While Al Gore may be "one of the world's most famous climate change activists", that does not automatically make him an expert, or even knowledgeable. He is a failed rich U.S. politician from a big mansion in Tennessee, and a one-time documentary film maker, with little knowledge of Canada, our workers, or our unique circumstances.
Heaven forbid ... if George Bush came up here and tried to tell us how to run our country, the CBC, the Toronto Star, David Suzuki, Maude Barlow, and all of the other usual suspects would be apoplectic. But it's OK when it's Al Gore, the man who "invented the internet" (remember THAT claim??).
Other famous activists on Al's side of the political spectrum are "One-Sheet Sheryl Crow" and "You selfish little pig" Alec Baldwin. "Famous activist" is not a moniker that automatically gives you the creds to run a government.
The left's current hero, David Suzuki, is a geneticist and the host of a TV show. He is not a climatologist. As such, he too is little more than "a celebrity activist". His opinion that "Canadians" are prepared to support a carbon tax is so flawed as to be laughable. He bases this opinion on one cross-Canada tour that drew, not surprisingly, people who agree with David Suzuki ... the already-converted. 19% routinely vote NDP, and that is about the size of David Suzuki's true following. Add a big fat punative carbon tax to fossil fuels and internal combustion engines, and thousands of laid-off auto workers here in Windsor would gladly lynch David Suzuki in public. We aren't rich cocktail circuit ideologues. It's easy to "sacrifice" $5,000 a year to save the planet when you are making $500,000 a year, or when you are an idealistic ivory tower student who makes no money, has no commitments and pays no taxes.
The Green Show in Toronto is really nothing more than a commercially-motivated gaggle of the converted in Canada's most left-wing, malignantly-entitled city, and while I too support some measure of responsible behaviour on behalf of all of us to improve our environment, it cannot be at the cost of castrating our economic competitiveness in the world. If we don't have viable jobs and industries earning us profits to pay for our way of life, including all of our treasured benefits, worrying about New Orleans (maybe) sinking back into the ocean in 50 years will rapidly fall to number 20 on our list of real-world priorities.
Thousands here in Windsor have lost good manufacturing jobs to China, the U.S., India and the developing world, none of whom have been suckered into supporting "Kyoto" ... a well-meaning, but very flawed document. This is not the time to be following "famous celebrity activists" lemming-like over a cliff of economic irresponsibility just because it seems like the cool thing to do during a slow news cycle.
Harper and Baird have got this right. Their measures are tough, they have real outcomes and timelines specified, they are responsibly-timed, they are sustainable and they are achievable. They are realistic, and most importantly, we have the leaders now in place to make them happen.
None of that was true (as history has proven!) under the Liberals. I cannot believe any living, breathing Liberal has the cajones to even open his mouth on the issue of the environment, given their absolutely abysmal record of breaking promises in almost every facet of life in Canada, and most especially on the environment.
Al Gore, Michael Moore, Bono and One-Sheet Sheryl have nothing whatsoever to teach us here in Canada. As the documentary's title so figuratively summed up regarding "celebrity activists" ... "Just Shut Up and Sing".
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Most Hypocritical Headline of 2007
From CTV's website today: "Baird accused of scare tactics on Kyoto"
Now that's rich ... global warming alarmists criticising Baird for using scare tactics. How DARE anyone use scare tactics to sway public opinion on global warming. Who would dare to stoop so low? It turns out, many.
The left is soooo predictable. The Dion Liberals criticising Conservatives of using smear ads. How low. And now "critics" upset at Baird for using scare tactics.
For a Master's course on using smear campaigns, bullying and scare tactics, please study professors Chretien and Suzuki.
Learn from the masters. Nobody does it better!
Now that's rich ... global warming alarmists criticising Baird for using scare tactics. How DARE anyone use scare tactics to sway public opinion on global warming. Who would dare to stoop so low? It turns out, many.
The left is soooo predictable. The Dion Liberals criticising Conservatives of using smear ads. How low. And now "critics" upset at Baird for using scare tactics.
For a Master's course on using smear campaigns, bullying and scare tactics, please study professors Chretien and Suzuki.
Learn from the masters. Nobody does it better!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
More Liberal Smoke & Mirrors
In Rob Ferguson's April 6, 2007 Toronto Star report, “Nuclear deal too costly: Auditor”, Tom Adams of Energy Probe said, "The government's reputation as a defender of the ratepayer has suffered a serious blow here".
I disagree. This particular government has richly earned a reputation of being incapable of conducting business in a responsible manner, and this is just one more example.
To whit, they made irresponsible election promises in 2003 that they knew they couldn’t or wouldn't keep. Now with another election looming, they are scurrying to look like they’ve actually done something, and their lack of vision, planning and business acumen leads to bad deals like this.
Secondly, they "created an artificially low price at the beginning" of the Bruce deal so they won’t have to run as the party that increased hydro prices 44%. In fact, this government routinely makes “blue-sky” predictions far into the future to both embellish their meager accomplishments, and obfuscate their considerable shortcomings.
For example, their much-ballyhooed Business Education Tax cut doesn't even start until 2008 (at just $15 M), and doesn’t fully kick in until 2014, but they trumpeted the entire final estimated $540 M tax cut as a key plank in their 2007 budget. If it’s that good for business and jobs, it should be both real, and immediate. 2014 is two elections into the future, and such “announcements” are thus completely dishonest.
I will grant the McGuinty Liberals one thing. At least they are consistent.
Ralph Klein might describe their adopted business model as "Big Hat - No Cattle".
I disagree. This particular government has richly earned a reputation of being incapable of conducting business in a responsible manner, and this is just one more example.
To whit, they made irresponsible election promises in 2003 that they knew they couldn’t or wouldn't keep. Now with another election looming, they are scurrying to look like they’ve actually done something, and their lack of vision, planning and business acumen leads to bad deals like this.
Secondly, they "created an artificially low price at the beginning" of the Bruce deal so they won’t have to run as the party that increased hydro prices 44%. In fact, this government routinely makes “blue-sky” predictions far into the future to both embellish their meager accomplishments, and obfuscate their considerable shortcomings.
For example, their much-ballyhooed Business Education Tax cut doesn't even start until 2008 (at just $15 M), and doesn’t fully kick in until 2014, but they trumpeted the entire final estimated $540 M tax cut as a key plank in their 2007 budget. If it’s that good for business and jobs, it should be both real, and immediate. 2014 is two elections into the future, and such “announcements” are thus completely dishonest.
I will grant the McGuinty Liberals one thing. At least they are consistent.
Ralph Klein might describe their adopted business model as "Big Hat - No Cattle".
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Re: Time to bail out of Afghanistan?
Re: WHY ARE WE IMPORTING DEAD CANADIAN SOLDIERS ?
While I sometimes disagree with the contents of Bourque's Newswatch page, I can accept our differing points of view and move on. I've slept on this one overnight before sending. I guess I don't understand those who want to bail out of Afghanistan at all. This headline from his website triggered my response, which is really a response to all Afghanistan-bailers in Canada.
With respect to the above headline, in my opinion it is really out of line, and even offensive, especially to those serving. I wish all of the sanctimonious Afghanistan "pacifists" (CBC, CTV, NDP, most of Quebec, mainstream media, academia, ... all of the usual suspects) would consider the following:
1. Number of military deaths to date in Afghanistan 2002 - 2006: 45. Consider, all of these people signed up voluntarily for the military, a very dangerous job, where you are trained to fight and kill people, destroy things and do whatever it takes to impose your will on an unwilling opponent, while they are committed to doing the same thing to you. If you wanted a nice safe job, you could have become an accountant, or even an editorial writer in Canada (try THAT job in Afghanistan!). Violent death, as unpleasant as it may be to reality-denying spoiled Canadians in their little socialist cocoon here, is a way of every day life in much of the world, and our soldiers know that when they sign on. I spent a weekend at Ft. Knox, Ky with the Essex and Kent Scottish a year ago where they were training for Afghanistan. To a man/woman, they know exactly what they face, and are proud participants. They didn't sign on to hand out soap, rations and blankets to refugees, or to direct traffic and distribute wheat bags for the UN. Social workers, church groups and NGOs can do that.
2. Number of innocent Canadians killed by drunk drivers from 2002 - 2006: approximately 5,600. They were just on their way to work, and wham!
Number of Canadians on average who die of the flu in 4 years: 2,000 - 6,000.
Number of Canadians killed by lightning (a freak accident of nature, and the butt of many jokes as a result) in 4 years on average: 24 - 48.
As sad as any death is, death is a fact of everyday life ... in far greater numbers than our soldiers are experiencing in Afghanistan doing a noble, necessary and worthwhile job. Eventually, you and I will both die ... of something. I think the pacifist-isolationists in Canada need to get over it and look at these numbers for what they really are.
3. Pacifists in rose-coloured glasses wonder (and honestly believe), "Can't we all just get along"? Obvious answer as evidenced by all of recorded history: Absolutely not. As long as there are bad people in the world willing to attack our way of life, kill our people, trying to force their way of life, or personal beliefs on us, or attack our values and our economy, we will always have to be the biggest, baddest mother in the valley, with a willingness to use all means at our disposal with absolute ruthlessness if necessary, to prevent that from happening. Those who haven't learned that lesson over all of history probably deserve to be fried by our enemies in my opinion.
Canada did not gain its fine military reputation by meekly keeping the peace between grumpy neighbours who had already agreed to stop killing each other, a myth perpetuated by political ideologues, those too young to remember and those who should know better. We won it with blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, bravery and determination in WW I, WW II and in Korea by a willingness to use overwhelming lethal force against our enemies.
4. What if an occupying force, say a strict radical Islamo-fascist state, a ruthless Communist dictator, or some other misguided group had invaded Canada, and was forcing my daughters (and yours) to cover their faces, be treated like sub-humans, denied an education, and beaten or executed at will at the whim of the local warlord who felt you weren't toeing the line as he, personally, felt you should on that particular day, or, like Pol Pot, decided to eliminate all of the "educated elite" simply to satisfy his personal vision of society. Would you not welcome an outside power coming in and driving these idiots back to wherever they came from (or annihilating them?), even if some local infrastructure got trashed along the way, and a few "innocent bystanders" (sympathizers??) got caught in the crossfire? I would give anything for that country to come, and occupy, and free my family and my friends. There is no issue in my life more important to me than personal freedom, and I would make any sacrifice to achieve it if I didn't have it.
I guess the pacifists don't value freedom as much as I do, or they are so selfish that as long as they have it, they could give a rat's behind if the rest of the world doesn't even have a chance to decide for themselves, on penalty of death, whether they agree. I see this as isolationist head-in-the-sand sanctimony at its worst, and I have very little tolerance for it. My grandparents paid dearly for what we have today, and what we take so much for granted. Canadians in 2007 are like spoiled brats who have had everything handed to us on a platter by overly-protective and indulgent parents (and we have).
5. When we and our allies are in Afghanistan chasing Taliban trouble-makers, they aren't free to target me in my house, or my children in their cities. That alone, in and of itself, is enough reason to be in Afghanistan, or in any other God-forsaken place that these freedom-hating radicals choose to call home. I don't care how far away it may seem. I don't care if this battle never ends, and I don't care if there is a steady stream of coffins coming home, even if that means people I know and care about. This is a battle that MUST be fought, and it must be continued without let-up, for as long as it takes.
Cut-and-run pacifists just don't get it. In the real world, Bambi's mother does get killed by wolves, hunters and disease, Old Yeller does die, old ladies do get mugged on the street for crack money, Hitlers and Milosevics unilaterally decide to rid the world of all but their own "preferred" race, and radical idiots think it's God's will that they fly jets loaded with dirty bombs into our centres of commerce. Contrary to western civilization apologists, WE are not the cause of these bad people's actions. THEY are the problem. THEY must be tracked down, and if necessary, ruthlessly eliminated, so that the good people, both here and in their own countries, can get on with their lives. Sitting quietly (and passively) on our hands does not deter bad people from doing really, really bad things.
I hope we never have to face a major attack on our cities, but perhaps that's what it will take to convince this generation of thoroughly spoiled Canadians that we need a tough, well-trained, experienced, well-equipped armed force, willing to use overwhelming lethal force without hesitation if necessary, that can be dispatched anywhere we need them to go on our behalf, and sacrifice at whatever level is required so that the rest of us don't have to do it personally, as we would if the pacifist, cut-and-run crowd had their way.
I have my grandfather's WW I diary sitting right behind me as I write this. His world was light-years away from ours, but only two generations-removed. It's too bad that history has become such a poorly-taught subject. All of the lessons my grandfather had to learn the hard way will certainly have to be learned all over again by another generation who couldn't be bothered to learn the lessons he and his generation left for us to pass along, or don't like the message and choose to ignore it for (misguided) personal beliefs. Appeasement DOES NOT WORK, and never has. At some point (early is far better than later!), you must fight, and you must sacrifice whatever it takes.
With the greatest respect to the 45 families who have paid the ultimate price in this conflict to date (from a father of 4), Canada's sacrifice in Afghanistan has been a pittance in the global and historical scheme of things, and for this reason I find the headline in question, and the attached poll, quite offensive.
Sorry, it needs to be said.
While I sometimes disagree with the contents of Bourque's Newswatch page, I can accept our differing points of view and move on. I've slept on this one overnight before sending. I guess I don't understand those who want to bail out of Afghanistan at all. This headline from his website triggered my response, which is really a response to all Afghanistan-bailers in Canada.
With respect to the above headline, in my opinion it is really out of line, and even offensive, especially to those serving. I wish all of the sanctimonious Afghanistan "pacifists" (CBC, CTV, NDP, most of Quebec, mainstream media, academia, ... all of the usual suspects) would consider the following:
1. Number of military deaths to date in Afghanistan 2002 - 2006: 45. Consider, all of these people signed up voluntarily for the military, a very dangerous job, where you are trained to fight and kill people, destroy things and do whatever it takes to impose your will on an unwilling opponent, while they are committed to doing the same thing to you. If you wanted a nice safe job, you could have become an accountant, or even an editorial writer in Canada (try THAT job in Afghanistan!). Violent death, as unpleasant as it may be to reality-denying spoiled Canadians in their little socialist cocoon here, is a way of every day life in much of the world, and our soldiers know that when they sign on. I spent a weekend at Ft. Knox, Ky with the Essex and Kent Scottish a year ago where they were training for Afghanistan. To a man/woman, they know exactly what they face, and are proud participants. They didn't sign on to hand out soap, rations and blankets to refugees, or to direct traffic and distribute wheat bags for the UN. Social workers, church groups and NGOs can do that.
2. Number of innocent Canadians killed by drunk drivers from 2002 - 2006: approximately 5,600. They were just on their way to work, and wham!
Number of Canadians on average who die of the flu in 4 years: 2,000 - 6,000.
Number of Canadians killed by lightning (a freak accident of nature, and the butt of many jokes as a result) in 4 years on average: 24 - 48.
As sad as any death is, death is a fact of everyday life ... in far greater numbers than our soldiers are experiencing in Afghanistan doing a noble, necessary and worthwhile job. Eventually, you and I will both die ... of something. I think the pacifist-isolationists in Canada need to get over it and look at these numbers for what they really are.
3. Pacifists in rose-coloured glasses wonder (and honestly believe), "Can't we all just get along"? Obvious answer as evidenced by all of recorded history: Absolutely not. As long as there are bad people in the world willing to attack our way of life, kill our people, trying to force their way of life, or personal beliefs on us, or attack our values and our economy, we will always have to be the biggest, baddest mother in the valley, with a willingness to use all means at our disposal with absolute ruthlessness if necessary, to prevent that from happening. Those who haven't learned that lesson over all of history probably deserve to be fried by our enemies in my opinion.
Canada did not gain its fine military reputation by meekly keeping the peace between grumpy neighbours who had already agreed to stop killing each other, a myth perpetuated by political ideologues, those too young to remember and those who should know better. We won it with blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, bravery and determination in WW I, WW II and in Korea by a willingness to use overwhelming lethal force against our enemies.
4. What if an occupying force, say a strict radical Islamo-fascist state, a ruthless Communist dictator, or some other misguided group had invaded Canada, and was forcing my daughters (and yours) to cover their faces, be treated like sub-humans, denied an education, and beaten or executed at will at the whim of the local warlord who felt you weren't toeing the line as he, personally, felt you should on that particular day, or, like Pol Pot, decided to eliminate all of the "educated elite" simply to satisfy his personal vision of society. Would you not welcome an outside power coming in and driving these idiots back to wherever they came from (or annihilating them?), even if some local infrastructure got trashed along the way, and a few "innocent bystanders" (sympathizers??) got caught in the crossfire? I would give anything for that country to come, and occupy, and free my family and my friends. There is no issue in my life more important to me than personal freedom, and I would make any sacrifice to achieve it if I didn't have it.
I guess the pacifists don't value freedom as much as I do, or they are so selfish that as long as they have it, they could give a rat's behind if the rest of the world doesn't even have a chance to decide for themselves, on penalty of death, whether they agree. I see this as isolationist head-in-the-sand sanctimony at its worst, and I have very little tolerance for it. My grandparents paid dearly for what we have today, and what we take so much for granted. Canadians in 2007 are like spoiled brats who have had everything handed to us on a platter by overly-protective and indulgent parents (and we have).
5. When we and our allies are in Afghanistan chasing Taliban trouble-makers, they aren't free to target me in my house, or my children in their cities. That alone, in and of itself, is enough reason to be in Afghanistan, or in any other God-forsaken place that these freedom-hating radicals choose to call home. I don't care how far away it may seem. I don't care if this battle never ends, and I don't care if there is a steady stream of coffins coming home, even if that means people I know and care about. This is a battle that MUST be fought, and it must be continued without let-up, for as long as it takes.
Cut-and-run pacifists just don't get it. In the real world, Bambi's mother does get killed by wolves, hunters and disease, Old Yeller does die, old ladies do get mugged on the street for crack money, Hitlers and Milosevics unilaterally decide to rid the world of all but their own "preferred" race, and radical idiots think it's God's will that they fly jets loaded with dirty bombs into our centres of commerce. Contrary to western civilization apologists, WE are not the cause of these bad people's actions. THEY are the problem. THEY must be tracked down, and if necessary, ruthlessly eliminated, so that the good people, both here and in their own countries, can get on with their lives. Sitting quietly (and passively) on our hands does not deter bad people from doing really, really bad things.
I hope we never have to face a major attack on our cities, but perhaps that's what it will take to convince this generation of thoroughly spoiled Canadians that we need a tough, well-trained, experienced, well-equipped armed force, willing to use overwhelming lethal force without hesitation if necessary, that can be dispatched anywhere we need them to go on our behalf, and sacrifice at whatever level is required so that the rest of us don't have to do it personally, as we would if the pacifist, cut-and-run crowd had their way.
I have my grandfather's WW I diary sitting right behind me as I write this. His world was light-years away from ours, but only two generations-removed. It's too bad that history has become such a poorly-taught subject. All of the lessons my grandfather had to learn the hard way will certainly have to be learned all over again by another generation who couldn't be bothered to learn the lessons he and his generation left for us to pass along, or don't like the message and choose to ignore it for (misguided) personal beliefs. Appeasement DOES NOT WORK, and never has. At some point (early is far better than later!), you must fight, and you must sacrifice whatever it takes.
With the greatest respect to the 45 families who have paid the ultimate price in this conflict to date (from a father of 4), Canada's sacrifice in Afghanistan has been a pittance in the global and historical scheme of things, and for this reason I find the headline in question, and the attached poll, quite offensive.
Sorry, it needs to be said.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Stephane Dion: The man without a clue
This is really rich. The new so-called "leader" of the Liberal Party of Canada, and Prime Ministerial wannabe "didn't know".
In a National Post report this morning Stephane Dion denies knowing anything about a Liberal plan to greatly expand the oil sands to supply oil to the U.S.A. while he was the Environment Minister of Canada just one year ago!
To quote the report:
"The plan - made public by a joint committee of government experts from Natural Resources Canada and the U.S. Department of Energy who met in Houston, Texas Jan. 23-24, 2006, before Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government was sworn in - encouraged decision makers ''to streamline the regulatory approval process,'' with a ''one-stop-shop'' for project proposals and facilitate a ''fivefold'' expansion of oil production in Alberta from one million to five million barrels a day.
The committee was set up under the Security and Prosperity Partnership between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, which scheduled the talks several months earlier.
''This meeting, if it took place, I wasn't aware (of it). Certainly not,'' Dion said at a news conference Thursday."
Well he's consistent, because I'm sure he "wasn't aware" of Adscam either, even though he was a Quebec-based minister in the federal cabinet of Jean Chretien while the whole shameful affair was being perpetrated on you and me.
There are only several possible explanations here on both issues.
1. He honestly didn't know. If this is true, it can only be because he was viewed as such a lightweight that he didn't need to be kept in the loop of real decision making. This, of course, would be entirely consistent with Liberal dogma which has a handful of the annointed telling the rest of us what's best for us. Dion has already said he will override local constituency associations and appoint his own hand-picked candidates if he feels that's what's best. He studied and learned from the best at this type of regal arrogance. So if his own party's leadership didn't feel it necessary to tell the Minister of the Environment about a plan to boost oil sands output by five-fold to the U.S.A., our largest and most important trading partner, then why the heck would I want him to be my Prime Minister?
2. Some people simply wander through life "unaware". They go to meetings, but don't take notes. They don't read memos, they don't answer their e-mail for weeks and even when they are "on the team", they simply don't "get it". In my experience it's sometimes easier to simply leave these loners out of the loop than to expend energy trying to keep them up to speed, and just call them in for the mandatory rubber stamp when all of the real decisions have been made in advance. So maybe his ministry was indeed involved, but he, as minister, didn't need to be told, and "didn't realize what was happening" ... i.e. "he didn't know".
3. Maybe he's lying. Maybe he knew full-well what was happening, but the new "green" Stephane Dion would look hypocritical now if he knew about, and approved plans just 12 months ago to ramp up the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Canada to feed the U.S. appetite for oil. Maybe the cabinet minister from Quebec knew full well what was happening with Adscam, and either approved, or turned a blind eye while the corrupt party machinery delivered majority after majority. That too would be hypocritical for the "new" leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The explanations for federal cabinet minister Stephane Dion not knowing so much of what he darn well should have known can only be some variation of one of the above three possibilities. None of these bodes well for a man who thinks he has what it takes to be my Prime Minister.
I know one thing for sure. I don't want this man and his slick gang of cronies anywhere near the reins of power any time soon. I don't believe him, I don't trust him, and it is my personal belief that this man is simply more of the same. The smoke and mirrors show that this bunch has perpetrated on the Canadian people for over 13 years is alive and well, and he's just their latest leader.
Now let's all join Kermit in a rising swell of ... "It's Not Easy Being Greeeen ...."
In a National Post report this morning Stephane Dion denies knowing anything about a Liberal plan to greatly expand the oil sands to supply oil to the U.S.A. while he was the Environment Minister of Canada just one year ago!
To quote the report:
"The plan - made public by a joint committee of government experts from Natural Resources Canada and the U.S. Department of Energy who met in Houston, Texas Jan. 23-24, 2006, before Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government was sworn in - encouraged decision makers ''to streamline the regulatory approval process,'' with a ''one-stop-shop'' for project proposals and facilitate a ''fivefold'' expansion of oil production in Alberta from one million to five million barrels a day.
The committee was set up under the Security and Prosperity Partnership between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, which scheduled the talks several months earlier.
''This meeting, if it took place, I wasn't aware (of it). Certainly not,'' Dion said at a news conference Thursday."
Well he's consistent, because I'm sure he "wasn't aware" of Adscam either, even though he was a Quebec-based minister in the federal cabinet of Jean Chretien while the whole shameful affair was being perpetrated on you and me.
There are only several possible explanations here on both issues.
1. He honestly didn't know. If this is true, it can only be because he was viewed as such a lightweight that he didn't need to be kept in the loop of real decision making. This, of course, would be entirely consistent with Liberal dogma which has a handful of the annointed telling the rest of us what's best for us. Dion has already said he will override local constituency associations and appoint his own hand-picked candidates if he feels that's what's best. He studied and learned from the best at this type of regal arrogance. So if his own party's leadership didn't feel it necessary to tell the Minister of the Environment about a plan to boost oil sands output by five-fold to the U.S.A., our largest and most important trading partner, then why the heck would I want him to be my Prime Minister?
2. Some people simply wander through life "unaware". They go to meetings, but don't take notes. They don't read memos, they don't answer their e-mail for weeks and even when they are "on the team", they simply don't "get it". In my experience it's sometimes easier to simply leave these loners out of the loop than to expend energy trying to keep them up to speed, and just call them in for the mandatory rubber stamp when all of the real decisions have been made in advance. So maybe his ministry was indeed involved, but he, as minister, didn't need to be told, and "didn't realize what was happening" ... i.e. "he didn't know".
3. Maybe he's lying. Maybe he knew full-well what was happening, but the new "green" Stephane Dion would look hypocritical now if he knew about, and approved plans just 12 months ago to ramp up the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Canada to feed the U.S. appetite for oil. Maybe the cabinet minister from Quebec knew full well what was happening with Adscam, and either approved, or turned a blind eye while the corrupt party machinery delivered majority after majority. That too would be hypocritical for the "new" leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The explanations for federal cabinet minister Stephane Dion not knowing so much of what he darn well should have known can only be some variation of one of the above three possibilities. None of these bodes well for a man who thinks he has what it takes to be my Prime Minister.
I know one thing for sure. I don't want this man and his slick gang of cronies anywhere near the reins of power any time soon. I don't believe him, I don't trust him, and it is my personal belief that this man is simply more of the same. The smoke and mirrors show that this bunch has perpetrated on the Canadian people for over 13 years is alive and well, and he's just their latest leader.
Now let's all join Kermit in a rising swell of ... "It's Not Easy Being Greeeen ...."
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Hugo Chavez stuck in the 60s
The CBC reports headline: "Venezuela's Chavez sworn in again, vows 'socialism or death'."
With a little luck someone (nation or individual) will take Hugo Chavez up on his offer, and rid the western hemisphere of this obnoxious cancer. Slow learners like Chavez don't care that socialism has never worked. It's a failed system.
Winston Churchill defined socialism as "... a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".
Amen. I've seen nothing in my considerable lifetime - nothing, to convince me that Churchill wasn't right on the money. If you want to condemn a nation to poverty, and rid it of all vestiges of innovation and progress, bring in socialism.
What an idiot!
With a little luck someone (nation or individual) will take Hugo Chavez up on his offer, and rid the western hemisphere of this obnoxious cancer. Slow learners like Chavez don't care that socialism has never worked. It's a failed system.
Winston Churchill defined socialism as "... a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".
Amen. I've seen nothing in my considerable lifetime - nothing, to convince me that Churchill wasn't right on the money. If you want to condemn a nation to poverty, and rid it of all vestiges of innovation and progress, bring in socialism.
What an idiot!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Stephane Dion the Hypocrite
Re. Stephane Dion's statements re. Wajid Kahn in Saturday's National Post:
This Saturday's report quoted Stephane Dion as saying, "I was never comfortable with Mr. Khan serving as an advisor to a Conservative Prime Minister, as Mr. Khan has done since August of last year. As leader of the party, I felt it imperative that he decide to which party he would ultimately be loyal."
My response as a taxpaying Canadian to this wannabe Prime Minister ... "I am not comfortable with you continuing to be a dual citizen of both Canada and France. I feel it imperative that you decide to which country you would ultimately be loyal".
Hmm - this is kind of like saying you're the environmental saviour like he did as Jean Chretien's Cabinet Minister, (and as he's now trying to paint himself), and actually doing something about it, which he didn't when he had the chance in a majority government.
"Do as I say, not as I do", would seem to be the picture I am getting of this "new" Liberal boss.
This Saturday's report quoted Stephane Dion as saying, "I was never comfortable with Mr. Khan serving as an advisor to a Conservative Prime Minister, as Mr. Khan has done since August of last year. As leader of the party, I felt it imperative that he decide to which party he would ultimately be loyal."
My response as a taxpaying Canadian to this wannabe Prime Minister ... "I am not comfortable with you continuing to be a dual citizen of both Canada and France. I feel it imperative that you decide to which country you would ultimately be loyal".
Hmm - this is kind of like saying you're the environmental saviour like he did as Jean Chretien's Cabinet Minister, (and as he's now trying to paint himself), and actually doing something about it, which he didn't when he had the chance in a majority government.
"Do as I say, not as I do", would seem to be the picture I am getting of this "new" Liberal boss.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Committment to Excellence
My favourite hockey player of all time, Steve Yzerman, was justly honoured in Detroit last night as his number was retired.
True to his nature, Yzerman used the greater part of his speech to heap praise on those with whom he played, as well as his coaches and a great team owner. There was precious little about "Steve".
How refreshing in a era of "it's all about me" super-star super-jerks. In his entire career, I can't ever remember Yzerman show-boating, shooting off his mouth, or bad-mouthing his team mates when things weren't going well. He played through injuries when it mattered, and he was always available to politely sign autographs and speak with kids. He spent his entire career with one team, and remained loyal to the Ilitch family, recognizing how well he has been treated. I believe he recognized "enough" when it came to money, and looked at the big picture. He certainly could have commanded higher figures if he had played the field at contract time. He never did that.
Above all, what makes him the greatest in my book is not his stats. Although they are impressive, there are others who have done a bit better in almost every category. What made him the best in my book was his committment to excellence every single day of his career, and the pure class he displayed from the moment he entered the league as an 18 year old boy. He obviously grew up in a great home.
A committment to excellence, demanding nothing but the best from both himself and his teammates, a selfless focus on "the team" rather than "me", and a loyal appreciation for what he already had, rather than a selfish quest for "more" are all what made, and continue to make Steve Yzerman an exceptional professional in my book.
Those qualities are not a bad place to start when it comes to running a government either. Acceptance of mediocrity with excuses for individual failings have become all too commonplace. "Equality" is sought by social activists who attack those who have embraced and achieved excellence rather than looking for ways to bring the overall average up to a higher level. The team only wins when it performs at a level that other teams cannot match when it counts. Canada exists in a very competitive world.
Congratulations Steve Yzerman. You are a true hero in every sense of the word. Would that this world had a lot more Steve Yzermans. It would be a much better place.
True to his nature, Yzerman used the greater part of his speech to heap praise on those with whom he played, as well as his coaches and a great team owner. There was precious little about "Steve".
How refreshing in a era of "it's all about me" super-star super-jerks. In his entire career, I can't ever remember Yzerman show-boating, shooting off his mouth, or bad-mouthing his team mates when things weren't going well. He played through injuries when it mattered, and he was always available to politely sign autographs and speak with kids. He spent his entire career with one team, and remained loyal to the Ilitch family, recognizing how well he has been treated. I believe he recognized "enough" when it came to money, and looked at the big picture. He certainly could have commanded higher figures if he had played the field at contract time. He never did that.
Above all, what makes him the greatest in my book is not his stats. Although they are impressive, there are others who have done a bit better in almost every category. What made him the best in my book was his committment to excellence every single day of his career, and the pure class he displayed from the moment he entered the league as an 18 year old boy. He obviously grew up in a great home.
A committment to excellence, demanding nothing but the best from both himself and his teammates, a selfless focus on "the team" rather than "me", and a loyal appreciation for what he already had, rather than a selfish quest for "more" are all what made, and continue to make Steve Yzerman an exceptional professional in my book.
Those qualities are not a bad place to start when it comes to running a government either. Acceptance of mediocrity with excuses for individual failings have become all too commonplace. "Equality" is sought by social activists who attack those who have embraced and achieved excellence rather than looking for ways to bring the overall average up to a higher level. The team only wins when it performs at a level that other teams cannot match when it counts. Canada exists in a very competitive world.
Congratulations Steve Yzerman. You are a true hero in every sense of the word. Would that this world had a lot more Steve Yzermans. It would be a much better place.
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