Science Versus Politics

When the United States banned Cattle from Canada because of the BSE crisis the Canadian government and the then opposition Conservtives all decried the American actions as being political and not based on science.

Today the same Conservatives are the New Canadian Government and oppose the ban on deep sea trawlers.

Spot the contradiction.

There may be as few as 200 bottom-trawlers worldwide

Marine Scientists: Case for Bottom Trawler Ban 'Overwhelming'; Immediate Fisheries Freeze Needed

Marine scientists say the case for a moratorium on the use of heavy trawling gear in deep waters is now overwhelming and should be put in place immediately.





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Danger Nanobots

A new report warns about the dangers of nanotechnology. Its author explains why it's important to act now.

Somebody should let Alberta PC Leadership Candidate Victor Doerksen know about this.

Victor Doerksen – Nanotechnology is great!

But as debate over the nanotech initiative heated up, Drexler's ideal was kicked in the gut by Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy.

"An immediate consequence of the Faustian bargain in obtaining the great power of nanotechnology is that we run a grave risk -- the risk that we might destroy the biosphere on which all life depends," Joy wrote in a landmark Wired magazine essay, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us."

Left unchecked, Joy wrote, self-replicating molecular machines could endlessly copy themselves, engulfing the globe in a nanotechnological "gray goo."

That is if the little buggers ever can be built. A lot of scientists aren't so sure.

Also See:

Conservative Leadership Race

Alberta

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scince, nanotech, nano, nanotechnology, nanobots, danger, dangersofnanotechnology, nanotch,

Belugas

Now where are those Canadian Ice Breakers the Harpocrites promised?

These folks could sure use them now.
Whale hunters set for grim mission of mercy
Team to kill about 80 struggling belugas trapped under ice in Canadian North

Meanwhile Inuit in Nunavut face criminal charges for hunting belugas out of season.

Canada ponders charges against beluga hunters; 'There will be investigations'

Maybe the folks in Tuktoyaktuk having to kill the trapped beluga's could ship the whale meat to these folks.

See:

Whales


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LOL

This is rich coming from the former spokesperson for unbridled capitalism in Canada; The National Citizens Coalition.

We won't sell out to China, PM says

"I think Canadians want us to promote our trade relations worldwide, and we do that, but I don't think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values -- our belief in democracy, freedom, human rights," Harper said. "They don't want us to sell that out to the almighty dollar," he said.

NCC Promotes Workers Rights

Through court battles, media campaigns and direct political action, the National Citizens Coalition has pushed to democratize the workplace. The NCC opposes forcing workers to join unions against their will; the NCC opposes forcing workers to fund political causes through their forced dues; the NCC has countered the political propaganda of union bosses.

Gee workers rights just like they have in China.

See

Gong Show

China

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The One Party State

Lyle Oberg said the province must have a mixed system of public and private health care like many European countries, rather than a solely publicly funded system like Cuba or North Korea.

Well gee what do North Korea, Cuba and Alberta have in common besides public health care? Why they are all one party states.

Also See:

Conservative Leadership Race

Alberta

One Party State

Oberg

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Fair Vote Alberta

What is missing from the current boooooring campaign for the Guy Who Will Replace Ralph is any discussion on the deficit. The democratic deficit in Alberta. Nothing about open government, lobbyist legislation, referendums or heck even proportional representation. In the One Party State such debate is not needed apparently. Tory candidates talk gov’t accountability


According to Daveberta here is what the candidates had to say about reforming government in Alberta at the Edmonton Leadership debate;

Topic: Open and Accountable Government
Dave Hancock – Open up the Legislature, make the policy process more public.
Ted Morton – Federal Liberals are evil. I love Stephen Harper.
Mark Norris – I released my campaign contributions! (-5 points for being off topic).
Jim Dinning – Listen to what the people want and report back in six months (what?).
Lyle Oberg – Term-limits.



While in Ontario a Citizens Assembly has been called to look at reforming the government to be more open and accessible. Fair Vote Canada has created a campaign for PR in Ontario. Sigh when will Fair Vote come to Alberta? This is not even on the agenda in this race to the bottom by the men who would be Ralph.

This is not a new system; in fact, it’s an old Alberta idea. In 1921, the United Farmers of Alberta party implemented a campaign promise to bring electoral reform to the province. The transferable vote system was first used in a provincial referendum on liquor sales; because there were more than two options available to voters (total prohibition, allowed private sales of liquor, liquor only to be sold through government outlets), they were asked to rank their choices rather than choose one option. In the pursuant provincial election, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Edmonton voters selected five MLAs each from their cities (there were no ridings within the cities’ boundaries) using the vote-ranking system.

Also See:

Conservative Leadership Race

Alberta

One Party State

Democratic Deficit

Dinning

Morton

Oberg

Klein

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Milton Friedman RIP

Milton Friedman ,the guy who worked for Pinochet to produce record breaking inflation in post-Allende Chile to prove socialism didn't work, has passed on to the great cash register in the sky.

The Wall Street Journal calls him the greatest economist of the 20th Century. Please gimme a break. He was an imitator, a cheerleader for the Austrian School of Economics. He was far from original having merely rehashed and popularized the theories of Ludwig Von Mises and F. Hayek.

Heck he wasn't even the most influential economist of the 20th Century or even the later half of the 20th Century, The real historically important political economists of the 20th Century are Keynes, Galbraith and Joseph Schumpeter.


See:

It's the Labour Theory of Value, stupid

RIP



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Conservative Cold Warriors

Forward to the Past department. It is the return of the Cold War in Canada. Back in 1945 at the begining of the Cold War Canada reveled in its first Soviet Spy that came in from the cold; Igor Gouzenko

The Harpocrites are reimagining themselves as warriors in the Cold War. Someone should tell them that particular period of history is over. Ottawa is moving swiftly to deport an alleged Russian spy arrested in a Montreal airport, by issuing a rarely used national security certificate.

Now if I was a conspiracy theorist I might suspect this was a shameless attempt by CSIS, the RCMP, and Public Security Minister Stockwell Day to prove that there was a security threat to Canada and we need their services. The bust being a smokescreen to distract from the fact they are facing investigation into the misuse of their Security State powers to arrest and deport Canadian citizens to face torture abroad. Nah that would never happen.

In 1945, Igor Gouzenko and his family received new identities from the Canadian government after the young Russian Embassy cipher clerk announced he had proof of a widespread spy ring in Canada. Pictured here, Gouzenko wears a hood to conceal his identity while appearing on television in 1966. (National Archives of Canada, PA-129625)

See:

Arar

RCMP

CIA

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Iggy Doesn't Get It

Liberal Leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff was on both Don Newmans Politics (CBC) and Mike Duffy Live today (CTV).

When asked why he would be better at leading the Liberals than Bob Rae he said he represented the 'progressive centre', whatever that is, then he made this amazing understatement; "Liberals gave us a rest" refering to the Liberals loss of power.

A rest? Liberals deserted a corrupt party. Iggy just doesn't get it. But what does one expect from the candidate of the backroom boys, the old corrupt Liberal establishment.

See:

Liberal Leadership Race

Ignatieff

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Remember Riel

Buckdog and POGGE remind us that Louis Reil was hung today 121 years ago today by the Conservative Government of the day on behalf of the CPR railroad and the ruling class.

Riel was the Father of the Canadian West, the first real reformer. He led what could have been the first North American revolution, not just in the Canadian Prairies but across the aboriginal plains of North America.

See my Rebel Yell for my tribute to Riel, Dumont and Poundmaker.

Like the Revolution of 1837, the Riel Rebellion shows that Canada does have a revolutionary history, despite the ruling class myth that this country was built on Peace, Order and Good Government.

This is the last testament of Louis Riel a poem recently discovered and donated to the University of Regina. It was written by Riel to his jailer.

Let virtue be our soul's food'

A poem and introduction written by Louis Riel for his jailer about three weeks before Riel was hanged for treason: Robert Gordon! I beg your pardon for so having kept you waiting after some poor verses of mine. You know, my English is not fine. I speak it; but only very imperfectly.

The snow,

Which renders the ground all white,

From heaven, comes here below:

Its pine frozen drops invite us all

To white -- keep our thoughts and our acts,

So that when our bodies do fall,

Our merits, before God, be facts.

How many who, with good desires,

Have died and lost their souls to fires?

Good desires kept unpractic'd

Stand, before God, unnotic'd.

O Robert, let us be fond

Of virtue! Virtues abound

In every sort of good,

Let virtue be our soul's food. Louis (David) Riel Oct. 27, 1885 Regina Jail

See:

A History of Canadian Wealth, 1914.

Aboriginal Property Rights

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