Reality Check

Minority Government is Preferred in Canada Since We Can’t Trust Politicians

It’s election time again and we can expect the media owners to rub their hands together, as the candidates and their handlers get prepared to spend the millions of dollars that it will take. Federal elections, like wars, are good for business.

 However, the electorate has become far more unpredictable these days, and overall interest in politics is a far cry from the elections of the past. People aren’t voting in droves: 50% are so disillusioned that they can’t or won’t take the time to vote. The winning party actually represents just a very small part of the electorate.

 How many times have Ontarians been to the polls in the past 8 years? If you count provincial and federal elections, I think we’re up to maybe 5 or 6.  Voters have been taken for granted, ignored, dumbed down, and outright lied to. These transgressions take their toll and people begin to wonder if any party exists in Canada that would consider their needs seriously, listen and govern accordingly.

 Let’s face it. Our political system is bankrupt. The values of society have changed. It has become acceptable for promises to be made by the parties, and then broken once in power. Governments of all stripes have less and less power and their strings are being pulled by multinational corporations, which threaten to move their operations elsewhere unless government cooperates.  Governments are being held to ransom. Just look at the 55,000 job losses in Canada in July 2008. Someone somewhere else in the world is performing those jobs. I don’t believe they just “disappeared.”

 Governments are increasingly becoming irrelevant, and notwithstanding the power of the PMO at the federal level, individual MP’s and MPP’s have little say in the direction the government will take and simply report back to the constituents. Sending “feedback” from the community is a non-starter and a waste of time unless extreme pressure is applied. i.e. consider the Cornwall Public Inquiry which took  many years.

 The mainstream parties, Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats have the same face with different masks. Sure they have different “platforms” and you will find differences on topics such as: abortion, security, role of the military, taxation and others as well. There are other ideological differences, but the bottom line is what happens when the party is in power.

 Stephen Harper has been in power for 3 years and had we had a Liberal government in power under Paul Martin during that time, how much different would Canada look today?

 There is not a single, prominent politician in Canada today with a vision for Canada. What do we want our country to look like in 5 years? In 10 or 20 years? Then, how are we going to get there, and what specifically needs to happen?  Right now we’re just drifting. But where will we end up?

 For example, Stephen Harper met in secrecy at an SPP Conference last August, 2007 in Montebello with the Mexican and American presidents, to discuss emerging plans for “one North American perimeter” with a “seamless” delivery of “harmonized” governmental services by 2010. What the hell does this newspeak mean?

 Are they planning for a North American Union?  Our prime minister’s only comment was that they were discussing the export of “jellybeans.”  This is an example of the arrogance that our leaders have for the democratic process and the mockery of the right of Canadians to know what our government is doing on our behalf. It is this secrecy, this unwillingness to provide information, which is so dangerous even with a minority government.

 

As a local taxpayer I sent several e-mails to MP Guy Lauzon’s office about the North American Union, and as you might guess, not a word back from him about it. But I knew there would be no answer before I sent the e-mails.  MP’s are told what to say to their constituents and when to say it. Lauzon’s request for “feedback” from the riding is absolute hypocrisy and his tenure has been nothing more than a continuous election campaign, filled with endless amounts of self-promotion at the expense of the taxpayer.

 There are far too many other issues to raise here, but my feeling is that one of the answers to a brighter future for upcoming Canadian generations is to incorporate more political diversity into the mix, so that no single party ever forms a majority government in this country again.

 We need parties that will protect our human rights and freedoms, become champions for a sovereign Canada in the upcoming decades, and remove our shackles to American wars and their relentless exploitation of our natural resources, to name a few issues.

 Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives deserve to govern this country with a majority rule in my opinion.  They have both been severely compromised and this fact has been well documented in the media.  The NDP continues to provide a lot of lip service, but have not upped the ante on the important issues, some of which I mentioned.

  The NDP should have taken more risks, and spoken on behalf of the 50% and more Canadians who were/are against the war in Afghanistan.  They could have exposed the plans for a North American Union to ALL Canadians, not just a committee at the House of Commons. In truth, the NDP is not much different than the other two parties when it comes time to playing hardball.

 Even with a minority government, there is enough power to govern the country, and the day-to-day balancing act that is required, is a sort of an insurance policy for Canadians against aggressive, autocratic or Americanization of new Canadian policies and laws.

 We have reached the point in 2008, where our political options have been reduced to voting for the lesser of the evils. We can do better. And we must.

 The survival of Canada as sovereign country depends on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Brother “Spychips”= Mass Surveillance by Sleight of Hand

Just when we thought that we had our hands full with an upcoming Canadian election, a demoralizing and futile war in Afghanistan, and an irrelevant and diversionary American election, there’s something else to be concerned about.

 In a new book called “Spychips,” by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre, a new technology called “RFID” is predicted to remove our remaining privacy and put us all under a threat of surveillance.

 Using technology much more sophisticated than bar codes, RFID(radio frequency identification) uses tiny computer chips to track items at a distance. If the corporations have their way, every consumable product, from shoes to cars, will carry one of these chips which can be used to spy on us without our knowledge or consent.

 At a clothing show in Chicago in 2004, the authors noted that companies such as Calvin Klein, Champion, Carters and Abercrombie & Fitch proudly displayed the results of their investment into RFID. In their clothing, the RFID tag is usually  inserted inside the label unseen to the purchaser. But the RFID tag contains a computer chip and an antenna and a unique number that can be read remotely.

 So when you purchase any item containing RFID, you unwittingly become part of a database with your personal information attached to it. Some retail stores already have RFID “readers” located throughout their stores, at the entrances and at the checkouts, so any RFID tag you have in your possession is flagged and recorded. An instant profile is initiated without your knowledge or consent.

 It’s clear why the corporations are doing this. On the one hand it becomes a perfect marketing exercise: instead of asking the customer about his wants and needs, the companies are compiling thousands of thousands, potentially millions of personal “inventories” of people’s purchases, and then using that private information to sell more products. On the other hand, the corporations are opening a pandora’s box of probabilities, with each step curtailing individual privacy.

 The authors indicate that Gillette, Procter and Gamble and Wal-Mart have invested heavily into RFID, although none of these companies communicate and explain RFID implications to their customers. Wal-Mart has gone further than the others, by issuing an RFID supply chain “mandate” to force its top 100 suppliers to invest in RFID. It’s just a matter of time before every item in every store is spychipped.

 The credit card companies are getting in on the act also. I just received a notice from CIBC VISA telling me that “Chip technology is here!” but nothing about what this technology could be used for, other than I’ll have to use a PIN in the future when I use the card. So, that means that my new card arriving soon, will be set up to release my personal information to any card reader that happens to “ping” when I walk by! That is a breach of my privacy and the banks should be explaining ALL of the implications of RFID to everyone.

  Do we really want any store or any person equipped with a RFID reader to scan for RFID tags on our person or our wallets or purses? Do we really want a store to identify us when we enter, retrieve our profile, and then perhaps send us an e-mail or a cell phone message regarding products?  Isn’t a bit over the top?

 What do our federal and provincial politicians think about this? The RFID issue doesn’t have a chance in hell of becoming an election story. No, we need to speak to the managers of all of the stores we do business with about RFID, and tell them that that we don’t need snoops trying to spy on us. Moreover, we should say we won’t buy from stores that insist on using RFID!

 

RFID chips today, imbedded microchips in our bodies  tomorrow, if we do nothing and say nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comcast Being Investigated- Details Available at SavetheInternet.com

The Federal Communications Commission in the United States is on the verge of finding the largest cable company in the country, in violation of federal policy regarding how consumers use the Internet. This decision will set a precedent in the U.S. regarding how much control phone companies and cable companies will have over Internet freedom in the future.

Death of Free Internet is Imminent- Canada Will Be Test Case

Editor's Note: 

This article has been edited from its previous version and criticism of individual corporations has been removed. I have done this editing reluctantly but on the other hand I wish to protect the integrity of what I write on this website. My only wish is for the truth to come out and that our freedoms are protected.

However, my thoughts and opinions regarding the death of the Internet have not changed and I intend to do more research and write further about what will undoubtedly become the end of the free, unregulated transfer of information over the Internet, unless more people are willing to speak out and put pressure on our governments and corporations.

I apologize to any readers who feel I have misled them in any way, and I can assure you that it is never my intention. To the many readers who have contributed feedback, both positive and negative, I thank you for your contributions.   KP

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In the last 15 years or so, as a society we have had access to more information than ever before in modern history because of the Internet. There are approximately 1 billion Internet users in the world and any one of these users can theoretically communicate in real time with any other on the planet.

The Internet has been the greatest technological achievement of the 20th century by far, and has been recognized as such by the global community. The free transfer of information, uncensored, unlimited and untainted, still seems to be a dream when you think about it. Whatever field that is mentioned- education, commerce, government, news, entertainment, politics and countless other areas- have been radically affected by the introduction of the Internet.

 And mostly, it's good news, except when poor judgements are made and people are taken advantage of. Scrutiny and oversight are needed, especially where children are involved. However, when there are potential profits open to a corporation, the needs of society don't count.

Take the recent case in Canada with some telecommunications companies rolling out a charge for text messaging without any warning to the public. It was an arrogant and risky move for the telecommunications giants because it backfired. People actually used Internet technology to deliver a loud and clear message to these companies and that was to scrap the extra charge. The people used the power of the Internet against the big boys and the little guys won.

However, the issue of text messaging is just a tiny blip on the radar screens of Internet Service Providers (ISP'S) in Canada. Our country is being used as a test case to drastically change the delivery of Internet service forever. The change will be so radical that it has the potential to send us back to the horse and buggy days of information sharing and access.

Start surfing the Internet and begin looking for information about charging per site fees on most Internet sites in the near future. The plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites beyond a cutoff point.

From my browsing (on the currently free Internet)  I read an article by Mike Finch at American Free Press The article explained that the 'demise' of the free Internet is slated for 2010 in Canada, and two years later around the world! Canada is seen a good choice to implement such shameful and sinister changes, since Canadians are viewed as being laissez fair, politically uninformed and an easy target.

 The corporate marauders will iron out the wrinkles in Canada and then spring the new, castrated version of the Internet on the rest of the world, probably with little fanfare, except for some dire warnings about the 'evil' of the Internet (free) and the CEO's spouting about 'safety and security'. These buzzwords usually work pretty well.

 What will the Internet look like in Canada in 2010? I suspect that the ISP's will provide a "package" program as companies like Cogeco currently do. Customers will pay for a series of websites as they do now for their television stations. Television stations will be available on-line as part of these packages, which will make the networks happy since they have lost much of the younger market which are surfing and chatting on their computers in the evening. However, as is the case with cable television now, if you choose something that is not part of the package, you know what happens. You pay extra.

And this is where the Internet (free) as we know it will suffer almost immediate, economic strangulation. Thousands and thousands of Internet sites will not be part of the package so users will have to pay extra to visit those sites! In just an hour or two it is possible to easily visit 20-30 sites or more while looking for information. Just imagine how high these costs will be.

At present, the world condemns China because that country restricts certain websites. "They are undemocratic; they are removing people's freedom; they don't respect individual rights; they are censoring information,” are some of the comments we hear. But w is being planned for Canadians is much worse than that. The death of the Internet (free) as we know it is coming soon from where I sit, and I expect they'll be hardly a whimper from Canadians.

It's all part of the corporate plan for a New World Order and virtually a masterstroke that will lead to the creation of billions and billions of dollars of corporate profit at the expense of the working and middle classes. There are so many other implications as a result of these changes, far too many to elaborate on here.

Be aware that we will all lose our privacy because all websites will be tracked as part of the billing procedure, and we will be literally cut off from 90% of the information that we can access today. The little guys on the Net will fall likes flies; Bloggers and small website operators will die a quick death because people will not pay to go to their sites and read their pages. Ironically, the only medium that can save us is the one we are trying to save- the Internet (free).

This article will be posted on my Blog, www.realitycheck.typepad.com and I encourage people and groups to learn more about this issue. Canadians can keep the Internet free just as they kept text messaging free. Don't wait for the federal politicians. They will do nothing to help us.

 I would welcome a response from any telecommunications company regarding such changes to the Internet, and that access to Internet sites will remain FREE in the years to come. In the meantime, I encourage all of you to write to the media, ask questions, phone the radio station, phone a friend, or think of something else to prevent what appears to me to be inevitable.

Maintaining Internet (free) access is the only way we have a chance at combatting the global corporate takeover, the North American Union, and a long list of other deadly deeds that the elite in society have planned for us. Yesterday was too late in trying to protect our rights and freedoms. We must now redouble our efforts in order to give our children and grandchildren a fighting chance in the future.

Conservatives in Denial about North American Union and Canadian Sovereignty

Some of your readers may remember the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership) Conference held at Montebello, Quebec in August, 2007. Primer Minister Harper hosted Presidents Bush and Calderon in what turned out to be a major fiasco.

The Quebec Provincial Police admitted that undercover police infiltrated a peaceful protest against the SPP Conference, whose mandate is for the 3 countries to work towards the formation of a North American Union. An embarrassing video of the failed attempt to provoke violence by the undercover cops was posted for the world to see on Youtube. So far the Conservative government has failed to conduct an inquiry in to this anti-democratic tactic, and has moved Canada one step closer to a police state.

When the conference (no media present) was over, Harper basically laughed in the face of all Canadians when he said the sessions were about regulating the trade of “jellybeans” between the 3 countries. Bush smirked in his trademark smile and warned of conspiracy theorists dreaming up nonsense. The media was silent, basically complicit with government in its failure to the public to investigate and report on the whole SPP issue.

So why have a big conference at a huge expense for all Canadian taxpayers last August? And why did Harper go to New Orleans on April 28, 2008 for a 4th SPP conference in 4 years? To count jellybeans?

Canadian Government Colludes with 'Big Pharma' to Remove Individual Freedoms

There’s no doubt that the big corporations continue to flex their global muscles and exercise their control over us. We see it everywhere each and every day. Governments are controlled by big business, and big business sets the agenda.

Take the influence of Big Pharma as an example. I think most people would agree that the pharmaceutical companies control western medicine, and that the answer for so many medical conditions is to take prescription medicines. i.e. drugs. Doctors move from one examination room to another with their prescription pads in their hands, and we have been conditioned to expect pills to cure what ails us.

Last month, the Minister of Health introduced a new law in parliament, C-51, which will give the Canadian government broad reaching powers to regulate the sale of all herbs, vitamins, supplements and other items, which are NOT presently included under the Food and Drug Act. C-51 will change key terminology in the Act such as replacing “drug” with “therapeutic product.”

This change in language will mean that items such as: bottled water, vitamins and dandelion greens and basically all plant derived substances will fall under this generic category of “therapeutic product.”

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what is going on here. Big Pharma is losing money, lots of money because more and more Canadians are turning to natural medicine. Big Pharma has been pressing both the American and Canadian governments to eliminate natural heath products through government legislation.

Big Pharma wants to eliminate up to 60% of natural health products currently sold in Canada, and to eventually criminalize the sale and distribution of natural health care products. This all sounds unbelievable at first, but is well documented at StopC51.com

I don’t expect that our Conservative member, Guy Lauzon, will disagree with his Health Minister, and will likely trot out the “health and safety of all Canadians” argument as a defense for C-51, but this would simply be a smokescreen. The Conservatives need to stand up to Big Pharma and say “no” to this blatant attempt to control people’s choices and their spending habits.

If Canadians want to use homeopathic medicines, various vitamins or Melatonin, I think they should have a right to do so, without getting a costly prescription. It’s time for the Conservative government to stand up to Big Pharma.

I hope readers will do the right thing and let their own Member of Parliament know your feelings on this important issue. For suggestions on how to do that please consult a 'fact sheet' which has been prepared by Stop C51

North American Union Imminent- NWO Around the Corner

Nicaraguan Government Invests in San Juan del Sur

Nestled in a beautiful cove on the Pacific coast near the Costa Rican border is San Juan del Sur, at one time a small fishing village but presently undergoing a transformation into a well- known tourist destination in Nicaragua.

Getting there from Mangua, the capital city of Nicaragua, takes about 3 hours. Most of the travel is along the Pan American highway, a single lane road which connects the Central American countries, from Guatemala in the north all the way to Panama in the south. However, once you turn off the main highway, the last 18 kilometers takes about 45 minutes on a road which looks and feels like an off-road zone for motorcycles.

Thankfully, the national tourism office of Nicaragua has finally realized that to bring in tourism revenues to San Juan del Sur(SJDS), you have to get the people there. So this year, after several bridges were washed out during the rainy season and vehicles had to play ‘chicken’ every time they negotiated the potholes, big improvements are being made in SJDS and surrounding area.

The town of several thousand people is undergoing a huge facelift, especially in the downtown. The streets are being dug up, and replaced with rough asphalt suitable for a hot climate. Certain streets are being paved with flat stones. New tourist-related businesses are opening and the beachfront restaurants are improving their facades. It’s been a noticeable change in the past year, ever since the new Daniel Ortega government decided that San Juan del Sur would become part of the long term investment plan for Nicaraguan tourism. It may be no coincidence also, that SJDS is a safe seat for Ortega’s Sandanista government.

Living in Granada, Nicaragua in February, 2008

Living in Granada, Nicaragua is a pleasant experience. Average daily temperatures are about 30° C and there is usually a breeze coming off Lake Nicaragua. This part of the world gets around 300 days of sunshine each year. It’s a good place to spend the winter.

The people are friendly at every turn, and there’s not a day that goes by that someone, usually more than one person, gives you a smile even if you refuse the vendor’s cashews, or the currency exchanger or the women carrying fruit trays on their heads.

It seems that everyone is a vendor as we thread our way along the Calle Commercial each day for our breakfast. This is the open market where you can find just about anything you need. The street is so crowded with people that the big buses can hardly drive by.

Once off the market street, you can enter what’s left of the indoor market palladium, circa 1930, where there are rows and rows of vendor stalls, and wares that can be bargained for. And unlike the souks say of Tunisia and Turkey, the Nicaraguans are really laid back, eating their snacks and visiting the other vendors while they work, almost oblivious to the 4 curious Canadian tourists passing by.

For many of the locals, the market is where they endure, either to sell, barter or buy the goods they need. Prices are low, and there are enough meats, fruit, vegetables, pastries, drinks, poultry, eggs, and herbs to feed even the largest family. Last week we watched a 12 year old boy carrying a squealing pig under his arm, perhaps under instructions from his father to get as many cordobas( 18.8 = $1.) as he could muster at the market, but unknowingly giving practical meaning to the nursery rhyme which begins: “this little piggy went to market.”

Economic Activity and Tourism in Guatemala

Our first glimpse of the physical features of this country came during a Guatemala City tour when we viewed a three dimensional map about the size of a small children’s playground. From our vantage point about thirty feet on a platform the most obvious thing about the topography was the ubiquitous mountain ranges in the country.

Our tour guide pointed out that about 70% of the country is mountainous, including 32 volcanoes, several of which are still active. The fascinating part about Guatemala is how the physical features really determine the settlement and growth patterns in the country. The principles of economic geography are at the heart of this evolution.

Firstly, the mountain ranges are not conducive to agriculture since the rich volcanic material of the ice ages has taken the best agricultural soil into the valleys between the mountains so this is where the crops are planted. Many of the homes take advantage of the rich soil near the bottom and form sloped terraces where the soil is above average and rain water is more plentiful.

Crops of all kinds are grown including: onions, tomatoes, herbs, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, citrus, and grains, in just about every location that is capable of agricultural output.

So, in a mostly agricultural society, farmers predominate and people around them produce/import other goods like clothing, footware, furniture, hardware, housewares, crafts and other goods that people need for day to day living.

The tourist trade is an added part of this equation since tourists bring discretionary dollars to a needy population.

The effect of increased numbers of tourists brings more wealth to the region but if there are too many tourists the net effect is an increase in prices for the locals as well.

Craft vendors in Antigua, a well developed, colonial tourist town near Guatemala, are mostly Mayan natives with little disposable income. They are faced with long rides from their poorer neighbourhoods in order the sell to tourists on the streets. Most will never be able to afford to open a business in Antigua so they are relegated to an inferior status on the streets, even though their goods may be of reasonable quality and offered at a fair price.

Essentially, there are fewer vendors on the streets of Antigua, since the tourists are attracted to the fancy shops and boutiques owned by companies of all sizes.

So, the dilemma for government tourist promoters is to ensure that the local vendors and market stall operators continue to benefit from the tourism dollars. By excluding them in towns like Antigua, they and their families will not benefit from more tourism.

As often happens, initiatives like tourism development that give the poor a boost in the beginning, end up being circumvented and gradually provide more revenue for those who least need it, the already well-heeled business types.

A balance must be struck to get the money moving downwards to those in society who need it the most.

Shortage of Electricity on Costa Rican Pacific Coast

The Pacific coast of Costa Rica has witnessed rapid tourism growth in the past 5 years, so much so that coastal villages like Playa del Coco cannot handle the influx of tourists especially during peak times.

Five years ago tourists, particularly from Canada and the United States purchased small condos and lofts for as low as $35,000- only minutes from the ocean. Today those same properties are listed for sale at $75,000 and more, effectively doubling the original sale prices.

We were offered a two-bedroom condo in a three-year-old building for $125,000, complete with courtyard swimming pool and 24-hour security service. Purchase price three years ago we found out was approximately $35,000!

Price increases like this illustrate the snowball effect of rapid speculation, and the desire of many to produce a profit by simply buying a property and waiting for it to appreciate in value.

The Playa del Coco area has been built on speculation and lots of it. There are huge numbers of absentee landlords, just sitting on their investments. “FOR SALE” signs are everywhere, and even more new and bigger condos are being built.

As previous articles to this website have suggested, a certain amount of growth is good for tourism development and good for Costa Rica, but one of the drawbacks is that the local infrastructure was not built to handle the demand. Nor was the electricity grid built to sustain perhaps a 100% increase in the actual number of buildings in Playa del Coco since 2003.

Costa Rica Tries to Control Tourism Development

Thirty years ago villages and towns in Mexico, particularly those on the coast such as Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Villarta became tourist destinations. Following in the footsteps of Acapulco, multinational hotel chains came in from all over the world and the natural landscape was changed forever.

The Caribbean Islands have travelled the same route and have experienced the same kind of growth. Overdevelopment is a term that has often been applied to this rapid growth; however, the countries that have taken this route always justify their decisions.

However, we know for a fact that a country like Mexico has more poor people than it did when the tourist boom started, and since they joined NAFTA with the United States and Canada in 1989, the gap between the rich and the poor is larger than ever, and the tourist industry continues to grow, unabated.

The reasons that a country gives to open its doors to the multinational tourist giants, such as: the Four Seasons, Melia, Holiday Inn, Occidental, Hilton, Radisson and others is that they bring wealth and economic growth to the country. It is true that many jobs are open to the local people in the construction phases, and in the hospitality and service industries that follow.

However, the question is whether the foothold that the tourist giants acquire and the huge profits that that make, is balanced by fair compensation to the countries and the local people. This is not a new question and has been asked many times in the past. However, the result is usually the same: the local people are taken advantage at every turn and are becoming poorer even though they see all the wealth around them.

Costa Rica at a Crossroads in Tourism Development

When you leave North America on a trip to Central America you leave the cold weather behind, and that’s always nice, but you have to leave many of your expectations there as well.

It’s a good idea to forget what you have come to expect at home, and to take life in stride here in small bites.

Life in North America is based on consumerism, speed, and efficiency. Working people rush from place to place every day in an effort to keep up. There’s a lot of pressure on people to meet the needs of others, so it becomes a vicious circle. Everyone goes flat out. The benefits of such an economic system are that deadlines are met and work is accomplished.

Here in Costa Rica the priorities of the local people are at odds with the expectations of the main industry, the tourism industry that is the largest contributor to GDP and brings millions of dollars of revenue into the country each year.

Prime Minister Harper Wields the Power- Parliament Becoming Irrelevant

Oct 20, 2007 04:30 AM
James Travers
OTTAWA

What most Canadians see happening here is a strong Stephen Harper taking advantage of a weak Stéphane Dion to impose the will of the minority on the majority. What the country's leading expert on the machinery of power sees is a Parliament acting as a palace court and a Prime Minister behaving much like an absolute monarch.

Before dismissing the observation as hyperbole or hysterics, consider the source. Donald Savoie's list of honours and publications is long and imposing. A celebrated international scholar and Order of Canada member, the Université de Moncton political economist is best known in Ottawa for one of three-dozen books. Governing from the Centre, an unflinching examination of the concentration of Canadian political power, made him a pariah in Jean Chrétien's capital and is a now a workshop manual for Conservatives who in opposition saw it as proof of the devil's undemocratic work.

So take Savoie seriously when he says, as he did in an interview this week, that the events of the past few days measure the rapid acceleration of a decades-old trend. In forcefully imposing a notably personal agenda on a Parliament with life-and-death powers over his administration, Harper is taking advantage of a specific political circumstance – disorganized Liberals fear a campaign – and the generalized truth that between elections modern prime ministers are perilously close to omnipotent.

Pedophile Problem Haunts Cornwall

A recent story in the Cornwall Standard Freeholder about a worldwide search for a pedophile (i.e. one pedophile) caught my attention.

I guess that the public are intended to think that finally Interpol and the other police agencies have developed such a sophisticated tracking system, that pedophiles around the world will cringe in fear.

It’s the kind of story that leaves out so much more information than it uncovers. Not that the abuse of one boy and the sending of his picture over the Internet isn’t important. It is important but its importance pales in comparison to what else is going on around the world.

Interview with Naomi Klein Regarding "Disaster Capitalism"

Ontario Conservatives' Error Gives Advantage to Liberals

Conservatives Retreat on Educational Funding Plank

There’s nothing like a poor showing in the polls to get a political party to make an about turn in its platform.
John Tory announced earlier this week that the provincial Conservative party would no longer support ‘faith based’ educational funding in Ontario.

Unfortunately, Tory’s about face on educational funding will likely cost him the election, and the uproar has already caused the Liberals to inch towards a majority according to the polls. I think we can conclude that voters have seen the Conservative madness for what it is, and in many cases have turned their support over to the Liberals.

The irony of the ill-thought out John Tory position on educational funding, is that the Conservatives would be repeating an error that was made in the early 80’s, when outgoing leader Bill Davis extended public funding to Catholic high schools, and by doing so saddled all future provincial governments to continue this duplication of educational spending.

Ron Paul Wins Debate in New Hampshire

Article by James Buchanan
September 5, 2007

Ron Paul started out the New Hampshire Republican debate emphasizing the fact that he is the anti-(Iraq) war candidate to thunderous applause from the crowd. (Gee, I thought Republican voters were supposed to be obedient little Kool Aid drinkers sipping up their daily dose of pro-war Kool Aid from Hannity and Rush.)

The neocons in charge of the debate were very condescending and dismissive of Dr. Paul throughout –at some points laughing at Paul (reminiscent of Al Gore’s arrogant smirking during the 2000 presidential debates). Almost every single question put to Ron Paul was prefaced by a neocon lie. In one case, the neocon questioner asked Ron Paul how we could leave Iraq knowing there will be a blood bath if we do. Ron Paul pointed out that neocons have been wrong about everything in the past and they’re wrong about what will happen if we pull out. Big applause. Ron Paul called for a total pull out and stated there was no need for US troops in the Mid East. Big applause again.

Canadian Union of Public Employees Demands Inquiry into Police Duplicity at SPP Protest in Montebello

At a peaceful protest to oppose the real goals of the SPP Conference in Montebello, Quebec on August 20, 2007, Canadians were stunned after watching a 5 minute video which focused on the actions of 3 undercover Quebec Provincial Police officers. The video is available on the previous posting on this website.

The video provides clear evidence that the 3 masked uncover policeman, one brandishing a rock in his hand while making gestures towards the police line, were sternly requested by the middle age organizers of the protest to desist and leave the protest.

The undercover cops could have used a few acting lessons as their pathetic attempts to pose as protesters was transparent to the assembled crowd, and is now part of the public record. Watch the video and you will see the police provocateurs pushing through the protest line and being dragged away by their uniformed colleagues.

The North American Union: Democracy Dying in Canada

Unfortunately, democratic rights in Canada are quickly becoming an illusion. In a sinister plot being carried out underneath our noses, the Canadian government has been working collectively with Mexico and the United States to create the conditions for a merger into a North American Union (NAU). To date, there has been absolutely no public participation concerning this merger.

The plot will thicken even more on August 20-21 when George Bush and Felipe Calderon, the presidents of the United States and Mexico, meet Stephen Harper at the Fairmont Hotel in Montebello, Quebec. Further planning and analysis of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), an informal agreement signed by the leaders of the three countries in 2005, will command center stage.

The Plan to Disappear Canada: Deep Integration Comes Out of the Shadows

By Murray Dobbin, Vancouver

If the machinations going on in this country regarding so-called "deep integration" were instead a communist conspiracy to take over the country (you will, of course, have to try hard to imagine this) the news media would be blaring the story.

Pundits would pontificate, editorialists would erupt, security forces would be unleashed.

Instead, a virtual conspiracy to make the country disappear through assimilation into the U.S. gets barely a mention.

But news of the scheme -- formally called the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) -- is finally breaking out of the secret chambers of the ruling elite and the federal government. This is both good news and bad. It's good that ordinary citizens are finally getting a glimpse of the betrayal of their country. The news is bad because it reflects just how much of this scheme is already being implemented.

Given the meetings of CEOs and politicians to advance the scheme politically, as well as all that must go into its actual implementation, there is simply too much activity to keep secret.

Tight Security Planned at Montebello for SPP Conference

July 23, 2007
Les Whittington
Toronto Star
OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA–Rising concerns about continental integration and opposition to U.S. President George W. Bush's war in Iraq may bring protesters to Montebello, Que., in large numbers next month when Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets with his American and Mexican counterparts.

Thousands of demonstrators turned out in Ottawa the last time Bush visited Canada in 2004. But those opposing Iraq or the tightening of relations among Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are unlikely to get very close to the Aug. 20-21 summit at a luxury resort 80 kilometres from Ottawa.

Police are planning to throw up a security cordon extending several kilometres around the meeting. Details are still secret but the authorities are leaving nothing to chance.

The Ottawa-based Council of Canadians says a public forum on Canada-U.S.-Mexico issues it had planned to hold in a community centre not far from Montebello was blocked by local authorities.

Brent Patterson, the council's director of organizing, said his group was told by authorities in Papineauville, Que. – six kilometres from Montebello – that police insisted on the use of the community centre as a headquarters for security forces.

The council has rescheduled its Aug. 19 public forum to Ottawa. But Patterson expressed outrage that the public can't seem to get near the Montebello summit when corporate executives have personal access to Harper, Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderón.

About 30 business executives have helped the three countries' leaders set the agenda under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) initiative that forms the basis for the meeting. Begun in 2005, the initiative commits Canada, Mexico and the U.S. to advancing post-9/11 security and streamlining continental trade and business activities.

"We do think that they are trying to silence us as much as they can and keep us as far away from the summit as they can," said Patterson in an interview. "And to us, this is profoundly wrong, particularly given that a number of corporate executives from all three countries will be at the summit itself with direct access to the leaders."

Organizers for a variety of North American groups are calling on Canadians and Americans to turn out to protest the so-called "Three Amigos" summit, and thousands are expected to do so. But Montebello, an out-of-the-way spot on the north side of the Ottawa River, will be much less accessible than the capital, where large demonstrations against Bush's 2004 visit tied up the city and sparked clashes between protesters and riot police.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Elaine Lavergne said police are in touch with groups planning to demonstrate. But she said it's impossible to tell how many protesters will show up.

As for the decision by Quebec provincial police to take over the community centre in Papineauville, she said, "It's for security reasons, it's obvious."

Besides the unpopularity of Bush's Iraq war, the security and prosperity initiative has become a lightning rod for a wide range of concerns about the closed-door trilateral meetings.

Building on the North American Free Trade Agreement, the initiative includes efforts to clear border bottlenecks and harmonize trade tariffs, product standards and other regulations; expand cross-border energy distribution systems; beef up disaster management, and improve North American emergency procedures for outbreaks of avian flu and other pandemics.

But Canadian opponents are alarmed about the possibility that the process could chip away at Canadian sovereignty, weaken regulatory standards and lead to a loss of control over natural resources.

North American Union- Connecting the Dots

My previous articles on this website explain in detail the lead up to the North American Union under the pretense of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and the cleverly disguised methods the governments of Mexico, Canada and the United States have used and will continue to use to change the face and the future of our North American continent.

The upcoming, so-called SPP Conference in Montebello, Quebec from August 20-21 will bring the leaders of the three countries together to ‘ratify’ the SPP, about which their respective citizens know almost nothing. This is all part of a carefully laid out plan, and is no accident. Our government leaders are not at all interested in discussing this issue with the people who elected them. Democracy with a different twist.

The media is complicit in this fascist act by government in collusion with the corporate multinationals, and have either refused to publish anything relevant, or have glossed over the entire issue in true lapdog fashion.

For further background information of the effects on Canada because of the impending North American Union, you can do no better than to read Maude Barlow’s “Too Close for Comfort” wherein Ms Barlow provides painstaking and shocking facts into the economic pillage that will affect all citizens except the wealthiest of the elite.

The purpose of this article is to analyze what else is going on in our countries right now, and then to determine what relationship this activity has with the NAU. I am stating up front that these arguments will be conjectural but need to be addressed.

Bush and Calderon to Visit Canada- Canadians Completely Unaware of Looming North American Union

In just over a month’s time, on August 20, the most powerful president in the world will be arriving in Montebello, Quebec for a two-day conference. President George W. Bush will be meeting with Stephen Harper and their Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon. So far, the silence from the Canadian and American media has been deafening.

Talk to 90% of people on the street and they won’t know about this upcoming conference, and if by a slim chance they do, they won’t know the purpose of the meeting or why the leaders of Canada, United States and Mexico are meeting in the dog days of summer under what amounts to a veil of secrecy.

So, what’s this upcoming conference all about, and why are the newspapers, radio and television keeping silent about it?

The purpose of the upcoming conference is to ratify the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which was initiated by Bush, Martin and Fox in 2005 in Waco, Texas. Essentially, this so-called ‘partnership’ will result in what the politicians refer to as ‘continental integration’-newspeak for a North American Union- and basically a harmonization of 100’s of regulations, policies and laws.

North American Union Coming to Your Canadian Neighbourhood by 2010

The June 21st article in the Cornwall Standard Freeholder concerning passport requirements for Americans and Canadians is all smoke and mirrors.

The premise for border security between the two countries just doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff uses the government’s favourite weapon, promoting fear, to intimidate people on both sides of the border.

The truth is that the United States is not today and never has been interested in securing either the Mexican or Canadian border. With between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants already in the United States, how secure have the borders been since 2001? How did all of these people get in after the devastation of 9/11?

Rockefeller Admitted Elite Goal Of Microchipped Population

Hollywood director and documentary film maker Aaron Russo has gone in-depth on the astounding admissions of Nick Rockefeller, who personally told him that the elite's ultimate goal was to create a microchipped population and that the war on terror was a hoax, Rockefeller having predicted an "event" that would trigger the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan eleven months before 9/11. Rockefeller also told Russo that his family's foundation had created and bankrolled the women's liberation movement in order to destroy the family and that population reduction was a fundamental aim of the global elite.

Bildergbergers Meet in Secrecy in Turkey- New World Order Advances!

This is the Official Communiqué
to the Turkish Prime Minister on
the upcoming Bilderberg meeting.
It has now been sent through
official channels.
------------------------------------------------

22th May 2007, Dublin, Ireland

Dear Prime Minister,

I am a Turkish filmmaker living in Ireland. It has come to my attention that the Bilderberg Group are holding their next meeting in Istanbul this year, between May 31 and June 3rd.(1) I have known about this group since 1993 and have been following their activities over the past 14 years. According to many sources, since its inception in 1954 by former Nazi S.S. Officer Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands, the Bilderberg Group have been covertly continuing the Nazi policy of creating a New World Order (a global totalitarian dictatorship). (2)

Likely to attend this year’s meeting are Paul Wolfowitz, Dr. Henry Kissinger and Donald Rumsfeld:

• As U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz was one of the major architects of the Iraqi War (3) and is still a member of PNAC (Project for a New American Century). PNAC is a neo-conservative think-tank which called for a "catalyzing event" for their policies "like a New Pearl Harbour" exactly a year before 9/11.(4) Mr. Wolfowitz who has been questioned on charges of corruption had to announce his resignation, effective June 30, as President of the World Bank.(5)

• As member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group (6), Dr. Henry Kissinger is also likely to attend. According to many sources, Dr. Kissinger is a mass murderer who implemented and defended the decision to run 600 illegal bombing missions in Cambodia ("Operation Menu"), causing the deaths of over 500,000 Cambodians between 1969 and 1973. Under the U.S. constitution, this secret bombing campaign was illegal without U.S. Congressional approval. (7) Two months after striking a peace accord with North Vietnam in October 1972, he authorised 129 B-52 bombers to bomb North Vietnam for 11 days in a "demonstration bombing" as a public relations exercise to appease South Vietnam (called "The Christmas Bombing").

Former U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia David Newsom, and a Senior CIA Officer both confirm that on December 5th 1975, Dr. Kissinger, along with President Ford, held a meeting in Indonesia with President Suharto. Transcripts of this meeting prove that he gave the greenlight to the subsequent Indonesian Invasion of East Timor. This lead to the massacre of over 100,000 Timoreans and violated the U.S. law on arms trade. (8)

Recently, a French judge subpoened Dr. Kissinger about U.S. involvement with mass-killings in Chile, Operation Condor and General Augusto Pinochet. He still hasn’t attended the hearing and has been evading the subpoena ever since.(9)

• Bilderberg member Donald Rumsfeld is also another PNAC member and was the main architect of the Iraqi War. As he is a regular Bilderberg attendee, there is a possibility that he may attend this year’s meeting in Istanbul.(10)

My main concerns and therefore my questions to you are:

(a) Why are war-mongers the likes of Paul Wolfowitz, Henry Kissinger and Donald Rumsfeld being allowed to hold a secret meeting in Turkey this year, without the Turkish people’s knowledge or approval?

(b) Why are the Turkish newspapers not discussing this event which will be taking place in Istanbul?

(c) It is obvious that a secret meeting of elite minds and warmongers like these is likely to result in the manufacture of another war for profit. I would therefore like to know whether they will be holding this meeting to plan the next stages of an upcoming war with Iran? Will they be using Turkey as a chess-piece in this next war? Also, as Dr. Kissinger wrote the book "Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy" and admits that he is not averse to using nuclear weapons in a war situation, will they be involving us in a nuclear one?

One journalist who has been invited to this year’s meeting is Cengiz Çandar. In his column in the Turkish Referans Newspaper, on April 3rd 2007, he mentions the brunch he had with his close friend Wolfowitz in Washington and in the meantime makes an announcement on Bilderberg for his readers, by saying "…for years, it has been claimed by the conspiracy theorists that Bilderberg is a secret world government. This year I will be among the attendees. We’ll see what this secret government is like..." (11) Other than this, no news or comment has been published in the Turkish media that I know of.

I am completely appalled by the total lack of discussion in Turkish newspapers about the upcoming Bilderberg meeting, by the huge level of secrecy and denial surrounding it, the total lack of transparency of these meetings, and by the high level of ignorance Turkish people are showing about the Bilderberg Group. A secret meeting is being held by the world’s most influential warmongers, right under our noses! This is unacceptable.

As a Turkish citizen, I am deeply offended by the notion that my own government would allow this secret meeting to take place on Turkish soil without the knowledge or approval of its citizens. I therefore ask you that there be complete journalistic transparency at the upcoming Bilderberg meeting in Istanbul this year. If the Bilderberg Group have nothing to hide, then we must be allowed a full transcript of their meeting. Therefore, other than Cengiz Çandar, more independent journalists representing the Turkish Press must attend the meeting this year. If this is not possible, I ask that you, as a servant of the Turkish people, not allow the upcoming Bilderberg meeting to take place in Turkey.

I expect your urgent attention on this matter and request to be informed of the results of your enquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Timuçin Leflef

admin@lightfilms.com

A very concerned Turkish Citizen

Letter from Jack Layton Regarding Foreign Takeover of Canadian Companies

Editor's Note:

The following letter from Jack Layton, NDP Leader in Canada, is in response to my objections in my previous article regarding the huge price increases in Cogeco cable services.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

When foreigners take control of a domestic company, they often take with it high-paying head office jobs, research and the potential wealth it creates. They can eliminate work for suppliers, lawyers, accountants and financial institutions. Yet while New Democrat Leader Jack Layton has tried to spark a debate on the issue he sounds like a voice in the wilderness. And Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has had little of substance to say." – Halifax Daily News, May 24, 2007

Thank you for voicing your concern on the continuing trend of foreign takeovers of Canadian companies.

Since 1985, more than 12,100 Canadian firms have been taken over by foreign interests. That includes iconic companies like Molson, Dofasco, Labatt, Inco, The Bay, Van Houtte and Falconbridge—and even the Montreal Canadiens. Now Alcan is facing a hostile bid from US-based Alcoa.

People are concerned that Canada is slipping away. They’re concerned about who’s managing our natural and cultural resources. And they’re concerned about job losses. Because when companies fall to foreign interests, high-paying head office jobs often leave the country too. A copy of my recent Op-ED expanding on these concerns can be found at: http://www.ndp.ca/page/5366.

It’s time to review exactly how the rules governing takeovers are failing Canadians. That’s why I am calling for emergency hearings on the subject right now—before any more of Canada slips away. http://www.ndp.ca/page/5356.

We’ve seen 600 takeovers since the Conservatives took power, but the Liberals did nothing to slow the bleeding either. Between 1985 and 2005, 87% of all foreign takeovers were automatically approved without federal review. And the remaining 13%? Not one was rejected.

Looking forward, whether it's on climate change, child care, prescription drugs, the high cost of gas and ATM fees, or the war in Afghanistan the federal NDP is working on the issues that everyday Canadians care about. You can find out more about our work at http://www.ndp.ca or by subscribing to our e-mail bulletin at subscribe@ndp.ca.

Please be assured that the federal NDP will continue to stand up for everyday Canadians, their jobs and what's good for Canada. All the best.

Sincerely,

Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)
Leader, Canada's New Democrats

Here are more good reasons why Jack Layton is calling for emergency hearings into rampant foreign takeovers of Canadians companies.

The rush is on: Since 1985, more than 12,100 Canadian firms have fallen to foreign interests, including 600 under the Harper government.
The rules are broken: Since 1985, not one foreign takeover application has been rejected by Ottawa—87% were approved without even being reviewed.
Harper isn’t acting: The Conservative government is doing nothing about the recent rash of takeovers, including US-based Alcoa’s hostile bid for Alcan.
Nobody’s safe: Foreign interests have already absorbed Canadian icons like Molson, Dofasco, Labatt, Inco, The Bay and even the Montreal Canadiens.
Jobs are at stake: When Canadian companies fall to foreign interests, the best-paying head-office jobs often leave the country too.
Canada’s slipping away: Foreign-based companies are gaining more control over our cultural industries, energy reserves and natural resources.

Cogeco Shows Corporate Greed- Raises Prices by 66%

In a stunning example of corporate greed and arrogance, COGECO sent a technician to my home on May 31, 2007 to serve me with a ‘Partial Disconnection Notice.’ This was the first time I had been contacted by COGECO to tell me that I would be charged more money for the service I was receiving.

The company claims that I have been receiving certain Basic Cable channels as part “of a technical error.” Translated, that means that COGECO has made the changes to the policies first, then allows a month or two to pass, and then claims that you will no longer receive them at the current price. In other words, COGECO changes the rules and then informs you that you are not in compliance. It’s basically a price increase by default.

The technician/salesperson, sporting a fluorescent bib, leather gloves, a pouch of tools and dark sunglasses, politely informed me that some of the channels I was receiving under ‘Basic Cable’ would now become part of the ‘Variety Value Pack,’ and that all I had to do was authorize the extra charges, and he would go on his way. Otherwise, he would disconnect the channels that are no longer covered under ‘Basic Cable’ which include: channels 31, 32, 33, 39, 52, and perhaps some others I haven’t yet noticed.

Here’s the bad news. I currently pay $26.50 + taxes per month for ‘Basic Cable.’ Under the new system, I would now be charged $43.99 + taxes for the first 12 months. Folks, that’s an increase of $17.49 per month or an increase of 66%!

COGECO is the company that sent me an information package last month showing me ways in which I could save money by combining cable, phone and Internet services, proudly proclaiming that “Life’s Better with Cable.” Whose life, COGECO shareholders or mine?

The hypocrisy is beyond belief. This latest initiative is a disingenuous example of price gouging, taking advantage of the fact that cable services are basically a monopoly, and citizens can’t just pick up the phone and call another cable company.

Approaching people at their homes during the supper hour with tool kit in hand, threatening to immediately disconnect part of their cable service amounts to intimidation and disrespect. I had been watching a tournament on the Golf Channel, and when I declined this outrageous increase, I saw the technician on my lawn moments later, disconnecting the above mentioned channels, including the Golf Channel that reverted to a blank screen. This action illustrates the real corporate image that is behind COGECO and so many other companies.

Do they really have the customers’ interest and welfare at heart? Do they really want to ‘save’ customers money? I think the answer is obvious.

I don’t know about you, but I am unwilling to pay 66% more for my television cable service, and have refused the offer. If thousands of people did the same, maybe COGECO would have to get off its high horse.

We need the federal government to keep companies like COGECO in check, or they will continue to gouge us at every turn. COGECO acts as a monopoly and in these situations where there is no alternative cable service, the federal government and the CRTC must insist on reasonable increases in keeping with inflation.

Can Locally Grown Foods Save Your Life?

Garth Riley interviews Pam Killeen, co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Great Bird Flu Hoax, about the importance of choosing locally grown food. Production of CHEX TV, Oshawa, Ontario and www.dancarter.ca.