have the democrats ever heard of abstaining?

the canadian military needs new equipment. gen. rick hillier has certain specs he wants met. the globe and mail reports that the military will circumvent the process. however, deep in the article the source (who seems to be the basis for much of the speculation laid out) acknowledges there will be an open process, but with demands such that "only one aircraft will get the nod." If the military's needs are such that only one or two manufacturers of such advanced hardware can compete, that is not the problem of anyone but those out-of-date businesses who need to improve their products instead of whining that the process will exclude them. it's tantamount to a clothing manufacturer complaining that they can't bid for an aeroplane contract!

there was a wedding at the radisson in amman when the bombs went off. a wedding! al qaeda in iraq took responsibility today. they also took credit for killing 30 in bagdhad, today. such an "organized" force would be easy to cconquer, as there would be an infrastructure. but the very same issue that causes difficulty in Iraq's rebuilding is why responsibility for the insurgency or other attacks in the region and beyond cannot really be credited to a single group or network. even the phrase network demonstrates how individualized the violence is; like the internet, it is uncontrollable. in other news, corrections canada is piloting government funded/sanctioned tattoo parloiurs. many are not pleased; but it seems wise to me if it will lower the government's prison-health treatment bill. the dominion institute is calling for a holiday on november 11. some veterans are not in favor, because they believe it would dilute the meaning of the day. i see benefits of both sides. i'd like to have the day off work to go to a formal ceremony. but i can see that many would simply take advantage of the time for other life needs. ok. good night.

i think i'm obsessed with intellectual property. i've noticed that i rant quite regularly about it. and property generally. i've also noticed that it is our general capitalist approach to property that has allowed development and "progress" to spin out of control into a scenario where de facto abundance does little to resolve de jure scarcity, and thus even marx is left without an answer to the degradation of our world. i hope future generations don't look back on capitalism as a period wherein development and use of property not only undermined the technological revolutions in production, but undermine the ability for sustainable abundance and greater freedom. the latter being the ultimate goal anyway. three bombings in jordan today. "they" say it's al qaeda. enough already. eventually someone must realize that al qaeda "trademarks" are as recognizable to the public as they are to any psycho who wants to kill people. therefore, how can we be sure it's not a copycat attack. were it a copycat, i doubt that would matter. the general goals of al qaeda, as stated by the authorities, are to terrorize us into changing our way of life. such a non-descript and vague purpose could be used to characterize the arms race, fascism, nazism, guerilla warfare, etc etc. when will we get it: al qaeda is barely organized, and we should hunt down these criminals as such. the police and detectives are best equipped, while the military is best equipped for attacks on sovereignty. that is, guerilla violence is a trademark of the desperate, not al qaeda. lumping these attacks together as the actions of one "network" simplifies the issue and demeans meaningful efforts to combat such violence. condolences to all those who lost loved ones.

i often get upset about property issues. and generally private property as a conceptual framework is something with which i have difficulty. i note the tension between private property and public use. what is known as eminent domain in the USA, expropriation in canada, and standard in china, is certainly a good example of this tension. but there are some things regarding intellectual property that will be a significant, but little discussed, element of an upcoming WIPO treaty. this washpost article bring some attention to it all. registration is free. i have stuff to say about chretien. but that will wait.