NAFTA could overturn pesticide ban

This is another example of what is wrong with NAFTA, TIMLA and the NAU. The provincial government in Ontario creates a law to ban certain pesticides. The pesticide companies sue the Ontario government under NAFTA and we’re like WTF: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090327%2fnafta_pesticide_090329

TILMA takes this premise one step further and says it’s illegal for any level of government to create a law that impedes their ability to make a profit. In a democratic society, it is the people’s right to elect governments that create laws to protect the environment. If a government wants to ban pesticides, they may. If the people disagree with that decision they can elect a new government. Making it illegal to create laws that will protect the environment is insane. Look at where it takes us.

CN dumps huge amounts of very toxic chemicals into the Cheakamus River an important salmon spawning ground and instantly kills everything in the river. These trade agreements would make it illegal for the government to say to CN, you have to improve brake maintenance and reduce train lengths through the mountains and along steep grades because safety would impede their ability to make a profit. Ordering them to clean up their mess as superficial as that may be would also be illegal because clean up would cost money and impede their ability to make a profit.

The list of concerns goes on forever as this is just the tip of the iceberg but it is a clear example of what’s wrong with NAFTA, TILMA and the NAU. Don’t forget that Obama seems to support the expansion of TIMLA to cover all of North America as well as Bush and that Clinton was the one who signed NAFTA.

Ford CEO compensated $17.1 million in 2008

Bailing out the banks, and the executives still go for extravagant manicures. Isn’t that welfare fraud? They were able to tax some of the AIG executive decadence but what about the others?

Now the broken record continues as the auto industry cries for handouts while CEO's still get outrageous salaries: http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/investing/news/businessnews/article.aspx?cp-documentid=18761389

Why are we bailing out the auto industry anyways? Isn’t that just another way to compensate oil company’s massive revenues? Shouldn’t we be giving grants for the development of electric vehicles instead of letting the oil companies buy them out?

Who killed the electric car: http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar

BC Hydro wires for electric cars: http://www.theprovince.com/Technology/Hydro+gets+ready+plug+your/1372616/story.html

Is Harper killing the Electric Car in Canada: http://www.greenparty.ca/en/node/3045

Tesla's new electric five-seat sedan: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/cars/story.html?id=ab46bb7c-0534-4ada-bec2-8e695b39c555

EU turns to Advertising

So the push for a United States of Europe continues to drive forward and two unlikely allies record their dissent. Ireland voted down the Lisbon treaty. Most other member states were not given the opportunity to vote on that question. A political party called Libertas is very concerned with the abandonment of democracy in the formation of the new superstate and wants the Irish referendum to be respected.

England complains that Obama is pushing for a Federal Europe. Why would he do that? England is hesitant to give up the pound for the EU. Understandably so. The greatest implication in joining the EU is to give up individual sovereignty.

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BTW if England joins the EU and gives up the pound for the euro, does that mean we won’t have the Queen’s picture on our Canadian dollars anymore? Will the monarchy still exist? Not that I’m a big fan of the monarchy by any means. Just curious so I am.

The bottom line is that Brussels is doing what Hitler and Stalin never dreamed of. A complete take over of Europe by lulling the voters with cheap advertising and no constitution protecting human rights:

http://www.euro2day.gr/ftcom_en/126/articles/483848/ArticleFTen.aspx

http://www.libertas.eu/en/news/174-eu-ad-man-accidentally-tells-the-truth-but-not-the-whole-truth

So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNAHjsAnTd4

Russia plays the Bully

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE51Q2W220090227?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Not that I trust Harper because I don’t. I think he will exploit any opportunity to promote himself as he is a Brian Mulroney George Bush wanna be. Nevertheless, it is clear that Big Brother is determined to play the bully.

Here’s the deal. Russia sends a bomber on a military exercise and heads straight for Canada over the arctic. NORAD picks up on it and sends two Canadian fighter jets to intercept. The bomber turns back before entering Canadian air space: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/23/arctic-canadarussia.html

Seemingly this happens all the time and some question why Harper is blowing it out of proportion. Excuse me. This happens all the time and we never hear about it? We should. That kind of military posturing in a time of peace is Bullsh*t.

Russia responds with the claim that Canada’s concern is a farce as they never entered Canadian air space. Excuse me. Sending a bomber straight for Canada and turning back right before it enters Canadian air space is bullsh*t. That’s no different that Pakistan or North Korea marching troops toward the border in an act of intimidation.

Back in Ireland some referred to Russia as Big Brother. Then again, why would we turn to Big Brother to liberate us from corruption when they are bullies themselves? Sending a bomber or military troops towards a border then recalling them before they cross is quite within any country’s legal right but it certainly isn’t being a good neighbor nor is it building any relationships of trust.

If the Americans sent a B-52 straight for Canada then turns back just before it enters Canada, we’d be equally pissed. If Russia does this all the time they should stop. Period.

It appears they are doing this to England as well: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-480319/Return-Cold-War-Tornados-Russian-bombers.html

The Zionist Movement

I find the anti Zionism obsession somewhat difficult to comprehend. Perhaps it is a language and translation barrier. Zion is the pure in heart. Every culture and every religion seeks some form of enlightenment. In Buddhism it’s Nirvana. For Zen it’s simply called enlightenment.

I once had a friend who said "In God we trust not Allah." Ever pause to think that the term Allah is Arabic for God? The great architect of the universe so to speak. The Koran makes reference to the Lord as does the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

The Jews aren’t the only people that use the term Zion. Zionism is simply a quest among Judaism to create the perfect society where people live in harmony. Kind of like that Chinese painting of heaven and hell. The bottom half of the painting was the artist’s rendition of hell.

Everyone was sitting around a huge dinner table with a big feast before them. The problem was the only way the people could eat the food was with chopsticks longer than their arms. The dilemma was they had all this wonderful food in front of them but they were unable to eat it and were therefor starving and in agony.

The top half of the picture was heaven. The people there were gathered around the same table with the same eating utensils only everyone there was happy and fulfilled. They were feeding each other. That is Zion.

Zion does not mean oppression. Zion does not mean intolerance. Zion means sincerity and service. Pursuing Zion is a noble quest whether you be, Jewish, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist. Nevertheless, the Jewish people have a right to a home just like everyone else. Opposing that is just intolerance.

Calgary’s Hate Pride Parade

This is obscene. Five days after hosting war criminal George Bush: http://www.darrenentwistle.com/bush_visits_telus_world.htm

Calgary endorses and protects a public parade of NeoNazi’s: http://www.vancouversun.com/cars/Protest+turns+violent+Calgary+Aryan+Guard+anti+racism+activists+square/1414730/story.html

Is there no shame? We fought a war against Hitler’s Nazis. Now we are going to let them parade around in public and promote hate? Shame on us!

Obama and Iran

Ya gotta admire Obama’s use of youtube and his attempt to reach out to Iran. Although Iran expressed a few valid concerns, Obama remains to be a breath of fresh air: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090320%2fIran_obama_090320

Iran’s Ayatollah claims that Obama is just a continuation of the Bush administration which I also cited in Jesse Ventura’s allegory of the two party system in America to Coke and Pepsi: http://finiansworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama-to-send-10000-more-troops-to.html

The Ayatollah says Obama supporters talk and chant change but he doesn’t see any. However, during his speak, his supporters were chanting Death to America so it’s hard for the world to see any change on their part. It’s easy to criticize without offering anything positive in return: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090321%2fobama_iran_090321

Nevertheless, Iran’s leader did raise some very valid concerns. In response to Obama’s desire for better relations between the two countries he cites the historical fact that the United States supported Saddam Hussein during Iran’s war with Iraq. Supporting your enemy during a war would be a historical obstacle to over come. Especially when the United States sold Iraq chemical weapons to use on Iran during that war. Kind of like how the US sold Israel White Phosphorous to use on Gaza: http://finiansworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/israels-mistakes-in-gaza.html

Iran also cited the United States downing of an Iranian airliner over the Persian Gulf in 1988. The US shot down an Iranian civilian airliner en route to Dubai while in Iranian territory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655

That is another valid concern. Although the US paid a settlement in an International Court, the US did not admit responsibility or apologize to the Iranian government. Admitting responsibility and apologizing would be another small step forward. However, I do think that it is realistic that the overzealous, shoot everything that moves US military did make a mistake in shooting down the airliner. I don’t think they would have done it on purpose. It would make more sense to shoot down their own or another country’s airliner and blame it on Iran to gain public support for invading Iran.

Invading Iran is the other issue on the table. The US and the CIA were quite active in meddling with Iran’s political history including their support of the Shaw and the establishment of an America friendly government: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejNk7VD0ru0

The US needs to stop meddling in the political aspirations of other countries. Although I do have concerns with an Islamic State just as I have concerns with a Jewish or Christian State, they do have a right to exist. Their passionate resolve to destroy Zionism is a valid concern, which I will address separately. Israel, like Iran has a right to exist.

Iran complained that the US keeps saying Iran supports terrorism and is seeking nuclear capabilities and denies that to be true. If that is false, then Iran has a right to be concerned with those allegations. Especially when those allegations are being used as a pretext for invasion. I’m sure some in Iran support terrorism. Especially when they chant Death to America. Some in Canada support terrorism although they are clearly in the minority. The Ayatollah publicly condemning terrorism is a step forward. Let’s hope that too is real and not just lip service.

If Iran was seeking nuclear capabilities to use against Israel that would be a valid concern. However, after MI6 was caught planting false information in the media about Iraq’s WMD in Operation Mass Appeal, it is hard for us to know who to believe and the US is the last country on earth to criticize another country for becoming nuclear capable. Historically the United States is the only country that has actually used nuclear weapons on another country. Civilians at that.

Although I do see Iran’s list of grievances as having some merit, I do see Obama as a clear step forward. Obama closed Guatemala bay. That was a proactive change he introduced. The bailout was following the Bush Administration’s lead but taxing the AIG executive bonuses was a step forward. Making Blackwater, the US privatized military accountable for war crimes was another clear step forward. Especially when McCain’s irreverent response was simply Bomb Iran.

The concern I have with the Obama administration is their failure to address the historical reality of false flag operations like Operation Northwoods and Operation Gladio. Zealously pursuing Bin Laden without a fair trial is wrong especially when the Bin Laden video did not look like Bin Laden and the list of 9/11 discrepancies is long and real. Before they zealously pursue the Taliban for giving the oil pipeline contract to an Argentina firm instead of an American firm, they need to address the 9/11 inconsistencies and the historical reality of CIA false flag operations. That however, might well be wishful thinking.

New Westminster High School built on Chinese Cemetery

I found this story disheartening. Turns out that a high school in New Westminster is built on a old Chinese Cemetery. Actually the high school sits on several cemeteries: http://www.theprovince.com/Cemeteries+under+high+school/1403962/story.html

"The school, which dates to 1948, is to be replaced. But when the school board began planning to add a middle school to the site and build a new high school, it discovered that part of the site had served as New Westminster’s public cemetery from 1861 to 1907.

Another portion, known as Douglas Cemetery, was used from 1907 to 1920. That meant part of the school property came under protection of the provincial Cemeteries Act. But other sections, used for two Chinese cemeteries, have no such protection."

http://www.theprovince.com/News/cemeteries+haunt+rebuilding+West+high+school/1403390/story.html

This is something I find very hard to comprehend. The high school sits on four cemeteries. Two fall under the protection of the Cemeteries Act but the two Chinese cemeteries for some strange reason do not.

This is the part that I cannot comprehend. If two of the cemeteries fall under the Cemeteries Act, all four do. Ignoring that fact is a violation of the Charter of Rights.

Do you know what tomb sweeping day is? It is a day set aside within the Chinese community to visit the graves of their ancestors to honour the sacrifices they have made and to clean the grave site. This is an honourable tradition. We would do well to embrace it and follow it. Chinese cemeteries are magnificent pieces of architecture.

My bewilderment is left to struggle trying to understand why this injustice exists in our own back yard. The Chinese people have a magnificent culture. They are organized and very hard working. They contribute greatly to our society. In Victoria one can visit the historical origins of China town during this time period. They were very organized and very industrious. A credit to the country.

Historically, the Chinese people have overcome oppression and hardship here. Chinese immigrants were used as slave labour to build the railway and many died. I have a friend in Vancouver who is a descendant of one of these railway workers. He doesn’t speak Cantonese or Mandarin, he speaks a different older dialect. He is a wonderful humble and good hearted man. A credit to the nation.

Racism is hard to comprehend at the best of times and shocking to find in our own country. Historically we had the Head tax and an Anti Asian League form:

http://www.theprovince.com/Chinese+Westminster/1403964/story.html

This would be the Canadian equivalent to the KKK. It is a shocking embarrassment to find in our closet.

Recognizing the injustices of the past, one small act that is within our power to repair is to recognize that all four Cemeteries under the New Westminster High School are protected under the Cemeteries Act. That would be one small step forward: http://www.fullofnews.ca/

Widgeon Creek

We paddled up Widgeon creek today and hiked up to Widgeon Falls. It was magnificent. It was clear to start then rain and then snow. It was awesome. I’m uploading the rest of the photos here: http://moyagreene.com/finian/Widgeon/

No turning back

Well this is refreshing. Protesters turn out in droves protesting a couple of extremists trying to disrupt the peace process in Northern Ireland: http://www.theprovince.com/news/this+madness/1377670/story.html

The peace process is going forward. The Protestants in East Belfast had their protest riots but finally got over it and the devil himself, Ian Paisley, the paid to preach hate for decades had a death bed repentance and agreed to start talking with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA.

So now we have a couple of wackos calling themselves the real IRA, shooting two soldiers and one police officer. In response, the public rallies together against violence. It’s time a handful of extremist’s stop holding entire communities hostage with violence. An eye for an eye meant the people who commit murder are tried not innocent people from their community.

"No turning back" is much better than "Ulster says no" to a united Ireland. Good on ye.

Gun violence

OK we have a psycho who gets a gun and starts shooting people randomly in Germany: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090311%2fschool_shooting_090311

and in Alabama: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090310%2fshooting_spree_090311#msnPlayer_p

While we have this ongoing gang war in metro Vancouver: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2009/03/05/timeline-vancouver-shootings.aspx

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/03/06/8656581-cp.html

At least all the deaths in the Metro Vancouver area are targeted hits. Gang members shooting each other fighting over the drug trade. This shoot people randomly is somewhat bizarre.

Then we get the wacko that stabs a guy sleeping on a Greyhound bus and mutilates the body, decapitating him and eating body parts. The verdict in that trial is another example of how deranged out injustice system is. He’s found criminally unfit to stand trial, gets institutionalized and could get realized pending an evaluation by a psychiatrist.

There’s a big difference between being criminally insane and unfit to stand trial. This guy is criminally insane and a threat to public safety as is our entire judicial system in BC.

Asteroid narrowly misses earth

http://technology.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/News/ContentPosting?newsitemid=asteroid-flyby&feedname=CBC-TECH-SCIENCE-V3&show=False&number=10&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True

This is an interesting story that barely gets a headline. Maybe because it happens all the time. Asteroid narrowly misses earth. How narrow? It came about one fifth the distance between the earth and the moon. That's fairly close and we only hear about it after it's past. I wonder why governments have a problem with public trust.

Ever see the movie Armageddon? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq6q2BrTino It was about a huge asteroid on collision course with the earth and how they had to send a drilling team to plant a nuclear bomb deep within the asteroid to break it up enough to be disintegrated into meteors when it entered the earth’s atmosphere.

Well this asteroid wasn’t that big but it was big enough to do about as much damage as the one that hit Siberia in 1908 that exploded in the atmosphere and created a 10 –15 megaton explosion about 1,0000 times the size of the bomb that hit Hiroshima.

Fear and paranoia are somewhat counterproductive, as the rantings of Chicken Little claiming the sky is falling can be somewhat absurd. Nevertheless, it’s nice to know about these asteroid before they come so close to home.

The 2029 impact is sitting at a 1 in 40 chance. I still think it’s next to impossible to predict impact that far in advance but I never really paid too much attention to the finer details of mathematical trajectories of asteroids: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_update_041227.html

Speaking of astronomy, it’s hard to keep up with all the missions that have been going on. I didn’t even hear about this one that landed on an asteroid; http://near.jhuapl.edu/

This is NASA’s Near Earth Object watch: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/

Iggy of the Underworld

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090304%2fstimulus_fund_090304

" The clash between the Liberals and the Tories over the stimulus fund for Canada's sagging economy is fuelling election speculation." Shut the F*ck up! No more elections before the term is up. All you politicians care about is yourselves. You have a minority government. Live with it. Canadians don’t trust any of the parties with a majority government. A bunch of self serving used car salesmen.