Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Harper Is No Leader
After running on a platform dominated by the environment, Stéphane Dion was elevated to leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the public jumped on the environment wagon. Given the Conservatives had no meaningful environment policy, Prime Minister Harper was obviously stunned and caught off guard by this new found public focus.
To counter Dion, Harper manufactured his own green wagon, but so far there are few passengers.
Of course, all of this makes you wonder who's the leader and who's the follower?
To counter Dion, Harper manufactured his own green wagon, but so far there are few passengers.
Of course, all of this makes you wonder who's the leader and who's the follower?
Monday, January 29, 2007
Harnessing Alternative Energy
Think of the enormous reduced gas emmissions if only we could harness the negative energy, hot air and flatulence coming from Conservative orifices...!
Labels: Conservatives, environment
Friday, January 26, 2007
Too Much Press Ink Wasted on Colin Mayes
In my opinion, far too much press ink was wasted on the recent media coverage about Colin Mayes and the alleged racist joke about Indians. Unlike Colin Mayes, I didn't think it was a good joke. I thought it was a great joke.
It did not denigrate our First Nation peoples. If politically motivated individuals read the joke in context the joke clearly denigrates government bureaucracy and by extension our politicians, not our Native Indians.
Here's the alleged joke, courtesy of CTV.ca:
"An 'Indian' walks into a Tim Hortons with a shotgun in one hand and a buffalo in the other. The server refers to the native man alternately as 'Tonto' and 'chief.'
The native man drinks his coffee, then 'blasts the buffalo with the shotgun, causing parts of the animal to splatter everywhere, then just walks out.' The next day, the native man returns. 'Whoa, Tonto!' says the server. We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What was all that about, anyway?
The Indian smiles and proudly says, 'Training for an upper management position in Canadian Government: Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean up, and disappear for rest of day.' ''
In my view the Indian couldn't have said it better.
It did not denigrate our First Nation peoples. If politically motivated individuals read the joke in context the joke clearly denigrates government bureaucracy and by extension our politicians, not our Native Indians.
Here's the alleged joke, courtesy of CTV.ca:
"An 'Indian' walks into a Tim Hortons with a shotgun in one hand and a buffalo in the other. The server refers to the native man alternately as 'Tonto' and 'chief.'
The native man drinks his coffee, then 'blasts the buffalo with the shotgun, causing parts of the animal to splatter everywhere, then just walks out.' The next day, the native man returns. 'Whoa, Tonto!' says the server. We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What was all that about, anyway?
The Indian smiles and proudly says, 'Training for an upper management position in Canadian Government: Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean up, and disappear for rest of day.' ''
In my view the Indian couldn't have said it better.
Labels: Colin Mayes
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Liberals, Bloc, and Income Trusts
Surprise, surprise! Finance Minister Flaherty refuses to disclose information that supposedly supports his decision to destroy existing income trusts. His reason should be patently clear to any average thinking Joe.
And to think some people criticized the Liberals and Bloc for seeking the truth.
Where are the NDP in all of this? Getting better acquainted with their new found Conservative friends perhaps?
Dear Liberals and Bloc:
Keep digging in the muck. You'll eventually find the source of the stench surrounding income trusts.
And to think some people criticized the Liberals and Bloc for seeking the truth.
Where are the NDP in all of this? Getting better acquainted with their new found Conservative friends perhaps?
Dear Liberals and Bloc:
Keep digging in the muck. You'll eventually find the source of the stench surrounding income trusts.
Labels: ethics, income trusts, Jim Flaherty
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Visual and Auditory Pollution
The motivation behind our social conservative government's ostentatious transformation from blue to green is purely a vote getting ploy. Now that the health of our environment seems to be at the top of the heap in voter minds - poof! - the Conservatives grab their crayons and color themselves green.
They scrambled to action, throwing money in every direction faster than a Liberal before election day. So far, these announcements, much of which are resurrected Liberal programs or borrowed Liberal ideas, amount to intense visual and auditory pollution.
Let's not be fooled by the Conservatives' new adopted color. To Conservatives, the overwhelming body of evidence proving that global warming actually exists and a disaster is about to unravel is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. Stockwell Day's recent ridicule of Al Gore's documentary "The Inconvenient Truth" is a case in point. Mr. Day has proven he has little knowledge or understanding of environmental issues, yet he seems comfortable and willing to criticize others who do.
The Conservatives have not yet provided details about their programs. If they are serious about the environment we should see, for starters, hard core immediate and short term targets reducing greenhouse gas emissions followed by longer term targets, rather than their current long term (2020 - 2050) targets focusing only on emission intensity.
Time will tell if the Conservatives are serious or just playing with their crayons.
They scrambled to action, throwing money in every direction faster than a Liberal before election day. So far, these announcements, much of which are resurrected Liberal programs or borrowed Liberal ideas, amount to intense visual and auditory pollution.
Let's not be fooled by the Conservatives' new adopted color. To Conservatives, the overwhelming body of evidence proving that global warming actually exists and a disaster is about to unravel is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. Stockwell Day's recent ridicule of Al Gore's documentary "The Inconvenient Truth" is a case in point. Mr. Day has proven he has little knowledge or understanding of environmental issues, yet he seems comfortable and willing to criticize others who do.
The Conservatives have not yet provided details about their programs. If they are serious about the environment we should see, for starters, hard core immediate and short term targets reducing greenhouse gas emissions followed by longer term targets, rather than their current long term (2020 - 2050) targets focusing only on emission intensity.
Time will tell if the Conservatives are serious or just playing with their crayons.
Labels: Al Gore, Conservatives, environment, greenhouse gases, Stockwell Day
Saturday, January 20, 2007
The Illusionary 'War on Drugs'
For decades, the RCMP and every other police agency in Canada has been fighting the illusionary 'War on Drugs' without measurable success. No doubt, drug dealers and organized crime groups view the police and the 'War On Drugs' as nothing more than a pesky inconvenient cost of doing business.
Despite the lack of success, Canada's New Government insists the idea of "enforcement" remains the path to victory. Such ideas are so typically social conservative, flat earth, square box thinking. When the government succumbs to the realization that treatment, prevention, and harm reduction are, at the very least, equal components in the arsenal on the 'War on Drugs' will we see our drug war tax dollars being spent wisely.
Despite the lack of success, Canada's New Government insists the idea of "enforcement" remains the path to victory. Such ideas are so typically social conservative, flat earth, square box thinking. When the government succumbs to the realization that treatment, prevention, and harm reduction are, at the very least, equal components in the arsenal on the 'War on Drugs' will we see our drug war tax dollars being spent wisely.
Labels: harm reduction, War on Drugs
