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Quick, sparky political digs, crabs, and short bursts of sometimes thunderous applause.

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Thursday, April 29, 2004

We are Securing Fallujah=We are Leaving Fallujah 



w.Caesar is doing well with the doublespeak.

Yesterday, when asked about Fallujah, he said they were commited to securing the town despite the resistance.

Q Mr. President, is it going to take an all out military offensive to put down the insurgency in Fallujah? And can you really have a successful transfer of power in 60 days if Iraq is wracked by violence?

PRESIDENT BUSH: ... Our commanders on the ground have got the authorities necessary to take action to help the Iraqi people realize a free and peaceful society. And what you must realize is happening in a place like Fallujah is, the closer we come to passing sovereignty, the more likely it is that foreign fighters, disgruntled Baathists or friends of the Shia cleric will try to stop progress. That's what's happening. They want to kill innocent life to try to get us to quit. And we're not going to. And our military commanders will take whatever action is necessary to secure Fallujah on behalf of the Iraqi people.
[the emphasis is mine]

Meanwhile, the US Marines are bugging out of Fallujah itself, leaving a former Saddam general and 1100 Iraqi soldiers to form the Fallujah Protective Army.

I guess it's better to let Iraqis die securing a dangerous town. It's been a tough month already with more US troops/"contractors"/mercenaries killed [126 and counting] in April than during the entire "war" last spring. It's been tough on the Iraqis too, ten times tougher actually [1200 deaths and counting].

As much as this isn't a Vietnam for the USA, it's looking more and more that without an exit strategy, with corporate pillaging, and with no sovereign body in place yet to receive control of the country in two months, w.Caesar is writing off Iraq to entrenched civil war, which oddly may severely cost his corporate buddies hoping for a stable economy to rape.

Perhaps the only arena w.Caesar can control is the oval office, like today with the 9/11 commission in there. Without cameras. Without an official transcript. Without an audience or any public accountability. And most importantly without having to speak under oath.

It's a true testament to the actual state of democracy that people still trust w.Caesar. Stunning.

Finis

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Rogue Teachers 



Emblazened on the cover of The Province newspaper rag on April 23, 2004 was the headline [which could hardly have been larger] "Rogue Teachers Will Be Exposed."

The Province has never in my lifetime presented itself as a bastion of journalistic integrity. Owned by CanWest [along with the Vancouver Sun, the National Post, Global BC TV, Canada.com], The Province enjoys flogging the neo-con agenda of privatizing the commons: public health care, education, assets.

And teachers, aren't they such awful people. Rogue teachers threaten the safety of our province's schoolchildren. The article was a review of disciplinary measures conducted by the BC College of Teachers.

Granted, there are some teachers in BC public schools who have been accused of illegal and immoral activities. Less than two dozen by my count in the last year.

Out of 43,000 teachers in BC, that's a whopping 0.056%.

Even just one teacher who behaves criminally or immorally is not acceptable, but such a low percentage reflects virtually statistically insignificant numbers, making the sensationalism of The Province's gigantic headine unwarranted. But the headline is also a worry because of the word 'rogue'. That word these days in public circles is usually used to refer to states: rogue nations who flaunt global order and peace, nations run by psychopaths or terrorists. We think of Libya, Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan, the USA, nations that don't mind being so far out of the norms of civilized countries that they are to be feared, isolated and eventually attack and pulverized to wipe out their deadly threat.

Rogue teachers, indeed. Let the demonization continue. It sure makes it easier to privatize the public education system when corporate media can paint teachers [about 1/20th of 1% of them, anyway] as moral degenerates. Keep the headlines big. They're scarier that way.

Finis

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Friday, April 23, 2004

The US Navy: Champions of Earth Day 



I wish I were in the United States for Earth Day yesterday so I could celebrate Earth Day with their navy, champions of environmental respect and preservation.

I just can't see an organization that sends its boats around the world powered by nuclear reactors to be hallmarks of environmentalism. They dump their waste into the bucket that is the earth's ecology and champion themselves when they remove eyedropperfulls of their filth: removing 1,700 tons of contaminated soil [who contaminated it in the first place?].

Instead, silly me, I spent the evening at a Utah Phillips show in Vancouver, a man with no shortage of creative criticisms of the assholes who run the United States Empire.

=====

No. 354-04
Apr 21, 2004
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Department of The Navy Celebrates Earth Day 2004

The Department of the Navy will join the nation in celebration of the 34th annual Earth Day on April 22nd. The Department's theme for Earth Day 2004 is "Celebrating Successful Partnerships," recognizing the extensive collaboration that takes place among Navy, Marine Corps, industry, government, academic, and nonprofit organizations to enable the sea services to accomplish the primary mission of national defense while safeguarding the natural environment.

"Earth Day presents an excellent opportunity to highlight the department's continued contributions to ensuring a sustainable environmental future," said Secretary of the Navy Gordon England. "Earth Day 2004 is an occasion for the Navy and Marine Corps to work with partnering organizations to re-emphasize our commitment to the environment in which we work and live, both in the U.S. and overseas."



Finis

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The Conservative Party Loves the Dalai Lama? 



Truly, I love the Conservative Party of Canada. They're sure making full use of the policy immunity that comes from being in the opposition: just criticize and don't worry about how you would do just the same if you were in government.

I agree with Conservative Kenney's motion to grant honourary citizenship to the Dalai Lama [see press release below]. The Dalai Lama's a splendid guy. A bud who saw him and Desmond Tutu last week was truly moved not only by the Dalai Lama, but with the interaction between these two accomplished people.

But why did the motion fail? China was already pissed off that our PM PM would meet with the Dalai Lama. Granting honourary citizenship could hurt trade relations with that blessed huge new market of 1.1 billion. Who cares that they're a capitalist dictatorship. We make money from the Chinese so we can't piss them off quite that much. And our neo-con in liberal clothing, steamship-sweatshop-owning millionaire PM knows this all too well.

But what is truly entertaining is Kenney's feigned shock at seeing his motion defeated. He was "hard-pressed to understand how any MP, in any party could refuse to grant this honour to the Dalai Lama." Yeah. Right. The Conservative Party of Canada, known champion of global human rights [not so much], denouncer of global imperialism [even less so], would bestow this citizenship on the Dalai Lama if they were in goverment?

I wouldn't bet on it. As much as the Liberals, they would fear losing access to 1.1 billion Chinese we are training to be hyper-consumers.

Ah, the luxury of being the opposition.

=====

Jason Kenney, MP
Official Opposition Critic for Canada-US Relations

News Release

For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 22, 2004

Liberal Government Refuses to Honour Dalai Lama

Kenney Moves Honorary Citizenship for "Tibetan Freedom Fighter"

Ottawa - Liberal MPs in the House of Commons rejected a motion Thursday morning to give honorary Canadian citizenship to His Holiness the Dalai Lama moved by Conservative MP Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, AB).

"It's a shame," said Kenney. "The Dalai Lama has led a courageous, decades-long, non-violent struggle for freedom of conscience, human rights and self-determination in Tibet. This is an honour Parliament reserves for a few select people and, I believe, the Dalai Lama should be one of them. I am hard-pressed to understand how any MP, in any party could refuse to grant this honour to the Dalai Lama."

Kenney's motion enjoyed support from all parties. His co-sponsors included the Hon. David Kilgour, MP (Liberal, Edmonton-Southeast, AB), Francine Lalonde, MP (BQ, Mercier, QC) and Alexa McDonough, MP (NDP, Halifax, NS).

"The Dalai Lama is not just a Buddhist spiritual leader. He is a freedom fighter. His fight for the Tibetan people is a heroic example that inspires millions. The Liberal government blocked this motion and they need to explain to Canadians why the Dalai Lama is not worthy of this honour."

"This is sad evidence that the Liberals are more concerned with kowtowing to the Communist dictators in Beijing than supporting one of the world's great human rights heroes. This is the moral debasement of the Liberal Party of Canada," said Kenney.

The text of Mr. Kenney's motion was as follows:

"That this House, recognizing his great efforts to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the Tibetan people using peaceful methods, agree that His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, be declared an honorary citizen of Canada."

- 30 -

For more information contact:

Jason Kenney, MP

613.992.2235


Finis

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