The essence of the article addresses America’s expansion around the world and extension of hegemonic corporate powers universally.
It explores the deceit that’s being used to fool us into believing that a revolution is happening worldwide, while it also exposes the abyssmal coverage of the #occupy movement that occurred in North America and elsewhere.
Go ahead. Click through, print off and grab a coffee and enjoy some truth for the holidays!
This is great!
When will Torontonians and all Canadians realize that they’re all going to be victims of Conservative lies?
London, Ontario has done what no other city could do: be the first city in Canada to boot Occupiers from public property.
What a shame.
The question that will be on everyone’s minds: what’s next?
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure about the claim to occupy in this small south-western Ontario town, but the reality is this: those that run the city keep pushing ahead with boondoggles that are going to (a) break the election promises of Joe Fontana and (b) keep wasting taxpayer dollars.
So, in answer to my own question, ‘what’s next’: we have to continue to send the message that this kind of waste and crony capitalism is unacceptable.
I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
There’s still so much that I would love to expose about the lies Stephen Harper has been telling over the last 6 weeks (and decade or so as well), but I won’t. There are so many projections, ideas, concepts and so on that I’d love to explore, but I’ve run out of time … and energy.
As the last 24 hours tick down, I’d like to thank all of the readers that have put up with my rants and who have contributed to the blog over the course of the election (and prior to this as well as those who might even continue to hang on).
I also want to beg everyone that has the slightest desire to push Canada into a sustainable future to VOTE. Progressives outweigh conservatives in this country by a margin of at least 2 to 1, and it’s critical that you vote, vote strategically and vote early on because it’s going to be crowded!
Finally, I’d like to apologize to Stephen Harper for many direct and personal attacks and for insinuations that the Conservative Party of Canada is not a viable option in this election. But hey … as long as you remain the lying politician that you are and members of your cabinet and other MPs remain suspect in their dealings with Canadian funds and the trust of voters, I’ll keep it up and completely retract anything I’ve said if I’m proven wrong.
Until then, I’ll remind all readers why we’re having this election: YOU CAN’T BE TRUSTED.
In time, I’ll recover from this election and return to writing fiction and discussing my preferences, which are trashing mainstream media and crapping on poor economic policies that we take.
My expectation is that after tomorrow night, the latter will take a backseat because WE WILL WIN.
We will win this election.
We will win Canada back.
We will win the democracy and leadership that we expect from our politicians.
We will win back what we as citizens, taxpayers, children, grandparents, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts and all other relations deserve to win.
We will win our future.
We will win our internationally credibility.
We will win a clean and safe environment.
WE WILL WIN.
P.S. My prediction for the election outcome is that we will elect an NDP minority government that’s a coalition with the Liberal Party. My guess is that we’ll have about 110 NDP seats with 40 Liberal seats. The Conservatives will be left with about 120 seats, most of which will come from Ontario and Alberta. 30 or so seats will be up for grabs. The Bloc will be devastated, but might squeak out 15-20 seats.
As the fallout from the election sinks in, Gilles Duceppe, Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff will announce their retirement from their parties.
Elizabeth May will retire if she doesn’t win, but I am confident that the good people in Saanich-Gulf Islands will make the right decision for all of Canada and elect someone that will push for Proportional Representation and democratic reform in Canada.
For most of us, there should be no doubt that the Conservative Party of Canada is broken and represents everything that’s wrong in the world:
Take heart if you’re a small-c conservative and you’re looking for someone that’s not a crook or someone that’s willing to spin any lie just to grab your vote! There are many alternatives out there.
Seriously. Here are just a few:
The Green Party (Site)
I fully admit that this (and all summaries below) is a very superficial summary, but the Green Party represents some of the following basic principles:
In essence, they feel to me like a libertarian party, but with a shade of green.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
Don’t believe the mainstream media: the Green Party of Canada is not a ‘lefty’ party ‘full of hippies’. The Canadian Greens put the market in front of most of their policies and most of their platform has a vibe of ‘white collar’ politics. While they’re very popular with young voters, most seniors tend to vote Green because they want to stay ‘mainstream’ while also staying faithful to small-c conservative values.
Libertarian Party (Site)
The Libertarians are strong believers that the government should not be in our lives in any way, shape or form. The less government, the better.
The resulting promise of less government is lower taxes, reduced waste and less frustration for those who simply want to get on with their lives.
If you’re not familiar with the Libertarians, a very famous one is Ron Paul in the US. Ron Paul is a Republican from Texas, but doesn’t believe in the largesse of government that has been brought about by all parties, including those of a conservative bent.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
Libertarians attract those that have had enough with promises, regardless of how much (or little) they will cost.
To see if you’re a Libertarian, try their Canadian quiz. You may be surprised just how closely you’re aligned with their beliefs!
Canadian Action Party (Site)
One of the central planks of the Canadian Action Party is their demand that we get rid of the Bank of Canada.
While most of their other policies rank towards the left of the spectrum, this one puts them squarely in the middle of Libertarian territory, as Ron Paul has been an advocate of abolition of the Federal Reserve and deficit financing for many years.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
To be honest, I’m not so sure there’s a good answer to this question, but if there’s not a Libertarian or Green candidate in your riding, these may prove to be a good alternative.
Another reason why you would consider them: like the old Reform folks, they’re very supportive of an Elected Senate. Unlike the NDP – which would do away with the Senate altogether – the Canadian Action Party would fill the gap left when the Reform Party was vapourized in 2003.
Christian Heritage Party of Canada (Site)
I’ll go on record and remind everyone that I’m not a fan of the Christian Heritage Party (CHP), but I am a fan of democracy and it’s certainly their right to be out there soliciting votes.
The CHP is the only party to my knowledge that asserts its religious affiliation (Judeo-Christian) in the general public and is a viable option for all of those people that have been supporting the Conservative Party of Canada but who have yet to see progress made on issues like abortion, same-sex marriages and so on.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
If you used to be an Alliance member or simply want to see more overt religion in the policy-making that happens in this country, this is the party for you.
Since the ‘Unite the Right’ campaign washed all of these stronger theological discussions under the table, you’ve been struggling to find a voice with mainstream parties and you’re more than happy to support those that ACTUALLY reflect your value systems and who don’t pretend to reflect them just to grab a vote.
Pirate Party of Canada (Site)
The Pirate Party of Canada got its start when our government began to crack down on people that were using file-sharing and copyrighted materials for personal use.
They reflect the popular Pirate Party in Europe that actually won a number of seats in
There aren’t many candidates in this election, but the party is growing and we expect them to add candidates as the campaign progresses towards May 2.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
While the PPC may be seen as a single-issue party, they have a Libertarian bent that’s very refreshing, particularly if you’re young and you believe in openness, transparency and the elimination of copyright regulations that favour big companies and cost consumers billions each year.
Progressive Canadian Party (once the Progressive Conservatives) (Site)
The Progressive Canadian Party (PCP) is what remains from the aftermath of the Unite the Right campaign in 2003 that saw Stephen Harper consolidate and take control of the following parties:
Or … CRAP as an acronym. Sorry … my anti-Conservative bias is showing 
Why would a conservative vote for them?
Any ‘Red Tory’ would be proud to vote for the Progressive Canadian Party, as they continue to reflect the softer side that the Conservatives lost when Stephen Harper took the reins of the CPC.
Most of the memes related to ‘family’ and religion are absent from the guiding principles of the party. Instead they focus on unique concepts like sustainability, ’100 mile diets’, education, health care with some injection of private business and so on.
United Party of Canada (Site)
The United Party of Canada (UPC) is another recent response to the last election where dark-blue Conservatives ran rough over basic principles related to balance, equity and fairness.
Most of their policies reflect this response, including the following directions:
Why would a conservative vote for them?
The party is described as being centrist and would appeal to those ‘Red Tories’ that don’t have a Progressive Canadian candidate running in their riding.
Western Block Party (Site)
The Western Block Party offers those west of Ontario to consolidate their vote and influence into something more tangible, much like the Bloc Quebecois has in the past with Quebec.
The greatest challenge with the WBP is that the founder was the lawyer that represented Ernst Zundel, famous Holocaust denier. Unfortunately, this taints the party somewhat, but if they are able to focus on the primacy of the West, they’ll be able to attract votes from Albertans, Manitobans, BCers and those from Saskatchewan.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
Despite the potential to be seen as a separatist or racist party, conservatives in the West that feel ‘left out’ by their party (including the Conservative Party of Canada) and who don’t believe that Quebec should be pulling all of the strings when it comes to politics will find a home here.
Online Party of Canada (Site)
While the Online Party of Canada is relatively new, there’s a possibility that they may gain momentum – even in this election – because of some of their unique policy platform ideas.
Why would a conservative vote for them?
Even though they’re a relatively ‘fresh’ party, they have potential to attract a lot of conservatives that want Canada to advance as a republic as opposed to a commonwealth country.
CONCLUSION
If you’re a small-c conservative, don’t feel overwhelmed, ignored or lost when it comes to going to the polls on May 2.
THERE ARE OPTIONS and it’s up to you to exercise your right to vote those options.
Of course, if I’ve missed any alternatives, please post them in comments below.
Hey Folks,
I’m going on record saying that I’m going to vote for ABC: Anything But Conservative.
I will not split votes. I will not vote for the person that I might honestly want to see in Parliament.
I will vote for the person that will most likely defeat a Conservative.
I know … massive failure on the democratic front.
However, I will sleep better knowing that ABC will be running Canada after the May election.
Please try to consider the same.
I know a lot of you out there are passionate about the party you support (be it Liberal, NDP or Green or other), but if you’ve got a strong candidate in any riding that might struggle against apathy, backlash, partisan politics or absenteeism, please please please put that aside and vote for the person who will most likely defeat a Conservative.
You can still support the party that you love by making donations of your money, your time or even space on your blog, but when it comes to the election, we NEED this to be a grand slam. Stephen Harper has made history by leading the most corrupt government in this country’s existence. For that, we need to make Stephen Harper history.
AND if you’re a Conservative (although it’s highly unlikely that a Conservative will be reading this blog), please ask yourself these questions (or circulate these questions to your Conservative friends):
If you’re not sure who to vote for, here are some resources that might help:
Updated Polls:
http://cdnelectionwatch.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html
CBC Voting Results (2008 and 2006 with candidate profiles
Pundits’ Guide: http://www.punditsguide.ca/
Open Parliament: http://openparliament.ca/
Poll Report: http://www.pollingreport.ca/
Riding by Riding: http://www.ridingbyriding.ca/
Election Prediction: http://www.electionprediction.org/
Anything But Conservative:
Harpernomics: http://harpernomics.ca/
Vote For Climate: http://www.voteforclimate.ca/en/
Anyone But Harper Widget: http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/anyone-but-harper
Facebook Anything But Conservative: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26006053677
Vote Swapping Links (generally, I don’t see this as a solution, but I’ll leave that to your discretion):
Vote Pair: http://www.votepair.ca/
Facebook Anti-Harper Vote Swap: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=86282125130
Facebook Vote Smart: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26198689106
General Non-Partisan Resources
Fair Vote Canada: http://www.fairvote.ca/
Lead Now: http://www.leadnow.ca/
MPs who changed their loyalties: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/lists/CrossedTheFloor.aspx?Language=E&Menu=HOC-Politic&Section=03d93c58-f843-49b3-9653-84275c23f3fb
NOTE: I will repost this blog on various occasions through the election with updated resources. Please post links and suggestions below to ensure that the list is as complete and comprehensive as possible.
Stephen Harper has dropped the word ‘coalition’ of late, possibly because he and his handlers have decided to focus on backpeddling following scathing reviews from Canada’s Auditor General insinuating that they broke the law with spending for the G8/G20 summit.
However, Canadians shouldn’t let him drop the word ‘coalition’ because he lives and breathes by it.
His power depends on a coalition.
At the outset of the campaign, Stephen Harper had us believe that the word ‘coalition’ – especially when the opposition is concerned – may as well be the spawn of the Devil or something … gasp … worse: a Canada without him at the helm.
Of course, this is OK because every time Stephen Harper speaks about the evils of coalitions, he is painting himself into a corner and he won’t be able to get himself out … or blame a low-level staffer for his mistakes.
This is because he represents and leads one of Canada’s most successful coalitions: the CRAP coalition.
I know this term is used as a derogatory remark about the existing Conservative party and platform, but let’s take a brief look at the history of what is now the Conservative Party of Canada:
As you can see, ‘coalition’ is the life-blood of the Conservative Party of Canada, but a more important word might be ‘suppression‘.
It’s inevitable that folks from all walks of life – be they Libertarians, Pro-Life, religious fanatics, anti-gay, anti-feminist – will be busting to have a voice in a room where they cannot speak or have an opinion, lest they fragment the voting public that puts Stephen Harper in power.
They’ll also get more and more irritated as ‘socialists’ like Jack Layton get a seat at Stephen Harper’s table while they’re left out in the cold because Jack (and/or Ignatieff) represent Stephen Harper’s SECOND ongoing coalition: the vacillating support from either the Liberals, NDP or even the Bloc that keeps this very sick patient alive and provides new blood when the Conservative minority is about to go into cardiac arrest because of its own largesse.
I pity the people who are in these and other groups that want to be heard, but who will never be listened to as long as the Conservative Party of Canada has Stephen Harper at the helm swearing that ‘coalitions’ in Canada are an unacceptable form of government.
The real truth to the situation is that a coalition of progressives and centre/left would represent more than 2 out of 3 votes in Canada. This would push Stephen Harper and his corrupt crew into oblivion.
Today, the left and centre parties will not talk of a coalition, but can we at least try to convince them to create a plan to push the Conservative Party of Canada out of power and avoid damaging their own prospects in the process?
Is that too much to ask? Maybe Jack Layton and Elizabeth May can take the lead on this since Michael Ignatieff has ruled it out?
We all agree that Stephen Harper and the Conservaclones are just copies of the more staunch and obvious Republicans in the United States, so this story should be considered fair warning for Canadians that are concerned about prison plans in this country.
First, we still don’t know what they will cost.
Second, we don’t know why they’re needed since crime is going down.
Finally, the prospect of using taxpayer funds to eventually privatize prisons is simply a disgusting waste of money.
We all know that this might happen, however. The Ontario Conservatives used public funds to build a toll-road across the GTA and eventually sold it for a song to a private consortium, effectively relinquishing taxation powers to a private group.
This is a classic case of how conservatives (the CPC in Canada or Republicans in the US) create government waste and deficit and ultimately cry poor based on unreasonable expectations set by corporate-controlled organizations like the IMF and World Bank. They then liquidate public assets at fire-sale prices in order to ‘balance the books’, literally giving these assets away to private companies.
Don’t let it happen in Canada. Vote on May 2, 2011.
As the clock winds down, I’ll be re-posting a few of the more popular articles that I’ve written over the last few weeks. Site traffic, links and comments will be the main gauge, but I may also add in a few that I feel are important reminders of why this election is so important.
It’s been fun!
I thank all of those who read what I’ve dribbled on about and hope that I’ve helped ‘the greater good’ in understanding what’s at stake for Canadians on May 2, 2011.
I’ll also repeat this message with this and every post over the next 72 hours or so: VOTE. TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO VOTE.
We need it.
The Globe and Mail is just one cog in a massive media engine known as BCE Inc.
A few days back, the Globe did the predictable and recommended that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are the ones to be trusted and voted for on May 2.
Unfortunately, it seems the Globe has not done ANY homework on the man and his party.
Does the Globe not realize that the Auditor General has effectively accused the Conservatives of stealing from Canadians?
Does the Globe not realize that Canadians have had enough of criminals running their Parliament, pretending that they represent a majority of this country’s voters?
Does the Globe not realize that hundreds of millions have been spent on media by the Conservatives on the Economic (Distr)Action Plan, profiting all of their journalists, writers, sales people and other staff as a result, tainting their opinion and effectively making it moot?
Does the Globe not realize that there are at least a dozen SERIOUS investigations pending into the wrongdoings of the 40th Parliament?
Does the Globe not realize that Stephen Harper is lying to Canadians when he blames the opposition parties for dissolution of government, when in fact it was the Speaker of the House that declared that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives were in contempt of Parliament for not coming clean with expenses and costs for their programs?
Does the Globe not realize that the Conservatives are the poorest managers of money that we’ve had in this country since the previous winners of such a dubious achievement, the Mulroney government?
Does the Globe not realize that the Harper government has out-spent the Mulroney government?
Does the Globe not realize that Canada is an international embarrassment and that Canadians are ashamed of their government and our rapidly declining status as a respectable nation?
Does the Globe not realize that its time has come as well?
Too much is riding on this election for this complete show of ignorance.
If you subscribe to the Globe, cancel your subscription.