I was going to post my thoughts on Clayton Ruby’s opinion piece on the Globe and Mail's editorial page yesterday but Let It Bleed beat me too it.
All there is left to do is ponder these words of wisdom found on Kim du Toit's site:
"A system of licensing and registration is the perfect device to deny gun ownership to the bourgeoisie." --Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed the subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty." --Adolf Hitler (H.R. Trevor-Roper, Hitler’s Table Talks 1941-1944)
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." -- Mahatma Gandhi
"No man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." --Thomas Jefferson.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Mullahs on the Block
We live in the downtown core of Toronto and the children have attended an inner city elementary school that acts as a feeder school to two of the largest and toughest housing projects in the country. The Last Amazon being a reasonable practical person tended to avoid physical confrontations not because she was afraid or she could not fight, but she could not see the sense in fighting for free or without a just cause.
This served her well until one day one of the local bullies decided that because the Last Amazon did not have a reputation for fighting it must because she was easy prey. The Last Amazon and I discussed the situation. Being a modern parent (and worried of the so-called zero tolerance policy of the school) I advised her she should ignore all provocation and taunts. Either the girl would grow tired and give up or the Amazon’s passivity would act as a catalyst and spurn the girl on to violence. I suggested that The Last Amazon should be extremely circumspect in all her dealings with the bully and the minute the girl pushed her, she should not push her back but react with overwhelming force.
The seeming passivity of the Last Amazon did in fact ignite the bully's rage about a month later. The bully attempted to beat the Last Amazon. The Last Amazon reacted with overwhelming force of perfectly landed right-left-right crossover combination to the head and then dragged the bully to the principal's office. The end result was not only did the bully never again so much as looked at the Last Amazon, no one else wanted to risk the consequences of her wrath.
Margaret Thatcher led her country to war in 1982 over a tiny group of Islands called the Falklands. She felt that the principle of sovereignty of British people was paramount. When Argentina attempted to annex a British protectorate she reacted with overwhelming force. Thatcher shocked the whole world with her decisive action. Some nations condemned her; other nations grew wary of wrath of the Iron Maiden and her big stick.
Recently the Iranians kidnapped 8 British seamen. I am sure that mullah’s remembered the Argentine example and cooler heads prevailed with the result that the 8 sailors were returned unharmed to UK. Blair is no Thatcher, but he has shown that he will fight over principle.
The brutal murder of a Canadian citizen by Iranian government officials and the best our government can do is recall the Canadian ambassador, threaten to seek justice in the International Court and bring the matter before UN General Assembly the next time it meets. I am sure that mullahs are busy yawning.
The problem of being a "soft power" or using "soft power diplomacy" is that it is just not effective. The mullah’s on the block just do not care. Lincoln said, speak softly and carry a big stick. Without that big stick, your words have no weight in the currency of international relations. You do not have to speak softly, you can bellow out your rage at the top of your voice but everyone just writes you off as blow hard. Canada has plenty of trees but our government can't find a twig, let alone a big stick.
The mullahs on the block are nothing more than state sanctioned bullies. You can try talking to them, you can try reasoning with them, you can even threaten to tell the teacher but that will not stop them.
There was a time when Canada spoke and the world listened, it also coincided when we had the 3rd largest navy in the world and the government of Canada could mobilize a fighting force that punched far above its weight. There was a time when our Americans neighbors held us in respect, it was also the time our American neighbors knew we could be counted on to watch their back. Unless Canadians and their government recognize the importance of big sticks, the names of William Sampson, Zahra Kazemi and Mahler Arar are just the first names in a long sad sorry line about the decline of Canadian history.
Update: I attributed the "walk softly and carry a big stick" quote to Abe Lincolin. Jerry has kindly pointed out the error of my memory and it was Teddy Roosevelt and not Abraham Lincolin - but the Mullahs on the block are still the bullies.
This served her well until one day one of the local bullies decided that because the Last Amazon did not have a reputation for fighting it must because she was easy prey. The Last Amazon and I discussed the situation. Being a modern parent (and worried of the so-called zero tolerance policy of the school) I advised her she should ignore all provocation and taunts. Either the girl would grow tired and give up or the Amazon’s passivity would act as a catalyst and spurn the girl on to violence. I suggested that The Last Amazon should be extremely circumspect in all her dealings with the bully and the minute the girl pushed her, she should not push her back but react with overwhelming force.
The seeming passivity of the Last Amazon did in fact ignite the bully's rage about a month later. The bully attempted to beat the Last Amazon. The Last Amazon reacted with overwhelming force of perfectly landed right-left-right crossover combination to the head and then dragged the bully to the principal's office. The end result was not only did the bully never again so much as looked at the Last Amazon, no one else wanted to risk the consequences of her wrath.
Margaret Thatcher led her country to war in 1982 over a tiny group of Islands called the Falklands. She felt that the principle of sovereignty of British people was paramount. When Argentina attempted to annex a British protectorate she reacted with overwhelming force. Thatcher shocked the whole world with her decisive action. Some nations condemned her; other nations grew wary of wrath of the Iron Maiden and her big stick.
Recently the Iranians kidnapped 8 British seamen. I am sure that mullah’s remembered the Argentine example and cooler heads prevailed with the result that the 8 sailors were returned unharmed to UK. Blair is no Thatcher, but he has shown that he will fight over principle.
The brutal murder of a Canadian citizen by Iranian government officials and the best our government can do is recall the Canadian ambassador, threaten to seek justice in the International Court and bring the matter before UN General Assembly the next time it meets. I am sure that mullahs are busy yawning.
The problem of being a "soft power" or using "soft power diplomacy" is that it is just not effective. The mullah’s on the block just do not care. Lincoln said, speak softly and carry a big stick. Without that big stick, your words have no weight in the currency of international relations. You do not have to speak softly, you can bellow out your rage at the top of your voice but everyone just writes you off as blow hard. Canada has plenty of trees but our government can't find a twig, let alone a big stick.
The mullahs on the block are nothing more than state sanctioned bullies. You can try talking to them, you can try reasoning with them, you can even threaten to tell the teacher but that will not stop them.
There was a time when Canada spoke and the world listened, it also coincided when we had the 3rd largest navy in the world and the government of Canada could mobilize a fighting force that punched far above its weight. There was a time when our Americans neighbors held us in respect, it was also the time our American neighbors knew we could be counted on to watch their back. Unless Canadians and their government recognize the importance of big sticks, the names of William Sampson, Zahra Kazemi and Mahler Arar are just the first names in a long sad sorry line about the decline of Canadian history.
Update: I attributed the "walk softly and carry a big stick" quote to Abe Lincolin. Jerry has kindly pointed out the error of my memory and it was Teddy Roosevelt and not Abraham Lincolin - but the Mullahs on the block are still the bullies.
Draft Re-instated? Not!
The benefits of an all volunteer Armed Forces and why the draft will not be re-instated in the United States via the Toronto Star:
The Army reported 2,781 deserters in 2003, the first time since 1999 that the desertion rate was less than 1 percent of the Army's overall trained enlisted force. That pace has continued in 2004, with 1,470 desertions reported through May, said Lt. Col. John Jessup, who collects Army desertion data for the Pentagon. "It has been a healthy trend. The decline has been significant," Jessup said.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Israeli Women Reach Higher Heights:
From Maariv International:
One of the issues western armies grapple with is the role women. In the 20th century women have served in support roles in medical care, administration, and logistics. With the rise of feminism there has been a growing calling for women to take a much more active role in the military with varying degrees of success. For the sake of attracting more women to military life and making the face of the modern fighting force conform to PC thought, the military has chosen to lower the physical standards for female recruits. The problem with lowering the bar to admit more women is that is disbars them from taking more pro-active roles and in some cases limits their opportunities to advance.
The common reasons given for denying these opportunities to women is the potential to lower moral with increase fraternization, the potential that male soldiers would put the safety of their female comrades before the objectives of the mission, and the general unfitness of females to the demands required to do the task effectively. Finally, the “special” risk of rape and sexual torture that a female soldier may have to endure.
The Israeli’s used women in combat roles in the 1948 War of Independence with varying degrees of success. After the State was firmly established (at least in Israeli eyes) women were no longer used in active combat. To my own knowledge the only female Israeli soldiers who have been in active combat are women serving in the Border Patrol units. There was one case study from the mid-90’s (I am going from memory here) where the Israeli’s tried to train women for active roles in tank units. Again, the problem was one of upper body strength. Women were not able to meet the same standards as men and therefore could not be effectively utilized in that capacity without a complete retraining program modified for their physical limitations (increased weight training coupled with longer training periods than men). It was not cost or time efficient, and as far as I aware it was never attempted again.
Fraternization continues to be an ongoing concern. It is interesting to note that the Israeli’s have attempted to get around that by a separation the sexes. What degree of success the Israelis will have with this separation policy we will have to wait to see.
The issue of rape and sexual torture I have always felt to be a bit of a misnomer. Depending on the cultural motif of the nation you are fighting, captured male soldiers are as just as much risk for rape and sexual torture as female soldiers.
I am of a divided mind on role of women in the military. Certainly, it is the height of hypocrisy to have one standard for women and another for men just to be able to say that the military is an equal opportunity employer. Soldiers fight wars and subject themselves to great harm personal harm on the behalf of the nation. They deserve better than. To deny woman the right to serve their country is equally wrong. Historically, there have been many woman warriors of note, though few in number.
Traditionally we have socialized our males to be the natural protectors of women and children. I can’t help feeling that if we were to de-socialize our male soldiers in order to integrate female combat soldiers effectively we would be doing ourselves and our men a disservice, something valuable could indeed be lost. Perhaps the only solution is to implement the same standard for men and women and let the women who are so inclined prove they are indeed capable of reaching pass the bar.
A revolution is taking place in the air force: ten years after the IAF was forced to open the doors to its prestigious training course to women, the air force is showing initiative and is showing off a unique combat squadron that composed solely by women.
In the new squadron, all positions are staffed by members of the fairer sex: from the combat pilot to the operations officer, training officer, air traffic control sergeant right down to the ground technician.
The female revolution should be credited to IAF Commander, Major General Eliezar Shkedi. Upon entering his position, Shkedi ordered the maximization of female potential in the air force.
One of the issues western armies grapple with is the role women. In the 20th century women have served in support roles in medical care, administration, and logistics. With the rise of feminism there has been a growing calling for women to take a much more active role in the military with varying degrees of success. For the sake of attracting more women to military life and making the face of the modern fighting force conform to PC thought, the military has chosen to lower the physical standards for female recruits. The problem with lowering the bar to admit more women is that is disbars them from taking more pro-active roles and in some cases limits their opportunities to advance.
The common reasons given for denying these opportunities to women is the potential to lower moral with increase fraternization, the potential that male soldiers would put the safety of their female comrades before the objectives of the mission, and the general unfitness of females to the demands required to do the task effectively. Finally, the “special” risk of rape and sexual torture that a female soldier may have to endure.
The Israeli’s used women in combat roles in the 1948 War of Independence with varying degrees of success. After the State was firmly established (at least in Israeli eyes) women were no longer used in active combat. To my own knowledge the only female Israeli soldiers who have been in active combat are women serving in the Border Patrol units. There was one case study from the mid-90’s (I am going from memory here) where the Israeli’s tried to train women for active roles in tank units. Again, the problem was one of upper body strength. Women were not able to meet the same standards as men and therefore could not be effectively utilized in that capacity without a complete retraining program modified for their physical limitations (increased weight training coupled with longer training periods than men). It was not cost or time efficient, and as far as I aware it was never attempted again.
Fraternization continues to be an ongoing concern. It is interesting to note that the Israeli’s have attempted to get around that by a separation the sexes. What degree of success the Israelis will have with this separation policy we will have to wait to see.
The issue of rape and sexual torture I have always felt to be a bit of a misnomer. Depending on the cultural motif of the nation you are fighting, captured male soldiers are as just as much risk for rape and sexual torture as female soldiers.
I am of a divided mind on role of women in the military. Certainly, it is the height of hypocrisy to have one standard for women and another for men just to be able to say that the military is an equal opportunity employer. Soldiers fight wars and subject themselves to great harm personal harm on the behalf of the nation. They deserve better than. To deny woman the right to serve their country is equally wrong. Historically, there have been many woman warriors of note, though few in number.
Traditionally we have socialized our males to be the natural protectors of women and children. I can’t help feeling that if we were to de-socialize our male soldiers in order to integrate female combat soldiers effectively we would be doing ourselves and our men a disservice, something valuable could indeed be lost. Perhaps the only solution is to implement the same standard for men and women and let the women who are so inclined prove they are indeed capable of reaching pass the bar.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
The Last Amazon has left home.
I named my blog the Last Amazon because of my incredible daughter. Now all parents think their daughters are incredible but mine takes the breathe away of everyone who meets her. At 13 and 5’5”, I have to lift my head to look up to see her beautiful face and I think that she is who I want to be when I grow up.
This year she won an academic scholarship to attend a private prep school. When the principal interviewed her, he asked her to tell him what she didn't like about school. She looked directly into his eyes and said, "Distractions". The principal and I were both floored, and I know her. He told her that public school students often find French challenging at the school, so to prepare she went out and found a French tutor for herself and then advised me.
She is no slouch mentally and possesses an incredible work ethic. This year alone she fulfilled all her cadet duties as well as being on a biathlon team, a shooting team marksman, a medal winning competitive swimmer and gymnast, studying for her SSAT’s, and had a history project on the War of 1812 that was presented in May, in Kingston. She is an extremely modest young woman; she won't tell you what she does, or how she did. She keeps most things to herself and only shares with her family.
At six, she won an essay contest competing against 54 schools across the country. She was competing against 6-9 year olds. She had been grounded for a week to her room and decided to use that time to write her essay on why adults should respect children. I am still laughing at that one. At nine, on her last day of school when she was in grade 4, I came home to find her writing a list of what she wanted to do with her life. She had listed her short and long term goals and at what age she wanted to accomplish each of the things on her list. She still has that list by her bed and she has lived by that list. Some things on that list have changed. At first it was an astronomer and now she waivers between that and either an astro or nuclear physicist. She had decided that she wanted to attend the Royal Military College for their space science program. To help her prepare for RMC and military life, she decided to join the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp, 48th Highlanders. The only thing on her list that she cannot control or work for is being 6 feet tall.
Yesterday was her birthday and for her birthday, I put her on a Department of Defense bus to go away to marksman camp at a Canadian Forces Base. It was what she wanted, and it is to help her on the path that she has mapped out for her future. One of the hardest things I had to do was watch the last Amazon leave home. I won't be there if she needs me and I have always been there. I didn't want to do it, but she did. Her youngest brother and I fought over who was sleeping in her bed last night and probably will again tonight. I don't know how we will get on without her. She is sorely missed.
I had no prior knowledge of the Cadet program unto she told me she wanted to join it. It is a wonderful program for youths between 12 -18 years old, supervised by the Department of Defense. There are three different divisions to join: navy, air and army. The army program offers woods craft, public speaking, mountain climbing, parachuting, leadership training, first aid, shooting, music, drill, citizenship courses and an international exchange program with other commonwealth countries and the US as well. There are a multitude of scholarship programs to help the cadets with post-secondary education. The Navy does all of that and teaches them how to sail too. The Air program offers a scholarship program for youths wanting their pilot license. Every year there is a summer camp program where Cadets who are interested in participating can receive advanced training all over Canada and they get paid to do so. There is no cost to join and the only requirement is Canadian Citizenship.
The Cadets also have many opportunities to take part in many different community projects. Each Corps has its own traditions and history which the Cadets learn. The 48th Highlanders Cadet Corp each year paints all those white crosses you see in on the gravestones of fallen 48th Highlanders in Netherlands. Every year as part of the Remembrance Day ceremonies each cadet is assigned a fallen 48th Highlander to research and makes a presentation to the corps about their life. 48th Highlander cadets can also volunteer once a month to visit veterans in Sunnybrooke Hospital. It is an extraordinarily worthwhile program whose goal is not to recruit for the forces but to turn out responsible citizens who are ready to contribute to the society that they live in.
These young people who join come from all walks of life with many different goals (or lack of), but what they have in common with each other is that they are looking for a way to aspire in life. In the current anti- all-things-military culture this represents a huge step back from the maddening crowd. I know my daughter and her fellow cadets are taunted by their peers over their decision to join the cadet corps. They are often held in contempt by their teachers and others in authority for this decision. I know the crude and vulgar comments made by bystanders on the street or on the subways made to these young cadets. I know that every Tuesday night when that she and fellow cadets put on their dress greens or combats they have to walk by a group of protestors at the Moss Park Armory. No matter the provocation, these cadets are not allowed to "engage" the protestors in any way. It takes a great of courage for these cadets to walk calmly through this crowd without engaging. As a matter of fact they are not to "engage" or confront anyone while in the uniform of Royal Canadian Army Cadet.
It would be so much easier for them not to come. But come they do, and each of them leave learning the meaning of commitment and citizenship. So the next time Tag Day comes and you see a Cadet in uniform trying to raise money for outings for their corps, make a donation, if for no other reason that you want to help contribute to what is the best in our future, our children.
If you want to learn more about the Royal Canadian Cadet Corps visit www.cadets.ca.
This year she won an academic scholarship to attend a private prep school. When the principal interviewed her, he asked her to tell him what she didn't like about school. She looked directly into his eyes and said, "Distractions". The principal and I were both floored, and I know her. He told her that public school students often find French challenging at the school, so to prepare she went out and found a French tutor for herself and then advised me.
She is no slouch mentally and possesses an incredible work ethic. This year alone she fulfilled all her cadet duties as well as being on a biathlon team, a shooting team marksman, a medal winning competitive swimmer and gymnast, studying for her SSAT’s, and had a history project on the War of 1812 that was presented in May, in Kingston. She is an extremely modest young woman; she won't tell you what she does, or how she did. She keeps most things to herself and only shares with her family.
At six, she won an essay contest competing against 54 schools across the country. She was competing against 6-9 year olds. She had been grounded for a week to her room and decided to use that time to write her essay on why adults should respect children. I am still laughing at that one. At nine, on her last day of school when she was in grade 4, I came home to find her writing a list of what she wanted to do with her life. She had listed her short and long term goals and at what age she wanted to accomplish each of the things on her list. She still has that list by her bed and she has lived by that list. Some things on that list have changed. At first it was an astronomer and now she waivers between that and either an astro or nuclear physicist. She had decided that she wanted to attend the Royal Military College for their space science program. To help her prepare for RMC and military life, she decided to join the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp, 48th Highlanders. The only thing on her list that she cannot control or work for is being 6 feet tall.
Yesterday was her birthday and for her birthday, I put her on a Department of Defense bus to go away to marksman camp at a Canadian Forces Base. It was what she wanted, and it is to help her on the path that she has mapped out for her future. One of the hardest things I had to do was watch the last Amazon leave home. I won't be there if she needs me and I have always been there. I didn't want to do it, but she did. Her youngest brother and I fought over who was sleeping in her bed last night and probably will again tonight. I don't know how we will get on without her. She is sorely missed.
I had no prior knowledge of the Cadet program unto she told me she wanted to join it. It is a wonderful program for youths between 12 -18 years old, supervised by the Department of Defense. There are three different divisions to join: navy, air and army. The army program offers woods craft, public speaking, mountain climbing, parachuting, leadership training, first aid, shooting, music, drill, citizenship courses and an international exchange program with other commonwealth countries and the US as well. There are a multitude of scholarship programs to help the cadets with post-secondary education. The Navy does all of that and teaches them how to sail too. The Air program offers a scholarship program for youths wanting their pilot license. Every year there is a summer camp program where Cadets who are interested in participating can receive advanced training all over Canada and they get paid to do so. There is no cost to join and the only requirement is Canadian Citizenship.
The Cadets also have many opportunities to take part in many different community projects. Each Corps has its own traditions and history which the Cadets learn. The 48th Highlanders Cadet Corp each year paints all those white crosses you see in on the gravestones of fallen 48th Highlanders in Netherlands. Every year as part of the Remembrance Day ceremonies each cadet is assigned a fallen 48th Highlander to research and makes a presentation to the corps about their life. 48th Highlander cadets can also volunteer once a month to visit veterans in Sunnybrooke Hospital. It is an extraordinarily worthwhile program whose goal is not to recruit for the forces but to turn out responsible citizens who are ready to contribute to the society that they live in.
These young people who join come from all walks of life with many different goals (or lack of), but what they have in common with each other is that they are looking for a way to aspire in life. In the current anti- all-things-military culture this represents a huge step back from the maddening crowd. I know my daughter and her fellow cadets are taunted by their peers over their decision to join the cadet corps. They are often held in contempt by their teachers and others in authority for this decision. I know the crude and vulgar comments made by bystanders on the street or on the subways made to these young cadets. I know that every Tuesday night when that she and fellow cadets put on their dress greens or combats they have to walk by a group of protestors at the Moss Park Armory. No matter the provocation, these cadets are not allowed to "engage" the protestors in any way. It takes a great of courage for these cadets to walk calmly through this crowd without engaging. As a matter of fact they are not to "engage" or confront anyone while in the uniform of Royal Canadian Army Cadet.
It would be so much easier for them not to come. But come they do, and each of them leave learning the meaning of commitment and citizenship. So the next time Tag Day comes and you see a Cadet in uniform trying to raise money for outings for their corps, make a donation, if for no other reason that you want to help contribute to what is the best in our future, our children.
If you want to learn more about the Royal Canadian Cadet Corps visit www.cadets.ca.
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Damn Those American B*******!
From Jeffrey Simpson’s column from the Globe and Mail:
Did Al-Qaeda surrender and no one told me or the Americans about it? I guess he figured that since the 19 hijackers died in the planes during the attacks on 9/11 that should have been the end of the matter. The perpetrators are dead. Case closed. Let's all go home.
Or how about this on the 9/11 Commission:
So what should the Americans do Mr. Simpson? Jimmy Carter tried negotiation with Islamic terror but the attacks kept on coming. Ronald Reagan disengaged from the Middle East after the murder of 243 Marines but the attacks kept on coming. Bill Clinton tried to deal with the attacks that came under his watch as a law enforcement issue which led ultimately to the largest attacks on US soil in US history. Now the Americans are taking the fight to the Islamofascists and the States that harbour them.
What would you like Bush to do, open an interfaith dialogue with Bin Laden? Let me guess, Islamic terrorism is just all a misunderstanding. They don’t mean to kill us all, just all of us who will not submit. Anyone not willing to be a zookeeper form a line to the right for the convenience of the executioners, the rest can remain in their homes or go about their business on their way home from the mosque.
I don’t know where he was on 9/11, but I did not interpret it as a sign of Islamic goodwill when the Muslim world was cheering and dancing in the streets celebrating the murder of 3,000 American civilians.
Imagine you liberate 25 million people from a nefarious rogue leader and the world hates you. You should tell that to Iraqi blogger Omar. He thinks it was a good thing. Instead of this drivel, what I would like to see Globe and Mail journalists write about is this; the Oil for Food scandal in UN that reaches right to the highest echelons of leadership in the UN and amongst major world leaders who were allegedly American allies. There is even a Canadian aspect to it. I would like to see reporters of the Globe and Mail report just how many State critics of the Iraq war of liberation were in fact the recipients of Saddam’s largess?
Now we can press to the heart of the matter. Islamic terrorism is the result of a "failure to press vigorously for some progress between Israel and the Palestinians." Funny how Bin Laden didn't mention that when Al-Qaeda first declared war against the Americans way back in the 90's. It was probably just a minor oversight in the first draft of the Al-Qaeda Manifesto. As a Canadian, I can appreciate the flexibility of duplicity of the Al-Qaeda Manifesto. It's just like Liberal malfeasance. Those Americans, what a people, they failed to come up with a plan and press it vigorously. The Mitchell Plan, the Tenant Plan, Colin Powell's Missions, the Road Map to Statehood, George Bush declares support for the creation of a Palestinian State. No A's for effort here.
What else would you have the Americans do? Send in the Marines to take out all the Israelis? Maybe that should be the plan, that's the only thing they haven't tried. Think about it, you would never get the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Counsel to call killing Jews genocide or to condemn Jew killing. Genocide is only something Zionists do, just ask the UN. Finally, you might get the goodwill vote from the Muslim world and French. Though Muslim goodwill might not last very long once they realize that the Americans cheated them out of the chance to kill Jews for themselves and French goodwill only lasts as long as they can obtain a financial advantage. Some people just don't get it. We in the West are all Americans to the Islamofascists.
"The United States still considers itself at war with Islamic terrorism."
Did Al-Qaeda surrender and no one told me or the Americans about it? I guess he figured that since the 19 hijackers died in the planes during the attacks on 9/11 that should have been the end of the matter. The perpetrators are dead. Case closed. Let's all go home.
Or how about this on the 9/11 Commission:
Combating Islamic terrorism cannot mean negotiating or compromising, or even reaching some kind of Cold War-like détente. No, "with it, there is no common ground -- not even respect for life -- on which to begin a dialogue. It can only be destroyed or utterly isolated."
So what should the Americans do Mr. Simpson? Jimmy Carter tried negotiation with Islamic terror but the attacks kept on coming. Ronald Reagan disengaged from the Middle East after the murder of 243 Marines but the attacks kept on coming. Bill Clinton tried to deal with the attacks that came under his watch as a law enforcement issue which led ultimately to the largest attacks on US soil in US history. Now the Americans are taking the fight to the Islamofascists and the States that harbour them.
What would you like Bush to do, open an interfaith dialogue with Bin Laden? Let me guess, Islamic terrorism is just all a misunderstanding. They don’t mean to kill us all, just all of us who will not submit. Anyone not willing to be a zookeeper form a line to the right for the convenience of the executioners, the rest can remain in their homes or go about their business on their way home from the mosque.
"The United States finds itself caught up in a clash within a civilization," said the commission.
All true, but somewhat inadequate as a guide. The bottom has fallen out of positive regard for the United States in the Muslim world (and elsewhere), a legacy of the Bush administration that frittered away immense post-9/11 goodwill.
I don’t know where he was on 9/11, but I did not interpret it as a sign of Islamic goodwill when the Muslim world was cheering and dancing in the streets celebrating the murder of 3,000 American civilians.
Nothing is said about the Iraq adventure that so soured the world on the United States, or about the failure to press vigorously for some progress between Israel and the Palestinians.
Imagine you liberate 25 million people from a nefarious rogue leader and the world hates you. You should tell that to Iraqi blogger Omar. He thinks it was a good thing. Instead of this drivel, what I would like to see Globe and Mail journalists write about is this; the Oil for Food scandal in UN that reaches right to the highest echelons of leadership in the UN and amongst major world leaders who were allegedly American allies. There is even a Canadian aspect to it. I would like to see reporters of the Globe and Mail report just how many State critics of the Iraq war of liberation were in fact the recipients of Saddam’s largess?
Now we can press to the heart of the matter. Islamic terrorism is the result of a "failure to press vigorously for some progress between Israel and the Palestinians." Funny how Bin Laden didn't mention that when Al-Qaeda first declared war against the Americans way back in the 90's. It was probably just a minor oversight in the first draft of the Al-Qaeda Manifesto. As a Canadian, I can appreciate the flexibility of duplicity of the Al-Qaeda Manifesto. It's just like Liberal malfeasance. Those Americans, what a people, they failed to come up with a plan and press it vigorously. The Mitchell Plan, the Tenant Plan, Colin Powell's Missions, the Road Map to Statehood, George Bush declares support for the creation of a Palestinian State. No A's for effort here.
What else would you have the Americans do? Send in the Marines to take out all the Israelis? Maybe that should be the plan, that's the only thing they haven't tried. Think about it, you would never get the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Counsel to call killing Jews genocide or to condemn Jew killing. Genocide is only something Zionists do, just ask the UN. Finally, you might get the goodwill vote from the Muslim world and French. Though Muslim goodwill might not last very long once they realize that the Americans cheated them out of the chance to kill Jews for themselves and French goodwill only lasts as long as they can obtain a financial advantage. Some people just don't get it. We in the West are all Americans to the Islamofascists.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Dateline Iran
With the release of the 9/11 Commission’s report the buzz has been on the Iranian terror connection. There should be no surprise in retrospect as this is where it all began. The question being asked is why didn’t the Americans connect the Iranian dots and go for a strategic attack against Iran instead of Iraq? I would suggest one should add prudence to the list. Take a look at a map of Iran. Tick off the surrounding countries that have a US military presence and/or an alliance with the US in the region: Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Turkey and Israel. The US Navy is currently patrolling the Persian Gulf. If the end game is to end state sponsorship of terrorism one must confront the mullahs, but I would not want to leave a rogue leader like Saddam and his illusions of grandeur or his arsenal at my back door when I moved against the mullahs. When confronting the mullahs it helps to have a substantial US military presence in Iraq to accomplish a multitude of strategic and tactical goals.
There is nothing new in the 9/11 Commission’s report that is news to the White House, though it is news to the American public. If the Bush administration had released what it knew about the Iranian connection to 9/11 to the American public before Baghdad fell, the subsequence hue and outcry among the public would have demanded that US Forces go after the mullahs leaving Saddam at the back door.
The bad news is the Russians appear determined in their efforts to enable Iran to become a nuclear power. The mullah’s maintain that Iran needs to become a nuclear power to meet its energy consumption needs. You need to ask yourself why an oil rich country with modern pumping facilities needs a nuclear source of energy to meet that demand.
I originally missed this article in the Jerusalem Post on the 18th. This is always the danger when one gets carried away playing video games.
If diplomacy fails to sway the Russians and it seems likely to, the first strike against the Mullahs will be by Israel. Now as far as I am aware, Israel has no commandos on the ground in any other country in the region. I interpret that to mean that the commandos on the ground are US forces who will act in concert with an Israeli attack.
Though I missed this original report, I am sure than Teheran has not, and the message is loud and clear. What is not clear is twofold. Will this message be enough to deter the mullahs from pursuing its nuclear aspirations, and what is the Russian motivation in egging on the mullahs to pursue this nuclear folly?
There is nothing new in the 9/11 Commission’s report that is news to the White House, though it is news to the American public. If the Bush administration had released what it knew about the Iranian connection to 9/11 to the American public before Baghdad fell, the subsequence hue and outcry among the public would have demanded that US Forces go after the mullahs leaving Saddam at the back door.
The bad news is the Russians appear determined in their efforts to enable Iran to become a nuclear power. The mullah’s maintain that Iran needs to become a nuclear power to meet its energy consumption needs. You need to ask yourself why an oil rich country with modern pumping facilities needs a nuclear source of energy to meet that demand.
I originally missed this article in the Jerusalem Post on the 18th. This is always the danger when one gets carried away playing video games.
"Israel has completed military rehearsals for a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear power facility at Bushehr, Israeli officials told the London-based Sunday Times. Such a strike is likely if Russia supplies Iran with fuel rods for enriching uranium. The rods, currently stored at a Russian port, are expected to be delivered late next year after a dispute over financial terms is resolved.
An Israeli defense source in Tel Aviv, who confirmed that the military rehearsals had taken place, told the paper: "Israel will on no account permit Iranian reactors - especially the one being built in Bushehr with Russian help - to go critical."
The source was also quoted as saying that any strike on the Gulf coast facility at Bushehr would probably be carried out by long-range F-15I jets, overflying Turkey, with simultaneous operations by commandos on the ground. "If the worst comes to the worst and international efforts fail," the source was quoted as saying, "we are very confident we'll be able to demolish the ayatollahs' nuclear aspirations in one go."
The source noted that the strike could be accompanied by an attack on other targets, including a facility at Natanz, where the Iranians have attempted to enrich uranium, and a plant at Arak, which produces heavy water.
In addition, the paper quoted a senior United States official warning of a pre-emptive Israeli strike if Russia continues cooperating with the Iranians. The Israeli source said Washington was unlikely to block Israeli military action."
If diplomacy fails to sway the Russians and it seems likely to, the first strike against the Mullahs will be by Israel. Now as far as I am aware, Israel has no commandos on the ground in any other country in the region. I interpret that to mean that the commandos on the ground are US forces who will act in concert with an Israeli attack.
Though I missed this original report, I am sure than Teheran has not, and the message is loud and clear. What is not clear is twofold. Will this message be enough to deter the mullahs from pursuing its nuclear aspirations, and what is the Russian motivation in egging on the mullahs to pursue this nuclear folly?
Thursday, July 22, 2004
WARFARE 101
Caroline Glick’s latest column at the Jerusalem Post is entitled Warfare 101. The premise of the article is that in a war you cannot afford to let the enemy control and frame the images of the fight that the media broadcasts to the world.
She relates the story of a battle fought this past spring in Najaf, Iraq where US forces fought a pitched six hour battle over a burning humvee. Certainly, US forces did not have to fight over this humvee. It was not the only humvee available to US forces, but the Forces refused to surrender the humvee to the insurgents. It was the potential media opportunity that US forces could not allow the insurgents to have. She quotes a US Forces officer:
Reading a National Post article on the CRTC decision revoking CHOI-FM’s license, I was reminded of Glick’s current article. I had one of those big pause moments and thought how truly masterful the Liberals have been in hijacking the media and the educational system; which effectively allowed them to control the dialogue in Canada since 1968.
Canadians have had relatively few choices about what we can hear on the airwaves or in our newspapers. The only diversity of thought for years has come to mean you can chose left, lefter and so far left you drop off the face of the world. Does anyone remember a time when the Globe and Mail was a conservative paper? During the past election one of the most effective platforms for the Liberals was an attack against Stephen Harper and the “secret hidden” agenda. It was so secret that I still don’t know what it is. Most Canadians seem to be more worried about a secret hidden agenda than Liberal larceny, cronyism and the steady erosion of our freedoms under the Liberal whip.
Until there is more than a beacon of light here and there of true diversity of thought-- don’t look for the Fox News Network on a cable station near you any time soon. Though there is cause to remain hopeful. The West is rising in a way that is inspiring and they are demanding to be served at the table.
Caroline Glick’s latest column at the Jerusalem Post is entitled Warfare 101. The premise of the article is that in a war you cannot afford to let the enemy control and frame the images of the fight that the media broadcasts to the world.
She relates the story of a battle fought this past spring in Najaf, Iraq where US forces fought a pitched six hour battle over a burning humvee. Certainly, US forces did not have to fight over this humvee. It was not the only humvee available to US forces, but the Forces refused to surrender the humvee to the insurgents. It was the potential media opportunity that US forces could not allow the insurgents to have. She quotes a US Forces officer:
"We weren't going to let them dance on it for the news. Even with all the guys they lost that day, that still would have given them a victory."
Reading a National Post article on the CRTC decision revoking CHOI-FM’s license, I was reminded of Glick’s current article. I had one of those big pause moments and thought how truly masterful the Liberals have been in hijacking the media and the educational system; which effectively allowed them to control the dialogue in Canada since 1968.
Canadians have had relatively few choices about what we can hear on the airwaves or in our newspapers. The only diversity of thought for years has come to mean you can chose left, lefter and so far left you drop off the face of the world. Does anyone remember a time when the Globe and Mail was a conservative paper? During the past election one of the most effective platforms for the Liberals was an attack against Stephen Harper and the “secret hidden” agenda. It was so secret that I still don’t know what it is. Most Canadians seem to be more worried about a secret hidden agenda than Liberal larceny, cronyism and the steady erosion of our freedoms under the Liberal whip.
Until there is more than a beacon of light here and there of true diversity of thought-- don’t look for the Fox News Network on a cable station near you any time soon. Though there is cause to remain hopeful. The West is rising in a way that is inspiring and they are demanding to be served at the table.
The Animals at the Zoo demand to be feed again.
Debkafile has posted that a European Al-Qaeda group is threatening attacks against Poland and Bulgaria unless they withdraw their troops from Iraq. The respective governments of these two coalition nations refuse to feed the animals.
6 hostages (2 Kenyan, 3 Indian and 1 Egyptian national) are being held by an Iraqi terror group calling itself Bearers of Black Banners and are threatening to behead their hostages unless the respective governments pull out all civilian personnel in Iraq.
6 hostages (2 Kenyan, 3 Indian and 1 Egyptian national) are being held by an Iraqi terror group calling itself Bearers of Black Banners and are threatening to behead their hostages unless the respective governments pull out all civilian personnel in Iraq.
Dahlan Consolidating Power Base in Gaza
The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Dahlan is taking the lead in internal Fatah elections currently being held in Gaza.
So the struggle continues with both sides lining up for the big showdown.
“Arafat appointed Musa Arafat to counter Dahlan's influence,” one PA official said. “Arafat is strong and ruthless and has some 6,000 men at his disposal. He has already started his work to weaken Dahlan,” the PA source claimed.
So the struggle continues with both sides lining up for the big showdown.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Bill Graham
It was from Trudeaupia this morning that I read about Bill Graham being appointed by PM Martin as Minister of Defense. I had hoped that it was only a vicious rumour being spread by Jack Layton. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
I have the misfortune of living in his constituency. For the record, I have never voted for him. It should be interesting to read what my next "Open Letter" from Bill Graham will say.
To understand what kind of a Minister of Defense he will be, you need to apply the Suzuki principle. I first read about the Suzuki principle over at the Monger's blogsite. The Suzuki principle requires that you only ask yourself what would David Suzuki say, think or do. Then form the opposite opinion and/or take the opposite action.
Though I can only speculate that Bill Graham will solve the problems of munitions for the reserve units by replacing their guns and ammo with the spray paint (lead free) variety.
I have the misfortune of living in his constituency. For the record, I have never voted for him. It should be interesting to read what my next "Open Letter" from Bill Graham will say.
To understand what kind of a Minister of Defense he will be, you need to apply the Suzuki principle. I first read about the Suzuki principle over at the Monger's blogsite. The Suzuki principle requires that you only ask yourself what would David Suzuki say, think or do. Then form the opposite opinion and/or take the opposite action.
Though I can only speculate that Bill Graham will solve the problems of munitions for the reserve units by replacing their guns and ammo with the spray paint (lead free) variety.
What gores me.
Eric writes what gores me?
What gores me is judicial activism and the consequences of such activism for society of which I happen to be a tax paying member. Justices should not be making law but only interpreting it. Law should only be made by elected Members of Parliament. MP’s are directly accountable to the people who voted for them. Justices are political appointments and are not accountable to the people.
There was a time when marriage was strictly in the sphere of religious institutions and not regulated by the state. State licensing became a way of exercising a tax on the populace. The State justified entering into the bedrooms of the nation with the rationale that it needed to protect the rights of women and children, hence the tax was needed to raise revenue so that it could afford to protect women and children.
The whole same-sex marriage debate seems to revolve on the premise that marriage is a human right and that you can legislate morality or ethics. Certainly during the last 30 years in Canada it has become a national past-time to try to legislate morality and ethics with disastrous consequences. But marriage is not a human “right” and because it is not a right, it can be exclusive and discriminatory. Otherwise all the unmarried in our society are being denied their right to marry. So in the interest of equality shall the state regulate and arrange marriages so that the single people can exercise their right to marry?
I truly feel the answer is not to extend marriage to gay/lesbian couples per say but rather to turn the licensing and issuing of marriage licenses back to the religious institutions whence it came from. If you’re a gay, lesbian or a heterosexual you have two choices; either go to a lawyer and draw up a partnership agreement or go find a church to marry you.
Furthermore, I don’t believe that eventually “gay/lesbian” marriages will ever number proportionally the same as heterosexual couples whether regulated by the churches or the state. That has not been the case where gay/lesbian marriage has already been implemented. Nor has the divorce ratio been proportionally compatible. But I do worry that the additional burden on our already overburdened family court system will require a huge infusion of cash to deal with the increases in demand for court services. There is only way one for government to raise revenue and that is to raise taxes…
What gores me is judicial activism and the consequences of such activism for society of which I happen to be a tax paying member. Justices should not be making law but only interpreting it. Law should only be made by elected Members of Parliament. MP’s are directly accountable to the people who voted for them. Justices are political appointments and are not accountable to the people.
There was a time when marriage was strictly in the sphere of religious institutions and not regulated by the state. State licensing became a way of exercising a tax on the populace. The State justified entering into the bedrooms of the nation with the rationale that it needed to protect the rights of women and children, hence the tax was needed to raise revenue so that it could afford to protect women and children.
The whole same-sex marriage debate seems to revolve on the premise that marriage is a human right and that you can legislate morality or ethics. Certainly during the last 30 years in Canada it has become a national past-time to try to legislate morality and ethics with disastrous consequences. But marriage is not a human “right” and because it is not a right, it can be exclusive and discriminatory. Otherwise all the unmarried in our society are being denied their right to marry. So in the interest of equality shall the state regulate and arrange marriages so that the single people can exercise their right to marry?
I truly feel the answer is not to extend marriage to gay/lesbian couples per say but rather to turn the licensing and issuing of marriage licenses back to the religious institutions whence it came from. If you’re a gay, lesbian or a heterosexual you have two choices; either go to a lawyer and draw up a partnership agreement or go find a church to marry you.
Furthermore, I don’t believe that eventually “gay/lesbian” marriages will ever number proportionally the same as heterosexual couples whether regulated by the churches or the state. That has not been the case where gay/lesbian marriage has already been implemented. Nor has the divorce ratio been proportionally compatible. But I do worry that the additional burden on our already overburdened family court system will require a huge infusion of cash to deal with the increases in demand for court services. There is only way one for government to raise revenue and that is to raise taxes…
Palestinian Convenience Trumps Jewish Life & Limbs
If you needed further proof of the irrelevancy of the UN you got it yesterday when the UN General Assembly voted 150 to 6 (with 10 abstentions) to adopt resolution #999999999999 against Israel. Only 6 nations voted against the resolution. So now, it is official. The UN does not acknowledge the right of Israel to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks. Palestinian convenience trumps Jewish life and limbs.
France guided the way for the European Union. And President Chirac is outraged by the remarks made earlier this week by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon who called upon France Jews to leave France immediately for their safety and come to Israel.
The United States, Australia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and Israel voted against the resolution calling for Israel's compliance with the ICJ ruling that demands Israel tear down the life saving barrier, and if that wasn’t bad enough, to pay compensation to the Palestinians who have been inconvenienced by the route of the barrier.
Canada, the leader in soft diplomacy and major fence sitter decided to play the role of the honest broker leading 9 other nations in abstaining from voting. Moral clarity must not be part of the ethos of multi-culturalism.
France guided the way for the European Union. And President Chirac is outraged by the remarks made earlier this week by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon who called upon France Jews to leave France immediately for their safety and come to Israel.
The United States, Australia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and Israel voted against the resolution calling for Israel's compliance with the ICJ ruling that demands Israel tear down the life saving barrier, and if that wasn’t bad enough, to pay compensation to the Palestinians who have been inconvenienced by the route of the barrier.
Canada, the leader in soft diplomacy and major fence sitter decided to play the role of the honest broker leading 9 other nations in abstaining from voting. Moral clarity must not be part of the ethos of multi-culturalism.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
President Arroyo, Zookeeper
I feel like I am a dog with a bone. I should just probably let go of this story but it’s so emblematic of everything that is wrong with the “War on Terror”. A war is being waged that few in Canada will even acknowledge. We are so comfortable in our mantle of Anti-Americanism that we fail to perceive the dogs of war are loose on all of us. We think the great god of multi-culturalism will protect us from the terrorist’s jihad. The jihadist does not seek inclusion but the capitulation of our will and the destruction of our society.
And then there are the allies who are not allies, but zookeepers.
I woke up and turned on CNN to watch Ms. President Arroyo of the Philippines make a very public capitulation.
And then there are the allies who are not allies, but zookeepers.
I woke up and turned on CNN to watch Ms. President Arroyo of the Philippines make a very public capitulation.
“It was a time of trial and a time of triumph,” Ms. Arroyo said of the difficult negotiations that led to release of Mr. de la Cruz, who was abducted near Fallujah on July 7.President Arroyo has just fed the crocodile.
Monday, July 19, 2004
Legitimacy
During the build up to the Coalition invasion of Iraq there was great debate on whether the war was legitimate or not. The left points to the failure to find large caches of WMD as justification for condemning the invasion.
Over at Iraq the Model, Omar, an Iraqi Blogger writes:
Over at Iraq the Model, Omar, an Iraqi Blogger writes:
You cannot tell a man that saving him and his family from torture, humiliation and death was a mistake and it should have not been done because it is illegal. This is almost an insult to Iraqis to hear someone saying that this war was illegal. It means that our suffering for decades meant nothing and that formalities and the stupid rules of the UN (that rarely function) are more important than the lives of 25 million people.
Indeed.
Sunday, July 18, 2004
State of Emergency in Gaza
In view of the escalating violence and kidnappings in Gaza which prompted Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia to declare a State of Emergency in the Gaza strip, it helps to look at the overall larger picture and review the past associations.
The Gaza strip has two main sources of authority unlike the West Bank where power is consolidated in Arafat and his Palestinian Authority alone. Gaza is ruled by two fractions; the Palestinian Authority with a loose coalition of Islamic terrorist groups of which the two largest groups are Islamic Jihad and Hamas. The terrorist groups receive funding and aid from the Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah and other the Muslim Brotherhood members. What unites and ignites all fractions is the destruction of the Jewish State by any and all means necessary. What comes after the destruction of the Jewish State depends on the personal ambitious and platforms of each member group.
Former PA strongman who ruled over this unholy alliance is Mohammed Dahlan. He was the official arm of Arafat in Gaza. He represented the "younger" wing of the PA. At one point, it was suggested that it was Dahlan using his vast organizational skills and connections to arrange the Karin-A arms smuggling ship. Dahlan grew too strong and entrenched in Gaza that the thugocrat Arafat perceived a threat to his own rule of the PA. One of the qualities that allowed the thugocrat Arafat to survive so long as leader of the PLO/PA was his ability to sense when any one member became too powerful and could potentially pose a threat to the thugocracy and took whatever steps were necessary to neutralize that threat.
That Dahlan was not neutralized sooner, I would suggest is further evidence of Arafat’s declining health and the effectiveness of the Israeli policy of isolating Arafat. Dahlan has spent the last year or so, on the outs with Arafat. Current relations are extremely strained between the two men. Dahlan has been calling for reforms to end the corruption within the PA while buying himself a palatial villa. The calls for reforms have been extremely popular with the local population and various militant groups. It has allowed him to further entrench his position in Gaza. Dahlan is not a raging nationalistic/reformer. He is a thugocrat in-training who judges that Arafat's time is ending and hopes to be able to exploit the coming Israeli withdrawal of the Gaza Strip for his own ends. Expect the chaos and mayhem in Gaza to continue until either Dahlan is neutralized or emerges as the next thugocrat-in-charge.
The Gaza strip has two main sources of authority unlike the West Bank where power is consolidated in Arafat and his Palestinian Authority alone. Gaza is ruled by two fractions; the Palestinian Authority with a loose coalition of Islamic terrorist groups of which the two largest groups are Islamic Jihad and Hamas. The terrorist groups receive funding and aid from the Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah and other the Muslim Brotherhood members. What unites and ignites all fractions is the destruction of the Jewish State by any and all means necessary. What comes after the destruction of the Jewish State depends on the personal ambitious and platforms of each member group.
Former PA strongman who ruled over this unholy alliance is Mohammed Dahlan. He was the official arm of Arafat in Gaza. He represented the "younger" wing of the PA. At one point, it was suggested that it was Dahlan using his vast organizational skills and connections to arrange the Karin-A arms smuggling ship. Dahlan grew too strong and entrenched in Gaza that the thugocrat Arafat perceived a threat to his own rule of the PA. One of the qualities that allowed the thugocrat Arafat to survive so long as leader of the PLO/PA was his ability to sense when any one member became too powerful and could potentially pose a threat to the thugocracy and took whatever steps were necessary to neutralize that threat.
That Dahlan was not neutralized sooner, I would suggest is further evidence of Arafat’s declining health and the effectiveness of the Israeli policy of isolating Arafat. Dahlan has spent the last year or so, on the outs with Arafat. Current relations are extremely strained between the two men. Dahlan has been calling for reforms to end the corruption within the PA while buying himself a palatial villa. The calls for reforms have been extremely popular with the local population and various militant groups. It has allowed him to further entrench his position in Gaza. Dahlan is not a raging nationalistic/reformer. He is a thugocrat in-training who judges that Arafat's time is ending and hopes to be able to exploit the coming Israeli withdrawal of the Gaza Strip for his own ends. Expect the chaos and mayhem in Gaza to continue until either Dahlan is neutralized or emerges as the next thugocrat-in-charge.
Friday, July 16, 2004
Martha Stewart, Jail House Living?
Martha Stewart, good taste guru for the chattering classes, has been sentenced to 5 months in prison and 2 years probation.
Nuance?
There is an interesting article in the Victoria Times Colonist about the Canadian Warship HMCS Toronto. HMCS Toronto is on its way home from a tour of duty of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Apparently it was attached to the USS George Washington and was part of the US navy task force.
Canada is not officially part of the Coalition of the Willing, though we are a part of the War on Terror. Officially, Canada did not support the premise that Iraq had WMD but our current Prime Minister did give a speech in May 2004 wherein he stated that Saddam Hussein did have WMD that are now potentially in the hands of terrorists.
The Liberal party leadership speaks and acts with more nuance than a Jacques Chirac or a John Kerry. John Kerry has been criticized for waffling on major issues; perhaps it is not because he cannot take a firm stand so much as he is just trying to speak "Canadian".
Canada is not officially part of the Coalition of the Willing, though we are a part of the War on Terror. Officially, Canada did not support the premise that Iraq had WMD but our current Prime Minister did give a speech in May 2004 wherein he stated that Saddam Hussein did have WMD that are now potentially in the hands of terrorists.
The Liberal party leadership speaks and acts with more nuance than a Jacques Chirac or a John Kerry. John Kerry has been criticized for waffling on major issues; perhaps it is not because he cannot take a firm stand so much as he is just trying to speak "Canadian".
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Charge Michael Moore??!!
A group of campus conservatives have banded together and created an online petition to present to Elections Canada to have Michael Moore charged for his comments in June 2004 urging Canadians to vote for the Fiberal party of Canada and not the Conservative party.
The Canada Elections Act states:
It is heartening to see that not all university students have fallen hook, line and sinker for the leftist bias that is so prevalent in Canadian academia.
This law is representative of State Nannism at its worst. A law that was passed by what political party Mr. Moore and Mr. Nader?
But the students really have not gone as far as they should have. In the interests of fairness and equality, Ralph Nader, US Presidential Candidate and the CBC should be charged as well. Ralph Nader sent an "Open Letter to Canadians" to the CBC urging Canadians not to vote for the Conservative Party of Canada. The CBC should be charged for publishing and distributing that letter to Canadians.
Canadian Campus Conservatives have a responsibility to be not only fair, but seen to be fair.
The Canada Elections Act states:
Part 11, Division 9, section 331 of the Canada Elections Act, it is an offence for "[Any] person who does not reside in Canada [to], during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate unless the person is (a) a Canadian citizen; or (b) a permanent resident."
It is heartening to see that not all university students have fallen hook, line and sinker for the leftist bias that is so prevalent in Canadian academia.
This law is representative of State Nannism at its worst. A law that was passed by what political party Mr. Moore and Mr. Nader?
But the students really have not gone as far as they should have. In the interests of fairness and equality, Ralph Nader, US Presidential Candidate and the CBC should be charged as well. Ralph Nader sent an "Open Letter to Canadians" to the CBC urging Canadians not to vote for the Conservative Party of Canada. The CBC should be charged for publishing and distributing that letter to Canadians.
Canadian Campus Conservatives have a responsibility to be not only fair, but seen to be fair.
Al-Jazeera
Al- Jazeera will soon be Al-Jeering across Canadian airwaves some time in the near future. The CRTC approved Al-Jazeera for broadcasting into Canadian homes today.
CRTC Commission chairman, Charles Daifen says:
The Last Amazon’s position is that the state has no place in limiting the free expression of their citizens as they go about their daily lives unless that freedom of expression impinges on another citizen’s security of person or property. The Last Amazon also recognizes that in a free society there are exceptional times when the state has a right to curtail or even suspend freedom of expression for a finite period of time. For example, when the state is at war and her citizens are under siege.
Remember what Jean Augustine said, "The government will not tolerate statements that create dissonance in our society and disrespect for others."
Will Al-Jazeera be responsible for living up to the Gender Policy of the CRTC?
The Last Amazon wonders once Al-Jazeera starts broadcasting; how many more Star of David’s and “Kill the Jew’s” will be carved in her door? Does anyone know how many “Kill the Jews” one has to have before its called incitement to create dissonance or disrespect for others?
CRTC Commission chairman, Charles Daifen says:
Al-Jazeera had met the test of being a credible news service, and the commission had a legal duty not to infringe freedom of expression.CHOI-FM had their license revoked because of vulgar, offensive, comments.
The Last Amazon’s position is that the state has no place in limiting the free expression of their citizens as they go about their daily lives unless that freedom of expression impinges on another citizen’s security of person or property. The Last Amazon also recognizes that in a free society there are exceptional times when the state has a right to curtail or even suspend freedom of expression for a finite period of time. For example, when the state is at war and her citizens are under siege.
Remember what Jean Augustine said, "The government will not tolerate statements that create dissonance in our society and disrespect for others."
Will Al-Jazeera be responsible for living up to the Gender Policy of the CRTC?
The Last Amazon wonders once Al-Jazeera starts broadcasting; how many more Star of David’s and “Kill the Jew’s” will be carved in her door? Does anyone know how many “Kill the Jews” one has to have before its called incitement to create dissonance or disrespect for others?
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Off the Air
There was a time when that 70’s show was not a sit-com on TV but a young brash TV station broadcasting on channel 79 in Toronto.
Friday nights at 11pm a whole new demographic got up and turned the dial to channel 79. I know every Friday night my own grandmother turned a 20 minute drive from work into a 10 minute affair so that she wouldn’t miss much of City-TV’s Baby Blue Movies on 79. I was always banished to the upstairs bedroom so I cannot attest to how raunchy the Baby Blue Movies actually were, but I know my Grandparents were hooked.
My father’s father was the most polite and respectful man I ever knew. He lived by the motto, "there is no excuse for rudeness." I never heard him raise his voice or say an unkind thing to anyone, whether they deserved it or not. Grandpa got hooked watching a talk show on City-TV called the "The Shulman File". Dr. Morton Shulman was a figure of some controversy. I remember he once had a woman on his show who wrote a best-selling diet book. Shulman looked her straight in the eye and said to the effect– "You’re a fat broad, what do you know about successful weight loss? Why should I or anyone else buy your book?"
Shulman was confrontational, offensive, and often down right hilarious. He said all the things his viewing audience didn’t say in every day polite conversation but often thought inside the secrecy of their own heads. Of course, Dr. Shulman’s show was broadcasted in another place and time. Long before the devotees of PC speech drafted their laws and made offensive and vulgar speech a crime.
Now the CRTC Commission yanked the broadcasting license of CHOI-FM, Quebec City’s most popular radio station because of offensive comments by CHOI-FM’s hosts.
Here’s a sample:
About a female TV host Mr. Fillion commented on "her incredible set of boobs" and advised listeners that "the size of the brain is not directly proportional to the size of the bra". The TV host may or may not have incredible boobs, I am not really much of a judge of that kind of thing, but I know I can make a compelling argument that "the size of the brain is not directly proportional to the size of the bra". If the TV Host finds this offensive, it is time for another line of work. Anyone who chooses to be in the public eye with a thin skin needs to buck up.
Or how about this on a psychiatric patient:
"Why don’t they just pull the plug on him? He doesn’t deserve to live. The guy’s a freaking burden on society."
Or this:
"in Muslim countries and countries in Black Africa, the ones who are sent abroad to study are the sons of people who are disgusting...the sons of plunderers, cannibals."
This is talk radio, and if the truth be told, CHOI-FM went from a money losing proposition in 1996 when Patrice Demers bought the station to the top of the listening dial in the Quebec City market. 300,000 Quebecers tune in to CHOI-FM. There has been on 47 complaints lodged with the CRTC since 2002 against the station. Do the math. That’s less than 1% of the total audience. I hate it when people pick their nose on the subway but I am not calling for their arrest. I look away. Out of the 47 who are complaining, they need to learn to lean over and switch the dial -- or how about turning the radio off? If anyone feels slandered, there already exists a remedy for this from the courts.
What is really frightening, is what you find going to the CRTC website. There is a whole section on gender policy. When Jean Augustine, was Minister of State for Multiculturalism, she said "the government will not tolerate statements that create dissonance in our society and disrespect for others." She wasn’t kidding. There is whole code to back her up.
Ask yourselves why should the value judgment of political appointees and government bureaucrats be the deciding factor in what the public sees and hears on the airwaves? You can not legislate good taste.
Let’s try the radical, let the market decide.
Friday nights at 11pm a whole new demographic got up and turned the dial to channel 79. I know every Friday night my own grandmother turned a 20 minute drive from work into a 10 minute affair so that she wouldn’t miss much of City-TV’s Baby Blue Movies on 79. I was always banished to the upstairs bedroom so I cannot attest to how raunchy the Baby Blue Movies actually were, but I know my Grandparents were hooked.
My father’s father was the most polite and respectful man I ever knew. He lived by the motto, "there is no excuse for rudeness." I never heard him raise his voice or say an unkind thing to anyone, whether they deserved it or not. Grandpa got hooked watching a talk show on City-TV called the "The Shulman File". Dr. Morton Shulman was a figure of some controversy. I remember he once had a woman on his show who wrote a best-selling diet book. Shulman looked her straight in the eye and said to the effect– "You’re a fat broad, what do you know about successful weight loss? Why should I or anyone else buy your book?"
Shulman was confrontational, offensive, and often down right hilarious. He said all the things his viewing audience didn’t say in every day polite conversation but often thought inside the secrecy of their own heads. Of course, Dr. Shulman’s show was broadcasted in another place and time. Long before the devotees of PC speech drafted their laws and made offensive and vulgar speech a crime.
Now the CRTC Commission yanked the broadcasting license of CHOI-FM, Quebec City’s most popular radio station because of offensive comments by CHOI-FM’s hosts.
Here’s a sample:
About a female TV host Mr. Fillion commented on "her incredible set of boobs" and advised listeners that "the size of the brain is not directly proportional to the size of the bra". The TV host may or may not have incredible boobs, I am not really much of a judge of that kind of thing, but I know I can make a compelling argument that "the size of the brain is not directly proportional to the size of the bra". If the TV Host finds this offensive, it is time for another line of work. Anyone who chooses to be in the public eye with a thin skin needs to buck up.
Or how about this on a psychiatric patient:
"Why don’t they just pull the plug on him? He doesn’t deserve to live. The guy’s a freaking burden on society."
Or this:
"in Muslim countries and countries in Black Africa, the ones who are sent abroad to study are the sons of people who are disgusting...the sons of plunderers, cannibals."
This is talk radio, and if the truth be told, CHOI-FM went from a money losing proposition in 1996 when Patrice Demers bought the station to the top of the listening dial in the Quebec City market. 300,000 Quebecers tune in to CHOI-FM. There has been on 47 complaints lodged with the CRTC since 2002 against the station. Do the math. That’s less than 1% of the total audience. I hate it when people pick their nose on the subway but I am not calling for their arrest. I look away. Out of the 47 who are complaining, they need to learn to lean over and switch the dial -- or how about turning the radio off? If anyone feels slandered, there already exists a remedy for this from the courts.
What is really frightening, is what you find going to the CRTC website. There is a whole section on gender policy. When Jean Augustine, was Minister of State for Multiculturalism, she said "the government will not tolerate statements that create dissonance in our society and disrespect for others." She wasn’t kidding. There is whole code to back her up.
Ask yourselves why should the value judgment of political appointees and government bureaucrats be the deciding factor in what the public sees and hears on the airwaves? You can not legislate good taste.
Let’s try the radical, let the market decide.
Fox News Network
Bill O'Reilly, a broadcaster on the Fox News Network, commented on July 9, 2004 on the Canadian Poll showing 40% of Canadian Teens equate America with evil.
I realized that some broadcasters, even some American broadcasters, think Bill O'Reilly is evil. I wouldn't know. In my country, I am not allow to watch Fox News Network. I had to read the transcript on O'Reilly's Talking Point Memo on the internet. He didn't read like an evil man, he sounded like an angry man. One with a point of view.
What I don't understand is why I cannot watch Fox News Network. I would pay an extra fee to have it available on my cable. If I didn't like it, then I would cancel it. Simple as that. What I truly don't understand, is why, in this land of multi-culturalism and diversity, am I only allowed to hear and see on the airwaves what government appointees to the CRTC decide is diverse "enough".
I realized that some broadcasters, even some American broadcasters, think Bill O'Reilly is evil. I wouldn't know. In my country, I am not allow to watch Fox News Network. I had to read the transcript on O'Reilly's Talking Point Memo on the internet. He didn't read like an evil man, he sounded like an angry man. One with a point of view.
What I don't understand is why I cannot watch Fox News Network. I would pay an extra fee to have it available on my cable. If I didn't like it, then I would cancel it. Simple as that. What I truly don't understand, is why, in this land of multi-culturalism and diversity, am I only allowed to hear and see on the airwaves what government appointees to the CRTC decide is diverse "enough".
Zahra Kazemi
The Globe and Mail editorial today tells us “Iran should welcome observers at the trial”.
First a little background. Canadian/Iranian photojournalist, Zahra Kazemi was arrested while she was covering a story on student protests outside of Tehran’s Evin prison in June 2003. Evin prison is used to house and punish political dissenters. Zahra Kazemi died as a result of a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage while being interrogated in an Iranian prison by Mohammed Reza Aghdam Ahmadi. Mr. Ahmadi is charged with “semi-premediated murder”. Semi-premediated murder sounds like an oxymoron, like being only slightly pregnant.
And I quote:
The Globe and Mail should know better and do better than trying to be the Canadian journalistic wing of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the editorial, readers are advised that Bill Graham, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to Iran’s foreign minister.
The Mullahs have responded with silence to Mr. Graham’s letter. Though previously, Iran had said it objects to journalists or Canadian government observers in the courtroom because one of their citizens was killed in Canada after he was holding a machete on a police officer.
Iran is a full-fledged, dues paying member in the Axis of Evil. Iran has prisons to house political dissenters. Two Iranian intelligence agents were caught in the act of rigging a car bomb last week in Iraq. But “The Canadian government knows that you and President [Mohammed] Khatami are committed to the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
I want all national newspapers to call a spade, a spade, and mean what it says. I want a government that takes swift decisive action when one of our citizens is arrested and murdered while in detention of a foreign nation. I want the Canadian government to say mean what it means, and means what it says in a forth right manner. No more wobbling on the fence. No more humming and hawing. The time for that has passed and it ended on September 11, 2001.
First a little background. Canadian/Iranian photojournalist, Zahra Kazemi was arrested while she was covering a story on student protests outside of Tehran’s Evin prison in June 2003. Evin prison is used to house and punish political dissenters. Zahra Kazemi died as a result of a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage while being interrogated in an Iranian prison by Mohammed Reza Aghdam Ahmadi. Mr. Ahmadi is charged with “semi-premediated murder”. Semi-premediated murder sounds like an oxymoron, like being only slightly pregnant.
And I quote:
“In a country known for the factional intrigue between reformist and conservative Islamic elements, the truth will be hard to come by without a full airing of all available evidence. The question hanging over the trial that starts Saturday is whether the proceedings will be fair and thorough. If Iran were to allow Canadian observers in the courtroom, it would do much to dispel doubt and suspicion. Yet Foreign Minister Bill Graham said this week that the Iranians have not replied to Canada's requests for observer status, and that the silence indicates refusal.”
The Globe and Mail should know better and do better than trying to be the Canadian journalistic wing of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the editorial, readers are advised that Bill Graham, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to Iran’s foreign minister.
"The Canadian government knows that you and President [Mohammed] Khatami are committed to the rule of law and respect for human rights. Therefore, we count on justice to be rendered in a credible and transparent manner, and we will regard the handling of the trial as a signal of the depth of the Government of Iran's commitment to human rights."
The Mullahs have responded with silence to Mr. Graham’s letter. Though previously, Iran had said it objects to journalists or Canadian government observers in the courtroom because one of their citizens was killed in Canada after he was holding a machete on a police officer.
Iran is a full-fledged, dues paying member in the Axis of Evil. Iran has prisons to house political dissenters. Two Iranian intelligence agents were caught in the act of rigging a car bomb last week in Iraq. But “The Canadian government knows that you and President [Mohammed] Khatami are committed to the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
I want all national newspapers to call a spade, a spade, and mean what it says. I want a government that takes swift decisive action when one of our citizens is arrested and murdered while in detention of a foreign nation. I want the Canadian government to say mean what it means, and means what it says in a forth right manner. No more wobbling on the fence. No more humming and hawing. The time for that has passed and it ended on September 11, 2001.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Ethical Philosopher
I was visiting over at Canadian Comment who has posted a link to "What kind of Ethical Philosopher are you? I took the test.
I remember the summer when I was 14. I was unemployed and under resourced when out of sheer boredom I was reduced to reading The Story of Philosophy, by Will Durant. It was the only book left in the house that I hadn't read.
I cried at the death of Socrates and rejected Plato's Utopian vision, but it wasn't until I read Voltaire that I experienced my first crush. Not John Travolta, or Fonzie, Donny Osmond, or even with one of the guys in Led Zeppelin, but with a man who had been dead hundreds of years before I was even conceived.
I read everything he wrote and read everything about him that I could lay my hands on. I even dreamed about him. The consequences of my interest in Voltaire led me to read other philosophers, history and literature. Eventually, this path lead me to Ayn Rand and my second life long crush, one that has never really left me. Howard Roark.
This made dating an extremely complicated teenage endeavour. Trust me, its practically impossible to find that sense of uncompromising individualism in teenage boys. Though it did help to save me from unwed teenage motherhood unlike so many of my contemporaries from the hedonistic 70's & 80's. Take the test. I was Ayn Rand. Who are you?
I remember the summer when I was 14. I was unemployed and under resourced when out of sheer boredom I was reduced to reading The Story of Philosophy, by Will Durant. It was the only book left in the house that I hadn't read.
I cried at the death of Socrates and rejected Plato's Utopian vision, but it wasn't until I read Voltaire that I experienced my first crush. Not John Travolta, or Fonzie, Donny Osmond, or even with one of the guys in Led Zeppelin, but with a man who had been dead hundreds of years before I was even conceived.
I read everything he wrote and read everything about him that I could lay my hands on. I even dreamed about him. The consequences of my interest in Voltaire led me to read other philosophers, history and literature. Eventually, this path lead me to Ayn Rand and my second life long crush, one that has never really left me. Howard Roark.
This made dating an extremely complicated teenage endeavour. Trust me, its practically impossible to find that sense of uncompromising individualism in teenage boys. Though it did help to save me from unwed teenage motherhood unlike so many of my contemporaries from the hedonistic 70's & 80's. Take the test. I was Ayn Rand. Who are you?
Monday, July 12, 2004
Unintended Consequences
Last night one of the young Amazon's friends called to rage. She had just been to see Fahrenrant 9/11. She was a ranting and a raving. She was all worked up and impassioned with I'd say was a 9 on the Richter scale. She felt she had been ripped off and duped into seeing this "documentary" film. This young teenage is an aspiring artist and musician. There may yet be hope for the younger generation. No doubt she is now, one of the 60% of Canadian teens who do not think Americans are evil, though I am not sure that she doesn't think that of Michael Moore.
I will not see this film, I work very hard for my money, and I have no intention of spending it like this. There is just no value in it. I saw Roger & Me years ago. Inspite of the raves, one of the things that rubbed me the wrong way is how Moore mocked the "little" people in his film who were just doing their job. I was brought up to believe that work had value and no matter what you did, be it cleaning toilets or cleaning floors, you did it to the best of your ability. A self-appointed champion of the working class has no business mocking the working class at work.
I will not see this film, I work very hard for my money, and I have no intention of spending it like this. There is just no value in it. I saw Roger & Me years ago. Inspite of the raves, one of the things that rubbed me the wrong way is how Moore mocked the "little" people in his film who were just doing their job. I was brought up to believe that work had value and no matter what you did, be it cleaning toilets or cleaning floors, you did it to the best of your ability. A self-appointed champion of the working class has no business mocking the working class at work.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Intellectually Disarmed
John Keegan, one of the most astute military historians of current times, comments in the Telegraph this week concerning the Blair Government's attempt to amalgamate or disband regiments of the British Armed Forces and the inherent dangers of just such moves to not only the culture of the forces themselves, but ultimately to the security of the nation.
Keegan writes:
Change Labour to Liberal and fill in any of the names of the last few Ministers of Defence for Mr. Brown, and that pretty much sums of the situation in Canada.
I am reminded of a recent conversation with a co-worker concerning the university/career aspirations of our children. This is a university educated woman in her 30's working as an analyst who was horrified that the youngest Amazon was working on admittance to the Royal Military College. I gave her my two minute lecture on the responsibilities of citizen soldiers in a free society. Her response, no one in her family needs to do this as they pay their taxes. Who would have thought that T-4's are the latest line of defense? Someone should tell the Marines and the IDF so that way the action in Iraq can be wrapped up and Palestinian terror quelled once and for all.
Inspite of the lip service being paid on Remember Day about the debt that is owed to generations past; the bottom line is that to aspire to being a soldier is no longer seen as an honourable calling. It is no longer considered socially responsible parenting to allow your children to play with guns or toy soldiers. Go out and try to find a G.I. Joe in Toys "R" Us. The closest you can get is Action Man. He's an extreme sports junkie.
Or take the case of Jason Gilson, a 23 year old injuried veteran, recently returned from Iraq, who went to walk in Seattle's recent Independence Day parade. The maddening crowd booed and cried "Murderer" and "Babykiller" as he marched with his medals on his chest.
Perhaps Keegan's most important point is this:
"These are dangerous times, all the more so since the threat to national security is diffuse and inchoate. Because the Cold War is over does not mean that we are not in a war situation. We are - but our enemy's attack may come at any time, in unexpected form and on unannounced pretext. Our readiness to meet the threat is undermined by the legalistic mood that infects judiciary, police and government. The rhetoric of human rights now predominates over the dictates of defence necessity. We are intellectually disarmed, perhaps the weakest security posture in which it is possible for people to confront danger."
Keegan writes:
'The Parliamentary Labour Party is anti-military, to a degree that prevents it acknowledging the favour done to the Government by the Armed Forces. The chattering classes are also anti-military, as they will remain until some terrible terrorist outrage shakes their complacency. Key ministers are either anti-military, such as Mr. Brown, or uncomprehending, as is the Prime Minister."
Change Labour to Liberal and fill in any of the names of the last few Ministers of Defence for Mr. Brown, and that pretty much sums of the situation in Canada.
"The chattering classes are also anti-military, as they will remain until some terrible terrorist outrage shakes their complacency."
I am reminded of a recent conversation with a co-worker concerning the university/career aspirations of our children. This is a university educated woman in her 30's working as an analyst who was horrified that the youngest Amazon was working on admittance to the Royal Military College. I gave her my two minute lecture on the responsibilities of citizen soldiers in a free society. Her response, no one in her family needs to do this as they pay their taxes. Who would have thought that T-4's are the latest line of defense? Someone should tell the Marines and the IDF so that way the action in Iraq can be wrapped up and Palestinian terror quelled once and for all.
Inspite of the lip service being paid on Remember Day about the debt that is owed to generations past; the bottom line is that to aspire to being a soldier is no longer seen as an honourable calling. It is no longer considered socially responsible parenting to allow your children to play with guns or toy soldiers. Go out and try to find a G.I. Joe in Toys "R" Us. The closest you can get is Action Man. He's an extreme sports junkie.
Or take the case of Jason Gilson, a 23 year old injuried veteran, recently returned from Iraq, who went to walk in Seattle's recent Independence Day parade. The maddening crowd booed and cried "Murderer" and "Babykiller" as he marched with his medals on his chest.
Perhaps Keegan's most important point is this:
"These are dangerous times, all the more so since the threat to national security is diffuse and inchoate. Because the Cold War is over does not mean that we are not in a war situation. We are - but our enemy's attack may come at any time, in unexpected form and on unannounced pretext. Our readiness to meet the threat is undermined by the legalistic mood that infects judiciary, police and government. The rhetoric of human rights now predominates over the dictates of defence necessity. We are intellectually disarmed, perhaps the weakest security posture in which it is possible for people to confront danger."
Some Svends Never Change
Amazons do not take pleasure in the misfortunes of others (unless they are mortal enemies of Amazons) but there is a certain sense of satisfaction, a real "uh hu" factor that crossed my face as I read this:
The Globe and Mail reported this:
From From Sven's website statement we have this
On Tuesday morning, I attempted to contact the owners, and not being able to do so directly, I went to the police and gave them a full account of what I had done, and returned the jewellery to them.
Now there are two differing accounts. From Svend’s own statement, a statement reported from the Globe and Mail and a reporter duly reporting on the exchange between Special Porsecutor Len Doust to Justice Schmidt in the courtroom.
I’d say some Svends never change.
Although Robinson admitted to the theft two days after the video which recorded the act was handed over to police and was only charged two months after the fact, special prosecutor Len Doust told Judge Dennis Schmidt that there had not been enough time to complete investigation of the theft. The judge agreed to delay the plea.
The Globe and Mail reported this:
Mr. Robinson said he regretted his theft moments after he'd done it.
"Immediately upon leaving the premises I realized that I must return the jewellery," he said. He added that he was "too afraid to go back."
Unable to contact the owners by telephone during the long weekend, he went to police on Tuesday morning.
From From Sven's website statement we have this
On Tuesday morning, I attempted to contact the owners, and not being able to do so directly, I went to the police and gave them a full account of what I had done, and returned the jewellery to them.
Now there are two differing accounts. From Svend’s own statement, a statement reported from the Globe and Mail and a reporter duly reporting on the exchange between Special Porsecutor Len Doust to Justice Schmidt in the courtroom.
I’d say some Svends never change.
Saturday, July 10, 2004
BUSH LIED. NOT!!!
Who would have thought? George Bush told the truth to the American people....don't tell Michael Moore!!! Mark Steyn has a great new column up on "Bush Didn't Lie...but how about "Mint Tea Boy", Joe Wilson" Its available to read online here.
CBC ran a contest a few months ago asking Canadians who was their favourite Canadian. I wittled my list down to two Canadians. Ken Taylor, the former Canadian ambassador to Iran and Mark Steyn. I asked the Spartans in the house who they would pick between the two. They demanded Mark Steyn. They are still using the "I fart on your beard" quote from a Mark Steyn article about weapons of mass distraction as the measure of their distain.
CBC ran a contest a few months ago asking Canadians who was their favourite Canadian. I wittled my list down to two Canadians. Ken Taylor, the former Canadian ambassador to Iran and Mark Steyn. I asked the Spartans in the house who they would pick between the two. They demanded Mark Steyn. They are still using the "I fart on your beard" quote from a Mark Steyn article about weapons of mass distraction as the measure of their distain.
Globe and Mail
“A scathing judgment on the CIA’s reports” headlines the Globe and Mail’s other editorial for today. Globe and Mail is commenting on the US Senate Intelligence Committee’s indictment of the flawed intelligence-gathering that “provided the chief rationale for going to war” “Their bald assessment was that Iraq was awash in weapons of mass destruction – weapons, moreover, that could be supplied to terrorists.” The editorial goes on to say “There may yet be a surprise in store, but with each passing month it seems likelier that, despite the Pentagon’s best efforts to locate such weapons, none will be found.”
But when all is said and done, I have to wonder about those pesky Poles. Someone at the Globe and Mail should tell those Pesky Poles to stop collecting chemical munitions in Iraq and don’t forget to tell the Americans to stop removing radiological and nuclear materials from Iraq. That looks bad. Keep doing that and there will be no intelligence failure. Oh, and don’t forget to tell Joe Wilson that a year ago would have been a good opportunity to shut-up. The Globe and Mail should also send a memo over to the Ottawa Sun and ask them not to report whenever the Paul Martin gives a speech saying there are wmd in Iraq. It looks bad.
If the CIA was wrong in its intelligence assessment of Iraqi’s capacity for havoc and mayhem with wmd, it was not a failure that the CIA shared alone. The intelligence agencies of the entire world came to the same conclusion. Intelligence gathering is not an exact science. It operates in the dark shadowy areas in its efforts to obtain information by covert means. Since the Carter Administration the CIA has seen its human side of its intelligence gathering spiral downward. Where the CIA has been allowed to spend has been on its artificial means of gathering intelligence. Nothing can replace agents on the ground. The one thing that we did not have in Saddam’s Iraq was agents in the know and on the ground.
But when all is said and done, I have to wonder about those pesky Poles. Someone at the Globe and Mail should tell those Pesky Poles to stop collecting chemical munitions in Iraq and don’t forget to tell the Americans to stop removing radiological and nuclear materials from Iraq. That looks bad. Keep doing that and there will be no intelligence failure. Oh, and don’t forget to tell Joe Wilson that a year ago would have been a good opportunity to shut-up. The Globe and Mail should also send a memo over to the Ottawa Sun and ask them not to report whenever the Paul Martin gives a speech saying there are wmd in Iraq. It looks bad.
If the CIA was wrong in its intelligence assessment of Iraqi’s capacity for havoc and mayhem with wmd, it was not a failure that the CIA shared alone. The intelligence agencies of the entire world came to the same conclusion. Intelligence gathering is not an exact science. It operates in the dark shadowy areas in its efforts to obtain information by covert means. Since the Carter Administration the CIA has seen its human side of its intelligence gathering spiral downward. Where the CIA has been allowed to spend has been on its artificial means of gathering intelligence. Nothing can replace agents on the ground. The one thing that we did not have in Saddam’s Iraq was agents in the know and on the ground.
Palestinian State, Why?
After 9/11, I started to pay greater attention to the Israeli/Arab conflict. Being born in the early sixties I have a certain amount of first hand memories of this conflict that younger generations only see in retrospect and often only learn about the details through the lens of revisionistic history.
I remember the newscasts of June 1967 when a miracle happened. The tiny Jewish state prevailed against the odds. Mike Oren in his book, Six Days of War, tells us that a horrified Prime Minister Eshkol learned in 1966, that against an all-out Arab assault the Israeli state had only tank munitions for 3 days worth of fighting. He immediately ordered spending on munitions to double that number to bring the total to 6 days worth of munitions. Six days to do or die. Literally Six days. Let that sink in.
I remember the Munich Olympics, Yom Kippur war, and the aftermath just as vividly. I remember looking at the pictures of the aftermath of PLO targeting Israeli school children in schools and on school buses and the horror I felt. I was a school child and only by the grace of God, go I.
After 9/11 opened my eyes, I did not view the Israeli/Arab conflict in terms of being a catalyst to the current attacks on western society; rather I see this conflict as the first line of skirmish with the Islamofacsits. Peace in the Mid-East will only be possible when the Islamofacsits are defeated on all fronts, not when the Palestinians get their state. If statehood was conferred tomorrow on Arafat and his Islamic brown shirts, the conflict would not end, it would intensify.
All of which brings me to the Globe and Mail editorial “The path of Israel’s fence”. I take issue once again with the Globe’s editorial board. The Green Line is not “Israel’s internationally recognized border with the West Bank”. The Green Line is an ARMITICE LINE, not an internationally recognized border. The original architects of the armistice agreement did not mean for it to be a border as much as a spring board for negotiations to lead to a border that recognized the security considerations of the State of Israel. I challenge any of the Globe’s editorial board to choose whatever military strategist they may and tour the Green Line and develop a successful battle plan to protect that line from outside aggression. That line is less than 9 miles to the sea in some areas.
Even the truce negotiated in 1967 did not require the Israeli’s to return all the land captured and successfully defended from the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
The Globe and Mail tells us that there are currently 230,000 Jewish settlers that Israel must remove from the territories rather than enclave the majority of those settlements in the security barrier. Why is that? For peace with a Palestinian State, says the Globe and Mail and other like-minded pundits. Prior to 1967 there were not any settlements but that did not result in peace, it brought war, again and again. How can the Israeli barrier, no matter what path is actually takes amount to peace with any imaginary state of the Palestinians? Why should we take the view that the Palestinians in the Judea and Samara & Gaza deserve a separate state from their brethren in Jordan? Do we really need another tin pot dictator with messianic delusions in charge of his own wmd program and a safe harbour in which to develop them in? Wasn’t that the point of removing Saddam? Do we really need another? The Palestinian’s say they want to end the “occupation” of 36 odd years. Let’s help them by calling their bluff and pressure Jordan to negotiate with Israel for secure recognizable borders and the rest of the West Bank to be returned to Jordanian sovereignty.
One other point, when we talk about Jewish settlers, all too often we think of some kind of religious Jewish zealots running around. But how can anyone feel threatened by them? I have yet to see Ultra-Orthodox Jews on the sidewalks handing out literature and combing the streets for converts. I have seen everyone else and their mama, but not Ultra-Orthodox Jews. Certainly, there is an element of that in modern settlements in the territories, but modern day Israel is a very secular state. The vast majority of “settlers” could be more accurately described as “homeowners”. If you start talking about removing Jewish “homeowners” from their homes instead of “settlers” you get a much more accurate picture of what this actually entails and the conflict it creates among Israelis. Why should any western democracy participate in the founding of a state that requires ethnic minority homeowners to be removed from their homes by force? One of the hallmarks of modern western society is the recognition of minority rights. If the Palestinians were really serious about statehood they would enfranchise minority rights. What possible threat are 230,000 Jews in a state of millions of Arabs?
I remember the newscasts of June 1967 when a miracle happened. The tiny Jewish state prevailed against the odds. Mike Oren in his book, Six Days of War, tells us that a horrified Prime Minister Eshkol learned in 1966, that against an all-out Arab assault the Israeli state had only tank munitions for 3 days worth of fighting. He immediately ordered spending on munitions to double that number to bring the total to 6 days worth of munitions. Six days to do or die. Literally Six days. Let that sink in.
I remember the Munich Olympics, Yom Kippur war, and the aftermath just as vividly. I remember looking at the pictures of the aftermath of PLO targeting Israeli school children in schools and on school buses and the horror I felt. I was a school child and only by the grace of God, go I.
After 9/11 opened my eyes, I did not view the Israeli/Arab conflict in terms of being a catalyst to the current attacks on western society; rather I see this conflict as the first line of skirmish with the Islamofacsits. Peace in the Mid-East will only be possible when the Islamofacsits are defeated on all fronts, not when the Palestinians get their state. If statehood was conferred tomorrow on Arafat and his Islamic brown shirts, the conflict would not end, it would intensify.
All of which brings me to the Globe and Mail editorial “The path of Israel’s fence”. I take issue once again with the Globe’s editorial board. The Green Line is not “Israel’s internationally recognized border with the West Bank”. The Green Line is an ARMITICE LINE, not an internationally recognized border. The original architects of the armistice agreement did not mean for it to be a border as much as a spring board for negotiations to lead to a border that recognized the security considerations of the State of Israel. I challenge any of the Globe’s editorial board to choose whatever military strategist they may and tour the Green Line and develop a successful battle plan to protect that line from outside aggression. That line is less than 9 miles to the sea in some areas.
Even the truce negotiated in 1967 did not require the Israeli’s to return all the land captured and successfully defended from the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
The Globe and Mail tells us that there are currently 230,000 Jewish settlers that Israel must remove from the territories rather than enclave the majority of those settlements in the security barrier. Why is that? For peace with a Palestinian State, says the Globe and Mail and other like-minded pundits. Prior to 1967 there were not any settlements but that did not result in peace, it brought war, again and again. How can the Israeli barrier, no matter what path is actually takes amount to peace with any imaginary state of the Palestinians? Why should we take the view that the Palestinians in the Judea and Samara & Gaza deserve a separate state from their brethren in Jordan? Do we really need another tin pot dictator with messianic delusions in charge of his own wmd program and a safe harbour in which to develop them in? Wasn’t that the point of removing Saddam? Do we really need another? The Palestinian’s say they want to end the “occupation” of 36 odd years. Let’s help them by calling their bluff and pressure Jordan to negotiate with Israel for secure recognizable borders and the rest of the West Bank to be returned to Jordanian sovereignty.
One other point, when we talk about Jewish settlers, all too often we think of some kind of religious Jewish zealots running around. But how can anyone feel threatened by them? I have yet to see Ultra-Orthodox Jews on the sidewalks handing out literature and combing the streets for converts. I have seen everyone else and their mama, but not Ultra-Orthodox Jews. Certainly, there is an element of that in modern settlements in the territories, but modern day Israel is a very secular state. The vast majority of “settlers” could be more accurately described as “homeowners”. If you start talking about removing Jewish “homeowners” from their homes instead of “settlers” you get a much more accurate picture of what this actually entails and the conflict it creates among Israelis. Why should any western democracy participate in the founding of a state that requires ethnic minority homeowners to be removed from their homes by force? One of the hallmarks of modern western society is the recognition of minority rights. If the Palestinians were really serious about statehood they would enfranchise minority rights. What possible threat are 230,000 Jews in a state of millions of Arabs?
Trudeaupia
I would like to thank Jaeger for your kind words about my blog on Trudeaupia. I was shocked by how the traffic at my site jumped so radically Thursday and Friday. I couldn't think of why till I was surfing and discovered I was mentioned in yours.
I am very new to the blogsphere. I am busy raising a family, working full-time and studying history. I was accosted on a daily basis by a very warped agenda in my neighbourhood, at my work, or in school. I grew tired of suffering in silence. The need to speak out finally compelled me to jump into the blogsphere with my two cents.
I admit I had seen Trudeaupia listed under other links and never visited before last night. I realize that it is a phobia of mine, when I spy any connection with the root "Trudeau" I have the desire to put as much space between me and that "Trudeau" as possible. For some reason, I was able to master my phobia last night and link in. Now that I have mastered the phobia of the dreaded "Trudeau" I will come to read regularly and I encourage all other like-minded phobics to take a chance and do the same.
I would also like to extend a thanks to the Monger for linking to me as well. Another worthwhile read.
I am very new to the blogsphere. I am busy raising a family, working full-time and studying history. I was accosted on a daily basis by a very warped agenda in my neighbourhood, at my work, or in school. I grew tired of suffering in silence. The need to speak out finally compelled me to jump into the blogsphere with my two cents.
I admit I had seen Trudeaupia listed under other links and never visited before last night. I realize that it is a phobia of mine, when I spy any connection with the root "Trudeau" I have the desire to put as much space between me and that "Trudeau" as possible. For some reason, I was able to master my phobia last night and link in. Now that I have mastered the phobia of the dreaded "Trudeau" I will come to read regularly and I encourage all other like-minded phobics to take a chance and do the same.
I would also like to extend a thanks to the Monger for linking to me as well. Another worthwhile read.
Friday, July 09, 2004
International Court of Justice
This will be my last rant of the night so its only fitting that I comment on the first news I heard this morning. The UN International Court of Justice in the Hague has ruled that the Israeli barrier protecting Israeli lives and limbs from the Islamofascists in the territories is "illegal" and must be dismantled. Big yawn with that ruling.
I admit that I am shaky on the history of the UN, but I can't help but to wonder if the rationale behind the formation of the UN was not phase two of the final solution. Did I miss this part in reading Mein Kampf?
I admit that I am shaky on the history of the UN, but I can't help but to wonder if the rationale behind the formation of the UN was not phase two of the final solution. Did I miss this part in reading Mein Kampf?
IMAO.US
Today is the second blogiversary and International Link to IMAO Day. I like Frank J's blog. He has a problem with Canadians, I understand that, I have a problem with my fellow citizens too. I just want Frank J to know that we were not always what we have allowed ourselves to become. There is hope for a few of us, for example The Last Amazon is shipping out to continue her sniper training on the 23rd. Frank J asks that in honour of his blogiversary we link to our favourite post. I laughed a lot at the various things Frank J posts, but the post I will link to "Our Military XVII: Greetings from Iraq on the 4th. This from a letter Lt. Adam. This is what the media will not tell you about the Iraqi liberation. This is what the Cretin fiberal government did not want Canadians to be a party to; the liberation of an oppressed people. Who knows, maybe the fiberals were worried that if we helped liberated the Iraqi's from Saddam, we might take up arms and liberate ourselves from the fiberals?
THE AMERICANS
Canada Free Press Online is running a written commentary from the late great Canadian Broadcasting legend, Gordon Sinclair. Sinclair wrote "The Americans" in 1973, as the Americans were pulling out of Vietnam and their economy was going down the proverbial drain. He did it as his response to all the Anti-American diatribes spewing forth on a daily basis in the papers, magazines, radios and television sets across the world.
"The American's" reads as true as ever, and is just as relevant today, as it did in 1973. Michael More, Noami Klein, and the rest of you haters, take note:
"The Americans"
An editorial by Gordon Sinclair on June 5 1973
"The American's" reads as true as ever, and is just as relevant today, as it did in 1973. Michael More, Noami Klein, and the rest of you haters, take note:
An editorial by Gordon Sinclair on June 5 1973
The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did.
They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.
The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.
I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.
Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws .. are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.
I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.
This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped."
Thursday, July 08, 2004
US Deserter Seeks Refugee Status in Canada
Jeremy Hinzman, US Army Deserter, had his day before the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board yesterday. He is seeking "refugee" status to be allowed to live in Canada rather than return to United States and live out the consequences of his actions. He feels that after deserting his country in a time of war he would be unduly persecuted.
What would happen is that the US Army would arrest him and hold a trial according to the US Military Code of Justice. He would be tried in a court of law. A lawyer would be provided for him to defend himself from the charges resulting from a possible conviction. If convicted, he faces a jail sentence and a dishonourable discharge at the minimum. The maximum penalty imposed would be execution. No US soldier has been executed for desertion since 1945 in the United States.
What would happen if Mr. Hinzman had volunteered to join the Canadian Armed Forces and disagreed with his orders in a time of war and deserted his country? Well, he would be arrested, charged according to the Canadian Military Code of Justice, a lawyer would be provided for him to defend himself from the charges, and if convicted the minimun sentence would be a jail term and a dishonourable discharge. The maximum penalty would be that he could be executed. Yes, even though Canadian Criminal Code offences do not carry a death penalty, soldiers in Canada come under the Military Code of Justice which still allows for the death penalty to be executed for Capital Offences. Desertion is a capital offence.
Mr. Hinzman wants us to believe that he is standing up for his principles, and he wants Canadians to shelter him from the consequences of his actions. He somehow wants us to believe that he is an honourable man.
Mohammad Ali was faced with a similar dilemma. He was drafted by the US Army during the Vietnam war. He filed consciencious objector status. His claim was denied. He still refused to serve and he lived out the consequences of his actions, he did not run away to Canada, instead he went to jail. But there are other differences. Mohammad Ali was drafted. He did not freely volunteer to join the US Army, he was DRAFTED, he had no choice. He did not take the US Army's nickel, he did not take the US Army's medical or dental care benefits, he did not benefit from subsidized food prices at US Army PX stores, he did not benefit from US Army's housing. He did not run away from the consequences of his actions. He did not run away to Canada. He went to jail and he was fully prepared to live out the consequences of his actions. He understood that standing up for your principles does not mean running away from the consequences of those actions. He was a man. I may not agree with Mohammad Ali's principles, I may disagree with his opinion of the Vietnam war but I will not call him a cowardly weasel, or parasite, or a blight on the backs of decent hard working people. If I met Mohammad Ali I would not be tempted to spit on him or call him names or let the Last Amazon deal out her own brand of Military Justice.
Jeremy Hinzman volunteered to join the US Army. That's right he signed on the dotted line. No one forced him or threatened bodily harm to him if he did not join the US Army. He thought it was a great deal. Subsidized housing, food, medical and dental care, a pay cheque, and money for college. One day Jeremy Hinzman decided he didn't agree with his orders and felt that his Commanders did not have the right to tell him who, where or when to fight. As a private in the US Army he felt he should have that choice. This time he ran away to Canada. He claims that the war is based on lies to the American public, that it is a war for oil and therefore he does not have to honour his commitments.
But the real issue is not whether this war is just or not. The issue is that Mr. Hinzman signed up to be a soldier, he took all the perks of being a soldier but was not willing to take on the responsibilities of being a soldier when called to arms. He claims that the army recruiters misled him into being a soldier. The recruiters have too slick of a marketing plan. He was too naive to understand what being a soldier meant that one day he may have to kill people. He couldn't grasp what my 10 year old son already understands, that being a soldier means; that you pray for peace and prepare for war, that when called to arms, you fight, and fight to kill.
Mr. Hinzman wants a free ride; he thinks he is heroic in standing up for his beliefs and running away from the consequences of those beliefs. He feels entitled to live a free man in my country, as a potential refugee with all the perks while he is waiting for his hearing: welfare, subsidized housing, and free medical care. And if his claim for refugee status fails, he will apply to stay on the "Compassionate & Humanitarian" grounds.
This year my 12 year old son had a teacher he really liked. During the school year his teacher answered his reserve call out to go to Afghanistan to fight. My son lost his beloved teacher. Montana hopes and prays for his teacher's safe return. My son's teacher is a Canadian and a citizen soldier. Mr. Hinzman wants all the benefits of citizenship but without any of the responsibilities of citizenship. When we sing the national anthem of Canada, we sing "WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE". Mr. Hinzman, that means when the call goes out for us to take up arms we will, and we will fight to kill. Canadian soldiers don't get to pick and choose their wars. They serve at the discretion of their leaders.
As a Canadian whose family has spilled their blood on the soil of foreign nations in the cause of freedom, I am outraged that your claim is even being heard. You are a disgrace to your own country. You sully the name of all legitimate "refugees" by your bogus claims in my country. I would urge all Canadians to write to their Members of Parliament expressing their outrage at your presence in this country. You are a man devoid of the slightest vestige of honour, duty or fidelity. You are nothing more or less than a parasite on back of all Canadians.
What would happen is that the US Army would arrest him and hold a trial according to the US Military Code of Justice. He would be tried in a court of law. A lawyer would be provided for him to defend himself from the charges resulting from a possible conviction. If convicted, he faces a jail sentence and a dishonourable discharge at the minimum. The maximum penalty imposed would be execution. No US soldier has been executed for desertion since 1945 in the United States.
What would happen if Mr. Hinzman had volunteered to join the Canadian Armed Forces and disagreed with his orders in a time of war and deserted his country? Well, he would be arrested, charged according to the Canadian Military Code of Justice, a lawyer would be provided for him to defend himself from the charges, and if convicted the minimun sentence would be a jail term and a dishonourable discharge. The maximum penalty would be that he could be executed. Yes, even though Canadian Criminal Code offences do not carry a death penalty, soldiers in Canada come under the Military Code of Justice which still allows for the death penalty to be executed for Capital Offences. Desertion is a capital offence.
Mr. Hinzman wants us to believe that he is standing up for his principles, and he wants Canadians to shelter him from the consequences of his actions. He somehow wants us to believe that he is an honourable man.
Mohammad Ali was faced with a similar dilemma. He was drafted by the US Army during the Vietnam war. He filed consciencious objector status. His claim was denied. He still refused to serve and he lived out the consequences of his actions, he did not run away to Canada, instead he went to jail. But there are other differences. Mohammad Ali was drafted. He did not freely volunteer to join the US Army, he was DRAFTED, he had no choice. He did not take the US Army's nickel, he did not take the US Army's medical or dental care benefits, he did not benefit from subsidized food prices at US Army PX stores, he did not benefit from US Army's housing. He did not run away from the consequences of his actions. He did not run away to Canada. He went to jail and he was fully prepared to live out the consequences of his actions. He understood that standing up for your principles does not mean running away from the consequences of those actions. He was a man. I may not agree with Mohammad Ali's principles, I may disagree with his opinion of the Vietnam war but I will not call him a cowardly weasel, or parasite, or a blight on the backs of decent hard working people. If I met Mohammad Ali I would not be tempted to spit on him or call him names or let the Last Amazon deal out her own brand of Military Justice.
Jeremy Hinzman volunteered to join the US Army. That's right he signed on the dotted line. No one forced him or threatened bodily harm to him if he did not join the US Army. He thought it was a great deal. Subsidized housing, food, medical and dental care, a pay cheque, and money for college. One day Jeremy Hinzman decided he didn't agree with his orders and felt that his Commanders did not have the right to tell him who, where or when to fight. As a private in the US Army he felt he should have that choice. This time he ran away to Canada. He claims that the war is based on lies to the American public, that it is a war for oil and therefore he does not have to honour his commitments.
But the real issue is not whether this war is just or not. The issue is that Mr. Hinzman signed up to be a soldier, he took all the perks of being a soldier but was not willing to take on the responsibilities of being a soldier when called to arms. He claims that the army recruiters misled him into being a soldier. The recruiters have too slick of a marketing plan. He was too naive to understand what being a soldier meant that one day he may have to kill people. He couldn't grasp what my 10 year old son already understands, that being a soldier means; that you pray for peace and prepare for war, that when called to arms, you fight, and fight to kill.
Mr. Hinzman wants a free ride; he thinks he is heroic in standing up for his beliefs and running away from the consequences of those beliefs. He feels entitled to live a free man in my country, as a potential refugee with all the perks while he is waiting for his hearing: welfare, subsidized housing, and free medical care. And if his claim for refugee status fails, he will apply to stay on the "Compassionate & Humanitarian" grounds.
This year my 12 year old son had a teacher he really liked. During the school year his teacher answered his reserve call out to go to Afghanistan to fight. My son lost his beloved teacher. Montana hopes and prays for his teacher's safe return. My son's teacher is a Canadian and a citizen soldier. Mr. Hinzman wants all the benefits of citizenship but without any of the responsibilities of citizenship. When we sing the national anthem of Canada, we sing "WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE". Mr. Hinzman, that means when the call goes out for us to take up arms we will, and we will fight to kill. Canadian soldiers don't get to pick and choose their wars. They serve at the discretion of their leaders.
As a Canadian whose family has spilled their blood on the soil of foreign nations in the cause of freedom, I am outraged that your claim is even being heard. You are a disgrace to your own country. You sully the name of all legitimate "refugees" by your bogus claims in my country. I would urge all Canadians to write to their Members of Parliament expressing their outrage at your presence in this country. You are a man devoid of the slightest vestige of honour, duty or fidelity. You are nothing more or less than a parasite on back of all Canadians.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Media Fails to Inform
The headline you didn't see in any national papers in Canada or from the major US Dailies today - Iranian Intelligence officers Caught Operating in Iraq
Ask yourself why? This is news, important, significant news. Perhaps its for the same reason you didn't read about the Polish Army finding munitions of cyclosarin last week or how the U.S. Removes Iraqi Nuclear and Radiological Materials from an old research facility this week.
Ask yourself why? This is news, important, significant news. Perhaps its for the same reason you didn't read about the Polish Army finding munitions of cyclosarin last week or how the U.S. Removes Iraqi Nuclear and Radiological Materials from an old research facility this week.
Poll says "40% of Canadian Teens think USA is Evil"
I really wasn't going to comment about this article. I have blogged before about Canadian Anti-Americanism. What changed my mind was what one of my children had to say today about a poster up at his not-for-profit community centre run summer daycamp program. He informed me that there is a poster up in one of the rooms at the centre that the children use saying "George Bush is a Terrorist". This is the same daycamp program that states in their camp code of conduct there shall be no racist, sexism or heterosexualism!???(go figure)...I guess expressions of Anti-Americanism are encouraged. Nice to see the trickle down effect in action with your donations to the United Way.
Who can be surprised that 40% of Canadian Teens think America is Evil? Joseph Goebbels was the Minister of Propaganda for the Nazi regime and whose very famous quote was, "If you tell a lie long enough, it becomes the truth." 40% of Canadians Teens have got it. What is surprising is that 60% of Canadian teens haven't caught on yet, but I am sure given enough time in community funded initiatives, they just might.
Who can be surprised that 40% of Canadian Teens think America is Evil? Joseph Goebbels was the Minister of Propaganda for the Nazi regime and whose very famous quote was, "If you tell a lie long enough, it becomes the truth." 40% of Canadians Teens have got it. What is surprising is that 60% of Canadian teens haven't caught on yet, but I am sure given enough time in community funded initiatives, they just might.
Friday, July 02, 2004
New Europe
New Europe carries their weight in the Coalition of the Willing --
Michael Moore and/or Fiberals should have told the Polish that there are no WMD in Iraq.
There are a million stories of uncommon valour and bravery associated with WWll but one image that has never left my memory was when I read about the indubitable spirit of the Polish Army that marched out to face the German blitzkrieg. Poland had not modernized their army beyond their WWl capacity. It was inevitable that when the Polish Cavalry faced off against German tanks racing across the border that they would fail. The miraculous was not that the Polish Army fell to the German onslaught, but how long they managed to hold off the inevitable.
Terrorists may have been close to obtaining munitions containing the deadly nerve agent cyclosarin that Polish soldiers recovered last month in Iraq, the head of Poland's military intelligence said Friday.
Polish troops had been searching for munitions as part of their regular mission in south-central Iraq when they were told by an informant in May that terrorists had made a bid to buy the chemical weapons, which date back to Saddam Hussein's war with Iran in the 1980s, Gen. Marek Dukaczewski told reporters in Warsaw.
"We were mortified by the information that terrorists were looking for these warheads and offered $5,000 apiece," Dukaczewski said. "An attack with such weapons would be hard to imagine. All of our activity was accelerated at appropriating these warheads." ....
The warheads all contained cyclosarin, multinational force commander Polish Gen. Mieczyslaw Bieniek said.
"Laboratory tests showed the presence in them of cyclosarin, a very toxic gas, five times stronger than sarin and five times more durable," Bieniek told Poland's TVN24 at the force's Camp Babylon headquarters.
"If these warheads, which were still usable, were used on a military base like Camp Babylon, they would have caused unforeseeable damage."
The tests were done by U.S. experts, who were conducting more.
The munitions were found in a bunker in the Polish sector, but Polish officials refused to be more specific."
Michael Moore and/or Fiberals should have told the Polish that there are no WMD in Iraq.
There are a million stories of uncommon valour and bravery associated with WWll but one image that has never left my memory was when I read about the indubitable spirit of the Polish Army that marched out to face the German blitzkrieg. Poland had not modernized their army beyond their WWl capacity. It was inevitable that when the Polish Cavalry faced off against German tanks racing across the border that they would fail. The miraculous was not that the Polish Army fell to the German onslaught, but how long they managed to hold off the inevitable.
Green Line
I was reading The Globe and Mail editorial today "Israel's security fence doesn't trump justice" and one thing really jumped out at me (besides the patronizing sneering). This obsession with the "Green Line". The Green Line was not the original mandate for the Jewish State, it has never been the border of Israel. The Green Line was the all the territory the State of Israel could successfully defend by the time a ceasefire was negotiated with various Arabs via the UN in 1949.
Even UN Resolutions from the Six Days War period do not call for a total Israeli withdrawal from all land occupied after June 1967, but it does call for Israeli withdrawal to secure recognizable borders to be negotiated. The UN resolutions do not specify a return to the "Green Line".
A two state solution will never work until the Arabs give up their pathological hatred of the Jews/Zionists. If the Arab Street was really concerned for the welfare of the Palestinians, the Palestinians would have their State in 1948, the War of Independence, the Six Days War, the Yom Kippur War would never have happened, and even after 1973, the opportunity came around again and again, most recently in the US backed Road Map to Peace. Same old pathological hatred, same old stateless state, same all delusional thinking. The only state the Palestinians want is the Jewish State. Nothing more, nothing less. I say its time we end the madness for once and for all. I call for a UN Resolution to end the occupation of Jewish Lands.
Even UN Resolutions from the Six Days War period do not call for a total Israeli withdrawal from all land occupied after June 1967, but it does call for Israeli withdrawal to secure recognizable borders to be negotiated. The UN resolutions do not specify a return to the "Green Line".
A two state solution will never work until the Arabs give up their pathological hatred of the Jews/Zionists. If the Arab Street was really concerned for the welfare of the Palestinians, the Palestinians would have their State in 1948, the War of Independence, the Six Days War, the Yom Kippur War would never have happened, and even after 1973, the opportunity came around again and again, most recently in the US backed Road Map to Peace. Same old pathological hatred, same old stateless state, same all delusional thinking. The only state the Palestinians want is the Jewish State. Nothing more, nothing less. I say its time we end the madness for once and for all. I call for a UN Resolution to end the occupation of Jewish Lands.
Sweden Jails Christian Pastor
In a former post I wrote,
In the Ecumenical News International today and I quote:
I will admit, I was wrong. For once, Canada will not be the first PC country to demand a re-write of the bible to make it non-offensive, Sweden will. Canada will follow Sweden's lead. In order to be better prepared to follow Sweden's lead I suggest that the next election platform for the Fiberals and NDP should be an immediate increase in funding to accommodate the need of "Super Jails" to house the Christians.
We do not hold free speech as paramount to a free society. Bill C-250. If we were really not afraid as a people, we would not have passed Bill C-250 or laws against hate speech. Watch, we will be the first Christian people to ban the bible and demand that it be re-written so that it is not "offensive" to any minority and non-christian groups -- unless they are Jews.
In the Ecumenical News International today and I quote:
Stockholm (ENI). A Swedish court has sentenced a pastor belonging to the
Pentecostal movement in Sweden, Ake Green, to a month in prison, under a
law against incitement, after he was found guilty of having offended
homosexuals in a sermon. Soren Andersson, the president of the Swedish
federation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights (RFSL), said
on hearing the sentence that religious freedom could never be used as a
reason to offend people. "Therefore," he told journalists, "I cannot regard
the sentence as an act of interference with freedom of religion."
I will admit, I was wrong. For once, Canada will not be the first PC country to demand a re-write of the bible to make it non-offensive, Sweden will. Canada will follow Sweden's lead. In order to be better prepared to follow Sweden's lead I suggest that the next election platform for the Fiberals and NDP should be an immediate increase in funding to accommodate the need of "Super Jails" to house the Christians.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
The Toronto Star vs Bloggers
I was surfing Canadian papers and discovered that the Toronto Star has this legal notice attached to their site and attached to every article:
Then I went and checked all the other Canadian papers. No one else is doing it. It kind of makes me wonder why they would do that, are they are tired of Antonia Zerbisias being fisked online? What about public accountability for what you publish? What is the Toronto Star afraid of? I would think that if a blogger linked a blog to an article on their paper they would welcome the link.
Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Distribution, transmission or republication of any material from www.thestar.com is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. For information please contact us using our webmaster form. www.thestar.com online since 1996.
Then I went and checked all the other Canadian papers. No one else is doing it. It kind of makes me wonder why they would do that, are they are tired of Antonia Zerbisias being fisked online? What about public accountability for what you publish? What is the Toronto Star afraid of? I would think that if a blogger linked a blog to an article on their paper they would welcome the link.
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