Recent Terrorist Attempt.. the media response is laughably predictible.

Turn on CNN.  Or BBC.  Or CBC. 

And what do you see?

Well, initially, it was all about the concern with how this suspected terrorist got on the plane in the first place, the U.S. Government having to constantly explain that there was insufficient evidence to place the terrorist on the "no fly" list.

Gee.  Seems like just yesterday that we were all complaining about how unfair the "no fly" list was, and now, apparently, it's not broad enough.

Now, however, in the days following the fear, now that journalists can feel safe that THEIR family didn't lose anyone over the holidays, we are back to the suggestion that this was just some lone malcontent, and, as trumpeted in the Globe and Mail, "No Evidence Detroit Flight Incident Part of Larger Plot".

Note:  Not "attempted murder".  Not "Terrorist Attempt".  No, now it's a "flight incident".

And, while the story goes on to explain how an affluent family spawned a child who had visions of mass murder, the lead suggests "no cause to worry".  All is good. No one died.  This time.

The world, today, is truly messed up.  While the developed world lined up to agree to send money to places like, well, Yemen and the Sudan, many of their citizens are busy getting ready to martyr themselves by killing us.

Think about that for a minute.

And the media suggests, "no big deal, don't worry".. oh, and, by the way, its the CANADIANS who are the bastards of the world.

Pardon me for throwing up in my mouth just a little bit.

Canada.

Stop appologizing.

We and most of the developed world should be proud that not only do we have freedom for our citizens, but we open our doors to the people of those countries to come immigrate and share our freedom - which freedom some of those same people use against us to harm us. 

I am Canadian.

And I'm proud of it.

And for those who feel "shame" because we didn't do enough for terrorists in Afghanistan, for those who feel "shame" because we didn't buy into a deeply flawed and pointless effort to redistribute our wealth to countries spawning terrorists, well feel free to emmigrate.  To Yemen.  Or Sudan.  Or Afghanistan.  Their arms are open.  And when THEIR police happen to pick you up and ACTUALLY torture you.. well, I'm sure the tough guys at Amnesty International will intercede.

Richard Warman is a Wiener. (Thanks to the Supreme Court of Canada)

Well.  The Supreme Court did something right.  It's been a while.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered an early Christmas present to all of those who value freedom in Canada, and expanded the scope of the defence in libel cases, ruling that statements made "responsibly" on matters of public interest were protected from libel.  As reported by CBC News:

The Supreme Court said it examined laws in other countries with similar legal systems, such as the United Kingdom and Australia. It found that Canadian law was strict by comparison and did not give enough weight to the value of free expression.

Read that last sentence again.

"Canadian Law.. did not give enough weight to the value of free expression".

Really?

Well, to celebrate this modest expansion of liberty in a country which had been rolling down the road to smiley fascism for some time, I'm going to take advantage of the law today which didn't exist two days ago:

Richard Warman is a wiener.

There.

I feel better already.

Tell Telus to Go Screw Themselves

I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

But, well, I have a blog, so, I'm going to use it to single out the most irritating group of assholes on earth, at least for today.

The Telus corporation.

I have fielded a host of phone calls over the last month or two with a view to having me "bundle" my services.

Ok.  So I bought into the first call, moving my long distance provider and internet provider to telus.  Of course, during the call, they promised me that my "new" internet would be a humming along at 15 mbps, only to call me later to advise me they couldn't do that in my area - AFTER I bought into their stupid "bundle" of goodies.

Well, two days ago, they call my home with yet more offers, now seeking to have us buy into their new television package.  Well, unknown to me, my wife took the call and told them we were happy with our cable provider and declined the offer.

Last night.. sure enough I get the call from these morons again.  My wife was gone, and they went to work trying to sell me on the t.v. package.  I told them I would talk to my wife and get back to them.. the salesman tells me that this offer is special and he's sure my wife would want me to make this deal.  I politely tell him "no", I don't change my cable without discussing it with my wife.  This pushy salesman then suggests that I call my wife on her "cell phone".  I hang up.  He calls back.  I hang up again. 

Well.  Five minutes ago, the guy calls again.

Ok.  Enough already.

I was going to move my cable to Telus, and now they can go screw themselves.  Shaw all the way.

And maybe I'll change my internet provider in the bargain.

So.  For what it's worth, I would strongly suggest you not deal with Telus.  For anything.  And if some East Indian guy happens to get on your phone tonight, well, tell him Rob says he can go f*ck himself.

And the Polls Close

So.

My poll has closed on the significance my readers put on the issue of Afghan detainees.

Admittedly less than scientific, and, to a great extent, polling the converted, nonetheless, the readers have spoken, and the results (after 216 votes):

What priority should the issue of Afghani detainees be given by Canadians?

It is the number one priority of our government. 7 (3%)
Second in priority after responding to economic issues. 7 (3%)
Third in priority after economic issues and environmental issues. 21 (9%)
What detainees? 181 (83%)

So, the readers speak.  We don't care.  We have other matters we are worried about, and it would be nice if our government spent a little more time worrying about Canadians.

I'm feeling a little left out, to be honest.

We're worried about Afghan terrorists, we're worried about Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, we're worried about the Sudanese, even though they refuse to worry about themselves..  but, gosh, Canadians don't matter.









Votes so far: 216

My so-called "Liberal" Leanings..

Well.

Yesterday, I posted the notion that maybe we could stop falling all over ourselves to send money to India and China and so forth, and maybe, if we're going to something in response to the climate change issue, we do something at home that benefits "third world" conditions inside our own border.

The response I got was somewhat predictible.

The kool-aid drinker on the left assumes that anything I say, because it's under the banner of "Blogging Tory" must be a "..bunch of half-truths and outright lies to follow... (as per usual)...."

From the right, I get notions that I must be "Sybil", a split personality, turning "left", and, more pointedly,

"Great Idea! let's all send our money to the reserves like the Peguis in Manitoba or the Olympic torch blockaders in Ontario. Or maybe we'd just be better off to burn it to heat our homes."

See a pattern?

We live in a great country.

We have limitless opportunity. 

And we risk squandering it, turning ourselves into a "little America", by refusing to concede that, in Canada, we can do things differently.  We can govern by accomodation and assimilation of differing interests.  There are "win/win" opportunities if we look for them, but to do that, we have to open our minds and consider the possibility that we (left, right, whatever) might just not know everything about everything.  That the "other guy" might have a point or two if we considered it.

The polarization of our society is becoming endemic, not only in politics, but even in the press.  In the effort to compete for a shrinking media dollar because of massive increases in competition, our MSM panders to conflict.  They stoke it like a fire, from the left and right.  To sell papers, we have to piss someone off.

To get people to read my blog I have to piss people off.

It's funny, but I notice that the more angry I get and the more I tee off on someone, particularly the Liberal party of Canada, my readers numbers immediately spike.  Now I don't get paid, so, the only benefit of such a spike is to my ego.  However - if I'm selling papers, or advertising on t.v., or if I'm soliciting "votes"..  well, now we can see the tangible benefit of creating conflict.

And it hurts us all.

And so, to Powell Lucas, to Blame Crash, and to C_WTF..  consider for a moment what it might look like if we could take even one indian reserve in Canada, and convert it to a successful model of Canadian business.  Consider if the efforts of the Osoyoos Indian Band and their partners could become not an aberration, but a typical occurance.   For my "blue" friends, consider the tax savings.  Better yet, consider the investment opportunities.

I'm not saying it's easy.  But maybe instead of just complaining about what the "other guy' is doing wrong..  we might think a little bit about how to make positive change in our communities.

I'll tell you two things:

a) Spending billions of dollars on gun control isn't making any positive change; and
b) Passing manditory minimum sentences, with the millions and maybe billions which will be spent to house those "criminals" isn't making any postiive change.

Except maybe in the polling amongst your tried and true kool-aid drinkers that is.

Some "Outside the Box" Thinking..

Following up on my last blog.

It seems even hard line conservatives who have no belief at all in man-made climate change still understand the reality that the climate change lobby is having on the way we do business in Canada.

Well.  Except perhaps for the Wild Rose Party of Alberta.

So.

With that given, here's a concept.

Internal efforts at cap and trade, with the tax money reinvested in the areas of the country hardest hit by the result of a growing pressure on reducing carbon emissions and waste.

Having regard to my thoughts on the waste of money being sent outside of Canada, where we have large Indian communities in serious need within Canada..  thinking ouside the box? How about establishment of research facilities and encouraging "green industry" on reserves.

Money spent in Canada, labour costs of the facility can be moderated by the tax exempt status of it's employees.. and there is perhaps something to be said for the notion of incorporating the cultural identity of aboriginal people as an integral part of developing green technology.

Kind of an Nk'Mip for environmntal industry..
 
Joining business motivation with social conscience.
 
Just a thought.

People Suck.

I hate to say it, so close to Christmas and all, but, the problem at the end of the day with the whole Copenhagen thing is this:

People Suck.

I have deliberately tried to avoid, of late, getting into the whole debate about whether or not man-made climate change is a reality.  I tend to believe it is, but at the same time, virtually all scientists also agree that we are, at best, slowing an inevitable movement towards warming in any event.  Glaciers are going to melt and the polar ice caps are going to disappear - whether we are on this earth or not.  That's a given. 

The bigger problem is that, as we have seen in Copenhagen, mankind is cursed with the tendancy to look towards it's own self-interest.  China wants what China wants.. but then, so does Venezuela, and the Sudan, and the Philippines, and every other country.  There is a global movemement now seeking to move $100 billion to "developing countries", and you can bet two things:

a) Actual progress in impact on climate will be questionable; and
b) People will take advantage of it to their own benefit, and to hell with the climate and the developing world.

Doubts?

Well see this:

France Probes $230 Million Carbon Trading Fraud;

$7 Billion lost to Carbon Trading Fraud in European Union;

Danes Investigating Carbon Trading Fraud;

$60 Million Carbon Credit Fraud in UK;

7 Arrested in £38 Million UK Carbon Credit Fraud;


And think about this..  and this point is aimed at ys "good" conservatives as well as liberals.  We have third world country conditions in Canada.  Within 40 miles of where I write are two of the largest Indian Reserves in Canada, the Kainai and Piikani, and for many, conditions there rival anything you could imagine in any thrid world country in the world.

So just a thought before we embark on this pointless endeavor to send money outside of our borders from our own taxpayers..   perhaps it could be better spent here.

Just a thought.