Uncommon Truths

Receiving potshots from the bore.

2011-12-14T18:16:00.018-03:30

A few comments on this article;

Though the dear editorialist speaks of annoyance at Wente, I will avoid similar criticisms of his meandering and wearisome prosaism.

His assumption that someone taking a degree in medieval studies should immediately have a job available for them (straight out of university and paying 100k a year no doubt) is similarly dubious - as is his belief that a tradesperson who creates wealth by the sweat of their brow should somehow earn less than said liberal arts grad despite said effort. The plumber, electrician and welder have a far greater value to my daily life as does the chemical engineer, biomedical scientist and physican. Indeed, they can generally be said to offer much greater benefit to society than those studying esoteric minutiae that frequently serves to benefit only those in academia.

It's simple supply and demand. It may be cold. It may be hard. But it's reality.

And I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news to our dear editorialist, but Maggie Wente does have the right to drive whatever she wants. Imagine the nerve of her, wanting to choose a Chevy over a Lada!

Wangersky also seems to be suffering from the fallacy that it is somehow wrong for people who work long hours, create jobs for others by their risk and capital (and simultaneously raise everyone's standard of living while they're at it) to be well off simply because there are others who are not. For some people, I suppose it's far easier to assign blame than to do anything constructive about the problem.

Furthermore, if Wangersky truly wanted to put his money where his mouth is, he could always donate his relative wealth to the multitudes in this world who make less than a dollar a day - and they are legion. These people are the world's true poor - but I suppose I shouldn't hold my breath.

He is far more prosperous than they could every hope to be. The 1% is relative.

As an addendum, Wangersky quotes Dunne, suggesting that a newspaper's job is to 'comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable'.

...and here I thought it was to objectively report the news.

Shorter John Ibbitson:

2011-11-17T21:24:00.003-03:30

Pat Martin told a guy to 'fuck off', but it's the Conservative Party's fault anyway.

After all, sure an elected politican from the House of Commons told a citizen he's supposed to serve faithfully to 'Fuck off', and sure this is the party that promised us new civility in the house of commons, and yes this is the party that was led by a man who proclaimed that love is better than hate, but really - if Stephen Harper wasn't so nasty then he wouldn't have had to be so expressive with his language, don't you see? It's just a reflection of 'the frustration we’re all feeling', guys!

Well, when you put it that way.

Me, I prefer to express my displeasure with Pat Martin's childish antics in a more Canadian way

My friends, Love is Better Than Anger.

2011-11-17T16:46:00.004-03:30

P.S.

Activism!

2011-07-20T03:26:00.008-02:30

...Because nothing says "fighting the man” like assaulting an 80 year-old.

Auto bailouts won’t be repaid in full

2011-05-31T01:45:00.007-02:30

"Auto bailouts won’t be repaid in full"

I will summarize my thoughts on this article with my favourite featured comment from the Globe's comment section:

We, the taxpayers, are not fans of poor business practice combined with massive government bailouts.

Bombardier Karl Manning

2011-05-28T09:48:00.015-02:30

I have a real problem with this article:

"Manning, 31, died in what the military describes as a "non-hostile" "non-accident" incident, which is code for he likely took his own life.
...Whether it was a deliberate or inadvertent gesture, it said much about how the military's "go get'em" culture struggles to deal with suicide."

Firstly, the military's vagueness about the circumstances surrounding this proud soldier's passing does not describe how a 'go get 'em' culture deals with suicide; rather it describes the military's respect for a fallen comrade, their family and their friends. Discussing the suicide of a relative is still a very difficult thing for many families to deal with, particularly due to the anguish of knowing a loved one was in so much distress, but also because of the unfortunate stigma that still surrounds mental illness. Out of every biological disease, psychiatric illness is certainly the least understood by the public and also gains the least sympathy. No one tells a person with coronary artery disease to 'suck it up' or that 'they're just in a rut', and yet the biological basis of mental illness is just as concrete.

So in this set of circumstances, it is not at all surprising that the military would wish to say as little as possible in order to respect the privacy of a grieving family. Unfortunately, the journalist who penned this article decided to defecate all over this tactful approach and announce to the world what really happened, you guys.

Don't misunderstand my point here; PTSD, depression and suicide are all issues that the military has been miserable at dealing with; partly due to the military culture, yes; but also because it's actually not easy to tell who is silently suffering. You may not have noticed, but people are really good at hiding the severity of their illness and I'm willing to bet that there are those reading this who have lost loved ones to suicide and would wholeheartedly acknowledge this to be true. It must also be recognized that the general population is hardly any better at figuring out who is at risk for suicide, let alone providing this population with proper support and understanding.

Let me make myself further clear. This is definitely something that we need to talk about - from 'shell shock', 'combat fatigue', to PTSD, we have known about and described how battle affects soldiers for over a century - but we still have not learned how to properly deal with it. I am not saying we don't need articles drawing attention to the problem (we do) and I am most certainly not saying that we should just shut up and not talk about it. What I am saying is that journalists might have a little more tact and consideration for grieving families in the short term, a lot less less condemnation for a military that does, and a tone that is more constructive than condemning.

Rest easy, Bombardier Manning,

Layton gets it Bass-Ackwards

2011-05-25T18:08:00.007-02:30

As usual.

"Take away public financing and essentially what you are saying is those with the best ability to raise money get to have their ideas heard by Canadians and the rest are essentially silenced. I don't think that's helpful for a democratic society."
-Jack Layton

I will never cease to be amazed at the inability of socialists to understand the marketplace and the concept of putting your money where your mouth is.

I would beg to differ with Layton here. Quite frankly, I think he has it completely backwards; it's not the parties with the most money that get their ideas out, it's the parties that get their ideas out - mind you, good ideas that like-minded people believe in and want to get behind - that end up raising the most money. This truth is best demonstrated by observing the current party fundraising statistics; the Tories benefit from large numbers of small-denomination donors, each of whom believes strongly enough in Conservative policy to vote with their chequebook. In contrast, the Liberals often relied on large corporate donations and never quite got over Chretien's changing of party fundraising laws. As a result, they suffer from a dearth of donations from private citizens and even now, years later, they still have not been able to persuade their supporters to send in a cheque every now-and-then. The same can essentially be said for the NDP, albeit to a lesser extent (and with Big Labour, not Bay Street as the primary donors).

If you believe that the NDP or the Liberals or the Greens have the best ideas, and you believe in those ideas, then put your money where your mouth is and write them a cheque. I am consistently surprised by those friends of mine who are outraged at the elimination of this subsidy, and yet have never once donated to (or even volunteered with) the party they support. They hate Harper, yet they can't be bothered to make a ten dollar donation to the Dippers or Grits to help them remove him from office. At the risk of making a sweeping generalization here, it's pretty typical of the socialist mindset - here's what I want to do: now somebody else step up and pay for it.

Days In Office:

2011-05-03T01:56:00.001-02:30

Here's to 1,460 more.

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD

2011-05-02T00:30:00.001-02:30

CNN is reporting that Osama Bin Laden has been killed in Afghanistan and that the USA has his body.

We told you: you can run, but you can't hide.

"I'm Not Stephen Harper"

2011-04-21T01:48:00.009-02:30

This has been making the rounds on Facebook:

And yet the latest from Harris-Decima shows that amongst women, the Conservatives under Harper still have more support (34%) than do the Liberals under Ignatieff (30%) or the NDP under Layton (18%).

Sounds like a better pickup line might be "I'm not Michael Ignatieff!"

Question of the Day

2011-04-20T17:35:00.001-02:30

Q: What do Margaret Atwood and a Vacuum Cleaner have in common?

A: They both suck.

In other news...

2011-04-07T01:45:00.002-02:30

We're still talking relentlessly about Bruce Carson while this is ignored and this wasn't, and a Liberal candidate who belongs to a white-power group makes blatantly racist and disparaging remarks about aboriginals, muslims and gays (and subsequently quickly disappears off the front page never to be brought up again). Does anyone think for a second that if Andre Forbes had been a Tory this wouldn't be everywhere, for days on end?

Fresh off the Steaming pile of...

2011-04-05T23:28:00.014-02:30

...is this example of poignant, relevant, and insightful political commentary. Apparently, it's newsworthy (and plagiarism to boot!) if your campaign ad features waving flags, rural scenes, orchestral scores (every link I could find...), pride in country and military (oops), and national achievements (things you NEVER see in campaign ads). I would normally like to toss out a detailed analysis of all the ways calling this plagiarism is asinine, but let's make this short:

Are you freaking kidding me?

Campaign ad content is usually repetitive with little change found among countries in the central themes, and the fact that similar content shows up across the board is hardly indicative of 'plagiarism'. Ask yourself: What themes have Harper's Tories focused on over the last few years? The military. Pride in country. Rural Canada. The Arctic. Economic growth and stability. And pray tell, what themes do you see in this ad? Exactly.

Further to this is the typical 'Tea Party/America/Republican' card that always seems to be trotted out as a hammer to whack the Tories on the head with; I suppose the insinuation is that it's really scary if the Tories have any similarities, no matter how tiny or spurious, to those 'nasty right-wingers to our south'. Canadians will instinctively recoil at any hint of American involvement in our political discourse; unless of course it's done by Liberals, in which case you won't hear about it.

You want a real plagiarism story? How come we never heard about this? It's a great find by Paul, and I would suggest you spread it around as much as you can if this becomes another two-day non-issue story in the media; If any Tory brass are reading, you're lucky someone found this for you.

Still waiting for coverage of the issues...I probably won't hold my breath though.

*Update* Thanks should be given to the Liberal Party for playing the Conservative ad on their YouTube channel! It's not often your opponents are dumb enough to spread your message for you.

Honestly, the more controversy this ad generates, the more it will get played. It's a great ad; this is a bad thing how?

*upper-date* Took me a while, but I cobbled together a side by side video comparison for your viewing pleasure. If it gets any media attention, it will be worth the loss of sleep!

Update: Thanks should be given to the Liberal Party for playing the Conservative ad on their YouTube channel! It's not often your opponents are dumb enough to spread your message for you.

Honestly, the more controversy this ad generates, the more it will get played. It's a great ad; this is a bad thing how?

100reasons.ca

2011-04-04T21:08:00.004-02:30

At 100reasons.ca, the motto is "There are literally 100 reasons not to vote for Harper's Conservative Party... but you may only need one." Included in its list of "alternatives" to the Conservative party is the Bloc Québecois.

Here at Uncommon Truths, our motto of the day is "If you claim you care about Canadian democracy, maybe you shouldn't promote the destruction of the country?"

John Tory Sr. Dies

2011-04-04T13:27:00.001-02:30

John Tory Sr. has passed away age the age of 81 from a stroke. Condolences are extended to his family and friends.

Thoughts of the N.A.H. protest.

2011-04-03T01:13:00.006-02:30

Life is busy, and it's been a while!

Thought I'd drop a quick commentary on the "Newfoundanders Against Harper" rally, and particularly on the cbc.ca reporting of the event. This story, posted online by the CBC, makes absolutely no mention that the rally was organized by the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour; in fact, it celebrates it as a supposed grass-roots, social-media inspired event towards the end of the article. One of the prominent speakers at this rally was Lana Payne, head of the NLFL and perpetual anti-Conservative/anti-Harper columnist for The Telegram (A sampling of her work can be seen here, should you be courageous enough to brave her commentary). Furthermore, commenting on the story is disabled so there's no way let readers know this was anything but a grass-roots protest; I'd like to know exactly why the CBC thought a simple story such as this should be closed to comments, though I have a theory or two already in mind.

Regardless, by the reports of the enthusiastic and packed crowd present at the event (which was attended by Premier Kathy Dunderdale), the strong slate of Conservative candidates in the province (many of whom are prominent former provincial cabinet ministers), and the announcement of federal support for a Loan Guaarantee to develop the Lower Churchill project from Prime Minister Harper, support for an ABC campaign in this province is likely limited to those who already can't stand the Conservatives to begin with. My prediction for this election is that you can expect to see at least two seats in this province go Conservative, and quite possibly more.

N.A.H.? Nah.

As an Election Looms

2011-03-25T16:37:00.001-02:30

One question still burns on my mind: will we see the return of the mole?

No Evidence of Wrongdoing = WRONGDOING!

2010-12-27T22:19:00.002-03:30

Canada's National Newspaper. The Globe and Mail, Everyone!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell,

2010-12-22T11:14:00.001-03:30

...Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out.

Woman Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy in Pakistan

2010-11-09T22:35:00.004-03:30

A Christian woman in Pakistan has been sentenced to death for the crime of "blasphemy"

Asia Bibi, a 45-year-old mother-of-five, denies blasphemy and told investigators that she was being persecuted for her faith in a country where Christians face routine harassment and discrimination.***

Please advocate on her behalf:

Contact the Pakistani consulate.

Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs: Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca

Office of the Prime Minister of Canda: pm@pm.gc.ca

That'll Teach Him...Maybe?

2010-09-03T11:01:00.013-02:30

A welfare cheat who owned a tow truck, two houses, two cars and ran a lucrative furniture and cabinet making business was recently convicted of fraud after receiving over $74,000 dollars over a period of twelve years. The convicting judge gave him a scathing lecture....and then set him up with the "extended payment plan":

A judge has ordered Robert Thibodeau, 64, to reimburse taxpayers over the next 30 years after he pocketed $74,000 in social assistance cheques.

Thibodeau pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced this week to 21 months in jail. Once he’s released, he’ll have to pay back $300 a month until 2040. ***

Sure he'll spend two years in jail. But his payments only start after his term is finished. Presuming he even serves the full sentence, by then he'll be 66 years old. Presuming further that he lives to be Ninety-Six years old, he'll eventually pay every cent back. That's an awful lot of presumptions.

I've got a better idea: seize his trucks, homes, and business and auction them off until every cent of the $74,000 dollars plus twelve years interest is paid off.

It's not like we have property rights here in this country anyway.

5 Years

2010-09-03T10:55:00.005-02:30

I've neglected to mention it, being busy with work, but August 19th was the fifth anniversary of this blog. Griff and I would like to extend thanks to those of you who've stuck with us these past five years and would also like to extend our apologies to you all for the dearth of posts as of late. It's been our pleasure to provide commentary, witty and otherwise, to this community of engaging bloggers for over half a decade.

Here's to Five More!

Man

2010-07-28T18:45:00.001-02:30

They are good! Harper et. al. deservingly have a reputation for strategic genius.

Michael Ignatieff and his officials detect a pattern as their summer bus tour winds across the country: Stephen Harper’s cabinet ministers show up just before the Liberal Express makes a stop in a community.

Sapper Brian Collier

2010-07-21T01:01:00.001-02:30

Rest in Peace, Brave Soldier. Collier was 24.

Cheech and Chong...Who Cares?

2010-07-19T18:11:00.006-02:30

In this unmarked drive-by of an article, an unnamed AP reporter lights up:

"Cheech & Chong's blunt advice for PM Harper: 'Wise up' on pot laws, man"

MONTREAL - Cheech and Chong have some blunt advice for Stephen Harper when it comes to Canada's marijuana's laws.
They say the prime minister should wise up to the public will, and pull his head out of George Bush's butt.

The celebrity tokers are miffed that Canadian authorities, after nearly decriminalizing pot a few years ago, have made a 180-degree policy shift that's led to a lot of recent pot busts.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office wasn't immediately available to comment. (Presumably because he had better things to do - Danté)

Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong are cultural icons when it comes to doper humour. The stoner counterculture act they created in the 1970s gained them legions of fans around the world.

Besides performing live, the duo have released several comedy albums and films and appeared in numerous TV shows. Marin was a regular in the cop drama "Nash Bridges" while Chong had a recurring role on "That '70s Show." They were in Montreal to host a show at the Just For Laughs Festival.

George Bush - no longer president, but still a good excuse for stoner leftists (and AP writers)!

Something Tells Me...

2010-03-24T00:53:00.005-02:30

...that this isn't over just yet. Also: Hilarious.

h/t reader JP for the screenshot

**Update**
That was quick.

"Coulter: the she-devil in her own words"

Akin Makes a Stretch on Jaffer

2010-03-09T20:00:00.015-03:30

I think Mr. Akin is trying to create a political story where there clearly is none, and I must admit I'm somewhat surprised that the normally prudent commentator is making these allegations. But the reality is that this case saw the cocaine possession and DUI charges dropped due to the prosecution realizing it didn't have a strong enough case to proceed with suitable charges, not due to the judge being biased. End of story.

Furthermore, while it's true that Jaffer was a Conservative MP, it's been rumored that party brass turfed him from his riding over proclivities for exactly this sort of behavior. The Liberals, NDP and Bloc can attempt to link the government to this sad scandal all they want, but seeing as how Jaffer is no longer an MP, hasn't been for a while and wasn't when the incident took place, it all sounds a little trite.

That being said, Jaffer's behavior is completely inexcusable and it's entirely fair game for people to point out his apparent hypocrisy re: illegal narcotic use. It's also fair game to argue that he got off far too easy considering the seriousness of charges that were initially levied against against him (and his prior support for tougher sentencing against narcotics violations). But to suggest that this is a case of political interference or judicial bias is a stretch - at best.

On a side note, mainstream media sources tend to pillory conservative-minded folk when they suggest a liberal judicial bias, so it's now rather interesting to see them hunting for a conservative one...

"Your Mother Was a Camel Rancher!"

2010-02-25T17:04:00.007-03:30

...And other barbs.

Although this report sounds pretty tame, it reminds me of US Marines during the battle for Guadalcanal. While the Japanese soldiers would call out at the Americans from their positions "US Marine You Die Tonight!" and the like, the Marines had a succinct answer all of their own:

"Eat Shit!"

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2010-02-25T17:01:00.000-03:30

QOTW: "I'm not trying to get arrested, really. I'm just trying to get lunch."

Of Danny Williams and Healthcare: A Canadian Tale

2010-02-23T20:45:00.005-03:30

Much has been said over the decision by Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, to have cardiac surgery in the United States of America rather than in his home nation of Canada. It seems everyone has an opinion on this as of late (myself included) and they are as diverse as they are heated.

This is a pretty complex issue that goes further than most Canadians will understand. What I hear from most of those opposed to his decision is an argument that states Mr. Williams should have "waited in line like everyone else" and had his surgery done here. These people also make the point that his decision to go to the United States for treatment shows a lack of confidence in our healthcare system. I also hear arguments that his decision to go to the US is wrong because it promotes two-tiered health care, which prevailing orthodoxy claims is an evil on par with the Cambodian genocide.

What I find interesting is the number of conservative bloggers who've assailed Mr. Williams for choosing an option many of them have been promoting for years - i.e., two tiered healthcare. Kate's argument is a "one tier for us, two tiers for them" concept that assails Williams and other political leaders in our nation for praising national healthcare and then heading south when they get sick. In particular she shows this video:

This video shouldn't be mistaken for Williams giving a dogged defense of nationalized healthcare - it's Danny painting Harper as an ideologue for the purposes of his 2008 ABC campaign. This is rhetoric, pure and simple and so we shouldn't take from this an impression of hypocrisy, although you can certainly be forgiven for believing it.

The ire of so many conservative bloggers raises a question. If a good number of them support two-tiered health care, why are they flogging Mr. Williams' example? Shouldn't they be rallying at the barricades for him? In short - not happening. As already mentioned, Williams ran an ABC campaign against the federal Conservatives in 2008 and in doing so alienated "mainland" conservatives already irritated by the infamous "flag flap" (ostensibly because many of them probably wish that their premiers had thought of it first). In short, you won't find Williams on their speed dials.

There's more to this issue though, although the national media hasn't seen fit to explore it. Five years ago, it came to light that Eastern Health had discovered that hormone receptor tests being run to determine treatment options for breast cancer patients had been giving flawed results. This meant that many breast cancer patients did not get the appropriate, potentially life saving treatments they could have received. At the time, Williams was less than charitable in his comments towards the health authority in regards to the matter. It comes as no surprise then that this has the optics of seeming as if Williams has no confidence in the health authority (full disclosure: I am in training to become a medical doctor under the auspices of this organization).

But this isn't the case, at least in terms of his surgery. By traveling somewhere else, Williams was able to receive a minimally invasive procedure to repair an incompetent valve in his heart rather than an invasive sternotomy in which his sternum would have to be cracked open. Needless to say, the recovery time for the former is a lot quicker than that of the latter.

And now for my two cents. I believe the following: if Williams has the money to go to Miami, where he owns a house and can recover in a more pleasant clime than St. John's, and have his surgery there as soon as possible than there is absolutely no reason why he should not be able to do so. By all reports, he had a pretty severe valvular incompetency which had progressed over one year's time. This can lead to serious heart failure and death.

In short, this is his health, and his money. Don't imagine that any of you out there would do any different in his shoes. In any event, by going to the US, he's shortened wait times for the rest of us back here. That's one more person who gets their surgery that much sooner. I doubt very much that they object to that.

Obama Forgot One Thing

2010-01-26T00:17:00.003-03:30

"Really Good" presidents get re-elected. That's the point. If you were "really good," they wouldn't turf you after four years.

I said it during the election, I'll say it again: the guy is an empty suit.

From Us To You

2009-12-24T21:52:00.001-03:30

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! May the birth of the Saviour bring peace to you and yours.

The Observer is Out To Lunch

2009-09-26T22:35:00.006-02:30

Rachel Cooke of the Observer is really reaching in a new article on Michael Ignatieff:

Michael Ignatieff – writer, thinker and star presenter of BBC2's The Late Show in the 90s – is back in Canada after nearly three decades, and is the man most likely to become the country's next prime minister...

It's time to take a quick look at the numbers:

Angus Reid has the Conservatives at 37% and the Liberals at 29%:

Canadians see Harper as better suited than Ignatieff to tackle the economy (33 per cent to 23 per cent), health care (23 to 16) and crime (38 to 12)...The poll found that 27 per cent of Canadians favoured Harper as prime minister, compared to 16 per cent for Ignatieff.

If Ignatieff is "the man most likely to become the country's next prime minister" than I'm Mickey Mouse.

Cities at Night, From Space

2009-08-29T19:12:00.002-02:30

While the astronauts have focused on more cosmopolitan locales, there's something missing: Pyongyang.

What nukes?

2009-08-05T03:57:00.009-02:30

Plenty of praise for the former US president here, especially in the comments section where much is made of the benefit of Clinton's method of 'soft diplomacy'. Much is also said about North Korea's nuclear program.

Unfortunately, not much is said about Mr. Clinton's legacy of 'soft diplomacy' that ultimately led to North Korea's agreement not to develop it's nuclear program in the late 90's.
You remember, of course - the agreement where Kim Jon Il promised Clinton that the North's nuclear program was done for good? The one that led to massive re-establishment of international aid?
Well, some of you will recall that North Korea never actually stopped the program. Years later, we learned that it had been moving forward forward all along, and that the North had been playing everyone for fools - for years.

Let's be clear - everyone is glad that the imprisoned reporters are free, and we should all be happy for that. But the reality is, North Korea has scored yet another victory here.

Need some attention from the west? Arrest a few reporters, then act magnanimous when a former president of the U.S. comes calling by freeing said reporters - gaining a photo op and some measure of twisted diplomatic 'legitimacy' from appearing with a former leader of the most poweful nation in the world. And we are supposed to eat it up in the west, chalking it up to some sort of strange diplomatic victory. I am sure this will be heralded as 'progress' by some, and evidence that talking with dictators accomplishes something. Some will see this as evidence that the north is open to discussion.

Normally when a child misbehaves, you punish them, not accede to their demands by bribing them when they give you your car keys back. Kim Jong Il is interested only in playing everyone for fools and this is yet another part of that agenda - stall, stall, stall - until the North is permanently nuclear and can bully its way into getting what it wants.

So much for Clinton's diplomacy.

The Blank Slate Mind of a Liberal

2009-08-03T22:10:00.011-02:30

If this is mean spirited:

Then what's this?:

Don't ask this guy:

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson is calling the depiction, politically mean spirited and dangerous.

Hutchinson is challenging the group or individual that put up the poster to have the courage and decency to publicly identify themselves.

"Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery," says Hutchinson, "it is mean-spirited and dangerous."

"We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridicule President Obama."

Get over it, you wuss. Obama hasn't even gotten an iota of the vitriol that was directed at President Bush over the years by legions of raving leftists, and all of a sudden they're acting shocked and appalled that their 'prince' has been mocked - and in an eye catching, clever way.

Those in glass houses...

The Incredible Fact-Checking Powers of Our National Media

2009-07-26T01:00:00.015-02:30

They still haven't learned that punctuation matters. I don't know who writes your headlines, Shawn McCarthy, but I don't think they read your stories.

(For the geographically challenged out there, Saint John is in New Brunswick. St. John's is in Newfoundland and Labrador).

Screencap:

EDIT: Three days later and it's still up. Wow (and if you check the trackbacks, we have a secret admirer [Robert Day of 'Canadian Cynic']! How cute).

Surprise!

2009-07-23T19:41:00.005-02:30

It looks like Canada has another round of honour killings:

A Montreal family has been charged in the deaths of their three teenage daughters and a 52-year-old caregiver, more than three weeks after police pulled four bodies from a car submerged near Kingston, Ont...
The girls' father, mother and brother all face four counts of first-degree murder each. The four bodies were discovered on June 30 in the Rideau Canal...
The family is originally from Afghanistan but moved to Canada after spending 15 years in Dubai. Police say the family's culture may have contributed to the deaths (Ya think? - Danté).

CTV states that the killings could be an "extreme case of domestic violence," but they've got it wrong. The fact that the father, mother and brother of these girls all took part in the killings shows that this was long planned - to kill four people by drowning them in a Nissan requires absolute premeditation.

Jennifer Lynch, please put this in your file.

2009-06-23T16:09:00.005-02:30

Seems like a few other bloggers also others noticed this little tidbit in this National Post piece that interviews Jennifer Lynch, chief commissioner of the CHRC:

"Please, please, look. We have experienced 16 months of invective hurled at us, and at any time when anybody has tried to speak up and correct misinformation, gross distortions, caricaturizations, then the very next day there's been some full-frontal assault through the blogs, through mainstream media. I have a file. I'm sure I have 1,200, certainly several hundred of these things," she said.

What I would like to know is, what's in that file and what exactly is Ms. Lynch doing keeping tabs on her critics? Given the censorious nature of the CHRC and the information that has come to light about their dubious procedural methods (which have been detailed ad infinitum in the media, thanks mainly to Ezra and other bloggers), the fact that Ms. Lynch is keeping a file on the critics of the CHRC is, quite frankly, a chilling disclosure.

Sure, maybe she's just got a file on hand so that when the CHRC writes up their reports about how 'unfairly' they've been treated (maybe she should ask Ezra how he feels about that) she can draw up a few references to misquote. But quite frankly, I'm uncomfortable that a government agency with a history of going after those whose politics it finds 'disagreeable' (using questionable methods to boot) is keeping tabs on citizens who are critical of its purpose and procedure. That sort of thing is to be expected in totalitarian regimes perhaps, but not in free and democratic countries that are supposed to respect liberty and diversity of thought and opinion.

There are even more chilling questions to be asked: Who has access to this list: just Ms. Lynch, or the whole CHRC? Has it been shared with any law enforcement agencies? Was it compiled using government resources? For what purpose was it created, and towards what purpose will it be used in the future? The CHRC's mandate is being reviewed now, and these are questions that members of the parliamentary panel reviewing the CHRC's activities and mandate should ask (hint hint; i know you guys have visited here before).

In the meantime, BCF and Jay Currie have also written excellent posts that you should check out, including information on how you can file an Access to Information request with the CHRC to see what exactly Ms. Lynch has in her file.

Minister of *National Defense Breaks Arm in Charity Rugby Match

2009-05-28T15:36:00.006-02:30

Apparently Peter MacKay broke his arm playing a charity rugby game that raised over $25,000 for the Military Families Fund. I think we all wish him a speedy recovery and I hope that he's back to full strength soon. National Greats like Rod Snow and Morgan Williams were also on the field for the game, so good on all of them for supporting such a great cause.

(On a side note, 'The Minister of Defense' is a pretty badass nickname for him to roll onto the pitch with, hey? And I'm betting the fear that our Defense Minister could literally knock his foreign counterparts to the ground at any given moment is probably a pretty sweet bargaining tool for Canada when it comes to military matters).

*Correction added

The Press, Doing its Job as Usual

2009-05-11T00:03:00.016-02:30

...or not.

"Coalition would have deeply divided Canadians: Ignatieff"

If the proposed coalition of opposition parties had come to power last year it would have deeply and enduringly divided Canadians, says Michael Ignatieff.
“I'm in politics to unify people, not to divide them,” Mr. Ignatieff said.
....
“There was also a question concerning the legitimacy of the coalition that troubled me.”

But Mr. Ignatieff felt that Canada, entering into a severe economic recession, needed more certainty than the coalition could provide, comparing the tentative deal to an unstable three-legged stool.
....
“I felt it was very difficult to guarantee the necessary political stability during a time of crisis with three partners in a formal coalition,” he said.

“That was my first doubt. I couldn't guarantee the long-term stability of the coalition under the circumstances."

What's most interesting about this article is the fact that it doesn't deign to ask Mr. Ignatieff a glaringly obvious question:

Sir, your name is at the very bottom of this document; If you believe that the coalition was 'an unstable three-legged stool' that would have deeply divided Canadians, why did you sign your name to the agreement? If you believed then what you believe today - that the proposed coalition would have lacked the political stability necessary to lead the country through incredibly unstable financial times - why is your signature on that document?

Of course, none of us actually expect the media to do their job and ask political leaders tough questions.

You cannot have it both ways, Mr. Ignatieff. You are admitting that you believed the coalition would have been detrimental for Canadians; You therefore either signed out of a lust for power or a lack of courage to stand up for your principles. Which is it?

By your own admission, the coalition would have lacked the political stability that the country would have required to overcome the current economic recession. By your own admission, it would have deeply divided the country - and yet your signature is still on that document. You put the interests of your party ahead of the interests of Canadians; you can't just whitewash your actions by simply claiming that you were 'never fully on board' - your signature says otherwise. What is even more brazen is that you expect Canadians to buy your story. Journalists might not ask the tough questions; fortunately, Canadians will.

A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To The Holy Land

2009-05-10T18:17:00.006-02:30

Sometimes, it's hard to believe your eyes:

The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has boycotted the Pope's visit because he has yet to formally apologize for comments he made three years ago, in which he quoted a Medieval text that suggested the Prophet Muhammad's teachings were "evil and inhuman."

Jordan's top religious adviser commended the Pope for expressing his "regret" after that speech, but many Muslims want a full apology.

Contrast that with this:

In Iraq, many Christians fled sectarian violence that broke out after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Christians faced rape and kidnapping, and many were killed, while churches were bombed...Benedict has said that the goal of his trip is to foster improved relations between...Christians and Muslims...

So what I want to know is, where's my apology? A few (accurate) remarks taken out of context means that the Pope should get down on one knee and apologize to those who routinely call for the genocide of all Israeli men, women and children - but a systematic campaign of murder, bombings and rape is a-okay?

This is the problem I have with the Catholic Church's middle east policy - I keep hearing about "dialogue" from the pulpit, but how do you open a dialogue with a group of homicidal religious fanatics who won't even meet with you unless you apologize for hurting their (easily aggrieved) feelings?

Media Bias? What Media Bias?

2009-05-07T21:58:00.006-02:30

Look over there, it's a bunch of angry right wingers!

An Open Letter to Lee-anne Goodman and the Associated Press:

Great. You wrote an article that completely missed the point of what the fuss was all about in the first place.

The whole article seemed to spin it to sound like Republicans and the right in general were attacking Obama for his 'un-American' choice of mustard.

However, if you had actually read Mr. Jacobson's blog (which I did), you would have realized that what this is really about is media bias; namely MSNBC edited out information that was completely trivial in order to help President Obama look better, which is a betrayal of their journalistic integrity.

It is ironic: while it is actually MSNBC that tried to hide Mr. Obama's mustard choice because it seemed 'un-American' to them, this article goes out of the way to make it seem that the American right-wing are the ones obsessed with his mustard choice. This completely ignores the fact that the real story is, and always has been, about how far MSNBC will go to cheerlead for their hero, President Barack Obama - they're afraid of a little mustard. And if you and your colleagues had an ounce of credibility, you'd jump on this as a story about MSNBC disgracing your profession. MSNBC is afraid of how the president's choice of mustard will make him look, and it's FOX News that's a "propaganda machine?"

But hey, whatever, it's a chance to ridicule conservatives, right?

This is exactly why trust in the media is so shockingly low as of late.

Euro-Centric Thinking: A Juxtaposition

2009-05-05T13:06:00.009-02:30

Acceptable Canadian Bloodshed:

Unacceptable Canadian Bloodshed:

Thanks a lot, you ungrateful jerks.

This Guy's Arrogance Knows No End

2009-04-27T22:17:00.003-02:30

Do you ever get the feeling that they put a bunch of politically naive college freshmen in charge of the White House?

I do.

It's like they took a student union and put it to work running America. Change has come to America, and it is Ineffective and Arrogant.

(and it likes environmentally harmful photo-ops. Hey, I wonder how many people were on that plane and if it was actually going anywhere, seeing as how Barry wasn't on it).

I've been waiting for this to break.

2009-04-23T22:53:00.003-02:30

And I have a message for the Tories, a message anyone on the internet should know well:

Please, don't feed the troll.

Let him have his book launch. Don't say a word, save for short, dismissive denials of any mistruths. Pretend that you don't care (because really, you shouldn't; who cares what Garth Turner thinks?). Let media interest peak for a few days and then die off as they move on to some other non-story of the week. If the Tories waste their time engaging in vociferous public denials and criticism of Garth Turner, they will only play to his narcissism and help him sell more books.

Then, six months to a year later, when no one cares anymore, if he has engaged in any legitimate defamation requiring legal response - sue the pants off of him, as quietly as possible. There will be media coverage, obviously, but it will be nowhere near as bad if the Tories come out swinging from the gates and avoiding controversy will ensure that his book launch isn't greeted with massive sales. In short, play it smart don't help the blowhard promote his book.

This Is Not What Our People Fought and Died For

2009-04-04T15:17:00.004-02:30

Two very disheartening stories out of Afghanistan and Iraq (at the very least - and it's not much - there's this). I've always told those who are against the mission that we're there to fight for human rights; with happenings like these I'm not so sure that's what we're accomplishing.

Barack Obama Doesn't Care About White People

2009-03-28T15:22:00.002-02:30

How long must the American people suffer before the Commander in Chief (of racism) acts? I hear they're killing people inside the Fargo Dome.

Don't be too hard on Warren...

2009-03-18T20:00:00.004-02:30

...I suppose that if my party was desperate for cash, direction, ideas, and mojo...
I'd resort to making youtube videos about faux-scandals too. Are things really that bad for you guys?

(no link because I refuse to send traffic, sorry).

Say a Prayer.

2009-03-12T15:20:00.008-02:30

A chopper carrying offshore oil workers, 18 individuals in total, went down in the Atlantic this morning. So far, one person has been confirmed dead, with 16 people still missing. Thankfully, we know that there has been at least one survivor thus far - hopefully there will be more.

In the St. John's today and indeed all across Newfoundland, the mood is quite gloomy. Everyone is heartbroken just thinking about yet another yet another large loss of life in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Unfortunately, we're no strangers to accidents like this; For many, today's incident will conjure up bad memories of the tragic Ocean Ranger disaster that took place over 20 years ago.

At this difficult time, please pray for those involved in the crash, their families, and the rescue personnel attempting to locate further survivors.

This Makes Sense...

2009-03-12T15:11:00.001-02:30

When it comes to entry into Canada, it's Ayers Yes, Bush No.

Go figure.

This is the First Time In History That Steel Has Been Heavier Than Water

2009-02-24T13:50:00.009-03:30

NDP MP Peter Stoffer is "raising questions" (they do love that term dearly, don't they) about why, in his opinion, a Spanish fishing trawler sank 'too quickly' off the Grand Banks. The heroic actions of the crew from the Coast Guard ship Leonard J. Cowley rescued every last member of the Monte Galineiro after receiving a distress call from it and responding within minutes.

Peter Stoffer, the fisheries critic for the New Democratic Party, said he is suspicious about how the ship sank. The coast guard said it received a report that a fire had broken out on the ship.

"That ship went down far too quickly, in my own view," Stoffer told CBC News.

"I'm not a master mariner, mind you, but it seems awfully coincidental that it went down."

We tried reaching Stoffer for comment, but he was reportedly too busy trying to recreate the sinking in his bathtub using his toy boats.

Now if the NDP would only be as concerned about protecting our marine fish stocks as they are about protecting those who devastate them...

1111 Days In Office

2009-02-21T20:37:00.000-03:30

Here's to many more, CPC!

Take Me, Obama!!!

2009-02-18T17:25:00.005-03:30

Last night as I flipped through the channels (and watching TV is a rare occurrence for me these days) I had the 'privilege' of watching our state broadcaster, the CBC, do a piece on how excited Canadians were to see Obama come to our proud land.

Well, sort of. What I saw (until I turned it off, resisting the urge to vomit) was a group of three women 'artists' sitting in a living room, singing and swaying in an almost religious rapture, hands in the air as if to testify to the greatness of the Obamessiah. They were singing of how change had at last come and Hallelujah how wonderful it was. They sang of how he was going to save the planet and bring peace to the world.

That's when I turned the TV to Scrubs, on ABC, my hands and teeth already clenched in rage at the fact that I had just paid for that socialist circle-jerk Obamagasm.

"How do they even find these people?" I asked myself.

But I know how this works. The CBC reporter just contacted her friends, or did some social networking through her friends in the progressive, forward thinking arts community (of course). I know how this works, because a little while ago I was in my student union's office and I overheard them talking about how to get some good press in their opposition to the Unborn Victims of Crime Act.

"We'll get [so and so, a campus newspaper reporter] to contact their sources at the Telegram and we'll arrange for an article that way." And sure enough, a few days later this campus newspaper reporter had an article in The Telegram about how bad this bill was, and by golly, it had women everywhere frightened and concerned.

I know how they find these people - because these people are their close and personal friends.

I want my money back, CBC.

And to those three women in the communal 'singing circle': get a life.

Judy Foote Is Not Taking a Risk Here

2009-01-30T12:28:00.005-03:30

Judy Foote, one of Newfoundland and Labrador's newest Liberal MPs says she is going to vote against the budget. Some of my fellow Newfoundlanders may say that she is exhibiting a courage they feel was not shown by Tory MPs during the last couple of budgets and during the dispute over the Atlantic Accord. Some of my countrymen (and women) would be wrong. The Tory budget only needs the support of a few Liberal MPs in order to pass; therefore I am sure Ignatieff would have no trouble letting a few of his MPs look good for 'standing up for Newfoundland' whilst he takes credit for having his members oppose a budget he says he does not fully approve of.

The province's Conservative MPs considered long and hard their options regarding their support for previous budgets and took an awful lot of fire for supporting them in the end (whether those budgets were not good for the province is a matter of debate). Foote is under nowhere near the pressure Fabian Manning, Norm Doyle and Loyola Hearn were under. Foote is in opposition opposing a government bill; the Tories were in government under pressure to support their government lest it fall. Judy Foote isn't being whipped by her party to help save it from losing power.

As I'm not pleased with this budget I'm happy that Foote has chosen to oppose it, but should anyone think she is under anywhere near the pressure Newfoundland's Conservative MPs were under when they were pressured to vote for their budgets they are quite mistaken.

Not Impressed.

2009-01-27T21:58:00.005-03:30

If this was Canada's first NDP budget, Then this must be its second.

The only sweet spot is the tax cuts aimed at the middle-class, which would have been more welcome about two years ago. It seems that the Conservative Party has decided to abandon its principles of smaller government and cutting spending and I, for one, am not impressed. I will admit that I haven't had a chance to digest all of the intricacies of the government's fiscal plan, but on the surface it does not look good - at all.

If the government feels that it 'needs' to 'spend, spend, spend' in order to survive a confidence motion then I would suggest it grow some cajones and put forward a plan that doesn't involve massive and wasteful government spending, followed by a proper and clear explanation of why to the Canadian people.

As usual, Andrew Coyne says it succintly.

The Opposition Doing Itself in...Again.

2009-01-26T00:09:00.003-03:30

Can we have more headlines like this, please?
(from CTV)

Ontario NDP Votes to Stall Strike Legislation

2009-01-25T18:10:00.005-03:30

After already being kept out of class by a two month strike, York University students have just learned that they will be kept from their studies even longer.

Members of the Ontario Provincial NDP caucus voted today against legislation that would have ended the labour dispute between CUPE Local 3903 and York University, allowing students to return to classes. Had the vote been unanimous in the legislature, the strike would have ended immediately, but 8 NDP MPP's who voted against the legislation effectively stalled such efforts.

It seems highly ironic (and quite telling) that the party that frequently claims to to be the flagbearer of student issues and rights is currently throwing a wrench into efforts to allow them to return to school. It's not surprising, however, given the "promise-everything-and-deliver-nothing" attitude that underlies most NDP policies.

Given this betrayal of sorts, one wonders how one of the most pro-NDP groups around, the Canadian Federation of Students, has handled the strike so far.

Well, the Ontario branch of the CFS gave CUPE $2,500 in support of the York Strike.

That's right people - the organization which is supposed to represent student rights... used mandatory student fees....to keep students out of class. York students are no doubt overjoyed.

With such a betrayal by both supposed 'advocates', I would be considering parking my vote elsewhere inthe next provincial election if I were a York student; I would certainly be furious with the Ontario branch of the CFS, since they clearly do not represent the best interest of York students, who should perhaps rethink their membership within this organization.

But this little fiasco is constructive, in that it shows the reality of the situation; groups like the CFS don't exist to help students; They exist to keep them in line with the ideology of the far left. Is it any wonder that voter participation in student union elections is always pathetically poor at universities across the country? Last year at Memorial University, only 15 percent of students voted, up from 8 percent the year before; students know the whole thing is a sad joke. Across the country, the CFS and it's affiliated student unions spend thousands of hours and just as much (if not more) money lobbying for radical left-wing causes while posting large fiscal deficits and generally ignoring actual student issues. Its great that you think U.S. military ~~deserters~~ 'war resisters' should be allowed to stay in Canada guys, really it is, but can we stop posting massive yearly deficits please?

Hopefully York students will respond accordingly and decide that, since their interest are not being represented by their student unions, they no longer wish for their university to be associated with one.

LGF: News In Evolution Battle

2009-01-23T15:36:00.006-03:30

Apparently, the Texas State Board of Education has voted to drop a requirement that forces schools to essentially criticize evolutionary science using creationist theory. This has been an ongoing controversy in Texas for some time. Creationist theory is all well and good for religion class, but has no place in a science class. It's summed up pretty well below by this handy Anthropomorphic T-Rex (courtesy of the super-classy Ryan North):

(Click the image to view the full sized version)

When Harper Does It

2009-01-23T13:34:00.002-03:30

He's a secretive bully.

When Obama does it, he "just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys."

(That's right, Barack Obama officially just intimated he wasn't familiar with the media - although there is growing credence that this is, ironically enough, true)

The Classy Left Strikes Again

2009-01-21T14:26:00.003-03:30

And gets the wrong Bush while they're at it.

Like I said, over the past eight years you have not displayed even one ounce of grace or class, even as the president you mocked and hated exhibited it under the most trying circumstances. I have nothing but contempt for you.

(Wonder what that is ABC blurred out in picture 2?)

Dr. Mads Gilbert

2009-01-21T02:02:00.002-03:30

Why the sudden silence? Where are you now?

h/t Ezra

(background)

There's A Switch

2009-01-21T00:01:00.002-03:30

The irony of Warren Kinsella being on the other side of a lawsuit is not lost on me. Most amusing.

Farewell, President Bush

2009-01-20T16:36:00.006-03:30

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful."

2, Timothy 4:7

President Bush, thank you for eight years of service. In the face of often outrageous and unfair displays of criticism from political opponents, media elites, and hate-filled protestors, you have endured and led the freest nation through its toughest years since the Cold War. Through it all, you refused to put what was popular over what was right.

Through the dark days following September 11^th you gave a nation the courage to rise up and endure. You led American forces to crush the theocratic regime of the Taliban and root out the terrorists who murdered over three thousand people on that day.

In 2003, you led American forces in a quest to bring democracy to Iraq and to make both it and the world safe from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein. In the darkest days of the war when all believed victory to be hopelessly out of reach, you believed in the tenacity of the American soldier and the American people and went ahead with the Surge when all, including the current president, doubted you and said that it would only lead to an even worse defeat. You stood and endured it all - and you proved them wrong.

Thank you for enduring what almost no one else could. You went on with your work in spite of all the mocking self-righteousness of a biased mainstream media. At times, the actions they took in spite of your warnings served to help the enemies of the free world. The overwhelming hatred directed your way by so many seems to me an impossible burden to bear, and yet you took it stoically and continued on, day after day, with your job. And you succeeded.

In the 2,688 days since September the 11th, 2001, not one terrorist attack against the United States has occurred. You kept your promise, and your resolve.

And for that, I thank you, and I salute you.

That Didn't Take Long

2009-01-20T16:28:00.007-03:30

Looks like the Obama Administration is already expunging everything 'Bush' from the White House Website. While searching for a proper photo of President Bush for a tribute post, I clicked on one particular one I found in a Google image search and this came up instead - a 404 with links to all the new Obama content, including a blog:

Welcome to America: All Obama All the Time.

(screenshot)

Hamas Announces "Ceasefire"

2009-01-18T13:21:00.002-03:30

A Hamas spokesman said today that the terrorist organization was declaring a ceasefire after more than three weeks of conflict with Israel. Many of you will be familiar with other, similar 'ceasefires' throughout history.

Oh good, I was worried the Israelis were going to lose.

It's Not a Ceasefire

2009-01-17T22:15:00.001-03:30

It's victory. And hopefully, Hamas is crippled.

KHAAAAAAAAN!!!

2009-01-14T19:56:00.000-03:30

Rest in Peace, Mr. Montalban.

Canada's Bureaucrats Aren't Politically Motivated

2009-01-14T11:12:00.003-03:30

They just like working for the Liberal Party!

When Obama Does It, It's "Change"

2009-01-13T17:43:00.002-03:30

When Harper does it, it's "being a bully":

According to Sun-Times columnist and long-time Chicago journalist, Carol Marin, journalists at Barack Obama news conferences have come to realize that Obama has pre-picked those journalists whom he will allow to ask him questions at the conference and many of them now "don't even bother raising" their hands to be called upon.

Change You Can Believe In

2009-01-13T17:40:00.003-03:30

Obama plans to name a pal from Harvard as his new FCC chair (change here meaning "friends of Democrats" as opposed to "Friends of Republicans."

Guantanamo Inmates Return to Terrorism - Surprise.

2009-01-13T17:30:00.003-03:30

In what is sure to shock liberals everywhere, the Pentagon released a report today stating that the number of inmates at Guantanamo Bay returning to terrorism after release has increased:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday that 61 former detainees from its military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appear to have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said 18 former detainees are confirmed and 43 suspected of "returning to the fight."

He said the figures, updated at the end of December, showed a higher rate of recidivism than seen in a previous report showing 37 former detainees as active militants.

He provided no details about the detainees or their countries of origin.

"The overall known terrorist re-engagement rate has increased to 11 percent" from about 7 percent, Morrell said. *

I guess the US government should have given them green cards and jobs, to solve the root issue ~~insanity~~ (poverty)

Go Vote For Kate!

2009-01-13T12:04:00.002-03:30

Small Dead Animals is nominated for 'Best Conservative Blog' in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Kate is up against a lot of tough American competition;not only has she been holding her own, but she has been switching leads back and forth with Ace ever since this thing started! The deadline for voting is Tuesday January 13, 2009 at 10:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is 5:00 p.m. (EST) and 2:00 p.m. (PST), so you still have some time left to push her into the lead again (SDA is about 200 votes behind at the time of this posting)!

Remember: You can vote once per computer per day. That means if you have access to more than one computer, you can cast a couple of votes.

Let's get out there and Make Canada Proud!

Ya think??

2009-01-07T22:13:00.006-03:30

Sid Ryan acknowledges presence of foot firmly in mouth; TDSB Trustee makes sense.

"CUPE Ontario's president yesterday said a Nazi reference he used to justify criticism of Israel was "a poor choice of analogy," after a trustee with the Toronto District School Board condemned such references in calling on his board to disavow the union's proposal to ban Israeli academics from the province's post-secondary schools.
...
Mr. Ryan said he would apologize to "any member of the Jewish community or Israelis who I've offended ... and I know I've offended some people."
...
"The example I gave was inappropriate and left people with the impression I was trying to compare the people of Israel with the Nazis," said Sid Ryan yesterday."

Perhaps people got 'that impression' from Mr. Ryan because that is exactly the comparison he sought to make.

...“They deliberately targeted an institution of learning. That's what the Nazis did.”...

I thought most people were sensible enough these days to realize that comparing Israelis to National Socialists is just a tad insensitive, but, well...

Fortunately, a trustee of the Toronto District School Board injected some much needed common sense into this issue, noting:

..."His "outrageous, sensational rhetoric only creates conflict within our schools and our country," said Mr. Matlow.
...
Mr. Matlow acknowledged it is not the school board's purview to debate Israel's action but said: "Mr. Ryan brought it here by trying to censor academics in a hateful way." He added: "We need to respond in an intelligent way and my motion is one response."

Thank goodness that there are still sensible adults out there who have the courage to stand up and call a spade a spade (or something else in this case...). Perhaps this will lead to CUPE members to finally reconsider the embarassing tenure of Mr. Ryan.

Related

Well, at least 'justice' will be served.

2009-01-07T17:17:00.002-03:30

"Father of kids who froze will face sentencing circle"

"A Saskatchewan father whose two young daughters froze to death when he took them out in a numbing blizzard will face an aboriginal sentencing circle, but Christopher Pauchay's lawyer says that doesn't mean he'll get off lightly."
....
Pauchay, 25, pleaded guilty in November to criminal negligence causing death. The single charge covered the deaths of both children and Pauchay's failure "to provide protection from exposure to the elements" in temperatures that would have felt like -50 C with the wind chill.

It was nearly a year ago when he left his home on the Yellow Quill First Nation with his daughters Kaydance, 3, and Santana, 1.

Court heard that Pauchay had been drinking and didn't remember much about that night. He did recall that one of his girls was hurt and he needed to get help.

This man's alcohol abuse led to the death of his young daughters; how much do you want to bet he gets off easy? Any other father subject to the regular Canadian judicial system would be facing a life sentence right now, and Mr. Pauchay should be treated no differently. It will be interesting to see what punishment the 'sentencing circle' hands down.

Ah, University.

2009-01-06T00:59:00.004-03:30

The bastion of diversity, tolerance and freedom of speech. Well, unless of course your particular brand of speech is flavoured by views that don't tow the rigidly leftist ideological line.

"A proposed resolution by a major Ontario union to ban Israeli academics at the province's universities has sparked a bitter debate between leaders of both sides over an Israeli attack on a Gaza university.

The Ontario arm of the Canadian Union of Public Employees announced yesterday it would propose, in a meeting next month, “a ban on Israeli academics doing speaking, teaching or research work at Ontario universities,” if they do not explicitly condemn Israeli action in Gaza."...“Attacking an institution of learning is just beyond the pale,” CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan said last night. “They deliberately targeted an institution of learning. That's what the Nazis did.”

Do you find this surprising? Are you, perhaps, shocked that such a censorious ban would ever even be considered? Sadly, you shouldn't be; this is a country where you can be hauled before a government tribunal and asked to explain yourself for publishing cartoons, questioning the changing population demographics in Europe, or professing your religious beliefs in a letter to your local newspaper. This is, sadly, the sort of rot that festers and is considered quite acceptable in the top leadership of many a union, student government, or academic faculty. One seriously wonders if Mr. Ryan has ever considered the blatant irony of his words; the suppression of free speech and the removal of the right to voice dissenting opinions in German universities was precisely the tactic employed by Germany's National Socialists, particularly against Jewish professors, researchers and intellectuals who were banned from teaching and working at such institutions. Mr. Ryan's sheer hypocrisy is outstanding, and the union members he 'represents' should be both furious and embarrassed. This is the same union, keep in mind, that passed a resolution in 2006 supporting the boycott of Israeli goods.

Not surprisingly, Ryan makes little mention of allegations that the university may have been used for the development and storage of explosives used by Hamas to kill Israelis, or that it was allegedly used as a meeting place for senior Hamas officials. But hey, whatever, right?

Our National Media: Damned if You Do

2008-12-17T10:25:00.000-03:30

Damned if you don't.

I would be Lying

2008-12-10T21:11:00.009-03:30

...If I didn't admit that I am really itching for this to catch on.

"...his characteristics include sometimes thinking too highly of himself, and unwillingly making mistakes."

I'm Sensing a Pattern Here....

2008-12-10T17:49:00.004-03:30

"Change or I'll take you down: Ignatieff to PM"

Why yes, of course.

Let's have a coalition government that no Canadian voted for,

led by a man who was essentially acclaimed for his party's leadership position,

and who was parachuted in as the party nominee in his riding against the wishes of the local riding association.

Hey, I'm sure things will work out just fine for Ignatieff.

A Letter To An MP

2008-12-07T15:54:00.003-03:30

Mr. Harris,

I am angered by the news that the Bloc Quebecois, the Liberals and the NDP are continuing with their plan to form a coalition government, in spite of polls that have shown more than two thirds of Canadians are opposed to the idea. In the last election, a whopping 74% of Canadians rejected Stéphane Dion and the Liberal party. But this pales in comparison to the fact that an astounding 82% of Canadians solidly rejected the NDP. The third player in this farce is the Bloc Quebecois, a party whose avowed goal is to tear the country apart.

Mr Harris, how is giving the Bloc veto power over a proposed coalition government's legislative agenda good for Canada, or the economy? Have you given any thought as to what would actually happen to the Canadian economy should the Bloc use their newfound power to push the separatist agenda and remove Quebec from Canada? The economy would lie in ruins.

But that shouldn't be a concern for your party - after all, this isn't about the economy, it's about naked political opportunism. The opposition parties, scared at the prospect of raising money in the same fashion that the Tories have been doing for over a decade - i.e. having their members actually believe enough in them to contribute a little of their hard earned cash - that they decided they would do everything they could to seize power from the current government before it had even tabled a budget. And when the contentious proposal was shelved, your party in concert with the other opposition parties refused to step down from the political brinksmanship and let the current elected government do it's job. We have in fact learned that the leader of your party had planned long before this to enter into a coalition with the Bloc. This has pushed Conservative support to an all-time high; polls have them in the mid-40's and one has them at 51% public support. Liberal and NDP support however has suffered a sharp drop. How do you feel about your leader's actions in destroying your party's public support?

This is unacceptable to the people of this country, as seen in the grassroots organized demonstrations that took place yesterday. They, with their homemade signs and Canadian flags, were a sharp contrast to the 'astroturfed' top-down pro-coalition demonstrations with their printed signs.

Will you stand up for the democratic rights of Canadians to elect their leaders? Will you oppose this coalition government proposal that is tanking your party's support?

It is simple: No Mandate. No Power.

This was a letter that a friend sent to NDP MP Jack Harris. I have published it here with their permission. If you value your right to have a say in who governs the country, e-mail yours and let them hear how upset you are.

I'm part of the 51% Majority!

2008-12-05T19:31:00.004-03:30

Heh.

I'm thinking that a lot of those pundits who called Harper's days as leader numbered are going to be awfully quiet in the next few days. This crisis has not only excited and mobilized the Conservative base but brought to the forefront of Canadian's minds just how unready the opposition is to lead, and how dangerous and unstable the proposed coalition government would have been in these turbulent economic times. Ironically, this push by the opposition to form the government might end up handing Harper the majority that was always just beyond his reach. The question now is whether or not he can capitalize on the zeitgeist of the moment and keep up the momentum into the new year.

h/t SDA

WHOIS behind makeparliamentwork.ca?

2008-12-04T01:21:00.004-03:30

CTV has an article on the Blogosphere's reaction to the current electoral brouhaha (Props to Sandie from Crux-of-the-Matter for getting listed!). While perusing the article, I noticed the following:

"...Not to be outdone, supporters of the potential coalition government have also rallied online. Just like "rallyforcanada.ca," an opposing website, "makeparliamentwork.ca," doesn't say who is behind the site. But it does give the locations of a number of rallies its members can attend in cities across the country."

Following up on my discovery that the NDP is behind 62percentmajority.ca, I performed a simple WHOIS look-up on the the web address. It took me less than a minute to find out. Would you like to know who's behind makeparliamentwork.ca?

The Canadian Union of Public Employees. You know, CUPE. That left-wing, NDP supporting labour group?

The real question, though, is why a lowly blogger with no journalism credentials whatsoever is doing a better job than the mainstream media in investigating the facts. It took me less than a minute to find out; the CTV staff apparently couldn't be bothered.

The Mole Strikes Again!

2008-12-04T00:57:00.006-03:30

From CTV:

The Liberals have apologized for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's taped televised address, after it was delivered to Canadian networks almost an hour past deadline and in near-cellphone quality.

"I apologize for what happened tonight. I apologize for the poor quality and the lateness. I am livid and am doing an investigation as to how this happened," Johanne Senecal, Dion's Chief of Staff, said to CTV News tonight.

Dion cannot even arrange to have a decent quality videotape delivered on time to the nation's broadcasters and yet he expects us to believe that he has the gravitas to lead us through this economic crisis. These are the people who want to form our government.

If This is Really About the Economy...

2008-12-03T11:18:00.006-03:30

Then where is this 'coalition's' economic plan? Back six weeks ago when we actually had an election, Dion's last-minute-scribbled-on-a-napkin plan was to hold a month of meetings on the economy - now it's 'the four wise-men' (and just in time for Christmas too!). The problem is, both Frank McKenna and John Manley don't want any part of it, meaning the only two left 'wise-men' left are a socialist and a former finance minister who dealt with a deficit by slashing government spending and oh gee, isn't that what Harper was going to do anyways?

It's up to Canadians now to be vocal and say No! loud and clear to the opposition. We had a vote six weeks ago and 74% of Canadians voted against the Liberals and 82% rejected the NDP. Having realized they could not earn power at the ballot box, they are now trying to seize it without the consent of the people of Canada.

No mandate, no power!

WHOIS the 62% Majority(.ca)? You'll Never Guess...

2008-12-03T00:53:00.017-03:30

Apologies for the paucity of posting as of late;

A new website has been launched in support of the jury-rigged coalition of socialists, separatists and liberals who have decided that they're going to form a government despite being solidly kicked to the electoral curb a mere six weeks ago. It's called "62% Majority" and has links to events, petitions and facebook groups all in support of wresting power from the current government. It's hosted by the 'Coalition for Change', a benign-sounding Obama-esque bromide of a title if there ever was one. There is a logical disconnect here, firstly, in assuming that anyone who supports this coalition is part of a 62% majority of voting against the Conservative party. While Harper's Conservatives only garnered 38% of the vote, Dion's Liberals earned even less at 26%; The NDP received a mere 18%, and the Bloc barely scraped just under 11%. From that viewpoint, 74% of Canadians voted against the Liberals and an astounding 82% against the NDP.

And exactly how many Canadians voted for a coalition of three parties that received far less support each than the current government?

Zero percent.

Think about this when you hear someone spouting this 62% nonsense: We may have a man who was soundly rejected by seventy-four percent of Canadians, just six weeks ago as our next Prime Minister.

Then again, the whole argument is moot (and quite pointless) considering that we vote for governments, not against them, that the current government was elected according to the system we've always used, and hey didn't Jean Chretien form successive majorities without ever scraping past 41% of the vote?

So, of course it all comes across as rather disingenuous; it's an intellectually dishonest argument from the get-go.

But should we really be surprised? After all, check out who 62percentmajority.ca is registered to:

Domain name: 62percentmajority.ca
Domain status: EXIST
Domain number: 2578356
Approval date: 2008/11/29
Renewal date: 2010/11/29

Registrar:
Name: Webnames.ca Inc.
Number: 70

Registrant:
Name: New Democratic Party of Canada
Number: 60039
Description: The New Democratic Party is a registered political
party.

Administrative contact:
Name: Mr James Scott Williamson
Job Title: IT Coordinator
Postal address: New Democratic Party of Canada
New Democratic Party of Canada
300-279 West Laurier Avenue
Ottawa ON K1P 5J9 Canada
Phone: 1 613 2363613 x 2243
Fax: 1 613 2309950
Email: james@ndp.ca

Hardly a coalition of altruistic Canadians concerned for change and democratic principles. Meanwhile, the Facebook group for Canadians Against a Liberal/NDP Coalition Gov't has 38,000 members (and counting) and I haven't seen it mentioned in the media yet, even though publicity for a few small Anti-Harper groups is prominent.

Update: If you're so conscious about signing your party's name to your faux-grass-roots website, at least don't be dumb enough to use the exact same phrases, oh, I don't know, on your party's actual website.

Show Your Anger at the Opposition - Join the Group!

2008-12-02T22:23:00.000-03:30

EDIT: Looks like it's almost up to 30,000. In contrast, "Canadians for a Progessive Coalition" has only 8,000 members.

If you're interested in joining a Facebook group almost 15,000 strong that opposes this undemocratic attempt by the opposition at seizing power, join "Canadians Against a Liberal/NDP Coalition Government." There are a lot of links to online polls where you can go and show your support for the current government and your anger at the opposition leaders.

Not Even His Dog Is Safe

2008-11-06T21:35:00.003-03:30

Speaking of the disgraceful treatment of President George W. Bush - not even his Scottish terrier, Barney, is safe from the hate of journalists.

At least the little "vicious" fella had the good sense to give the press what they deserved.

Pardon My Smugness

2008-11-03T19:38:00.006-03:30

"Pollsters: Conservatives' attack ads hurt voter turnout and democracy"

2008-10-23T23:49:00.006-02:30

Yeah, and they make children cry too. What a load of horsecrap. Where were these so-called 'pollsters' during the 2004 election when Stephen Harper was called everything but a child molester?

"Many supporters of Canada’s centre-left parties tend to be more idealistic than Conservatives, said Grenville. Idealists, people who dream of a better world, are prone to drop out of the electoral process if they believe it has become corrupt or unethical, Grenville said."

Canada's "centre-left" parties, you will remember, are of course known for their fierce stands against corruption. Conservatives, on the other hand, are known for their prolific hatred of a better future.

Also, from the mouth of the other 'pollster' involved in this farce, Mario Canseco :

"What's really disheartening is it's almost as if everyone's made up their minds already," said the polling firm's Mario Canseco. "Those who actually have something to say about Dion are saying negative things."

If you check him up on Google, you'll find a slew of articles about polls on mostly left-wing causes. Surprise!

You know whose fault it is if you don't vote? It's yours. End of story. Hell, if you didn't even want to vote for any of the parties you could have gone out and spoiled your ballot - so long as you voted. To make up some cockamamie story blaming the Conservatives for low voter turnout is nothing short of Harper Derangement Syndrome.

Gimme a break.

If You Couldn't Hear the Question, Dion...

2008-10-10T02:13:00.005-02:30

...then why were you nodding all throughout it? I'm not buying Geoff Regan's excuse on this one:

Oh, and making fun of someone's physical attributes? That's so Dion's schtick:

Go Back To Iran

2008-10-01T15:06:00.002-02:30

...you fundamentalist nutcase.

BushHarper

2008-09-30T22:59:00.001-02:30

This is what I saw advertised on Facebook - and it's authorize by the LPC. Are the Liberals really that desperate?

Truck Bomb In Islamabad

2008-09-20T13:48:00.002-02:30

Ostensibly in retaliation for Pakistan's crusader support of Israel.

Say Whaaaaaaat?

2008-09-19T21:33:00.002-02:30

"Nude pics no problem for B.C. Conservative"

Well, Harper did promise us more transparency in government.

Owning Your Brand in the Internet Age

2008-09-19T15:55:00.023-02:30

A Nova Scotia Liberal MP accused his Tory rival Friday of subverting democracy through unethical use of the Internet.

Mark Eyking said he was stunned when he learned someone had purchased a domain name that features his name, but directs users to the campaign website for Conservative Kristen Rudderham.

The two are contesting the Cape Breton riding of Sydney-Victoria, which Eyking has held since 2000.

Eyking said he realizes the practice is legal, but insisted that it amounts to sabotaging communication between a candidate and the electorate.

Mark Eyking, I simply have no sympathy for you. You have failed to learn the most basic of political rules - namely "In politics, image is everything." You have to own your brand in order to succeed and you have failed at it miserably.

In the year 2008 AD there is simply no excuse for a candidate for public office to not own their own name on the web. Indeed, from the moment you were picked as a candidate you should have had your name registered as a domain name so that you could convey your message and platform to - I don't know - everyone?

Hearing a Liberal candidate complain about a Conservative doing this is especially amusing in light of the fact that this has been done to Conservatives before.

Mary Harquail Flaherty - April 6, 1916 - September 19, 2008

2008-09-19T15:55:00.018-02:30

Mary Flaherty, mother of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, has passed away at the age of 92.

Our condolences are extended at this time to Mr. Flaherty. We will keep him in our thoughts and prayers.

National Newswatch - Putting on the Ritz

2008-09-19T15:55:00.015-02:30

May I make a suggestion to whomever runs National Newswatch?

Today, you've got no less than seven (7!) opinion columns in a row on Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz's comments on the Listeria outbreak. Yes it's news, but surely you could throw some variety in there?

I'm just saying.

Green Shift Swept Under Rug

2008-09-19T15:55:00.005-02:30

I don't know who Stéphane Dion thinks he's kidding when he tells us the Green Shift was never an election platform plank - if anything, it was supposed to be the centrepiece of his platform and it still has equal billing with Stéphane Dion himself on the Liberal Party's website menu.

I also don't know who the Toronto Star's Richard Brennan thinks he's kidding when he describes this as a "slight change in approach." Even Richard's colleague at the Star, Les Whittington, described the Green Shift as "Dion's signature election plank."

When you abandon a "signature election plank" it is, by definition, much more than a "slight change in approach."

Like I said, I don't know who Brennan and Dion are trying to kid, but I'm guessing they're both hoping we've been heavily medicated these past few months.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot:

2008-09-17T23:28:00.003-02:30

This is, at best, embarrassing and unacceptable from a cabinet minister (You don't want to hear what I would call it at worst).

Seriously?

Making light of 17 deaths resulting from a public health disaster and crudely joking that you hope a political opponent is one of said fatalities? I thought we were finished with amateur hour in the CPC. Someone in the Tory war room needs to start cracking a few skulls to remind people that we are trying to form a government here and would you please help by kindly shutting your mouths tout de suite?

Hillary Rodham Clinton...

2008-09-17T19:52:00.006-02:30

...never had to deal with this kind of crap, that's for sure.

Liberals love supporting women's rights - just not when misogyny's more convenient.

h/t National Newswatch

EDIT: Huh, I scooped Drudge on this.