Dr. Ben Carson, the Rx of stupidity

Dr. Ben Carson, the retired doctor seeking the Republican nomination for President, declared that he believed that no Muslim should become President. A majority of Americans believe that too. 

Well.... When Kennedy ran for office, it was accepted that a Catholic could never be President.


Before Obama, it was accepted that an African American could never become President.


Before John Paul II, it was always accepted that only Italians could become Pope.


Before Pope Francis, it was conceded that only Europeans could become Pope.


Before Shirley Muldowney, it was commonly believed that women couldn't drive Top Fuel Dragsters. She won three National Championships in her career.


Before Angelle Sampey, owners would never pick a female for driving Pro Stock Bikes. Somebody gambled and she carted off 41 trophies


Before the French Revolution, it was conceded that a foreign born person would never rise to become the head of France. No one told that to Bonaparte.


Before 1930, no German would imagine that an Austrian born politician would rise to become the Fuehrer.


Paradoxically, his major opponent, the one who actually won the war, became the dominant man in Russia, he too wasn't born in Russia, but in Georgia (country, not the US State).


Further another true paradox, the Allied Supreme Leader who led the western Allies against Germany was descended from, and had a German name.
...
Point is that never presume anything. Think on this. The United States has fought Islam for the last long 15 years with devout Christians in the President's office. Perhaps, just perhaps, the smartest thing that the United States people could ever do, would actually defy bigot idiots like Carson and look around for a smart Islamic person to assume the post of President. You might actually solve that long war on terror.

Bank of Canada plays politics

Hogwash. Seen this before. Bank of Canada deliberately suppressing interest rates to protect the incumbent government. Canada's economy needs a moderate transitional rise in interest rates. Reasons: prevents a further rise in private and commercial indebtedness, which are at record highs. Supports, and or slows the slide of, the Canadian currency.
... Low interest rates encourages the government to print money to artificially mitigate its budgetary deficits and trade deficit. All these skirt the inevitable inflation due to more costly imports. 
... Now it doesn't mean that the rates should spiral upwards, simply adjusted. Delaying a needed rise in interest rates means that when the inevitable interest rates rise, the increase will be far greater and more likely to cause out of control spiralling inflation very similar to the period in the early eighties.
... It seems the Conservatives are using the bank of Canada to protect their political butts at the price of jeopardizing the longer term Canadian economic health. Put the prime interest rates higher now to prevent catastrophic inflation two years from now. 

Musing on Caitlyn's Massey Hall Love-me In

The horror, oh the horror, oh the whorerer. What a tangle we weave when its yourself you deceive. Wear a dress, wear a kilt, wear the garb of a clown. Who does he fool? Not many. Only he, or she (in this case, maybe).

... Only another fool would pay to see, hear or smell this critter. I mean born a male, still a male, with the fashion sense of a drunk baby sitter. Not in transition, more of a quitter.

Note: Caitlyn Jenner, pseudo transgender celebrity is coming to Massey Hall to lecture the masses. He is so gracious in his mission that you will be able to buy a seat at a fee $50 to $200.

The Wild Rose Express coming round the mountain

Conservatives are mantra chant economics by introducing the false idea that this isn't a real recession. Two quarters of productivity decline is only one single number. There are other numbers that point to a reality that they know is just around on the other side of the mountain. Never dismiss just the statistic, begin by observing the economic problems in the People's Republic of China. Witness the numbers of ships sitting at anchor waiting around the globe, for cargo any cargo. The currency has declined. Stock markets kiss the bear. Interest rates are artificially too low. Take it all together. 

The 2008 recession was short and quick simply because it begun in the financial sector in the American, Fanny Mae debacle. The only reason that Canada appeared to do better was that the last set of banking regulations preserved economic stability. Harper took credit for it. In reality Paul Martin was the Liberal architect.

Thirty six thousand Albertans have been laid off. Small businesses will go belly up. Houses will stream onto the market, and worse a rapid rise in bankruptcies guaranteed early next year. Three Lake Freighters, are laid up in Toronto Harbour, you can see them from Sugar Beach. Its the first time since 1989, another stock market driven that ships were tied up. I've experienced the 1974 recession, the 1981 Reagancession, the 1988 recession which stretched through 1993 eliminated when Clinton took over the White House, 2008 blowup Fanny Mae Bushcession. I worked in pulp and paper during a localized industrial recession. That's the economic history.

I know something about recessions. And this one is far more serious than the Conservatives are willing to admit before the election. Its the same bunch of economic knuckle heads in Alberta who put that province into a very poor economic condition to line pockets by totally depending on the performance of a single natural nonrenewable resource. Worse still the incoming government is left holding the bag for a total economic disaster. It didn't matter which political party came into power in Alberta. The Harper type Conservatives literally raided the pantry and left everyone else holding the bag.

The only reason that things appear stable is because the Harper government is deliberately controlling the artificially low interest rate which shelters most people. Mark this... And mark this well. After October election, when the foppish Joe Oliver is no longer Finance Minister, regardless of which party wins the election, the base interest rates have to start rising, then that is when the real hardship on you is going to be felt for at least three probably four years.

Statistically, we are in recession but that interest rate has to come up to support, to stabilize the currency. Paul Martin is on the Liberal staff to encourage deliberate deficit spending. And that would be the same regardless. Why? Its because the Harper government rode the oil pony without making any effort to support the manufacturing sector in central and maritime Canada.

Harper has got it totally wrong. The next government has to be interventionist no matter who gets in power. He knows that the interest rates are going to rise after the end of October coming. The level of private debt in Canada is obscene right now. No politician is dealing with that as yet. The reality is that the Bank of Canada is protecting Harper by suppressing interest rates.

Raising interest rates does something to the economic situation. First it does support and stall the currency from going into a tail spin. Second it will only have positive results in the artificially obscene real estate market by causing a decline in housing prices, the correction that is coming like a locomotive pulling a train through a tunnel - you can hear it and very soon you will see it. Combined with the artificially low interest rates, the astronomically high housing prices, the collapse of the dollar, the recent downturn in stocks globally, the downturn in international industrial output, that train is coming. This isn't the end, what you are looking at is the cow catcher

Time for pinky swears

What can be done? A change is needed..

The next great reform to the Elections Act? After years of angst and agony imposed on the voting citizen, a change is needed. To reduce the quantity of unrealistic promises by candidates, the solution is simple. Pinky swear.

Every candidate's promises and speeches must be made under sworn oath. Lies and broken promises then can be litigated as perjury. This oath period begins once the writ is dropped, or when the official election campaign begins. Candidate's are bound to complain. Yet voters have the right to expect those successful candidates to keep their promises and political affiliation.

A political campaign is much like an employment resume and application. Those segments are conducted and signed by the applicant as being legally true. The average successful new employee is legally expected to tell the truth on that application. If its a lie. They are fired.

Then to protect joe average citizen, all politicians promises and speeches must now have legal force. Everything they say or promise is made under sworn oath.

Betrayed

People kind of really miss the set of ethical points in this sad set of events regarding the Duffy fraud trial. First, Duffy (and colleagues) are alleged to filed substantial fraudulent expense claims. It doesn't matter whether or not the amount is repaid. Let's put it this way. A murderer kills a victim. The crime is murder. Gun, knife, poison or something lethal, is only relevant to the fact that this person unlawfully killed another.

... The same here. The crime is fraud, it matters little whether or not it was for money, goods or love. Think about this. It isn't the matter as to the quantity or amount of money or benefit. The crime is the manner of how that said target was acquired. It doesn't really matter about restitution. Repaying the money may mitigate punishment, but does little to diminish intent. Duffy is alleged to have filed fake residential information and received benefits related to the false information he provided. He also is accused of falsely (fraudulently) filled claims to receive coverage of expenses on journeys to Conservative political events by claiming them as business trips related to Senate business. So the money is of little issue other than being benefit, its the method by which that money was sought.

... Second. People must understand that it doesn't matter whether or not the amount gleaned from a fraud is $90K or Ninety dollars. What is emerging is a concerted effort by Nigel Wright to mitigate Duffy's activities by repaying the amount in question before the Senate auditors could scour the books. This was a coverup scheme emanating from one or more executives in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

... Now, the truth is Harper might not have known the specifics. There is more than sufficient evidence to indicate that he might have known about the plan, there is no smoking cigarette. What can be proved at the moment. Harper appointed Nigel Wright to his staff. Harper recommended Duffy for Senate appointment. Harper chose every single one of his PMO associates and executives. Its Harper's office. Regardless of what he might have, or might not have known, the grand architect of this corrupt edifice is Stephen Harper, he is totally and completely responsible.

... Remember a long time ago when the Liberals were in scandal, and Harper, the chief opposition leader, demanded that government be clear and accountable. Harper is totally one hundred percent accountable for the actions of his staff. It is why the Conservatives picked him to be leader. It is why people voted for him. Yet on something basically obvious as this set of events, Harper still hasn't lived up to his very own, promised standards of accountability.

... More confusion here about Nigel Wright. Since it has been his testimony under oath. Nigel Wright did attempt to arrange the hush money payoff to Duffy. So people seem to view him as honest and loyal. Both are admirable qualities however, this doesn't make him a good guy. Wright is a bad guy. He tried to payoff hush money to Duffy. That's no good deed. Its a bad thing.

... Here's the reality. Yes this whole affair insults Canadians. But whether or not they like it, its the supporters of the Conservatives that have been wrongly served. It matters little whether or not there was any criminality. What is very real, is that they wanted a government that is clear, responsible and accountable. Harper didn't deliver on any of those hopes at all. Conservatives are completely betrayed.

Not the money honey. Its the porpoise

 $90,000 or $90, its not the amount. So much focus is put on the money, not the reason for all these machinations. Duffy is alleged to make fraudulent claims. On The Right Dishonorable Stephen Harper's broad instructions to cover up Duffy's nefarious activities, he wanted the details suppressed from public exposure. Its hush money.

... The only reason to pay hush money is for the recipient of the money to have the purple-traitor, say nothing. Its Senator Duffy that is on trial. The fact that Harper factually didn't know about it is irrelevant. The hush money was orchestrated through his office, not Wright's office, not Duffy's office but through Harper's office.

... And using the news media as a source, Mr. Nigel Wright, under oath just admitted that general linkage. Never mind that his testimony demands the listener to suspend logical assumptions. First assumption is that while the payment was from his personal account, in paying any money to Duffy was intended to cover up a direct paper trail. Second suspension of belief is that the Conservative Party refusing to pay a sum around $32G's, and mark this, a political party that is chocked full of cash donations. 

... As a result of this alleged block Wright says. jeez I will pay $90,000 out of my own pocket because I am just a golly gee great guy. It doesn't matter. That amount is hush money, in a PMO orchestrated cover up. That's the reality of what he said under oath on the stand.

Money, and Coincidence. NOT

I recall a very long time ago, one of my teachers, one of the wiser ones sort of threw away the curriculum course book in economics. Liked the guy. Very smart guy. Well he covered the topic of money despite the fact that he was supposed to be teaching Geography. Why?

Well for starters he found learning Economic Geography tied the memory plagued normal geography into a dynamic of interest. Part of this linkage was understanding money.

Originally trade involved barter. In other words trading one quantity of commodity for another adjusted for intrinsic value. The value of a specific coin or bill must either be backed by gold or an agreed marked value. The actual physical price of a coin or money bill is basically nothing. People that assign value to a currency whether its bills, or coins, not governments.

Before you totally nod off, it was important to define the issue by reasserting what you likely already knew. Observe the timing that the Canadian economic performance peaked just before two events. First was the plasticization of money from a combination cotton, special fibre and cellulose or money or certificate paper. Second was the Harper government's effort to eliminate the coin denomination of the penny.

On the one point its a perpetual source of humour to point out that the Harper Conservatives have left Canada penniless. Opposing that funny bone is the serious coincidence. Ever since the penny was eliminated the Canadian economy has declined. Ever since Canadian money was physically changed form a certificate paper into plastic fibre. Ever since the government did those two actions, the value of the Canadian dollar has declined. and the Canadian economy declined.

Certainly, the devaluation of the price of crude per barrel played a significant part. Crude oil prices do hold a significant role in Harper's configuration of the economy. Basically he was playing Alberta economic politics in a Canadian theatre. He accuses both Trudeau and in turn Mulcair as being unqualified to manage the Canadian economy. It should be pointed out acidly that his government has maintained a governmental deficit for at least eighteen years. His frying pan is considerably burnt red to call others to the grill.

The price of oil languishes around the $50 mark. It has done that now for quite a considerable time during the Harper stewardship. Regardless, his government seems stifled by indecision. Another large part of the problem seems to be his very poor selection of Finance Minister, Joe Oliver. Typical of an old style banker, his solution seems to have been not to do anything other than hijack the Canadian Pension Plan and the Employment Insurance Plan money to make up the shortfall from oil revenue.

A third problem seems to be his inability to negotiate or work with others. Notoriously a control freak, he seems unable to work well with others and his political style is a Nerf plinth for the pillar of any economic strategy. His solution during an election is to come out swinging blame for the economic situation onto others. Politically this is a normal tactic but that could backfire in Canada. Canadian voters, even the dutiful ones are in the end either politically stupid or definitely uncaring beyond their own front doors.

It is to this last point which sounds like an insult. Its not meant to be. Its an established almost universal philosophy in the smokey backrooms of all political parties in Canada. There are some issues that generate national riots and strikes in other nations but barely pulls a blink from the Canadian constituent. Worse still Canadians tend to stay quiet until some issue tweaks their anger button.

Both those aspects played into a great surprise when the Conservatives called the early election or rather the unnecessarily prolonged election costing the government and in turn, the very same taxpayers excessive amounts of money. In theory this was designed to exploit the economic power of the present manifestation of the Conservative party. Politically speaking its not the amount of money one has in a campaign its how to spend it. The longer a campaign the greater the chance there is to toppling from first place into the basement.

The most recent example of this first place arrogance was the Toronto Mayoralty campaign. In the summer, Olivia Chow, had a huge lead and a lot of campaign money. It was however the guy in third place that eventually one. It was a long terrible campaign.  Any smart politician leading in the summer time before the election should never underestimate how a lead can dissipate quickly when the people returning from the cottages or vacay sit down and try to absorb the issues that have been too long in play. A short campaign would have worked better for Harper. But what has this to do with economy?

It has everything to do with economy. If you need or rely on economic resources to run your own campaign and start losing or any slide of support whatsoever that doesn't lend itself to your ability to handle a national economy. This points to a significant flaw in modern Conservative thinking. They like the amount of money rather than appreciating the quality, the value of money.

And this is what happened to the Canadian dollar. Once the quantity of cash, generated by big oil evaporates, the present Conservative government people are unable to manage. Witness how close this problem emulates the situation in Alberta. Two governments, evolved in the very same part of the world colliding with the reality of the real world.

In some way, the modern Conservatives are sort of duplicating the source of the same problem the far more dynamic Mulroney Conservatives had. Mulroney understood business but not government. His regime introduced a federal sales tax and signed NAFTA. One or the other was good for the economy but combined as a pair worked to underscore an economic downturn. In Harper, tying the economy too tightly to oil, eliminating the penny while plasticizing the paper money bills, combined to a lack of faith in the Canadian dollar value. One choice would benefit until the next election but mixing them altogether created a toxic economic environment. So toxic that Harper, who bragged that he was an economist, seems to be standing on his head to talk about anything such as travel plans, rather than the specific most important issue which is the economy.

A terrible economy will wreck a country faster than any overseas terrorist plot can. Yet he wants Canadians to vote for him based on a fear of terrorism than the original reason that people picked him before, which was economy. He strangely devalued the feel of money. So making a coin or making a paper bill is more expensive, traditionally it adds to the perception of value. At the end of ten years, Harper's tenure hasn't added any value to Canada. Just what is he doing?

Linda launches Conservatives into high orbit

I recall that when the oilsands projects were first approved the environmental assessment ascertained that there was an upper limit of crude production that was both economically sustainable and environmentally sustainable. Construction of the two plants at the time went to that limit. People sort of forget that people, Canadians of First Nations heritage, lived and hunted in that area for countless generations.
... And along comes Linda McQuaig present NDP hopeful for the riding of Toronto Centre in the upper coming federal election. Please endure this elongated campaign. Lots of these little missives are bound to send Conservatives into faux high orbit. They are a desperate lot. McQuaig will never be any part of any government. They are grasping onto straws. Of course a lot of people don't realize that there is a greater chance of an Ice Age next year, than there is of McQuaig winning that particular riding. Is her candidacy a good one. Yes, in every other riding other than Toronto Centre.
... The whole vomiting scandal stems from a comment she made at a panel on power and politics. She pointed out the patently obvious. In order for Canada to meet its global warming targets they may have to close off some oilsand's production. That comment fails to measure out as a mystery. Nor unexpected. It is an option. Marvel that, the world still has options.
... Since the beginnings of the resource extraction the continuing production of oilsands crude exceeded the original limits of those first environmental assessments. Frankly here we are. Canadians discussing at each other angrily in an election to determine the productive capacity of a resource that is constitutionally totally within the provincial power. Alberta determines the oilsands production not Ottawa.
... The dilemma totally falls into the lap of the Alberta government. It aggressively promoted expanded oilsands production past the safe limit predetermined by the original environmental reports. It did this in the face of declining revenues as the easy to reach oil and gas reserves became depleted.
... This woman, only a candidate, not an elected MP, is expressing a concern for the global environment which is in itself perfectly legitimate. There are Conservatives, once good members of the present day manifestation of the Conservative Party who share this deep concern for the global climate effects of fossil extraction and burning.
... Had the Alberta government(s) adhered to the original production limits, this whole discussion would be moot. I remember when Peter Lougheed introduced the Heritage Fund with the goal of creating economic diversity and a hedge fund for the future. That noble legacy has obviously been squandered. The rest of the globe, the rest of Canada, should not suffer for this degree of resource mismanagement.
... Regardless of who comes to power federally or provincially whether right wing or left wing, the reality is that the oilsands production must be reassessed as to its real environmental sustainability. Even after the inevitable banning of the burning fossil fuels, oil as a resource will be of great value, especially those with established infrastructure and distribution channels. To hinge a whole party's policy upon the words of a single unelectable candidate.
... Why unelectable? Why prominent? She's running in Toronto Centre. Even Mulcair's written that one off. Besides, Mulcair wouldn't want her as part of the caucus. She's super intelligent, perceptive and prone to ask awkward questions. So into the rearview mirror, luv ya Linda

Pre-Post election circuit of Canada, now known as Canada

Historical view. Consider governing Canada as sort of like running a sound mixed farm. Needs a lot of fertilizer, needs occasional rotation, plowing in the stubble every few years and the farm hand needs changing every ten years or so because the sheep start laughing.

.....

Trash talking around the federal deselection circuit. So wrong Kathy. Wynne, future former Premier of Ontario, postulated that were he trapped in a time warp at the Cornfudgeration of Canada at Charlottetoon, Stephen Harper would not have constructed the transcontinental railway to British Columbia, now known as British Columbia.

Yes, Harper would have built the railway. From Houston, to as far as downtown Calgary, right beside the Palliser with a double barrel loop at the Stampede grounds. He'd call it the Keystoned and Gatesways Railroad (K&GRR).

Trump's short term success

Astounding. Universal Medical Care (UMC) is not necessarily a right or left wing social program. The creation of Ontario UMC or OHIP was enthusiastically created by Conservatives. You know why? It made Ontario economically competitive. Here is a basic economic reality. A healthy population is a happy population. A happy population is a productive population. Duh.
... Thousands of people(of every political background) back then were losing their homes or facing a lifetime of crushing debt, if they or a family member encountered a health crisis by accidental injury or unexpected chronic illness. However, it was not designed to cover normal childbirth nor abortion. It was not meant to cover plastic surgery. It was not meant to cover the pseudo-therapies like those foisted on gullible people by chiropractor quacks.
... Further to this point, a the year of 2008 of all the G-8 industrial nations, the ONLY one that did not have UMC or an affordable health insurance plan was the United States. The nation with the highest health (costs both in direct or GDP calculation) was the United States. UMC or an affordable national health plans work as a social program both for public and private commercial interests. The ONLY political group globally who fanatically opposes UMC are the Yankee Republicans. You wanna know why? They aren't Conservatives, they are morons.
... Here's a current surprise whether you fixate on being considered right or left wing. One of the two remaining social issues funded through government in Canada is a Guaranteed Annual Income, [GAI]. GAI program is a social program designed provide a better more consistent social support than the present day balkan Welfare, Workfare or Disability Support programs. The biggest Canadian advocate for a GAI is not Liberal nor NDP. In fact those two alleged liberal parties, aren't very good at structuring social programs in a way to maximize social support delivery and minimizing the fiscal impact on taxation. The biggest voice is former Conservative Senator Hugh Segal.
... Trust me. Segal is in every sense a Conservative. But he is a Conservative who understands that not all social programs or public ownership commitments are bad. Global economic success depends on effective social programs designed to support weaknesses in the socio-economic matrix. In other words, an effectively run social support system is not the province of right or left wing ideologies. It is however the possession of those politicians able to envision the benefits of a social program to benefit the national interest.
... Idolizing the US Republicans as representative of a sound Conservative thought, is plain stupid. They are not true Conservatives but human troglodytes harping back to the times of the laissez faire, the economic environment of Imperial France of the Sun King; and then apply Darwinian Theory (a botanical matrix) to economics. There are many claiming to be Conservatives without ever making an effort to exactly understand what a true Conservative political ideology is. They are not Conservatives they are ignorant. The politicians of the United States Republican Party lack any intellectual dynamic with regard to comprehending the nature of the global economic matrix.
... So when it comes to Trump's support of UMC isn't surprising. UMC properly structured is taxation well spent. UMC is always good for business. John Robarts and William Davis both Conservative Premiers of Ontario introduced OHIP not because of political ideology but because it was in the best economic interest of Ontario.
... Trump unfortunately lacks political skill. And there are, in various emerging political dilemmas, that political parties whether claiming right or left wing allegiances that adopt a political promise that makes sound business sense. Paul Martin made for the best Minister of Finance in Canadian history. Compare that with the loathsome sluggish thought processes of Joe Oliver. One a liberal, balanced the budget and created a business environment benefiting the national interest. The latter supported economic theory that tied the Canadian economy to the health of one single resource (big oil) to the exclusion of eastern based industrial and manufacturing and its resulting collapse catapults Canada into another unbalanced budget and imminent catastrophic economic recession. Oliver used to be a banker. He should know better. Harper chose him to replace a more effective Flaherty.
... Trump clumsily insulted Mexicans. Yet he identified (rather badly) a huge immigration problem in the USA. Mexico is doing what Cuba did. And in Canada's case doing what Alberta has done to BC and Ontario for about six decades. The Mexicans are doing exactly what my hometown did when they created a municipal environment so toxic to their own poor citizens that they moved to Thunder Bay, which did exactly the same thing in turn by moving those problems onto Toronto. A lot of governments national, provincial and municipal move problems like paying forward to larger economies. They use government policy to move their social problems to other jurisdictions.
... Trump just tapped into that political reality. Got condemned by the Thought Police of every political stripe. There are serious problems in the United States. Trump is a Conservative, just not imprisoned by it. He articulates a problem like a businessman. He fails in defining it politically. Trump would make a better President than the other politicians of the Republican party. UMC is not just the property of left wing ideologues. Immigration problems belong to all. Civic irresponsibility emerges from political hacks claiming both political ideas. At the moment, that is why Trump is leading in the polls.

Senate Reform or Deform a choice

It should be pointed out, that in his very first election he swore upside, down and sideways his aim to have a triple E Senate. Every single prospective Senator he appointed swore that he/she would support that reform.

... Well... foisted. He's just regurgitating a promise he made a decade ago.

... One reason that he didn't pursue reform was that all his consulting legal guys and the Supine Court of Canada said he needed a Constitutional Change. That good people is a pile of hooey. Why you say?

... Because it is left to the Prime MInister to recommend the names of those to the Crown for Senatorial appointment. There is nothing in the Constitutional procedure that dictates exactly how the Prime Minister selects those candidates.

... There is absolutely nothing preventing the Prime Minister requesting that the provincial government of that Senate seat vacancy furnish a name or names selected by sufferage of a part attached to the ballot of the next provincial election, by simply including the names nominated by each official political party in that province.

... The reason that most Prime Ministers would be reluctant to appoint a provincial nominee that wasn't a member of their own political ideology or party association. The advantage of appointing party hacks to the Senate is that they tend to tow the line. It is the real reason that Harper was reluctant to employ that simple method. He is after all a reputed control freak of the first order.

... Its just that selecting any provincial candidate(s) without political prejudice, or campaign contributors require a Prime Minister of exceptional ethical discipline. He/she would be often furnishing candidates he/she didn't like. Much like many former Prime Minister going back decades, Harper did not have the strength of character to do that simple and constitutionally correct method of picking new Senators.

... It should be pointed out that if in the event of a minority government and Harper would willingly flip back to the old mode if any of his legislation was threatened in the upper house. I rather suspect that if there was any NDP or Liberal minority, those Prime Ministers would gleefully stuff their party hacks into the Senate to overcome any Conservative Senatorial majority.

... And don't kid yourself, when push comes to shove it doesn't matter whether the Prime Minister is Harper, Mulcair, or Trudeau, all will be confronted by the ultimate paradox. Before the reform Bill or Act can be signed, or receive provincial constitutional ratification, that legislation must be approved by the Senate by vote. Its not the Supreme Court or the provinces that will be the major block, its the Senate itself.

... Certainly they will not vote in favour of their extinction. It is a cushy job chocked full of perks with little work, with even smaller effort. They will not give it up easily nor willingly as a group. Some will vote for reform, but that would be still a minority because most of those residing on those seats got their because they are not innovators nor people of ethical stripe, but because they are almost all political party hacks.

... Repairing the Senate people also must understand exactly what the original intent of the Senate was. The fact that it is supposed to be the house of sober second thought is beyond laughable. Its presence was instituted to protect the regions from the concentrated political power of Central Canada. It makes sense. It still does. It protects provincial rights. Canada has a very large physical land mass. The intent of the Senate structure was sound. It still can work effectively. If it did its job, regional alienation for independence would be counteracted. Had the Senators, and the House of Commons been up to the job, this problem would never have been needed for visitation. Oh curses, here we are.

... The NDP and others who lack appreciation of the original purpose of the Senate creation, fail to understand that had the Senate worked the way it is supposed to, it would facilitate a better political process than the one we have now. The major flaw of the Senate structure is that all the power resides in the Prime Minister. He's the one who selects or nominates those names to the Crown.

... This appointment structure led to two major difficulties. One all the Senators owe their loyalty to a single politician not to the regions that they are supposed to represent. The second problem is that in cases where the Prime Minister wants to expedite legislation through the sober thinkers instead of persuasion, the PM stuffs the Senate with useless and often corrupt party loyalists. As a result the Senate becomes a bloated monster.

... Without question, there are way too many Senators with a career incumbency beyond reality. They are Senators until they reach 75. They might resign to work in a real job. Resignations happen but most Senators remain in their plush jobs until death or 75 which ever comes first. Ideally all Senators should be on term limits, and replaced at the end of those terms at the pleasure of the province they represent, not the will of the federal Prime Minister.

... Then the maximum Senate Reform is abolition. That can and will be defeated by the Supreme Court on entrenched Constitutional clauses. However, simply reducing the number of Senators, removing the power of the Prime Minister in favor of the provincial governments with regard to appointing those Senators and that those nominees placed on a list subject to provincial suffrage.

... To make the process of selecting Senator even more effective, thirty Senator vacancies would be three from each province and another thirty from federal names selected from nominee lists provided by recognized official parties, and parsed by the percentage of the national popular vote from the previous but immediate federal election. The appointment terms would be eight years. Any vacancy caused by death or departure would remain vacant until the next federal election. But that will never happen as long as the power to appoint Senators remains solely in the hands of the Prime Minister.

... So this is the conundrum facing all the country, the greatest block to reforming the Canadian Senate is the Senate itself. Time has proved one thing, like the other party leaders occupying the PMO, Harper hasn't proved up to the job.

Waiting for the Bus

Well. So much for Mulcair. To the Canadian electorate, the term "Coalition" is right up there with "kissing rattlesnakes."
... Being thrown under a bus is one thing. Jumping selfie under that bus presents another dynamic.
... Mulcair mentioned this idea, probably in passing. Throwing out the old trial balloon. Any politician, shouldn't muse. I read Machievelli. Trial balloons didn't appear in, "The Prince." Understanding Nicky Mack though, he would probably freak. Always look decisive even if one is not. Never muse on ideas beyond the capacity of your electorate to understand those musing. The idea rebounds from the good bouncing right into the bad.

... Trudeau won't bite on this one.

... The problem is this. Canadian are politically stupid. Go from there.

... In other legislatures and parliaments forming coalitions is a totally sound legitimate formation of government. Not in Canada. You can't expect people who only pay attention to politics six weeks out of the usual election cycle of 208 weeks to be exactly knowledgeable about the operations of a democratic government. For 202 weeks, the vast majority of Canadians don't want to hear about politics or any other global topic other than hockey.

... Harper put a scare into the voters last election when he simply mentioned the word "Coalition." He's a lousy leader, but he understands fear. Canadians are easily scared when it comes to anything outside of the home and workplace. Okay, include their cars. Any perception of threat to that world and the Canadian voter will turn their vote. They are so easily scared.

... And now Mulcair walks into the trap. Immediately after the election, in the waning lines of bull shit, then a minority government might seek partners whether public or secret. Canadian's back away, run away, from any political leader that even mentions Coalition. That statement was a serious mistake. The Conservatives are going to run that idea into the ground based less on merit than instilling fear.

No win

Toronto's City Council's acrimonious debate over the fate of the Gardiner Expressway seems one of utter futility. They are about to render a decision. It is the ultimate no win.

At the moment, the whole council seems completely split right down the middle. Both sides really don't know what they are talking about. Personal agendas flow into the scene. The vote took place during the writing.

The Gardiner Expressway was called the mistake by the lake when it was constructed. In high school, one teacher gave us a study in urban planning. His assessment about its construction was that once used it was going to be like an urban planning Heroin. It does what it was designed to do. Once employed it became an addiction hard to kick.

Challenging most logic, if one carefully leafs through the various projects, one finds that they are all valid. Another commonality infused in each advocacy seems laced with the blissful ignorance of winter conditions. A flaw in both sides was in the limited view these people had of the highway. One would naturally think that the highway existed for the sole convenience of the suburban commuter. Another problem is the speed of which it is constructed. The City engineers seem to believe that the structure will eventually become dangerous about the year 2020. For a major project this is not all that far off.

A lot of political capital was expended by each side. The boulevard advocates abandoned cited magical studies and polling reports. They used every euphemism for the word stupid referring to their opponents. They had studies. There were studies supporting a highway teardown, There was an equal number of myths. For many politicians of both sides, if not all, this debate will come to haunt them in the future.

For the observer this debate seemed a real life example of the no win scenario. Truly the Gardiner Expressway debate can be called the Kobayashi Maru of city politics. There were four choices. Keep it. Tear it down. Or merge the highway projects into something called a Hybrid. Each version would work. BUT

No matter the choice, it would be wrong. The people who lost the close vote vowed to continue to vocalize against it. This project isn't really worth the political fight. It was something that had to be dealt with. The losing councillors and over social media vowed to keep up the fight. The whole debate was a red herring argument.

The same people that want to tear down are also in a severe fight to prevent the island airport to expand to  accommodate jet aircraft. They have proven very poor advocates of any position. Here is a proposal that would have a far greater impact on the city than that intersection. Some of the City Mayor's Executive came out for tearing it down completely.

Basically these councillors were voting against the boss. This can only happen so many times without being forced out of their perk laden cushy appointments. Now the airport vote will be another very close vote with many of the same people sitting on the fence. Several key votes are on the Executive Committee. These councillors expended a lot of political capital and may have to hold their votes to support the expansion of the airport.

It is why this was a no win. By fighting this issue so severely, the expansion of the airport will pass because the four votes on the Executive committee will be forced to vote for the expansion. They lost a lot of their political blood on their support of another plan. Many of the councillors also prove themselves to be totally undemocratic vowing to reverse council decision. These same political hacks will not have the same persuasive power because its going to be very difficult after calling other politicians basically thoughtless idiots on this lesser issue.

Regardless, no matter the choice, every choice is wrong. And that is a very rare example of the no win situation.

Solomon's wisdom

How does Amanda Lang get away with it? The ethically challenged Canadian Boredcasting Corpseration (CBC) entered a new low.

Apparently some boob tube yapper puppy got involved with a sideline. Art dealing. Evan Solomon evidently was palsy walsy with a big time art collector, who in turn, wanted to sell some of the junk out of his collection. Solomon set up the contacts with a couple of well known buyers.

Solomon, a golden boy at the mother corpse, and air apparent to the other ethically challenged Peter Mansbridge. For those who don't know, Mansbridge is a news anchor. The linkage is a total insult to the intelligence of all anchors.

Golden boy used his high brow contacts to connect with the art dealer. The art collector and the expired tv personality had a working professional relationship with Solomon in the role of a paid broker.

The fact that Solomon worked as an agent for the collector wasn't known to the buyers. Solomon received a commission. In a latter transaction, more art moved from the collector to the repeat buyer. Solomon managed to find out and wanted a commission for transaction as the seller had originally a secret contract with said mouth piece.

The Solomon wanted a full commission which would have been over a rumored million bucks in Canadian currency. Alas, alas and rather predictably the collector offered a sum one fifth that. Solomon dug his heels in, he wanted more. A miraculous event occurred. Solomon's secret activities were leaked to the venerated ventilated Toronto Star. In turn the CBC found out.

In a sudden tightening of the ethical line in the sand, the CBC fired Solomon. Considering that the Mother Corpse had let Amanda Lang off with a slap on the back, for ethical issues far more serious than Solomon.

In brief review, a CBC reporter filed a report about the Royal Bank of Canada's (RBC) creative use of  the federal government's Temporary Foreign Worker's Program (TFW). The TFW was created to enable companies hire foreign workers to fill out vacancies that Canadians weren't able to do. Its original goal was to enable agriculture to bring in agricultural workers for harvest.  Harper's Federalis then allowed other companies to participate.

The creative part was that RBC, a bank, a bloated creation of greed, brought in temporary foreign workers, had them trained by Canadians for jobs, fired the trainers, then filled these positions with the same far cheaper TFW's. This clear cut egregious evil act was reported by a CBC reporter.

Lang, a major host on CBC's Business Program, attempted to spike or kill the story before it was aired. Lang was fucking a senior RBC executive. She tried everything to stop it even to the point of trash talking the other CBC reporter. Again another media company got a hold of this little tidbit. It hit the fan.

Further she had received speaking fees from some companies. Those companies seemed to be mentioned frequently and favorably on her television program.

The CBC hired a third party to evaluate Lang's activities. That third party, a PR firm, listed the very same companies that dealt with Lang, or screwed Lang, as their business clients. So this PR firm issued a report that Lang did nothing ethically wrong. Bizarrely the CBC accepted this report and kept Lang in their employ.

Compare the level of ethical challenge of Lang with that of Solomon's activities. Consider the fact that the mother corpse decided on Gian Gomeshi's alleged sexual assaults with a heavy swift action. Solomon's activities were severely in a grey area. His activities did not directly impact CBC. Gomeshi's did directly impact. Lang's activities not only effected the CBC it also impaired the journalistic freedom of the corpse.

The CBC seems to have a sexist double standard. If you're a female offender its okay. If you are male you're out the door.

Drop it I tell ya. Drop it buddy

Its a magnificent struggle for lunacy. Some want the Gardiner East section to be removed. Some, like the furious Mayor, want a hybrid. Sort of a highway mule with no fertility.

Like you, I could really care less. But what is distressing from a third party standpoint is that both sides are trotting out the BS. The advocates for the mule give numbers about time increases. Advocates for removal trot out minimal figures.

Worse still is the fanciful project costs. Everyone on every side seems to be giving rather low estimates of their options. Going on history, City history, I'll betcha dollars to donuts* that those are about one third to one quarter of the final real costs of each project.

Reason. That is  particularly complex topography to build anything since it is also at the mouth of a small, albeit definable river mouth. Worse still, they have to work around existing infrastructure maintaining some traffic flow.

In all the arguments, I don't think people seem to regard that section of the highway as part of the entire highway system from Montreal and Ottawa to Windsor, to Sarnia, to Fort Erie.

The debaters seem to argue about six hours out of a 24 hour period. And the removers seem to say, well everyone will have to start earlier without adding the ever so critical point of saying that people will go from work to home even later. The cherry on this little sundae gem is the fact that they are pointing to public transit the same day that the vaunted TTC subway system collapsed because it seems no one has a cell phone. 

Had all the stations were equipped with cell phone service the supervisors could have bypassed. No. Seems out of all the TTC supervisors on staff none have cell phones or use them. They could ask the customers to use those cells to move trains. Nope.

In off peak, night hours a lot of truck traffic flows down and up the DVP/Gardiner Queen Elizabeth corridor. Not all. But about 1/4 of trans-city traffic to Niagara slides down through. Trucks from up north come down the 400, 404 at night and off peak hours, they choose which way to go.

 

Some confused Ryerson puppies on the Star seem to hate the Gardiner for the most trivial reasoning. One columnist even cited how San Francisco should be the model because it no longer has its harbour expressway. The guy skirted around several things. First different geography SFO is on a peninsula. Second SFO is an end point of the ground transport system, Toronto is the major hub of the highway network in the middle of the highway network. Third, the reporter failed to give equal weight to Edmonton, Regina, Calgary, and Winnipeg which all have ring expressways to facilitate commercial traffic. Toronto has a functioning ring highway under several different names unfortunately. (401,DVP,Gardiner, 427)

Removing that section will move that commercial traffic all the way through Toronto and onto the hard pressed Hwy 427. Plus the advocates of the removal seem to believe that if they remove that part of the Gardiner, that removes all the traffic. Its just going to move it onto other streets where their precious TTC operates.

Neither side seems to stand up to the measure of reality. Its now more political than logical.

TTC in total crisis

Emerging from the mists surrounding reality seems that the Toronto Transit Commission entered a serious period of crisis without anyone noticing. This morning's sudden, unexplained total communications breakdown on the critical Subway system points to the parade of problems surrounding today's TTC.

Clearly the Chief General Manager, Andy Byford, lords over this land of disasters. If the subway breakdown was a one off, then that is the way life is. Mark this list, for it is a list, these serious service interruptions continually occur wholly under Byford's apologetic announcements. Up to this point, Byford managed to slide off the problems onto previous managers, administrations and politicians.

He's continually referring to the necessary upgrades of the Subway communications and signal systems. Yet, with every weekend shutdown seems followed by a series of major service interruptions. With each the TTC seems to minimize the effects of each service interruption. Yes 150,000 riders were affected. Beyond that number is the total failure of the TTC or its Chairman to acknowledge the real impact of TTC traffic interruptions.

Each one of those are workers or students especially at the rush hours. Rush hours rarely have shoppers or tourists by traveling by choice. Each person must arrive at work on time and faces an wage decrease due to lateness. Each working rider also faces the reality that an employer regards their tardiness as the responsibility of the worker, not the responsibility of the TTC. Each person faces justified dismissal from their employment. Each person likely has a family relying on their ability for arriving at work in a timely fashion.

Further, each employer hires people to do necessary work when the work must be done. That is why any employer pays people for tasks. Not having those tasks dealt with costs companies including the likely loss of revenue. System wide failures cost all city residents monies whether or not they actually take the TTC.

At the end of this, who remains accountable? Today's TTC planning seems a shambles. Seems, no exists in shambles. There are massive cost overruns and project delays. There are service interruptions. There is flip flopping by the operations managers as they follow the whims of city politicians into a variety of ideas, none of which are followed through on. When a City Council creates, and begins a plan, the following political incarnations cancel, reverse and adversely modify those projects.

Even with the weaknesses of the LRT plans for rapid streetcar corridors in Scarborough, those projects might have been nearing or fully completed had not the retrograde thinking of a group of thuggish politicians representing the opposite end of the city blocked and reversed planning. Those projects had been fully financed. Then they took credit for subways that do not exist using questionable funding profiles that have been proven totally false and inadequate when compared with the reality experienced with the York University subway extension project.

It should be pointed out that swift action came with the YorkU extension cost overruns with the firing of a couple of managers directly responsible for that project. But while these poor people were responsible, they weren't the people accountable. The TTC Board and its Chief General Manager are the people who are accountable. The latter group seems to have Teflon coating when it comes to accountability. The Toronto media seems to buy their excuses hook, line and net fully supporting those people.

The long list of subway failures, of project delays, of cost overruns falls within the tenure period of Andy Byford. Clearly he remains because he appeases the political delusions of the TTC Board. Byford never stood up to the political interference from the Toronto City Council. How does the City fix it? First diminish the political influence on the TTC Board. Second, insist upon the resignation of Andy Byford. Too many adverse events have occurred to smooth over the Chief General Manager's ability to politically survive that list which he is accountable for.

Flame out

Peter MacKay's departure sends shockwaves through Harper's Conservative party. It also signals the final schism between the Progressives and the Conservatives that were merged about 80years ago. It also signals the final victory of the the movement begun by Preston Manning and his Reform Party which sought to usurp the more moderate Conservatives into leaving for other parties. Its brand is now pure. It not only merged with the old Progressive Conservatives

It should be noted that over the past two decades that the Reform Movement begun its serial rebrandings to take over the Conservative trademark, the Liberal Party and yes the New Democratic Party(NDP) have moved far to their version of their right wing. They are internally more Conservative.

Although on opposite sides of the political frame the path of the NDP and Conservatives are almost identical. Both were founded on, or at least in major part the foundation of Western political reform movements.  The NDP were founded on an alliance of the socialist CCF party and dissaffected Big "L" Liberals.

The stumbling Conservative movement in the Dirty Thirties merged with the Conservative half of the Progressive Party movement into the Progressive Conservative(PC). The merger of the Canadian Alliance (rebranded Reform Party) and old PCs in 2003 reflected two sides of the same coin. In each case the mainstream political hounds melded with the reform movements to gain their brand, and after a period of time expelled those reformers.

In the early 1970's, the NDP expelled Jame's Laxar Waffle which was a sub party conclave of upset socialists within that party that were pushing back the internal policy movement away from socialist leanings. Today's NDP is not a socialist organization. It is the Liberal rump that departed with Hazen Argue in the 1960s that dominates that party.

Similarly, although procedurally different the departure of MacKay symbolically defines the departure of the reform movement known as the Progressives, from the Harper ruled Conservatives. Whether this effects the ultimate result in the next October election is open to question. That election is still a long time away in politics. What can be said is that the century old political reform movements of the CCF and Progressives are now dead and buried with few young champions. Torches are not always past, sometimes they just burn out.

Unda Der Vater, Da Deep Dirty Vater

Here's the situation. Aging public works that needs expensive rehabilitation and soon. Toronto's agony seems a lesson best not forgotten. Its all about the Gardiner Expressway. This is a major expressway, built in the 1950's which due to inadequate taxpayer funding regarding ongoing maintenance has aged far faster than the original plan.

Studies state that commuters face a delay of ten minutes on each one way travel during the work week days if the Gardiner disappears. The network of media and political punditicles use the term "Gridlock" to describe the resulting traffic jams. Indeed, one of the biggest vote grabbers for politicians involves the promise of reducing gridlock.

The problem involves the positively obvious fact that there are simply too many automobiles on the city infrastructure. Easily 9 out of 10 rush hour cars carry only a single human. As soon as public works builds a solution such as the Gardiner Expressway, it seems to fill up very fast and just as fast as when there was no solution.

Over the years, various solutions have been tried or encouraged. The first of these seems the most logical is public transit where instead of one person, one vehicle a larger single vehicle carries close to 100 people. Logic dictates that in doing this, one vehicle reduces one hundred. Or in the case of a subway or mass transit train, two thousand or more people which translates into the potential elimination of 1999 cars. In North America, this strategy has been an ongoing failure. The reason is that public transportation is a popular way to travel as long as its the other guy on the system.

The second major strategy to eliminate "gridlock" has been staggered working hours. This is a brilliant concept on paper. Presently people seem to get to work between 0800 and 0930hrs and depart between 1600 and 1800hrs, this puts a large number of people onto the mass transit beyond its capacity. And its not cost effective to build expensive public transit to the ideal rush hour capacity.

The staggered working hours though defy any reality. The reason one goes to work at such a time aims at being working with employees or other companies at work during that time also. Economic activity depends on efficient co-ordinated immediate contact transactions. Trade and commerce is a human activity. Staggering hours looks good on paper but defies simple humanity. Its a pointless commercial gimmick.

Since people maintain an addictive relationship with their cars, any action weaning them is doomed to failure. Each one of those adults votes. Forced removal from their cars, is a form of political suicide in a democracy. Heavens above witness the lack of willingness of political leaders to sacrifice their well paid careers for the self interest of the community or nation.

That's the basic transportation dilemma confronting Toronto City Council. Ironically though the people want to stay in their cars, as taxpayers they don't want to fund it to the point sufficient to maintain that facility.

Coming to how that effects the Gardiner Expressway. Any option is the best solution. Something does have to be done. Recognize one thing. That Expressway serves mostly people who do not pay city taxes, who live outside the borders of Toronto.

Two unnerving facts emerge from this controversy. First, I believe that all the budget estimates for any version of the project are way too low. History has proved that 4 out of 5 city projects have overrun the original budgets.

Read a number, a project estimate that is given, then automatically double it. If the hybrid solution that the present mayor wants suggests that it is going to cost $900M, its really going to cost $1.8B. The Spadina transit way, the St. Clair transit way, the trackage down Leslie to the new streetcar barns, the York University subway extension, Harbourfront rehabilitation, ... without exception all these projects have been grievously afflicted by gargantuan cost overruns.

The second unsettling facet of all the Gardiner, Don Valley Parkway reconstruction projects do not include the redirection of the mouth of the Don River. The sharp diversion of the Don immediately below the interchange lends to flooding in every heavy rain. Straightening out the flow channel or eliminating the ninety degree dogleg with a curving shape. Without including the redirection of the Don channel then the future designs of the Don Valley Parkway will continue to be flooded every heavy rain. Reconstructing the Gardiner, gives the opportunity to solve the traffic flow and the water flow. Ignoring the Don River problem will prove more costly for both projects if they continue to be segregated.

  

Sunday mourning humor and phone communications

Due to the lack of any comedy shows on Sunday mornings, the Fox News planked some thoughtless, self absorbed fool, to anchor their Sunday morning programming. They are egregiously pro-Republican neo-Conservative. And they highlight just how screwed up modern right wing Conservatives are. Its a feel good program. They are so stupid anything and everything they say makes me look spectacularly intelligent.

Observation
This segment of the political spectrum are gung-ho about applying blanket unfocused electronic surveillance to deter terrorism. The Conservatives are all for the spending of money on trying to do that. It looks good on paper. Just how cost effective it is, can be and should be questioned.

It makes intelligence agencies lazy, however that's a sidebar issue. Every time that there is a large failure of intelligence gathering, there has been a previous period where that particular intelligence service has lived a period wholly dependent on electronic fact gathering. Everything owns some sort of side bar.

Paradoxically, the Conservative types also dive into an Olympic sized pool of liquid apoplexy when they find out that blanket includes them. They are outraged. In the future, Conservatives should change the law determining the coverage of the blanket. Anyone who voted Conservative should be exempt from that blanket coverage because it is an invasion of the privacy of the good.

FA Day two: Withdrawal continues

Day two. No Face Book for two whole days. Handling it rather well. Unfortunately no one else in the group FA (FaceBookies Anonymosity).

The entire compulsion is to write snappy comments. Tweeter sucks. It only allows a maximum 140 characters. What's with that. The brown streak on a run of toilet paper stretches longer than that.

Ol Buddy. He, from the looks of it the only one I got left out of the whole schmozilane sequence of events. Old Buddy relayed by email that yes indeed that CNN had said that FaceBook was selecting those who supported Omar Khadr furiously got turfed from the service.

The excuse was that by supporting Khadr I supported terrorism. Nothing of the kind. I supported strongly the idea that he was shot in the back, imprisoned wrongly because according to the United Nations that poor guy, another Canadian citizen, was at the time a Child Soldier.

Some guy from Detroit, with a fake identity decided to counteract that statement by calling me a moron. So first I told him that it was an internal Canadian issue and Americans weren't welcome and that he was a racist goof.

I was going by his profile picture where he conveyed an image of being a Christian Crusader. Crusaders being positively anti-Islamic. Its very hypocritical to promote the suppression of antisemitism which I encourage, and on the other hand be anti-Islamic. I worked for employers from both cultures and both were okay to work for. Except one. He wanted someone to marry his daughter. There were three of us and the boss kept the one who tried to date his daughter. Really strange.

The reality is so distant from the libelous myths that one group says about another. And the fundamentalist Christians chime in about how ruthless Islam is. They tend. No. Christians forget the brutal regimes of the Inquisition, the suppression of the Cathars, and the massacre of the Templars. There was only one St. Francis of Assisi.

If Khadr was from a well off old world British family Canada and its leadership would fall over themselves to give the poor kid another chance. But his skin is brown, his dad was a jihadist, and he was pressed into Al Qaeda as a child soldier. Regardless, if true I believe that FaceBook is working for the American Government in its campaign to make this one young man the poster boy for all the American problems.

Anyhow, the administrators ignored the fact that the commentator simply called me a moron. Instead I believe, because I was an advocate for the civil rights that Khadr was entitled to, the rights every Canadian citizen is entitled to, some racist prick working for FaceBook in Palo Alto decided to block access to FaceBook and closed my account.

FaceBook dislikes free speech as much as any other bunch of racist hypocrites.

Hooray.

Facebook: the World 'Cordin' to Zuck the F'ck

Four years ago, I almost got knocked off FaceBook. This morning the same thing happened. Some obscure Palo Alto cyber gnome sent me an alert to say that a comment had been deleted. The problem was that I didn't know exactly which.

One sore point was where some Yankee from Detroit weighed in on Khadr. The guys avatar painted him a Christian Crusader. His retort was to simply call me a moron. Okay, but substantiate it.

Here's what I found in all the attacks on Omar Khadr's release. First, without exception they are ignorant people, usually Conservatives or American Republicans and their entire comments involve name calling and catch phrases. Face facts, Americans are a racist culture, white and black inclusive. However they want to apply their racism north of the border and will block off any view that seems effectively anti-American. FaceBook after all serves the USA globally and that's the working reality.

He just called names. I looked at his FaceBook page. One I told him that the Omar Khadr affair was an internal Canadian affair, then I checked his FaceBook Page which carried the Crusader or an anti-islamic shield, I then called him a racist goof. Well perhaps the FaceBook adjudicator, another American racist residing in Palo Alto California, decided to ban or in their lovely phrase "Deactivate your Account." Which they did.


But FaceBook censorship is the biggest bully of all. It deletes or criticizes comments according to charges from someone or anyone with no ample effort to request a defense from the accused. For one thing I don't know if I am out of line. Without referring to the actual comment, its hard to define whether a person exceeded some limit. Americans take offence very easily. Its a very low bar.

However their bar allowing comments against Islamic people, or anyone with Liberal affiliation seems very high. Conservatives can call people names and make racist comments without fear on FaceBook. About three years ago I complained about a Conservative American making a racist comment on a topic that was definitely not according to the Conservative world that Zuckerboy is trying to instill but the only reply was that this wasn't racist, nor offensive. It was a really bad judgement.

But here is the second problem, I am not sure. Here's why. About six months before the last federal election, a couple hundred of Conservative volunteers and sometimes paid cyber operatives activate phony FaceBook accounts and begin trashing anything that isn't Conservative. The last time I ran afoul of the Facebook censor, in fact everytime, was when I took after those phony critics.  With practice, over the years I've got quite good at coming back at their blatant lies and slanderous nicknames. For every Lieberals they puked up, I countered with a Con-Troll. Yes I invented that nickname.

Here is the problem, Liberal thinking peoples don't gang up like the Conservative bullies do. Over time they have learned to gang up on other posters that defend their positions opposite of their conservative views. If a person proves effective they gang up to complain about that person and have them banned despite the fact that most of their identities are phony. FaceBook never cancels those phony accounts. Any Liberal accounts they ban or deactivate without a second thought.

So going into the next election remember one thing... FaceBook permits Con-Trolls not their liberal critics. Anything that goes through FaceBook should be considered with a severe conservative bias.

That is the problem, FaceBook doesn't quite tell you. Its a feudal empire with Zuck the F'ck as emperor. Any judgement they render is always done by secret deliberation. So you can't tell whether one went over a line or this is just another political gambit by the Conservative Party cyber hitmen secreted over the internet.