Friday, January 20, 2006

Housing Boom or Bust

CathiefromCanada makes this interesting observation about the Conservative Dividend/Captial Gains Tax break announce just last week. If the Conservatives win, its time to get into the house flipping business, I guess.

Hmm now that would bouy the phony economics of debt that currently dominates the market.

As I blogged here earlier,The Real Debt and Deficit Crisis, Canadians and American consumers are now in a net negative as far as savings go. And it has been consumption and only consumption, including a hot housing market in the USA that has kept the GNP and GDP growing. We are now in a debtor economy.

This is NOT a productive economy, it is a supply side economy which is why the Bank of Canada keeps a wary eye open for the mythical creature Inflation.

The reality is that this is the new service economy that has been predicted for so long. North American capitalism is no longer producing profit but making a profit on servicing debt. Our personal debt.

Which is why Capital One and MSNB wants to give you a credit card.


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Invasion

Just like the themes of TV Sci Fi shows this season, that deal with strange alien creatures from the sea; Invasion and Surface, Japan is facing an alien invasion that is impacting on its fishing communities.

And scientists suggest it is being caused by the increasing warming of the Ocean caused by climate warming.

Invasion of the giant jellyfish

Thursday, January 19, 2006; Posted: 4:24 p.m. EST (21:24 GMT)
story.hugejellyfish.jpg
A diver swims behind a giant nomura jellyfish in waters off Echizen, Japan.

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- A slimy jellyfish weighing as much as a sumo wrestler has Japan's fishing industry in the grip of its poisonous tentacles.

Vast numbers of Echizen kurage, or Nomura's jellyfish, have appeared around Japan's coast since July, clogging and ripping fishing nets and forcing fishermen to spend hours hacking them apart before bringing home their reduced catches.

Representatives of fishing communities around the country gathered in Tokyo on Thursday, hoping to thrash out solutions to a pest that has spread from the Japan Sea to the Pacific coast.

"It's a terrible problem. They're like aliens," Noriyuki Kani of the fisheries federation in Toyama, northwest of Tokyo, told Reuters ahead of the conference.

There are no official figures on the size of the problem, but Kani says the financial losses are obvious.

Spikes in population have occurred in the past, notably in 1958, but consecutive outbreaks in 2002 and 2003 prompted the government to seek reasons and solutions.

Scientists have suggested global warming might be a factor.



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Landslide or Avalanche Annie



The Edmonton Journal polled Edmonton Centre last week and found the Anne McLellan is behind the eight ball this time.

She not only has to contend with the Conservative candidate Laurie Hawn, who has spent the last year door knocking. She has disgruntled Federal Corrections and Security workers and their union ticked off. She has Arab and Muslim Canadians and Civil Libertarians ticked off over the government Security Act and their arrests of alleged terrorists.

"Glitches" dog McLellan
Edmonton Journal, Canada - 18 Jan 2006

She just can't win. Can she?

'Landslide Annie' trails

Voters support Anne McLellan personally, but refuse to vote Liberal. Don't count her out yet, though: She has won close contests before . . .

Archie McLean, The Edmonton Journal

Published: Friday, January 13, 2006

EDMONTON - It's too early to count her out just yet, but Anne McLellan is in danger of losing her seat to Conservative Laurie Hawn, according to an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for The Journal.

The Liberal deputy prime minister -- nicknamed "Landslide Annie" for her close victories in four previous races -- has the support of 35 per cent of decided voters in Edmonton Centre, while Hawn is out in front with 42 per cent.

"It certainly says that Anne McLellan is behind at this point in the race, but it would be wrong to dismiss her just yet," said Peter Weylie, vice-president of public affairs for Ipsos Reid.

NDP candidate Donna Martyn has 15-per-cent support while Green Party candidate David Parker has seven per cent. Four per cent of voters are undecided.

The poll, conducted by phone between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, asked 600 people in Edmonton Centre about their views on a wide range of issues in the riding. The margin of error is four per cent, 19 times out of 20.

McLellan still has immense personal popularity, but is battling the perception that her party is tired and corrupt.

Of those who support McLellan, 54 per cent say they will vote for her because of her personal attributes and not because of Liberal Party policies or leader Paul Martin.

Meanwhile, only 11 per cent of Hawn supporters say they are basing their vote on the local candidate. Instead, 84 per cent are casting their ballot based on Stephen Harper's leadership and the Conservative party's policies.

"Anne McLellan is a very, very strong candidate and she does resonate with her constituents," Weylie said. "Unfortunately, she doesn't have their favourite party banner behind her."


Mandel likes what McLellan has done

RACE FOR THE PRIZE
VUE Weekly, Canada - 18 Jan 2006
By ROSS MOROZ. Anne McLellan is not panicking. Honestly, she’s not.



Also See:

Landslide Anne in Trouble


Laurie Hawn Chicken Hawk


Conservatives Turn Left


Liberals Abandon Redmonton


Redmonton Votes


Redmonton Not In The Bag for the Conservatives




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Like Rats From A Sinking Ship

Gimme Your Vote Puuuulllleeeaasssee

It is a pathetic site, to see blogging Liberals abandoning their party to vote......Conservative. Huh? What happened to all that Martin blather about being a progressive party for Canada's progressives . Scratch a Liberal and you find a Tory in a hurry.

The moaning and groaing of many Liberal bloggers reminds me of the true confessions practiced under Stalinism. Since the Liberal party colour is red, perhaps this is a new version of the Cultural Values Revolution and these are the New Red Guard.

"Can my Liberal philosophy be best achieved by another Liberal win? And the answer is no.If we need a Conservative government, however temporarily to give us the chance to re-energize so that I can get the Canada I want, I'm willing to take that risk." Canadian Polemic

It has even infected True Red Liberal bloggers, who confess they will hold their nose and vote Liberal.

This campaign, however, has just been shameful. Our own party has been working against itself, leaking the red book, distributing confidential emails, endorsing candidates from other parties. You can teach monkeys to fly better than that.The campaign has gone terribly, but I still support Martin Bowie Call


Even when Liberal bloggers realize the Conservatives are gonna whup their asses, they still cannot accept that voting Liberal is a wasted vote.

But all that aside, I've decided I will be voting Liberal on Monday. Although I do like Harper, I'm worried about his potential Cabinet and I don't agree with his policies. And while I do like many of Layton's ideas, at the end of the day, I agree with Liberal policy. Calgary Grit

None of them has yet realized that the only effective vote, one that carries a buck seventy five with it, one that would be a real progressive vote, a vote for change, would be to vote NDP.

But in many cases the average Liberal blogger has as vitrolic a hate on against the NDP as any Blogging Tory.


We need to talk about what's important here. Layton-Harper would mainly destroy our system. People are asking Layton to consider what’s important here. He is bashing liberals so that his people get elected but by doing this, he is making the path easy for the conservatives. This guy really doesn’t give a damn! He never has and he never will! This person would support anyone for votes. If he needs to support of Al-Quida to get votes, he would do that.

We could vote for the Green Party but they are not that experienced. Therefore, we basically have no choice other than the Liberals. A wave of alternative mandate


Proving again that Liberals, even blogging Liberals, like their Big Tent party are not really that progressive. They are progressives of convenience.


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Thursday, January 19, 2006

Worth Repeating

Here is an article I wrote back during the June 2004 election, It was published by Straight Goods.

I figure it bears repeating.

Polling shows the chances of the NDP in Alberta are even better now than they were then. And while the NDP may not win many seats,we are all watching Edmonton Strathcona,they should do well overall coming in second place which would boost their chances next time.

In Alberta, strategic voting means NDP.

NDs have better platform, better chance than Liberals, says Eugene Plawiuk.

My Edmonton Strathcona Blog Articles


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Alberta Values

Liberals gun policy fires blanks in Alberta

This must be one of those Alberta values that puts us out of touch with Buzz Hargroves definition of social democratic values of Canadians.

Which is why he supports the BQ in Quebec;

Quebec's distinct view on guns

Gun control support is popular here

John MacFarlane, canada.com

Published: January 9, 2006

MONTREAL -- Quebecers are a little off the wall when it comes to guns and gun control.

The province has the highest incidence of hunters in Canada, says pollster Christian Bourque of Léger Marketing. But apparently even our gun nuts are a distinct society – Quebecers tend to support gun control initiatives more fervently than anyone else in the country.


Buzz opposes the NDP on this issue because even the NDP knows that the Liberal handgun ban is stupid and a cheap political ploy to get votes.Ed Sez: Gun Ban Useless

The NDP would increase border guards and arm them something their union has been asking for and the Liberals denied them. They still deny the problem is illegal guns and and understaffed unarmed border patro, They want to blame sports shooters and gun collectors. Liberals Want Your Handguns


The traditional home of the CCF and NDP has historically opposed the gun ban. That's a Western Canadian social democratic value Buzz.

No need for gun debate in Saskatchewan

When you envision a Saskatchewan gun owner, what do you see? A flannel shirt-wearing, tobacco-spitting redneck driving a six-wheeled truck, like the yahoos in this Arrogant Worms song Let There be Guns.

The true picture is more nuanced than that.

The face of the anti-gun control movement in Saskatchewan has long been Dr. Ed Hudson . Hudson is best known for flaunting his 55
unregistered firearms in front of television cameras and pleading, "Arrest me! I'm breaking the law!" Hudson wants to be led away in handcuffs so he can take his fight against the gun registry to the Supreme Court of Canada and have the Firearms Act struck down.

It won't happen in Saskatchewan.

That's because Saskatchewan's justice department, which argued against gun registration in the Supreme Court and lost, doesn't enforce the Firearms Act. Shortly after the high court's 2000 decision, Saskatchewan's justice minister thumbed his nose at the feds. Please, register your guns, he said through gritted teeth, but if you don't, we won't prosecute you.

This should be no surprise in a province with the lowest support for gun control in the country - 49 per cent, according to one 2003 Environics poll

You know some of us are always suspicious when the state wants to disarm workers Buzz. You should be too. But I guess that's a working class value we don't share with the bosses from Bay Street or CAW.

More Gun Stories Here

Also see: Canada's Billion Dollar P3 Boondoggle

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Abolish the Senate

With a pending Conservative win this Monday, the temptation will be for the Tories to try and 'reform the senate'. Because it is as Harper said a check on his parties power as the government due to being Liberal dominated.

The Triple E senate is the a key plank in the Reform/Alliance/Conservative party.

But as I have said before real electoral change would be the abolition of the Sentate, expansion of the House of Commons and proportional representation.

And apparently the Editors at the Edmonton Journal agree with me.

Cutting a different deficit
The last time Canada stood on the brink of political change, the deficit on everybody's lips was fiscal, not democratic.

The last of our three paths to reducing the democratic deficit -- electoral reform -- is the most interesting and the most challenging, especially for Harper. It leads us to the question of elected senators, and to a discussion of some form of proportional representation in the House of Commons, an idea most associated today with the NDP and Greens.

If he becomes prime minister, one of the easiest promises to keep on Harper's agenda may be to appoint senators elected by participating provinces.

REINVIGORATING DANGERS

Alberta backers of Senate reform might want to look at voting patterns in Quebec and Ontario over the last 15 years before getting too enthusiastic about invigorating the current body.

Even today, with Harper purportedly on the brink of a majority nationally, the polls show his party might have a tough time winning province-wide federal races in the provinces with the most Senate seats. And who is keen on a Senate full of Bloc Quebecois members? And what about the Triple-E concept that would give vastly more clout in Senate elections to some citizens over others?

Is it democratic for provinces of 12.5 million (Ontario), 3.2 million (Alberta) and 500,000 people (Newfoundland) all to have the same number of votes in the Senate?

Finally, what about the House of Commons, a body that has its own unpopular distortions favouring Maritime and rural constituencies at the expense of urban ridings like Edmonton's?

What about a House of Commons in which it is perfectly possible for the votes of two-thirds of Albertans to fill 100 per cent of the seats, leaving fully one-third with nothing but the consolation they have contributed $1.75 to the party of their choice.

Traditionally in our first-past-the-post system, parties that win power and even majority governments, despite the fact that 60 per cent of people vote against them, have no interest in some form of proportional representation that would elect Parliaments more reflective of the public's preferences.

If he wins, therefore, nothing would reinforce Harper's credentials as a democratic reformer more than a willingness to break that pattern.

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Kropotkin Right Again

Another example from the animal world of Kropotkins Theory of Mutual Aid.
This means there is hope for the Alien Invaders of 'V' yet.

Snake 'befriends' snack hamster
Snake and hamster sharing enclosure in Japanese zoo
Aochan, the snake 'seems to enjoy' being with Gohan, the hamster
A rodent-eating snake and a hamster have developed an unusual bond at a zoo in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

Their relationship began in October last year, when zookeepers presented the hamster to the snake as a meal.

The rat snake, however, refused to eat the rodent. The two now share a cage, and the hamster sometimes falls asleep sitting on top of his natural foe.

"I have never seen anything like it," a zookeeper at the Mutsugoro Okoku zoo told the Associated Press News agency.

The hamster was initially offered to Aochan, the two-year-old rat snake, because it was refusing to eat frozen mice, the Associated Press news agency reports.

As a joke, the zookeeper said they named the hamster Gohan - the Japanese word for meal.

"I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much," zookeeper Kazuya Yamamoto told the Associated Press news agency.

The apparent friendship between the snake and hamster is one of many reported bonds spanning the divide between predator and prey.


My Blog articles on Mutual Aid

Also see:Is Your Boss a 600lb Gorilla and Primate Man

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History of the Libertarian Movement


If you don't know the history of the modern Libertarian movement in the United States and Canada then you need to read this.

Brad Spangler has done a great service in finding this lost treatise by Edmontonian Samuel Edward Konkin III (aka SEK3). SEK3 was one of the founders of modern day Left Libertarianism as well as being an avid Sci-Fi afficinado.

It is the history of the modern day Libertarian movement and its relationship to the New Left. Or as the saying goes this is not your daddies Republican or Conservative or even Social Credit party. Nope. This libertarianism is the unkown ideal, apologies to Ayn Rand.

Once you have read it you will understand why I laugh everytime Monte Solberg calls himself a Libertarian.


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Kevin Carson Replies

Keven Carson of Mutualist Blog has responded to my article; State-less Socialism.He gives a spirited defense of Indiviudalist Anarchism, Libertarianism, based on Benjamin Tucker, and in opposition to the Labour Theory of Value. Read it here. Thanks for the thoughtful comments Kevin, I am working on a reply.


Also see:

Libertarian Labour

A NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION

It's the Labour Theory of Value, stupid

Libertarian Dialectics


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