Appearances being what they are;Is Michael Ignatieff a dud

The Conservative declare victory gloat….

An internal memo circulated amongst Conservatives declared victory over Ignatius.

“The Liberals have reversed themselves on EI reform (their 360-hour demand has been abandoned) and withdrawn the threat to force an unnecessary summer election,” the memo said, referring to Ignatieff’s push for a 360-hour EI eligibility threshold across the country.

Iggy does what Liberals do best….posturing & serving up spin & lest I forget …the never ending threats, where as he/they might actually do something, other than talk that is.

imply did his job by holding the government to account.”We have found a way to make progress for Canadians on EI and we’ve found a way to make this government accountable and I feel that this is a good day for our country,” he said.

“But more importantly, it’s a good day also for this system of Parliament.”

Ordinary Canadians,particularly the unemployed,let them eat cake talk. So goes Liberal promises-poll-iticing  i.e,to hold Harper’s ideologues  to account & ensure  the rights & well-being of ordinary Canadians are not compromised.

“We have found a way to make progress for Canadians on EI and we’ve found a way to make this government accountable and I feel that this is a good day for our country,” he said.

Uhhmmm the logic escapes me,progress…by doing nothing ? How ivorytoweresque of you.

Both Harper and Ignatieff hailed the agreement as a good day for parliamentary co-operation.

Wtf  …Iggy need you be reminded -the Conservatives are not the co-operating kind- hell everybody knows that. You’ve been had dude,out maneuvered yet again…how many times is that now ?

And I have to ask,what the hell is this…

“If you mess with me, I will mess with you until I’m done.”…@

Lol, is that what you call taking the gloves off ? Well if it is,I guess nobody should be that surprised that you are continually being out maneuvered,and  by a posse of not so bright ideologues at that.

P.S  You should give up the poker Micheal,you definitly suck.

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Will Count Iggy blink…

Will he put the well being of working Canadians first-as promised,will he hold Harper et al to account-as promised by Canada’s “natural ruling grovelling party” ?

Or is  his latest bluster just more Liberal bluff ?

After all it’s not like the Liberals to do anything real or of substance,in fact it would be the height of naivety to believe that the Liberals would possible take a chance and trust the judgment of the ordinary working folk..

Hell no,political expediency will in all likelihood win the day.Cynicism and lowest common denominator stuff being the preferred currency of the Liberals.

And besides one must at least give the appearance of doing something as the Conservatives continue to rule as if they actually had a mandate,rather than a minority government.

Come on Iggy throw the dice,take a chance,let Canadians think it’s actually about their well being rather than your desire to be top-dog.

Please just this one time…it might even be kinda theuraputic for ya,hell it  must just grate on you when Harper’s Cons out maneuver you time after time. Particularly when most of em ain’t even that bright.

S & M for Dummies

… right-wing idiots and assorted crackers.

Following on the heels of the  “nationalization” of  a handful of banks & auto companies by the U.S government & others around the world ,in an attempt to mitigate the fall-out caused by the sub-prime crisis , came  inane cries of socialism & Marxism.

Absurd statements like,”we are all socialist now“  and of course the inevitable vilifying of Obama for supposedly being a  socialist and horror of horrors, a Marxist.

I suppose such woolly  thinking is to be expected when coming from the lunatic fringe. But when such absurdities are repeated by  main stream media outlet’s and otherwise rational people. One has to ask where do they get this info from,surely they can not possible believe this nonsense ?

Particularly given the existence of the  internet,goggle and  ease of research.For example invaluable resources such as MIA are but a mouse click away. The works of  K.Marx and hundreds of others are easily accessed.

Indeed  S & M is the opposite of near every rote talking-point,so incessantly harped on by the “right”,& the “center” for that matter,i.e…

1.Nationalization = socialism

2.The state owns the means of productions

3.Everybody makes the same wage -as decreed by the state

4.Responsibilities for one’s actions & well being become matters for the state…i.e  it’s somebody’s else fault

5.People are basically drones,that think alike,all are equal irrespective of talent ,personal drive or ambition. Mediocrity rules…(kinda like now)

6.The state is all powerful,paternalistic and micro manages every aspect of life.

Wrong,wrong,wrong,wrong,wrong and wrong.

Nationalizing  is just another form of state-capitalism.Industries nationalized are still subject to market forces and all the contradiction inherent in capitalism.

Socialism in its most basic form is nothing more than “a free association of free producers”,the opposite of state ownership of the means of production.

Basic economic concepts and rationalizations still apply,i.e you can not get something from nothing,profit is not a dirty word. People are  by nature individuals with different interests and talents,individual needs and those of the community are out of balance and antagonistic in a capitalist society ,socialism seeks to re-balanced individual & collective  rights . Not by laws or coercion but by the dynamics of a society that values community,individuals & the environment over private property &  profit

Socialism is all about self responsibility,community responsibility & knowing what one must do. Choosing not to work or to live off the sweat and work of others is not possible in a society that puts people before profit & private property.This is not enforced by law or by a state but again by social dynamics,community & one’s peers.

One’s position in such a community,will be directly related to one actions in relation to the community & others. Self is completely autonomous yet exists only in resonance with all other selves.

People are not ruled,leaders are not appointed. Rather respect and leadership is earned ,by again action and results. A sense of selflessness and community spirit  are the  factors that separate leaders from rulers.

So what about the USSR ?…well what started out as a grassroots emancipator revolution ended up a sad caricature. That said things were learned the struggle continues,and will until the needs of the community, environment & people are once again on the accent.

Marx unlike those that dismiss or vilify his writing,is no ideologue.Indeed Marx’s motto was  “doubt everything” . “Marxism” is not about morality,i.e good/evil,it is definitly not a blueprint that only has to be followed in order to build some kind of Utopian paradise. Marx is not to blame for any of the ills that man has done to man,such arguments do not even make sense,he was but a man trying to do good by his fellow man.

Marx’s works were about uncovering the inner-workings of capitalism and it’s inherent contradictions,that inevitable manifest themselves like a bad rash over and over. The injustices and hardships caused by these contradictions predominantly afflict the well being of ordinary people/the working class through no fault of their own,while a small minority not only profit but  amass obscene fortunes.

These contradictions are symptoms of a deeper problem,the capitalist system itself , it’s raison d’etra,profit & private property. Like Marx we all know treating the symptoms is not the  way to cure an illness,only by rooting out the  causes can things be put right.

A society that values personal gain over collective well being reaps what it sows. Capitalism is man made, it is not something handed down from on-high nor does it reflect some unchangeable aspect of human nature as is often claimed, and as such it can be changed.

In short people are products of the system they are born into. The contradiction inherent in capitalism are diametrically opposed to the needs of people. Another way to look at it is,the needs of working people differ from the needs of business owners these differences are unresolvable. It’s not about whether or not owners or workers are good or bad,  its the nature of the capitalist beast.

In the end when push comes to shove the needs of the people & the environment should and must take priority,rather than the needs of private property/profit ,as is the case under capitalism. This is an objective truth,the struggle defined in it’s simplest terms.

Socialism is a resurrection of those values that we as humans lived for millennium,until rudely and brutal torn asunder by first the “enclosure of the commons” and the subsequent rise of capitalism hardly 300 years ago.

Socialism is a process aimed at giving substance to the saying ,”the measure of a civilization/ society is how it treats its weakest members”.

On “Marxism”,what more can be said but learn/understand your Marx ,as written by Marx not third party interpretations, before  engaging your tongue.

…Marxism refers to the body of theory directly expounded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.The term “Classical Marxism” is often used to distinguish between “Marxism” as it is broadly understood and “what Marx believed,” which is not necessarily the same thing. For example, shortly before he died in 1883, Marx wrote a letter to the French workers’ leader Jules Guesde and to his own son-in-law Paul Lafargue, both of whom claimed to represent Marxist principles, in which he accused them of “revolutionary phrase-mongering” and of denying the value of reformist struggles. Paraphrasing Marx: “If that is Marxism, then I am not a Marxist.” As the American Marx scholar Hal Draper remarked, “there are few thinkers in modern history whose thought has been so badly misrepresented, by Marxists and anti-Marxists alike.”…more @

Wanted a Zocalo,or two

One of the things that I loved about Mexico during my travels was the ubiquitous Zocalo.Many Mexican cities and towns are designed around a Zocalo,which can only be described as the living  beating heart of Mexican urban life .

The heart analogy is not only fitting but perfectly describes the vital role central squares play in the vitality and life of Mexican cities & towns. All roads lead to the center,and not just of the tarmac kind,but also the political,cultural,& sense of community. To get a feel for a particular city/town & it’s people a good place to start is always the Zocalo.

The love of central square is one of those things in life that seems to cross all cultures and social boundaries. It might be built with stone  & mortar,but in reality the central square is a very much a living thing. Albeit more about the things in life that one can not physically put one’s hands on ,i.e  democracy,sense of community and of place & time.

Vancouver’s planning and design community has long bemoaned the lack of a major public open space in the center of the city, like those great squares that so many other cities are identified with. Meanwhile, critics have noted the city’s eccentric emphasis on public life at the periphery. Vancouver has always had more intense public spaces at its edges than at the center: Centrifugal City.

Read: Where’s Vancouvers Next Public Square ?

And …Where’s the Square ?

Peru’s indigenious people’s facing their own Tiananmen

Five hundred+ years on.

And still the indigenous peoples of the America’s,in this case the Awajun & Wamis peoples,  are being murdered and dispossessed for the “crime” of  speaking out in defense of their traditional territories.

The Indians have been protesting for two months against a series of laws which open up their communal rainforests to oil and gas companies. In the last few years more than 70% of the Amazon has been parcelled out to oil and gas companies for exploration, and a series of large-scale finds threaten to transform much of the Indians’ virgin forests. Similar schemes in neighboring Ecuador have had a devastating effect on the rainforest, and led to chronic pollution and ill-health amongst the Indians who live there…@

Peruvian president, Alán García has the audacity to portray the struggle of the indigenous peoples as a conspiracy,lol…

“a conspiracy afoot to try to keep us from making use of our natural wealth.” He was referring to the fierce opposition by the country’s native peoples to 10 decrees issued by his government that open up indigenous land to private investment by oil, mining and logging companies and to agribusiness, including biofuel plantations.

“Free-trade” is a “wonderful” thing is it not,damn the locals all power to the corporations. Capital and private interests are free to do as they will,ordinary people are but a “nuisance”. A square-peg to  be pounded into a round hole ,violently or otherwise.

More indepth coverage here watch video here

The situation of indigenous peoples in Canada is not much different witness the criminalization of the Mohawk People ,for having the “audacity” to standup for their rights and autonomy.

Just  more of the same ol,same ol…

Treaties were expedients by which ignorant,intractable,and savage people were induced…to yield up what civilized people had the right to possess  –George Gilmer,governor of Georgia,c.1830

Lest we in Canada believe we are any different, the words of our first Prime Minister …

Indians are simply living on the benevolence and charity of the Canadian Parliament…beggars should not be choosers.–John A McDonald,1885

Like the saying goes,”the more things change the more they stay the same”.

Further info and context  @ Amazon Watch

Walk 4 Justice

On May 29 a group of aboriginal women set out on a 28 day Walk 4 Justice to Prince Rupert B.C  from Vancouver’s DTES(downtown east-side) a distance of 1,502 km/ 933 miles,the women are demanding a public inquiry into  the  cases of  3000+missing and murdered women & children that have taken place & gone unsolved over the  past ten years,80% of whom are aboriginal.

The walk will also raise more public awareness of the infamous 722km/449 mile stretch of highway 16 between Prince George & the port city of Prince Rupert(my home town),often referred to as the Highway of Tears due to the number of women who were murdered or have gone missing since 1988 in the vicinity of the highway. At least 32 of these women were aboriginal.

As the result of a symposium held in Prince George in March 2006, aboriginal Canadians along the route are advocating better rural bus service that would help reduce the number of young native women hitchhiking. In addition, spurred on by native leaders, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is officially investigating the unsolved murder or disappearance of nine women between the ages of 14 and 25 since 1974, most of whom were hitchhiking along Highway 16…@

The walk is of particular interest to me,as one of my closest friend’s mom is participating in the walk and my having personally known a couple of the girls who have gone missing or were murdered in the DTES,may they rest in peace.

Also read ;Walk 4 Justice demands answers to missing women cases

U.S Constitution;Erosion of “revolutionary principles” or just same old ?

Matthew Good’s latest post reads…

There are those that claim that I am anti-American. They are the very same people that claim many others equally so simply because they have diligently worked to constantly uncover not only the erosion of the revolutionary principles on which the United States was founded, but the ease with which that erosion has taken place. I have stated more times that I care to remember that I have always believed the Constitution of the United States to be one of the most important documents ever written. That said, who is truly guilty of anti-Americanism given its blatant abuse ?…@

Although I agree with Matthew Good more often than not when it comes to politics and foreign affairs.This one paragraph of an otherwise good article got me thinking,albeit not so much that I believe Matt to be wrong in his admiration of the U.S Constitution nor his contention that it was and still is admirable.

My “beef” is with this notion that there has been an erosion of the  “revolutionary principles” upon which the U.S was founded.

My question is what revolutionary principles ?

Let’s cut to the chase, the “founding fathers” were more concerned about their own power or lack thereof vis-a-vis their counterparts back in London.The rights of the “common folk” was the last thing on their mind,again pretty much inline with the thinking of their colonial masters & countrymen back in London.

Read : Declaration & Resolves of the First Continental Congress 1774

Then there’s the proverbial elephant in the room,in this case the mother of all historical elephants, that  always seems to get left out of the narrative …

The brutal & total oppression of the indigenous people’s upon who’s lands the U.S was founded . It would seem some truths may be self-evident…but in reality were/are selectively applied…

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…@

But to be fair I suppose one could say,compared to most of the countries in Europe of the time,the U.S Constitution was a breath of fresh air,if you happened to be a white male of property. Be that as it may, it could also be said compared to the oldest participatory democracy on the planet,the Iroquois Confederacy,the U.S Constitution was not only flawed but a johnny-come-lately,on the democratic front.

In fact  it was  the  democratic  practices of the indigenous people’s,which enabled Europeans to begin to imagine  truly democratic forms of  government and ways of being. And without-all powerful Kings, Queens & ruling classes-which were pretty much the norm through out Europe. Indigenous ideas & realities influenced many important thinkers within European circles,indeed it was an enlightenment.

Imagine,from ” barbarians & savages” …

Another inconvenient truth rarely mentioned,despite  the enormous  role it  played in breeding a sense of  resentment murderous resentment within certain quarters-property owners & land speculators-was the Royal Proclamation of  1763 . By which the Crown attempted to limit the theft of Indian lands,by defining boundaries and acknowledging the right of “Indian” Nations to live unmolested.

By comparison the Boston Tea party was but a minor sideshow,although given it’s prominence  in the official narrative I suppose it’s understandable many people overlook the Royal Proclamation. But then again its quite difficult to spin the dispossession of others as a noble act in defiance of  dictatorial rule.

The indigenous peoples understood all to well that a British defeat would mean their destruction & dispossession as peoples and Nations. Having first hand knowledge of the settlers insatiable greed and propensity to renege on earlier treaties & agreements,many Tribes allied themselves with the Crown.

The idea that indigenous Nations had every right to  a homeland(s) was just to democratic for these “exemplars of democracy”,from Washington to Jefferson.In fact the indigenous peoples used the term “long knives” when referring to settlers,for every where they went they pillaged,burned & murdered such was their lust for native land.

This despite the initial generosity and help given to the newcomers by the indigenous peoples. Such as  land ,general knowledge,agricultural assistance in growing indigenous food stuffs such as corn,beans,squash,potatoes,maple syrup etc. Basically everything the newcomers needed not only to survive,but to flourish.

There would be no  life,liberty or pursuit of happiness for indigenous peoples…evidently not all men are created equal.

Indeed one can see this resentment & sense of entitlement as the first manifestation of that infamous American notion of  Manifest Destiny. Which goes something like this American is special,international law etc …is for everybody else,America will not be bound by such “quaint notions”.

So my response to this idea that there has been an erosion of the “founding principles”…[which  implies that at some point in the past the American government had been living up to the  "revolutionary principles" & ideals as articulated by the U.S Constitution]…would be  bah humbug…

The U.S has yet to live up to these principles & ideals that it’ purports to stand for.

Again when one examines the fate of the “other Americans”,that is the Indigenous people’s & Nation’s,things ends up being tainted &  anything but noble or selfless. Indeed the U.S Constitution loses much of it’s luster as it becomes painfully obvious that much of the highfalutin rehetoric used to extol the founding of the U.S is just rehetoric in the service of  myth making.

Flowery & feel-good language is one thing,but in the end the only thing that really matters is the doing.

Until the indigenous peoples of the U.S ,and Canada for that matter, regain their rightful place(s) U.S and Canadian democracy will continue to be flawed,hypocritical and wanting.

Further reading; A Basic Call to Consciousness:The Hau de no sau nee Address to the Western World (Geneva 1977)

And of course Anthony J  Hall’s brillant book;  The American Empire and the Fourth World:The Bowl With One Spoon

Jewish Terrorist/Assassin Dies Peacefully at home

In Israeli at the age of  91,May 20th 2009…

Unlike UN peace envoy Count Folke Bernadotte who was assassinated by Jewish terrorist Yehoshua Zeyyler in 1948.

The same Count Folke Bernadotte who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazi’s.

as head of the Swedish Red Cross during World War II, Bernadotte negotiated with top Nazi Heinrich Himmler to save thousands of Jews from concentration camps…@

But then killing unarmed people meant nothing to this man or as Counter Punch called him,“a repulsive gobbet of contaminated carrion”.

Zettler joined in a massacre at the village of Deir Yassin, just outside Jerusalem.  This atrocity, in which over 100 unarmed Arabs were murdered by members of Zettler’s Stern Gang and the Irgun Gang, led by Menachem Begin (who later became prime minister of Israel), has never received the condemnation that would have applied if Arabs had gone on a similar killing binge.

One Israeli witness stated that “[The attackers chose] to kill anybody they found alive as though every living thing in the village was the enemy and they could only think ‘kill them all.’ . . .  It was a lovely spring day, the almond trees were in bloom, the flowers were out and everywhere there was the stench of the dead, the thick smell of blood, and the terrible odour of the corpses burning in the quarry.”  And one of the killers, Ben Zion-Cohen of the Irgun gang, said simply that “We eliminated every Arab that came our way.”…@

How is it that Israeli Jews can kill UN officials and Peacekeepers with impunity,where are the calls for justice ?

Not even Canada will speak  up for justice,despite the fact that one of the murdered peacekeepers was Canadian!

Can you imagine the outcry,and rightly so, if any of these crimes were perpetrated by any other country. For example… Iran,Syria or even Venezuela for that matter.

Read Zettler’s obituary @ Daily Telegraph