Propaganda - Week 218 - June 22-29

Justin Trudeau continues not providing clear policy goals.  End the Isis combat mission.  Restore diplomatic relations with Iran.  What is he trying to say?  Of course, the Conservatives have plunged to new depths in their response.  Out of context quotes...blatantly mis-stating the truth...using ISIS imagery.  Some speculate this might contravene their own Bill C-51.  Another speculates that the use of images of POW's contravenes the Geneva Conventions.  It's "better than news" though.  Somehow.  Truthiness, I guess.  As well, government ministers have taken to issuing partisan attacks on the subject using public resources.  And Steve has decided that re-instituting diplomatic relations means "becoming best friends with Iran".

No shit.  "Canadian Muslim leaders wary of Stephen Harper’s Ramadan meal motives"

Tim Uppal is angry about getting called out for calling out Muslim women.

Since 9/11, more people have died at the hand of non-muslim extremists than at the hands of muslim extremists in the US.

Dean Del Mastro.  Sentenced to one month in jail.  I wonder how a "tough on crime" MP fairs in prison?

We've talked about cuts to sex offender rehabilitation programs before.  Maybe we're just framing it wrong?  Conservative cuts cause child molesters to re-offend at a 75% higher rate (the Walrus suggests even higher).  Maybe phrasing it like that will change the conversation?

The Cons shovelled a lot more money into their own ridings from an infrastructure fund, than went into opposition ridings.  On average, each Conservative riding received 48% more.

Our good buddy Steve used to speak publically about how gay marriage was "vile and disgusting".  Guess he didn't rainbowize his Facebook avatar.

Even the National Post seems to be realizing that the loss of the mandatory long form census is a horrible thing.

Details on the law against Safe Injection sites.

The Cons are banning their own followers from chastising them on social media over C-51.

Holy shit.  We've spent $265 Million over the last 5 years detaining immigrants and refugees.

Leaked documents show that we really sucked up to Saudi Arabia in pursuit of that big arms deal.

Jason Kenney blames the military for not allowing opposition MP's onto military bases.  Documents point out that the minister is the one with the final say.

HarperPAC only lasted four days.  Lots of articles on the sad state of affairs that these PAC's hint at.

Every country seems to be clueing in that the TPP is a bad deal for regular citizens.  This one has an Australian bent.

A report finds that the PMO is deleting e-mails that should be kept.

Apparently, many more seniors are going bankrupt these days.

An interesting behind-the-scenes of a Stephen Harper photo op.

Like I said last week - the long gun registry data case is heating up.  A court orders the RCMP to turn over data.

Your religion is different than mine - Week 217 - June 15-22

I believe firmly in Tim Uppal's right to wear his turban wherever he pleases.  I admire the hypocrisy of him asking Muslim women to remove their niqab's.  I'm saddened by the Harper government trotting Tim Uppal out to sell this for them.

Stephen Harper is a master.  He can cut bait with the best of them.  But how long before one of his terrible appointments brings him down?  Don Meredith shows that he's not just a spender of taxpayer money, he's also a horrible human being.

Steve is going hard on Russia.  Vladimir doesn't seem to care all that much.  It's sad when you get called out as an American puppet.

James Moore joins the growing list of Conservative MP's not running in the next election.

I bet these same assholes are all on board with the pope when he speaks out against abortion.  Climate change though?  Too political!

A pretty great Tom the Dancing Bug on the TPP.

All those Stephen Harper court case losses?  They're adding up.  Almost $7 million spent defending unconstitutional laws.

Our top military man shows again that they just don't get it.  Sexual assaults are a result of biological wiring.  There's not anything they can do about it.  Even the Cons can't defend this.

A story of how Stephen Harper single handedly overrode a team of experts recommendations for Northern territory limits and the repercussions of that decision.

Rachel Notley is awesome.  She gets the shipping unprocessed bitumen to Texas via the Keystone pipeline sells the province short.  Which is logical and amazing.  Some try to explain that the US won't buy our refined products.  But if that's all that is available to them, I'm not so sure.

People seem really freaked out about the cost of the Senate audit.  The Auditor General breaks it down, somewhat, here.

The destruction of the long gun registry records might start to get a bit contentious.

More details on driverless trucks on the Oil Patch.  Normally, I can understand automated technology.  But this is different.  This is a natural resource that belongs to the people.  This is a company being allowed to do what it does based on the promise of jobs.  Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs is all we are ever told as justification for this stuff.  We are allowed to challenge this automation.

Cracks in the Pipeline - Week 216 - June 8-15

These fucking assholes.  "Our new pipelines are totally safe!  New technology!  Jobs!"  The first phase of Keystone is already significantly corroded.  As well...We need this massive oil sands project because we need jobs!  You approved it?  Okay.  We need to cut jobs to make this economical!  Driverless trucks on the way in the Oil Sands.

Folksyism.  The whole "gosh darnit, why shouldn't so and so do such and such" form of politics.  Usually along the lines of tough on crime.  Tough on poor people.  Tough on anybody that isn't me.  And usually Conservatives.  Small government conservatives wondering why the government doesn't intrude more on the lives of others.  Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner wonders why we pay for the medical bills of shooting victims that don't cooperate with the police.  Because nothing bad can happen when a City government gets to decide who gets Health Care.

A long but great read on the nuances and difficulties of current day Iraq.  The conclusion...we don't really know what's going on and we certainly aren't doing a good job.

Some would call my obsession with Nancy Greene-Raine unhealthy.  But in my limited interactions with her, she seems like an awful person.  I like my athletes to retire with dignity and am not a fan of those that steamroll over people in pursuit of money and influence.  Her climate change denial has sealed the deal for me.  And this makes me very happy: Expenses related to a former Senators anniversary party.  Attending ski shows.  Pretty minor in comparison to others, but wouldn't be surprised if there is more.  I know.  This is petty of me.

Come on Senate.  We can save almost $25 Million if we expand our temporary office search by a block, and the Senate won't go along?

The Conservatives have introduced a bunch of friendly, heart warming bills to the citizens of Canada.  The problem?  They don't stand a chance of passing before the house breaks for the summer...and the election is called.

Salon digs in to the money funding the anti-climate change movement.

The drought alarm bells are reaching Canada.  It's taken far too long.

This story digs in to the flight of the automakers.

Stephen Taylor is also an asshole - Week 215 - June 1-8

This fucking asshole tried to astro-turf Tim Hortons because they pulled Enbridge ads from their internal TV system.  When did we change from actually talking about issues, to just throwing out as much shit as will stick?  Trying to sell pipelines by hyping up rail disasters?  Sorry, that's a rail safety issue.  Trying to guilt David Suzuki for not caring enough about the native population because you're begrudging them cushy pipeline jobs?  Christ, what an asshole.

Steve kicks another one to his granddaughter.  We're going carbon neutral by 2100.  What a proud day.

This looks bad.  $1 Billion underspent by the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.  Year in, year out, not hitting their budget.  And...The government is yet to comment on the Truth and Reconciliation process.

Way to go Canada.  We're going to try to kick out thousands of refugees from Zimbabwe and Haiti.  Their homelands just aren't horrible enough any longer.

Another report, this one from the EPA, suggesting fracking can lead to water pollution.

Oof.  $200,000 to host a re-opening event for Canada House in London.

More from the copyright assholes.  Accessing US Netflix is stealing.

This is interesting.  Protest environmental destruction.  Potential terrorist.  Protest and threaten abortion providers.  Well...that's fine.  You have a right to present your opinion.

How stoked must these guys be now!  Mounties toting sub-machine guns on Parliament hill.

This article speculates that the PM can ignore spending limits just by calling an election with a really, really long time frame.

Conservative MP Andrew Saxton has been implicated in an offshore, tax dodging episode.  He helped a former client send his money offshore.

An analytics company "analyzed twitter" to determine that likely voters won't care if Harper skips the traditional debates.

Here's some anti-Islamist fear mongering.  Millions are pouring in from foreign sources!  We have no idea!

Of course Peter MacKay will collect his full pension.  He's been an MP forever.  It is interesting to see that they gain a windfall for skipping out on the next election though. 

Proudly Canadian - Week 214 - May 25 - June 1

Reddit tricked me with an old link.  Oh well, I'm sticking with it because we haven't had a photo in a while.  Hey guys!  I got me a panderin' license!

6,000 aboriginal children may have died under the Residential School system.  That's a shocking, shocking number.

We plunged in to a war against ISIS a year ago with little thought or planning.  And amazingly, we're worse off now than when we started.

The RCMP thinks you might be at terrorist if you're protesting the Big Brother act.

This article is titled "Have the Tories' electoral changes remade our democracy for the better?".  And then goes on to list all the things they've done to make democracy worse.  So I don't really get it.

The PMO feels the need to approve any request for a public meeting.  Any public meeting with Federal Government involvement.  Or at least a Federal Government logo.

I guess when you put out this many promotional videos, some things are liable to slip through the cracks.  Including highlighting an assembly line that will be moved to the US.

 

Lovely.  An educator attempts to educate a group of military cadets about sexual assault.  Is catcalled and harassed.  Reports it.  And is harassed via e-mail for reporting it.

The Victoria terror trial descends further into sideshow.  The Judge declares there was nearly a mistrial due to the absurd closing argument from the prosecution.

Vice explains how the transparency watchdog is being starved and ignored.

I think it is awesome that a First Nation took the time and money to do their own detailed study on the Kinder Morgan expansion.  Surprisingly...they don't exactly agree with what Kinder Morgan or the government have been selling.

U-S-A!  U-S-A!  When there's sports scandals to prosecute, we know who to call!  Lance Armstrong.  Barry Bonds.  Now FIFA.  Don't worry about those guys who almost ruined the world in 2008 though.

Political ploy, yes.  But kind of awesome.  Liberal bill to unmuzzle scientists.

Conservatives don't want it.  The City of Ottawa doesn't want it.  But the Victims of Communism Memorial will probably go ahead anyhow.

Canada blocks a UN plan to ride the world of nukes.  Because Israel needs them.  Won't admit to having them...but needs them.

Joe Oliver wants us to voluntarily put more money into our government run pension plan that he doesn't want to fund.  Ya.  Okay.

Temporary Foreign Workers.  Also unable to do anything when sexually harassed at work.

Omar Khadr finally speaks.

I used to think Peter McKay was one of the good ones.  Long ago.  I no longer think that.  Good riddance.