sean thibault: September 2006

i hate the conservatives... THIS IS the hidden agenda - because yesterday, said court challenges program was cut.

some interesting tidbits today cdn gov't support for extraordinary rendition it's remarkable to me that this is allowed to continue. i think the RCMP chief has had enough of a career that he should speak out despite the government. this is part of harper's communications clampdown, which has been crucial in his party's ability to appear more "mainstream" while his supporters in the House of Commons and his riding associations are fanatics (like him). of course, this gov't was not in power when the RCMP screwed up the arar thing. and i remember good, decent people trying to defend the actions of the government on this one. but after the inquiry, after iraq, after afghanistan deteriorated, after all the evidence has come out - the only response has been silence. does minister day have nothing to say about potential future and current rendition cases? why does minister mackay have nothing to say to his US counterpart about the treatment of one of our citizens? we certainly betrayed maher arar first, but subsequently... what is the terrorists hate again? oh, right.... our "freedom." too good for preston manning, not good enough for stephen harper perhaps Ottawa should claim home rule sometime? that unelected officials get to decide, with no recourse or accountability, how the capital city is run is repugnant. particularly since we even get show elections every three years. well, perhaps rideau hall will be able to host one of those lovley public garden parties soon... someone needs to hire a publicist or communications staff.... if it were an anti-italian bigotry fueling Volpe's spectacularly awful campaign the it was likely the same bigotry that derailed his stint as a member of cabinet. indeed, perhaps it is. however, perhaps another prominent italian canadian might have had the grace to comment on behalf of fellow italians. instead, this looks like liberal back room back scratching.... menthol - another slight against black folks? doesn't this say it all: "the cooling effect of menthol may make the cigarettes more pleasant to smoke." cdn gov't hates everyone certainly this gov't, which for years complained that liberal budgets never stated the real budget facts have a $5 billion dollar discrepancy of their own. it blows my mind how this government operates; as republicans in the US do to bill clinton (2006: bill clinton is responsible for 9-11; 1998: bill clinton fires missiles at 'terrorists' to stop me from talking about his cock) - it's hypocrisy of the most offensive kind; a self-righteousness that is so morally vacuous i'm shocked people can stand it... or i'm one of the few left that actually pays attention.

charlie sheen, de facto 9/11 truth commissioner, will make a movie about a world trade center hero. jan wong is finally a household name in quebec. i smell an election after the budget fails... or is that wishful thinking? thoughts?

Abbas says unity effort 'back to zero' this is a direct result of hawkish assholes being too impatient with hamas. there is no way that changes in hamas will occur while the anatagonism continues. keep the pressure on the gov't; keep the pressure on abbas - this will lead to peace. hamas will eventually recognize israel; they have already made a ton of compromises, we need a little patience. a little. please. if they return to violence, condemn it! until then encourage their baby steps - or we will never have peace!

Convincing Iranians the bush-cheney-rumsfeld-rice regime doesn't want to kill them From the article: At the same time as Mr. Bush was giving his speech, Vice President Dick Cheney was giving one in Washington before a convention of auto dealers, telling them, “The war on terror is a test of our strength, a test of our capabilities and above all a test of our character.” Auto dealers?!?!?!? How about “the war on terror can’t be won if you don’t stop selling MASSIVE gas guzzling crap cars” Not to mention that the entire definition of MPG has been bastardized: Also from the article: He promised Iraqis the United States would not “abandon you;” Not like that other country – afghani-burg? Talibanistan? What? PS – someone could please explain to me how important iraqi unity is? The end of bernard lord Very interesting... I hope it means good things for the people of NB; but we’ll see. From the article: Liberals picked up two seats in the northeast where the Lord government made controversial hospital closings. Voter turnout in that part of the province was 73 per cent; it was 63 per cent in other parts of New Brunswick. Voter turnout is a wild and crazy thing. Google “the myth of the vanishing voter” Right to know legislation debated Not that this particular legislation is that great or anything, but why would anyone be opposed to extremely onerous disclosure legislation? Don’t you want to know what’s in your food? Cdn gov’t can’t move Didn’t we have this problem in the 90s under chretien? And didn’t harper/day/manning/etc all cry loudly for more appointments...hm.... Maher arar in the int’l press The Independent ABC News Reuters Christian Science Monitor CBS News Chicago Tribune Washington Post BBC News New York Times Why this isn’t a major diplomatic incident is beyond me. Racism, really. www.savedarfur.org

BUY SEEDS!!! Support the work of Dana Larsen and Marijuana Reform!

The State or the United States: the latter is the choice of your average Canadian neo-con

Tracking Guns in Canada

Michael Harris of the SUN – canada’s closest thing to real tabloid journalism – critiques our obsession with violence

“Super Columbine Massacre RPG” may be “art and social commentary” – but can’t you think of better branding!?!?

And an Ottawa loser tries to copycat, with pellets – Dick Cheney meets Real Murder-Massacres(?)

one final note on the montreal shootings the other day. Everyone wants to compare this to a high school shooting. Kimveer Gill was 25 years old – certainly not a pimply-faced persecuted teen – to treat him as such is to debase the violent tragedy. That’s not to say his issues weren’t complicated and so forth, but clearly there is a difference between a grown man and a crazed teenager. Of course we should mourn all of the losses, but Mr. Gill’s actions happened to take place at Dawson College – they were not caused at Dawson. His alienation from society spread beyond campus and could have reverberated elsewhere. This shooting does not represent kids gone wild – and our political response (it’s always political) must reflect that.

Shabbat shalom!