Military Waste

All capital invested in the military is waste as Veblen and Galbraith have pointed. It is the creative destructive aspect of capitalism as Schumpeter called it. Military spending destroys capital, both excess production and workers.

And government waste rises with the increase in investment in military spending. Investment in social programs on the other hand are attacked by the right as spending and waste rather than what it really is investment in social capital.

How much happiness does big money buy the military? A lot less than it hoped.

Even after Liberal and Conservative cash injections, the forces are struggling to rebuild and renew while fighting a very different and difficult 21st century war. Equally worrying for the department, the consensus that led successive governments to boost spending to modern highs is cracking as other political priorities emerge.

Senior government officials and academics confirm entrenched problems aren't evaporating with a budget that will top $18 billion next year, some 27 per cent higher than before 9/11, according to a report released this week.

Its highest since World War II and more than 100 times higher than federal spending to combat homelessness.

While our troops are fighting the war in Afghanistan, the defence department spent $32 million last year on -- furniture

Ah the joy of being part of the NATO Military Industrial Complex.


SEE

The Tory Nanny State

Canada Celebrates Star Wars

The Budget Item Flaherty Forgot

State Capitalism Quebec Style

Defense Lobbyist Now Minister

Derek Burney Voice of America

Contracting Out Is A Crime

Guns and Butter for Conservatives

Liberals Military Heritage

Canada's State Capitalist Success

Job Protection for

Canadian Reservists

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military, helicopters, commorants, Snowbirds, Tudor, aircraft, Military-Industrial-Complex, Liberals, Harper, Trudeau, Chretien, Mulroney, Conservatives, government, military-spending, submaries, SeaKing, helicopters, Armed-Corced, Canadian-military

Environmentalists Caused Wildfires

So said Mike Brown, ex-head of FEMA during the Katrina debacle, on FOX News. He blamed the California wildfires on environmentalists; he claimed they opposed selective burns of brush and bush areas. While he stated that it is only natural for people to want to move into wilderness areas, including those prone to wildfires. Talk about Republican spin.

Yep environmental issues are behind the wild fires but not environmentalists. As Californian's are finding out that old adage Think Globally (warming ) Act Locally (put out wild fires). And the excuse that the fires were arson does nothing to halt the fact that they were fueled by Santa Ana wind's and as a result of climactic changes brought on by Global Warming.

Al Gore though art avenged.


SEE:

Black and White

Blaming Others

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Aliens and American Politics

It seems that aliens have become a theme in American Presidential politics. And I am not talking about Mexican migrant workers.

Democrats see them and Republicans are ready to blast them out of the skies.

It is the difference between libertarian and Law and Order approaches to politics.

Did Congressman Dennis Kucinich see a UFO?

A new book soon to be released says he did.

The book is written by one of Kucinich's closest friends, actress Shirley MacLaine, who attended his wedding in Cleveland in 2005.

Giuliani: Preparedness is key (even if aliens attack)

Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani yesterday said preparedness will be key for all crises, even an attack from outer space.

During a town hall meeting in Exeter, a young questioner asked the former New York mayor about his plan to protect Earth.

"If (there's) something living on another planet and it's bad and it comes over here, what would you do?" the boy asked.

Giuliani, grin on his face, said it was the first time he's been asked about an intergalactic attack.

"Of all the things that can happen in this world, we'll be prepared for that, yes we will. We'll be prepared for anything that happens," said Giuliani, who spent the day campaigning in the key early voting state.

SEE:

Libertarians for U.S. President

Iraq; The War For Oil

Telus About UFO's

Horse and Carriage

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Broken English

"Never a government fall down because of a throne speech."

Mike Duffy Live: Liberal Leader Stephane Dion explains why his party did not vote against the throne speech

But they fall down laughing when the Leader of the Opposition speaks.

See:

House Divided

Does Bilingualism Matter?

Should Liberal Leader Be Bilingual

Dion Sucked

Kennedy And Dion

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Another BT Bites The Dust

Bad week for Blogging Tories first Canadian Blue Lemons closes up shop now so has Dust My Broom. Too bad, so sad.



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Troops Out Now!

Day of Action Against the Wars - Saturday, October 27

Canada Out of Afghanistan and U.S. Out of Iraq.

Gather at Corbett Hall at 1:00 p.m., march down Whyte Avenue to TransAlta Arts Barns.






SEE:

Afghanistan




Job Protection for

Canadian Reservists

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Labour Rally Today

AUPE and other unions are calling for changes to the labour laws in Alberta in favour of workers.

October 26, 2007
There will be a rally on Friday October 26 at the Alberta Labour Board at 3PM (10808 99 ave) AUPE along with many other concerned Albertans will be presenting the Albertan Government with thousands of letters asking the government to change Alberta's antiquated Laws. Please help spread the word and most certainly bring family and friends
www.albertasolidarity.com

Abolishing the Labour Relations Board would be one solution.

"The employing class and the working class have nothing in common."
Preamble to the IWW Constitution

See:

Alberta's Padrone Culture

Temp Workers For Timmies

Labour Shortage = Union Busting

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Peak Oil Will Lead To WWIII

From Defense And The National Interest a Power Point presentation in PDF by Robert Hirsch on the impact of Peak Oil and US national security. Don't plan for Peak Oil then prepare for WWIII says Hirsch.

And he is serious as are the folks who published his report.

Welcome to Defense and the National Interest. Our aim is to foster debate on the roles of the U.S. armed forces in the post-Cold War era and on the resources devoted to them. The ultimate purpose is to help create a more effective national defense against the types of threats we will likely face during the first decades of the new millennium.Contributors to this site are, with a few exceptions, active/reserve, former, or retired military. They often combine a knowledge of military theory with the practical experience that comes from trying their ideas in the field.

Peak Oil is now a given reality. And its potential threat to create a crisis that needs a military response is no longer thought of as the rantings of just a tiny fringe group. Instead it is a crisis scenario being seriously discussed by military and security wonks.

10/23/07 World Oil Shortage - Scenarios for Mitigation Planning, by Robert L. Hirsch. "The more you think about it, the uglier it gets." Stand by for World War III. [114 KB PDF]

Background
“…it only requires a relatively small amount of oilto be taken out of the system to have huge economic and security implications.”
Robert M. Gates. Oil Shockwave. June 2005.

“The rate of decline after a peak is an important consideration because a decline that is more abrupt will likely have more adverse economic consequences than a decline that is less abrupt.”
GAO-07-283. February 2007.

IEA: There’s Trouble

•“The recent apparent surge in oil and gas investment is illusory, because costs have soared. Real investment in 2005 was barely higher than in 2000.”

•“This energy future is not only unsustainable, it is doomed to failure," because of underinvestment.

•"... we are on course for an energy system that will evolve from crisis to crisis…”
•Excess capacity and demand converge in 2012 (Peaking).

See:

Technocracy Inc. Predicted Oil Crisis Over 50 years ago

Canada Reaches Peak Oil In 2020

Peak Oil: France and Canada Agree

Ontario Succumbs to Peak Oil Crisis

Impeach Bush.....Over Peak Oil

The End of the Oil Age

Caspian Oil

Capitalism Creates Global Warming

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A Glass Half Full Or Half Empty

Two Progressive Bloggers views of Farmer Ed's Royalty compromise. The glass is half full, the glass is half empty. I of course take the latter view.

Stelmach Finds the Balance in the Response to the Royalty Review

alberta's royalty review: who's side is ed stelmach on?

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A Half Billion Short

Not our Fair Share. It's short by a half billion. It doesn't take effect until two years from now, and Ed still has to address the fact that while he was in cabinet we lost between $1 billion and $2 billion a year in what was owed us for ten years.

The new royalty framework announced today will boost overall royalties by $1.4 billion or 20 per cent in 2010. But Stelmach has rejected a call to impose an oilsands severance tax that established producers would have had to begin paying next year.

The new rates, which will hike royalties from current highs of 35 per cent to a maximum 50 per cent for conventional oil and natural gas, won't take effect until 2009.

Under the new framework, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2009, the government projects it will squeeze $1.4-billion more from the oil and gas sector, with most of the increases coming from the oilsands.

The government take from oilsands projects will increase from the current 1% before project payout, to a range of 1% to 9%, depending on oil prices.

When investment is recovered, projects will see royalty increases from the current 25% to a range of 25% to 40%, depending on oil prices. At current oil prices, that translates into a government take of about 65% of net revenue, up from the current 47%.

The new framework will boost government take for natural gas from 58% today to 60%, rather than 63% recommended by the panel; for conventional oil, government take goes up 5% to 49%, which is what the panel proposed; for oilsands, government share increases to between 57% and 66%, when the panel was recommending an increase of 64%.

Even so watch the whining and sniveling begin, as was shown by Oil Lobbyist and Ralph Klein's brain; Rod Love on CBC today.

What Big Oil pays in royalties is a mere $2.2 billion more than what the government brings in from you and I.

Energy royalties and taxes are vital to the Alberta government's Canada-leading wealth. They brought in $9.8 billion last year, compared to only $7.6 billion in personal income taxes.

Auditor General Fred Dunn bolstered the case for higher royalties earlier this month, when he revealed that the government has ignored its own conclusions since 2004 that it could reap $1 billion more a year without damaging oil and gas companies' business prospects.

SEE:

Hugo Stelmach

I Am Malcontent

Who Will Decide About Royalties

Headline Says It All

Ohhh Pulllleeeaasse

Alberta Needs A Chavez

Albertans Are Simpletons Says Government

Royalty Is NOT A Tax

Fearless Prediction Confirmed

Morons

More Shills For Big Oil

Stelmach Sells Out

King Ralph Shills For Big Oil

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