A Simple Apology Will Do

The Liberals are incapable of saying three little words that mean so much to so many; "We Are Sorry". As the government they seem to want to deny the obvious, as if it was them personally that was being asked to apologize to Canadians for how they have been treated by the State.Take yesterdays ruling on Veterans pensions. Court awards vets $4.6 billion in unpaid interest

Langen is happy with the legal victory, but said a simple apology is still lacking.
"I remain distressed that the government has throughout this time issued not a single word of regret for their fault in this manner, so my dad is still in struggle with his own government," Langen said.

Unfortunately true to form the Government is not going to apologize instead they are threatening to challenge the court ruling! Blaikie Slams Liberal Treatment Of Disabled Vets

Pay money awarded to vets, Ottawa urged

Choosing not to appeal $4.6-billion payment would 'honour' ex-soldiers, NDP MP says

The federal government should cough up the $4.6-billion awarded to severely disabled veterans and give them the honours they deserve by not letting the class-action ruling drag out in appeals, advocates and opposition parties say.

"They should just accept the decision right now," said Peter Stoffer, MP for Sackville-Eastern Shore and the NDP veterans' affairs critic.

"If they truly want to honour the Year of the Veteran, they will settle this instead of dragging it out while more of the veterans die."

If it is not overturned, the deal would be the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. The biggest payout to date was $1.5-billion in 1999 to Canadians who contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood.

And while we are discussing apologies the Liberal government has still not apologized to the victims of the tainted blood scandal in Canada. Nor has any politician been fired or gone to jail for it. Unlike France or other countries where the scandals over tainted blood led to firings and jailings of government ministers.

It's a scene not ordinarily observed at government news conferences: the federal minister of health leaving the room to chants of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" He's being heckled by victims of hepatitis C who have been left out of a joint compensation offer between the federal and provincial governments. Health Minister Allan Rock says the terms of the offer were determined by the most rational means possible, but for the victims in this CBC News report, that's not good enough.

Broadcast Feb. 27, 1998 Hepatitis C victims angered by compensation limit

Govt of Canada to discuss compensation for hepatitis C victims

Article Date: 23 Nov 2004

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh announced today the Government of Canada's intention to enter into discussions on options for financial compensation to people who were infected with hepatitis C through the blood system before January 1, 1986, and after July 1, 1990. "Since becoming Minister, I have heard from Canadians who have contracted Hepatitis C through the blood supply," he said. "Representatives of those infected with hepatitis C through the blood system before 1986 and after 1990 have asked us to reconsider the government's position on compensation. In reviewing this matter and in discussion with cabinet colleagues and caucus, we have reflected on a number of circumstances that have changed since the original compensation decision was taken in 1998. "We have therefore decided that it is right and responsible to revisit the decision and begin discussions on options for financial compensation to those who were infected through the blood supply before 1986 and after 1990.

Yep making good on a bad plan just like the case of the Veterans, a plan introduced by the Liberal government. But if you read Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh's speaking notes for the house on this, he does not apologize once. Nope typcial Liberals cannot accept they goofed or made a mistake.

But he rejected suggestions that Ottawa made a mistake in its original decision on who would qualify."We've come to a conclusion that the circumstances have changed,'' Dosanjh said.

See they just can't accept they screwed up and screwed Canadians and all they have to do is say them three little words; "We Are Sorry". They just can't get them out of their mouths no how. And it would make people they screwed feel just that much better. It wouldn't do much to soften the blows and disasters of their failure to own up to their committments, but it would help.

Scott Hemming qualified for the first round of hep C funding. But he says that the legal wrangling between Ottawa and the provinces delayed his compensation for ages. He eventually lost his home and his career waiting. "How was it for me? Absolutely horrible," he says. "I think probably the compensation issue has been worse for my health than the hepatitis C ever will be."CTV.ca | Ottawa to talk with 'forgotten' hep C victims

Three little words so hard for Liberals to say; "We Are Sorry". And they can't even bring themselves to say it to Chinese Canadians who were discriminated against with the infamous Chinese Head Tax.

Last month, the federal government signed a $2.5-million agreement in principle with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians and other organizations to set up educational and commemorative projects related to the head tax. But Prime Minister Paul Martin has refused to apologize for the controversial tax.

The very fact that the Liberals cannot utter those three little words says more about their arrogance and belief that they are the natural ruling party in Ottawa, than any attack ad ever could. They believe they are entitled to their positions by heredity not election. Millions squandered, thousands of Canadians harmed by their policies, and they just can't seem to say Mea Culpa. They want their entitlement to power just not their culpability for their decisions or decisions made by governments in the past.

Tags Canada Federal Election Liberals politics Blogs Paul Martin

Harper in Transit

Stephen Harper, who acknowledges he rarely uses public transit, said he would bring in a 16-per-cent federal tax credit for transit users who buy monthly or annual passes. The average savings per person would be $153 annually, he said.

He definitely doesn't take the bus in Edmonton where monthly bus passes are $60. Annually that is $720 forked out for transit. And he is going to give me a measly 16% tax break.

That's a big $115.20 tax rebate, nothing, zip, heck thats two months transit out of twelve and I still have to pay GST on top of the bus pass cost. Heck I would get more than that in tax breaks if I was an Alberta Oil Company.

And while he is making tax break announcements how about a tax break on mortgage interest payments? Still waiting to hear about that one. Or if I can get a tax break on my PDA or lap top cause they are workplace tools.

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Americans Hunt Canadians

Got your attention didn't it. No its not Calvuto or Mr. Tackie Bow Tie Tucker Carlson loading up their guns in the back of the SUV and heading North looking for Canadian 'stalkers' to blast. Nope its Canadian Grey Wolves.

The U.S. introduced Canadian wolves into their national parks since they had destroyed their own indigenous population, along with Buffalo and Indians. And the population has grown over the last decade so in their divine wisdom the Environmentalists in the Bush Administration are now allowing States to regulate Wolf hunting.

Which means that the corruptible State legislatures will kowtow to the rancher lobby and of course allow for varmit hunting of wolves, even if the empirical evidence and science (drat there's them damn intecelshuals interfering in the nature of things again) says that the wolves have not harmed farm animals.

But of course the U.S. is only catching up with Canada, which allows the provinces to determine the fate of the animals in their geographic domain. Alberta for instance still has an annual wolf hunt. So we would be hypocritical to complain that the Wolves we shipped them ten years ago are now going to be open season for Yankee hunters. Unless we suggested it was wrong for them to hunt them when they could come up here and pay us for the thrill. Yep there's a sick logic to that.

New threat as wolves make comeback · Protections eased after big increase in numbers · Environment groups fear backlash by ranchers Julian Borger in Washington Thursday December 29, 2005 The Guardian Licences to kill wolves are to be granted by state authorities rather than Washington. Photograph: Staffan Widstrand/Corbis America's wolves have climbed back from the edge of extinction in the past 10 years to the point where the federal government is about to relinquish responsibility for their protection. But environmentalists say the wolf is not quite out of the woods and warn that the human backlash against the predator has only just begun. About 5,000 wolves - mainly Canadian greys - now roam the woods of Minnesota and the American west, compared with a population of barely 200 in the mid-90s, before the animals were reintroduced to Yellowstone national park.

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Secular Democracy

Since its founding in 1776 America has defined in practice the meaning of Democracy, it equates with Secularism. Anti-Theist (though a Quaker and Deist himself) Thomas Paine espoused the belief that the revolutionary nature of Democracy was two fold a recognition of the Rights of Man, and the seperation of Church and State. Paine was there urging on the American Revolution, then a hop skip jump to France to promote his Rights of Man during the French Revolution, and then back home to Britain to promote his ideals of democracy.

Now after much ballyhoo and cheering from the Bush Administration, election results in Iraq show that while the machinery of democracy, or at least representative democracy was successful the result was not a democracy. As the saying goes the operation was a success unfortunately the patient died. Such is the case in Iraq. The election has created a government, as did the earlier negotiations around a constitution etc, but not a democracy. For to be a democracy the government and its constitution must be secular. And the secularists, those whom the US ironically supported were defeated.

But there was a disappointingly poor showing for the secular, nationalist Shia list of the former interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, seen by the US and Britain (with a dash of the wishful thinking that has long characterised their policies) as a possible compromise contender for the prime ministership - despite his unpopularity with fundamentalist Iranian-backed groups such as Sciri and Dawa. Mr Allawi, who supported the US assault on Falluja, has complained of serious irregularities at the hustings and has demanded a rerun. Two Sunni parties, stunned by defeats in the Baghdad area, have also cried foul, with one of their leaders, Saleh al-Mutlak, warning openly of "civil war." The Electoral Commission will examine complaints but does not think irregularities had a major impact. Experts believe a rerun is unlikely but suggest - wishful thinking again? - the demand may be intended to pressurise the Shia and Kurdish winners to take a more altruistic and inclusive approach to government.
Divided they stand
Thursday December 22, 2005
The Guardian

While conservatives have used the prejorative Godless in relation to Communism, to denote the old Soviet Union, one should more properly use it as a
prelude to the term Democracy. For if democracy has a religion, it is Deism, the belief that there may be many names of God. If not then democracy must be atheist, that is secular, for the State which arises from it must be free from religion or it is a Theocracy.

In Iraq today the people have used electoral democracy to elect not a democratic government nor even a democracy, but rather a government which is Theocratic and will take them further down the road of Theocracy and further away from democracy.

Sunnis shun government talks in protest at election results

Although final results are still to be declared, Sunni Arab and secular parties have been disappointed by their electoral performance, demanding a re-run of the polls held on December 15 and threatening to boycott the new parliament. Tens of thousands of their supporters have taken to the streets in protest.

Partial results show that the Shia alliance has done better than expected, particularly in Baghdad, where it took 59% of the vote compared with just 19% for its nearest Sunni rivals and 14% for former prime minister Ayad Allawi's broad secular coalition.

"There will be no negotiations about forming the new government," Hussein al-Falluji, a Sunni candidate on the Accordance list, said. "We will not have any dialogue about it, not with the Kurds and not with the Shia. Results should be reviewed and announced first."

For all King George II's admonishions that his Empire has freed the Iraqi people from tyranny, and given the Middle East a model of democracy, such is not the truth nor the fact of the matter. The people have spoken in Iraq but due to the nature of the fragmentation of that nation by the occupying powers, real democracy did not occur, merely the mechanics of electoral representation; voting, occurred.

Monitors to study Iraq elections

A serious crisis involving the elections could set back hopes for a broad-based government that would include minority Sunni Arabs as well as secular Shia. Such a government could have the legitimacy necessary to diminish the insurgency - a key part of any US military exit strategy from Iraq.

The UN's election observer, Craig Jenness, said on Wednesday that his team, which helped the Iraqi election commission organise and oversee the poll, found the elections to be credible and transparent.

But Sunni Arabs and secular Shia rejected his findings, saying their concerns - some of which were centred on political assassinations before the elections - were not addressed.

There have been about 1,500 complaints lodged against the elections, including around 50 about events serious enough to alter the results in some districts. The overall result, however, was not expected to change.

In order to achieve the civil peace required the U.S. has accepted the participation in the elections of religious blocs, not civil parties perse but religious parties. Thus this election was not fair or balanced, it was between the forces of those who yearn for a Theocratic state and those who wish for a secular state, and the latter lost the election.

And this is the irony and contradiction of the Shock and Awe attack on Iraq. First it was declared that it was to end WMD, which would have meant that the U.S. was acting on behalf of the UN which meant it would have had to put Iraq under UN control after its invasion and war. But that was never the plan. So after the WMD feint failed, the U.S. went in on its own, declaring it was removing a Dictator, fighting for human rights, extending democracy in the region, but it was NOT repeat NOT abour nation building. No siree in and out, just like the macho men in the Administration. In and Out, it was to be the twenty minute war. But three years later they are still there and are nation building. This administration was never prepared to build a nation in Iraqw anymore than they were in Afghanistan, still there too, just appoint a local chieftan and leave. But Iraq was and is a quagmire, not like Viet Nam where like Korea the United States and the UN had divided the nations into North and South, but a quagmire around nation building. Something the this Empire is much poorer at then any of it's Imperial predecesors.

Nope this was to be an example to the world of the Shock and Awe of Amerika's military might. Screw with us and we will pound you into the ground was the administrations thinking. But who cleans up the mess after, that was the fatal after thought, which of course was not thought of. And the result will not be democracy in Iraq but the road towards a Theocracy. But the United States was not there to promote Democracy in the first place, or nation building, or ending the rule of a Tyrant, or sigh WMD. Nope the U.S. was there to prove a point, that they were the biggest baddest kid on the block, or as Georgie boy said; "They wanted to kill my daddy". Vengeance and power.

Shock, awe and Hobbes have backfired on America's neocons

Iraq has shown the hubris of a geostrategy that welds the philosophy of the Leviathan to military and technological power

Richard Drayton
Wednesday December 28, 2005
The Guardian

Shock and Awe: Achieving Rapid Dominance - a key strategic document published in 1996 - aimed to understand how to destroy the "will to resist before, during and after battle". For Harlan Ullman of the National Defence University, its main author, the perfect example was the atom bomb at Hiroshima. But with or without such a weapon, one could create an illusion of unending strength and ruthlessness. Or one could deprive an enemy of the ability to communicate, observe and interact - a macro version of the sensory deprivation used on individuals - so as to create a "feeling of impotence". And one must always inflict brutal reprisals against those who resist. An alternative was the "decay and default" model, whereby a nation's will to resist collapsed through the "imposition of social breakdown".

All of this came to be applied in Iraq in 2003, and not merely in the March bombardment called "shock and awe". It has been usual to explain the chaos and looting in Baghdad, the destruction of infrastructure, ministries, museums and the national library and archives, as caused by a failure of Rumsfeld's planning. But the evidence is this was at least in part a mask for the destruction of the collective memory and modern state of a key Arab nation, and the manufacture of disorder to create a hunger for the occupier's supervision. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported in May 2003, US troops broke the locks of museums, ministries and universities and told looters: "Go in Ali Baba, it's all yours!"

For the American imperial strategists invested deeply in the belief that through spreading terror they could take power. Neoconservatives such as Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and the recently indicted Lewis "Scooter" Libby, learned from Leo Strauss that a strong and wise minority of humans had to rule over the weak majority through deception and fear, rather than persuasion or compromise. They read Le Bon and Freud on the relationship of crowds to authority. But most of all they loved Hobbes's Leviathan. While Hobbes saw authority as free men's chosen solution to the imperfections of anarchy, his 21st century heirs seek to create the fear that led to submission. And technology would make it possible and beautiful.

So the elections have come and gone, or sorta of they are up in the air. When will the United States leave Iraq, mission accomplished. Expect them to go by the end of 2006. That was their strategic aim anyways, their timeline for their mission. They had planned to leave earlier but nation building is such a slow business not at all like Shock and Awe military invasions. Or invasions that have no popular support from the residents, "They will welcome us as Liberators", or the international community. So expect that by the end of this coming year serious troop reductions from the so called Coalition of the Willing, especially the U.K. and U.S. troops as well. Regardless of the impending civil war that has been made inevitable by the Theocratic government they leave in their wake.

Blair: troops could begin Iraq pullout within six months

Tania Branigan in Basra and Ewen MacAskill
Friday December 23, 2005
The Guardian


Tony Blair shakes hands with Royal Airforce personnel as he arrives in Basra.

Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty

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United States
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Anders Redux

While the Liberals have their Klander, the Conservatives have Rob Anders their rogue rightwhingnutbar extrodinare. My Blahg has commented on this as well, with more stupid quotes from Anders.

So has The Sir Robert Bond Papers:

Now compare Klander to say a Rob Anders, or even a Stephen Harper, and you can see the fundamental difference between Liberals and the Conservatives - the Reform-a-Tories - the Connies.

Klander resigns, likely before he was fired.

Anders? Well, the guy who still thinks that Nelson Mandela is a terrorist, the guy who was too chickenshit to take Mandela's phone, the guy who is spreading anti-gay propaganda in other ridings besides his own?

Anders is a star Conservative candidate.

And Stephen Taylor's blog is remarkably silent on the entire affair of Mr. Anders and his current campaign activities.

Compare that to the number of Liberal blogs that have denounced Klander.

James Bowie and Jason Cherniak continue the expose and documentation on why Calgary West deserves better than Anders.

Now these lads are blogging Liberals however, pardon the pun, most right thinking, level headed Conservatives are outraged by Anders comments and antics as well as his failure to represent his riding.


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Warning! Warning! Danger!

Here we go again folks the ultimate Beta Corporation, whose software is constantly being 'tested' on consumers in the marketplace is at it again. Windows Security Flaw Is 'Severe' Which is why I use Firefox and if I was really smart I would use Linux as my operating system. And of course Linux and Macs are not affected by Microsofts stupidity.

A previously unknown flaw in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system is leaving computer users vulnerable to spyware, viruses and other programs that could overtake their machines and has sent the company scrambling to come up with a fix.

Microsoft said in a statement yesterday that it is investigating the vulnerability and plans to issue a software patch to fix the problem. The company could not say how soon that patch would be available

Security researchers revealed the flaw on Tuesday and posted instructions online that showed how would-be attackers could exploit the flaw. Within hours, computer virus and spyware authors were using the flaw to distribute malicious programs that could allow them to take over and remotely control afflicted computers.

Unlike with previously revealed vulnerabilities, computers can be infected simply by visiting one of the Web sites or viewing an infected image in an e-mail through the preview pane in older versions of Microsoft Outlook, even if users did not click on anything or open any files. Operating system versions ranging from the current Windows XP to Windows 98 are affected.

How To Beat Back The New Zero-Day Windows Bug

Workarounds include disabling the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, the application that Internet Explorer automatically launches to display WMF image files.

Sony BMG Brother

Along with payola scandals the media monopoly Sony BMG has been planting spyware in their copy protection on CD's leaving your computer vulnerable to hacking.

A separate lawsuit was filed in November by the Texas attorney general against Sony BMG Music Entertainment accusing it of violating the state's laws on deceptive trade practices by hiding the "spyware" on its CDs. Sony BMG tentatively settles CD software suits

As peace treaties go, it might be one of history's swiftest negotiations. On Dec. 28, Sony BMG settled a consolidated class-action lawsuit filed by consumers just six weeks earlier over particularly aggressive copy protections embedded in millions of the record label's CDs. Sony BMG Ends a Legal Nightmare

Inclusive Internet

A PEW study has found that more women, Afro-Americans and seniors are now accessing information online. However the socio economic status of individuals on the net, their access to computers and internet connections still shows that there is a 'class' division in the United States. Whereas in Canada, Finland, and other Nordic countries we have a more economical balance. Greater computer use and access to the internet. Cause its cold here, Winter subjects us to being consumers of electronic entertainment. Alberta has the greatest number of computers and internet access of any province in Canada. And Canada outstrips the U.S. for computer use and access. However this study probably could apply to Canada as well.

If you look at the graphic at the right you will see that somethings never change. For instance women use the internet to get maps and directions. "Yep honey I know where I am going I don't need no stupid map....uh honey I think we are lost"...is still a guy thing. Sex and money still dominate male surfing, duh oh, visiting adult sites and trading stocks the gap is huge.

And women use email more than men it's just an extension of the phone, and the phone culture that developed in advanced captialism that women use and rely on to break out of the isolation of the nuclear family.

But Pew's analysis shows the emergence of new gender gaps, where young women, black women and older men are more likely to be online than their opposite sex peers.

Further, Pew found that men and women use the Internet in different ways, paralleling traditional offline behavior.

Among the new study's findings:

*Younger women are more likely to go online than younger men. Eighty-six percent of women ages 18 to 29 go online compared with 80 percent of their male peers.

*Older men are more likely to go online than older women. Thirty-four percent of men 65 and older go online compared with 21 percent of women in that age bracket.

*Black women outdistance black men in Internet use: 60 percent of African American women are Net users compared with 50 percent of black men.

*About two-thirds of Latino men and women are online, an 18 percent rise for women and a 14 percent increase for men over the past three years.

*Money changes everything. Internet usage goes up with income: 90 percent of men and 95 percent of women in households earning $75,000 or more are online compared with 49 percent of men and 48 percent of women earning less than $30,000 a year.

Edmonton East Seperatiste

Well it turns out the if the Liberals win a minority government on January 23 Conservatives in Edmonton East under Peter Goldring will lead the charge for Alberta to leave Canada.

You see in the world of Blogging Tory's the majority come from Alberta, very few from the Maritimes, a handful from Ontario and the Rest of the Prairies, none from Inuvik and one or two from Quebec. And many from Alberta are supporters of Alberta Seperatism. They have links on their blogs to the Seperatist alliance in Alberta.

Bouguets of Gray has discovered that perennial right wing candidate for any position that is open, Gordon Stamp is not only Peter Goldrings campaign manager, but is the mysterious Conservative Alberta Seperatist known in the Blogosphere as 'Psycho'. The term seems self deprecating for Gord. Unless you know him. He has run for election since his time at the U of A. 30 years or so ago. But rather than Psycho he should have called himself Loser, which reflects his electoral successes.

Now as an Alberta Seperatist he can use the sobriquet Sore Loser.

But I firmly believe that if the Liberals stay in power - it is all over. I am just trying to educate everyone that now is NOT the time to pretend Albertans will live under a corrupt and immoral Liberal government...

Attention Edmonton East Candidates time to call Goldring on his loyalty to Canada, make him take the oath that his leader couldn't.

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Sticks and Stones

While Jack Layton may not blog on the NDP website he certainly has turned the Liberal Blog scandal, into a cause celebre.

The racist sexist blog comments came from Liberal Volunteer (sic) Mike Klander's attack on his wife and him (Klander who is no mere volunteer is a high ranking Liberal appratchick and was working on Debra "I Bore PET's Love Child' Coynes campaign against Jack.)

As reported here, and everywhere in the blogosphere, Klander managed to dis everyone, the disabled (Tory Stephen Fletcher), the ethnic/religious/visible minorities (Tory Rahmin Jaffer) and racial/sexist/sterotyping of Olivia Chow. And Jack.Wow all in one blog. Well Jack came out swinging. Layton lashes out over blog blunder

And even Stephen Harper joined him in denouncing the Liberal Blog antics. Giving folks more food for thought that maybe a minority CPC government with backing from the NDP was a realistic alternative to the Liberals.

"I frankly never expected that we would face such things, that a candidate would be singled out," Layton said in his first public appearance since before Christmas.

"I certainly hope racial slurs will come to an end in this campaign."

Layton noted that Europeans who controlled portions of China in the past used to hang signs that read "no dogs or Chinese allowed," and said no Chinese person familiar with their history will ever forget those signs.

"This is no joke, and I think it's a culture of arrogance that has set in . . . and the election will have to deal with it," he said. "It reminds us that insults flow from arrogance. There is far too much of this in today's Liberal party."

Layton slams Liberals for taunts against his wife

And what is this all really about. Well the historical arrogance of the Liberals who introduced the dreaded racist Head Tax on Chinese coming to Canada way back at the begining of last century. A Head Tax they refuse to pay back or apologize for. However they made half hearted attempts to make amends just days before the election call by announcing a memorial program funded through a Chinese Canadian Organization headed by long time Liberal Raymond Chan. The culture of entitlement knows no bounds of arrogance.

Layton also won applause for saying Canada should apologize for the head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants in the late 1890s and early 1900s, and compensate those who paid the tax and their surviving families.

"We need to have a response from our government that starts with an apology - an open and complete apology to the Chinese community," he said. "That has got to be the starting place for redress."

Ottawa collected $23 million from more than 80,000 Chinese immigrants between 1885 and 1923, with the tax ranging from $50 to $500 a person.

Last month, the federal government signed a $2.5-million agreement in principle with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians and other organizations to set up educational and commemorative projects related to the head tax.

But Prime Minister Paul Martin has refused to apologize for the controversial tax.

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