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Ten minutes that you will not regret spending of your limited time here on earth :)
It has been strangely quiet in the news about Iraq. It takes a significant event, as CBC reports, to make headlines about the shattered country.
“At least 136 people died Sunday after two car bombs detonated in Baghdad. With casualty figures still rising, officials said that nearly 600 people had been injured and taken to six area hospitals.
So many people were wounded that even civilian cars were pressed into service to take the casualties to area hospitals, said a Baghdad hospital official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The two vehicles were packed with explosives and detonated less than a minute apart in the centre of the Iraqi capital, officials said.”
Are we purging our collective memories of Iraq and the atrocities we have committed there? Do we think that not bringing Bush and Cheney in for war crimes will not incense the rest of the world?
Iraq is still being torn asunder. The coverage has moved on to Afghanistan and so has our consciousness. Our actions leave us accountable for so much destruction and chaos. We owe the people of Iraq and Afghanistan more than just bullets and bomb craters.
Times are tough, we are in a economic downturn. Solution: Lower Taxes.
Times are great, we are in an economic upturn. Solution: Lower Taxes.
This from our level headed and supposedly fully rational Canadian minister of Finance.
“It has become obvious that Canada was well prepared for the crisis that hit us a year ago — paying down debt in good times, maintaining a prudent financial system and reducing taxes as the U.S. entered into recession in early 2008, to provide both a short-term gain and a long-term advantage,” Flaherty said in remarks prepared for delivery to the Brampton, Ont., Board of Trade.”
What the hell Jim? Is Keynesian Economic Theory a bit of a stretch for you? Or is it something else?
From the budget brought down by Jimbo Flaherty and his Neo-Conservative party.
“Corporate taxes will also be cut — by $14.1 billion over the next five years.
The corporate income tax rate drops by an additional percentage point to 19.5 per cent in 2008, falling in steps to 15 per cent by 2012. By that time, Canada will have the lowest corporate tax rate among the major industrialized economies, the government said.”
It is simply ludicrous. The government needs to raise taxes when times are good so it has the room to cut taxes when times are bad. The current Canadian Government has had but one solution on the issue of taxes: Cut, Cut, Cut, and then cut some more. That friends, is retarded. I mean sure, we all love our tax breaks, but defunding the government so it must cut valuable social services amazingly short sighted.
The business cycle must be regulated by the government for the benefit of the people of Canada. Unfortunately that means tax increasing during the good times, get over it tax-whiners, as it is necessary.
You know that state when you just wake up, before your morning pandiculation and daily ablutions, where your consciousness is really neither here nor there? Just floating, mildly cognizant of your surroundings in a happy grey state?
The people of Alberta are exactly like that, wandering about in a comforting political miasma, becoming activated only when the government decides to make further cuts to education, healthcare or privatize a lucrative public utility. Like dessicated Zombies we moan louder for awhile then fall back into our happy conservative haze knowing that we really cannot change anything and as long as business is happy, we are happy.
On to the vibrant political stage in Alberta ( a whopping 41% turnout last election coronation) we have new contender, new blood, a new vision for the province, we have Danielle Smith and the jack booted fascist Frasier institute stormtroopers Wild Rose Party. Alberta has been in the throes of right wing lunacy since before I was born (38 years and counting) and the prospect of going even further right (with a libertarian outlook to boot, ooooh how I love their batshite-craziness) is about appealing as a warm bowl of cockroaches and milk for breakfast.
For some idea of what Danielle Smith brings to the table lets look at what Keith Brownsey, political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary says:
“With vague policies of less government, less taxes, more individual rights and freedoms, the party can have broad appeal, he said. But that changes with Smith because supporters and critics can now point to her track record.
On the campaign trail, Smith challenged provincial changes to oil royalties that she said have sent investment dollars elsewhere.
‘Elsewhere’ being the multi-nationals and assorted corporations that want it *all* instead of just most of the profits from Alberta’s natural resources.
She promises to push individual property rights to the top of the agenda – no land expropriated without due consultation and compensation.
Oh look a meaningless bout of populist hand-waving to con persuade rural voters that the Wild Rose Party really cares about them.
She wants to revamp health care to match models where health providers are paid per job done rather than in a lump sum.
The Americans, currently mired in a pay per job done system are saying that a lump sum payment is the solution. – “Dean also argued that passing some sort of healthcare reform is crucial for Democrats politically if they want to hold onto their majority. He closed the event by arguing for increased compensation for primary care physicians, perhaps even through a salary structure that would allow them to spend more time with patients. “If physicians were paid in a lump sum, rather than by the procedures and tests they perform, we could deliver extraordinary care,” he said.”
Way to go Ms.Smith, already bucking for shiny-awesome Maverick status. *headdesk*
She wants to dump Alberta’s multibillion-dollar carbon capture and storage project as a political boondoggle. Carbon capture, still in its infancy, would see greenhouse gases stored underground but at a hefty cost.
Carbon capture and storage is an amazing lead balloon and energy industry masquerade. We need to update our energy infrastructure. If you have not heard of hydricity find out what we should be doing if we want to live comfortably past the fossil fuel era.
On abortion, Smith said that she is pro-choice and that it should be publicly paid for, but only under hardship or special circumstances – not when it’s used as birth control.
Ah yes, a libertarian that panders to her religious hard right constituency. Squaring libertarian ideals with traditional hard right support is a tough one isn’t it Ms.Smith?
“She’s a leader with a very right-wing track record,” said Brownsey.”
I caught a National Post Blogger’s take on the WRP and Ms.Smith.
“Ms. Smith’s is plainly to the Tories’ right: she looks to the Fraser Institute for health care reform (though vows to respect the Health Act); is skeptical of carbon-curbing efforts since she thinks many Albertans, like her, aren’t totally buying the manmade climate change theory; and promises laws protecting property rights.”
It is a rare day indeed that I agree with anything that comes slithering from the National Post’s direction, but they appropriately framed Ms.Smith as a hard right ideologue who has a marginal grip on reality. Case in point; Ms. Smith’s endorsement of the policies of the Fraser Institute: privatizing health care (CUPE has another take on what our dear neoliberals have to say) and denying climate change are some of the low-lights for your enjoyment.
Progressive politics here we come!
This is just what we need in Alberta to fix our political malaise… gasoline anyone?
The Daily Show once again scores a home run showing the insipid, misogynistic and obstructionist nature of the current republican party.
See the clip here.
Essentially, it is a anti-government contractor gang rape bill. The bill would remove the option for US government contractors to put clauses in the contracts of their workers denying them the right to sue the company for being raped.
The American people let this party represent them for eight years.
*headdesk*
Update: Rob F. from the Words on What with the stats on the vote (see Misogyny) in the Senate . If the republicans keep this up I might begin having stirrings toward feeling proud to be Canadian.
Whoops…never-mind; latent nationalism squelched.
One finds a good fantastic post every so often. This one really helps for driving home the point of our patriarchal culture. The blog in question is called Kate Hardings’s Shapely Prose and the article is a primer directed toward men on the dynamics involved in approaching a woman. I intend this to be a reference post because I often come up against individuals who have no clue about how the constructs of the rape culture or the patriarchy or Feminism work.
Access the entire post here, with many thanks to the blog KHSP and Sweet Machine for her important words.
Sweet Machine says: […]
“To begin with, you must accept that I set my own risk tolerance. When you approach me, I will begin to evaluate the possibility you will do me harm. That possibility is never 0%. For some women, particularly women who have been victims of violent assaults, any level of risk is unacceptable. Those women do not want to be approached, no matter how nice you are or how much you’d like to date them. Okay? That’s their right. Don’t get pissy about it. Women are under no obligation to hear the sales pitch before deciding they are not in the market to buy.
The second important point: you must be aware of what signals you are sending by your appearance and the environment. We are going to be paying close attention to your appearance and behavior and matching those signs to our idea of a threat.
This means that some men should never approach strange women in public. Specifically, if you have truly unusual standards of personal cleanliness, if you are the prophet of your own religion, or if you have tattoos of gang symbols or Technicolor cockroaches all over your face and neck, you are just never going to get a good response approaching a woman cold. That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a life of solitude, but I suggest you start with internet dating, where you can put your unusual traits out there and find a woman who will appreciate them.
Are you wearing a tee-shirt making a rape joke? NOT A GOOD CHOICE—not in general, and definitely not when approaching a strange woman.
Pay attention to the environment. Look around. Are you in a dark alley? Then probably you ought not approach a woman and try to strike up a conversation. The same applies if you are alone with a woman in most public places. If the public place is a closed area (a subway car, an elevator, a bus), even a crowded one, you may not realize that the woman’s ability to flee in case of threat is limited. Ask yourself, “If I were dangerous, would this woman be safe in this space with me?” If the answer is no, then it isn’t appropriate to approach her.
On the other hand, if you are both at church accompanied by your mothers, who are lifelong best friends, the woman is as close as it comes to safe. That is to say, still not 100% safe. But the odds are pretty good.
This blog started off with Abortion. It certainly won’t end with the same topic, but I found a nice summary from ‘Screaming into the Void‘ a feminist blog. Read the whole post here, but here is the excerpt which nicely encapsulates the feelings around at DWR about Abortion.
Men and women are THE SAME SPECIES. Homo sapiens, otherwise known as HUMANS. This means that women are HUMAN. This means that if something is degrading, insulting or criminal to do to a man it is also degrading, insulting or criminal to do to a woman. The implications of this are staggering when you apply this principle correctly and realize how deeply woman-hate and denial of woman’s humanity is built into the culture.
I saw someone today say the whole debate on abortion was about whether or not the fetus is seen as human. This is incorrect. The whole debate on abortion is about whether or not the pregnant woman is a human being with a right to life, liberty, and happiness or an incubator who must be made to behave. If you don’t believe women are human, of course abortion is a travesty. It’s some subhuman interfering with the life of a potential new human. But if you realize that WOMEN ARE HUMAN, you cannot possibly place the interest of a fetal human over that of one already born and alive. It makes not the slightest amount of sense.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
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