tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100945392024-03-13T12:12:38.519-04:00Creamy Sand TrenchesA reborn political comment blog from a NDP forestry worker/forest tech student in British Columbia's West Kootenay region.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-14096001976073838952011-10-30T19:07:00.003-04:002011-10-30T19:48:36.495-04:00Too many NDP candidates?I saw this idea thrown around on a CBC panel and it is common sentiment displayed by the numourous conbot trolls on CBC comment threads.<br /><br />But I don't see it.<br /><br />One arguement is that it didn't work very well for the Liberals. But then again- I don't think much would have worked for the Liberals at that points and I think their problems extended well beyond having 8 leadership candidates.<br /><br />But I was reviewing the 2006 Liberal candidates and fully six of then were (or became) Toronto-area MPs (Hall-Findlay, Volpe, Rae, Ignatieff, Dryden, and Kennedy). The only other two was a Montreal academic (Dion) and Brison the NS MP who was the only rural MP.<br /><br />My point is that this was part of the Liberal Party's problem- they were far too focused on getting support from urban/acdemic/business elite in Toronto rather then trying to build support across Canada.<br /><br />The eight (soon to be nine with Ashton) NDP candidates are very representative of the geographic and social diversity across this country.<br /><br />There is good representation of rural Canada among the leadership candidates:<br />Saganash- North Quebec<br />Cullen- Northwestern BC<br />Ashton (probably)- Northern Manitoba<br />Singh- Nova Scotia<br />Chisholm- MP of a NS urban riding with rural portions.<br /><br />There is also strong urban representation from the media preceived frontrunners:<br />Topp- Toronto (Peggy Nash is his MP)<br />Nash- Toronto<br />Muclair- Montreal<br />Dewar- Ottawa<br /><br />Vancouver is left out but not for the lack of a strong candidate in Peter Julian.<br /><br />The other quirk of the race is the language skills of the candidates- other then the unilingual Chisholm or perhaps Dewar, the contenders are quite gifted in that department.<br /><br />There are seven fleuently biliinugal candidates.<br /><br />Two trilinguals: Peggy Nash (English, French, Spanish), and Nathan Cullen (English French, Spanish).<br /><br />Two quadlinguals: Romeo Saganash (English, French, Spanish, Cree), and Niki Ashton (English, French, Spanish, Greek- though reportedly she is working on her Cree).<br /><br />That must be some sort of record in Canada.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-27116745433057049352011-10-30T15:31:00.003-04:002011-10-30T16:30:21.634-04:00Lorne Gunter- Partisan HackNot that <a href="http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/10/28/lorne-gunter-after-jack-ndp-reverts-to-lefty-habits/">this is news</a> to anyone.<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>In the post-Jack Layton era, why is anyone surprised that the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">NDP</span> is reverting<br />to form, drifting away from Layton’s centrist stratagems and back to its old<br />faculty-club radicalism? Already the contenders for the party leadership include<br />one candidate who has pledged to run on a high-tax platform, another who is<br />opposed to the biggest economic project in the country’s near future and a third<br />who is essentially acting as a surrogate for the Bloc Quebecois.</blockquote><br /><p><br />Apparently Layton is a centrist now that he's dead- not that being a centrist means that you are in Gunter's <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=gunter+layton&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&redir_esc=&ei=iaetTrOhNuTKiQKrvfivCw#hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca&q=+site:nationalpost.com+gunter+layton&sa=X&ei=naetTuzyEKPKiQLq-qGQCw&ved=0CAMQqAQwAw&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=376c7c88e5b7770&biw=1024&bih=565">good books. </a><br /><br />Brian <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Topp</span> is a high-tax <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">candidate</span> now because he realizes decreasing state revenue streams is suicidal in today's economy. If someone hadn't reduced <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">GST</span> for short term political gain then the current <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/stephen-gordon/ottawas-gst-cut-a-mistake/article1943859/">federal deficit would be far less</a>.<br /><br />Thomas <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mulcair,</span> an anglophone and former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Mulcair#Early_career">English-rights lawyer</a>, is now a scary <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">separatist</span> because he supports all of Jack Layton Quebec politics but he does so from Montreal with a French surname (spooky). It would be more respectable to Gunter's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">sensibilities</span> if his name was Thomas Jones from Toronto. </p><br />But what struck me most was Gunter's complete and utter lack of understanding when it came to Peggy Nash and her opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>If nothing else, this latter stance shows just how far the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">NDP</span> has moved<br />from its old role as a voice of private-sector unions to its new iteration<br />as a trumpet for ivory-tower, environmental and public-sector activists. Unions<br />for the <a href="http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/10/12/lorne-gunter-keystone-pipeline-will-go-ahead-obama-needs-it/" target="_blank"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pipefitters</span>, Operating Engineers, Laborers and<br />Teamsters</a> all want Keystone to go ahead. They understand that building<br />a continent-long pipeline would create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs for<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">tradepersons</span>, skilled workers, labourers and truckers. But among the new caste<br />of democratic socialists, environmentalism trumps union-job creation. Theory<br />over substance. You might think a former CAW contract negotiator might see<br />through that, but apparently not.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Gunter is very hazy on unions and seems unaware that international borders heavily <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">influence</span> union policies. He points to union support from four major US-based unions who argue for the huge job creation potential IN THE USA. Sure Conservatives go to bat for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">American</span> corporations all the time but except New Democrats to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">prioritize</span> Canadian unions.<br /><br />Nash is probably more concerned about the <a href="http://www.cep.ca/action/campaigns/energy-security">Communications, Energy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paperworkers</span> Union OF CANADA(<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">CEP</span>)</a> or the<a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/22/oil-unions-cut-keystone-pipeline"> ALBERTA Federation of Labour</a>. The fact of the matter is that the pipeline will export tens of thousand of Canadian jobs and tie our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">bitumen</span> market to a declining empire with a flat demand for crude.<br /><br />Peggy Nash is simply agreeing with <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/09/13/edmonton-alberta-lougheed-oilsands-keystone.html">former Alberta <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">premier</span> Peter <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lougheed</span></a> and now she is a crazy leftist?<br /><br />Andrew <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nikiforuk</span> has <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/09/22/Refine-Oil-In-Canada/">covered</a> <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/09/29/Ethical-Oil-Falsehoods/">this</a> in <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/10/14/Canadian-Ethical-Challenges/">excellent</a> <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/10/26/Oil-Sands-Challenges/">detail</a>.<br /><br />Personally, Nash is the most appealing and as a bonus she favours Alberta's oil workers over American corporations. Gunter and the beloved National Putz doesn't like that but I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">don't</span> think she's counting on their vote.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-28070994896979954012011-10-27T14:26:00.002-04:002011-10-27T14:36:18.957-04:00About time...Of course experts have been <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/10/27/bc-stop-the-violence-marijuana-coalition.html">saying this</a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Dain_Commission_of_Inquiry_into_the_Non-Medical_Use_of_Drugs">forty years</a>.<br /><br />BC is probably one of the provinces which is most liberal on drug policy (i.e. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Insite</span>) so I could see this pro-legalization stance taken up across the political landscape. But for any actual change, it is the federal government's jurisdiction so it will have to wait until 2015.<br /><br />Personally, since support for marijuana distribution is so widespread, I believe that the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">NDP</span> should make a larger emphasis on this issue. The vast majority of conservatives (esp. working class ones) that I know, realized that marijuana prohibition makes little sense.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-88605875351376402532011-10-25T21:21:00.002-04:002011-10-25T21:27:50.870-04:00Giving it another shotI figure it's time to get back the saddle in terms of blogging. There is going to be lots to talk about from NDP perspective for the next little while.<br /><br />I expect to focus on forestry/forest industry and BC/Canadian Politics this time around. There appears to be a lack of forestry workers voices on the blogosphere. That's probably because we work 50-80 hours a week whenever we aren't laid off on pogee. But I'll give it a shot.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1127626203803854222005-09-24T23:20:00.000-04:002005-09-25T01:31:06.050-04:00Protest Report- Toronto<div align="justify">Had a good day- we managed to hit up same day return student discounts so it only costs 14 dollars per person to get to Toronto and back for the big protest. Sounds like it was huge around the White House with even the MSM saying it was <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/24/antiwar.ap/index.html">above 100,000</a> though I have heard <a href="http://www.antiwar.com/blog/index.php?id=P2391">250,000</a> and over <a href="http://truthout.org/campcaseydc.shtml">500,000 </a>from Pitt at Truthout. Doesn't matter that much as, the antiwar turnout seems a lot more impressive then the <a href="http://www.defendthewhitehouse.org/">pro-war </a>turnout which according to CNN was 150 which falls far short of their 10,000 goal. London seems to have gone well with organizers putting the figure at <a href="http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=7427">100,000</a> and police at <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,12809,1577559,00.html">10,000</a>.<br /><br />CTV is saying "hundreds" marched in Toronto but that’s bullshit. The turnout was at least 1500 but I wouldn't have been surprised if it was above 2000 like the <a href="http://decentblog.blogspot.com/2005/03/protest-report-for-toronto.html">last major protest</a>. But the best thing about Canadian protests is that there are no damn liberals at these things. Maybe that's a bad sentiment but the gathering in Toronto does not present as broad a spectrum of people partly because Canada is theoretically not actively engaged in war crimes in Iraq and war crimes in Afghanistan and Haiti are not as publicized<br /><br />There was an opening rally with eight speakers in front of the US Consulate and a closing rally in front of the Ontario Liberal (spit) party headquarters with four speakers. There were the usual suspects- <a href="http://www.canadians.org/">Council of Canadians</a>, <a href="http://www.uswa.ca/program/content/index.php?lan=en">Steelworkers</a>, <a href="http://www.communist-party.ca/">Communist Party of Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.icl-fi.org/">Trotskyist League</a>, <a href="www.cpcml.ca">Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada</a>, <a href="http://ycl.communist-party.ca/index1.htm">Young Communist League- Ontario</a>, <a href="http://www.wpiraq.net/english/">Worker Communist Party of Iraq</a>, <a href="http://www.themilitant.com">Militant Labour</a>, and of course the <a href="http://www.socialist.ca/En/IS/IS.html">International Socialists</a>. I’m afraid I didn't see anything official from the <a href="www.ndp.ca">NDP</a> or the <a href="http://www.cfs-fcee.ca/html/english/home/index.php">Canadian Federation of Students</a> but their members were certainly active as they were speakers and handing out flyers and buttons. So it was diverse as ever on the real Left. There was of course other groups focusing on Venezuela, Haiti, and <a href="http://www.freemandrum.org/">Gary Freeman</a>.<br /><br />The Speakers were diverse and representative of the Left. Starting off there was the same 14 year Iraqi girl that started off the last protest (I think she's getting better), Paul Hart- a Iraq war resistor who boosted when he heard <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0517-35.htm">Galloway</a> speaking in front of the US Senate, an Vietnam area war resistor, respective representatives from the Christian and Muslim communities, labour union woman, Vice-President of the New Democrats, anti-poverty organizer, Venezuelan union leader who couldn't speak English, Haitian lady, First Nations lady, student leader etc.<br /><br />The march itself was really good. It was led by half-dozen Iraq War <a href="http://www.resisters.ca/">resisters</a> with their families and a group of Vietnam War resisters. I waved <a onmouseover="window.status='peace signs'; return true;" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 3px double; TEXT-DECORATION: none" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;" href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=peace%20signs">peace signs</a> at Consulate guards and riot police but they didn't return them. All the people watching looked either neutral or positive about us although at the very end a man of Indo- Pakistani descent yelled "Idiots" or something to that effect but everyone just ignored him and he walked very very fast away. I got tons 'o lit and we kept the signs.<br /><br />I have some criticisms off the top of my head. The 14 year old Iraqi girl tried to start up a couple of "Down with Zionism" chants. She didn't build up to that statement very well and she didn't mention a down with Anti-Semitism statement. This rhetoric can too easily be taken out of context and be misconstrued as Anti-Semitism. I mean hell just because you <a href="http://www.rense.com/general34/gahs.htm">burn Israeli flags </a>doesn't mean you hate Jewish people. Second doesn't have much to do with the organization of the rally- this guy was proudly carrying around an USSR flag. Seriously the Cold War is over man and USSR is not exactly is model you want to emulates. Hmmmmm brutal state capitalism sounds like China. And the third was they have a ridiculous number of police officers guarding a peaceful protest while after it were walking up University Ave.- a major street and these three guys were full out fighting in the middle of the road. Seriously they overreact so much at these protests.<br /><br />Overall I thought it was a great atmosphere for the day of action. What really brought home to me how much action is needed was a walk through downtown. I saw more beggars and homeless in a few hours in Toronto then I did in four days walking around Havana. Pretty disgusting but I'm sure all our politicians will resolve this by <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/budget2005/">granting the military</a> 12. 8 billion more dollars.<br /><br />NO TO IMPERIALISM AND WAR! TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN!<br /><br /></div><blockquote><p align="justify">It(the invasion) has brought misogynist and ant-working class forces and installed them rulers on the Iraqi society. It has not brought security but rather has turned the society to a jungle in the true sense of the world. This war has not put an end to terrorism. It has aggravated terrorism. It has given a huge momentum to Islamic terrorism world widely. This war put the whole world under the reign of terrorists: the state terrorism led by America and NATO on the hand and the terrorism of political Islam on the other hand. Today it is more obvious than any other time that this war was not to protect us against the weapons of masses destruction. These were all mere excuses to launch this aggression on the society. They were meaningless justifications. This war was a struggle to control the sources of power world widely.<br />...The Worker-communist Party of Iraq is in the forefront of the struggle to build a world free of wars, militarism and occupation. Mobilizing the masses in Iraq in order to end the occupation, defeat Islamic gangs and rebuild the civil society is the urgent goal of the Worker-communist Party of Iraq.<br /><br />Long live the humanity’s struggle for a world free of wars and militarism!<br />Yes to freedom and equality!<br /></p></blockquote>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1125712016541989632005-09-02T18:13:00.000-04:002005-09-02T21:47:14.133-04:00Adventures of the Free Market<div align="justify">I spent 9 weeks this summer dabbling in the capitalist utopia which is tree planting and perhaps piecework in general. Though I must admit I was thoroughly disappointed that there weren’t swarms of Young Tories and College Republicans making a pilgrimage to practice what they preach. In fact quotes like "I keep the Bible in a pool of blood so its lies won’t affect me" and "Does anyone have any hard drugs besides coke" convinced me many planters simply are not College Republican material.<br /><br />The way the system works is that for every tree you plant they gave you a specified amount of money depending on the size of the tree and the type of ground. For example big pod on unprepared ground is 9.5 cents each while small pod on prepared ground is 7.5 cents each. Personally I made way more money with the small pods on "prepared" ground. Sounds great right? You work by yourself if you slack off you make less money and if you gave all you are rewarded with more money. Free enterprise bliss eh?<br /><br />Well the problem is that like anything there is a catch. The most notable one is the camp fee. Twenty Five dollars per working day. I never got to see 25% of my wages as a result. So the company requires their workers to pay for transport and food. (Accommodation is a tent you bought yourself) No living allowance essentially. Depending on the company camp fees decline depending on the number of trees you plant but that de facto only applies to veteran planters. As a rule rookie planters get screwed.<br /><br />Besides camp fees whenever the company screws up you pay for it. One example- We are on our 54th working day (very long season) trying to finish up this shitty contract we got stuck with. Takes our bus 30-40 mins to get there (fairly typical) takes us over 30 mins to walk thru a swamp to get to a river. The one old 2 wheel drive ATV has broken down and the swamp buggy can't make it across the river. So we haul over 30 pounds of trees each another half hour of walking. Finally we get there and it’s shaping up to be the hottest day of the season. So far no has made a cent. By the end of the day its even hotter I have had to get trees one more times and I cant even think as everyone has run out of water. Everyone has heat exhaustion but still have to finish the land or we'll just have to work another. Probably my hardest day and I just put in quota (1000 trees or less then minimum wage with camp fees deducted).<br /><br />And there was another day where we had to go to 2 sites and I counted 7 hours of transit (buses, swamp buggy and feet) but I officially planted a little less then quota because I planted a couple hundred for other people to finish the land quicker.<br /><br />The flip side is that sometimes things work out well- short commute (10 mins) short walk-in(10-20 mins) or better yet no walk-in, trees all delivered, mediocre to good land and not below zero or above 40. When this all walked out with like 2 weeks left all the rookies hit 2000 (125 after camp costs), the next day I hit 3000 (200 after camp costs).<br /><br />You have to look at the rookie season as a <a href="http://www.6buckssucks.com/factoids.html">'training wage'</a> period where you have to gain experience and skill. A rare few can hit 2k on their 4th day out- most however take 6 weeks at my camp at least. Few might never hit it. But at least with this training wage when you have gotten to the 3k level the employer will always have to pay you at the 3k.<br /><br />Over all with deductions included I made a grand every fortnight which the equivalent to a 12 dollar an hour 40 hours per week and that is slightly more then a <a href="http://www.progress.org/2005/livwag01.htm">'living wage'</a>. If I can not find a full summer job that pays that much I'll go back to half summer seasonal work. But the funny part is that I would be perfectly fine with doing tree planting again despite its long hours many of them unpaid and sometimes dangerous situations i.e. heat exhaustion because hell it can be a lot of fun and its tough manual outdoor labour. Definitely not a do nothing movie theatre job eh? </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1114794135244697952005-04-29T12:46:00.000-04:002005-04-29T13:02:35.960-04:00Summer ActionWell I pack up my internet in a few hours and I’m done my first year of university. I may post sporadically during the summer because I'll be up north <a href="http://www.canadiantreeplanting.com/">treeplanting</a>. After that its Cuba time just gotta hope Fidel is still alive by that time eh.<br /><br />I was thinking about signing up with the <a href="http://www3.sympatico.ca/robert.mcclelland/bloggingnewdemocrats.html">Blogging New Democrats</a> but I’m guessing I'll be unavailable to do any serious blogging in the run up to now anticipated June 27 election. But if by some miracle Martin manages to hold on until the fall I will certainly join for the election coverage then.<br /><br />So for the summer if anybody stumbles across this humble and yet Hellsza Decent Blog then don’t worry I'll start her up again in mid-August.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1113974420828195272005-04-20T00:55:00.000-04:002005-04-20T01:21:05.733-04:00A Green Terrorist?<div align="justify">Thanks to CBC we have this interesting <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/19/seal-assassinate050419.html">animal rights fellow</a>: </div><blockquote><p align="justify"><br />In the past, Vlasak has spoken on behalf of such radical groups as the Animal Liberation Front, which the FBI considers a terrorist threat.<br /><br />He once told an animal rights conference that killing research scientists would save lab animals from experiments he considers cruel.<br /><br />"If these vivisectors were being targeted for assassination, and call it political assassination or what have you ... strictly from a fear and intimidation factor, that would be an effective tactic," he said.<br /><br />"I don't think you'd have to kill, assassinate too many vivisectors before you would see a marked decrease in the amount of vivisection."</p></blockquote><div align="justify">Wow thats extremism for ya. There animals man get over it. They may be cute but researching on lab animals and seal hunting is just good to go. Too be fair his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has some <a href="http://www.seashepherd.org/mission.html">decent points</a>. I mean protecting our oceans and making sure we are substainable is very important. They seem to be a solid organization but Im not sure that going after the Canadian seal hunt will help their cause.<br /><br />Certainly when one of their leaders advocated murder of humans to stop a legal and controlled cull of seals; (albeit controversial and worth debating) is counterproductive because the media will and has jumped on it (and rightly so). Although I have not heard much in the mainstream media about death threats and hate speech that comes from far-right sites such as <a href="http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/04/1732174.php">Little Green Footballs</a>. </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1113963006018970552005-04-19T17:29:00.000-04:002005-04-19T22:12:09.363-04:00Funniest Comment Ever<div align="justify">To start off the day I like to read a good patriotic American blog about the coming <a href="http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2004/11/south-is-red.html">Glorious Christian Cultral Revolution</a>. The blog of course is <a href="http://www.patriotboy.blogspot.com">Jesus' General</a> where every good soldier can go to learn of the insidous Liberalist-Roaders. Anyway I found one of the funniest <a href="http://www.haloscan.com/comments/patriotboy/111372482454782495/#151914">comments</a> I've ever read by a Colonel Custard. It was concerning the rabidly racist pro-Israel <a href="http://www.drmenlo.com/lgfquiz/">Little Green Footballs</a> weblog. Here is the comment in full: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">Sir, General, Sir!<br /><br />I have it on good authority from an LGF defector that the origin of the name "Little Green Footballs" is indeed, based on none other than the object which LGFers use in their "rectal insertion festivals" at those infamous LGF anal orgies on Saturday nights in their members' mothers' basements. In fact, as my contact has further explained, LGF's original name was BRBB (Big Red Bowling Balls), a reflection of their initial predilection in rectal object-insertion. However, after numerous fatalities among their membership, as well as widespread anal sphincter damage and many, ahem, embarrassing incidents that so many 40-something LGFers had to explain to their mothers who entered the basement at "inconvenient times", the BRBBers decided that they had to compromise on their favorite objects of posterior insertional ecstasy and settled on the Little Green Football. The rest, as they say, is history.<br /><br />To keep their amazing tradition of Saturday night anal orgies a secret, however, the LGFers had to concoct a front. And that front became none other than that glorious collection of drool and flatulence that LGF has become-- a site dripping with homophobia, hatred of Europeans, especially those dastardly French, and of course an abiding, genocidal hatred of Ay-rabs and brown people the world over. In fact, my contact has informed me that LGFers are constantly trying to "up the ante" in the genocidalness of their hatred of brown people, with each new advance in genocidal rhetoric bringing the members to the next level of insertional ecstasy on their secret Saturday night anal orgies. I say, general, that 'tis quite an honor for you to be so high in the thoughts of such a distinguished group of people. This is the Colonel, over and out!<br /></p></blockquote><div align="justify"><br /><br />There LGFers secrets are finally unveiled. Big Red Bowling Balls I guess it could make sense. Anyway seems like a big day today, I think I may post later on the new <a href="http://www.newint.org/issue327/worldbeaters.htm">Pope Benedict XVI</a>, <a href="http://www.thismodernworld.com/weblog/mtarchives/week_2005_04_17.html#002140">Oklahoma City bombing</a> and <a href="http://www.serendipity.li/waco.html">Waco</a>. But I really gots to do my HTML project- my last work of the year so we'll see. </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1113791781198904042005-04-17T21:51:00.000-04:002005-04-17T22:49:30.890-04:00Blog Updating- ONDY Hookup<div align="justify">Among other blog improvements I've done recently is my inclusion of the <a href="http://www.ondy.ca">Ontario New Democratic Youth</a> headlines on the right sidebar. They seem to update almost daily mostly outlining McGuinty's Liberal government broken promises and betrayal of any sort of left of centre policies. Granted this is easy to do since Dalton McGuinty more then any other politician cant keep a promise to save his life. To give him the benefit of the doubt he probably doesn't break promises in his sleep; although how he can live with himself let alone sleep is beyond me.<br /><br />Gotta love the Youth wing of all party as they are always more radical then your parent party filled matured politicians rather than fiery ideologues. Parent parties often clamp down on their youth wings radicalism to quote Doug in his <a href="http://theproles.blogspot.com/2004/07/brief-history-of-ndp.html">If there is hope</a> blog: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">As the party marched rightward during the 1960s, despite helping gain some important social reforms, the base of the party moved to the left. By 1972, a large, young and influential radical socialist caucus within the NDP known as "the Waffle", got official support from the New Democratic Youth, and even<br />managed to take control of the New Brunswick New Democrats (the provincial party, intertwined with the national party). Its leader, James Laxer ran for the party leadership but lost. In response, NDP leader David Lewis, with the backing of the labour leaders, effectively expelled The Waffle, dissolved the New Democratic Youth and even disbanding the New Brunswick New Democrats. (The International Socialists formed out of the remnants of the Waffle around 1974). This paved the way for Ed Broadbent's "Third Way" leadership.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">And a similar restraint can be seen on the right side of the political spectrum with the close vote against creating an official youth wing at the Conservative Party's of Canada recent <a href="http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2005/3/16/442161.html">convention</a>. I like youth wings because they are straight up with no doublespeak. This is straight from the ONDY's <a href="http://www.ondy.ca/page.php?sec1=mandate">mandate</a>: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">The ONDY will not rest until capitalism has been eradicated and replaced with a democratic, classless and socialist society. Only then will all people throughout the world have the opportunity to enjoy free, happy and meaningful lives.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">Check out the rest if only because it is refreshing to see a party officially lie down their long-term goals if any besides getting elected to power by any means necessary including abandoning your core principals. </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1113422008056799442005-04-13T15:15:00.000-04:002005-04-13T15:54:03.426-04:00Ann... oh Ann<div align="justify">Ann Coulter, state worshipping warmonger extraordinaire whom, if she lost a few pounds, would probably slip through the floorboards is at it again. In her recent column, "<a href="http://www.anncoulter.org/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=49">The Purpose Driven Left</a>," she artfully slandered everybody left of her and Rush all while misrepresenting a completely irrelevant anecdote. She wasted no time going to the heart of the issue: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">The liberal take on Catholicism is that it's a controversial religion because of its positions on abortion, sodomy and various other crucial planks of the Democratic platform (curiously, positions that are shared by all three of the world's major religions). </p></blockquote><div align="justify">The issue I guess is attacking the Left. As any good conservative, Ann is quick to the 'wedge issues'; though it would be hard to say the Democrats make abortion a key plank of their legislative efforts and sodomy is hilarious. I mean does anyone really give a shit if someone next door loves the back door be it same sex or straight? At least she doesn't screech about gay marriage this time (surprising!).<br /><br />I will take a little aside here to talk about the Pope. Being a social democrat atheist of Polish descent, I think the Pope was the man. Now he certainly had many failings but in all he was true to his faith. He was the first ever pope set foot inside a mosque, the first to visit Israel where he placed a prayer inside the Western wall, and always was antiwar. The only Western leader to explicitly fight against the Iraq War, Pope John Paul II <a href="http://www.cjd.org/paper/jp2war.html">loved peace</a> as much as Ann Coulter loves to <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/anncoulter167043.html">invade, kill and forcibly convert</a> the people over there.<br /><br />Back to the article, Ann essentially retells Ashley Smith's <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7157845/?GT1=6305">herorics</a> in her kidnapping by Brian Nichols the <a href="http://www.courttv.com/news/2005/0311/shooting_ap.html">escaped rapist who shot</a> up an Atlanta courtroom. Personally I think it’s a great story and to quote from the MSNBC article it was the "best case scenario" that could have happened- a happy ending to gruesome and desperate tale of murder and escape. Coulter does however neglect to mention Ashley not only used Christian teachings but also personal conscience such as the fact she needed to see her daughter and her husband had been murdered, to appeal to Nichols. But this misrepresentation is not Coulter's cardinal sin.<br /><br />For some reason Ann wants to politicize this testament to human courage and use it a weapon against liberals of all people. I’m surprised Ann is impressed by Ashley's peaceful appeal to Christianity when she says things like <a href="http://www.landoverbaptist.net/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t3144.html">this</a>:<br /></div><blockquote><p align="justify">I think [women] should be armed but should not [be allowed to] vote.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">She was probably disappointed that Ashley didn’t bust out a gat and start a gunfight or mace Nichols to further enrage him. Throughout her career, Coulter has attempted to show how secular liberals want to destroy Christian America. Using Ashley Smith's story is irrelevant to this cause because it doesn't matter what political affiliations Nichols or Smith adhered to as it is a story of personal and religious morals.<br /><br />It is interesting to note that Coulter believes the only secular minded people are liberals and that the left is secular in nature. I'm sure the different ministers and leaders of our NDP would disagree i.e. <a href="http://www.dcf.ca/federalndp/Default.asp?pg=3">J.S. Woodsworth</a>, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/douglas-tommy.html">Tommy Douglas</a>, <a href="http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/bio.asp?lang=E&query=37&s=M">Bill Balkie</a>, and their belief in the <a href="http://www.mhsc.ca/index.asp?content=http://www.mhsc.ca/encyclopedia/contents/S65ME.html">social gospel</a>. The Left certainly has a strong religious component which Ann chooses to ignore. I guess the religious left is far less militant then the religious right, maybe that’s the problem. She does <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/anncoulter167042.html">advocate violence</a> against American civilians which I don't believe the Religious Left agrees to: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building. </p></blockquote><div align="justify">Disgusting is about the only word that can describe that statement. It turns my stomach to think mainstream conservatives accept a woman who believes <a href="http://www.msu.edu/~daggy/cop/images/00000049.gif">this</a> (GRAPHIC) is perfectly acceptable it just could be better directed.<br /><br />In the end, Ann finishes with a veiled dig at <a href="http://www.rachelcorrie.org/">Rachael Corrie</a> and of course a leading Democrat who this time is Nancy Pelosi. After reading Ann's tiresome and ultimately disturbing rants, one questions the sanity of the American Republican party. She is not some obscure wacko writing from her cabin in Montana but a nationally syndicated columnist who frequents political pundit shows and is just another component of the Right Wing noise machine and echo chamber that is shepherded by Rush, Savage, Malkin, talk radio, FOX 'News", Powerline and Reynolds.<br /><br />They do not bring debate but savage partisan hackery to a new level. In the words of Paul Craig Roberts in <a href="http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=3798">The Brownshirting of America</a>: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">Bush's conservative supporters want no debate. They want no facts, no analysis. They want to denounce and demonize the enemies that the Hannitys, Limbaughs, and Savages of talk radio assure them are everywhere at work destroying their great and noble country.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">Read the whole article. Its great when ultra-conservatives-libertarians such as <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/red-state-fascism.html">Lew Rockwell</a> and <a href="http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=5070">Justin Raimondo</a> warn about the "many different guises in which tyranny appears" and the "rebirth of fascism" in 21th Century America. <a href="http://dneiwert.blogspot.com">David Neiwert</a> is getting conservative company in his <a href="http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2004_09_19_dneiwert_archive.html#109028353137888956"><em>The Rise of Pseudo Fascism</em></a><em> </em>and <a href="http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_03_dneiwert_archive.html#106036545440271111"><em>Rush, Newspeak and Fascism</em></a> essays. Let's hope they are not too prophetic. </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1113178335509079612005-04-10T01:41:00.000-04:002005-04-13T21:42:19.903-04:00Iraq Protest and Powerline<div align="justify">I was somewhat impressed by the anti-Saddam, anti-occupation, and pro-Islamic <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/04/09/iraq.main/index.html">protest</a> in Baghdad for the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. According to <a href="http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#111307454974312560">Riverbend</a> there were protest all over Iraq including Mosul and the south with Sunnis but mostly Shia Sadr supporters. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">But others were less impressed that Iraqis are somewhat tired of being liberated to death. Ever vigilant Powerline is on the ball with its <a href="http://powerlineblog.com/archives/2005_04.php#010125">analysis</a>. They seem to rely on an Iraqi who resides in California. Alright might not be the best reporting but not a huge point if it’s just viewing available photos. They make the most the fact that these people don’t like Saddam and terrorism. No shit, not many people love Saddam or terrorism but also not many people love American troops occupying Iraq. Here I love this photo from the rally:<br /><br /><img alt="Bush and Saddam" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y56/weech42/TwoSidesoftheSameCoin.jpg" /><br /><br />Wow equating Bush with Saddam no wonder the right wingers weren't too pleased by this expression of people power. Then HindRocket informs us that Sadr didn't win a single seat in the Iraqi parliament. Well maybe that is because Sadr did not run and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31170-2005Jan23.html">rejected</a> the election. Even after leaving out that cruical point HindRocket is still wrong as he left out that- Cadres and the Chosen- a party allied with Sadr did <a href="http://www.juancole.com/2005/02/distribution-of-seats-in-iraqi.html">win three seats</a>. And the UIA which won 51% of the seats had 20 Sadrists on its list but I don’t know how many of them got in. Also he declined to mention the results of provincial elections which left Sadrists in control of a least seven provinces. My favorite part was HindRocket’s closing statement:<br /><br /></div><blockquote>Yet, it seems, their ability to turn out a few tattered demonstrators is enough to garner headlines throughout the U.S. Why? </blockquote><div align="justify">Hmmmmm Okay I'll take your word for it Time's Blog of the Year<br /><img alt="Baghdad 2nd Year Protest" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y56/weech42/AFewTatteredSupporters.jpg" /><br /><em>A Few Tattered Demonstrators</em> by John Hinderaker<br /><br />Whoops last time I checked <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq10apr10,0,1677779.story?coll=la-home-world">300,000</a> was more then a few. When you frequent the right wing blogoshpere echo chamber you become surprised that Iraqis do not appreciate American occupation forces looting their country.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Compare the above picture with this <a href="http://powerlineblog.com/archives/2003_04.php#002933">'climactic moment'</a> Hindrocket was telling us about just over two years ago.</div><div align="justify"></div><p><br /><img height="280" alt="Firdos Square April 9th 2003" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y56/weech42/saddam3.jpg" width="400" /> <em>Climactic Moment</em> By John Hinderaker</p><p>Good thing CNN and their Mainstream buddies did a closeup. And a good thing too we have watchful bloggers like Powerline to keep them under tabs.</p><p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> I was wrong, Sadr does have more then 3 supporters in the Iraqi Parliament. According to Juan Cole he has around 20 supporters which is impressive if you consider that the Sunnis only have 17 seats. Scroll down to<a href="http://www.juancole.com/2005/04/demonstration-in-samarra-ash-sharq-al.html"> bottom of his post</a> to see for yourself.</p>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1112223325699419052005-03-30T17:55:00.000-05:002005-03-30T17:55:25.700-05:00<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/118/4448/640/paul_martin_pirate.jpg'><img border='0' style='border:1px solid #000000; margin:2px' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/118/4448/320/paul_martin_pirate.jpg'></a><br />Aaarrr that be our PM <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1111974879334424592005-03-27T20:50:00.000-05:002005-03-27T21:03:41.516-05:00Cuba Action<div align="justify">When I was growing up in an American school system listening to all the Elian media frenzy and later reading Tom Clancy novels I always got the impression that Cuba was some sort of Communist dictatorship gulag hellhole but with much nicer weather then the former Soviet Union. But then I came back home to Canada and I learnt Canada and Cuba were actually pretty good friends. And after reading more and more on Cuba I have come to think very favorably on it. So favorably in fact I'm planning a trip there this summer to see it for myself.<br /><br />Over <a href="http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cuba/assistance-en.asp">450,000</a> Canadians visit Cuba every year making it the 5th most visited foreign destination. Quite impressive so accordingly we are the number one source of tourism into Cuba. I don't feeling like waxing on about Cuba's achievement in health, social and athletic areas by I find it interesting that most American republicans and by extension Canadian conservatives can find any good words to describe Castro's Cuba. I mean on the information superhighway I find several aspects of Cuban life that most conservatives could admire.<br /><br />1. No Pornography- if you they find the Hustler you forgot in your baggage it is confiscated and you're custom file is marked so you are required to be searched every time you enter Cuba.<br /><br />2. Profiling (spilling into <a href="http://www.trinicenter.com/WorldNews/racecuba.htm">racial profilling </a>at times). Race relations in Cuba are probably more stable then American or Canadian race relations because even a good communist can still be a racist. But nonetheless there is definite focus on men between 16-22 and they are often stopped by the Po-lice.<br /><br />3. Heavy police presence. Cuba's solution to many problems seems to be prevention and it is no different with policing. Apparently it is hard to not find a police officer on a corner in Havana.<br /><br />4. I was going to write about harsh prisons but I came up with <a href="http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2000/419/419p16.htm">this</a> on Google. But if that lady is tripping and Cuba does have gulag standards as deplorable as American gulags then Conservatives can’t really complain because they want Yankee prisons to be even more inhumane. There are horrible jails in Cuba but the US military in Guantánamo control them. At the very least Cuban prisoners are at least told what their crime is before being tossed into the hole.<br /><br />5. Family life- and no television culture. Television is only available at certain times within the week. So certainly no Janet Jackson's evil nipple scaring young children's minds. Same with the insidious gay agenda promoting Sponge Bob and bunnies visiting lesbian couples.<br /><br />6. One Party Rule- Ok this isn't an official Republican goal but they have achieved it because of their hold on three branches of government and the media. Its not like the Democrats are a respectable opposition party since I found Kerry more right wing then Bush esp. on foreign policy. And too be fair the Communist party of Cuba doesn’t nominate anyone because it isn't allowed to. Only the Cuban people themselves can nominate their neighbors and campaigning cost 0 dollars cause you cant too much of it. <br /><br />7. Hard on Drugs. Cuban authorities take the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/23/world/main676125.shtml">war on drugs</a> fairly seriously it seems. <br /><br />8. Tough on Prostitution. Although prostitution is making a comeback Castro doesn't seem too <a href="http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/cuba/castro-prostitution.htm">pleased</a> about it.<br /><br /><br />So basically Cuba gots the Conservative law enforcement skills. I haven’t even gone into their war on terror and counter-revolution. No wonder Republicans don’t like Cuba holding those 75 'dissidents' because they allow them <a href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2004/marzo/vier26/14felipe.html">conjugal visits</a>. Imagine them giving Padilla a conjugal visit. But hey that guy would probably just settle for a trial. Hell even the U.S. State Dept <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/07/world/main678582.shtml">admits </a>there is no extrajudicial murder and disappearance in Cuba. Too bad they can't say the same for <a href="http://www.hdip.org/Mustafa/call_it_state_terrorism.htm">Israel</a> and <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1108-05.htm">themselves</a>.<br /><br />Its an interesting situation Cuba is in with the embargo. The embargo and the DMZ in Korea are probably the last visages of the American Cold War policy. While the DMZ makes sense the blockade is just stupid.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cato.org/dailys/01-30-01.html">Peter Philips</a>, of the Conservative Cato Institute, reported:<br /></div><blockquote>Cuba's leading human rights activist Elizardo Sanchez calls it "an odd way to demonstrate support for human rights." Cuba's Catholic bishops call it "cruel." And in the hundreds of interviews I have conducted across the island, I have never met a Cuban citizen who supports it.</blockquote>At least it’s for democracy and self-determination an all that jazz.<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><p>Those dissidents and human rights groups in Cuba--that are nothing but a fewpeople--are only important to the extent that they serve us in a single cause:that of destabilizing Fidel Castro's regime.</p><p>Through those two policies--economic pressure and human rights--we want to force the overthrow of Fidel Castro and then install a transitional government that we like--to reinstate the people we want and, thus control Cuba once again.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">--<a href="http://members.allstream.net/~dchris/CubaFAQ117.html">Wayne Smith</a>, former head of the US Interests Section in Havana<br /><br />Whoops never mind. Silly me, thinking Amerika doesn't want their Cuban economic colony reinstated. Well I'm looking forward to the Communist hellhole which is Cuba. Should be a party though. Gotta learn some Spanish so we can hitch rides on the back of trucks. Apparently for hitch hiking Cubans line up by the side of the ride according to need. -Does it get anymore Communist then that? I sort of doubt it.<br /> </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1111270494892983282005-03-19T16:21:00.000-05:002005-03-19T17:15:09.206-05:00Protest Report for TorontoHere is some hot off the presses reporting on my trip to the Toronto March 19th protest against War and the Occupation of Iraq among other things.<br /><br />We went fairly early at about 1230 and there wasn't too many people there- mostly just communists hawking their various pamphlets and newspapers- "1917", "Workers Vanguard", "Spartacus", etc. I noticed lots of police presence with their flex cuffs and at least 10 troopers in riot gear and on horseback in groups of two. Saw at least two very obvious plainclothes policemen- I really don’t know who they thought they were tricking.<br /><br />Nathan Phillips square in front of Toronto's City Hall started filling up a bit past 1300. The crowd was diverse as can always be expected but the four speakers was fairly predictable. i.e. 14 year old Iraqi Muslim girl, American war resistor (deserter in rightwing lingo), some labor/union leader, and <a href="http://www.ontariondp.com/mpps/churley.php">Marilyn Churley</a>- deputy leader of Ontario's New Democratic Party. There were four American War resistors with their wives and children there. One of the resistors was younger then me.<br /><br />Anyway I had a Socialist Worker placard I picked up from a bundle with a fist and proclaiming no to US Imperialism in Iraq, Iran, and Syria on one side and on the other it told Paul Martin to let American War resistors stay in Canada. My brother had a Troops Out Now placard with blood spots and messages against Racial Profiling and Secret Trails and telling Canada to get out of Afghanistan. There was the expected Che, Marx, Marley, and Fidel flags as well.<br /><br />The march was good- very peaceful with lots of onlookers because it stop a good part of downtown Toronto's traffic. Lots of drumming and slogan chanting. My favorite was "Shame, shame USA, How many kids did you kill today?" very similar to the Vietnam era "Hey, Hey, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?" Only confrontation I saw was a group of maybe ten anarchists tops boosting to the other side of the road past a barrier and leading maybe 70 people that way. But bicycle police grabbed the loudest anarchists and dragged them along I dont think they got arrested and their groups joined the main group soon enough.<br /><br />Lots of Muslims it seemed, many with signs demanding the withdrawal of American troops and the disarming of Islamist and Nationalist groups in Iraq. Only groups was handing out pamphlets on Islam but they didn’t have much luck the Commies did way better in that regard. Lots of camaramen professional and amateur and some decent press coverage. There was a group of maybe a dozen high school students but the side of the road yelling “We want Rock, Paper, Scissors.” They had Pink signs saying "This is Pink". They were having a good time at least. Only saw one joint and a fattie blunt the whole time so that was disappointing.<br /><br />Anyway good march and great fun came back with pockets full of communist literature. I would say there were probably over 2000 people there so a decent turnout the marching group was long and the square was full and since this my first protest so my figure probably isn't accurate.<br /><br />END OCCUPATION! TROOPS OUT NOW!!Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1110658882496568552005-03-12T14:23:00.000-05:002005-03-12T15:21:31.533-05:00Pity the NationWhile reading about Lebanon today I run across this <a href="http://www.socialistviewpoint.org/may_03/may_03_12.html">poem</a> by the early 20th century Arab American poet Khalil Ghibran:<br /><blockquote>Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.<br /><br />Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave, eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own winepress.<br /><br />Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.<br /><br />Pity the nation that despises a passion in its dream, yet submits in its awakening.<br /><br />Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins, and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.<br /><br />Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.<br /><br />Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpetings and farewells him with hootings, only to welcome another with trumpetings once again.<br /><br />Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.<br /><br />Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.<br /></blockquote><div align="justify">The poem can speak to many countries but it certainly I think reflects on Lebanon's situation.<br /><br />I was going to write more on Lebanon but I this <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1434183,00.html">Guardian article </a>really just sums everything up. It is certainly essential reading for any delusional idealist conservative. ( Hahahahaha 'idealist conservative used to be an oxymoron no longer with Bush and his follower many of whom still believe WMDs are waiting to be found). The Neocons are just dying for support over there in the Middle East. Their new pin-up boy Walid Jumblatt glowing quotes on American democracy have been frequenting the right wing blog echo chamber. Unfortunately they forget that it was Syria that engineered Jumblatt’s raise and he did turn against them when politically expedient. And even better he wasn't too impressed when that 'Jew' or Paul Wolfowitz made it out alive of his Baghdad hotel room after it was the subject of a rocket attack.<br /><br />Jumblatt vision of democracy certainly isn't an open, free or fair one either I'm sure because if it was then he would be asking the Hizbollah to ran Lebanon and ne probably doesn't want that. Man the Shia and Hizbollah must be stoked on more democracy. They were actually represented in government when the first elections were held in the early 1990s.<br /><br />How it is now the Shiites are allocated 27 seats out of 128 or 15%. Of which Hizbollah has 13 seats and will almost certainly increase that number in the May election reinforcing its position as Lebanon's largest political party representing Lebanon's Shia who are that countries poorest and more historically oppressed citizens. Of course Hizbollah would be biggest if the Shia got a fair number of seats that represented the 40% of Lebanese who are Shiites.<br /><br />But hey I'll be realist even though American taxpayers paid with their treasure and children's blood for an Islamic Shia state based on Shria law in Iraq they probably will not accept Hizbollah having any role in Lebanon for some reason. My solution this is unrealistic and will not happen but here it is. At absolute minimum Israel pulls out of the Shaba farms area depriving Hizbollah of its main excuse for keeping its weapons. To take that further Israel finally comply with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Security_Council_Resolution_242">UN resolution 242</a> and boost out of the Golan taking its illegal settlements with its and finally negotiates peace with Syria and receives official recognition and security guarantees. Nw it is not in Syria interest for Hizbollah to remain at war with Israel.<br /><br />Syria then leans heavily on Hizbollah to restrain its activities. Iran at this point has more influence with the Hizbollah and has restrained them recently. American security guarantees and full diplomatic relations would easily convince Iran to call on the Nasrallah (Hizbollah leader) to have his militants and impressive rocket force to be absorbed in the Lebanese Army like the other militia had done. Hizbollah's political and social organization is now fully legitimate in the eyes of the West as it is obvious it derives it power from the people it represents not merely from their impressive amount of weaponry.<br /><br />Of course all highly unlikely as with a full Israeli withdrawal from their bloody occupation in the West Bank and Gaza where a 40 year reign of terrorism and oppression has failed to squash the Palestinians aspirations for freedom and self-determination. But hey I guy can dream eh.</div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1110270930678784022005-03-08T02:38:00.000-05:002005-03-08T03:35:47.736-05:00Lebanon Party<div align="justify">I'll say one thing about media coverage of the anti-Syrian demonstrations those ladies are <a href="http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050228090009990003">superfine</a>. And of course is one of the reasons I plan to visit Lebanon and Syria when I go back to Saudi for Christmas. Beirut is a party and Damascus is supposed to be hellsza tight with its history, certainly far safer then going outside my camp in Saudi Arabia. Hell safer then American cities I suppose. I've only been to Jordan in that area but that is a really great place for any person who likes classical or ancient history (<a href="http://www.panoramaproductions.net/tr_jerash.htm">Jerash</a> and <a href="http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/petra/">Petra</a>).<br /><br />But anyway looks likes the inevitable is happening in Lebanon. Syria has been hard press to explain its presence in Lebanon since the Israeli occupiers left in 2000. Although it would be hard to call Syria's presence an occupation per se. No presence in cities and only 14000 troops in the Baeka Valley. Hell America alone has <a href="http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/troopMarch2005.xls">30000 troops</a> in Kuwait and we don’t consider that then occupation even though the situation is the same. (i.e. the American puppet government is okay with it but a large portion of the Kuwaiti people aren’t too impressed. And unlike Syria in Lebanon the America forces in Kuwait have been attacked.)<br /><br />The funniest I thing I find about it is Bush's idiotic remarks. Has this man lost all grip on reality. I mean he says Syria's occupation of Lebanon destabilizes the Middle East. WOW. And Israel's 40 year subjugation and settlement of the West Bank and Gaza has done nothing but good then. The Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup at about the same time I hear Bush denounce Israel's disgusting state aggression and terrorism. And let's not forget a friggin American invasion and occupation which has killed over a 100,000 Iraqis. I'm sure the burning rubble of Falluja destabilizes the Middle East more then Syrian troops in the desert.<br /><br />He also said the elections can't truly be free if Syria is still there. No shit Sherlock. That’s why American denounced all the Soviet sponsored 'elections' in Cold War Europe. At least Lebanon everyone will be able to vote. Try telling a Christian in Kirkrit or anyone in the Anbar province that the election was fair. It would be funny for sure. Iraqis yearn freedom from occupation as much as their Lebanese brethren but that won't be happening any time soon.<br /><br />All I have left to say is poor Assad. The guy has lost his Lebanese bargaining chip in dealing with Israel. He was once able tell Sharon he would leave Lebanon, recognize Israel and grant security guarantees in return for the Syrian Heights (now known as the Golan). He'll only be able use the last two now but it wont matter Sharon refused to talk last time so they'll be no peace for Syria. He just can't do anything right in American eyes. Hell he gave them <a href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6913272/">Saddam's half-brother</a> and they still accuse him of helping the insurgency. It's not like Assad's regime got along well with Saddam hell Syria was the only Arab country to side with Iran in the Iraq-Iran war. Assad much prefers fellow Shiites being elected in Iraq then Saddam's erratic regime.<br /><br />Oh well I hope to make it to Syria before Bush turns it into a Falluja style gorefest. Same with Iran all the people I know who have toured Iran have had good things to say. It is a great region which Bush is fucking up in his Great Game for strategic control over the Arab world and their resource wealth.</div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1109206053752057892005-02-23T18:41:00.000-05:002005-02-23T19:48:21.716-05:00MSM Remembers That the Pope is Still Alive<div align="justify">Again I am forced to credit CNN with this stellar <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/23/pope.book.reut/index.html">piece</a> of reporting. Karol Wojtyla aka. that Pope guy shows he is still on the top of the game. Now I know that gay marriage is: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">Part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">Yes the great battle between human rights and mankind is sure to come. Well I guess he is entitled to that opinion. About abortion Pope John Paul II says:<br /></div><blockquote><p align="justify">There is still, however a legal extermination of human beings who have been conceived but not yet born. </p></blockquote><div align="justify">lright that's true if you consider the embryo a human being. Again I must dissent with my fellow Pole here, as with the Church's ridiculous stance <a href="http://www.condoms4life.org/facts/condomPolicy.htm">against condom use</a> particularly in AIDS infested Africa. But here comes my point, I do like the Pope to some extent in particular his anti-Communist views that helped give encouragement to the 1982 Solidarity union movement in Poland are admirable and perhaps brave if you take the position that his assassination attempt was a Communist plot okayed by Moscow. But, what I like most is his consistency.<br /><br />Perhaps since his is unelected and doesn't have to be held accountable his views never have change just to piss off less people. Quite unlike any politician. So a fertilized egg is an human being that shouldn't be touched? Fine Pope Man you agree with most of the 'Christian Conservatives' that form the bedrock of Bush's base. Wait Pope aren’t you also against the killing of fully developed human beings in the gorefest that is Iraq? </div><blockquote><p align="justify">When war, like the one now in Iraq, threatens the fate of humanity, it is even more urgent for us to proclaim, with a firm and decisive voice, that only peace is the way of building a more just and caring society.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">And apparently he:<br /></div><blockquote><p align="justify">implored for the world's deliverance from the peril of the tragic clash between cultures and religions.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">And said this: </div><blockquote><p align="justify">Violence and arms can never resolve the problems of man.</p></blockquote><div align="justify">Hmmmmm Dang Pope you’re out of touch with 'real Americans' like the 'super radical' Howard and his comrades in the socialist hellhole which is today's American Democrat party. Now it sounds like the Pope is a hippie from the above the statements but I respect how consistent and honest his views are on all these societal issues.<br /><br />I do find it interesting that CNN feels it needs to report these particular quotations but ignores his daily calls for peace and end to military aggression. During the Gulf War I the Pope spoke out against the war an astounding <a href="http://www.cjd.org/paper/jp2war.html">56 times</a>. American MainStream Media somehow forgot this little fact probably they were too busy rehashing White House and Pentagon propaganda (whoops press statements I mean) and trying to make it look like reporting. Although give credit where credit is due FOX did report the Pope immediate comments on GWII.<br /><br />From what I have seen the Pope is a hellsza decent defender of Christians worldwide from persecution even if it’s from the American military. Take the case of the not especially admirable Tariq "I never killed anybody in a direct act" Aziz. (Good job Tariq after WWI I'm sure Hitler never killed anybody in a direct act just as I'm positive Bush hasn't ever killed anyone in the skies of 1970s Alabama.) But anyway the Vatican gave the Saddam era deputy Prime Minister and good Catholic boy Tariq Aziz it's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/12/12/waziz12.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/12/12/ixportal.html">'unofficial support'</a> in his legal defense by providing Italian lawyers free of charge.<br /><br />So hang on there Pope John Paul II and don’t retire because that would break tradition. At least we'll always agree that war is inherently evil and ultimately will offer no solution in this world of ours. </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1109097719944718332005-02-22T12:00:00.000-05:002005-03-01T16:01:19.186-05:00Horowitz's GarbageThis <a href="http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/individual.asp">site</a> may just be largest piece right wing hate filled drivel on the information super highway. Upon first viewing the page you learn about dangerous subversives of the Left with helpful photographs. Apparently Zarqawi is morally equivalent to Kofi Annan and the page just keeps on going with widely varying characters: John Kerry, the Ayatollah, Noam Chomsky, Mohummad Atta, Dennis Kucinich, Yasser Arafat and of course Michael Moore.<br /><br />The bar on the left side of the page has various categories of undesirables. Apparently conservatives now openly hate- civil rights, feminism, anti-war (peace), organized labour, the environment, immigration, a select number of terrorist groups (long dead SLA members and Weathermen but Timothy Mc Viegh or his like dont make the cut), and my personal favorite- Islam.<br /><br />Upon opening of the Muslim link I was somewhat surprised that most of them weren't very left wing being conservative fundamentalist religious zealots albeit they weren't too fond of America or Israel. Even better though is that you don’t even have to be a Muslim to get into this topic. As long as you’re an Arab then Horowitz considers that close enough.<br />Here are some of the Christians:<br /><br />1. George Habash- He features prominently although with no mention of his Greek Orthodox upbringing. Leader of the Communist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) which is most noted for its hijackings and recently assassinated Israel's tourism minister.<br />2. Edward Said- Noted Author and Palestinian activist who almost had his books banned by Arafat's Palestinian Authority.<br />3. Hanan Ashrawi- Activist and former Palestinian cabinent minister.<br />4. James Zogby- Maronite Christian, pollster and one of the most visible Arab American leaders.<br />5. Jean Abi Nader- One of the Arab American Institute’s (AAI) directors.<br />6. Stephen Sosebee- head of the Palestine Childern Relief Fund (PCRF).<br />7. Bishara A. Bahbah- on broad of the PCRF.<br />8. Khalil Jahshan- Vice-President of the Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).<br />9. Elias Rashmawi- Son of a bishop and national coordinator for the National Council of Arab Americans.<br />10. Hisham Sharabi- Recently deceased professor at Georgetown University.<br />11. Joesph Massad- Professor at Columbia University<br /><br />There were others I couldn't confirm with Google including Yvonne Yazbeck-Haddad, Tariq Ali, Edward Omar Moad, Riad Hamad, Sahkr Habash, and Nimer Halima.<br /><br />Now Horowitz could have put these largely peaceful characters (exception of George Habash) in his 'Anti-Israel' domian but instead they were lumped together with various and sometime obscure radical Islamist terrorists simply because they were Arabs who passionately fight (or fought) for the Palestinian cause. Personally I find these stereotyping and racist to sweep anyone uttering anti-Zionist rhetoric into the violent Islamic terrorist blacklist. I wonder what Horowitz thinks of his anti-Zionists co-religionists- <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.jewsagainstzionism.com">here</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.jewsnotzionists.org">here</a>. Not doubt those rabbis are just more Muslim terrorists who hate us for our freedom.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1108940127283110502005-02-20T17:04:00.000-05:002005-02-20T17:58:37.873-05:00Bush Smoked Weed?<div align="justify">CNN was hot on this <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/20/bush.tapes.ap/index.html">story</a>. Doesn't really surprise me, in fact who gives a shit? Of all things to get excited at Bush for smoking the ganja is not one of them. Hell if anything he should start toking B.C. Bud in the Oval Office he might chill out on his aggressive military fantasy who laid out with all the sprit of Wilson in his inaugural address.<br /><br />Considering the fact that some Canadians voted <a href="http://www.calgaryurbanvibe.ca/articles/article-detail.asp?ID=36">alcoholics</a> Ralph Klein and Gordon Campbell who are currently premiers of Alberta and British Columbia respectively. Klein being the one who verbally assaults homeless people while plastered and Campbell being the one who was so wasted he couldn't barely stand after being pulled over by an Hawaiian police patrol. Even though Bush might have been an alcoholic till 1985 and he did drunkenly <a href="http://2004.georgewbush.org/bios/dwi-record.asp">drive</a> his car into a bush; it seems he found God and all that good stuff so let’s not make a big deal about that one. (hee hee Bush drove into a bush)<br /><br />There are more serious things to worry about his past would be: <a href="http://www.buzzflash.com/perspectives/bush_harken.html">insider trading</a>, <a href="http://www.awolbush.com/">desertion from duty </a>while defending the skies of Alabama from the Viet Cong in an obsolete jet, his <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views/061700-102.htm">record</a> as the American governor that ordered the largest number of executions in American history, and of course <a href="http://www.youdebate.com/DEBATES/bush_cocaine.HTM">cocaine use </a>rumors but at least he didn't succumb to the charms of <a href="http://opioids.com/oxycodone/rushlimbaugh.html">hillbilly heroin</a> like Rush. And let’s not forget his administration is littered with neocons that control the civilian broad of the Pentagon and his administration very cozy ties to the energy, defense and other noble war profiteering industries.<br /><br />So in conclusion there has to be a campaign to get Bush to start smoking the stickiest of icky again. I mean the future of the free world depends on it eh? I'm sure <a href="http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2644.html">Mark Emery</a> is up to the challenge.</div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1108586525890533012005-02-16T14:15:00.000-05:002005-02-16T15:42:36.643-05:00Rafik Hariri Assassination- Whodunit?First off I strongly doubt that Syria or their Hizbollah buddies had any part in the killing of Hariri. They have both issued stern condemnations of the attack which they denounced as terrorism. Not that verbal denial should much weight at all in international politics. The real thing that gets me is that this attack is so clearly detrimental to Syrian interests. Syria does not want an unstable Lebanon and more over Syria wants to continue its occupation of Lebanon.<br /><br />In the aftermath there have been hundreds of thousands people <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/02/16/hariri050216.html">protesting against Syria</a> in Beirut and Washington has recalled their Ambassador. They only reason it seems for Syria to have ordered the assassination of Hariri would have been to silence a voice against Syrian troops in Lebanon. But there are many other more vocal voices against Syria, notably Druze leader <a href="http://www.meib.org/articles/0105_ld1.htm">Walid Jumblatt</a> and ex-president <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://bachirgemayel.org/modules.php%3Fname%3DNews%26file%3Dprint%26sid%3D450&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAmin%2BGemayel%2Bstresses%2Bneed%2Brecover%2Bsovereignty%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff">Amin Gemayel</a>. Hariri was hardly unique in this regard. Although might not be the head of an ancient family like Jumblatt or Gemayel it can be seen from the funeral that he had quite a strong following.<br /><br />I also don’t buy the argument that Syria is ultimately at fault because it occupies Lebanon. It's not occupying any major Lebanese cites and Hizbollah MP <a href="http://www.reason.com/hitandrun/2005/01/reason_writers_8.shtml">Mohammed Fneish </a>will tell you, "If you go today from North to South, you won't find any Syrian checkpoints in Lebanon." Apparently that's somewhat true as well. But let’s say Syria occupies or is fighting to occupy every city in Lebanon and say they have 130,000 troops there and then the same thing assassination occurs, Syria would still not be entirely to blame. Because it can be tricky to stop these things just ask any foreign occupier in Iraq and Palestine. Although Syria should in fairness removes its presence from Lebanon if most people are opposed, it is just self-serving hypocrisy for the United States to demand Syria must leave while citing UN resolutions. Far more resolutions can be cited in Israel bloody occupation and their coming annexation of part of the West Bank and the American occupation has far more opposition.<br /><br />So if it's not Syria who then is responsible. It's all speculation now but I’m not too convinced about the group that claimed responsibility. I mean they did it because of his sizable connections to Saudi Arabia? I don’t know about that one if they were that nationalistic wouldn't be more concerned of the current President Emile Lahoud's backing of Syria- the country with the most visible presence in Lebanon. I'm sure the conspiracy theorists are having a field day with this one. Most of them are likely drawing connections Mossad and Bush administration connections. The Bushies may be taken full advantage of this to bolster the pressure on Syria but they probably didn't have anything to do with it. Mossad motto is after all- By way of deception, thou shalt do war, but that aside there involvement is entirely possible but it is much harder to prove then to speculate.<br /><br />In short it wasn't Syria but at this point is not all together to important who is responsible. The consequences and aftermath will be very interesting to follow in the coming weeks. I would look for greater American aggression towards Syria and even greater polarization of Lebanese society into pro-Syria and anti-Syria factions.Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1107589328268262592005-02-05T02:03:00.000-05:002005-02-05T02:42:18.890-05:00Right Wing Democracy HypocrisyThe ever vigilant Newsmax has produced this <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/2/4/170736.shtml">article</a> extolling how reform is just sweeping the Arab world. Bush even gave the Saudis as an example of Arab reform in his State of the Union Address. The fact that this is the first election ever of any sort in Saudi Arabia is not discussed too much. Although they do acknowledge that these are only local council elections with only half the member being elected. And also mentioned obvious fact that women cannot vote but that is really no surprise among the Gulf States.
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<br />But then Bush tells Iranian reformers that he stands with them for liberty. Now that's all well but he ignoring the fact that Iran is the most democratic country in the Middle East. As women are granted equal political rights in the constitution. Women hold seats in Parliament and numerous local councils. One of Iran's Vice-Presidents is a <a href="http://ncwdi.igc.org/html/ebtekar.html">woman</a> with a very interesting history. Minorities such as Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians have guaranteed seats similar to New Zealand with their First Nations.
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<br />Now Iran is far from perfect but still their 1997 elections were certainly freer and fairer then the recent Bush PR victory. As everyone could vote and they weren't under occupation and the reformists won big time. In the recent 2003 election the same 1997 conditions applied but the Council of Guardians disqualified over 2500 reformist candidates. They were help by a passive youth population and the ever growing American threat.
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<br />This once again shows that the Bush administration is more than willing to cuddle up to dictatorships (Two billion dollars a year in Egypt's case) while condemn other dictatorships that may or may not be any better. This leads directly to a lost of American credibility in the Middle East. And one could go on with comparisons forever i.e. if Libyan relations could be fulfilled with diplomacy then why is Iraq different, if Syria is bad then what about Egypt (defiantly harder for Christians in Cairo then Damascus), and dictators in Central Asia, Pakistan, North Africa, and the Gulf States are fine but not Cuba.
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<br />Sort of makes the right wing blogosphere mindless cheerleading of Bush's 'freedom is on the march' foreign policy look just the slightest bit naive.
<br />Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1107122471601680372005-01-30T15:28:00.000-05:002005-02-02T15:44:34.926-05:00ICP election musings<div align="justify">I guess election results will be a time coming but I'm interested in how the Iraqi Communist Party fared in this election. They are one of the few parties that are for full <a href="http://www.iraqcp.org/framse1/0040209altariq.htm">woman's rights </a>and call for <a href="http://www.iraqcp.org/framse1/0040828icp.htm">unity</a> among all Iraqis regardless of ethnicity or religion. And better yet to me they have fewer links with the Americans. Interestingly they happen to <a href="http://www.iraqcp.org/framse1/002928icp.htm">be</a> <a href="http://www.iraqcp.org/framse1/002501IDTM%20-%20May%20Day%20(30-4-2002).htm">antiwar</a> when it came to the American invasion unlike the well funded and organized expatriate groups.
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<br />Obviously the Americans would not let a Communist Iraq come into being and I doubt they will get widespread support among more religious Iraqis however high their support runs among the more secular portion of society. But if they manage to gain any significant number of seats lets say above 20 then their presence can only be positive. Certainly as a voice of anti-occupation, anti-terror, pro-worker (unemployment is still huge and is main destabilizer), pro democracy and pro women the ICP as a role to fill. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><strong>UPDATE</strong>: If anything I may have underestimated the Communist showing in the election. This <a href="http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a4cb8110-73aa-11d9-b705-00000e2511c8,stream=FTSynd,s01=2.html">article</a> suggests the ICP could have won over 25% of the vote in some Shiite areas. Of course the Communist would be allied with the Kurds who most likley won 25% of the seats. The article did ignore the ICP's anti-occupation voice but it did bring up a good point about the party having no ties to Iran. Some nationalist Iraqis are probably not too happy about SCIRI (Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq) and other Shia exile parties strong ties to Iran. Siminarly the nationalist are not too pleased with experiates such as Allawi leading many secular parties with their strong American and CIA ties. </div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1106862358389804852005-01-27T15:53:00.000-05:002005-01-27T16:47:07.350-05:00Remembrance<div align="justify">Today is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This has personal significance to me as my Great Uncle Henryk was executed at Auschwitz in 1941. When I say this people think that I am Jewish such is the perception of the Holocaust. I have read textbooks that claim 12 million Jews died in the Holocaust and some which say 6 million Jews died but ignore the fact that 5 million 'others' die. The 'others' are rarely mentioned. These others included: Homosexuals, Jehovah Witness’s, Gypsies, Political prisoners from every country in Europe, Russian POWs, Partisans from every country in Europe (Henryk would have fallen into this category), dissenting Catholic, Mentally Disabled, and probably the least talked about- blacks. 6 million Poles were killed in the Holocaust; half were Jewish while the rest were Catholic.
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<br />So for this day it is important to remember all victims of the Holocaust and victims of genocide in China by the Japanese which is never ever talked about.
<br />Here is the website <a href="http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/">Forgotten Holocaust</a>
<br />And one for China and the <a href="http://www.irischang.net/books.cfm">Rape of Nanking </a></div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10094539.post-1106791108449329542005-01-26T20:57:00.000-05:002005-01-27T12:00:24.033-05:00Arab/Muslim Voting Shift<div align="justify">Now is much talk in the mass media pumping up how 'moral values' voters increased and that Bush improved his stature among most demographic. But absent from CNN's bar graphs is a comprehensive look at the Muslim and Arab American vote. Traditionally speaking Arabs and Muslims lean Republican as most of them are social conservatives and the Arabs in particular are in business or at least very concerned with the economy. Moreover Bush in 2000 was a break from Clinton's unpopular Middle Eastern policies. He had been bombing Iraq for eight years and the sanctions were very rough on hundreds of thousands Iraqi children, also he was weak on Israel and let Barak slip out of a peace deal. Bush was seen as person who could restart and finish the peace process. Accordingly Bush won a convincing victory over Gore among Muslim voters.
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<br />A Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) poll stated in 2000 Bush won 72%, Nader got 19% while Gore could only manage 8%. That's pretty pathetic performance among the estimated 6-8 million Muslim Americans for Gore. This isn't too surprising as Gore did chose a Jewish running mate with didn't help him out. Although impressive for Nader who is the most famous Arab-American on record.
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<br />According to the Arab-American Institute (AAI) the 2000 election was a little closer as Bush won 46%, Gore 38% and I could not find figures for Nader but I guessing he got at least 12% and possibly up 15% of the vote. The American Arab vote doesn't overlap too much with the Muslim vote as only 25% of the estimated 3 million Arab-American voters are actually Muslim as most of their community is from Lebanon, Palestine, and Egypt.
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<br />Needless to say the Bush's Arab and Muslim supporters did not bargain for his first term actions. Ashcroft unconstitutional detention of thousands of Muslims, -which was mostly ignored by mainstream media- the Patriot Act, one of the worst fiscal policies on record and of course the topper- Bush's exploits in the Middle East. Beside being the most ardent and unthinking supporter of Israel among his predecessors in the Oval Office and his steadily worsening adventure in Iraq destroyed whatever goodwill he got in form of translators and huge support he received in the wake of 9/11.
<br />And <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1115-03.htm">dismissing</a> 6 Arabic speaking translators simply because of their homosexual identity is probably not the best thing for national security.
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<br />The result: an amazing voting shift among the American Arab and Muslim communities.
<br />CAIR estimated over 80% and possibly up to 90% of Muslims voted for Kerry. While in the four battleground states of Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania the AAI reported Kerry won 63% of the vote while Bush only managed 28.5% this time around.
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<br />Lessons: This shift may be a one time deal as Bush has been a particularly bad Republican president from a economic, civil liberties, and foreign policy point of view so the Democrats have to reach to the Arab and Muslim much better then Kerry did. If they can make this shift permanent then they will have added a voting demographic of growing importance. Greater voter turnout will allow the now weak Arab lobby to wield more power. Although they are growing and the Jewish American population is shrinking the Arab and Islamic lobbies can not hope to reach their power for a long time.
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<br />Jews in the 109th congress- 29 in the House of Representatives and 11 in the Senate. -An 11% Jewish Senate is impressive as they comprise 2% of the population. And I could go on forever about the power Jewish neoconservatives hold in the current administration.
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<br />Compare the above with the number of Arabs in the House. It comes to four. And even more distressing for the Muslim community- there is not a single Muslim congressman. This is hilarious if you look at Iran and see how there is a Jew and 3 Christians in their parliament. And you think of Bush preaching the need for more democracy in Iran.
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<br />But that aside both parties must do more to court the ever growing Arab and Muslim especially the Democrats who stand to lose all the Arab and Muslim votes that Bush's policies gave them.
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<br />Sources:
<br /><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/74242197-1DF2-4544-A556-0B9C6A51E9CF.htm">http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/74242197-1DF2-4544-A556-0B9C6A51E9CF.htm</a>
<br /><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/26E638CA-34FA-4BE2-B9EA-D7F71EFC5769.htm">http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/26E638CA-34FA-4BE2-B9EA-D7F71EFC5769.htm</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.arabamericanbusiness.com/">http://www.arabamericanbusiness.com/</a>
<br /><a href="http://newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/13/211908.shtml">http://newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/13/211908.shtml</a></div>Larixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05083299240785152925noreply@blogger.com0