Being There

After reading some of the comments of Randy Kamp Maple Ridge Pitt meadows Federal representative in Ottawa, and who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries I have to wonder whether he is just a product of a broken, dysfunctional electoral system and is he really the best advocate, representative to stand up for our best interests in Ottawa. In his own words Quote “ It seems to me that a study needs to have something of an open mind for it to be valid” He then claims that the gutting of fisheries and environmental rules will quote “ provide greater certainly and consistency for stakeholders”. 

My question is which stakeholders is he talking about, fish farms, oil companies or pipeline owners, it certainly can’t be fisheries, enviroment or the best interests of Canadians or any of it’s non-human inhabitants. 

This whole LESS IS MORE would be funny if it wasn’t so dangerous and destructive, not to mention insulting to the intelligence of every Canadian. If Randy Kamp ever had a original idea or opinion that he didn’t glean from Der Fuhrer Steven Harper the world would surely stop spinning. 

If LESS REALLY IS MORE then Mr. Kamp is the man for you, although he is probably being wasted in his present position he would be a perfect fit for say, the Ministry of Propaganda.

Monopoly kill Economies

One thing that is almost never talked about or factored in to the financial meldown of America is actually very obvious and it would seem an important piece of the puzzle of the failure of  American capitalism. 

In Americas history when any sector became too monopolized such as Standard Oil or AT&T it was broken up into many companies and made them to be more competitive and vibrant, when Chrysler was in danger of going bankrupt America even talked about nationalizing the automobile industry, I believe this was a good policy and helped America nurture a healthy competitive dynamic economy that was good for the owners and the workers alike. 

If you compare that policy with the cannibalistic monopolies of corporate America now, 

is it any wonder that Americas and even Canada’s economy can not compete in the global market place, for example in the 1950s there were no less than 50 competing media companies in America and literally every viewpoint was covered and there was real news reported by real reporters, today after decades of unbridled consolidation there are basically 4 media groups and are more entertainment than news with each vested interest group telling people what they want to hear instead of reporting cold hard facts. 

It is the same in every sector of the economy, corporations and big money are more interested in gobbling up anything and everything that they can liquidate or just a matter of getting rid of the competition. 

It is my belief that this is a big reason that Capitalism is no longer able to live up to the promise Capitalism had for the vast majority of people in the past. 

If Capitalism can no longer pay workers a fair living wage for their labour it is time to move on to a more equitable system.

A government should break up every monopoly using the anti-combines laws that served Canada well for many decades and have been foolishly discarded by the Conservatives, the super arrogant bloated corrupt banks that in their greed and quest for power have brought the whole word to it’s knees and continue to do so to this day are one obvious target, break up the monopolies and it would result in a new renaissance of western prosperity. 

Path to the dark side

Re: News from France instructive MR Times May 22/2012

Insightful letter Maria, one would think this is an obvious truth, but North America in particular fights this trend back to the centre with all the resources the one percent can throw at it. 

Is anyone going to try to make the argument that it was social programs or social safety nets that has brought the world to the edge of financial ruin. 

I have puzzled about this phenomena for years for example America is actually in worse financial shape than Greece, Greece per-capita debt $47,664 America $49,000 and what does America do but go yet further to the right, even to the extent of a man who is essentially a junk bond profiteer running for President. When things get bad the answer for Americans always seems to be , move further to the right and then wonder why things do not get better, then of course just move further to the right yet again. If we give just a little more to the one-percent everything will be all-right, just a little more will do it, NOT.

Federally Canada has a government that continues to rule with all the worse polices of George W. Bush.

In Canada provincially we have the same phenomena where in Alberta we just watched a pitched battle between the right and the ultra-right, Redford head of the wild rose party commented that Albertans have been evolving over the last decade, and she is right they are apparently evolving into Ferengi. 

It occurs to me that when the west won the cold war over the east, America was at the height of it’s power and also in the centre of the political spectrum compared to where it is now.

It is worth noting that if you go far enough right you eventually end up left, and pass through Fascism along the way to your unintended goal. 

Canada's sharp turn to the right away from our traditional values such as democratic peace keepers, thoughtful stewards of the environment, and a respected world leader and the fact that Canada is becoming an obvious right wing dictatorship, is to me and many other Canadians the wrong direction for the Canadian people our civil rights and liberties, democracy, the environment of Canada and the world as a whole and all it’s inhabitants.

Time for Canadians to stand up and be counted, while we still have a country left.

Same agenda new face

Not only are the public and the environment under attack by the BC Liberals but small business has been added to the combatants list, it would seem BC will not only be taking it’s lead from Alberta on environmental policy but liquor distribution as well. 


Gordon Campbell's privatize at any cost is alive and well. 

It appears BC is trapped in our own version of “Back to the Future” and as in the movie there will be many obvious as well as unforeseen consequences, dangers and outright catastrophes for the people and economy of BC. 

The masters prime directive will be implemented because although the great leader has been deposed and exiled it appears he still has control over the BC lieberals as he knows were all the skeletons are buried, so it is highly unlikely that anyone in the BC Lieberal caucus could stand up to him, because he knows all their secrets.

It is clear that not only do the BC Lieberals not care what the public thinks or wants or needs you can also add small business to that sorry disfranchised group. 

The BC Lieberals are going full steam ahead with the privatization of the BC liquor distribution system in spit of the fact that it makes no sense on any level, and they have no mandate for such a measure, it will without a doubt cost more for the BC public to purchase liquor and even the businesses that depend on lIquor sales such as restaurants and pubs are fighting this senseless privatizing move that is bad news for everyone involved, the workers, the public and the businesses that depend on liquor products, never mind the $700 million dollars that will be going into a few well connected fat cat corporate pockets instead of the social programs and other government expenses that it usually goes to.

Is this another example of the new and improved Lieberals, what happened to doing what is best for BC and it’s families and now it’s also screw small businesses.

This is hardly rocket science, one just has to see what happened in Alberta when they did the very same thing, I was there a couple years ago and liquor was certainly no cheaper than BC.

The master is gone Mrs Clark, if you are serious about continuing to govern in BC maybe it’s time to show the people and small business that it’s not the same stupid game with just another pretty face.

This is an election issue, call an election, get a mandate.

Pinocchio Syndrome

Obviously politicians definition of lying is totally different than Joe and Mary Public, as the speaker of the house Andrew Scheer claims the Conservatives did not lie to the Canadian people or the opposition about F35 cost projections, but in my mind it makes no difference whether the Harper Government of Canada lied or not. In the end it makes no difference what you call their behaviour it is one or all of three things that makes them unfit to be in charge of Canada’s economy. First they outright barefaced lied to fool the Canadian people and the official opposition, two they are guilty of gross negligence, or three  they are totally incompetent which belies the credentials of our so called economist Prime Minister as we are talking about a 70 percent discrepancy. 

This kind of behaviour is all to common in Canadian politics, for instance take the last election in BC where Gordon Campbell ran a provincial election bragging about what great economic shape BC was in with an alleged $495 million deficit, four months later after claiming in writing that HST was not on the table and having won the election he brings in the HST, the reason being that BC actually had a deficit of $2.8 billion a whopping 465 percent increase.

It matters not other than from an ethics point whether Mr. Harper or Mr. Campbell Lied because if they did not lie then they are guilty of either gross negligence or total fiscal incompetence and neither are fit to hold such a position of such great responsibility and public trust.

Where's the upside

So the Pacific newspaper group thinks that Mayor Robertson should have no say on what goes on in Vancouver's own living room. 
Vancouver one of Canada’s biggest cities that ’s main claim to fame is it’s unparalleled beauty and livability and pristine environment, well it may be with our present Federal government our Provincial government has no say either, maybe the People of BC it’s aboriginal peoples and the people of Vancouver have no say in what level of exploitation or risk of environmental degredation we are prepared to accept, not to mention the monetary and environmental liabilitys associated with these carpet-baggers exploits. 

I have to wonder how Canada has come to this circumstance where the people of a supposedly free country have given up their rights to control what goes on in their own living room to uncaring corporate shills living 3540 Km away. 
Who do they think they are fooling with these ridiculous liability caps of 40 million dollars for cleaning up their inevitable disasters, just one such disaster on land or in our coastal waters could easily cost a billion dollars or more ( Exxon Valdez was $2.5 billion and counting), I can only see environmental disaster and financial catastrophe for the people of Vancouver, BC, Alberta and ultimately the people of Canada. 

Four pipe lines to sell non-value added raw non-renuable oil resources each one a clear and present danger to the environment, economy and the continued wellbeing of the Canadian people.

Canada is on the razors edge of becoming resource poor as has been the sad experience of many African countries where having natural resources instead of being a blessing is in fact a curse. 

Is this the brave new world that the one percent corporate elite see for Canada and it’s people?

Rants from the Right

Re: MR Times Accountability needs differ May 1/2012


More hyperbole and ridicule from the greatest pontificator of all Cherryl Katnich can only mean I am doing something right. 
I could care less about your stupid petty labels, personal attacks and ludicrous comparisons, in your narrow little world there is only the RIGHT and anyone left of Attila the Hun is a communist. 


I love these irrational attacks comparing an alleged transit fair offence to a DUI and all the other illegal sleazy things Gordon Campbell did, or how about Christy Clark and her yet to be discovered part in BC Rail corruption compared to Glen Clark, what was it again a $6000 dollar patio that was never proven, or how about Mike Harcourt who stepped down about something he had absolutely no part in because he was a principled leader and took responsibility for other peoples wrongdoing in his party or maybe you would like to talk about Gary Collins. 


Cherryl you are such a rightwing fanatic, apologist and total hypocrite, I don’t even consider you worth debating, you can call me all the names you can think of but the reality is I am is a centre swing voter and I would bet there are a lot of people that find themselves in the same place I find myself. 


As far as you watching me or anything else you always only see what you want to see, so who really cares what you think.


It is very simple even you should understand that BC needs to move back to the centre where it has been most of it’s history and I for one will do my part to get us back to the sweet-spot.


P.S. For the so called Christian right the book of Revelation defines this single-minded drive for profit as handing over authority to the "BEAST"


Wayne Clark