tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44848776573458886462024-03-13T10:36:25.178-07:00looking for balanceWe sold out after working more than 30 years in the oil and gas industry and we are in search of viable alternatives to militarism, materialism, environmental exploitation and dependence on rapidly declining fossil fuel reserves.keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-11037058422605366982012-06-15T10:32:00.001-07:002012-06-15T10:34:20.176-07:00An Open Letter to Elizabeth May on Bill C-38<div id="yui_3_2_0_8_13394581858882514">
Dear Elizabeth May,</div>
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I have followed the progress of the draconian bill C-38 with it's attacks on First Nations, the environment, national parks and Canada's most vulnerable with interest and horror over these past months. You have done a tremendous service in bringing this bill and it's contents to the attention of the Canadian public and I want to send you my most sincere appreciation for your incredible efforts.</div>
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I have been appalled to observe the way that PM Harper and Finance Minister Flaherty have used deception and manipulation to push this brutal agenda onto the Canadian people. As I watched their performance in the house of Commons and in media interviews over the past few days, I am hopeful that even the 40% of Canadian voters who supported them will now realize the true nature of these sad and power hungry men.</div>
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While this Conservatives have clearly won a victory in passing this bill, I believe they have fundamentally damaged Canada, which has been a nation built on a great compromise. They will have their legacy and you will have yours.</div>
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Thanks again Elizabeth for all your have done in your efforts to preserve this once great nation.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Keith Hirsche</div>
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1161 Chapman Road,</div>
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Cobble Hill, BC</div>
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V0R 1L7</div>
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PS. I heard Mr. Flaherty comment to the media that he has not received a single letter from a Canadian citizen who opposes bill C-38. I have copied him on this email so he can have one more letter from a Canadian citizen to deny and ignore.<br />
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cc: PM Stephen Harper<br />
Finance Minister Joe Flaherty<br />
MP Jean Crowderkeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-25364142806200376752012-06-15T02:32:00.002-07:002012-06-15T02:36:46.312-07:00Harper Big Win - and the end of the Canadian illusionTo raucous applause and chest-thumping cheers, PM Harper wins the day and forces his 400+ omnibus "budget" bill through the house without a single amendment. Harper's Conservatives have clearly won a major victory in parliament - Congratulations!<br /><br />For the 60% of Canadians who voted against Harper in the 2011 election, this arrogant, bullying approach to re-shape Canada in Harper's image shatters the illusion of the polite, gentle country that we used to call our "home and native land".<br /><br />Finally many of us are beginning to see through all the hypocrisy and we are waking up to the colonization experiment that Canada has always been. People of First Nation's heritage have mostly been free of illusion as they have suffered directly under the abuse of power that our system calls justice. Now hopefully we can stand with them to oppose this failed experiment in Colonial Statehood before Mother Earth tells us that it is too late.<br /><br /><br /><br />For complete coverage of the day in parliament with all the gritty details., <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/budget-bill-passes-after-22-hour-voting-marathon/article4265459/?cmpid=rss1">check here</a>.keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-16007360210493326242012-06-12T22:15:00.001-07:002012-06-12T22:15:01.262-07:00Elizabeth May leads commendable effort to halt Tory omnibus juggernaut | Full Comment | National Post "It has become accepted wisdom that Conservative treatment of the legislative process is often high-handed and abusive, has contributed to public cynicism and borders on a threat to the democratic process itself."<br />
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And this article comes from the National Post..... <br />
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<a href="http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/06/11/kelly-mcparland-elizabeth-may-leads-commendable-effort-to-halt-tory-omnibus-juggernaut/">Elizabeth May leads commendable effort to halt Tory omnibus juggernaut | Full Comment | National Post</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-25741100427333200392012-06-12T16:34:00.001-07:002012-06-12T16:34:08.244-07:00Gitxsan Media revealing the Enbridge Spin in the Mainstream media Media shapes our perception of reality and events from the local to national scale. A great example comes from my friends in the Gitxsan Unity Movement. After six months of legal battles, a blockade and incredible personal sacrifice, the Gitxsan people forced an audit of the Gitxsan Treaty Society and the resignation of its' leaders who had made an illegal agreement with Enbridge. Now as the news gets out, Enbridge has done everything possible to spin the story in their favour. Please read the real story here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.hazeltondaily.ca/show1215a/GTS_AND_ENBRIDGE_MANIPULATING_THE_MEDIA_FOR_PERSONAL_BENEFIT">Hazelton Daily: Articles</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-9278650513923121742012-06-05T11:42:00.002-07:002012-06-05T11:42:54.887-07:00Enbridge Northern Gateway: Seen the ad? Want the truth?<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Enbridge is spending millions
of dollars on an ad campaign to make their pipeline look appealing to
Canadians by concealing the truth about ther project. <br /> <br /> Here is a
different take that uses their same format to tell the side of the
story that they would rather you didn't hear about. </span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><a href="http://youtu.be/tGrgxaewsiQ">http://youtu.be/tGrgxaewsiQ</a><br /> <br /> Too bad Enbridge has all the big money to buy airtime on TV.</span>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-66931692391041542902012-06-05T07:43:00.001-07:002012-06-05T07:43:12.605-07:00The Hope and Fear of our transitional times - an analysis by Chris Hedges I have become a big fan of Chris Hedges lately. He is a powerful writer who has called our society and the Christian churches to account on several occasions. He has also witnessed the disintegration of civil society in countries that disintegrated into violent civil war and this column brings an important message for our time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/northern_light_20120603/">Chris Hedges: Northern Light - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-59639982286750849732012-05-31T10:48:00.004-07:002012-06-01T19:32:04.154-07:00Mulcair, Oilsands, Dutch disease - Politics and the MediaThis has been an interesting week in the propaganda war surrounding the development of Alberta's tarsands. The latest round began with Thomas Mulcair, the new NDP leader, pointing out that the high value of Canada's dollar - primarily due to oil exports - is highly damaging to the manufacturing industry and he compared this to "Dutch disease" (the economic impact of Holland's gas exports on the rest of it's economy in the 1970s). His comments were immediately condemned by Alberta Premier Alison Redford who stated that Mulcair was engaging in divisive politics and suggested that he was ill informed about the oilsands. She went further to indicate that he should not be allowed to comment until he took the time to visit Alberta and see the development for himself.<br /><br />In the wake of this war of words, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/30/pol-dutch-disease-pembina-institute-report.html">Alberta's Pembina institute released a report</a> containing economic analysis which largely supported Mulcair's claims. In turn, <a href="http://www.ethicaloil.org/news/thomas-mulcair-cant-see-the-difference-between-canada-and-nigeria/">Ethical Oil launched an attack on Mulcair </a>which condemned him for not seeing the difference between Canada and Nigeria. This was met with a response by <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/christophermajka/2012/05/dutch-disease-denial-inflation-politics-and-tar">Christoper Majka which analyzed the economics and politics of the various positions.</a><br /><br />Alberta's oilsands development has obviously become a very heated topic and there are billions of dollars and thousands of jobs in the balance - not to mention the environmental impacts. No matter what your current position on this issue, I would ask that you look at these links and ask yourself the following questions.<br /><br />Does the story contain factual analysis or simply opinion?<br /><br />Are the statements designed to convey information or trigger emotional response?<br /><br />What are the motives behind the statements? Who wins and who loses?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/30/pol-dutch-disease-pembina-institute-report.html">http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/30/pol-dutch-disease-pembina-institute-report.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ethicaloil.org/news/thomas-mulcair-cant-see-the-difference-between-canada-and-nigeria/">http://www.ethicaloil.org/news/thomas-mulcair-cant-see-the-difference-between-canada-and-nigeria/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/christophermajka/2012/05/dutch-disease-denial-inflation-politics-and-tar">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/christophermajka/2012/05/dutch-disease-denial-inflation-politics-and-tar</a><br /><br />Also consider that Mr. Mulcair has followed through and made a visit to Fort MacMurray. Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/05/30/edmonton-mulcair-oilsands-visit.html">Premier Redford was not there to meet him - as she was committed to attend a meeting of the Bilderberg group instead</a>.<br /><br />And finally, it might be worth mentioning that the Alberta Government's 2012 budget documents confirm that the manufacturing sector has been seriously challenged by the high value of the Canadian dollar - which <a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Alberta+budget+backs+Dutch+disease+theory/6717413/story.html">clearly confirms Mulcair's earlier statements</a>.<br /><br />Since everyone clearly agrees, what is all the fighting about?keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-1841573285274004812012-05-30T11:25:00.001-07:002012-05-30T11:25:27.153-07:00'Oilsands fever' seen as Canada's Dutch Disease - Politics - CBC News<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/30/pol-dutch-disease-pembina-institute-report.html">'Oilsands fever' seen as Canada's Dutch Disease - Politics - CBC News</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-88047315581886291782012-05-16T18:26:00.001-07:002012-05-16T18:26:14.847-07:00Enbridge plans reversal of oil pipeline to supply central Canada - Canada - CBC News<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/05/16/enbridge-pipeline-reversal.html">Enbridge plans reversal of oil pipeline to supply central Canada - Canada - CBC News</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-44457436109024569942012-05-15T08:34:00.001-07:002012-05-15T08:34:32.781-07:00Gitxsan Crisis Update May 14th - Afternoon - Please share!!<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody">The GTS (Gitxsan Treaty Society) - and a small minority of Gitxsan chiefs (3/30) are siding with Enbridge and using the Canadian courts to overturn the will of the majority of the Gitxsan nation. Warrants were issued today to arrest key leaders of the Gitxsan Unity movement and the results are recorded here in this inspiring example of non-violent peaceful resistance. </span></span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody">It is clear that the Gitxsan people - who have never ceded their territory to the Canadian government- are resisting this pipeline development. Unfortunately, the media is not covering this story because it goes against the corporate interests that are so clearly backed by the Harper Government. The best defense that the Gitxsan have is a well-informed public because if/when the government resorts to violence to achieve Enbridge's agenda their actions will be clearly exposed.</span></span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}"><span class="messageBody"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please share this widely. </span></span></span></h6><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H33ysfWuaLY&feature=youtu.be">Gitxsan Crisis Update May 14th - Afternoon - YouTube</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-1678627432580698532012-05-10T13:06:00.001-07:002012-05-10T13:06:33.730-07:00The Enbridge Pipeline increasingly represents a clash of conflicting Realities The conflict over the Enbridge Pipeline proposal to ship Alberta's bitumen across BC and First Nation territory is quickly becoming a clash over opposing world views. For Stephen Harper and many privileged Canadians- the earth simply represents resources that can be taken and sold to the highest bidder. Their experience is that their water comes from a tap (or plastic bottle) and their food comes from a grocery store and they will defend to the death this economic system because they (mistakenly) believe their lives depend o<span class="text_exposed_show">n it. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">First Nations people - and an increasingly wide range of informed Canadians- realize our food comes from the land and our water comes from the streams - and we must fight to our death to defend the Earth's natural living systems because they truly give life to us all. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1175799--walkom-northern-gateway-pipeline-faces-unbreakable-wall">Canada News: Walkom: Northern Gateway pipeline faces ‘unbreakable’ wall - thestar.com</a><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">(Thanks to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Jensen" target="_blank">Derrick Jensen</a> for this powerful insight)</span> <br />
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Original Quote:<br />
"<span><span style="color: black;"><span class="quotefont"><span><span style="color: black;"><span class="quotefont">If your experience is that your food comes from the grocery store and your water comes from the tap, then you are going to defend to the death the system that brings those to you because your life depends on them. If your experience, however, is that your food comes from a land base and that your water comes from a stream, well, then you will defend to the death that land base and that stream."</span></span></span></span></span></span>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-83559460471274733672012-04-30T17:40:00.001-07:002012-04-30T17:40:49.246-07:00Chris Hedges: Welcome to the Asylum - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig<a href="http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/welcome_to_the_asylum_20120430/">Chris Hedges: Welcome to the Asylum - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-42576504926218502842012-04-28T20:05:00.001-07:002012-04-28T20:05:47.893-07:006 People You Need to Start a Revolution | | AlterNet<a href="http://www.alternet.org/story/154968/6_people_you_need_to_start_a_revolution?page=entire">6 People You Need to Start a Revolution | | AlterNet</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-13217586000020627682012-04-28T12:45:00.001-07:002012-04-28T12:45:29.312-07:00Conservatives, NDP statistically tied in new poll - and Canadian's discover Harper's shadow Following politics in Canada is an interesting hobby. Unlike the USA where political polariaztion along ideological lines is almost a bloodsport, Canada has had the reputation of being a more polite and gentle nation. Unfortunately, things have changed over the past few years, since Stephen Harper has brought Republican tactics and NeoCon ideology to the Canadian political scene.<br />
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Since the 2011 election, where Harper succeeded in winning a slim majority of seats through a skillful combination of organized voter suppression and Republican wedge politics, Stephen has worked relentlessly to shape Canada into his own image. From undermining First Nations and weakening environmental protection to legislative attacks on union rights and re-sphaping the justice system, he has managed to frustrate and alienate large sectors of the Canadian public. Through all of this, while his Conservative party has dropped in the polls, surprizingly his personal support remained almost unchanged - at least until recently.<br />
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Perhaps it is the F35 scandal, the voter suppression scandal, ongoing attacks on First Nations and environmentalists over piplelines and tankers or growing dissention in his own ranks over issues like abortion. Whatever the cause - or causes- it seems that Harper's public popularity is finally taking a big hit. Recently voted the least trustworthy Canadian by a Reader's Digest poll, the latest Nanos poll also suggests that the Stephen Harper's honeymoon with the Canadian public may finally be over. <br />
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<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/04/26/pol-ndp-tories-statistically-tied-nanos.html">Conservatives, NDP statistically tied in new poll - Politics - CBC News</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-1764907196678677812012-04-22T08:18:00.001-07:002012-04-22T08:18:05.515-07:00Why Canada just pumps out cheap oil - Business - CBC News<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/04/20/oil-refining-canada.html">Why Canada just pumps out cheap oil - Business - CBC News</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-71381735015376578832012-04-19T14:01:00.002-07:002012-04-19T14:36:23.765-07:00Money shapes our media -media shapes our reality- our reality shapes our politicsFor the vast majortity of North Americans, media shapes of reality. And when it comes of media - it is shaped by the big money that flows from multinational corporations - especially from oil and gas companies.<br /><br />This problem can be clearly seen in terms of the massive sums of money that the Fossil Fuel industry is willing to spend on everything from denying climate science to shaping national energy policy and buying elections. In BC, you might wonder why the Provincial Liberals are backing the idea of Supertankers in our Coastal waters - especially in view of the fact that the tankers will threaten tens of thousands of jobs in the fisheries and tourism sectors while offering only a few hundred jobs in return. Alberta gets all the reward and BC takes all the risk - what government would support that?<br /><br />The answer become more clear when you learn that the Enbridge groups have contributed a total of<a href="http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/SA1ASearchResults.aspx?Contributor=northern%20gateway&PartySK=0&Party=%28ALL%29&DateTo=&DateFrom=&DFYear=&DFMonth=&DFDay=&DTYear=&DTMonth=&DTDay=" target="_blank"> $156,940</a> ($91,840 under the name of Enbridge and $65,100 under the name of Northern Gateway) and Kinder Morgan has contributed <a href="http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/SA1ASearchResults.aspx?Contributor=kinder%20morgan&PartySK=0&Party=%28ALL%29&DateTo=&DateFrom=&DFYear=&DFMonth=&DFDay=&DTYear=&DTMonth=&DTDay=" target="_blank">$16388</a> to the Liberal campaign coffers. In total, pipeline companies contributed more than <a href="http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/SA1ASearchResults.aspx?Contributor=pipeline&PartySK=0&Party=%28ALL%29&DateTo=&DateFrom=&DFYear=&DFMonth=&DFDay=&DTYear=&DTMonth=&DTDay=" target="_blank">$334,000 to the Liberal</a>s. On the other side of the political aisle, the NDP received less than $1,000.<br /><br />So who really owns our politicians and by extension, our political process? In the USA, Oil companies are outspending Obama by a factor of 10:1 in pushing their agenda to maintain our total reliance on obsolete energy systems.<br /><br />In this way, Money - an imaginary concept which has no objective reality in the physical world- takes total control of our conceptual world in a way that unleashes unlimited destruction on the natural world that gives us Life. It's a delusion that fosters a slow-motion suicide.<br /><br />With odds like this, how can we move to a more sustainable future?<br /><br /><a href="http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/04/charts-dirty-energys-spending-spree-2012-election-ads">Charts: Dirty Energy's Election Ad Spending Spree | Mother Jones</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-87255459117101724162012-04-19T13:05:00.001-07:002012-04-19T13:05:59.609-07:00Charts: Dirty Energy's Election Ad Spending Spree | Mother Jones<a href="http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/04/charts-dirty-energys-spending-spree-2012-election-ads">Charts: Dirty Energy's Election Ad Spending Spree | Mother Jones</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-42602277764832166072012-04-19T11:39:00.001-07:002012-04-19T11:39:46.681-07:00Chris Hedges: Where Were You When They Crucified My Lord? - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig<a href="http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/where_were_you_when_they_crucified_my_movement_20111205/">Chris Hedges: Where Were You When They Crucified My Lord? - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-76178462961494666022012-04-19T11:32:00.001-07:002012-04-19T11:32:18.672-07:00Most Trusted Canadians - 2012 Trust Poll Results | Stephen Harper is the Least Trusted Canadian Okay, well you can't say that Stephen Harper hasn't won anything. In a recent Reader Digest poll, he won the distinction of being the Least Trusted Canadian - beating out Rob Ford, Toronto's unpopular mayor, by a margin of 47% to 44%. <br />
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<a href="http://www.readersdigest.ca/magazine/2012-trust-poll/most-trusted-canadians-2012-trust-poll-results?id=2">Most Trusted Canadians - 2012 Trust Poll Results | Reader's Digest</a><br />
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What is more aggravating than this - is the fact the Harper spends more tax-payer money on his PR department and information officers whose job it is to make him appear positive to Canadians. Looks like these characters are incompetent should all be fired. <br />
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Thanks to Elizabeth May for pointing out this interesting observation.<a href="http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/blogs/2012/04/19/how-orwellian-traps-are-laid/" target="_blank"> http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/blogs/2012/04/19/how-orwellian-traps-are-laid/</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-4101774258590491632012-04-16T15:13:00.001-07:002012-04-16T15:13:11.629-07:00When Mormons were socialists - what has happened to the Church of Jesus Christ? Growing up as a member of the LDS church, it took me years to understand the message of the Book of Mormon. Believed to be a word of warning to the American people of our day, the Book of Mormon claims to be a prophetic witness of the fall of two earlier American nations and a warning to the present-day citizens of the land.<br />
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In his provocative 1994 essay, "<a href="http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=3&num=2&id=60" target="_blank">A Latter Day Warning from the Book of Mormon</a>", Richard Draper observed that the Book of Mormon appears to be speaking to our time. Two main periods of the Nephite history are compared wit hpresent day America. The first outlined the initial destruction of the Nephite nation-state prior to the coming of Christ to the Americas (covered in the books of Helaman and 3rd Nephi) and the second detailed the 2oo year period between the peak of the Nephite society and the total destruction of the people (mostly recorded in 4th Nephi). <br />
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In his conclusion, Draper states "For the most part, the Church today finds itself in much the same circumstances as those in the beginning of the book of Helaman. It is wealthy and growing rapidly. Are we in danger? The Book of Mormon suggests that the only real danger to the Church itself is not an outward foe but rather a more powerful and far more devastating enemy within—pride. It grows in the hearts of those who profess to be Saints. It is little wonder that President Benson has warned us against pride.<a href="http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=3&num=2&id=60#note17"><sup>17</sup></a> Will we heed the warning or become as the Nephites of old?"<br />
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How did the Mormon church change from a Christian socialist Utopian endeavor to the most Republican of religions? Are we living through some inevitable cycle in human nature or do we still have a choice?<br />
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On the political side of this equation - this article from Salon may provide some of the answers. <br />
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<a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/04/15/when_mormons_were_socialists/singleton/">When Mormons were socialists - Salon.com</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-25378821557648837512012-04-07T22:33:00.001-07:002012-04-07T22:33:51.719-07:00Hume: Pipeline opposition likely to grow as supertanker risk assessed Great story from the Calgary Herald - and it clearly shows the importance of asking the right question on a survey!<br />
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<a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Hume+Pipeline+opposition+likely+grow+supertanker+risk+assessed/6423196/story.html">Hume: Pipeline opposition likely to grow as supertanker risk assessed</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-39103967890678556872012-04-05T13:07:00.001-07:002012-04-05T13:07:29.120-07:00Conservative response to Elizabeth May's question about oil tankers off the BC coast Elizabeth May managed to ask a straight-forward question about the Conservative Goverment's willingness to ignore the will of British Columbians regarding oil tankers of the BC Coast. I have provided the link, and I will reproduce the text here.<br />
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<strong>Elizabeth May:</strong> Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister for many years expressed concern as an Albertan about the heavy-handed intrusion of federal policy on the will of Albertans.<br />
Right now, British Columbians oppose supertankers on the coastline, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities opposes the supertankers and today’s polls show, by a margin of three to one, that British Columbians do not want oil tankers on their coastline.<br />
Will the Prime Minister run roughshod over the will of British Columbians for his pet project?<br />
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<strong>Hon. Denis Lebel:</strong> Mr. Speaker, our government is confident that sound regulations are in place to ensure petroleum products are transported safely along the B.C. coast.<br />
In the last five years, close to 500 supertankers have been close to the shores with no accidents. All tankers arriving in Canadian ports are inspected by Transport Canada to ensure that they comply with all Canadian and international regulations.<br />
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Notice how Conservative Minister Lebel answered the question "... the Union of British Columbia Municipalities opposes the supertankers and today’s polls show, by a margin of three to one, that British Columbians do not want oil tankers on their coastline. Will the Prime Minister run roughshod over the will of British Columbians for his pet project?" with "our government is confident that sound regulations are in place to ensure petroleum products are transported safely along the B.C. coast.".<br />
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A shorter, more straight forward version of the exchange looks like this:<br />
Q. British Columbians clearly don't want oil tankers in our coastal waters. Does PM Harper intend to run roughshod over the will of the people?<br />
A. Yes - absolutely. <br />
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<a href="http://elizabethmaymp.ca/parliament/questions/2012/04/04/oral-questions-transport/">Oral Questions – Transport</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-36882744237417682822012-04-04T12:05:00.001-07:002012-04-04T12:05:25.711-07:00B.C. opposition to oil supertankers outweighs support 3:1 — Dogwood Initiative Living on Vancouver Island, these polling results are hardly surprizing. What I can't figure out is why the Conservatives are so strongly behind this pipeline when there are much better alternatives -in terms of jobs, economic benefits, etc.- for Alberta and the rest of Canada.<br />
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Just who is Harper working for anyway?<br />
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<a href="http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/opposition-poll">B.C. opposition to oil supertankers outweighs support 3:1 — Dogwood Initiative</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-61193366054773511722012-04-02T22:41:00.001-07:002012-04-02T22:41:20.128-07:00Robocalls and the petrostate | Focus OnlineInteresting links between Conservative and Republican tactics in the recent election.<br />
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<a href="http://focusonline.ca/?q=node%2F355">Robocalls and the petrostate | Focus Online</a>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484877657345888646.post-67259572198455802572012-03-30T22:39:00.000-07:002012-03-30T22:40:24.682-07:00Nigeria 1990 - Canada 2012 - back to the future...<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}">During the 1990s, entire villages -men, women and children- were massacred in the Niger delta to make room for oil and gas development. Twenty years later, the Nigerian oil fields are depleted and the ecosystem is destroyed - in spite of all the promises of environmental reclamation.<br /><br /> Now -in 2012- the Conservative-backed multi-national oil and gas industry is bringing is bringing this same promise of prosperity to a country near you...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/03/30/pol-first-nations-northern-gateway-reaction.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://www.cbc.ca/news/</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>politics/story/2012/03/30/</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>pol-first-nations-northern-gate</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>way-reaction.html</a></span></h6>keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483693924691004555noreply@blogger.com0