10,000 Remember Bloody Sunday

"On January 30, 1972, soldiers from the British Army's 1st Parachute Regiment opened fire on unarmed and peaceful civilian demonstrators in the Bogside, Derry, Ireland, near the Rossville flats, killing 13 and wounding a number of others. One wounded man later died from illness attributed to that shooting."

May those who love us love us
And those who don't love us
May God turn their hearts,
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.
-Irish Prayer

Need Work? Have I Got A Job For You

"A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services'' at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year."

The 'logic' boggles my mind. Read the rest of the story (click on the headline).

"Logic teaches rules for presentation, not thinking."
- Mason Cooley

Moral Leadership

George W. Bush

Iraq is freer today because of President Bush and the soldiers who gave their lives.

“Leadership consists not in degrees of technique but in traits of character; it requires moral rather than athletic or intellectual effort, and it imposes on both leader and follower alike the burdens of self-restraint.”
- Lewis H. Lapham

I Think I May Become ill, mad, get ill, go mad?

It is hard to know where to begin. My sister Anne sent me the enclosed link. I will begin by quoting the following:

"A PENDING human rights complaint aimed at forcing British Columbia's public school curriculum to include compulsory lessons on "queer issues" could make some students balk at discussing those issues, said Christian educator Steve Bailey."

And then I read these lines:

"Murray and Peter Corren, a married same-sex couple, allege in a complaint lodged with the B.C. human rights tribunal that the absence of pro-homosexual instruction is a denial of equal treatment on the part of the provincial education ministry."

And then I thought about this recent threat:

"A B.C. lesbian couple, who accuse a Catholic men's group of discriminating against them by refusing to rent them a hall for their wedding reception, took their case to a human rights tribunal Monday."

And then I remembered this odd news about the new learning program featuring SpongeBob Square Pants:

"For 'not promoting homosexuality' the Writing for Change guide spends an amazing amount of time dwelling on the subject and having the teacher discuss with their young captive audience such appropriate and soul searching exercises as (remember these are for elementary school age children):

• Identify ways in which homophobia and compulsory heterosexuality are at work in your daily life.
• Find some examples of compulsory heterosexuality in your daily life.
• How are you affected by compulsory heterosexuality?
• How are you affected by homophobia?
• How would you be affected if your sexual orientation were different than it is now?
• How would others you know – friends, family members, classmates, members in your clubs or organizations – be affected?
• How will understanding these definitions change your thinking about compulsory heterosexuality and homophobia?
• Will this change any of your behaviors? If so, how? "

How is it that some have moved from saying, the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation, to the state must teach what goes on in the bedrooms of the nation?

"Facts are stubborn things.

-Tobias George Smollett

Please, Line Up And Obey, Or Else !

Ah, the silence of dissonance in Canada is akin to the silence of the falling tree in the forest that no one hears.

"English audiences of working people are like an instrument that responds to the player. Thought ripples up and down them, and if in some heart the speaker strikes a dissonance there is a swift answer. Always the voice speaks from gallery or pit, the terrible voice which detaches itself in every English crowd, full of caustic wit, full of irony or, maybe, approval."
- Mary Heaton Vorse

Peeling Oranges

Irish President Mary McAleese can be excused for saying "some Protestants in Northern Ireland had been taught to hate Catholics in the way young people in Nazi Germany were taught to hate Jews" because it is true.

Of course, firebrand spokesman for the Democratic Unionist Party, Ian Paisley had to wade in. "He said her comments were wrong and deeply insulting. To make such a comparison, he said, was outrageous and possibly displayed deep-seated sectarianism on the part of the President."

Considering the two, I will choose the words of the President of Ireland over anything Dr. Paisley has ever advocated.

"No people can more exactly interpret the inmost meaning of the present situation in Ireland than the American Negro. The scheme is simple. You knock a man down and then have him arrested for assault. You kill a man and then hang the corpse."
- W.E.B Du Bois

Canada: On The Edge Of Its Own Defeat

"It was scarcely possible that the eyes of contemporaries should discover in the public felicity the latent causes of decay and corruption. This long peace, and the uniform government of the Romans, introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated. The natives of Europe were brave and robust. Spain, Gaul, Britain, and Illyricum, supplied the legions with excellent soldiers, and constituted the real strength of the monarchy. Their personal valour remained, but they no longer possessed that public courage which is nourished by the love of independence, the sense of national honour, the presence of danger, and the habit of command. They received laws and governors from the will of their sovereign, and trusted for their defence to a mercenary army. The posterity of their boldest leaders was contented with the rank of citizens and subjects. The most aspiring spirits resorted to the court or standard of the emperors; and the deserted provinces, deprived of political strength or union, insensibly sunk into the languid indifference of private life."

- Edward Gibbon (History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)

Reality: Top Liberal Makes Threat To Church

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew is the type of modern person that keeps getting promoted despite his obvious shortcomings. Anyone struggling at their boring workplace knows his type. He is not a leader that inspires, nor is he very bright. But this is a guy that the media and the Liberal Party promote.

• "The Roman Catholic Church should keep its nose out of the government's same-sex marriage legislation."
• "I find that the separation of the Church and the state is one of the most beautiful inventions of modern times."

These two statements demonstrate the man's stupidity and the danger of his thinking.

Pierre Pettigrew may be a leading choirboy of Liberal groupthink, his songsheet may be a threat to free speech and a menace to truth, but he is no leader.

"There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,

For I am arm’d so strong in honesty

That they pass by me as the idle wind,

Which I respect not."

- Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar. Act iv. Sc. 3.

And Now Comes "The Beast"

• "Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs."

• "And at Stanford University in California an experiment might be done later this year to create mice with human brains."

• "But creating human-animal chimeras—named after a monster in Greek mythology that had a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail—has raised troubling questions: What new subhuman combination should be produced and for what purpose? At what point would it be considered human? And what rights, if any, should it have?"

• "One doesn't have to be religious or into animal rights to think this doesn't make sense," he continued. "It's the scientists who want to do this. They've now gone over the edge into the pathological domain."

• "For example, an experiment that would raise concerns, he said, is genetically engineering mice to produce human sperm and eggs, then doing in vitro fertilization to produce a child whose parents are a pair of mice."

• "Weissman has already created mice with brains that are about one percent human. Later this year he may conduct another experiment where the mice have 100 percent human brains. This would be done, he said, by injecting human neurons into the brains of embryonic mice."

• "We must be cautious not to violate the integrity of humanity or of animal life over which we have a stewardship responsibility," said Cheshire, a member of Christian Medical and Dental Associations. "Research projects that create human-animal chimeras risk disturbing fragile ecosystems, endanger health, and affront species integrity."

"... it is as true in morals as in physics that all force is imperishable; therefore the consequences of a human action never cease."
- Tennessee Claflin

Great, I May Have A Disease: ADT

Sometimes, people tell me that they think I'm a tad bit nutty. I may be.

"Frenzied executives who fidget through meetings, lose track of their appointments, and jab at the "door close" button on the elevator aren't crazy--just crazed. They suffer from a newly recognized neurological phenomenon that the author, a psychiatrist, calls attention deficit trait, or ADT. It isn't an illness; it's purely a response to the hyperkinetic environment in which we live. But it has become epidemic in today's organizations. When a manager is desperately trying to deal with more input than he possibly can, the brain and body get locked into a reverberating circuit while the brain's frontal lobes lose their sophistication, as if vinegar were added to wine. The result is black-and-white thinking; perspective and shades of gray disappear. People with ADT have difficulty staying organized, setting priorities, and managing time, and they feel a constant low level of panic and guilt. It is possible to control ADT by engineering one's environment and one's emotional and physical health. Make time every few hours for a "human moment"--a face-to-face exchange with a person you like. Get enough sleep, switch to a good diet, and get adequate exercise. Break down large tasks into smaller ones, and keep a section of your work space clear. Try keeping a portion of your day free of appointments and e-mail. The author recommends that companies invest in amenities that contribute to a positive atmosphere."

Well, maybe not, I'm not an executive......

Damn. There goes my chances for a government job.

"They relieve and recommend each other, and the sanity of society is a balance of a thousand insanities. She punishes abstractionists, and will only forgive an induction which is rare and casual."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It IS All About Leadership

The current issue of same-sex relationships is defining the quality of leadership in Canada. Although I mistrust the conventional usage of the term 'leadership,' it is clear to me that Canada has a choice; choose an 'acting' leader (Martin) or a 'real' leader (Harper).

The stakes are high; Canada will either dither along with the Liberals or break away from the pack with the Conservatives.

"All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership."
- John Kenneth Galbraith

StatsCan Plays Coy, Finance Minister Spins

There is nothing worse than bureaucrats rushing out statistics to help bolster the government's defence of weak economic performance. But alas, StatsCan has done just that. In an effort to try to stifle criticism that Liberal policies have left Canadians with higher debt and lower disposable income, the department released a statement that says, "Well-paid jobs not disappearing."

StatsCan said, "Little evidence that well-paid jobs have been disappearing in Canada in recent years or since the early 1980s." NOTE: They did not say no evidence. But they do say, "The deterioration of wages of new employees was not limited to a particular industry either," Statistics Canada added. NOTE: This is bad.

"In our opinion, the findings are consistent with a gradual slowing in the quality of overall employment in Canada," said CIBC World Markets economist, Benjamin Tal.

The Finance Minister waded in to tell us what we already suspected, the economy needs a kick. Perhaps he could also explain why high taxes and low productivity are a problem now when experts have been warning for years?

"Every civilization when it loses its inner vision and its cleaner energy, falls into a new sort of sordidness, more vast and more stupendous than the old savage sort. An Augean stable of metallic filth."
- D. H. Lawrence

Leadership Crisis: Why Police Morale Is Diving

People that sit on public boards have agendas, usually related to personal bias. But when that person moves from being a watchdog to a commander, the losses begin to mount. Political interference in all aspects of Canadian society is out of control. Toronto is the best example of the day. Instead of focusing on policy, the political appointee is trying to manage the police force. "Colling said the board should focus on policy, not exactly how many officers are on bikes, as McConnell seems to be."

"Executives shouldn't manage from 6 feet, it should be from 60,000 feet."

Canadian society is corrupt and the best way to keep it that way is to destroy the morale of the police. Congratulations Toronto: You are Leading the Way!

"IF you want to destroy anything, begin by weakening it from the inside."

Across The Pond A Shadow Looms

"One in four boys aged 14 to 17 has been classified as a serious or prolific offender by a Home Office study published yesterday."

"Labour's complacent approach to youth crime is in danger of creating a whole new generation of criminals. Their indifference is illustrated by the fact that this Government does not even bother to record youth crime in its official statistics.''

"No amount of Government spin and selective reporting of the facts will fool the public. Overall recorded crime is up by 12 per cent since 1998. Violent crime has spiralled out of control and is still rising. Violent crime, gun crime, violence against the person and sex offences are all higher than this time last year. The Government has failed to crack down on guns and drugs which fuel violent crime and at the same time is planning to extend pub opening hours."

Hmmm. Violent crime is spiralling out of control in a country managed by a popular leftist party? The government is accused of spinning crime statistics? Canada is not alone after all.

"Like dreams, statistics are a form of wish fulfillment."
- Jean Baudrillard

Forcing Liberal "Morality" and Hypocrisy

The Liberal Party campaigned in the last federal election to protect 'public' healthcare. But private abortion clinics are an exception.

"New Brunswick could face financial penalties if the province continues to refuse to pay for abortions performed in private clinics, says Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh."

"We also talked around the issue around choice and abortion and that being a medically necessary service and I am of the view - and I advised Mr. Robichaud that - we would be enforcing the Canada Health Act on that and any other issue across the country."

"In New Brunswick, Medicare covers only abortions that are performed in approved hospitals during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, provided the woman has had a certificate signed by two doctors, including a specialist, deeming the procedure to be medically necessary. The Medical Services Payment Act leaves it up to doctors to define what "medically necessary" means."

Ujjal Dosanjh is an evil man.

"Whoso taketh in hand to frame any state or government ought to presuppose that all men are evil, and at occasions will show themselves so to be."
- Sir Walter Raleigh

Bad Trend: Employees Don't Think Their Company Is A Good Place To Work

One of the most popular trends for years has been 'Leadership Development.' Most people are familiar with the following popular leadership sentiments:

• Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader.
• The best leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills.
• Leadership is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task, or objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent.
• A person carries out this process by applying his/her leadership attributes (belief, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills).
  
• Leadership makes people want to achieve high goals and objectives, while, on the other hand, bosses tell people to accomplish a task or objective. (source)
  

Based upon my years of experience in the leadership field, most of the above is wrong; leaders are not made, they are born. They are born with a personality that is oriented to leadership. Real leaders are rare.

By saying that leaders are born, I have made a heretic statement that does not correspond to any of the leadership teachings in my field. There is an increasing amount of research to support my belief that leaders are born. This woman saw the trend long before anyone. This man is a leader. Most of what is taught these days is not producing more leaders.

"The conscience of the world is so guilty that it always assumes that people who investigate heresies must be heretics; just as if a doctor who studies leprosy must be a leper."
- Aleist Crowley

The Rise Of Deceit AND False Thinking

The Liberal caucus is visiting New Brunswick. According to news reports (ATV), same-sex relationships are on the meeting agenda. Unfortunately, the issue of SS relationships being the Liberal agenda would be a more appropriate description.

Timed perfectly to relieve some of the pressure off the corrupted Liberal mindset, a group of 'academics' have written to express their opinion. The list of academics include Deans of Law from some of Canada's finest schools. Sadly, all of them are making opinions known about a hypothetical future. Worse, they prove my contention that Canada is hostage to a groupthink mentality that cannot see or hear anything other than their own opinion.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper continues to be the only federal politician willing to be honest on the issue of SS relationships. Harper faces an immense battle against established groupthink, corrupted academics and government funded interest groups.

As a New Brunswick resident, I am not comfortable seeing the Liberal caucus using the aura of Maritime serenity to plot, plan and execute an immoral agenda.

"The perception of the comic is a tie of sympathy with other men, a pledge of sanity, and a protection from those perverse tendencies and gloomy insanities in which fine intellects sometimes lose themselves. A rogue alive to the ludicrous is still convertible. If that sense is lost, his fellow-men can do little for him."
- Ralph Waldo Enerson

Une Bonne Question

"Why not ask your blog readers how they would answer Bush's question to Martin. Why should the US pay for defending Canada if we won't?"

"Silence is the best security to the man who distrusts himself."
- François Duc De La Rochefoucauld

Who Is Really Out Of Touch?

Bob Ransford (described as a senior Tory) is a fool. He complains that the same-sex marriage issue is too controversial because it may divide Tories and hurt election chances. Duh? Are the Liberals united on the (any) issue? What issue in Canada is more important that the fundamental notion of a man and a woman as the basis for the family? But Ransford is typical of Canadian political elites who prefer groupthink to controversy, a shallow vision rather than clarity, and cowardess instead of conviction.

Joining in on the issue is a chorus of deceit; a group dedicated to self-interest. The group is accusing Harper of being intolerant because he believes in the traditional definition of marriage. In my experience, any group of acussers that includes Human Rights officers, labour leaders and race based advocates under one umbrella is a testimonial to the power of groupthink. Based on my understanding of these special advocates, I can safely say that the finger of intolerance belongs to their own.

Canada will never achieve greatness as long as superior thinking and a substantive vision is suppressed by the greedy survival of individual bias.

"I describe family values as responsibility towards others, increase of tolerance, compromise, support, flexibility. And essentially the things I call the silent song of life—the continuous process of mutual accommodation without which life is impossible."
- Salvador Minuchin

Intimate Sorrow?

"These fanatics simply cannot leave other people alone with their most intimate sorrow."

"We wanted to give dignity to the unborn child and dignity to the pain and sorrow a woman who has had an abortion feels"

There is agreement between the sides of the abortion issue; many women experience sorrow.

"Sorrow makes us all children again, destroys all differences of intellect. The wisest knows nothing."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Missing In Action: The Dumbing Down Factor

Like many in the blogosphere (so called), I search for trends, confirmations of trends and commentary that spotlight issues that are being ignored. Often, there is so much information that needs to be reviewed, it is hard to stay focused on any one trend. Personally, I like to follow sociological trends that inform me of problems that are getting worse (substance abuse, learning failures, leadership, sexual diseases, family problems). It is my belief that troubles with individuals and with the family unit foretell national disasters.

For example, while it is 'popular' and socially acceptable to smoke Pot, most of the current research is pointing to a future where psychological disorders may become common for pot smokers. When a family member that works in healthcare tells me that she is seeing more and more young people with 'mental' problems, I remember the studies about pot usage and wonder if there is a connection. She thinks so and so do I.

So when Paul Wells of Macleans Magazine points out that there are fewer and fewer reporters covering the news, I think trend; a very worrying trend. It also makes sense why no one appears to be connecting the dots on most trends and issues; there ain't anyone around to see if there are dots in the first place.

I agree with his conclusion, but considering that the Canadian blogsophere is missing in action too, I don't expect much to change for a very long time.

"Today’s journalism is obsessed with the kinds of things that tend to preoccupy thirteen-year-old boys: sports, sex, crime, and narcissism.... Moreover, if today’s journalism has a driving principle, that principle centers on an obsession with hypocrisy. Journalism is about many things, but these days it is often about revealing that public figures are phonies. Covering Bill Clinton or Prince Charles, or Michael Jackson, reporters frame their stories by saying implicitly, “These people aren'’t what they say they are. Look, they lied to you.” Although there is a cultural role for balloon deflators, journalism has brought this characteristic attitude of the early adolescent to the adult world and elevated it to the status of cultural religion."
- Steven Stark

Wisdom

This woman's story is becoming more interesting as we learn more about her life.

"In that time I had two pregnancy terminations - it was the normal thing back then and the accepted form of contraception. If there is anything I regret then it is those terminations, not having a baby now. "Religion was not a big part of many people's lives and I had never had any religious education, I believed the party line that a foetus is only considered a life when it is older than three months."

She has much to teach those of use that are wary of the prevailing elitists and the 'party line' that dictate all moral discussion in Canada.

"...And one might conclude that this enslavement of the elite to vulgarity was the rule in many households.."

- Marcel Proulx

And COWARDS They Are

"In his latest argument in favour of same sex-marriages, Prime Minister Paul Martin has described it as a "Charter right".

In other words, legalizing gay and lesbian unions, Martin now argues, is a basic issue of protecting minorities from discrimination, as guaranteed by Section 15 of the Charter of Rights.

There's only one problem. Nowhere in Section 15 do the words "sexual orientation" appear.

When the Charter was passed by Parliament in 1982, it specifically protected individuals from discrimination based on "race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability".

Sexual orientation as a "Charter right" was never approved by Parliament. It was "read into" the Charter by the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, starting in 1995.

Opponents of same sex-marriage argue this key ruling -- which paved the way for the eventual legal recognition of same-sex marriages -- was a blatant example of judicial activism run amok.

Proponents argue the court was simply fulfilling the intent of Parliament, given the "open-ended" wording of Section 15, which guaranteed "every individual" freedom from discrimination based upon -- but not limited to -- race, origin, colour, sex, etc.

But whichever side of the debate you're on -- and I support the traditional definition of marriage -- the federal Liberals have been utter cowards on this issue.

Instead of taking a stand for or against same-sex marriage from the start and dealing with it in Parliament, where it should have been decided after a broad public debate, they ducked at every turn and thus handed the issue by default over to the courts.

No choice?
Then, when the courts brought down decision after decision favouring same-sex marriage, the Liberals declared that they had no choice but to follow their lead.

On Friday, Martin said he now considers the recognition of same-sex marriage so important that he is ready to call an election on it in order to uphold the Charter.

He accused opponents of same sex marriage, like Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, of being unwilling to defend the Charter. Martin's eleventh-hour conversion to the cause of same-sex marriage is laughable, given his own flip-flopping in the past.

In 1999, when Martin and most Liberals (then under Jean Chretien) thought it was politically expedient to pay lip service to the sanctity of marriage as "the union of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others", they voted in favour of a Reform party motion using those exact words.

It passed the Commons by an overwhelming 216-55 margin, but the Liberals went even further. Then-justice minister Anne McLellan assured Canadians that "the government has no intention of changing the definition of marriage, or of legislating same-sex marriages."

But in 2003, when the Alliance party under Harper called on the Liberals to reaffirm that 1999 pledge -- and be ready to invoke the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to back it up -- Martin was one of many Liberals who reversed field and voted against. As a result, the motion narrowly lost 137 to 132.

Absurd stand
The fact that today, Martin, less than two years after his own flip-flop on same-sex marriage, is carrying on like this issue is so close to his heart that he's prepared to go to the polls to fight for it is absurd, given his record.

For those of us who support the traditional definition of marriage, it is difficult to feel anything other than disdain for politicians like Martin, who, having failed to take a stand on same-sex marriage for years -- and then having changed their stand when they could no longer hide behind the courts -- now argue that the mess they have made of this issue is somehow our fault.

All we are doing is fighting for the traditional definition of marriage that politicians like Martin told us for generations was the rock on which civil society and its very survival (through procreation) was built. To now be vilified as extremists and bigots by these same politicians, simply for continuing to believe in a definition of marriage they said they believed in up to a few years ago, merits only one response. Contempt.."

"God will not make himself manifest to cowards."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Declaration Of Freedom

"Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.

The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it."

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side."

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."
- Ronald Reagan

A Declaration On Marriage

Toronto Sun columnist Michael Coren said it best, "The debate over same-sex marriage is of fundamental importance but too often the media in Canada promote one side of the argument while simultaneously abusing the other. Put simply, advocates of gay marriage are depicted as intelligent and tolerant, opponents as fools and bigots."

A Declaration on Marriage

Article 1
Marriage and the family are universal
All human beings are born of a mother and begotten by a father. This is a universal biological reality and the common experience of all people. The state supports the institution of marriage because it promotes and protects the father-mother-child relationship as the only natural means of creating and continuing human life and society.

Article 2
Marriage means one man and one woman
Marriage in Canada has always been defined as “the union of one man and one woman,” the chief function of which is to promote the biological unity of sexual opposites as the basis for family formation. Governments may want to support other relationships, but these should not be called “marriage,” or confused with it.

Article 3
Marriage is centred on children
Marriage is a child-centred, not an adult-centred, institution. No one has the right to redefine marriage so as intentionally to impose a fatherless or motherless home on a child as a matter of state policy.

Article 4
Marriage rests on four conditions
Marriage is a solid social structure resting on four conditions concerning number, gender, age, and incest. We are permitted to marry only one person at a time. They must be someone of the opposite sex. They must not be below a certain age. They must not be a close blood relative. Those who satisfy all these conditions - each of which safeguards the well-being of children, the family, and society - have a right to marry. The removal of any of them threatens the stability of the whole structure

Article 5
Marriage is about more than equality
All government policies are intentionally preferential. If we want welfare or veterans’ benefits, or child-support, or marital benefits, we have to qualify for them. Such policies are ordinary forms of distributive justice through which, for its own good, the state discriminates in favour of some people, and some relationships, and not others. So an absence of “equality” is not a good argument against such policies. As same-sex partnerships already receive the same benefits as marriages, however, something else is at issue: an attempt to persuade the public that such partnerships are of the same value to society as marriages. But they can only be made so by denying the unique contribution of marriage as a biologically-unitive, child-centred institution.

Article 6
Marriage is about more than love
The fact that two people say they love each other does not, in itself, justify a right to the benefits conferred by the state on married couples. The only justification for a state interest in the privacy of love flows from the connection between the political fact that the state has a fundamental concern for its own survival and well-being, the biological fact that all human beings require someone of the opposite sex to create life, and the social fact that children have a natural claim to the love and support of their own mothers and fathers. Accordingly, the only kind of private love that is of justifiable public concern is the love that occurs between two people who qualify for marriage according to the four conditions in Article 4.

Article 7
Marriage belongs to the people
Marriage is an institution that has arisen from long-held beliefs and customs of the people that are prior to all states and all courts, and are essential to the very fabric of society. Any attempt by unelected officials of the courts or by any other branch of government to claim ownership of marriage, to alter it without the support of a significant majority of the people, or to diminish the father-mother-child relationship in favour of the state-citizen relation, usurps the natural rights and freedoms of the people and constitutes a serious breach of the public trust.

"If we consider the superiority of the human species, the size of its brain, its powers of thinking, language and organization, we can say this: were there the slightest possibility that another rival or superior species might appear, on earth or elsewhere, man would use every means at his disposal to destroy it."

- Jean Baudrillard

**Liberal Election Strategy Unveiled**

The federal Liberal Party has found their long sought after strategy to win a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. The Liberals, with a history of false electoral promises, corrupt governing practices and misleading platforms, intends to campaign as the Champion of the Charter of Rights.

Morally ambivalent Prime Minister Paul Martin warned Conservative leader Stephen Harper that he was prepared to campaign in the next election defending the Charter. Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler played along with the Prime Minister's warning. Cotler recycled an expression used by a former member of the Quebec National Assembly who resigned when the provincial Liberal government used the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights to override the rights of English speaking residents.

"Rights are rights are rights," Cotler told the Toronto Globe and Mail.

Using their claim to be the lone Champion of the Charter of Rights, Paul Martin will attempt to copy a previous Liberal election strategy where they portrayed themselves as the sole defenders of national unity. Other successful Liberal election strategies included selling themselves as the sole opponents to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), North America Free Trade Agreement and closer relations with the US. Once elected, the Liberals ' flip-flopped' on each issue.

There you have it: The Liberal Party of Canada, Champions of Deceit.

"Evil is obvious only in retrospect."

- Gloria Steinem

Canadians Sinking Further Into Debt

First there was the news from TD Bank that Canadian income hasn't kept pace with the growth in the economy, now we hear that personal debts are rising.

"His report says Canadian households owe 20 per cent more than at the start of the decade while average disposable incomes have risen at an annual rate of less than two per cent after inflation, amid an "almost chronic inability of the Canadian economy to generate high-paying jobs."

We are not creating high-paying jobs? Well, yes we are, only in the Federal government. Anyone listening?

"So the blind will lead the blind, and the deaf shout warnings to one another until their voices are lost."

- Norman Mailer

Disaster Tourism

The linked article is a must read. þ The Diplomad

"Incompetence knows no barriers of time or place."

- Laurence J Peter

A Good Question: Why Was Wanted Man Working For Liberals?

The state of Liberal corruption in Canada can be viewed by following what they do locally. By recruiting non-Canadian volunteers, the Liberals 'act' like a political process that is rooted in power rather than in the will of the people.

The Liberals are NOT the political party of choice for the majority of Canadians. Our outdated British electoral system is the problem. Rather than water down an already weak system with proportional representation, let's change the system to elect representatives using the 50 percent plus model. Alas, a country afraid of the majority is not a democracy.

"Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship."
- George Orwell

Pandora's Box Is Awaiting Radical Canadian Liberalism

The Liberals deserve their Pandora's Box and Canadians deserve Stephen Harper's warning. The lesson may well be that not everything decided in 1867 was the result of ignorance. The ignorant reap what they sow.

Pandora's Box
n : (Greek mythology) a box that Zeus gave to Pandora with instructions that she not open it; she gave in to her curiosity and opened it; all the miseries and evils flew out to afflict mankind.

“I love you” is the inscription on Pandora’s box.
- Mason Cooley

Oops, Thou Shall Not Speak Truth

"An outspoken critic of the justice system and a director of the Toronto-based Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted, Kennedy faces allegations of misconduct over comments he made in July 2003, just before a public inquiry was to begin into the cases of Parsons and Dalton.

During a 45-minute speech, Kennedy suggested judges bear some of the responsibility in such cases. "It's the trial judges, some of whom don't know what they are doing," Kennedy said. "Part of it is as a result of political appointments. Part of this is as a result of either intentional or unintentional biases."

Shame on the lawyer for speaking his mind.

"The judge said Kennedy's comments do not reflect "the appropriate standard of respect, integrity and courtesy toward the courts and the judiciary."

"Truth is a necessary phantom."
- Mason Cooley

The Call For Greatness Will Fall On Deaf Ears

I give credit to the Calgary Herald for asking, "When was the last time somebody at the federal level in Canada did something that made you so proud you wanted to go out and wave a flag?" But asking will not produce the answer.

Canada is living in the era of the theatrical leader, someone that says and does things according to a script - whether that is adhering to the results of a poll or following the rigid dogma of party policy. Leaders trained in the art of acting can be found in all corners of society. They follow imposed internal or external scripts- whether that be beliefs or ever-changing social values.

The shallowness of theatrical leadership has spread from the den of Parliament to the kitchens of the average Canadian. "Is there a leader who will do what it takes, to cut spending, pay debt and let Canada be great? Perhaps. But not currently at 24 Sussex Drive. Alas."

"The first element of greatness is fundamental humbleness (this should not be confused with servility); the second is freedom from self; the third is intrepid courage, which, taken in its widest interpretation, generally goes with truth; and the fourth,— the power to love— although I have put it last, is the rarest."
- Margot Asquith

A New Low

Theatrical leadership:

"IT WAS a circus when Prime Minister Paul Martin visited the disaster area of Kalumai in Sri Lanka this week for a photo opportunity. His people from Ottawa, including the RCMP, were pushing people out of the way, grabbing at cameras, and trampling over graves on the beach in order to photograph the PM."

"A couple of women from the PM's office were running around yelling at people." þ NealeNews

The Liberal Party of Canada is a moral wasteland.

"The fact that I have no remedy for all the sorrows of the world is no reason for my accepting yours. It simply supports the strong probability that yours is a fake."
- H.L. Mencken

Moral Rot Takes Root In Canadian Military

First it was the plan to eliminate the Maltese Cross from the uniforms of Military chaplains, now we learn that the same Military 'chaplains' plan to wed same-sex couples. þNealeNews

The story is so outrageous, I am coming to the conclusion that Canada is headed for a national disaster.

"But the relationship of morality and power is a very subtle one. Because ultimately power without morality is no longer power."

- James Baldwin

Fed and Prov Liberals Plan Hypnotic NB Session

How many times has this type of headline graced a Maritime newspaper: "N.B. Liberals to press regional concerns at federal party retreat?"

"Fredericton Liberal MP Andy Scott told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to showcase the province, while pushing for help on economic concerns. "As far as New Brunswick is concerned I think that the critical issue is regional economic development and the Atlantic caucus will meet as part of the agenda," said Scott."

I bet showcasing the province will be nothing more than a few Moosehead beer, some Irish and Acadian music and a lobster supper. Regional economic development translates into a strategy to enrich Liberal Party supporters with consulting grants to help redesign wharfs, parking lots and sidewalks.

It would nice if the New Brunswick Liberal leader was more than just a man waiting for his turn at the trough. Sadly, like all Liberals of the modern era, his only leadership skill appears to be the ability to say the word smoothly.

"When the leaders choose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the construction of the state, will be of no service. They will become flatterers instead of legislators; the instruments, not the guides, of the people."
-Edmund Burke

Gee, Knock Us Out With A Reality Check

Here is the opening knock, "The financial well-being of Canadians has barely advanced in the past 15 years, even though we're working harder than ever, says a new study by Don Drummond, chief economist of TD Bank. The economy has steadily grown over that period, yet the take-home pay of the average Canadian has hardly budged, Drummond said in the study released Tuesday."

And here is the kick in the groin, "Extra effort doesn't necessarily make you feel better off and taxes have been going up so much faster than your before-tax income."

And this is a kick in the head, "Over the past eight years, health initiatives received 40 per cent of all increases in government spending including a massive $41.3 billion, 10-year pledge made by Prime Minister Paul Martin last fall. We've just got a more expensive system, not a better system."

And the kicker is, "We have no reason to believe that significant tax relief is anywhere on their [Liberal] agenda. They're a minority government with an attitude problem. . .they seem to think they can behave as a majority."

And if you go for a smoke to help relieve the stress, the damn provincial Liberals are increasing taxes AGAIN!

"We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."
- Leona Helmsley

Liberals Can't Get Any Dumber Than This

Politicians NEVER disappoint my belief that our political elites are out of touch with reality. To have any plan that fire, lay off or retire large numbers of nurses is plain old stupid. What's next?

"The kings of modern thought are dumb."
- Matthew Arnold

'Marriage' Causing Snubs Here and There

Poor Paul Martin, while 'touring' the disaster areas in South East Asia and holding meetings with terrorists, it was the issue of same-sex marriage that was causing his handlers and spin doctors some grief. Naturally, the PM is fond of using his new spinnned phrase, "And the purpose of the Charter of Rights is to protect minorities, to protect them against the oppression of the majority.''

First, the PM needs to learn the dictionary definition of oppression. Marriage, defined as a union between a man and a woman, is not a form of oppression. Second, he needs to learn that the Charter of Rights may also be used by minorities to impose practices that infringe on the rights of the majority. Third, our PM needs to be reminded that his government, and that of his predecessor, have never been elected by the majority and that his invoking the Charter of Rights to protect minorities is farcical and dishonest. His government is the minority supported by the minority.

At home the issue rages here too. Despite the negative press, Bishop Henry's words speak to the majority of Canadians.

Let us have a government of the people instead of a government by special interests.

"Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy."
- Plato

Oh Me Gosh - The UN Oil-for-Food Scandal – Canadian Connection

"Its all about the oil" was the chant issued by a vast army of protesters around the world.

Yes, it may have been "all about the oil" – but it didn't involve Americans, who did not own any of the oil in Iraq, but rather a horde of rich global fat cats who wanted to make millions in a so-called U.N. humanitarian program.

One of those who made out like a bandit is a rich Canadian whose bank made millions and whose Paris-based holding companies include the originally French-Belgian oil company TotalFina Elf, which cut lucrative deals with Saddam's Iraq and is currently operating in war-torn Sudan.

Various congressional committees have launched hearings into what has been described as the biggest corruption scandal in history. Not surprisingly, U.N. officials have refused to cooperate with the congressional investigations."

Read more:

"Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist."
- Edmund Burke

Parents Are Choking The Life Out Of Hockey

The linked story is one of many examples of Canadian parents that have gone mad trying to turn little Johnny into a star. Anyone that attends local hockey can tell you tales of parents that spend most of the game screaming play-by-play advice to the players, the coaches, the time-keeper and the referees. Ear muffs are no longer a winter accessory, they are a hockey necessity for anyone wanting to watch kids play.

Worse still is the amount of politics that have seeped into all levels of kids hockey. With parents pressuring coaches to play their youngsters regardless of talent, coaches are pressured into playing favorites to shut up 'special' parents. The leagues and the organizers have become obsessed with keeping everyone happy while the game of hockey is looking less and less like a sport and acting more and more like a political diversity exercise.

I can only guess that one of the roots of the problem is our modern obsession with stardom. We are becoming life imitating art.

"Sport in the sense of a mass-spectacle, with death to add to the underlying excitement, comes into existence when a population has been drilled and regimented and depressed to such an extent that it needs at least a vicarious participation in difficult feats of strength or skill or heroism in order to sustain its waning life-sense."
- Lewis Mumford

Oh Canada, Oh Deceit

The Liberal Party TV ad campaign for the upcoming Federal election will include photos of brave and generous Maple Leafs wandering around with the Prime Minister. The ad campaign will show the compassion of the Maple Leaf. Pictures of American and Australian military personnel doing all of the real work will be superimposed by photos of members of DART (Canada's Disaster And Relations Team). A choir of the children of Canada's popstars will sing O Canada while members of the Tamil Tigers will play musical backup. The television ad will close with a picture of a fluttering Maple Leaf swallowing the earth. Pollsters will be paid huge sums of tax money to prescreen the ads, plying the media with advanced copies. The favored media will cry at the sight of Canada's superiority, sharing their religious moment with their audience for weeks. CBC will broadcast a behind the scenes series called: The Making of Canada in the World.

The Liberals will be rewarded with a massive majority and 42 percent of the vote.

"Sincerity: if you can fake it, you'’ve got it made."
- Daniel Schorr

They Call It 'Wacky Tabacky' For A Reason

"Liberal attitudes to cannabis are putting millions of young people's mental health at risk, senior doctors have warned."

"There is clear evidence that high levels of use, especially among teenagers who are physically and mentally still developing, carries with it the increased risk of psychosis and respiratory conditions such as asthma."

"Health warnings are falling on deaf ears, drowned out by the cries of powerful liberal pro-legalisation groups."

"I smoked a lot, particularly skunk, and was getting worried about what it was doing to me. It affected my concentration, made me depressed, affected my short-term memory. There were times when I got really paranoid about friendships and relationships. It was horrible."

"Where does one go from a world of insanity?
Somewhere on the other side of despair."
- T.S. Eliot

God As A Self-Help Guru ?

It was bound to happen. Unable to convince informed Christians that living a life of sin is not contrary to bible teaching, some have chosen to modify Christian beliefs. Rewriting the bible or the Word of God is not new. In an era of the DaVinci Code, openly gay clergy and new-age spiritualism, creating a new version of Christian thought is really old heresy.

"Sin makes no sense in a theological structure that excludes judgment. God must be reconceived so that He is no longer a God of justice concerned with righteousness but is instead an agent of personal transformation among His human creatures, calling out the very best in every person and every situation. No one is beyond His salvific purpose, and even Satan will eventually be reconciled to God and will take his place in the great harmonic age to come.

Salvation must be reconceptualized so as to remove any atoning work accomplished by Jesus Christ and reduce the entire scheme of salvation to something like a self-help program that produces and evolves spiritual consciousness."

"Where God hath a temple, the Devil will have a chapel."
- Robert Burton

For Sale: Canadian Passports

The Sgro 'scandal' is more than embarrassing, it is symptomatic of an obsession with multiculturalism. In the drive to power, the Liberals have sold Canadian citizenship at cut rate prices. They have ditched the average Canadian and replaced them with 'ethnic' groups. Paul Martin continued the trend during his leadership coup, using instant ethnic memberships to guarantee his win. Whether using Romanian strippers or East Indian refugees, the Liberals under Paul Martin have used a corrupt and badly managed immigration system to recruit a new generation of voters to aid them in their desire to maintain a majority/minority share of Canadian votes. Our loss is great.

Some thoughts on the 'greatness' of our loss is summed up here:

And while the Liberals flub and flush Canada through their electoral system, the tired and dying vets fight never-ending battles for dignity.

"Ships that pass in the night and speak each other in passing;
Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another,
Only a look and a voice; then darkness again and a silence."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

More Devout 'Catholics' Bearing False Witness

Although this story is headlined, "Take gay union fight to MPs, bishop says," it ends up being another rant against the Catholic Church and it's stand against gay-marriage.

No story about gay-marriage would be complete without a former priest living in a gay relationship or a 'devout' Catholic Member of Parliament who says the church is wrong. First, to be a former priest means to be someone that did not obey his vow of celibacy. Second, the Catholic Church is a religion that adheres to the laws of God, not man.

"Without philosophy man cannot know what he makes;
without religion he cannot know why."
- Eric Gill

I Rub Your Back, You Rub Mine

There is only one victim in this Sgro mess; law abiding Canadian taxpayers.

"I told her my whole situation and she assured me that if I helped out in her election campaign she would get me immigration in Canada."

"I own a pizza store in Brampton and Judy said that she wanted me to deliver pizza, garlic bread etc., to her campaign office in North York. I did this. She also said that she needed 15-16 people to help work in her campaign. I organized this for her as well."

Where did Mr. Singh get the idea that giving free pizzas was one step in the immigration process?

Kick both Sgro and Singh out.

Bribery:
noun " The act or practice of offering, giving, or taking a bribe."

All Canadians Are Equal Except..............some

Canadian (The Liberal Party) values include the right of all Canadians to be treated equal in the evil battle against second-hand smoke. But what is Andy Scott to do with the natives?

Having spent billions making natives the poorest people in Canada, the Minister of Northern Affairs has a dilemma on his second hand. I say, let them manage their own smoke. They need the distraction from the misery of their own existence.

"It is a consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery." - Publius Syrus

I Promise Mommy, I will Give It Back

Like a teenager caught stealing, the Liberal Party is play-acting its response to guilt. Caught using an elaborate kick-back scheme to fill the coffers of the Liberal Party, the duty Minister says all money will be returned by those directors convicted of fraud. Hmmmm. If they are not convicted, yahoo, the money stays with the Liberal Party! Yippee..;(

Worse, the courageous and competent (NOT) Public Works ministry is planning to go to court to have money returned that was 'overpaid' to Liberal friends. Perhaps the best approach for Public Works would be a mass firing of all employees and senior management. Hey folks, you rot! Time to clean house instead of wasting more money in the court system.

But, like the actors that they are, the Liberals will keep pointing fingers at the innocent.

"And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe,
And then from hour to hour we rot and rot;
And thereby hangs a tale."
- As You Like It. Act ii. Sc. 7. Shakespeare

Oh To Be Liberal and Naked !

" The UN's performance in this disaster has been a disgrace of epic proportions; it's vastly overfunded and overstaffed agencies, allegedly established to deal with precisely this type of event, are MIA. We are now in day 16 (DAY 16!) of the crisis, and the UN is still not ready to act. It is no wonder affected countries want to deal with the US and not the UN. At a minimum, the UN owes the world an apology; the entire upper echelon of the UN and its bloated agencies should resign."

Blind and naked Ignorance
Delivers brawling judgments, unashamed,
On all things all day long.
- Alfred Tennyson

Liberal Boneheads Spend $100,000+ Using Humor To Promote Condoms

Using humor to promote 'safe-sex' and prevent AIDS is akin to using humor to end hunger. It is another dumb idea from overpaid activists that cause MORE harm than good. Naturally, the Federal government had to kick in $100,000 to help spread the bad humor. Audiences may be laughing but the joke is on those that promote condoms as 'the' solution.

Uganda is leading the fight on AIDS, but you rarely hear anything in the news about them because their approach does not fit with the AIDS groupthink mentality.

The Uganda success story is about prevention. When President Museveni came to power in January 1986, his country was already being decimated by AIDS. Under President Museveni’s leadership, leaders at every level of society responded to this crisis by sending a unified and forceful message. They urged people to prevent the spread of HIV. Their message was as simple as ABC: Abstain, Be faithful, and, if necessary, use a Condom. This message was disseminated widely through all sectors of society during the late 1980s.

"Awareness need never remain superficial in an educated man, whereas unawareness is certain to be ignorance probably compounded by arrogance."

- National Conference on Higher Education

British Humor or Family Costume?

The poor Prince was forced to apologise for wearing a nazi uniform at a party?

Freudian slip:

n : a slip-up that (according to Sigmund Freud) results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals

Act 2: Liberal Lawyers Organize and Execute 'Smear' Campaign

The Liberal Party of Canada has much to gain from any campaign to discredit Justice Gomery. Act 1 of their campaign began in December and I'm certain there will be an Act 3.

The Liberals, in my opinion, act like pack rats, but operate like wolves in sheep's clothes.

"Once we began to see our images
Reflected in the mud and even dust,
‘Twas disillusion upon disillusion.
We were lost piecemeal to the animals,
Like people thrown out to delay the wolves.
Nothing but fallibility was left us...."
- Robert Frost

He Said One Way, They Said No Way

Today is not the first time I have heard that a member of Christian clergy was 'forced' to apologize for saying the following, "first it was Herod who had the children of Bethlehem killed, then Hitler and Stalin let millions of people be destroyed, and today, in our times, millions of unborn children are being killed."

Why is it that some members of the Jewish community feel slighted if anyone hints the word holocaust in relation to abortion? Is it because some feel that abortion is a medical procedure and not comparable? The dictionary may help explain.

Personally, I don't believe that the Archbishop needs to apologize.

UPDATE: This incredible story reminds me why I support life.

"Vice itself lost half its evil by losing all its grossness."
- Edmund Burke

"Family" News Ignored

Considering the incredible amount of liberal propaganda these days, I am NOT surprised that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the value of the traditional family is not splashed across the news networks.

This was Florida's view, "It is rational to believe that children need male and female influences to develop optimally, particularly in the areas of sexual and gender identity, and heterosexual role modeling."

Unfortunately with our flawed Constitution, Canada ignores basic wisdom.

"The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It represents a child’s initial source of unconditional love and acceptance and provides lifelong connectedness with others. The family is the first setting in which socialization takes place and where children learn to live with mutual respect for one another." - Marianne E. Neifert

Let The Propaganda War Begin: Warehousing Children - Public or For Profit?

It was interesting to read the first, of what I consider will be many expected reports on daycare, as the Federal Government prepares to formalize a system to warehouse children. Of course, their big question is whether not-for-profit is better than private-for-profit. Personally, I believe the real question should be: parenting versus warehousing children.

This quote stands out as odd, "A seven-point scale was used to assess classroom conditions that impact child development, such as meals and rest, diapering, furnishings, learning activities, and interaction between children and staff." Are these 'conditions' not parenting issues?

I believe that childhood development is impacted by the decision of parents to send their children into centers where non-family members 'parent' the abandoned young. The adult daycare workers are not the parents and unconsciously harm the children because they force the children into directed learning activities that, more often than not, are what the adults want but not what the children want.

I don't expect any real conversation, dialogue, debate or discussions surrounding the role of parenting in Canada. That would be too controversial and might offend the sensibilities of some 'parents.'

Every time I read about daycare issues, I am reminded of the work of A.S. Neill and Summerhill School and believe that progress is the work of heretics not liberals.

"...Only an enlightened and happy home can counteract the baleful indoctrination and deadness of the usual school. The saddest letters I write are in reply to boys and girls who write telling me how they hate their schools. I answer saying that, however much they hate the lessons and the way they are presented, the damn system is there, and the only thing to do is to grit your teeth and accept it and get through it as quickly as possible." - A.S. Neill

Run Johnny Run, But You Can't Hide

There is one interpretation from the loyal Ilk and Mail or there are these words that will not fail.

"When the apple is ripe it will fall."
- Irish Proverb

OH OH, Another Second-Hand Smoking Study, Scare, Fear or Babble

"Smoking even a single cigarette in the presence of your child could be dulling your child's brain and ability to learn, a new study suggests."

What? You mean that my kids will be dumb because they smelled a cigarette? Yep! Shocking!

"To measure exposure to the environmental tobacco smoke, researchers measured levels of cotinine, a substance only produced by humans when nicotine is broken down by the body."

But, what the shrill report in the Ottawa Sun doesn't mention is the following study on the health benefits of cotinine. You may die from cancer etc, but you won't go crazy.

In the interest of balanced reporting, I wondered if there were other benefits from smoking cigarettes? Um, maybe.....check out these.

And of course, there is always this guy's complete review of the facts about smoking (warning: those prone to fainting should be aware that not everything you have been told about smoking is true). Judge for yourself.

"My facts shall be falsehoods to the common sense. I would so state facts that they shall be significant, shall be myths or mythologic. Facts which the mind perceived, thoughts which the body thought—with these I deal." - Henry David Thoreau

'White Collar Crime' Sure Does Pay

The average 'Joe' that robs a bank of $1000 is quickly placed in jail and then ushered through the legal system. The higher class crime of fraud requires years of inquiry and analysis. Even then, the accussed is free to live a lavish lifestyle while taxpayers foot the mounting legal bills.

"The final act of this tragedy has yet to be played out. And when it is, Myron Gottlieb and I are certain we will be vindicated."

I wonder if these 'boys' have or could pass the smell test?

"I visited Georgia’s prisons many times, and almost all the inmates I met there were poor. Poor people aren’t the only ones to commit crimes, but they seem to be the only ones who go to prison." - Jimmy Carter

"Let's Spend"

As the money pours in, the Liberal Government intends to spend its way back to electoral respect.

Priority number one is an expensive universal daycare plan that will cost 5 billion dollars over five years. Although daycare is the jurisdiction of the provincial governments, the Liberals will bribe the provinces into compliance. Quebec will be given a side-deal that will demonstrate the Liberals capacity to accommodate the complex aspects of Confederation. Studies espousing the virtues and benefits of daycare will be ordered and paid for by the government, then leaked to insider journalists. The nation will be overjoyed by the generous and future thinking liberals, promising to reward them with a majority government.

The second priority will be to announce spending increases for seniors. The objective will be to package compassion while attempting to blunt any criticism for the national daycare plans. Seniors will be reassured that the Liberal government cares enough to reward them at the next election.

After the Liberals are re-elected, officials will deny that the cost of the national daycare plan is increasing from 5 billion to 15 billion. Finance officials will announce changes to the Canada Pension Plan.

"Most of the money given by rich people in “charity” is made up of conscience money, “ransom,” political bribery, and bids for titles.... One buys moral credit by signing a cheque, which is easier than turning a prayer wheel." - George Bernard Shaw

Ode To Newfoundland

No one speaks better for Newfoundland than John Crosbie.

The Ode to Newfoundland

When Sun-rays crown the pine-clad hills,
And Summer spreads her hand,
When silvern voices tune thy rills,
We love thee, smiling land.

When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,
And wild waves lash thy strand,
Thro' sprindrift swirl and tempest roar,
We love thee, wind-swept land,
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, wind-swept land.
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, wind-swept land.

When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,
At Winter's stern command,
Thro' shortened day and starlit night,
We love thee, frozen land,

As loved our fathers, so we love
Where once they stood we stand;
Their prayer we raise to Heaven above,
God guard thee, Newfoundland.
God guard thee, God guard thee
God guard thee Newfoundland.
God guard thee, God guard thee
God guard thee Newfoundland.

- Sir Cavendish Boyle

VIPs Disaster and Photo Op

Yesterday CBC and CTV news showed Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Pettigrew, flying over Thailand. He was on the job, trying his best to look important. Later, when he met with reporters, he demonstrated his best Liberal Lip Sync, quoting a "poll" that said 90 percent of Canadians supported the Feds efforts. What an incredible humanitarian! Pettigrew used the scenic Thailand disaster area to underscore the brilliance of the Liberal Government's efforts. It was another example of political theatrics at work; fly to a disaster area, bring reporters to film the awe and then pull the latest poll out to reinforce the message. Shame on him!

Of course, Pettigrew was not alone. Kofi Annan was twirling about trying to use his learned theatrics to show the world that he (and not the USA and Australia) was doing good work. The problem with Annan (and all other like-minded souls) is that while he was play-acting, the real relief effort was being done by the true humanitarians.

What a sick, corrupt world.

"Acting is a form of confession." - Tallulah Bankhead

Daring IRA or More British Propaganda?

Only in a territory under an occupation ignored by the UN, and other advocates of liberty, would you hear a bank robbery being used to eliminate the political influence of Sinn Fein.

Perhaps most of the problems would disappear if the British did the honorable thing and left Northern Ireland and allow the north to be what it is: Irish Territory.

"The tragedy of Northern Ireland is that it is now a society in which the dead console the living."
- Jack Holland

“I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,” cried she.
“Come out of charity
And dance with me in Ireland.”

- Yeats

IllUsioNs of Grandeur

Some key points:
"As we come up on two weeks since the disaster struck, the UN is still not to be seen where it counts -- except when holding well-staged press events. Ah, yes, but the luxury hotels are full of UN assessment teams and visiting big shots from New York, Geneva, and Vienna. The city sees a steady procession of UN Mercedes sedans and top-of-the-line SUV's -- a fully decked out Toyota Landcruiser is the UN vehicle of choice; it doesn't seem that concerns about "global warming" and preserving your tax dollars run too deep among the UNocrats."

"Sitting VERY late for two consecutive nights in interminable meetings with UN reps, hearing them go on about "taking the lead coordination role," pledges, and the impending arrival of this or that UN big shot or assessment/coordination team, for the millionth time I realized that if not for Australia and America almost nobody in the tsunami-affected areas would have survived more than a few days. If we had waited for the UNocrats to get their act coordinated, the already massive death toll would have become astronomical."

"Inaction is cowardice, but there can be no scholar without the heroic mind." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Aren't we wonderful?

Yes Indeed!


"For hope is but the dream of those that wake." - Matthew Prior

Hello, Disaster Operations Center? Is Anyone Home? Hello....

This story is too funny.

"Nobody has their phone number"

"If they don't know how many people are working for them, it's hard to see how they could co-ordinate a response in Sri Lanka or anywhere else."


"Bureaucrats write memoranda both because they appear to be busy when they are writing and because the memos, once written, immediately become proof that they were busy." - Charles Peters

CIBC practices Revenge Against Employees

I don't believe that senior management of CIBC understand the new world order. In a knowledge based economy, an employee with top skills can take his brain with him. The old days of leaving your brain outside of work are long over. CIBC is acting dumb.

Instead of launching a lawsuit, senior CIBC management should conduct an analysis of why employees wanted to leave. Happy employees that work in an environment that respects personal dreams and ambitions are loyal. Unhappy employees that feel work is a drain on their personal ambitions usually leave.

"Bad faith likes discourse on friendship and loyalty." - Mason Cooley

Oh, Oh ! A Marriage Made in Court Makes More Merriment

As the future of marriage unfolds, the just are placing their line in the sand. Will religious rights win out? Don't hold your liberal breath.

"What is marriage, is marriage protection or religion, is marriage renunciation or abundance, is marriage a stepping-stone or an end. What is marriage."
-Gertrude Stein

More "Racism" From the "Liberal" Government

"Persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens residing abroad who are Members of a Visible Minority group.

Parks Canada Agency, as an equal opportunities employer is committed to achieving a skilled workforce that reflects the diversity of the Canadian population. Accordingly, this position is being staffed under the Parks Canada Agency’s approved Employment Equity Human Resources Plan, therefore only persons belonging to a Visible Minority group will be considered. You must clearly state in your application that you are a member of a Visible Minority group. A Visible Minority in Canada is someone who is non-white in colour/race, regardless of place of birth. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens."

Our taxes support this racist crap. I don't vote Liberal and will never vote Liberal as long as racism is their agenda.

Racism:

noun

1. animosity toward other races: prejudice or animosity against people who belong to other races
2. belief in racial superiority: the belief that people of different races have different qualities and abilities, and that some races are inherently superior or inferior

"Groupthink" Will Destroy What Bad Policy Builds

It is no wonder that healthcare in Canada is screwed up. Aside from the ever-present over regulation and bureaucracy, the Quebec system is suffering from language laws designed to purify the system of English speaking nurses. I believe the nurse when says she speaks French. I don't believe this makes sense, "Gyslaine Desrosiers, president of the Quebec Order of Nurses, said Tuesday that language laws must override any concerns about the nursing shortage." But then again, "Groupthink" makes dummies out of normally intelligent people.

Groupthink: "unquestioning conformity: conformity in thought and behavior among the members of a group, especially an unthinking acceptance of majority opinions." - MSN Encarta

Why Liberalism Without Facts Is Dangerous

I missed this article when it first appeared in the National Post. It's a good thing that David Frum offers all of his work in a personal archive. This quote stands straight up and says, whoa: "In 1959, the peak year of the Baby Boom, almost 480,000 children were born in Canada -- a country of about 17 million people. With rare exceptions, the number of births has been declining ever since. In 2002, there were only 328,000 children born to the 31 million people of Canada."

If that don't make you think about public policy, nothing will!

"Facts are counterrevolutionary." - Eric Hoffer

It's Time Newfoundland Says Goodbye To Corrupt Canada

Newfoundland's Traditonal Flag

Premier Danny Williams is correct to lower the Canadian flag. Pride in a symbol of poverty, corruption and the 21st century family compact (Liberal Party of Canada) is harming Newfoundland culture.

The typical reaction to Newfoundland's angst is Upper Canadian insults. But others are willing to put their name on the line.

I believe that Newfoundland is poor because Canada is corrupt; morally and financially.

"Yet some can be patriotic who have no self-respect, and sacrifice the greater to the less. They love the soil which makes their graves, but have no sympathy for the spirit which may still animate their clay. Patriotism is a maggot in their heads." - Henry David Thoreau

Mass Confusion = Security Threat

The old adage, united we stand, divided we fall, seems appropriate after reading the linked story about mistrust among Canada's security planners. Am I suprised? Heck no!

The Liberals have spent far too much time and money destroying the culture of Canada's military for me to think their efforts were wasted.

Oh Blame, we stand on guard for thee...................


"They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."
- Old Testament

Two Faces of Action

"Action is transitory,—a step, a blow;
The motion of a muscle, this way or that."
- William Wordsworth

Death Toll Rises - UN In Meetings

Thank God for the United States of America.

Without their quick thinking and the quick response of the Australians, South East Asia would be in greater harm. Sadly, the United Nations have reacted like all bureaucratic organizations usually do; they plan, talk amongst themselves, plan some more, and then steal credit. Thankfully, a diplomat on the scene tells the truth in plain American English.

When Demosthenes was asked what was the first part of oratory, he answered, “Action;” and which was the second, he replied, “Action;” and which was the third, he still answered, “Action.”
- Plutarch

New Year's Day

New Year Poem
by Philip Larkin

The short afternoon ends, and the year is over;
Above trees at the end of the garden the sky is unchanged,
An endless sky; and the wet streets, as ever,
Between standing houses are empty and unchallenged.
From roads where men go home I walk apart--
The buses bearing their loads away from works,
Through the dusk the bicycles coming home from bricks --
There evening like a derelict lorry is alone and mute.

These houses are deserted, felt over smashed windows,
No milk on the step, a note pinned to the door
Telling of departure: only shadows
Move when in the day the sun is seen for an hour,
Yet to me this decaying landscape has its uses:
To make me remember, who am always inclined to forget,
That there is always a changing at the root,
And a real world in which time really passes.

For even together, outside this shattered city
And its obvious message, if we had lived in that peace
Where the enormous years pass over lightly--
Yes, even there, if I looked into your face
Expecting a word or a laugh on the old conditions,
It would not be a friend who met my eye,
Only a stranger would smile and turn away,
Not one of the two who first performed these actions.

For sometimes it is shown to me in dreams
The Eden that all wish to recreate
Out of their living, from their favourite times;
The miraculous play where all their dead take part,
Once more articulate; or the distant ones
They will never forget because of an autumn talk
By a railway, an occasional glimpse in a public park,
Any memory for the most part depending on chance.

And seeing this through that I know that to be wrong,
Knowing by the flower the root that seemed so harmless
Dangerous; and all must take their warning
From these brief dreams of unsuccessful charms,
Their aloof visions of delight, where Desire
And Fear work hand-in-glove like medicals
To produce the same results. The bells
That we used to await will not be rung this year,

So it is better to sleep and leave the bottle unopened;
Tomorrow in the offices the year on the stamps will be altered;
Tomorrow new diaries consulted, new calendars stand;
With such small adjustments life will again move forward
Implicating us all; and the voice of the living be heard:
'It is to us that you should turn your straying attention;
Us who need you, and are affected by your fortune;
Us you should love and to whom you should give your word.'