· Jack Layton Responds (May 2005 )

Jack Layton sends his response.

· Reply to Rahim Jaffer (May 2005 )

Rahim Jaffer responds, as do I.

· An open letter to Jack Layton and Stephen Harper (May 2005 )

An open letter to Jack Layton and Stephen Harper

· Dusting off the pulpit (April 2005 )

Some politics, and admiration for Jack Layton.

· Farenheit 9/11 (October 2004 )

Farenheit 9/11 is now online, in streaming format... if you haven't seen it yet, you now have no excuse. It's not high-quality, but it's good enough!...

· Canada vs. Amnesty International (October 2004 )

Canada has made Amnesty International's hit list.

· Can you spot the problem? (October 2004 )

There's a definite problem with this Michigan absentee ballot. Can you spot it?...

· Pot kettle black? (September 2004 )

The hypocrisy is outrageous.

· A country gone bad (September 2004 )

Reflections on the Bush acceptance speech.

· 200,000 show up to protest Bush (August 2004 )

Free as in "do what I say and you'll be fine."

· Now this is a president. (July 2004 )

Reminders of a real president.

· Actual Iraq war cost (June 2004 )

Cost of the Iraq war, per US citizen.

· Who can vote? ()

In short, everyone.

· Farenheit 9/11 ()

Go. See. This. Film.

· It's Voting day in Canada. ()

Go vote!

· Adrienne Clarkson may save us all. (June 2004 )

Governer general may save the country.

· All candidates meeting tonight (June 2004 )

Just a reminder to Edmonton Strathcona voters that there's an All candidates meeting tonight at the U of A student union building. If you're still sitting on the fence, unsure of who to vote for, this is a good opportunity to get some more information. Kirsten and I are planning to make it, so we'll see you there if you do too. Voters in the downtown can go to this all-candidates debate....

· Election issue: Private Health Care (June 2004 )

OK, wait a minute... what?

· Candidate-o-matic (June 2004 )

Have the Internet select a PM for you!

· Jack Layton speaks ()

Layton meets the public.

· Yet another reason to not vote Conservative (May 2004 )

Yet another reason not to vote for Stephen Harper's Conservative party.

· We need another Trudeau (May 2004 )

We need another Trudeau. I don't think any of the politicians today have his political skill or leadership.

· Violence on TV (May 2004 )

Kirsten and I were talking on Friday about the curious difference between television/movies in North American and Europe. (To recap: violence is OK in North America, but sex is frowned upon. In Europe, Sex is OK, but violence is frowned upon) We were wondering how this dichotomy arose, when it hit me: North Americans have never had to experience the effects on war first-hand. As such, they don't quite grasp the seriousness of violence, nor the societal damage that it causes. Europeans have a quite clear image of the effects of violence on society; it hasn't been all that long since the end of the Second World War, so cultural memory of the destruction violence causes is quite strong. I still haven't quite figured out how this ties into the different portrayal of sex on TV between North America and Europe -- but I'm sure it ties in with the violence angle. Any thoughts?...

· A most telling quote... ()

Does this mean the US is not free, stable, whole, or at peace with its neighbours?

· American Taliban (May 2004 )

The United States of Bush.

· or, how Canada became the US's lapdog. (May 2004 )

Paul Martin has sold us out. Prime Minister Paul Martin says he believes Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and they've fallen into terrorists' hands. Martin said the threat of terrorism is even greater now than it was following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, because terrorists have acquired nuclear, chemical and biological weapons from the toppled Iraqi leader. Despite the fact that the UN and IAEA found that there was no capacity for a WMD program in Iraq, Martin is running around, claiming the sky is falling. More troubling is that he went to the US president for 'approval' of his thoughts before the Canadian population....

· No recording, please (April 2004 )

Think there's a coverup?

· This is your president, America. (March 2004 )

Proof of insanity.

· Faces of the fallen (March 2004 )

Faces of the fallen: US Fatalities in Iraq.

· My government's cooler than yours. (March 2004 )

Canada rules!

· A Canada without a military (February 2004 )

My thoughts on a good rant.

· "We were all wrong" (January 2004 )

David Kay, head of inspection for the US "There's lots of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq!" crack squad confesses that there's nothing there to be found.

· Nations seeking economic sanctions against the US (January 2004 )

Nobody likes you, everybody hates you, guess you should eat some worms...

· Who really caught Saddam? (December 2003 )

Here's a clue: it wasn't the US.

· interesting tidbit... (December 2003 )

Interesting what news you find when you least expect it.

· The real threat. (December 2003 )

Who's the real threat? Some thoughts...

· Don't heckle the supervillain. (December 2003 )

Who's the real bad guy here?

· And in local news... (December 2003 )

Are we moving towards a two-party system?

· US snubs its historical allies. ()

The US pisses off the world. Again.

· What the US must do now (November 2003 )

I was reading This speech by Al Gore, and it occurred to me what needs to be done by the US in order to fix their image on the foreign stage: Immediately release the prisoners in Guatanamo Bay, transport them back to their home country, and give them $500US (a good sum of money to get back on track for most of them) Cease programs like Echelon and disband CIA training of foreign nationals. Remove all military presences from the Middle East and replace them with civilian ambassadors. Instead of threatening with force, threaten with financial consequence. Likewise, reward "good behaviour" with increased foreign aid. Pay their UN dues. Discard the unilateral mindset regarding conflict. Put more resources towards UN peacekeeping duties. There are currently 13 American military men and women serving peacekeeping duties. Compare that to over 3600 Canadian soldiers sent to Afghanistan alone (in two 1800-soldier units on six-month rotation)....

· HOW-TO: Rebuilding a country (September 2003 )

This is how to rebuild a country. Instead of showing force, attacking "terrorists" and generally throwing their weight around, the Canadian military in Afghanistan is working as negotiators, construction workers and educators. stolen from squid...

· Fascism in the US (September 2003 )

Remember the entry yesterday about the 12 year old girl being sued by the RIAA? It turns out the RIAA is celebrating a great victory, after forcing her mother to settle for $2000. The USA Patriot Act has officially obliterated privacy in the US, by allowing for "secret searches ... authorized by a secret court without public knowledge or Department of Justice accountability" and "Sneak and Peek" searches, which can be carried out without any notice. Travellers in the US are to be screened against criminal records, intelligence information and shopping habits if they fly....

· I love Canada... (August 2003 )

Ottawa pledges $1 billion to back Kyoto Chretien has been doing quite a bit to earn back my respect lately. As crappy a leader as he may have been in the last however many years, he's certainly making up for it on his way out....

· Do not move to Canada (August 2003 )

I have to post this here, because Lance doesn't have comments on his site. Bad Lance. No cookie. Lance is imploring his fellow Americans to not move to Canada.So, sure, you can move to Canada. But don't. I hear that a lot lately, and I've even said it jokingly myself. "If things get any worse, I'm moving to Canada." Where, at least, I could get married if I wanted to, but that's another tale already told. The reason I do not want you to move to Canada is because in a little over a year, we can vote all the sons of bitches out. The problem is, Lance.... you guys won't. Even if you do, the replacements don't look a heck of a lot better. Most of the Democratic hopefuls share Bush&Co's policies on Iraq, foreign policy and the like. In a political system that basically supports two center-line parties, you're damned one way or the other. Clinton - though better in many respects than Bush - also brought the US the DMCA while flinging bombs at Iraq and Afghanistan. He simply didn't make a "crusade" out of it. My advice to the same people you're talking to is Move to Canada. There's lots of room here, and we need your lofty amount of American dollars. :) Plus, we are host to some really great things: Universal healthcare, constitutionally protected human rights, and Bob the Angry Flower. And, of course, "potato skins, and blossoming onions and deep-fried, bread-crumb-coated cheese fingers to dip into high-fat Ranch Dressing (made of real Ranches!)"....

· Back in the USSR (August 2003 )

From this series of short articles comes the suggestion that the US is heading towards the policies of the USSR......

· 112 gripes about the French. (July 2003 )

Perhaps something Americans complaining about the French today should read... 112 GRIPES ABOUT THE FRENCHThis booklet tries to help some of us understand an ally - the French. It is not meant either to "defend" the French or to chastise those Americans who do not like the French. It is intended simply to bring into reasonable focus those irritations, dissatisfactions and misunderstandings which arise because it is often hard for the people of one country to understand the people of another....

· RIAA has new head... (July 2003 )

And in other news, a GOP staffer was chosen to head RIAA. According to the article, the new head, Mitch Bainwol, has "little experience inside the music industry"... but has immensely strong ties to the Republican party....

· Project for a New American Century ()

Want to know where the US is heading in the next 5 years, should the Republicans stay in power? You need look no further than PNAC, the Project for a New American Century. PNAC has planned, in not so many words, an American hegemony, starting with the 'pacification' of the middle East. It was started by a group of neoconservatives, including Paul Wolfowitz, and was instrumental in the most recent US national defense plans. If you read through their "Rebuilding America's Defenses" document, chilling words such as "At present the United States faces no global rival. America's grand strategy should aim to preserve and extend this advantageous position as far into the future as possible" are peppered through it. It's a scary read, covering topics such as "fight[ing] and decisively win[ning] multiple, simultaneous major theater wars", expanding their presence in southeast Asia, a greater military presence in the Pacific, permanent military bases in the Persian Gulf, and a commitment to quickly building up stockpiles of nuclear weapons. In fact, a drawquote in the articles states this:The Clinton Administration's adherence to the 1972 ABM Treaty has frustrated development of useful ballistic missile defenses. Scary stuff. This article covers things quite well as well....

· in passing... (July 2003 )

I was scanning through the robot wisdom weblog, and saw this interesting tidbit:I really think the neocons are consciously pursuing genocide. And you know what? That kinda makes sense....

· hmm... ()

This seems familiar, somehow... Oh ya... that's why. I guess we should expect the US going to war with Iran within a few months, eh? Go multi-front war! It didn't work for Hitler, but maybe it'll work for you, Mr. Bush!...

· some interesting information... ()

This transcribed interview [PDF] with Scott Ritter has a wealth of interesting information in it. Such asThe Vx Nerve Agent has a 1-8 day shelf life. 1-8 days. The Weapons Inspectors left in 1998 because of direct orders to leave, due to a US & British bombing campaign. A campaign Ritter outright calls illegal, and without Security Council clearance. The UN Inspectors didn't head to the presidential palaces expecting to find weapons; rather, they went there to find documentation. They were turned away because they couldn't convince the guards that the documentation wouldn't be turned over to the US. "98% of the inspections run by the weapons inspection team from 1996 to 1998 got the full cooperation of the Iraqi government. "Maybe the United States, Great Britain, Russia, France, and China shouldn't have the ability to dictate to the world how they live, how they interact" (regarding vetos in the Security Council) Neither the US nor Britain had new Iraqi intelligence past 1995-6 Overall, a very interesting article....

· So much for that war... ()

According to this story, the US has been in negotiations with the Taliban, setting up conditions for their potential return to power in Afghanistan. How long, d'ya figure, until they do the same for the Ba'ath party in Iraq?...

· leading the way... (July 2003 )

Canada once again leads the way in International Peacekeeping with its new report for the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT | International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty It's long, so I won't be able to read it until later today... but the basic gist seems to be this:The responsibility to prevent: to address both the root causes and direct causes of internal conflict and other man-made crises putting populations at risk. The responsibility to react: to respond to situations of compelling human need with appropriate measures, which may include coercive measures like sanctions and international prosecution, and in extreme cases military intervention. The responsibility to rebuild: to provide, particularly after a military intervention, full assistance with recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation, addressing the causes of the harm the intervention was designed to halt or avert....

· Rumsfeld on Iraq (July 2003 )

DefenseLINK News: Bush, Rumsfeld Confident Iraq Had Weapons of Mass Destruction "Needless to say," he said, "uncovering those programs will take time." He then reminded committee members that "major combat operations ended less than 10 weeks ago." UN Weapons inspectors were on the ground in Iraq for four months, from November 2002 to March 2003. The US Military, an arguably much larger force, has been there for two months. When the UN Inspectors were on the ground, the US was complaining within the first two weeks that they weren't finding anything. It was jumping up and down flapping its arms in the UN saying that they were there, could be found easily, and gosh-darn-it, if you just let us invade, we'll show you! And now? "Uncovering those programs will take time. You can't have your cake and eat it too, Rumsie. Even if you do find something at this point, given the US's recent fiascos regarding the veracity of its intelligence means you're going to have a hard time proving to the world that the US didn't plant it themselves. Furthermore, Saddam Hussein chose war, Rumsfeld stressed, not the United States. For 12 years, the secretary noted, the Iraqi dictator violated 17 U.N. resolutions "without cost or consequence. His regime had an international obligation to destroy its weapons of mass destruction and to prove to the world that they had done so. He refused to do so." Saddam had the opportunity to prove his weapons of mass destruction program had ended and his weapons were destroyed, Rumsfeld said. "Had he done so, war would have been avoided." In fact, the Hussein regime did agree to the UN's terms, was (mostly) accomodating the UN inspectors, and apparently -- since there's none to be found -- was destroying what WMD there were. Finally, Now that the Iraqi dictator is gone, Bush said, "the world is a much more peaceful and secure place." That's the largest piece of bullshit I've seen come out of the White House lately. The world isn't the least bit more secure -- it's likely less secure as a result of the US's actions. On average, one US soldier has died in Iraq for every day since May 1st. Countless more have been wounded. Terrorist acts in Moscow have been on the rise. The removal of Hussein apparently had no effect on the Chechyn terrorists, who are following a suicide-bomber model... In the United States, you can be detained for an indefinite amount of time for being suspected of having terorist ties. According to the above link, the US government has become excessively protective of its secrecy, to the point of ammending the Freedom of Information Act, censoring EPA reports that mention global warming (what this has to do with 'national security', I know not), and even hindering the efforts of the federal commission looking into 9/11. Fresh talk of al-Qaeda having planned massive forest fires Bomb blasts have occurred in the Phillipines Iran now has Israel within missile range Attacks in India by Pakistani militants are still going onIt appears the world is indeed not a very safe place after Hussein's departure after all....

· stuff that pisses me off. (July 2003 )

It's stories like this that really make me mad at the United States. Iraq is costing the US an average of $4 billion dollars per month. Afghanistan adds another $700 900 million per month on top of that. The above figure also doesn't take into account restructuring costs in Iraq. (new figures gleaned from this article). So, $4.7 4.9 billion dollars per month are being spent on military occupation of nations that a) they don't have the right to be occupying, and b) that don't want them there in the first place. But think about it. This year alone, they've spent over $20 billion dollars on these two countries. That's $100 per person in the United States aged 15-64 (there's 186,377,588 of them according to the CIA factbook). According to this article by the BBC, 40 million Americans lack any kind of health insurance. Take the amount they've wasted on military spending in the last 6 months, and divide that by the number of Americans needing health care insurance? $505 per person per month, which is more than enough to pay for basic coverage. But wait.. there's more! 13% of the population of the United States lives below the poverty line. That's 36,473,123 people. Why not give them a helping hand? Give them each a $500 month stipend to get them back on their feet -- you'll still have funds left over. I could go on, but it'd be a waste of time. The US government just doesn't believe in spending money on its own citizens. Update: This article at the Washington Post sheds some interesting light on the Bush administration since the election. Apparently, they've done the exact opposite of everything they promised to do....

· Look! over there! ()

The US has spontaneously changed its position on the reason behind heading to war with Iraq, this time tugging on extremely emotional strings - the 9/11 attacks."The coalition did not act in Iraq because we had discovered dramatic new evidence of Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass murder," Mr. Rumsfeld testified yesterday before the Senate armed services committee. "We acted because we saw the evidence in a dramatic new light, through the prism of our experience on 9/11." As K says, I guess France is feeling pretty smug right now....

· More proof (July 2003 )

Some more proof the US feels it is above the law. The Bush Administration is cutting off aid to countries that don't support giving the US an exemption from the International Criminal Court, set up last year by the UN to try war crimes and acts of genocide. Why is the US working so hard to get an exemption from the ICC? What war crime skeletons does it have in its closet? (You can be pretty sure that Guantanamo Bay is one of them, where approximately 660 'enemy combatants' are being held. The term 'enemy combatants' is an important one, as it denies them protection under the Geneva Convention.) In another interesting twist, apparently the British Ministry of Defence has no idea what has happened to the nearly 4,000 captured Iraqi soldiers....

· 10 appalling lies... (June 2003 )

There is a small somber box that appears in the New York Times every day since the start of the war. Titled simply "Killed in Iraq," and lists the names and military affiliations of those who most recently died on tour of duty. Wednesday's edition listed just one name: Orenthal J. Smith, age 21, of Allendale, South Carolina. AlterNet: 10 Appalling Lies We Were Told About Iraq...

· The war profiteers card deck (June 2003 )

The card deck that should have been made....

· It's just a matter of time until a president like Bush is impeached... (June 2003 )

This article is a good illlustration of semantics. The headline screams "Bush Says Osama, Saddam Will Be Captured"... but if you read the actual article, it says:President Bush said Tuesday "it's just a matter of time" before terrorist leaders like Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are captured. (emphasis mine) Which is not at all saying they'll capture bin Laden or Hussein. Interestingly, this quote was given while Pakistani president Musharaff was visiting Camp David. The article goes on to mention that Musharaff became leader through a coup, and that the US had not only lifted sanctions imposed against Pakistan due to its nuclear arms program (which it, alongside India, is still developing), but has also effectively given it $4 billion dollars in aid and debt relief. Not only that, but Pakistan is currently aiding terrorist groups (called "militant" groups in the article) in the disputed Kashmir region. So I guess it's okay to help terrorists in the US, just so long as they're on our side......

· The irony of it all... (June 2003 )

Freezerbox: The Shameful Legacy of Radioactive WeaponryThe ultimate irony, of course, is that America may have used radioactive weaponry to justify invading other countries to search for radioactive weaponry. Bitter irony too that US service members were put at increased risk because of the weapons their government provided....

· what if... (June 2003 )

A thought I just had, regarding the Iraq WMD fiasco. A thought that maybe we've been looking at things the wrong way. What are the chances that Saddam fabricated evidence that they did have WMD? Think about this... you're the dictator of a small country, under constant pressure of invasion from the United States. You know your time is running out, and a US invasion is inevitable -- but what can you do about it? What better way to leave the scene than by humiliating the very people who want to remove you? Sprinkle a few 'leads' around, to make the intelligence agencies think you're up to something... import items that might be - but aren't - used for WMDs. Equip your armed forces with biological hazard suits -- but not have biological agents for them to use. A look at the current situation supports this very well: The evidence for the presence of WMD in Iraq grows weaker and weaker every day. At this point, if the US does find something, they'll be fighting a pretty strong sentiment around the world that such evidence was planted. The US and British leadership is having a very hard time within their own political systems; Tony Blair is fighting much opposition in his government, centered around the WMD evidence, and its validity. The US Senate is starting closed-door hearings regarding their intelligence, and its validity. According to a few articles I've read, 'impeachment' is being whispered in certain corners of Washington as well. On top of the WMD evidence, or lack thereof, the state of Iraq itself is a mark on the US/British record. Looting, crime, murder.. all of these things have risen exponentially since the removal of Saddam Hussein. As one journalist put it, the US is shipping home 'one bodybag a day'. Thoughts? Update: This started out as an idle thought, but has become a little more of a possibility after reading this quote (albeit, from a 2000 article on cyberterrorism)"He's really an irritant. He's teasing them, he's defying them. He's trying to get them to overreact. That is what we often see with terrorists. One of their aims is to destabilize regimes, but also to get governments to overreact so they lose credibility with the public," she [Jessica Stern, a former National Security Council aide] says....

· No WMDs in Iraq. (May 2003 )

Frustrated, U.S. Arms Team to Leave Iraq (washingtonpost.com)...

· shameful. (May 2003 )

Dana threw me this link: US Forces Make Iraqis Strip and Walk Naked in Public" href="http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/stripped-iraqis.htm">The Memory Hole > US Forces Make Iraqis Strip and Walk Naked in Public Apparently the US military is now a judicial force in Iraq. Absolutely shameful behaviour on their part....

· caving in... (May 2003 )

< via Rebecca Blood> It seems like the US is giving in to Al Qaeda's demands after all. The US Military presence in Saudi Arabia is being removed. Qatar is the new home of choice for the US, having been a great patsy for the invasion of Iraq. There's one troubling line in the article, however: "It is very significant. It reduces America's dependence on Saudi Arabia and it throws open the opportunity for Iraq to become America's favorite base in the region," defense analyst Paul Beaver told Reuters in London....

· A story of a perfectly legal mistake. (April 2003 )

"We are at war, we are at war and this is for your safety." One man's experience with the USA PATRIOT Act. Why do I have the horrible feeling this isn't an isolated story? (According to the article, it's not)...

· in other news... ()

PM says pot soon to be decriminalized Decriminalized, but not legalized. According to the article, instead of a jail term for possession of marijuana, you'd get a ticket similar to a traffic violation....

· the best PR ever! ()

"Sir, those Iraqi citizens are protesting against our presence here again. We shot a bunch of them last time, when they threw a rock at us." "A rock can be a deadly weapon, soldier! We did what we had to do." "Sure, sir, but they're out there again, and this time they're throwing shoes too." "Damn dirty apes! Don't they know about the Adidas Massacre in Colombia last year? Use excessive force and take those bastards out!" Probably not the conversation that actually took place before the shootings, but just as ludicrous as any I could think of to have justified killing 2 people, and wounding 14 others, simply because they were protesting the US presence....

· Now that's a high-paid worker... (April 2003 )

Chapters re-hires 'costly' employee I can't believe I missed this one. Stephen Whiteside, a Down-syndrome man in Calgary, was fired from his 12 hour a week job at Chapters, stacking books. In a letter to the man's mother, Chapters cited budget constraints as the reason for his firing. His wage? 3 dollars an hour. Another disabled man was also fired from the same location. To Chapters' credit, both men have now been rehired, and brought up to minimum wage. But in the end, what a horrible news item to read. Not only does Chapters exploit disabled employees by paying them far below minimum wage, but those same employees are seen as easy targets when 'budget constraints' emerge. How many other disabled employees has Chapters let go in the same fashion? How many are still working for $3 an hour?...

· Bush's domestic policy (April 2003 )

Bush Goes AWOL The Nation's Eric Alterman writes a very compelling column about Bush's hypocrisy and downright falsehood since being elected... among the highlights: an $800 million dollar shortfall in post 9/11 funding to New York City, reducing funding to the Coast Guard, no funds for the "first responders" to 9/11, cutting overseas nuclear security funding and massive tax cuts in stark contrast to his pre-election policy of fiscal conservatism....

· some good news for a change... (April 2003 )

The PQ no longer rules Quebec. The Liberal party, under Jean Charest, was elected in 76 of 125 seats in Quebec's legislature. Though there will no doubt be some adjusting time, it's nice to know there are federalists running the province again....

· and I guess it's time to announce... (April 2003 )

I guess I can announce that the Iraqi people are free ... to loot stores, warehouses, and hospitals. "We have all been surprised by the chaos," said one Iraqi woman. "Everything is out of control. We can't sleep because we are afraid of being attacked by our own people."...

· how the bush government treats its pawns. ()

Gassed by Iraqi Troops, Blindsided by the INS and kicked out of the country. Katrin Michael was held up by the Bush government on March 14 as evidence against Saddam Hussein's leadership in Iraq. In statements issued from the White House, she described her ordeal as a Kurdish dissident under Iraqi rule. A week later, she received a letter from the INS telling her she was about to be detained - jailed - by the INS. So much for 'land of the free', eh?...

· post-saddam iraq... (April 2003 )

So, the US/UK plan for Iraq is to go from a military rule to ... military rule....

· every once in awhile.... (April 2003 )

Every once in awhile, the Onion hits it spot on....

· Hmm..> America has a lot of planes. (April 2003 )

According to CNN, apparently planes are Weapons of Mass Destruction. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. has been acutely aware of what can happen when powerful weapons fall into the hands of those with no compunction about their use and no sympathy for those they kill. I linked to this article for another reason... and that reason is Bush saying, "Fuck Saddam, we're taking him out" all the way back in March of 2002....

· the unseen war (March 2003 )

And this is the war you won't see on American (or Canadian for that matter) media....

· this is not the truth. ()

It's now perfectly legal for media to lie A Florida Appeals court ruled there is absolutely nothing illegal about lying, concealing or distorting information by a major press organization. . . . The attorneys for Fox, owned by media baron Rupert Murdock, argued the First Amendment gives broadcasters the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on the public airwaves....

· the atrocity of it all. (March 2003 )

$74.7 BILLION For $74.4 billion dollars, you could send each and every 18 year old highschool graduate to one year of college. What is the US doing with it instead? "Wow, that blowed up real good!"...

· love that michael moore (March 2003 )

We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons. Whether it's the fiction of duct tape or the fictitious orange alerts, we are against this war Mr. Bush." Taking his advantage of a win in a "non-fiction" category, Moore denounced "fictitious election results that elect a fictitious president." And as the strains of the orchestra cued him to leave the stage, Moore added: "Any time you have the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up." Oscar winner Moore denounces 'fictitious war'...

· The English Language is dying ()

The below isn't linked so much because it has something to do with the war, but more because it illustrates just how quickly the English language is dying. The source is from the Washington Post. UK Confirms Plane Hit by 'Friendly Fire' Are Dead...

· The West is Failing. ()

And amidst all the Iraqi conflict, the leader of the US forces in Afghanistan is crying out that the west is failing Afghanistan. Lt-Gen Dan McNeill is frustrated at the slow pace of reconstruction in Afghanistan, claiming that there has not been near enough aid sent to the region and that fundamental components such as health services, power supplies, communications, education, security services and a road network are either rudimentary or altogether absent....

· They did it in Vietnam too. ()

A US Soldier has attacked his own division in Kuwait, injuring 14 fellow soldiers with a combination of grenades and gunfire. The war's less than a week old, and there's already troop morale issues. This doesn't bode well, folks....

· and in other news... (March 2003 )

Arabs are seething after the "Shock and Awe"campaign hit the airwaves. Some are going as far as saying "Bush is the new Hitler of this century." Personally, I almost agree -- especially after seeing an eerily familiar gesture as he left for Camp David on Friday....

· I would just like to point out... (March 2003 )

I'd just like to point out that, despite the unexpected resistance by Iraqi military, there hasn't been a single use of the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" the US claimed Iraq was so ready to use....

· it's not just the public that is opposed... (March 2003 )

Russia, France, Germany, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria and Afghanistan have all voiced their opposition to the US's military actions early this morning...

· why's that again? ()

jwz: A Warmonger Explains War to a Peacenik...

· so let me get this straight... ()

So let me get this straight... The US is prohibited from carrying out assassinations, but they can fire missiles at him until he's dead....

· and for when you protest... (March 2003 )

wake the world - copyright free anti-war posters...

· a final thought... (March 2003 )

A final thought for the night: Since when do you have to justify peace? Plus, an open letter to President Bush from my main man, Michael Moore....

· interesting quote ()

An interesting documentary on the CBC right now... here's a quote from a commentator on Bush: "Terrorism is the new Communism..."...

· PROTEST ()

During the Persian Gulf War the United States violated international law to procure oil rights in the region, a university international law professor said during a speech Friday. (from 1992) Freed Afghan prisoner claims torture by U.S. interrogators -- Q: Should the people of the world fear us, or see us as a friend? BUSH: They ought to look at us as a country that understands freedom where it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from that you can succeed. I don’t think they ought to look at us with envy. It really depends upon how [our] nation conducts itself in foreign policy. If we’re an arrogant nation, they’ll resent us. If we’re a humble nation, but strong, they’ll welcome us. Our nation stands alone right now in the world in terms of power. And that’s why we’ve got to be humble and yet project strength in a way that promotes freedom. We’re a freedom-loving nation. If we’re an arrogant nation, they’ll view us that way, but if we’re humble nation, they’ll respect us. (source) -- more to come....

· Darren's note to all Americans. (March 2003 )

STOP villifying France. If it weren't for France's actions in 1776, you'd never even be a country. How about instead of thinking of new and exciting ways to ostracize your nation from the world stage, you pause and reflect upon your own domestic issues (such as your economy, and how it's tanking faster than Britney's acting career)?...

· The stupidest thing EVER. (March 2003 )

This is the stupidest, pettiest thing I've ever read. The White House Cafeteria has changed 'french fries' and 'french toast' to 'freedom fries' and 'freedom toast' This is exactly the kind of stupid nationalistic behaviour that really gets under my skin....

· listen... (March 2003 )

When the Bishop of George Bush's church speaks out against war with Iraq, you really just have to listen. (More anti-war commercials you won't see on television here.)...

· Fool me once, shame on you... (March 2003 )

Does the US have several reasons to go into war with Iraq? You bet they do, but they're probably all fake too....

· two words. (February 2003 )

bull shit....

· ... (February 2003 )

France's Stance on War Hardly Warrants Bashing Forwarded to me by Natalie, an American speaks on France's stance towards Iraq....

· but it's not about oil... ()

This article is very telling about the US motives for war with Iraq... At stake for the Turks is economic aid and military and political issues. Although there have been reports of as much as $26 billion of assistance for Turkey's troubled economy, well-informed sources in Ankara said Washington would not raise its final offer of $4 billion in grants and $2 billion in military debt write-offs as well as $1 billion in shares from Iraqi oil revenues after the war....

· I told you... ()

Iraq isn't the country we have to fear using nuclear weapons... The US is considering using 'mini nukes' in conventional warfare. They are rated below 5 megatons, and are designed to "penetrate an underground bunker before detonating."...

· I love the Pythons (February 2003 )

Terry Jones: I'm losing patience with my neighbours, Mr Bush...

· warhawks and other feathered beasts. (February 2003 )

I ask you: who's the aggressor? Years from now, when our children's children look back on this time and study the War of Oil, who's going to come out as the bad guy? Almost certainly, the US will be cast in a pale light in the eyes of history. Despite a general (not complete) sense of cooperation by the Iraqi military and civilian branches of government with the UN, and a report that there is no evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the US has consistently shown a war-hungry attitude. What will confound the history students of the future is the US's completely different attitude towards North Korea, who consistently is proven to actually harbour weapons of mass destruction, and displays a more than willing attitude towards using them. Already, many have cast the situation with Iraq as a war over oil. After all, Iraq sits atop a large amount of the world's oil reserves; Bush jr is an oil man, as is his partner in crime, Dick Cheney. Cheney himself already has a conflict of interest with Iraqi policy - the company he was CEO of before coming into office helped rebuild Iraq's oil facilities. Some say that oil was the reason they went into Afghanistan - the special envoy to (post-taliban) Afghanistan actively lobbied for the Taliban, and was involved in trying to access oil resources in the region for Unocal. Even Condoleezza Rice is involved in oil, as a former board member of Chevron Nothing seems to sit right these days in US foreign policy. Something tells me it won't sit right 30 years from now either....

· the fall of bush (February 2003 )

t r u t h o u t - Bernard Weiner | Artistic Sign Language: Symbols of the Coming Bush Fall Sign is symbol, symbol is sign. Consider: *Powell goes to the United Nations so that the missile attacks on Baghdad and Basra can begin -- and, in the lobby of that grand building, Picasso's "Guernica" painting, which depicts the horrific results of the Nazi bombing of that Spanish town, is covered over prior to Powell's arrival. No use embarrassing the U.S. by reminding folks of what's in store for Iraqi civilians. *Ashcroft, in his police-state zeal, begins shredding the Constitution's Bill of Rights with its guarantees of due-process of law, and, early on, has the huge lobby statue of the Goddess of Justice draped and covered over because of its exposed breast. How appropriate to shroud Justice so that she can't see what's being done in her name. *First Lady Laura Bush cancels a poetry workshop at the White House because she suspects that a number of America's high-profile poets, in the sacred grounds of that seat of power, will raise the issue of the coming war with Iraq. Did you notice the thread that unites these events? In all three cases, symbolic shrouds are placed over art, so that nobody will notice the bad things that are being done in American citizens' names....

· i'm back, baby. (February 2003 )

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Osama Rallies Muslims, Condemns Hussein An interesting read with regards to the latest tape released by Osama bin Laden.. this site debunks Powell's reports that this tape is a 'concrete link' between bin Laden and Hussein, and makes some interesting statements about MSNBC's reliability as a news provider....

· over-reaction. ()

Anti-aircraft missiles deployed in Washington but, you know, don't get scared or anything....

· stupid warmongering politicians (February 2003 )

Y'know what? When both the worldwide military AND diplomatic organizations tell you not to jump too quickly into war, don't you think you should listen to them? There's only one man I fear having the power to plunge the world into another dark age - and that's You-Know-Who, jr....

· when plagiarism goes wrong.... (February 2003 )

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Blair-Powell UN Report Written by Student This article asserts that the "up to date" intelligence given to the US by Britain regarding Iraq was, in fact, plagiarized from a graduate student's paper published 5 months ago. Even more worrisome - after being plagiarized, some words were changed to make things seem more insidious - for example, changing 'monitoring' to 'spying' and adding in 'terrorist' to add oomph....

· misquotes... (February 2003 )

"George Bush has the motive and the means and the recklessness and the hatred to threaten the Iraqi people. George Bush has to be stopped." sure, that's not the original quote -- but boy howdy does it ever work well like that....

· is it a setup? (January 2003 )

UN Inspectors Fear Bush Will Ignore Them...

· A prediction (December 2002 )

I was going to go to sleep, but needed to take a moment to comment on this article about North Korea. I predict that the US will be pulled into a two-front war with Iraq and N. Korea, whether they want it or not. Though I don't expect Iraq and N. Korea to partner up against "the great satan", I do expect one or the other to take advantage of the US's preoccupation, and do something stupid....

· good clean fun (December 2002 )

Something Anders sent me a couple of days ago, and I just got a chance to watch today: dubyadubyadubya...

· it just dawned on me... (December 2002 )

I've been asking myself why the US has been handling the North Korea and Iraq WMD situations so differently over the last few weeks... and it just dawned on me why. The US realizes that with Iraq, they actually don't have anything to worry about. They know Iraq's nuclear weapons program -- if even functional -- is so far away from being a threat that they can push them around without the worry of nuclear retaliation. However, North Korea already has the capability for nuclear arms, making the threat of nuclear retaliation that much greater. Hence the extremely strong push for "a peaceful, diplomatic solution" and absolutely no aggression towards the country....

· HOLY FUCK. (December 2002 )

US warns Iraq it will get nuclear response I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Bush is a danger to the world, and should be removed from power as soon as possible....

· no right. (December 2002 )

Not that I'm a big fan of weapons, but the US has no right to tell Yemen there is "no strategic reason the Yemeni military would need missles" This is just another example of how Dubyah is a megalomaniac of the first order, playing cowboy on the world stage. According to the article, "There are no international laws prohibiting North Korea from exporting missiles and no laws preventing Yemen from purchasing them from the Asian nation."...

· good quotes. (December 2002 )

This article at the Independent had some great quotes regarding the Iraq situation: Noam Chomsky, academic If Saddam is such a threat to the survival of civilisation, why wasn't that true a year ago? And, more dramatically, in early 1990? Woody Allen, film director Bush has not offered convincing reasons for going to war. So we have the troubling impression that he is persisting for personal and political reasons. Norman Schwarzkopf, former Gulf War commander Saddam is a megalomaniac. He really doesn't care much about anything other than his place in history. Peter Kilfoyle, Labour former defence minister I can't see the rationale behind the British and American position. The priority ought to be sorting out the threat of terrorism. Günter Grass, novelist George Bush is only trying to prove something to his father by starting a second Gulf war, rather than going to see a psychiatrist. Philip Pullman, writer There are many terrible regimes but the only reason America cares about Iraq is because of the oil supply. And that's no reason to go to war. Bill Keller, New York Times columnist Bush's trickiest job will be to balance zero tolerance with patience, to hold the Security Council together, and be good and bad cop. Alice Mahon, MP, leader of the Labour Against the War campaign The aggressors are the US, which seem hell bent on war. My dismay is that our government seems intent onhelping. Al Gore, former US Vice-President By shifting his focus from war against terrorism to Iraq, the President has disposed of the sympathy and solidarity compiled by America. Tony Lloyd, Labour former foreign office minister Saddam is not going to use weapons of mass destruction because he knows he would be faced with overwhelming retaliation. Paul Wolfowitz, US Asst Secretary of Defense Our goal is to achieve the disarmament of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, peacefully if possible. Victor Bulner-Thomas, director of Royal Institute of International Affairs War is not inevitable; otherwise we undermine the UN's credibility. Alan Bleasdale, TV scriptwriter I would say that there are times when a nation has to go to war. This is categorically not the time. Carla Lane, TV scriptwriter It seems to me that we have been promising war for so long that surely they will be prepared. Saying we are going to war surely has not been ignored. Sir John Mortimer, writer Bush is the leader of the Church of the Latter-Day Morons, and Blair is a twit! What about Mr Sharon, who has flouted UN orders? Why aren't we going to war with Israel? Jilly Cooper, writer Bush talks about weapons of mass destruction, but America's got them. It supplied a lot of those that Iraq has got. All sorts of countries are doing horrible things with these weapons. J G Ballard, writer If they don't find he's developed any of these sinister weapons, the impression is that the Americans are still determined to topple him. That's a different kettle of fish altogether. Martin Bell, former broadcaster, MP There's no proof of links between Iraq and al-Qa'ida. The Government just hasn't made the case yet. As things stand, we've no business getting involved. Bishop Thomas Burns, Catholic bishop of the Armed Forces When do we reach the point of last resort? I don't think we've reached it because there's an alternative or two still to be explored. Matthew Taylor, Institute of Public Policy Research Iraq is a terrible state that treats its people appallingly. I would love to see a change of regime but there has to be evidence of a real threat. Bernard Jenkin, Shadow Defence Secretary If there is a breach in the inspection and that is a clear indication Saddam Hussein is not co-operating, we are left with no option but to increase pressure on him. Neville Nagler, Board of Deputies of British Jews If objectives are met it could be the right thing to do, but we need safeguards. It should be done within a UN resolution and there needs to be a coalition of support. Menzies Campbell, Lib-Dem Foreign Affairs Spokesman Saddam will do everything in his power to obfuscate and procrastinate. It is for the inspectors to determine if there has been a sufficiently full disclosure. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury We need, God knows, ways of pressurising Iraq towards justice, but the military option could be appallingly costly for them, too....

· a new height in stupidity. ()

I'm angry about a lot of things lately, but this one takes the cake: Photographer arrested for taking pictures of vice-president's hotel...

· glad to be a canadian... (December 2002 )

I think we can all agree that it wouldn't be ethical or moral for a public school to give the names, addresses and phone numbers of its students to a private corporation like Coca-Cola or Old Navy for advertising purposes, right? So why is it ok for them to give it to the US Army for recruiting purposes? And did I mention that it's LAW (ironically enough, titled the "No Child Left Behind" law) in the US for schools to do this?...

· what he's not... (November 2002 )

Bush is not a moron, a puppet or an imbecile, according to Mark Crispin Miller. He's a sociopath....

· Root out evil! ()

Rooting Out Evil - Sign UpRooting Out Evil is sending a weapons inspection team to the United States to inspect the chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons produced and concealed by the Bush regime....

· we don't need all that air anyways. (November 2002 )

Bush Seeks Clear Path For LoggersThe Bush administration is proposing giving managers of the nation's 155 national forests greater leeway to approve logging and commercial activities with less examination of potential environmental damages....

· top 5... (November 2002 )

Canada makes top five in education: UNICEF In fact, we're #4. The United States places a distant 18th. This isn't surprising when you consider that 11% of Americans can't find the United States on a map of the world. Canada was itself beaten out by South Korea, Japan and Finland, which again isn't surprising....

· figures. (November 2002 )

It just figures that several nation states would be fighting over possession of a fountain of spewing magma....

· reading between lines... (November 2002 )

AlterNet: Misinterpreting Osama's Message: Erring on the Side of Danger An interesting article that suggests Bin Laden may not be as hostile as the media portrays him. The author, a clinical and political psychologist, claims that Bin Laden offers us a 'way out' in his messages, and that his actions are only in reaction to Western actions. She also points out that no media commented on the beginning of Osama's latest audio tape, which begins, "The road to safety begins by ending the aggression. Reciprocal treatment is part of justice. The incidents that have taken place ... are only reactions and reciprocal actions. The author goes on to analyze several direct Bin Laden quotes and actions, and explain how the West failed to notice or react properly to them....

· you can stay at our place. (November 2002 )

If it wasn't clear before, it is now: the US is a police state....

· open letter to Bush II. (November 2002 )

Dear George W. Bush, HOW STUPID ARE YOU?! On the one hand, you have a nation that might have nuclear weapons, but strongly denies it, doesn't have the tools, and isn't a nuclear threat by IAEA reports, CIA reports, or otherwise. On the other hand, you have a country that not only claims it has the ability to create nuclear weapons(and in fact claims it already has them), but has tested delivery devices, an extreme isolationist political ideology and has the tools to do it. So, which country does it make sense to put pressure on? The country that the US thinks might, but isn't sure, and denies having a nuclear weapons program? Or the one that the US knows does have a program, which has tested a delivery vehicle "over Japan", and is listed highly in the Axis of Evil......

· thus ends an era ()

After a tenure of 22 years, George Ferguson was defeated as mayor of Abbotsford, BC. I heard this last night when K was talking to her mom on the phone... and what can I say but wow. Apparently, the margin of victory was a mere 240 votes for newcomer Mary Reeves. This is amazing, as George Ferguson served the community for literally decades in his office of Mayor, overseeing such things as the loss of the Abbotsford RCMP and the amalgamation of Abbotsford and Clearbrook. It'll be interesting to see what changes Mary Reeves has in mind for my old home - a home which has grown exponentially since we moved there 27 years ago....

· eek! (November 2002 )

This story at CNN doesn't scare me because of the warning of future Al Qaeda attacks as much as where CNN decided to point the crosshairs. If you look close, they're pointed at Canada, not the US. images copyright CNN. Original on the left, new version on the right. UPDATE: CNN has since changed the graphic -- good thing I swiped the original, eh? :) They're now pointing the graphic somewhere around Detroit. Does CNN know something the rest of us don't? Is Manitoba doomed?...

· Warning! ()

WARNING! The White House has issued an alert stating the bogeyman may, or may not come to get you tonight. White House officials recommend sleeping with your head under the covers and strongly advise against letting any body parts dangle off the side of the bed. US citizens should try to sleep as normal, and there's no need for concern....

· Iraq's fate... (November 2002 )

You know the group the US bandies about as the successors to Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the INC? It turns out they're a fabrication of a CIA/Pentagon-funded PR group called the Rendon Group. The 'leader' of the INC is an expatriate, US-trained mathematician who has been sentenced to 22 years in a Jordanian prison for embezzling funds from a bank he ran (the judgement was made in absentia - he fled the country in 1989). The linked article has some very interesting background on the Rendon Group, as well as another Pentagon-funded PR group, Hill & Knowlton. It's worth a read....

· more conversations with Iraq... ()

Iraq: OK, ok, we'll cooperate and let the inspectors in. US: No, damn you! You have to cooperate! And let the inspectors in! Iraq: No, really - it's fine. We're complying with the UN resolution, and we'll have a list of WMDs in 23 days. US: Dammit! You cooperate, you Iraqi sonsofbitches! Why, if you don't comply, we'll come over there and bomb the hell out of you! Iraq: Aren't you already? US: Oh. Erm, ya. Uhm... this time we'll take your lunch money too....

· Finally, a senator with a good idea. (November 2002 )

CBC News: Call the troops home -- Senate committee Although I'm a supporter of Canada's role as a peacekeeping force throughout the world, I think bringing them home and putting a moratorium on overseas missions is an excellent idea. (And, although others will disagree with me, I'm not a big fan of the second part of this proposal - giving them $4billion to overhaul the armed forces.) If this is railroaded through, it can even get us out of committing to a campaign in Iraq - which is something I think most Canadians would like to see....

· not everyone remembers... (November 2002 )

United Press International: Iraq Parliament rejects U.N. resolution And so it begins....

· you know you're in trouble when... ()

You know you're in trouble when the Editor of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the publication responsible for the Doomsday Clock, cries foul....

· yavol, mein heir (November 2002 )

This article isn't interesting because it shows how war-hungry the US government is, but rather from the following paragraphOne plan involves what Pentagon officials and military analysts call a 21st-century blitzkreig -- referring to the surprise attacks involving aircraft and fast-moving armor that Germany used at the beginning of World War II. (emphasis mine) And I can think of no better an analogy for the position the US government has been taking lately, not only in Iraq, but in the world at large....

· what a waste... (November 2002 )

'Taliban mentality' resurgent in Afghan life So much for the 'great freedom' the US was supposed to bring to the country of Afghanistan. The moderates that were working with the UN 'have since lost the initiative', and a 'kinder, gentler' Ministry of Religious Instruction has been revived to ensure Afghanis are adhering to the tenets of Islam - the article cites that their activities include giving 'a verbal scolding if a woman is seen dressed too colorfully."...

· isn't that odd... (October 2002 )

Reading through this letter, the thought occurred to me that the two most recent incidents of violent shooting deaths were performed by ex-US military. The Washington Sniper was an Army marksman. Robert Flores was also enlisted in the Army. Both men served during the Gulf War. Is there a connection? If so, what is it?...

· a great movie... (October 2002 )

Kirsten and I went to see Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine yesterday... and it's freaking genius, and is a MUST SEE. "Spoilers" within....

· and, of course... (October 2002 )

If you don't want to send the prez a PS2, you can always donate to MoonTheWhiteHouse.com....

· now that's an idea... ()

· yellow times. (October 2002 )

"Gun Control is Silly" Interesting article on the Yellow Times, discussing US Citizens and their overall propensity towards violence. Note to Keth: Yes, this is a generalization...

· north korea (almost) has the bomb. ()

Bush's problems just grew. North Korea (and the world gave a great big "Duh!") revealed on Wednesday that it had continued its nuclear weapons program, despite a 1994 UN resolution banning it from doing so. It's currently enriching uranium, which is several steps ahead of where the US believes Iraq is in its nuclear weapons development. Bush's proposal for N. Korea? Solve it through diplomatic ties and find a peaceful solution. Doesn't this seem odd, since N. Korea was one of the "axis of evil" countries, alongside Iraq, and has now proven to be more of a nuclear threat? Of course, N. Korea doesn't have rich oil fields, does it?...

· hrrm? (October 2002 )

As the link on fark said, the US collectively slaps its forehead....

· two sites to see ()

The Chickenhawks Hall of Shame. What Bush Knew....

· biggest. mistake. ever. (October 2002 )

CNN.com - House gives Bush authority for war with Iraq - Oct. 10, 2002...

· A (non)fictional conversation... (October 2002 )

Bush: Get rid of your Weapons of Mass Destruction, or we'll come beat you up! Iraq: We don't have any! Come see for yourself! Bush: I don't have to come there, I know you have them! Besides, you won't let UN inspectors into your presidential palaces! Iraq: No, seriously, we don't have any. Really, you can even look in our presidential palaces now! Besides, even your own CIA says you have nothing to fear. And your major national networks wouldn't even carry your speech live Monday night. Besides, you're just after our oil. Bush: Shut up, you lying scoundrel! You've got weapons of mass destruction and you'll use them on us the first chance you get! Rumsy and Dicky tell me so! U.S.: Bush Increases Pressure On Congress, UN About Iraq...

· why do I get the feeling... (October 2002 )

That our attention is being diverted from other affairs?...

· family values? ()

Bush Family Values Photo Album...

· when truth and fiction collide. horribly. (October 2002 )

Bush Seeks U.N. Support For 'U.S. Does Whatever It Wants' Plan...

· I can't believe it. (October 2002 )

And in related news, Ari Fleischer said the following words of comfort today:"I can say only that the cost of a one-way ticket is substantially less than that [the $9-13 billion reputed cost of a war with Iraq]. The cost of one bullet, the Iraqi people taking it on themselves, is substantially less than that."...

· Iraq & the UN ()

Much to the United States' chagrin, I'm sure, Iraq has agreed to the UN inspection deal. The deal opens the entire country up for random inspection, with the exception of 8 presidential palaces (as was specified in the old deal). Let's hope the US doesn't screw the inspections up this time (one of the reasons the UN inspectors left in the first place was that )...

· "Make no mistake . . . it will be vetoed." (September 2002 )

The US isn't a dictatorship. Nope, no way. Ari Fleischer, Bush's mouthpiece on all things political, has made the following claim about the Senate's rumoured decision to turn down additional presidential hiring/firing powers in the Homeland Security legislation: "Make no mistake: if what the Senate (passes) were to come to the president's desk it will be vetoed." Good to see the US leading by example in the realm of democracy - basically, the presidency can railroad things through, regardless of what the elected representatives say....

· Manifesto for a world dictatorship ()

Great article from Australia about Bush's recent "National Security Strategy" - includes the text of the strategy. scooped from michaelmoore.com...

· and in good news.. (September 2002 )

UN to upset Bush's war plans with one-year deadline for Iraq...

· To all the Americans out there: ()

It's your duty to the world to get Bush the hell away from any sense of power. I don't care how you do it, but please - for the love of all that's good in the world - do it, and do it soon. Bush outlines first-strike doctrine The National Security Strategy...

· the logic is exemplary. ()

In a stunning display of warmonger logic, the US is now threatening to block UN Weapons Inspectors. Essentially, they want to force the UN into giving them the right to attack Iraq for the slightest interference with the inspection process. It's funny - everyone of my generation grew up with a subconscious fear of a third World War, and collectively sighed relief after Glasnost, the fall of the Berlin Wall and disarmemant. Now, it's getting closer and closer to becoming a reality....

· 2100 year old advice (September 2002 )

Taken from a link at Everything2.com Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar." - Julius Caesar...

· Siding with a dictator... (September 2002 )

This column, by an Iraqi woman, now living in Britain, who was imprisoned and tortured in Iraq, sheds some more interesting light into the situation....

· interesting notes ()

"The people who wrote that Constitution--the Founding Fathers--had seen a king in action, a king who had dragged his country into wars, and said that the United States would be different. We will never have a President to take us into a war." Sen. Durbin on Assessing Iraq's Military Capabilities Sen. Durbin (D-Illinois) is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and raises some interesting points - the foremost of which is that Iraq is at the bottom of a list of the "Axis of Evil" countries that have, or may have in the future, weapons of mass destruction. At the top? Iran and North Korea, who both already have nuclear arsenal, and are working feverishly on long range missiles. An interesting note, not covered in the speech, is that Iran and North Korea haven't been under UN Sanctions, whereas Iraq has. The point? Even if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, they'd have no means to deliver them to US soil. Iran and North Korea have had far more visible development on these weapons, and they still have no way of delivering them over long distances. So why are Bush and his cronies so hot to trot on Iraq? Could it be, as the Iraqi PM claims, control over oil interests rather than concern for world peace? An interesting note: This speech came on Sept 10th. Today, Donald Rumsfeld had the following to say to Congress: "No terrorist state poses a greater and more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq."...

· believe me now? ()

If ever there was more proof of Bush being a warmonger, this is it. Before the ink has even dried on the letter of unconditional acceptance of the return of inspectors to Iraq, Bush is planning to talk to Congress for approval to attack Iraq. He's moving military equipment to the Persian Gulf, and basing two B2 bombers in the region (the first time they've ever been based outside the US), and generally talking smack. In other words, the UN wouldn't let him attack Iraq, so he's going to do it on his own. Gee. That sounds democratic and worldly of him, dontchyathink?...

· good political cartoon... (September 2002 )

OK, so......

· In the meantime... (September 2002 )

... the US air force is already engaging in tactical strikes in Iraq. An important phrase to not here: "[The airforce] regularly launch counterstrikes against Iraqi facilities when the Iraqis fire at or target them with radar."...

· just can't get enough.... ()

Iraq agrees unconditionally to weapons inspections The US's reply? "We don't take what Saddam says at face value." What do you want? A gilded fucking invitation to tea and strumpets? Changed the entry title....

· And some interesting facts... ()

From truthout.org: Halliburton, the largest US oil services company, is among a significant number of US companies that have sold oil industry equipment to Iraq since the UN relaxed sanctions two years ago. From 1995 until August this year [the article was written in November 2000] Halliburton's chief executive officer was Dick Cheney, US secretary of defense during the Gulf war and now Republican vice-presidential running mate of George W.Bush....

· do you know where your government is? ()

Once again, SFGate's Mark Morford wins my heart over with his article, "Lies My President Told Me / It's mid-September during alleged wartime. Do you know where your government is?"...

· fucking americans! (September 2002 )

This story really pisses me off. It turns out the 3 students stopped in Florida have been asked not to study at the hospital they were heading to, because it's been the subject of threats since the incident. Because INNOCENT STUDENTS were stopped due to extreme overreaction to a SINGLE phoned-in tip from a woman in Georgia (not known for its embracing of ethnicity), they are prevented from getting an education. Just pisses me off....

· wow. (September 2002 )

I know I make fun of him quite a bit at this site, but today I gained a modicum of respect for Jean Chrétien In the interview [with CBC], Chrétien said the Western world is "looked upon as being arrogant, self-satisfied, greedy and with no limits. The 11th of September is an occasion for me to realize it even more."...

· what's proof? (September 2002 )

The best Chretien quote ever: "A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven."...

· interesting... (September 2002 )

Legalize pot, Senate committee says This from the Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, who along with the recommendation suggested that people convicted with marijuana possession should have their records wiped clean....

· gee. didn't see this coming. (August 2002 )

U.S. says Iran, Iraq may be hideouts for al Qaeda heads My prediction: a strike on Iran or Iraq within two weeks....

· a warmonger speaks. ()

If I were British, I'd be very insulted by Donald Rumsfeld's latest comment....

· a nice little victory (August 2002 )

Federal court rules secret US 'terror' courts are illegal. The unanimous ruling said: "Democracies die behind closed doors. A government operating in the shadow of secrecy stands in complete opposition to the society envisioned by the framers of our Constitution." The strong language made this ruling the most forceful, but far from the first, judicial condemnation of the administration's "war on terrorism". Thank the gods there are some US justices out there with half a sense of what's right....

· some logic... (August 2002 )

Dick Cheney was recently quoted saying: I am familiar with the arguments against taking action in the case of Saddam Hussein," Cheney said in his speech delivered before a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Nashville, Tennessee. "Some concede that Saddam is evil, power hungry and a menace, but that until he crosses the threshold of actually possessing nuclear weapons we should rule out any preemptive action. That logic seems to me to be deeply flawed." What exactly is flawed about waiting until there's proof of evildoing, instead of bombing the bejeezus out of someone based on a hunch? Oh wait. I forgot. Much of his cabinet is made up of former advisors to Nixon....

· so much for academic freedom... (August 2002 )

CNN.com - University sues for right to fire Palestinian professor - August 22, 2002...

· A letter I meant to write awhile ago. (August 2002 )

Open Letter to America from a Canadian...

· unfortunate quotes #72 (August 2002 )

Jean Chrétien, in a speech to business: "Yes, it's very important to make big profits, because when you make big profits I take a part of it"....

· it begins... ()

Looks like Bush is beginning his 'covert operations' to take out Saddam Hussein from Iraq... It's extremely suspicious that an 'unheard of group' would have taken over an Iraqi embassy in a country that acts as NATO's troop headquarters....

· today's blue light special: being clubbed, restrained and thrown in the pogie... (August 2002 )

Apparently you no longer have to be performing a criminal act to be arrested. The Houston Police Department arrested 425 people outside a Houston K-Mart, including a 10 year old girl (who was separated from her father, and thrown into juvenile detention). I think somebody has a WHOLE lotta explaining to do......

· Aw, that big lug... (August 2002 )

Ah, it's good to know the Bush the Second is such a strong supporter of organized labour....

· i thought to myself... (August 2002 )

A long time ago, I used to head to little green footballs, a personal weblog of Charles Johnson, a designer in the states. It used to be a good read. Now, it appears to be a mouthpiece for pointing fingers at how bad "the Islamist freaks" are (Actual description, taken from this entry. He also refers to them as "Islamist nutjobs"). What Charles fails to notice in his 'look at me, aren't I witty?" ramblings is that his spouting of hatred makes him no different from his perception of Islamists. Charles is, in fact, perpetuating a hatred that has existed between Isrealis and Palestinians for decades. The postings that now litter little green footballs are no better than those written by anti-semites. The Palestinians have a good reason for their actions: They feel they were displaced from their homes and packed into 'temporary settlements'. They are willing to die for the right to return to their homes. I remember watching a Discovery/PBS (can't remember which) documentary on the people of both nations. They followed the lives of both Arabs and Jews. The Jewish children were brought up -- and even taught in school (!) -- to hate the Arabs. Arabs in turn had a built-in hatred of Israelis, because of the settlements they were forced to live in. Many of them felt like caged rats; indeed, the very reason behind the suicidal nature of Arabs was portrayed to be due to these living conditions: they had nothing to live for and no perceived future in the settlement camps. They heard stories of their grandparents' homes, fields and neighbours - and now have nothing. The Israelis also have a valid reason for their actions: Israel is their promised land - they deserve it by divine right. The atrocities they have suffered over the millenia have only served to strengthen this; they've paid their penance. Two people can live in the same space peacefully, if they choose to do so; The situation in the Middle East (and in so many other places) is fueled by an extremist stance of possession on both sides: "This is our home". Were the people of both nations (and the people supporting either one) to stop hating each other long enough to realize they both want the same thing (a peaceful home), they might just be able to live with one another. That, at least, was the impetus behind a peaceful, joint Arab/Jewish demonstration organized by a group called Ta'ayush. A picture of the result of that demonstration is shown here, posted by Paul Ford. The poster being carried by the Israeli being kicked to the curb in that image gets it right. Freedom for both people. Did Charles talk about that?...

· What are you talking about-I don't need pep pills to be suspicious-If I wanna comment on it, I'll comment on it-Who's gonna stop me-You, Pep Pill Boy?-Pep boys-pills-Beverly Sills-Oh boy ah boy-Uh oh-uh oh... (August 2002 )

(sorry for the long title) US 'Friendly Fire' deaths linked to pilots on speed. I'm so glad to see that the crack US fighter pilots are drugged to the gills when going out on missions. A quote from the article:Pilots who refused to take the drugs [dextroamphetamine] could be banned from taking part in a mission."...

· Attention US citizens... (July 2002 )

Watch what you say and do... your neighbour could very well be watching. Here's the official site....

· Today's episode brought to you by the letters N, S and A. ()

You know things have gone too far when the US government starts interfering with Sesame Street...

· He is the very model of a modern major marblehead... (July 2002 )

"The International Criminal Court is troubling to the United States" Why? Because the US (nor any other nation) will have control of it. Bush is refusing to cooperate with the International Crime Court, unless his nation and troops are made immune under its laws. It appears that Bush doesn't quite get the point - if the countries that are involved in setting up the ICC and their allies are made immune to its rules, then why have it at all? At the same time, Bush ensured the state of the Balkans would once again erupt into conflict by vetoing a six-month extension of the current UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. Even worse, US Senators Jesse Helms and John Warner, with Representatives Tom Delay and Floyd Spence, presented legislation to deny American military aid to any nations that did support the ICC (Except, of course, for "some US allies") What's Canada's position on the ICC? "We stand poised at the edge of invention: a rare occassion to build a new institution to serve a global need. An International Criminal Court is within our grasp"                Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Website: Canada & the International Criminal Court....

· good on 'em (June 2002 )

I may not be the world's biggest fan of Jean Chretien and Tony Blair, but at least they know which battles to fight. In other news... d'ya think the US has some skeletons in its military's closet? - they're pushing the UN to make their soldiers immune to the International Criminal Court....

· Bush needs to be STOPPED. (June 2002 )

This article claims Bush and the US Military are preparing to remove Saddam Hussein from Iraqi leadership, likely using a full-scale military attack. What the hell gives the US the right to decide who gets to lead another country? Who died and left Bush the master of the planet? US citizens need to start acting now and start telling their senators and congress members that the actions of their government are not acceptable. There's already a movement to protest - check it out and see if you can help. Update: According to this article on the Independant News, Bush lifted a 25 year ban on covert assassinations....

· hypocrits abound... (May 2002 )

An interesting article outlining US-based acts of terrorism in Cuba from 1961 to as recently as April of 2001....

· just a little bit of history repeating... (May 2002 )

It's coming out now that the White House was warned of a hijack threat before Sept. 11. It seems to me the last time something like this happened (a warning before an attack), it was used as an excuse to get the US into World War II. Time for a little history lesson......

· It's been awhile... (May 2002 )

Some somber news from Afghanistan. Conditions in the detainment camps for Taliban soldiers are being compared with those of Auschwitz. An EU envoy toured one of the prisons, Shebarghan, and was horrified with what he saw there, saying he saw, among other things "ghost-like figures just stirring soup" in the prison's kitchen. The condition of Afghanistan is sad; now that the US military has had its way with the country, the Afghani people are left in the same conditions they were under the Taliban. Starvation abounds, and -- outside of Kabul -- military leaders hold power over the people. Given these, how has the US bombing the crap out of the countryside helped these people?...

· In the How Offensive Can You Get? category... (May 2002 )

Would PETA members send this to their Moms?...

· Why can't we all just get along? (May 2002 )

Future headline: The United States adds Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Australia (including the Cocos Islands, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island), Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China (People's Republic), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France(including French Guyane, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, Réunion, St Pierre and Miquelon), Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hongkong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (South), Korea (Democratic People's Republic), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Midway Islands, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand (including the ook Islands, Niue, Tokelau), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands (Federated States of Micronesia, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands, Palau Islands), Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, (from 1.1.2002) Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Helena and Dependencies, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain (including Spanish territories in North Africa with Ceuta and Melilla), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos slands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Bermuda), Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro), Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe to its "axis of evil"...

· How can you pull a coup? you shouldn't. (April 2002 )

Didn't I say a year ago the US was planning to head into Iraq?...

· stupid laws... (March 2002 )

British television personality faces jail for reading gay poem Ah, so good to know that we live in such an enlightened time, where someone can be jailed for reading a poem. The poem depicts a Roman centurion's homosexual love for Jesus. Joan Bakewell, a BBC presenter, is being tried under centuries-old morality laws in Britain, which define blasphemy as a treasonable offense. The poem is certainly no literary masterpiece; that's not the point. Bakewell is being tried by a 300+ year old law, which was only put in place to protect the Church of England and not the people....

· Class suit, anyone? (March 2002 )

A report released by the CDC and the National Cancer Institute claims that any person living in the Continental United States since 1951 has been exposed to radioactive fallout from above-ground nuclear weapons testing from 1951-1962. The report has attributed up to 15,000 deaths to fallout from the nuclear testing. It's pretty reasonable to extend the affected area to Canada as well, as most of the wind patterns extend from the US into Canada. You wonder why there's been an apparent increase in cancer over the last few decades? Here's your reason why....

· police state? (February 2002 )

The disappeared - a story about Rabbih Haddad and other Arabs who have been jailed in the States without being formally charged of any crime greater than being Arab. The ACLU estimates that of about 2,000 people, most have been detained due to "visa irregularities." Even more reprehensible is that Ashcroft has created a list of 6,000 Arab men "known to have outstayed their visas for immediate deportation" only Arab men. They are to have no means for appeal, and no other choice than to leave the country on the next boat. The article mentions that there are over 300,000 people in the US known to have expired visas. Is Ashcroft going after them? With regards to Haddad, there have been no formal charges brought up against either him or the charity he operates, Global Relief. The accounts of the charity were frozen, not because there was a solid link to terrorist activities, but because they sent money and aid to Arab nations. The article covers much more than this, and if you have any interest whatsoever in human rights issues, it's well worth the read....

· dumbfuck. (February 2002 )

U.S. drops pledge on nukes -- The Washington Times Ya. Great. Who's going to clean up this mess? Read this after reading an interview with Donald "Nuke 'em!" Rumsfeld in the National Post as I was sitting in the airport waiting for my flight. With renewed talk about going into Iraq -- with or without international support -- this doesn't really bode all that well....

· someone's going down hard... (February 2002 )

Open letter to George W Bush from Michael Moore. - draws a lot of connections between the Enron fiasco, and certain administration moves over the past few months (sealing the vice-presidential papers, for example)....

· I wonder if Dubyah's hard on drugs... (January 2002 )

CNN.com - Jeb Bush's daughter arrested on false prescription charge - January 29, 2002 How many Bush's have been in law's way lately?...

· nobody does it better... ()

Justice Department hangs drapes in front of towering, partially naked statues And, because Mark Morford says it much better than I can: The Justice Department spent $8,000 on blue drapes that hide two giant, partially nude statues in the Great Hall of the agency's headquarters. Attorney General and noted McCarthy sycophant John Ashcroft, a ferociously religious and wildly uptight, sexless, desperately conservative man with no discernable pulse who always looks like he just smelled Lynne Cheney's breath, ordered the statues covered because he didn't like being photographed in front of them and because he is dangerously narrow minded and anything remotely sexual scares the living hell out of him. The 10- to 12-foot female statue represents the Spirit of Justice and has its arms raised and a toga draped over its body, with a single breast completely exposed. The other statue, of a man with a cloth covering his midsection, is called the Majesty of Law, and looking at that one too long tends to make Johnny all tingly and warm in "special" places, causing him to rub himself against the podium lectern as he delivers some sort of anti-everything admonition against you horrible immigrants or women or gay people or sentient intelligent beings who enjoy great food and deep tongue kissing and perhaps really superlative oral sex because good golly he's just so lonely sometimes....

· or, the ACTA spies on its own (January 2002 )

Tattletales for an Open Society -- via engel....

· *mutter* stupid people (January 2002 )

This is a perfect example of how people pass the blame onto things that aren't the source of the problem. An LA suburb is putting curfews on minors going to cybercafes, because the cybercafes have been the locations for a couple of stabbing incidents. What they don't seem to understand is that it's not the cybercafes that are the source of the problem; it's things like lower standards of education for inner-city youth; drug addiction; gang violence -- things that the cybercafes have no part in. By disallowing these youths to be at the cybercafes past a certain time, they will not create a deterrent for this type of behaviour, but will simply cause a relocation of it to other places. What's next, the 7-11? Church? School?...

· Leave no man behind (January 2002 )

An interesting take on the events chronicled by the movie Black Hawk Down....

· how're they going to afford to pay UI benefits? (January 2002 )

In possibly the worst instance of timing ever, B.C. slashes 11,700 'unsustainable' public service positions. In December 2001, BC's unemployment rate was 9.7%. That's 1.7% higher than the national average. A labour force that's already heavily looking for work will not be helped by a larger pool of unemployed workers as competition, combined with a now smaller pool of available positions. Campbell, the premier of British Columbia claims that this move was made to help the BC Economy. The opposite effect will take place, as a greater strain is placed on the government with increased UI spending, and a much smaller amount of money flowing into the general economy due to nearly 12,000 less potential consumers....

· An interesting idea... ()

Hacker Tax Credit...

· Everyday Mundane Warmongering (January 2002 )

This article showed up in my Inbox today... I've reprinted it below for your convenience. ;)...

· ducking blows from engel and foz (January 2002 )

Bush didn't faint... he freakin' fell asleep eating pretzels, swigging beer and watching football! How much more American can you get? :) On a sidenote, much like the Prince Harry story, why the hell is this news?...

· No more news for me... (January 2002 )

Economies are crumbling. Pointless wars are being fought. Another US political scandal is on the horizon. And Prince Harry smoked pot. Oh, what has the world come to (that a story about the prince regent of England makes such big headlines)?...

· how long till doublespeak comes along? (January 2002 )

Morons.org - Article: Bush: Thinking Terrorist Thoughts will Lead to Prosecution- doubleplus ungood....

· gotta love the Independant News... (December 2001 )

Global poll finds most think America brought terror attacks on itself...

· are you now or have you ever been..... (December 2001 )

Adbusters has a very interesting note on its website about "snitch lines."...

· I wonder how Kevlar's sales are doing? (December 2001 )

Great. Just what we need... more scared, nervous and angry Americans Independent buying guns. Although, I'm personally more offended by this part of the article: Some gun manufacturers have taken advantage of the new situation, pumping up deliveries to retailers and appealing to consumers. None has tried harder, perhaps, than Beretta, which rushed out a new 9mm pistol called the "United We Stand". An Old Glory flag is etched on the side....

· Want another Watergate? (December 2001 )

Bush Invokes Executive Privilege to "keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from a decades-old Boston murder to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe." According to the article, there's a possibility of Congress charging the president with "contempt of Congress". Gee. Bush corrupt? Could it be?...

· is it too late to move to antarctica? (December 2001 )

Oh, fuck....

· bin Laden video ()

CNN.com - Bin Laden tape hast been released. Why did it take so long for the US to release it? Post-production....

· blue-brand security... (December 2001 )

CBC News: Martin's latest budget pumps more into security And do you know how he's getting the money to do this? A $12 surcharge for domestic flights, and a $24 surcharge for international....

· You just might be a fascist when... (December 2001 )

According to the Independent News, the UN human rights chief, Mary Robinson, is criticizing the Bush Administration's new security measures, saying they "circumvented the system of checks and balances of a democratic society." You just might be a fascist overlord when......

· adbusters rocks (December 2001 )

Adbuster has some great articles to do with the post 9/11 world......

· a priest a rabbi and a newfie..... (December 2001 )

Newfies have been the butt of many a Canadian joke... but this time, they've done it themselves. They've renamed the Newfoundland and Labrador region to - wait for it - "Newfoundland and Labrador"...

· power corrupts.. absolute power corrupts absolutely... aren't you glad the CIA is getting absolute power in the current political climate? (December 2001 )

Employees are suing the CIA for abuse of power. This ties in with a conversation we had on the drive home yesterday, about a new Iran Contra/Watergate scandal occuring in the next 5-10 years....

· great news... ()

Tired of CNN's crap? Check out Independent News...

· take a moment... ()

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre Take a moment today to honour the memory of the 14 women killed by Marc Lepine, and the 13 who survived....

· independant news... (December 2001 )

This is the stuff CNN won't report on... and, quite frankly, it sickens me....

· US -- er! I mean Canadian Immigration Services... ()

Great. Now the US determines who gets into Canada. Do you think the agreement allows Canada to dictate who gets into the US? Not likely. There's an excellent quote from Maude Barlow in this story: "Say if the United States has a dispute with another country which Canada doesn't share, we will not be able to take their refugees," Barlow said. "If there's an embargo against that country, Canada will have to share in that embargo. We will have no distinct foreign policy."...

· Ministry of Secret Things (November 2001 )

An interesting twist on Bills C36 and C42, the Canadian anti-terror bills. A problem I have with the bills: How can giving ministers and bureaucrats outside of the Defense department the ability to make their actions secret protect the Canadian public from terrorism? Quick answer? It doesn't. It does, however, protect the ministers from their own actions possibly haunting them further down the road. This would've been very useful for both Mulroney and Chretien. Heck, Chretien could easily use this to make his hotel problems go away for good......

· Gotta love that Larry Flynt ()

A smut peddler and a patriot Hustler's Larry Flynt asks why a porn mogul and not the New York Times had to sue the government for press access in Afghanistan. Grabbed this from foz... we'd talked about this exact topic on the ride home last night. I'm glad *someone* is challenging the Bush administration on this....

· I've never been prouder of Chuck Strahl than I have been in the last year (November 2001 )

CBC News: Opposition says second anti-terrorism bill 'unprecedented power grab'...

· WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! (November 2001 )

Stockwell Day to step down Dec. 12 Oh, happy day!...

· hypocrites. ()

This sickens me. Someone collapses a building in New York, killing 3000 people and it's a great tragedy. Someone collapses a building in Afghanistan, killing "hundreds of Taliban" (about 300, according to the article) and it's a great victory....

· and the propoganda starts coming... ()

Just when you thought public support for the 'war effort' might be failing, reports of the first U.S. combat death roll in on CNN....

· Liberal backbencher breaks out against anti-terrorism bill (November 2001 )

you know a bill's bad when members of the party that is supposed to be supporting it vote against it......

· it's all just a big ol' dick-size war (November 2001 )

Bloody war monger. Bush is threatening Iraq to allow the UN to send weapons inspectors in... or else they're next on the hit list. Of course, Iraq said last week that they'd be happy to let them in if the UN would drop their economic sanctions....

· it's a little bit frightening... (November 2001 )

It's scary. I actually agree with Gilles Duceppe, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois, on the newPublic Safety Act, the legislation put forward to deal with the events of Sept. 11. The bill gives ministers, deputy ministers and civil servants the right to change transportation, health, immigration and environmental regulations without going through the Parliamentary process. That's just not right....

· bad CNN... bad! No more lucrative stories for you! (November 2001 )

CNN.com (or Reuters) appears to be doctoring photos. Case in point, this appeared on their site tonight at 7pm PST: The picture 'sitting' on this tank has been placed there as a secondary item -- it was never in the original. The proof? Look at the lighting; the tank and its rider are being lit from behind-right. The picture is lit from the front. Unless we suddenly gained another sun, that's just not possible. Flash effects don't explain it because a) it wouldn't be that uniform an illumination and b) the REST of the picture should also be illuminated. Bad CNN (or Reuters)...

· How to keep your citizens technologically behind in 17,000 easy steps ()

China closes 17,000 Internet cafes...

· so when do we teach him about hockey? (November 2001 )

Nelson Mandela has been awarded Canadian citizenship... nifty!...

· Not since Nixon.... (November 2001 )

The closed-door presidency scooped off of foz, an article on how Bush is concealing presidential papers from 1980 forward. Yes, from the beginning of the Reagan presidency. Interesting how a presidency that is so quick to take away its citizens' right to privacy (need we mention Carnivore? Echelon?)...

· stand in the place where you are... (November 2001 )

Abbotsford is choking on everyone else's stuff. This is a story on the town I live in, and the causes of the pollution that plague it. Where I live is basically a funnelled valley. Everything funnels up from Seattle to North Vancouver eastward into the Abbotsford/Chilliwack area......

· Is it too late to move? ()

Interview with Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban. This interview makes me think twice about being so close to the border......

· This is not your grandfather's warfare... ()

Ground War Strategies Part 4: What's Next for the Taliban? An interesting take on the Taliban's removal to the hillsides......

· Stallone is such a whore... (November 2001 )

Remember my post earlier about Hollywood & the US government getting in bed together? This is the result. The horror....

· yes, hockey is as much about politics as it is about sports... ()

I just found out the other day that the Canucks re-signed Trevor Linden. Now, if they could get back Pat Quinn, they'd really have a shot at the Stanley Cup this year......

· it's just a little history repeating... (November 2001 )

It's funny how history keeps repeating itself. Hollywood became what it is today because of their help in the war effort way back in WW2......

· Canada3000 grounded ()

Canada 3000 grounds fleet without warning. I would be SEVERELY pissed if I was a Canada 3000 'customer' today....

· How to you hit below bottom? ()

I didn't think CNN could slip any lower in my opinion... but I guess, as the article suggests, anything seems possible....

· constitutionally challenged... (November 2001 )

CBC News: Muslims, Arabs denounce Canada's anti-terror bill -- I almost forgot to report about Bill C-36, Canada's anti-terrorism bill. There's been little reporting (that I've seen) on this bill, which could have broad-reaching effects on our basic rights and freedoms. I think this bill would be much more accepted if the Liberals were willing to add a sunset clause into it, as was done in the US....

· The US will not win the war (November 2001 )

"The Taliban, as true Muslims, are looking to become martyrs." And this is why the US will not win this war....

· not good news... (November 2001 )

U.S. job cuts, unemployment up in month - not good news....

· ban on rallies in Pakistan (November 2001 )

In an amazingly democratic moment, to deal with increasing civil unrest with regards to their involvement with the US in the attacks on Afghanistan, Pakistan has put a complete ban on "any kind of rally." As well, the government could take 'punitive and preventative action against leaders and individuals who are found to be planning or carrying out what the government terms seditious conduct or language." Meanwhile, in London, PM Tony Blair called for an end to the bloodshed. Oh, in Israel, not Afghanistan....

· series being pulled (October 2001 )

hear hear!::....

· (October 2001 )

Good thing they've got all that increased security at US airports......

· Pentagon finds Taliban "surprisingly tough" ()

CBC News: Pentagon surprised at Taliban toughness...

· Follow-up to the IRA story... (October 2001 )

A follow up to the IRA story of yesterday... Britain starts reducing military in N. Ireland...

· Thankyou Mr Obvious! ()

U.N. reports flood of refugees as bombing continues And in other news, MSNBC is reporting that the sun is a great big ball of fire!...

· IRA comes to their senses... (October 2001 )

Thank god there's some positive news for once. The IRA is putting down its weapons, in order to save their government and keep peace in Ireland....

· drop aid, not bombs. (October 2001 )

Andrew at hoshq has a great take on the Afghanistan situation......

· propoganda war may miss targets (October 2001 )

US Propaganda war may miss targets...

· Book 'em, Dano. (October 2001 )

Novel Security Measures - This is quite possibly the most paranoid, stupid act I've read about in the last couple of months....

· War.. what is it good for? (October 2001 )

So, the US has spent the last four days attacking Afghanistan. The Taliban has remained defiant, despite heavy structural damage to buildings and airfields in its cities. Violent protests occur in Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. The Al Qaeda terrorist group, which bin Laden founded, has threatened more terrorist attacks on US soil. The US claims they've achieved domination over Afghanistan, but the Taliban claims Air Defenses still intact. So, tell me again. How have the last 4 days of attacks helped?...

· "oops" (May 2001 )

U.S. loses U.N. rights seat - this really is egg on the face of a country that "prides" itself on attacking other countries' human rights records....

· not to be the doom&gloom monger... (April 2001 )

It's beginning......

· guess that makes me a communist. (April 2001 )

Seen in an ad: "When you pirate MP3s, you're downloading communism" heh!...

· Start building your bunkers now... ()

China warns U.S. over Bush comments.Gee. didn't see