National Pest Gets It Wrong

This National Post editorial by Jonathon Kay finally catches up with its comrades on the right, aka the Blogging Tories, labeling NDP Leader Jack Layton as Taliban Jack. The problem is that his argument is totally fallacious, fabricated and not factual.

In the case of Afghanistan, in particular, this defeatism is grimly ironic coming, as it is, from a politician who postures as the champion of gay rights and feminism: But not for the presence of brave NATO troops, the country would fall into the hands of medieval theocrats who behead homosexuals and treat women like burka-clad dogs.

Hey guys I hate to spoil your tirade but the country is already controlled by medieval theocrats, war lords, misogynist homophobic males, which is why it is called the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

And women still are forced to wear burka's, female child brides are for sale, girls schools are burned out, freedom of the press does not exist, oh yes and it is still a crime if you are homosexual.

Liberating Afghan women from the Burqa was a sub-text of the war against the Taliban. Although some Afghan women have discarded the Burqa, after the fall of Taliban, an overwhelming majority continue to wear it as a matter of choice and social norm. So far the Burqa has survived the American bombing and the NGOs onslaught. International activists for women’s rights have been disappointed, and are now silent, by the mass of Afghan women continuing to wear Burqas.

Male with male sex is socially condoned but not as homosexuality, rather it exists because it is an outgrowth of patriarchal oppression of women. Patriarchy is about power over others; domination, S&M is the logical extension of patriarchy. Male sexuality is thus one of a dominant over a submissive regardless of the gender of the latter.

Puritanical Taliban tried hard to erase homosexuality and pedophilia from male-dominated Pashtun culture in Afghanistan; now that Taliban no longer rule, some people in Kandahar are indulging in it once again; problem is so widespread that government has issued directive barring 'beardless boys'--euphemism for under-age sex partners--from police stations, military bases and commanders' compounds; under Taliban, anyone found to be homosexual was buried alive, ancient punishment prescribed by Shariah, compendium of Islamic laws

The source pointed to the fact that behaviour between men, which would arouse curiosity in many western countries such as holding hands, kissing or embracing is not considered as explicit sexual behaviour in Afghanistan. The source was of the opinion, that homosexuality was common in Afghanistan in connection with the sexual debut due to the strong degree of separation which is practiced between the sexes. The source knew of commanders who were known of having relationships with young boys. However this does not lead to a general accept of homosexuality in Afghanistan. The source mentioned that rumours had been circulated, that people from the Panshjiri-dominated security forces had raped young Pashtun men with the aim of demonstrating their power.

In liberated Afghanistan it is still a capital offense to be a Christian.

Something the Post forgot to mention.

And speaking of burka clad dogs.




















h/t to Montreal Simon.


SEE:

Anti Islamism Manifesto

Islam And Class War

The Need for Arab Anarchism

Dr. Marx on Islam

1979 Fascist Counter-Revolution in Iran

WOMEN AND ISLAM


NDP

Afghanistan






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Leduc #1

You would expect that for the millions we spent on having an Alberta Embassy in Washington, they could hire someone to fact check the speeches.

Leduc #1 was discovered in 1947. This bit of historical revisionism would credit the discovery to the PC government rather than the Socreds.

"This set of circumstances has created a unique mutually beneficial relationship that has delivered safe, secure, reliable supplies of oil and gas to the U.S. since Leduc Number One drilled in 1974 by Imperial Oil – the Canadian sub of Exxon."

Murray Smith

Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Strategy Conference and Investment Forum

Topic: "Energy Supply: Quantities and Qualities"

Denver, Colorado - August 1, 2005

This is not the only controversy to entangle Mr. Smith.

I hope he bones up on his oil industry history now that he has moved on to join the Washington circle at the TD Bank.

Investment bank TD Securities Inc. has created a new advisory board that will include Alberta political heavyweights Jim Dinning, Anne McLellan and Murray Smith, as it seeks an extra edge in the ultracompetitive energy sector.

The formation of the board, which will support TD Securities' energy practice, is intended to provide opinions on public policy, give insight on market conditions and open more industry doors, said Frank McKenna, deputy chairman of Toronto-Dominion Bank and leader of the new advisory board.

David MacInnis, president of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, said government and politics have always been important in energy, but there has been a reluctance in the past to admit that fully.

Say it ain't so.

And MacInnis lets the cat out of the bag, big oil admits the need for a planned energy economy.

"The reality is that it's not just regulatory issues that are confounding energy development in this country," he said. "There is a significant lack of co-ordinated, coherent thinking on the policy side. So if a group like this can contribute to the quality of the dialogue, that is a good thing."

Planning is usually associated with socialism but in this case it is more like cartelization if not outright corporatism.

And the TD has created an investment bank of political bagmen and woman for big oil.


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