Some edited comments from Bill Tieleman's Article:
Outrageous pay raises to senior BC Liberal government bureaucrats redefines Gordon Campbell arrogance
Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Column
Tuesday August 12, 2008
The NDP and the labour community have some of the finest media and communications artists and brightest minds and strategists around. And campaign organizers. There is something stopping them from lighting a fire under the party and I think we should all ask ourselves what? This is their election to lose and a lot of us don't want that to happen, unless they are going to be just as bad as the Liberals.
The truth cannot be evaded though, the next administration is going to have a nightmare of epic proportions to deal with. The cookie jar is almost empty, the full truth of where all the money has gone has yet to be told. Fires burning all around. The public service is being decimated by so many people quitting, being forced out and not represented by their union/the NDP, who could perhaps be the next boss.
It is quite absurd to totally lay the responsibility of the failure of the NDP to be making a big splash on Carole James. All parties, or even most organizations, take their primary leadership from executives who are supposedly "elected" to the board. Although portrayed as democratic, this is often a corrupted process, with nomination meetings being stacked. Or there might be a little covert intimidation by those in office, the status quo men, or their little hench people, to stifle less well known, or less popular candidates for the executive from throwing their hat in the ring.
Whether it's the Liberals, the NDP, the Greens, the labour council, or the board of directors, politics are politics and sometimes the people who look like the leader aren't really calling the shots. Carole James is a leader and a role model to many. She just may be part of something most of us can't even begin to understand.
It cannot escape all of our attention that many organizations are growing perverse, corrupt and brutalizing. Check these stories out for more proof:
Prince George's top cop ordered to apologize to city workers
Doug Ward, Vancouver Sun. Published: Thursday, August 14, 2008
Embattled police chief resigns, mystery lingers
Investigation turned up no criminal wrongdoing, mayor says; Battershill had been on leave since October over misconduct allegations
Rob Shaw, Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, August 14, 2008
This article is a perfect example of “stacking the deck” or the Board.
Cosy Business Ties Exposed by Health Budget Turmoil
BC's Health Authorities: Who gets hired (and fired).
By Will McMartin. Published: January 31, 2007. TheTyee.ca
*******
Listen up: I am issuing a personal challenge to all media artists, activists, writers, bloggers and journalists out there to break out and start using their mad skillz, gifts and talents to help expose the mofos to our citizens and help win BC back for all of us. It is OUR province and we want it back. We can do this, it is within our reach and we have the ability to do this together.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Whistleblowing: The Risk Management Tool of the Future?
N.B. introduces whistleblower legislation
Last Updated: Thursday, November 29, 2007 | 8:41 AM AT
CBC News
The New Brunswick provincial government introduced legislation Wednesday that will prevent employees from being punished if they blow the whistle on bosses and colleagues who are breaking laws.
Human Resources Minister Wally Stiles said he hopes the new law won't have to be used very often, but if civil servants spot something wrong, they will be able to report it to a supervisor or the province's conflict of interest commissioner without fear of punishment.
"In the act itself, there is full protection for that civil servant to actually come forward, and whether he chooses to give [his] name or not, he can work that out with the conflict of interest commissioner."
The Public Interest Disclosure Act covers crimes, mismanagement of public funds and actions that create a health or safety risk to the public or the environment.
Beyond civil servants in government departments, the bill will also protect employees of hospital authorities, school boards and Crown corporations, including NB Power.
"I need to applaud this government for stepping forward and presenting this bill," said Tom Mann, executive director of the New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees.
Mann said he has dealt with government workers who wanted to report a problem but were too scared to do so.
"This bill, what I see in it is an opportunity for the public good to be protected," Mann said.
The act will make a more accountable and open government, Stiles said.
***************
Bill 8: Public Interest Disclosure Act
New Brunswick
Disclosure of Wrongdoing
Wrongdoings to which this Act applies
3 This Act applies to the following wrongdoings in or relating to the public service:
(a) an act or omission constituting an offence under an Act of the Legislature or the Parliament of Canada, or a regulation made under an Act;
(b) an act or omission that creates a substantial and specific danger to the life, health or safety of persons, or to the environment, other than a danger that is inherent in the performance of the duties or functions of an employee;
(c) gross mismanagement, including of public funds or a public asset;
(d) knowingly directing or counselling a person to commit a wrongdoing described in paragraphs (a) to (c).
****************************
Now, I'm pretty happy when any jurisdiction sees fit to enact Whistleblower legislation, but to my eye, this is flawed right from the get go due to the language of sub-section b.
It's sad that this has to be explained, but many whistleblowers, union reps, advocates, or just plain workers are subjected to "danger" in their course of duties precisely because their employers (sometimes governments) are guilty of negligence and wrongdoing in the first place. Can someone explain to me why in 2008 workers, no matter what level they are at, why dangerous, negligent and high-risk occupations are exempted from employers from safety? I've worked in high-risk occupations, I know many others who work in them as well. Many of these people are the real heroes in our society. Why do they deserve less coverage and concern for the "danger" they experience "on the job" where they are often helping create safety and wellbeing for others.
Having also seen what passes for "internal investigations" of wrongdoing, the authorities might want to get a bit more serious about this and actually have people who are trained to do more than push paper.
Again, the point is, employers, governments and legislators better wake up & smell the fair trade brewing, there are not enough people left to fill the seats you need to fill, you better start making safety and justice a priority for ALL WORKERS.
It's as simple as this: the rot and stench of "wrongdoing" and corruption is deep in many levels of government and in many organizations. Most workers smell it daily and most learn to turn a blind eye for their own health, because they need their jobs to shelter & feed their families. Until governments and organizations get serious at changing their protective and insular organizational cultures and get rid of the rotten fruit, no amount of legislation, or policies are going to improve things. And, at the end of the day, organizations of all sizes will fail miserably because of their unwillingness to clean house, because younger workers just won't stay and they will slag the organization to everyone they know. Risk management for the new millenium looks very different than it did in the past and it's time people woke up to that.
Last Updated: Thursday, November 29, 2007 | 8:41 AM AT
CBC News
The New Brunswick provincial government introduced legislation Wednesday that will prevent employees from being punished if they blow the whistle on bosses and colleagues who are breaking laws.
Human Resources Minister Wally Stiles said he hopes the new law won't have to be used very often, but if civil servants spot something wrong, they will be able to report it to a supervisor or the province's conflict of interest commissioner without fear of punishment.
"In the act itself, there is full protection for that civil servant to actually come forward, and whether he chooses to give [his] name or not, he can work that out with the conflict of interest commissioner."
The Public Interest Disclosure Act covers crimes, mismanagement of public funds and actions that create a health or safety risk to the public or the environment.
Beyond civil servants in government departments, the bill will also protect employees of hospital authorities, school boards and Crown corporations, including NB Power.
"I need to applaud this government for stepping forward and presenting this bill," said Tom Mann, executive director of the New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees.
Mann said he has dealt with government workers who wanted to report a problem but were too scared to do so.
"This bill, what I see in it is an opportunity for the public good to be protected," Mann said.
The act will make a more accountable and open government, Stiles said.
***************
Bill 8: Public Interest Disclosure Act
New Brunswick
Disclosure of Wrongdoing
Wrongdoings to which this Act applies
3 This Act applies to the following wrongdoings in or relating to the public service:
(a) an act or omission constituting an offence under an Act of the Legislature or the Parliament of Canada, or a regulation made under an Act;
(b) an act or omission that creates a substantial and specific danger to the life, health or safety of persons, or to the environment, other than a danger that is inherent in the performance of the duties or functions of an employee;
(c) gross mismanagement, including of public funds or a public asset;
(d) knowingly directing or counselling a person to commit a wrongdoing described in paragraphs (a) to (c).
****************************
Now, I'm pretty happy when any jurisdiction sees fit to enact Whistleblower legislation, but to my eye, this is flawed right from the get go due to the language of sub-section b.
It's sad that this has to be explained, but many whistleblowers, union reps, advocates, or just plain workers are subjected to "danger" in their course of duties precisely because their employers (sometimes governments) are guilty of negligence and wrongdoing in the first place. Can someone explain to me why in 2008 workers, no matter what level they are at, why dangerous, negligent and high-risk occupations are exempted from employers from safety? I've worked in high-risk occupations, I know many others who work in them as well. Many of these people are the real heroes in our society. Why do they deserve less coverage and concern for the "danger" they experience "on the job" where they are often helping create safety and wellbeing for others.
Having also seen what passes for "internal investigations" of wrongdoing, the authorities might want to get a bit more serious about this and actually have people who are trained to do more than push paper.
Again, the point is, employers, governments and legislators better wake up & smell the fair trade brewing, there are not enough people left to fill the seats you need to fill, you better start making safety and justice a priority for ALL WORKERS.
It's as simple as this: the rot and stench of "wrongdoing" and corruption is deep in many levels of government and in many organizations. Most workers smell it daily and most learn to turn a blind eye for their own health, because they need their jobs to shelter & feed their families. Until governments and organizations get serious at changing their protective and insular organizational cultures and get rid of the rotten fruit, no amount of legislation, or policies are going to improve things. And, at the end of the day, organizations of all sizes will fail miserably because of their unwillingness to clean house, because younger workers just won't stay and they will slag the organization to everyone they know. Risk management for the new millenium looks very different than it did in the past and it's time people woke up to that.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Global Cull List?
Who would have thought being a scientist would turn into one of the more high-risk occupations of the world? Although admittedly, I am probably quite ignorant, or naïve about it all. But, if one is to examine the numbers of scientists and other high level global players who appear to be succumbing to suicides, murders and “mysterious illnesses” over the past few years I would say the sciences have shot to the top of the heap in risky business and there appears to quite a bit of danger lurking around the corners these days in the geopolitical realm.
Take the strange and terrifying case of Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, biochemistry students and specialists who were in England working in infectious diseases and environmental engineering. They were both found in their flat bound, gagged, tortured and beaten repeatedly with a blunt object, then stabbed hundreds of times, pre and post mortem. Mr. Bonomo was reported to have been stabbed 196 times, Ferez, 50 times and both were then set on fire. Bonomo had been working on investigating the deadly H5N1 Avian Flu Virus at London’s Imperial College. An interesting incident preceding these horrors was the theft of Mr. Bonomo’s laptop the previous week. One wonders what might have been found on that and whether it had anything to do with his subsequent demise?
Some media reports state that Siti Fadillah Supari, the Indonesian Health Minister, is reported to be calling for the closure of the United States Naval Medical Research Unit 2
(NAMRU-2), which has been located in Indonesia for the past 40 years. It is at this site that a great deal of bioengineering research has been conducted by the US on infectious diseases from Southeast Asia. Indonesian government officials have linked the fact that their country has experienced the hardest hit of any other and a number of deaths of citizens due to Avian flu to the American research facility. Interestingly, Indonesian citizens who came down with the virus refused to turn over their samples to the American’s. Instead, their samples were sent to the French research facility that Mr. Bonomo worked at as a student, Inserm Medical Institute, prior to his studies in London.
According to some reports, over the last 4 years, approximately 80 of the world’s top researchers in infectious diseases and bird flu have been murdered, committed suicide, died of natural causes, or died under tragic and mysterious circumstances.
There have been so many deaths of top scientific researchers that some clever souls (or reckless, depends on where you sit) began to tally them. Most were top-level bio-engineers, chemists, nuclear power scientists and experts in their fields of science. Some worked in infectious diseases and many have died violent deaths, or of unknown causes all around the world. Some simply disappeared, were in crashes, shot, committed suicide. Some of these folks had high-level security clearance due to the projects they worked on. Many the murders were never solved and/or circumstances of death were never fully understood by authorities.
Certainly it seems a bit far-fetched that all of these deaths, or other occurrences, are part of some grand conspiracy, but it does lend one to raise an eyebrow about it all.
Not knowing virtually anything about bioterrorism, I would guess that this area has long been a burgeoning one in the geopolitical landscape. The stakes are so high for nuclear war, I would imagine being able to have a Plan B (or maybe that is the real Plan A) to rattle at adversaries is a more effective threat in a global race to … I keep trying to figure out what exactly is the BIG prize? It eludes me. All the money in the world? Water? Oil? Sure that’s all of it, the wealth of all of the world in the hands of a few. Okay, so they’ve virtually got it locked up. Now what?
From all of “us” to all of “you” – YOU WIN!!!! Now stop and go away to count your billions while the rest of “us” help the world survive. Because that old cliché still counts – you can’t take it with you, no matter how much you want to. And as far as I’m aware, we haven’t yet found the secret of immortality, just ask Jesse Helms.
Top French Bird Flu Researcher Brutally Murdered In London
By: Sorcha Faal. July 4 2008.
2 French Students Stabbed, Burned In UK
London Police Appeal For Witnesses To Help Solve Murder Of Two French Grad Students
****************************************************
Busy time in old Londontown? Alex Allan, being a “spy chief” probably would be considered as having a much more high-risk occupation. This is one guy who knows where the skeletons are all over the globe. Interestingly, some media report that he was found with blood “everywhere” others, quoting “government sources” say “there is no sign of foul play… no police involvement, or concern for the reason” for his hospitalization. Some are spinning this as a case of pneumonia, with blood coughed up. He was found unconscious and has had a “battery of tests,” no official diagnoses yet.
Keep in mind this is the fellow who is the Chairperson of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). His job is collecting information from members of the Security Service, MI5, the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, and Government Communications Headquarters who sit on the committee and relaying it to the Prime Minister of England (and whomever else is involved). He’s only been on the job for a year and I suspect it’s been quite a year. If one were to speculate, he might make a pretty good target these days for a little biochemical “gift” to shut him up. And I’m pretty sure the Powers that Be in the UK (and elsewhere) might want to keep that under their hats.
The timing of Mr. Allan’s collapse is interesting, what with some serious reports of the “healthy numbers” of Russian operatives in the UK. It’s a curiosity whether Mr. Allan was going to be urging some action on that and perhaps using his position to bump up the resources of M15, which is apparently so seriously underfunded and maxed out that UK security and intelligence work is suffering. Silly me, I would think that the UK, a veritable hot bed of Islamic terrorists, Russian espionage and quite likely a whole lot of other malevolent plotting from parties unknown might want to keep a well stocked cupboard at the ready. Maybe they’re counting on their American buddies to pick up the slack? But it seems they’re spread pretty thin these days too and possibly will be even more in the dark days I fear are coming. I’m just an armchair observer around this geodome, but something sure doesn’t smell right about any of it.
Spy chief Alex Allan found with 'blood everywhere'
Britain's leading spymaster, who is in a coma after apparently being struck down by a mystery illness, was found covered in blood, according to a tenant.
By Rupert Neate. 06/07/2008. The Telegraph.
Take the strange and terrifying case of Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, biochemistry students and specialists who were in England working in infectious diseases and environmental engineering. They were both found in their flat bound, gagged, tortured and beaten repeatedly with a blunt object, then stabbed hundreds of times, pre and post mortem. Mr. Bonomo was reported to have been stabbed 196 times, Ferez, 50 times and both were then set on fire. Bonomo had been working on investigating the deadly H5N1 Avian Flu Virus at London’s Imperial College. An interesting incident preceding these horrors was the theft of Mr. Bonomo’s laptop the previous week. One wonders what might have been found on that and whether it had anything to do with his subsequent demise?
Some media reports state that Siti Fadillah Supari, the Indonesian Health Minister, is reported to be calling for the closure of the United States Naval Medical Research Unit 2
(NAMRU-2), which has been located in Indonesia for the past 40 years. It is at this site that a great deal of bioengineering research has been conducted by the US on infectious diseases from Southeast Asia. Indonesian government officials have linked the fact that their country has experienced the hardest hit of any other and a number of deaths of citizens due to Avian flu to the American research facility. Interestingly, Indonesian citizens who came down with the virus refused to turn over their samples to the American’s. Instead, their samples were sent to the French research facility that Mr. Bonomo worked at as a student, Inserm Medical Institute, prior to his studies in London.
According to some reports, over the last 4 years, approximately 80 of the world’s top researchers in infectious diseases and bird flu have been murdered, committed suicide, died of natural causes, or died under tragic and mysterious circumstances.
There have been so many deaths of top scientific researchers that some clever souls (or reckless, depends on where you sit) began to tally them. Most were top-level bio-engineers, chemists, nuclear power scientists and experts in their fields of science. Some worked in infectious diseases and many have died violent deaths, or of unknown causes all around the world. Some simply disappeared, were in crashes, shot, committed suicide. Some of these folks had high-level security clearance due to the projects they worked on. Many the murders were never solved and/or circumstances of death were never fully understood by authorities.
Certainly it seems a bit far-fetched that all of these deaths, or other occurrences, are part of some grand conspiracy, but it does lend one to raise an eyebrow about it all.
Not knowing virtually anything about bioterrorism, I would guess that this area has long been a burgeoning one in the geopolitical landscape. The stakes are so high for nuclear war, I would imagine being able to have a Plan B (or maybe that is the real Plan A) to rattle at adversaries is a more effective threat in a global race to … I keep trying to figure out what exactly is the BIG prize? It eludes me. All the money in the world? Water? Oil? Sure that’s all of it, the wealth of all of the world in the hands of a few. Okay, so they’ve virtually got it locked up. Now what?
From all of “us” to all of “you” – YOU WIN!!!! Now stop and go away to count your billions while the rest of “us” help the world survive. Because that old cliché still counts – you can’t take it with you, no matter how much you want to. And as far as I’m aware, we haven’t yet found the secret of immortality, just ask Jesse Helms.
Top French Bird Flu Researcher Brutally Murdered In London
By: Sorcha Faal. July 4 2008.
2 French Students Stabbed, Burned In UK
London Police Appeal For Witnesses To Help Solve Murder Of Two French Grad Students
****************************************************
Busy time in old Londontown? Alex Allan, being a “spy chief” probably would be considered as having a much more high-risk occupation. This is one guy who knows where the skeletons are all over the globe. Interestingly, some media report that he was found with blood “everywhere” others, quoting “government sources” say “there is no sign of foul play… no police involvement, or concern for the reason” for his hospitalization. Some are spinning this as a case of pneumonia, with blood coughed up. He was found unconscious and has had a “battery of tests,” no official diagnoses yet.
Keep in mind this is the fellow who is the Chairperson of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). His job is collecting information from members of the Security Service, MI5, the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, and Government Communications Headquarters who sit on the committee and relaying it to the Prime Minister of England (and whomever else is involved). He’s only been on the job for a year and I suspect it’s been quite a year. If one were to speculate, he might make a pretty good target these days for a little biochemical “gift” to shut him up. And I’m pretty sure the Powers that Be in the UK (and elsewhere) might want to keep that under their hats.
The timing of Mr. Allan’s collapse is interesting, what with some serious reports of the “healthy numbers” of Russian operatives in the UK. It’s a curiosity whether Mr. Allan was going to be urging some action on that and perhaps using his position to bump up the resources of M15, which is apparently so seriously underfunded and maxed out that UK security and intelligence work is suffering. Silly me, I would think that the UK, a veritable hot bed of Islamic terrorists, Russian espionage and quite likely a whole lot of other malevolent plotting from parties unknown might want to keep a well stocked cupboard at the ready. Maybe they’re counting on their American buddies to pick up the slack? But it seems they’re spread pretty thin these days too and possibly will be even more in the dark days I fear are coming. I’m just an armchair observer around this geodome, but something sure doesn’t smell right about any of it.
Spy chief Alex Allan found with 'blood everywhere'
Britain's leading spymaster, who is in a coma after apparently being struck down by a mystery illness, was found covered in blood, according to a tenant.
By Rupert Neate. 06/07/2008. The Telegraph.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Disinformation, Manipulation & the Corporate Media
I’ve been thinking about the use of the corporate media as a machine of disinformation and in some cases, manipulation of the public. Those of us in the so-called “blogosphere,” particularly those of us who are involved in political blogging often identify ourselves as “citizen journalists.” I wonder if many of us become involved in blogging in part as a reaction to the corporatization and concentration of media. I know that was a major catalyst for me. In Canada, in some ways I think our very democracy is swinging in the breeze up on the hangman’s platform as we are all subjected to non-stop spin and manipulation by the mainstream media (or MSM as they’re called). Things didn’t use to be this way and in part, I blame the CRTC,
who are supposed to be looking out for the public’s interest. I fail to see that happening when they’ve allowed corporations to concentrate so much media and subsequent rulings seem to be quite encouraging of corporate media in their endeavours.
Undoubtedly an important book for many of us to check out is “Lies the Media Tell Us” by James Winter, a communications professor from the University of Windsor. I recently read a book review in the CCPA Monitor (yet one more reason that makes the CCPA an outstanding alternative to MSM) by Roy LaBerge in which Winter’s book is dissected and some of his most important points laid bare. I think it’s easy
for most of us to disconnect from the real business of news… advertising dollars. In his book, Winter relates the quote from a newspaper authority who says the news is “just the filler in between the ads.” The point being, advertisers can and do exert an incredible influence on media content of news. A local couple of examples spring to mind for me that reinforce this point in a real world way.
1. Consider for a moment the chill of the 2007 Black on Black story (Sean Holman’s Public Eye Online) about the story of Victoria News reporter Brennan Clarke and editor Keith Norbury getting a “talking to” from Black Press Ltd. British Columbia chief operating officer Rick O'Connor about "the impact a potential loss of advertising from the automotive sector" would have on the company. This, after the newspaper published a story about a cross-border car shopper. Those who followed the story, probably most of whom are journalists were deeply concerned about Mr. Clarke’s subsequent firing, which, of course, had nothing to do with writing that story, according to his employer. The most chilling piece to me is when Holman reports publisher, Penny Sakamoto and Island group president Mark Warner “meeting with the reporter, Brennan Clark, regional editor, Keith Norbury, and group editor Brian Lepine to express their concerns and explain the impact a potential loss of advertising from the automotive sector would have on these newspapers." As further explained by O’Connor, Holman continues:
“asked whether editorial staff need to consider the impact their stories have on advertising, Mr. O'Connor said, "No. But they need to understand that, if they don't have balance, then we're wide open to whatever criticisms come our way - whether it's related to advertising or not. In this case, the story was related to an advertising sector we're very strong in. And we took the brunt of their unhappiness" - referring to the fact advertising from the automotive sector dropped the week after Mr. Clarke's article was published. Brrrrr, it’s getting cold in here.
2. Thanks to another blogger, Gazetteer, I was recently happy to discover Harvey Oberfeld’s blog, Keeping It Real. Oberfeld, journalist extraordinaire with heaps of experience in print, television and other media, has now made the jump into the abyss of the blogosphere, much to the delight of many of us. Now he is unfettered by a corporate master and can really tell it like it is, with decades of experience about media in Canada. His most excellent story Vancouver Sun: When Propaganda Imitates News is a great introduction to what we can expect. In this story, Oberfeld minces no words, right out of the gate:
“Friday the 13th was indeed a really unlucky day for the Vancouver Sun … in terms of its vigilance aimed at protecting its journalistic integrity.” He goes on to write about how he caught the Sun in a bit of a piece of shameful media manipulation in cahoots with their buddies, the BC Liberals. Sharp Harvey caught the Sun in their Special Section entitled Doing Business in China. Purported to simply be a series of articles about the obvious, doing business in China, looking at trade policies and practices and how to best capitalize on the largely untapped frontier of China as a business entity and corporate wet dream. As Oberfeld notes:
“BUT there were also FOUR pages boldly proclaiming IN FOCUS and featuring no less than SIX photos of Premier Gordon Campbell (as if the two others on other pages were not enough!) along with riveting articles entitled “A message from Premier Gordon Campbell”, “A message from Minister Colin Hansen”, and “British Columbia and Canada in the Asia Pacific Region: building a shared and prosperous future”… But there it was, atop two beaming pictures of the Premier, a statement asserting ”This feature has been provided by The Vancouver Sun”. Apparently, propaganda was now news “feature” material … bought and paid for.”
After writing to the Executive Editor Valerie Casselton, the Sun’s big gun, Editor in Chief Patricia Graham confirms to Oberfeld that ooops, “FOUR PAGES OF THE SECTION WERE GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING, but the paper had mistakenly NOT said so.” Her explanation:
“The feature is advertising and should not have been labelled that way; it was a mistake. We have a policy that advertising features should be labelled so that they do not appear to be editorial; unfortunately human error in this case meant the policy was not followed.”
Now, what started me on this thread was not actually media manipulation per se, but the idea of media disinformation as a powerful and often overlooked geopolitical tool. I read A LOT of media, mainstream, alternative and “off the beaten path” stuff. Some of it even I find hard to believe, but I’ll tell you, having been perusing this for some time, I think even some of the most “out there” stuff has kernels of truth in it.
What really sparked this for me is the report this week of an incident in which the global MSM is reporting that an Israeli guard in the army committed suicide at the farewell meeting in Israel of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres. For those of us who follow geopolitics, Mr. Sarkozy has just been crowned the President of the European Union (EU), making him a global player and leader in the geopolitical realm. The corporate media disinformation, or spin begins, and I quote:
"This was in no way an assassination attempt," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, calling the incident a suicide.
To me, admittedly just a little armchair spectator in this safer part of the world, this whole thing just stinks of “covert operations.” Reading the various MSM reports, Sarkozy was in Israel offering to be a peace broker between Israel and Palestine, a key goal of the EU. He was there to pledge his allegiance to Israel and to tell Israel “that it is "not alone" in facing any threat posed by Iran's nuclear programme.” Anyone else hearing the rattling of a war drum that originates halfway around the world, or more particularly, from the shadowy men who have risen above mere nation states?
Contrast this MSM reporting with this from alternative media sources, who report clearly and on the ground, including interviews with the Israeli guards family that this was in fact an assassination attempt and the cover up was immediate. A couple of things stand out for me.
- The interviews with the family, if they can be believed, who are quite adamant that the guard did not in any way demonstrate a propensity, or risk of suicide. And with his military training, experience, level of security clearance and someone who was clearly positioned as he was (on top of a roof) is not likely to publically commit suicide. Anyone who has served in the military, or those of us who know police officers understand, they usually suffer in silence for a long time, demonstrate a few signs of depression, hopelessness or problems that are identified by family and friends, which is clearly not the case for this officer, as reported by the folks who see him daily and know him best. And anyone who demonstrates any kind of mental weakness, or causes any kind of concern is not going to get the kind of clearance this officer had for this operation. These folks don’t kill themselves in public, like most cops, or soldiers, their trauma and pain is locked up in shame and when they do decide to end it, they do it in isolation away from the public eye.
- Another piece, MSM reports he was killed by a rifle. Now, I know military types are talented, skillful folks and I’m no "CSI ammunition expert," but I’d like someone to explain to me how a highly trained and experienced Israeli military trained officer, in the middle of a high level international mission, is going to manage to shoot himself with a rifle?
- Another important piece to me is that there were reports that after the death of the officer, two female Israeli army officers were reported to have “fainted” and been taken by authorities, purportedly for medical assessment. Now, I haven’t spent any time in the military myself and I know anything is possible, but can someone explain to me how two Israeli military officers who have enough experience and high level security clearance to be involved in this international mission guarding the safety and wellbeing of the nation’s Prime Minister and president were so dainty and slight of heart that they “fainted” at the sight of their military brother’s demise? The Israeli’s make tough people, and although I know more about trauma than most, there isn’t enough ink that could be spilled in this world to convince me these military officers went to pieces like what was reported. The pandering reference to the “weaker” propensity of “female officers” to fall to pieces is just not credible at all. What’s much more likely to me is they were birds eye witnesses to what happened and were whisked away for a “debriefing” which including strong “encouragement” (some might say compelled) to report on the “official” version of events.
- A fourth but related piece of the puzzle is that one of the first and only global alternative media networks to report on the assassination attempt against Sarkozy, What Does it Mean, was subjected to what they describe as being “brought [us] nearly to our knees with some of the most vicious and sustained assaults upon our computer networks I’ve ever seen.” And not satisfied to just attack them, the hack extended to their networks, namely the Russian Gnostic sisters, specifically Sorcha Faal, who disseminates information and reports from Russia about geopolitical events. The fact that Faal just posted a story about the assassination attempt is no coincidence and clearly efforts were made to bring the site down and stop them from challenging the manipulation and dissemination of disinformation by the global corporate media, which has decided what the real story is.
As one who likes to speculate, who benefits from discord and war in the Middle East most? I’ll leave it to all of your imaginations to figure that one out. I figure by just writing this little piece and some of the other things I’ve written before has gotten me on some sort of dissident round up list. Perhaps it sounds like paranoia and aggrandizement, but if I am to believe my brother and sister citizen journalists and human rights activists around the world, those of us who offer alternatives to MSM and alternative analysis of geopolitical events are quite at-risk as the machinery of the New World rolls ever forward crushing anyone and anything that gets in their path.
Last time I went to the States my name was flagged and my entire vehicle was searched. I won’t be back. Might be a coincidence, random searches happen, but so do apprehensions of activists and those perceived to be dissidents. And under American law, anyone can be declared an "enemy of the state."
And as far as I can make of it, the Powers that Be are on a tight deadline here, November 2008 is coming quick and Western regime change stands all but confirmed by the voters, which has of course not stopped them in the past, but just in case, the Big Boys need to pull out all of the stops while they can.
I think it’s going to be a very hot summer in certain parts of the world, while domestically, the sleeping giant of North America’s citizenry grows more and more angry and filled with despair as they lose everything and look for fingers to point in someone's direction and begin to ask what their governments are doing to help them? That’s the real million-dollar question.
Media can keep spinning out stories about vapid, stupid and expendable Hollywood types, or whatever distractions and disinformation they want, but the carnage across the Americas and the useless savagery being done to our courageous forces serving around the world will grow too serious for the Silverbacks to ignore.
This is the story of the universe, the dog chasing its’ tale: the demons come, the fighting begins, the world is destroyed, to be created anew by the just, compassionate and humble once again.
Israeli guard kills self at Sarkozy farewell
Francois Murphy, Reuters. Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008
State-Sponsored Terror: British and American Black Ops in Iraq
By Andrew G. Marshall
Global Research, June 25, 2008
Gunshot starts panic as Sarkozy leaves Israel
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem. The Guardian, Wednesday June 25, 2008.
The Project for the New American Century
By William Rivers Pitt (02/25/03).
who are supposed to be looking out for the public’s interest. I fail to see that happening when they’ve allowed corporations to concentrate so much media and subsequent rulings seem to be quite encouraging of corporate media in their endeavours.
Undoubtedly an important book for many of us to check out is “Lies the Media Tell Us” by James Winter, a communications professor from the University of Windsor. I recently read a book review in the CCPA Monitor (yet one more reason that makes the CCPA an outstanding alternative to MSM) by Roy LaBerge in which Winter’s book is dissected and some of his most important points laid bare. I think it’s easy
for most of us to disconnect from the real business of news… advertising dollars. In his book, Winter relates the quote from a newspaper authority who says the news is “just the filler in between the ads.” The point being, advertisers can and do exert an incredible influence on media content of news. A local couple of examples spring to mind for me that reinforce this point in a real world way.
1. Consider for a moment the chill of the 2007 Black on Black story (Sean Holman’s Public Eye Online) about the story of Victoria News reporter Brennan Clarke and editor Keith Norbury getting a “talking to” from Black Press Ltd. British Columbia chief operating officer Rick O'Connor about "the impact a potential loss of advertising from the automotive sector" would have on the company. This, after the newspaper published a story about a cross-border car shopper. Those who followed the story, probably most of whom are journalists were deeply concerned about Mr. Clarke’s subsequent firing, which, of course, had nothing to do with writing that story, according to his employer. The most chilling piece to me is when Holman reports publisher, Penny Sakamoto and Island group president Mark Warner “meeting with the reporter, Brennan Clark, regional editor, Keith Norbury, and group editor Brian Lepine to express their concerns and explain the impact a potential loss of advertising from the automotive sector would have on these newspapers." As further explained by O’Connor, Holman continues:
“asked whether editorial staff need to consider the impact their stories have on advertising, Mr. O'Connor said, "No. But they need to understand that, if they don't have balance, then we're wide open to whatever criticisms come our way - whether it's related to advertising or not. In this case, the story was related to an advertising sector we're very strong in. And we took the brunt of their unhappiness" - referring to the fact advertising from the automotive sector dropped the week after Mr. Clarke's article was published. Brrrrr, it’s getting cold in here.
2. Thanks to another blogger, Gazetteer, I was recently happy to discover Harvey Oberfeld’s blog, Keeping It Real. Oberfeld, journalist extraordinaire with heaps of experience in print, television and other media, has now made the jump into the abyss of the blogosphere, much to the delight of many of us. Now he is unfettered by a corporate master and can really tell it like it is, with decades of experience about media in Canada. His most excellent story Vancouver Sun: When Propaganda Imitates News is a great introduction to what we can expect. In this story, Oberfeld minces no words, right out of the gate:
“Friday the 13th was indeed a really unlucky day for the Vancouver Sun … in terms of its vigilance aimed at protecting its journalistic integrity.” He goes on to write about how he caught the Sun in a bit of a piece of shameful media manipulation in cahoots with their buddies, the BC Liberals. Sharp Harvey caught the Sun in their Special Section entitled Doing Business in China. Purported to simply be a series of articles about the obvious, doing business in China, looking at trade policies and practices and how to best capitalize on the largely untapped frontier of China as a business entity and corporate wet dream. As Oberfeld notes:
“BUT there were also FOUR pages boldly proclaiming IN FOCUS and featuring no less than SIX photos of Premier Gordon Campbell (as if the two others on other pages were not enough!) along with riveting articles entitled “A message from Premier Gordon Campbell”, “A message from Minister Colin Hansen”, and “British Columbia and Canada in the Asia Pacific Region: building a shared and prosperous future”… But there it was, atop two beaming pictures of the Premier, a statement asserting ”This feature has been provided by The Vancouver Sun”. Apparently, propaganda was now news “feature” material … bought and paid for.”
After writing to the Executive Editor Valerie Casselton, the Sun’s big gun, Editor in Chief Patricia Graham confirms to Oberfeld that ooops, “FOUR PAGES OF THE SECTION WERE GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING, but the paper had mistakenly NOT said so.” Her explanation:
“The feature is advertising and should not have been labelled that way; it was a mistake. We have a policy that advertising features should be labelled so that they do not appear to be editorial; unfortunately human error in this case meant the policy was not followed.”
Now, what started me on this thread was not actually media manipulation per se, but the idea of media disinformation as a powerful and often overlooked geopolitical tool. I read A LOT of media, mainstream, alternative and “off the beaten path” stuff. Some of it even I find hard to believe, but I’ll tell you, having been perusing this for some time, I think even some of the most “out there” stuff has kernels of truth in it.
What really sparked this for me is the report this week of an incident in which the global MSM is reporting that an Israeli guard in the army committed suicide at the farewell meeting in Israel of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres. For those of us who follow geopolitics, Mr. Sarkozy has just been crowned the President of the European Union (EU), making him a global player and leader in the geopolitical realm. The corporate media disinformation, or spin begins, and I quote:
"This was in no way an assassination attempt," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, calling the incident a suicide.
To me, admittedly just a little armchair spectator in this safer part of the world, this whole thing just stinks of “covert operations.” Reading the various MSM reports, Sarkozy was in Israel offering to be a peace broker between Israel and Palestine, a key goal of the EU. He was there to pledge his allegiance to Israel and to tell Israel “that it is "not alone" in facing any threat posed by Iran's nuclear programme.” Anyone else hearing the rattling of a war drum that originates halfway around the world, or more particularly, from the shadowy men who have risen above mere nation states?
Contrast this MSM reporting with this from alternative media sources, who report clearly and on the ground, including interviews with the Israeli guards family that this was in fact an assassination attempt and the cover up was immediate. A couple of things stand out for me.
- The interviews with the family, if they can be believed, who are quite adamant that the guard did not in any way demonstrate a propensity, or risk of suicide. And with his military training, experience, level of security clearance and someone who was clearly positioned as he was (on top of a roof) is not likely to publically commit suicide. Anyone who has served in the military, or those of us who know police officers understand, they usually suffer in silence for a long time, demonstrate a few signs of depression, hopelessness or problems that are identified by family and friends, which is clearly not the case for this officer, as reported by the folks who see him daily and know him best. And anyone who demonstrates any kind of mental weakness, or causes any kind of concern is not going to get the kind of clearance this officer had for this operation. These folks don’t kill themselves in public, like most cops, or soldiers, their trauma and pain is locked up in shame and when they do decide to end it, they do it in isolation away from the public eye.
- Another piece, MSM reports he was killed by a rifle. Now, I know military types are talented, skillful folks and I’m no "CSI ammunition expert," but I’d like someone to explain to me how a highly trained and experienced Israeli military trained officer, in the middle of a high level international mission, is going to manage to shoot himself with a rifle?
- Another important piece to me is that there were reports that after the death of the officer, two female Israeli army officers were reported to have “fainted” and been taken by authorities, purportedly for medical assessment. Now, I haven’t spent any time in the military myself and I know anything is possible, but can someone explain to me how two Israeli military officers who have enough experience and high level security clearance to be involved in this international mission guarding the safety and wellbeing of the nation’s Prime Minister and president were so dainty and slight of heart that they “fainted” at the sight of their military brother’s demise? The Israeli’s make tough people, and although I know more about trauma than most, there isn’t enough ink that could be spilled in this world to convince me these military officers went to pieces like what was reported. The pandering reference to the “weaker” propensity of “female officers” to fall to pieces is just not credible at all. What’s much more likely to me is they were birds eye witnesses to what happened and were whisked away for a “debriefing” which including strong “encouragement” (some might say compelled) to report on the “official” version of events.
- A fourth but related piece of the puzzle is that one of the first and only global alternative media networks to report on the assassination attempt against Sarkozy, What Does it Mean, was subjected to what they describe as being “brought [us] nearly to our knees with some of the most vicious and sustained assaults upon our computer networks I’ve ever seen.” And not satisfied to just attack them, the hack extended to their networks, namely the Russian Gnostic sisters, specifically Sorcha Faal, who disseminates information and reports from Russia about geopolitical events. The fact that Faal just posted a story about the assassination attempt is no coincidence and clearly efforts were made to bring the site down and stop them from challenging the manipulation and dissemination of disinformation by the global corporate media, which has decided what the real story is.
As one who likes to speculate, who benefits from discord and war in the Middle East most? I’ll leave it to all of your imaginations to figure that one out. I figure by just writing this little piece and some of the other things I’ve written before has gotten me on some sort of dissident round up list. Perhaps it sounds like paranoia and aggrandizement, but if I am to believe my brother and sister citizen journalists and human rights activists around the world, those of us who offer alternatives to MSM and alternative analysis of geopolitical events are quite at-risk as the machinery of the New World rolls ever forward crushing anyone and anything that gets in their path.
Last time I went to the States my name was flagged and my entire vehicle was searched. I won’t be back. Might be a coincidence, random searches happen, but so do apprehensions of activists and those perceived to be dissidents. And under American law, anyone can be declared an "enemy of the state."
And as far as I can make of it, the Powers that Be are on a tight deadline here, November 2008 is coming quick and Western regime change stands all but confirmed by the voters, which has of course not stopped them in the past, but just in case, the Big Boys need to pull out all of the stops while they can.
I think it’s going to be a very hot summer in certain parts of the world, while domestically, the sleeping giant of North America’s citizenry grows more and more angry and filled with despair as they lose everything and look for fingers to point in someone's direction and begin to ask what their governments are doing to help them? That’s the real million-dollar question.
Media can keep spinning out stories about vapid, stupid and expendable Hollywood types, or whatever distractions and disinformation they want, but the carnage across the Americas and the useless savagery being done to our courageous forces serving around the world will grow too serious for the Silverbacks to ignore.
This is the story of the universe, the dog chasing its’ tale: the demons come, the fighting begins, the world is destroyed, to be created anew by the just, compassionate and humble once again.
Israeli guard kills self at Sarkozy farewell
Francois Murphy, Reuters. Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008
State-Sponsored Terror: British and American Black Ops in Iraq
By Andrew G. Marshall
Global Research, June 25, 2008
Gunshot starts panic as Sarkozy leaves Israel
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem. The Guardian, Wednesday June 25, 2008.
The Project for the New American Century
By William Rivers Pitt (02/25/03).
Thursday, June 26, 2008
10 Easy Steps to Losing An Election: Brought to You by the NDP
NDP: Now is the time to send us $100
Lindsay Kines, Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008
The NDP has a helpful suggestion on how to spend your $100 climate action cheque.
Give it to them.
In a "Dear Friend" e-mail to supporters, NDP environment critic Shane Simpson urges people to make their "gas tax rebate count" by funneling it to his party.
******
This just proves that the NDP are actually as frighteningly clued out as the Liberals. Who in their right mind okayed this grab of the Climate Change “dividend?” Whoever it is should be banished and muzzled. This whole thing begs the question, does the NDP actually want to be elected as the majority party in May 2009? This foolish stunt tells us no, in fact they don’t.
If the NDP brain trust couldn’t figure out this would be leaked and the optics of it when it was, then they are quite simply too stupid to be our next majority government. Because, like the Liberals, it’s these Backroom Silverbacks that are going to be the ones coming up with government policy and direction. If we were a conspiracy minded type, we might actually think the NDP actually wants the party to lose the next election. Although they have a nice leader(certainly a nicer one than the Liberals) Carole James is just not believable as a strong leader and the party continually present confusing, ill advised or half-baked platforms and ideas. Talk to anyone on the street (who isn’t an NDP insider) and they would not be able to say a thing about what the NDP actually stands for anymore, or what better solutions they have to offer. And that’s a PRETTY BIG problem considering they will be involved in an election in less than 18 months.
It’s this insular “inner circle” party thinking that helped kill Sam Sullivan’s career as mayor of Vancouver and that was a humiliating defeat. To recount, the sitting mayor lost the nomination for mayor in the next election of his own party. Talk about a non-confidence vote. He and his insiders on the executive did what they could to smear his opponent, yet, at the end of the day, he still lost. And he lost because he was out of touch with his party and his style of leadership was so exclusive, insular, insulting and full of dirty pool that he couldn’t even win the support of a majority of his membership. As on aside, I really hope the neophytes who were cheerleaders to him learned their lesson over this. Their open and public adoration and support for someone who shot himself and his whole party in the foot (with the public) sends a loud message about their insight and judgment. Be a little more diplomatic, rise above it all folks, or, get your head out of your @$$ if you want to play this game and not look like an idiot and have to do some major butt kissing to the new boss to stay in the game.
I think it’s time for the NDP to take a long, cold, brave look at themselves and where they are heading (into the rocks if they don’t smarten up). They fail to understand they do not own the hearts and minds of voters in BC, even on the left or in the labour movement. BTW, their shill (the BCGEU) has engendered a serious bunch of ill will in the labour community over their foolish actions over the last couple of years so that is something to strongly consider and the labour community as a whole is going to question what the NDP has done for them and since they could be their employer next round of bargaining, things are not as cut & dried as they seem. The stunning lack of clarity about what the party actually stands for and whose interests they actually represent, makes enough of the lefties and more moderate centre folks nervous to make their return to prominence a questionable thing.
Don’t forget, it’s not just the media that helped sink them (fast ferries, Glen Clark, Bingogate) it was also some of the more questionable policy and governance decisions they made that killed their credibility as social democrats. They cut welfare in the late 90’s, started contracting out and continue to support devolution of services from government even in the midst of the mayhem now occurring. For anyone wanting more on some of their history in government see Jim Herring’s 2003 pamphlet “Labour, the NDP and Our Communities” for a fascinating analysis of the NDP in action when in power (Clarion Publishing).
Party insiders tell us that there are also many NDP members (and former members) who are disillusioned and wondering what the hell has happened to “their” party? The primary supposition, which is arguably quite accurate, is that the NDP are actually much more neo-liberal/conservative than they are willing to admit and continue to pander and bandy about that they are democratic socialists, but their actions are anything but. You can fool some of the people… I think it is also the fact that like, the Liberals, the major players rose from the ranks, it's the Peter Principle all over again, only on a bigger scale with no-one to really stop them (except maybe voters).
As a citizen, it would be hard to vote for a party whose confusing response to the Liberals ill-advised and unpopular carbon tax is to “Axe the Tax,” but even though they think it should be axed, they too would tax us? And, since it is going through, why don’t we give the $$$ to the NDP party instead??? If they actually want to get elected, maybe the party leadership will start to get real and look at the chance they are quite likely blowing with confusion, half-assed (or none) ideas and hypocrisy. Right now, all they’re looking like to voters is a bunch of bumbling idiots, and a gentler, perhaps less evil version of the Liberals. And those who have gone up against the party brass can tell you (if they can be found in the bone yard) is they can be every bit as nasty as the Liberals in getting rid of the naysayers, realists and those who have a differing opinion.
September 12, 2007
Whips and chains
Public Eye Online.
November 27, 2005
For Fox sake!
January 16, 2008
New Labour?
Earlier, we reported Canadian Office and Professional Employees communications director Mike Bruce, British Columbia Government and Service Employees Union staff representative Vanessa Geary and BC FORUM organizer/executive assistant Monica Ghosh Malcolm would be running for Vision Vancouver's executive. All of them were elected. And, when you add Canadian Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada national representative Joie Warnock to that list, it means four of the civic party's nine new board members come from the labour movement. Asked about the matter, Vision Vancouver director Mike Magee said, "I'm very pleased with the executive because it not only has labour it has business, it has youth, it has Chinese, it has Indo-Canadian, it has representation from across the city. I think it's a really strong executive. So we welcome labour and we welcome busines. And they're both represented."
May 16, 2008
Share and share alike?
The Vision Vancouver mayoral nomination membership drive may be over. But it didn't come off without a hitch. On April 29, provincial New Democrat president Jeff Fox notified the civic association that many of his members were "concerned that BC NDP membership lists have either directly or indirectly found their way into the hands of the Vision campaign."
Lindsay Kines, Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008
The NDP has a helpful suggestion on how to spend your $100 climate action cheque.
Give it to them.
In a "Dear Friend" e-mail to supporters, NDP environment critic Shane Simpson urges people to make their "gas tax rebate count" by funneling it to his party.
******
This just proves that the NDP are actually as frighteningly clued out as the Liberals. Who in their right mind okayed this grab of the Climate Change “dividend?” Whoever it is should be banished and muzzled. This whole thing begs the question, does the NDP actually want to be elected as the majority party in May 2009? This foolish stunt tells us no, in fact they don’t.
If the NDP brain trust couldn’t figure out this would be leaked and the optics of it when it was, then they are quite simply too stupid to be our next majority government. Because, like the Liberals, it’s these Backroom Silverbacks that are going to be the ones coming up with government policy and direction. If we were a conspiracy minded type, we might actually think the NDP actually wants the party to lose the next election. Although they have a nice leader(certainly a nicer one than the Liberals) Carole James is just not believable as a strong leader and the party continually present confusing, ill advised or half-baked platforms and ideas. Talk to anyone on the street (who isn’t an NDP insider) and they would not be able to say a thing about what the NDP actually stands for anymore, or what better solutions they have to offer. And that’s a PRETTY BIG problem considering they will be involved in an election in less than 18 months.
It’s this insular “inner circle” party thinking that helped kill Sam Sullivan’s career as mayor of Vancouver and that was a humiliating defeat. To recount, the sitting mayor lost the nomination for mayor in the next election of his own party. Talk about a non-confidence vote. He and his insiders on the executive did what they could to smear his opponent, yet, at the end of the day, he still lost. And he lost because he was out of touch with his party and his style of leadership was so exclusive, insular, insulting and full of dirty pool that he couldn’t even win the support of a majority of his membership. As on aside, I really hope the neophytes who were cheerleaders to him learned their lesson over this. Their open and public adoration and support for someone who shot himself and his whole party in the foot (with the public) sends a loud message about their insight and judgment. Be a little more diplomatic, rise above it all folks, or, get your head out of your @$$ if you want to play this game and not look like an idiot and have to do some major butt kissing to the new boss to stay in the game.
I think it’s time for the NDP to take a long, cold, brave look at themselves and where they are heading (into the rocks if they don’t smarten up). They fail to understand they do not own the hearts and minds of voters in BC, even on the left or in the labour movement. BTW, their shill (the BCGEU) has engendered a serious bunch of ill will in the labour community over their foolish actions over the last couple of years so that is something to strongly consider and the labour community as a whole is going to question what the NDP has done for them and since they could be their employer next round of bargaining, things are not as cut & dried as they seem. The stunning lack of clarity about what the party actually stands for and whose interests they actually represent, makes enough of the lefties and more moderate centre folks nervous to make their return to prominence a questionable thing.
Don’t forget, it’s not just the media that helped sink them (fast ferries, Glen Clark, Bingogate) it was also some of the more questionable policy and governance decisions they made that killed their credibility as social democrats. They cut welfare in the late 90’s, started contracting out and continue to support devolution of services from government even in the midst of the mayhem now occurring. For anyone wanting more on some of their history in government see Jim Herring’s 2003 pamphlet “Labour, the NDP and Our Communities” for a fascinating analysis of the NDP in action when in power (Clarion Publishing).
Party insiders tell us that there are also many NDP members (and former members) who are disillusioned and wondering what the hell has happened to “their” party? The primary supposition, which is arguably quite accurate, is that the NDP are actually much more neo-liberal/conservative than they are willing to admit and continue to pander and bandy about that they are democratic socialists, but their actions are anything but. You can fool some of the people… I think it is also the fact that like, the Liberals, the major players rose from the ranks, it's the Peter Principle all over again, only on a bigger scale with no-one to really stop them (except maybe voters).
As a citizen, it would be hard to vote for a party whose confusing response to the Liberals ill-advised and unpopular carbon tax is to “Axe the Tax,” but even though they think it should be axed, they too would tax us? And, since it is going through, why don’t we give the $$$ to the NDP party instead??? If they actually want to get elected, maybe the party leadership will start to get real and look at the chance they are quite likely blowing with confusion, half-assed (or none) ideas and hypocrisy. Right now, all they’re looking like to voters is a bunch of bumbling idiots, and a gentler, perhaps less evil version of the Liberals. And those who have gone up against the party brass can tell you (if they can be found in the bone yard) is they can be every bit as nasty as the Liberals in getting rid of the naysayers, realists and those who have a differing opinion.
September 12, 2007
Whips and chains
Public Eye Online.
November 27, 2005
For Fox sake!
January 16, 2008
New Labour?
Earlier, we reported Canadian Office and Professional Employees communications director Mike Bruce, British Columbia Government and Service Employees Union staff representative Vanessa Geary and BC FORUM organizer/executive assistant Monica Ghosh Malcolm would be running for Vision Vancouver's executive. All of them were elected. And, when you add Canadian Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada national representative Joie Warnock to that list, it means four of the civic party's nine new board members come from the labour movement. Asked about the matter, Vision Vancouver director Mike Magee said, "I'm very pleased with the executive because it not only has labour it has business, it has youth, it has Chinese, it has Indo-Canadian, it has representation from across the city. I think it's a really strong executive. So we welcome labour and we welcome busines. And they're both represented."
May 16, 2008
Share and share alike?
The Vision Vancouver mayoral nomination membership drive may be over. But it didn't come off without a hitch. On April 29, provincial New Democrat president Jeff Fox notified the civic association that many of his members were "concerned that BC NDP membership lists have either directly or indirectly found their way into the hands of the Vision campaign."
Monday, June 23, 2008
Bit & Bytes
You know, I got my “Climate Action Dividend” today, like a lot of BC citizens and I feel pretty crappy about it actually. I’m definitely into making changes in how I operate in terms of environmental issues (if I hear one more person say "carbon footprint" there will be blood)and the impact they have globally, but I feel like this is some lame attempt at buying me and perhaps my vote. See, we’re the good guys who hand out money and (pretend) are doing something about the environment...
The problem being, people with paid expenses for fuel, food etc. are totally disconnected and out of touch by how fast regular folks have been subjected to hefty rises in costs as a result. I think it is ridiculous that the BC Utilities Commission (handpicked Liberal cronies) have allowed Terasen Gas (more handpicked insiders) to raise the rate of gas 22% in the last year. Food costs have gone up, both because of increased fuel costs for transport, but also skyrocketing costs for basics, such as wheat and rice. The insane weather and tragedies around the globe isn't helping either. But, I'm quite sure the members of BCUC get expenses paid too. The whole lot of them get their gas paid for by us so they can afford to be magnamious. Unfortately, it's the rest of that pay and pay and pay. Critical mass folks, I think most of us feel taxed to death these days and we're not looking to our governments to add more. It's almost like Campbell and Dion are daring us to put them out of our misery. Okay, lets do it.
Carbon Tax Screws BC's North?
thetyee.ca
The closest thing we have, it seems, is figures from Terasen Gas, which show that the average natural gas customer in the Interior and the north actually ...-
A Province for Sale?
As B.C. assets shift into foreign hands, some see a big cost: Ability to chart our own economic future.
By Claudia Cornwall
Published: January 14, 2005
**
This was an outstanding of journalism by Chad Skelton in Saturdays Vancouver Sun. I hope the agencies and organizations checking up on their stats are ready to start answering questions.
Daycares lost track of children 230 times over five years
The second in the Sun's Care & Attention series
Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, June 20, 2008
This is the link for where citizens can look up daycares, group homes & facilities to see their risk ratings, what violations the place has been cited for and for critical incidents:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/care/index.html
You have to use the name of the program, or house, not the agency, or address.
***
A BIG shout out to George Carlin and family. He was a true genius and rabblerousers like him don’t come around very often. The Earth is a lesser place without him. Beware the filth:
Seven Words
Some people are stupid
Edgy comic George Carlin dies in L.A., aged 71
Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs, dirty words and the...
Vancouver Sun. June 23, 2008.
**
The May 2009 Liberal Dream Team
BC Liberals Suck.
The problem being, people with paid expenses for fuel, food etc. are totally disconnected and out of touch by how fast regular folks have been subjected to hefty rises in costs as a result. I think it is ridiculous that the BC Utilities Commission (handpicked Liberal cronies) have allowed Terasen Gas (more handpicked insiders) to raise the rate of gas 22% in the last year. Food costs have gone up, both because of increased fuel costs for transport, but also skyrocketing costs for basics, such as wheat and rice. The insane weather and tragedies around the globe isn't helping either. But, I'm quite sure the members of BCUC get expenses paid too. The whole lot of them get their gas paid for by us so they can afford to be magnamious. Unfortately, it's the rest of that pay and pay and pay. Critical mass folks, I think most of us feel taxed to death these days and we're not looking to our governments to add more. It's almost like Campbell and Dion are daring us to put them out of our misery. Okay, lets do it.
Carbon Tax Screws BC's North?
thetyee.ca
The closest thing we have, it seems, is figures from Terasen Gas, which show that the average natural gas customer in the Interior and the north actually ...-
A Province for Sale?
As B.C. assets shift into foreign hands, some see a big cost: Ability to chart our own economic future.
By Claudia Cornwall
Published: January 14, 2005
**
This was an outstanding of journalism by Chad Skelton in Saturdays Vancouver Sun. I hope the agencies and organizations checking up on their stats are ready to start answering questions.
Daycares lost track of children 230 times over five years
The second in the Sun's Care & Attention series
Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, June 20, 2008
This is the link for where citizens can look up daycares, group homes & facilities to see their risk ratings, what violations the place has been cited for and for critical incidents:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/care/index.html
You have to use the name of the program, or house, not the agency, or address.
***
A BIG shout out to George Carlin and family. He was a true genius and rabblerousers like him don’t come around very often. The Earth is a lesser place without him. Beware the filth:
Seven Words
Some people are stupid
Edgy comic George Carlin dies in L.A., aged 71
Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs, dirty words and the...
Vancouver Sun. June 23, 2008.
**
The May 2009 Liberal Dream Team
BC Liberals Suck.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Bet Their Family Get-togethers were something
Vancouver Island councillor and sons face new charges
CBC News. June 18, 2008
My comments:
I think it is quite likely the one brother has been plunged into the hell of instant detox and his hunger is quite likely for something other than food, but then that's just a guess. I take it none of the fine upstanding folks on here have ever been "dope sick" or known anyone who got "dope sick" but it is a pretty terrible thing. I don't know much about this case, but it seems fairly certain to me that drugs have torn this whole family apart and ruined the career and life of a man who was well thought of in his community. I've seen too much mayhem and pain from drugs, the drug trade and the impacts on families, good families and parents. I have compassion & understanding now. Most junkies I've known hate themselves and what they've done to their families and feel a kind of shame most of us will never know underneath it all.
There are glass houses people and every one of us reading this is one moment away from having a relative who is breaking into houses for crack money, or having her ass pimped out for dope. We all like to feel superior and smug as we pass judgment on the wreckage of other people's lives, but anyone on here who is a parent should kiss your kids and tell them that you love them and pray like hell everything will be okay and someone somewhere doesn't say to them someday, hey, it's just one line...just one hoot... Check out Everlast-Ends for a musical comment on it all.
And, I must agree, there is a wee thing called due process. If anyone of us fine folks was facing charges, or our loved ones, we'd probably want things like human and legal rights to be upheld and perhaps a fair trial, I'm just guessing. I'm sure this will play out the usual way, they'll plead to lesser offences, and take their lumps. The charges are already getting dumbed down.
**
Murder suspect allegedly assaulted man last year
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 4, 2008
CBC News. June 18, 2008
My comments:
I think it is quite likely the one brother has been plunged into the hell of instant detox and his hunger is quite likely for something other than food, but then that's just a guess. I take it none of the fine upstanding folks on here have ever been "dope sick" or known anyone who got "dope sick" but it is a pretty terrible thing. I don't know much about this case, but it seems fairly certain to me that drugs have torn this whole family apart and ruined the career and life of a man who was well thought of in his community. I've seen too much mayhem and pain from drugs, the drug trade and the impacts on families, good families and parents. I have compassion & understanding now. Most junkies I've known hate themselves and what they've done to their families and feel a kind of shame most of us will never know underneath it all.
There are glass houses people and every one of us reading this is one moment away from having a relative who is breaking into houses for crack money, or having her ass pimped out for dope. We all like to feel superior and smug as we pass judgment on the wreckage of other people's lives, but anyone on here who is a parent should kiss your kids and tell them that you love them and pray like hell everything will be okay and someone somewhere doesn't say to them someday, hey, it's just one line...just one hoot... Check out Everlast-Ends for a musical comment on it all.
And, I must agree, there is a wee thing called due process. If anyone of us fine folks was facing charges, or our loved ones, we'd probably want things like human and legal rights to be upheld and perhaps a fair trial, I'm just guessing. I'm sure this will play out the usual way, they'll plead to lesser offences, and take their lumps. The charges are already getting dumbed down.
**
Murder suspect allegedly assaulted man last year
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 4, 2008
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