iran, and Irans yet, insofar as anybody actually knows, peaceful nuclear enrichment programme. (And if it is not peaceful, how e'er regrettable and unfortunate for us all, can one really blame them in this situation they are in with this gangster US Empire State. I can't.)

And this is done in the face of increased global tension regarding nuclear weapons development programs. "The hypocrisy is incredible. You cannot preach temperance from a barstool. And that's precisely what the Bush administration is doing," says Pierce. "Divine Strake sends a message to other nations. It escalates the value of nuclear weapons in the eyes of those who seek to attack this country."

Again, the US Empire speaks to itself and its merry band of true believers out of one side of its mouth, and to the remaining Axis of Evil World that is everyone else who "doesn't believe" out of quite the other side of its mouth. Except the rest of the world is not ignorant of these US nuclear war plans, as Washington seems to think, or more likely, simply doesn't give a shit.

"It's our fucking way, or the highway," one can hear the Whitehouse Neoconazi planners all singing in chorus, eyes cast heavenward.

From Al Jazeera, for example March 7th:

US develops new nuclear warheads
The US is to replace nuclear warheads
more than 20 years old [AP]
The United States has announced that it has selected the design for a new generation of nuclear warheads.

The bombs will be built for the country's sea-based nuclear arsenal and will replace ageing Cold War-era stock, US officials said.

The decision comes as the administration of George Bush, the US president, is seeking to curb attempts by Iran and North Korea to develop their nuclear programmes.

"When the US says we're going to build new nuclear weapons, and we go to Iran and say you cant have nuclear weapons at all, that is just going to be one more reason why the folks in Iran ... are going to dismiss it as US hypocrisy," John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a security information wesbite, told Al Jazeera.

Additionally, in my view, the danger of a wider Middle East, and possibly even global battlefield in the evolving US Empire "permanent war" plan, is suddenly growing exponentially with new developments likely to be seen soon in the much anticipated Taliban spring offencive in Afghanistan, the Hezbollah drive for a greater share of power in Lebanon, and in the recent joint war gaming exercise of Russia and China in Asia, to which Iran and Venezuala were invited to send observers. In that context of a new and more globalized battle field danger, low yield tactical nuclear weapons offer the advantage of maximum damage to ones enemies at minimal risk to oneself, especially as part of a "first strike" strategy.

The danger to the peace and well being of the world, including this country, continues to grow. And the main source of that danger is not Iran or North Korea, or even larger and more strategically capable military foes such as Russia and China. Which does not mean that they are saints either. But it is the US Empire.

They speak otherwise to a compliant Western media of course, such as is our own, but it is an increasingly transparent, duplicitous, deceitful and hypocritical ideological manifestation, such as underpins its gangster's Empire view of the world, as it fights for turf and control of a vast economic rackets system on a global scale. (2/3 of the worlds total supply of illegal drugs are consumed in the United States. There are more people imprisoned in the United States, mostly poor and black, than anywhere else in the world.)

Time to wake up and smell the coffee, before it all really does show up home here as well, while we are over there, about holding this gangster's coat, wiping its ass and doing its flunky work, which involves our troops dying. We have need of our own military forces here, making the preparations as may be necessary to defend our own country against this real enemy of the peace and our own national well being.

2007-03-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

A Soapbox Open Page

Have yourself a wee rant....

Photo From Hyde Park, England

I've got a busy morning this morning, so no time to get a new article up. Which means I'm going to use the opportunity to attempt to start an Open Page tradition I've stolen from Daily Kos, one of my favourtite US blogs. (Who knows where they got it from. Besides, just because I'm a "left-radical" Canadian nationalist, doesn't mean that I really hate "everything" US, and certainly not their "progressive" folks.)

I'll get something new up this afternoon, meanwhile don't be shy and have yourself a rant, and talk about whatever you want.

Coyote

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2007-03-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

Our Motive Is Pure...
We're Canadian

by Coyote

This morning on CBC, increasingly Canada's version of CNN, there was the report of a statement by our Conservative Party's colonial Minister of Defence, Gordon O'Connor, on the impending, and clearly much worried about "spring offencive" for which Kabul and colonial Canadian along with other "Western" forces are desperately preparing. (I say "desperately", because there is much frantic searching going on right now for "tactical high-ground", bunker, artillery, and defencive positions-, and the look in the eye and tone of concern of those there is palpable, even on a TV screen.)

In any case, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor was much anxious to speak to growing criticism of the mission in this country, ensuring the media, and through them the citizenry of course, of what could only be described as the moral purity of the Canadian position and reasons for being in Kabul, Afghanistan. (And Kabul city is all that these invading forces really control with any reasonable degree of certainty.)

We have no imperial interest in Afghanistan, he said. We do not need the resources of Afghanistan.

"We have a darned good case. We are there because the Afghans want us there..." he insisted.

Canadian Forces Under Attack by Taliban
from Wikipedia

Well, outside the argument that the "... Afghans want us there..", which is patently a crock, for we and the other forces assisting the US Empire ambition in Afghanistan only really securely control Kabul, and victim peoples of foreign invasion only generally tell invading forces what they want to hear and behave accordingly, at least under observation (think fear of being shipped to Guantanamo) , and attempt to make the best of a bad deal, no one is accusing this country, at least not yet, of having its own "imperial interest" in Afghanistan. (And check out the popularity of controlling US Forces there today, and doubtless those who serve them, after they killed sixteen innocent civilians following a deadly, presumably Taliban suicide attack on a US position in the north of the country. Demonstrations, last I heard, were still going on, with Afghans venting their "love" of the invader who does have an "imperial interest" there, in northern oil and a pipeline through Afghanistan.)

No, we have no "imperial" claim or interest, at least apparent, in Afghanistan, and we have no driving need for their resources. That is a given. We, but little more than a colony of the US ourselves, are there to serve "our" government's imperial master, to ingratiate ourselves to the US Empire, and tend to "its" imperial interest there and in the larger Middle East region. (It's why our navy is active in the Gulf off Iraq, for example, interdicting "suspicious" shipping and craft. We are "serving Amerika.")

Our real reasons for being there are even more pathetic than pursuit of our own imperial interest, which would merely be evil, is scarcely masked by the see through veil of a professed concern for "democracy" or even obedience to a UN mandate. We are but there as loyal "colonial flunkies", to which both the Liberals and Conservatives have reduced us, to serve the real guiding hand imperial interest in Afghanistan, as has dictated and manipulated that so-called UN mandate there with copious lies, no less than in its justifications for invading Iraq.

And that is a series of dots which even a child should be able to connect. Unless, of course, it is a Liberal or Conservative Party child. (Whether the NDP would really be any different remains to be seen. Talk is just talk until the time for action is at hand.)

The rest of Canada has good reason to look forward to the impending renewal time of this spring. Save if you are amongst our colonial military forces considering the return of spring in Afghanistan-, serving the US Empire interest there.

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Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East may be good news for the Canadian oil industry, however, political unrest is a minor factor behind oil’s recent price surge.

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Great opportunities for
Canada as the price of
oil rises

By L. IAN MACDONALD, Freelance February 28, 2011
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