Thursday, July 20, 2006

Lebanon Protest At Alberta Legislature

LEBANON PROTEST AT LEGISLATURE: More than 500 people gather on the grounds of the Alberta legislature Wednesday to protest both the pace of evacuation of thousands of Canadians trapped in Lebanon and alleged Israeli aggression in its bombing of that country.
Hundreds denounce PM's stand
More than 500 people gather on the grounds of the Alberta legislature Wednesday to protest both the pace of evacuation of thousands of Canadians trapped in Lebanon and alleged Israeli aggression in its bombing of that country.
Photograph by : Chris Schwarz, The Journal

The Lebanese community in Alberta is one of the oldest in Canada.The first Mosque in Canada, indeed in North America, was built in Edmonton and now resides in historic Fort Edmonton Park.

Many of those original immigrants are buried in Beechmount cemetary, next to my relatives who came at the same time from the Ukraine.

The Harpocrite governments apologetics for Israel clearly show it is out of touch with Albertans and Canadians .

The irony is that the Harpocrites support of Israel is based on
Born Again Christians who await the coming Rapture.

Israels best friend; Stockwell Day, is one of these.

These religious right wingers have no interest in Israel perse other than its existence portends the millenial belief of second coming of Christ as predicted in the Book of Revelations.



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You Can't Read This In India


Indian Bloggers May Get Reprieve
Some ISPs overcautiously blocked entire domains such as Google’s www.blogspot.com rather than the sub-domains that they had been instructed to block, Maheshwari said. Indian bloggers were thus denied access to a large number of blogs on these and other domains, he added.

After 2 days, India calls blog block an "error"

Well duh.

Of course this would never happen in Canada.



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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Not His Day

Yesterday just was not a good day for Stockwell. Like I said here;...
Police shootings show need for gun registry to be maintained ...
and then there was the meeting with local Lebanese community members in Edmonton, which has the oldest Lebanese community in Canada.....Gov't not doing enough, local Lebanese tell Day
Finally despite all the assurances of the Harpocrites that the Passport issue is passe, well Stockwell had a photo op with Michael Chertoff and then got told off by the American Uberfuerher of Homeland Security.Day, Chertoff attempt to ease fears


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Gone Fishing


Ya gotta love the one party state that is Alberta.

King Ralph can first declare there will be no legislative sitting in the fall only to change his mind at the Calgary Stampede, cause like they have to pass some bills to help pay down deficits in healthcare and public education.

But wait can we hold that session early cause the King has to go fishing. No really. Only in Alberta does democracy take a back seat to fishing.

Heck he even canceled a trip outta the country, no not to participate in the Fall legislative sitting but to go fishing.

Oh and the kicker is that he gets to play hookey on the last day of this short five day session to....wait for it ....go fishing.


Legislative session conflicts with Klein's fishing trip


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Tuesday, July 18, 2006

The End of the Wheat Board



The Tories have it in for the Wheat Board. Ever since they were the Reform Party they have had an active front group; Farmers for Justice.

This little rump of border jumping farmers is now getting to have a private meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, but the majority of Farmers who are represented on the Wheat Board are not invited.

In light of the G8 reccomendation that the WTO meet in August to discuss farm subsidies what could this mean? The end of the Wheat Board in a back room deal by the Tories. Talk about lack of transparency and accountability, and the hidden sixth priority.

Art Macklin a farmer and board member of the WB warned about this back in April.


The U.S. and EU want to remove that decision from Canadian farmers. At the WTO talks, their negotiators have been clear that they want an end to the single desk selling authority of organizations like the CWB. Organizations that, in trade lingo, are called State Trading Enterprises (STEs).

The WTO position of the U.S. and EU, whose companies are some of our biggest competitors in the world market, would basically outlaw farmers' ability to have an effective organization able to compete with these companies. It would make it illegal for any farm group in any country to establish a marketing organization that had bargaining powers backed by legislation. It wouldn't matter whether 51 per cent or 100 per cent of the farmers democratically voted in favour of the concept, as it would be illegal under WTO rules.

Those companies are actively working behind the scenes to ensure that happens. On February 27, 2006, an organization calling itself 'Grain Vision' sent a letter to Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board urging the government to change its negotiating position at the WTO. The letter was also addressed to David Emerson, Minister of International Trade.

It stated; \"Cabinet needs to change this position (defending the CWB). We are asking you, as the Ministers responsible for the negotiating position, to immediately put the need for this change on the Cabinet agenda …We ask that you begin to provide greater consistency in Canada's negotiating position by allowing our agricultural negotiators to explicitly bring the monopoly powers of state trading enterprises into the discussions….For greater clarity, Grain Vision is recommending that the Government of Canada be prepared to discuss and negotiate the matter of exporting state trading enterprises at the WTO.\"

Predictably, 'Grain Vision' is driven by the interests of a collection of grain companies that stand to make a handsome profit from the end of the CWB. The list of companies signing the letter includes: Cargill Limited, Louis Dreyfus Canada Limited, Rahr Malting Canada Limited, Agricore United (a company whose largest single shareholder is ADM), Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (no longer a farmer cooperative), James Richardson International Limited. The letter was also signed by a handful of groups like the Western Canadian Wheat Growers and the Western Barley Growers. Those groups often claim to be a legitimate voice of farmers but in reality would not exist without the sponsorship largess of big corporations. Some urban chambers of commerce, some Alberta government mandated farm groups, the Grain Growers of Canada, and a few other groups also signed the letter.





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Flags At Half Mast


Pretty disgusting the failure of the Harpocrite government to lower the flag to half mast on Parliament Hill, with the death of another Canadian soldier in Afghanistan.

While the Pattison groups Save-On-Foods lowers the flags at their stores across the country in honour of the fallen Canadian soldier.

But of course the Conservatives will not because it would remind us once again of another of their foriegn policy faliures.

Also See:

Afghanistan





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Pray For Israel

As Israel declares war on its neighbours, which it has done since old testament times, the Rabbi's call for prayers. While Israel preys.

United in Israel, United With Israel
In keeping with a longstanding precedent set by the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory, Chabad representatives around the world are calling for intensified spiritual activity to sustain Israel and its defense forces. “At such crucial times the Rebbe exhorted the people to increase their Torah study, recite special prayers or Psalms, and contribute to charitable purposes,” says Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chairman of the Lubavitch educational and social services division.

Yep like these Psalms. of war and destruction in the name of G*D; Yahweh, Jehova, Yod Nun Resh Yod, the destroyer of Israels enemies. Crushing them, destroying all in his path. Flames and brimestone, etc. etc. sounds a bit like that Hollywood version of the other guy.

Psalm 2

2:1 Why do the nations rage,
and the peoples plot a vain thing?
2:2 The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
2:3 “Let’s break their bonds apart,
and cast their cords from us.”
2:4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh.
The Lord will have them in derision.
2:5 Then he will speak to them in his anger,
and terrify them in his wrath:
2:6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
2:7 I will tell of the decree.
Yahweh said to me, “You are my son.
Today I have become your father.
2:8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance,
the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron.
You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
2:10 Now therefore be wise, you kings.
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
2:11 Serve Yahweh with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
2:12 Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath will soon be kindled.
Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18

For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said,

18:1 I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
18:2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
18:3 I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised;
and I am saved from my enemies.
18:4 The cords of death surrounded me.
The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
18:5 The cords of Sheol were around me.
The snares of death came on me.
18:6 In my distress I called on Yahweh,
and cried to my God.
He heard my voice out of his temple.
My cry before him came into his ears.
18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled.
The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken,
because he was angry.
18:8 Smoke went out of his nostrils.
Consuming fire came out of his mouth.
Coals were kindled by it.
18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.
Thick darkness was under his feet.
18:10 He rode on a cherub, and flew.
Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
18:11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him,
darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
18:12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed,
hailstones and coals of fire.
18:13 Yahweh also thundered in the sky.
The Most High uttered his voice:
hailstones and coals of fire.
18:14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them;
Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.
18:15 Then the channels of waters appeared.
The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
18:16 He sent from on high.
He took me.
He drew me out of many waters.
18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18:18 They came on me in the day of my calamity,
but Yahweh was my support.
18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place.
He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
18:20 Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness.
According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
18:21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
18:22 For all his ordinances were before me.
I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
18:23 I was also blameless with him.
I kept myself from my iniquity.
18:24 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
18:25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.
With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
18:26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure.
With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
18:27 For you will save the afflicted people,
but the haughty eyes you will bring down.
18:28 For you will light my lamp, Yahweh.
My God will light up my darkness.
18:29 For by you, I advance through a troop.
By my God, I leap over a wall.
18:30 As for God, his way is perfect.
The word of Yahweh is tried.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
18:31 For who is God, except Yahweh?
Who is a rock, besides our God,
18:32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
18:33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
and sets me on my high places.
18:34 He teaches my hands to war,
so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
18:35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your right hand sustains me.
Your gentleness has made me great.
18:36 You have enlarged my steps under me,
My feet have not slipped.
18:37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them.
Neither will I turn again until they are consumed.
18:38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise.
They shall fall under my feet.
18:39 For you have armed me with strength to the battle.
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
18:40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
that I might cut off those who hate me.
18:41 They cried, but there was none to save;
even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them.
18:42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind.
I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
18:43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people.
You have made me the head of the nations.
A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
18:44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me.
The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
18:45 The foreigners shall fade away,
and shall come trembling out of their close places.
18:46 Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock.
Exalted be the God of my salvation,
18:47 even the God who executes vengeance for me,
and subdues peoples under me.
18:48 He rescues me from my enemies.
Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.
You deliver me from the violent man.
18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations,
and will sing praises to your name.
18:50 He gives great deliverance to his king,
and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
to David and to his seed, forevermore.

Also See:

Israel



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Long Guns Kill


No need for a long gun registry says the Harpocrite Government. Ok then explain that to the families of the Mounties killed in Saskatchewan or those killed in Mayerthorpe. Killed by long-guns. Long Guns used by rural folks, the same folks that Vic Toews always refers to as opposing the Gun Registry. Nice folks, with guns, who go loonie toons.Folks that Vic speaks for.

"The long-gun registry is by far and away the biggest issue in many ridings in Western Canada," Justice Minister Vic Toews.

Opps he is also Minister of Justice so he has to speak for the fallen RCMP officers too. What ya gotta say now Vic? The silence is deafening.


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Israeli Blogs For War


Harretz notes that Israeli bloggers have suddenly become more nationalist than the right wing nationalist media in Israel. Sounds like the Blogging Tories here.

In the nature of things, a dramatic event like a war leads each individual blog writer, like everyone else, to ensconce himself in his political stance. Fortunately, however, only few of them have found that answering Klinger's call is the most appropriate way to use the medium in their hands. Ultimately, enlisting in the state's public relations machine is a role that even nationalist newspapers do not take upon themselves, at least not outright.

Also See:

Israel

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Alternate News From Lebanon

Check out the Arabist Blog for a balanced view of the current crisis in the Middle East, complete with Canadian content. As well for first hand reporting check out Electronic Lebanon Net part of the Electronic Infatada. Also check out Indymedia Lebanon. Also check out Cienfuegos an interesting blog that covers the middle east.

Also See:

Israel

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