Excited Delirium

Stories about Excited Delirium, the Shock Economy and a little fiction here and there.

Category Archives: Steve

London Should Have More 50% Off Days

So, we’ve had more than a month to ruminate on the situation in London, Ontario where international machinery company Caterpillar battles it out against a few hundred unionized labourers at Electro-Motive Diesel.

Unfortunately, there’s not much that’s going to happen because all of our leadership is on the side of selling out to the international ‘who’s who’ of screw local workers and these people will have to accept half of what they used to just to put food on the table.

With this in mind, I have a suggestion:  50% days, starting in London, taken nationally.

We create a bunch of pins, bumper stickers, shirts, etc that declare that we – citizens of this community – are fine with accepting 50% off our wages and salaries, but we’ll also demand 50% off other costs of living, including some of the following:

  • Gas
  • Food
  • Mortgage rates
  • Housing prices
  • Property taxes
  • Books
  • Clothes
  • Cars
  • Donations to charities and political parties
  • etc

And … to top it all off, the City of London should embark on a ’50% off profits’ campaign, where any company not based in London will also face a 100% increase in property taxes to reflect the reductions demanded by its citizens.

It’s the only way folks:  since the Kevin O’Leary MBA-types out there are telling us it has to be this way and we have to take it or leave it, we need to fulfill the second part of the equation.

If Davos Isn’t About Capitalism, What’s Stephen Harper All About?

C’mon people:  even organizers of the planning sessions in Davos agree that ‘capitalism, in its current form, no longer fits the world around us,’ and yet Stephen Harper stands on a stage and declares war against the evil pensioners.

I’m sorry, but this is shameful.  He can’t stand on Canadian soil and make such a declaration and he’s still pretending that he’s done something special with the Canadian economy.

What’s his track record?

  • Record deficits
  • Structural financial issues
  • Massive handouts to non-Canadian companies
  • Elaborate and expensive advertising campaigns, resulting in billions in taxpayer funds going to Canada’s media monopolies
  • Expensive defense programs that have no lid on them
  • Brutal attacks on democratic institutions in Canada

And now … the war on pensioners.

If you’re a Conservative, can you really be proud of this?  Do you enjoy the idea of pulling the plug on your parents?

Good luck Boomers.  Enjoy your Alpo after all the contributions you’ve made to Canada.

I hope you think twice before you choose Conservatives and pocket-book politics if we ever get a chance to go to the polls again.

Canadian Press Sucks Up to Harper as ’2011 Story of Year’

Canadian Press has issued a blatant round of sucking up by declaring that Stephen Harper and his majority win in the federal election in May 2011 was ‘the story of the year’ (sadly reported by the CBC).

Yes, it was an important story as a record number of Canadians declined to exercise their most important right – the right to vote – and allowed the Harper cons to take over Canadian politics in an absolute way.

However, what was more important to Canadian Press – a ‘news’ agency that is privately owned by three of Canada’s largest media companies (Bell, TorStar and Square Victoria Corporation (SVC)) – is that the Harper regime spent hundreds of millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars on propoghanda campaigns including the ‘Action Plan’, Department of Defense recruiting and other federal advertising.

Of course, 2011 got even better for them because Harper cajoled the opposition parties into an election and turned around and blamed them for being power hungry.  Really?  No irony in that statement?

The resulting election was another pile of cash thrown at all of the major media companies by ALL of the major political parties (including the NDP).

Net impact for Bell, TorStar and SVC:  mega profits at the expense of Canadians.

No wonder they were quick to trip over themselves to declare that 2011 was the Year of Harper.  In fact, I’d suggest it’s all part of the plan.

When is our fricking independent media going to get organized and call BS on this kind of crap?

Montreal’s Bridge to Nowhere

The Conservatives announced a mega-plan to connect Montreal to the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

What a wonderful gesture.

Ooops.  The Conservatives are involved.

“This project will be funded if it’s a P3 project,” they all declare, thumping their chests with great pride with the way in which they’re helping their local construction buddies make billions on the project.

Ooops.   They may have forgotten one simple thing:  a bridge is just a wee tad different than a road.

I can bypass a road any time I want when additional costs or user-fees are involved.  I can take a different route, I can bike through the woods, or I can hike along a new trail that doesn’t include private ownership of commuting channels.

But a bridge.  Can I drop a boat in the water to bypass the bridge?  Can I swim across?  Maybe I’ll haul out my handglider and drift across the mighty St. Lawrence every morning on my way to work.

In other words, forcing the good people of Montreal to be subject to a road toll or private toll booth amounts to forced extortion endorsed by the very government that is trying to help them.

Don’t let the Cons tell you this project has to be a ‘P3′ project and that it has to have tolls unless they figure out productive ways for public transit and HOV users to bypass these costs.

Harper’s Message vs Change and Hope

I know.  It’s been nearly 2 months since the Canadian election and 40% of those who voted showed their contempt for Canada by electing a pack of crooks.

I tried very hard to bury these painful thoughts about why so many people would fall for the garbage that Harper spun and I think I’ve finally figured out part of it.

Harper’s message was the complete opposite of Obama’s ‘Change’ and ‘Hope’ themes that got him elected in 2008.

And why would this get him elected?  OK … so I haven’t quite figure that out yet, but let’s remind ourselves that the central messages were ‘Stability’ and ‘Security’.

What the F*@& do those mean?

Are they threats?

Are they promises?

What I do know is that, despite my massive misgivings for Barack Obama, they are the complete opposite of ‘Hope’ and ‘Change’.

What kind of vision does ‘Stability’ offer the people of Canada?

What kind of opportunity does ‘Security’ generate for Canadians?

I wish we had inspected these promises a little more thoroughly in the run-up to the election.

I wish we had all taken a moment to demand something more visceral from our leaders last May.

I wish we hadn’t all thought of ourselves with the smallness of selfishness that comes with the fear and paranoia that are central to these themes.

If we all had, maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today with Herr Harper in control.

MayDay 2011: The Last 24 Hours

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.

MayDay 2011: Alternatives for Conservatives (repost)

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:

  • Poor fiscal management
  • Broken promises
  • Corruption and contempt for Parliament
  • Ignoring your beliefs and value system

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:

  • Let the market do what the market does best
  • No deficit
  • Lower taxes on personal income
  • Proportional representation
  • Taxes on waste

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:

  • Conservatives
  • Reform Party of Canada
  • Alliance Party

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.

MayDay 2011: The Conservative Coalition (repost)

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:

  • Progressive Conservatives dominate the scene from Confederation to the end of the Mulroney years
  • Albertans get all snippy about how we Canadians treat ‘their’ oil and form the Reform Party of Canada, a thinly veiled gang of libertarians, Gordon Gecko fanatics and Ayn Rand junkies
  • Other conservative folks decide that there isn’t enough religion in the halls of Canadian government and form the Alliance Party, a thinly-veiled ‘whites only’ group
  • These three parties split the small-c conservative vote and keep the Liberals in power from 1993 (the year Kim Campbell was defeated) to 2006, when Stephen Harper used a coalition to defeat Paul Martin
  • The tables are turned in 2003:  Stephen Harper eventually crams all three parties into one box, forms a coalition of conservative and right-leaning parties and declares that ‘progressive’ isn’t fashionable anymore
  • Voila:  The Conservative Party of Canada is born!

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?

MayDay 2011: Reposts

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.

MayDay 2011: PMO Encouraging Tax Avoidance?

We all know that Stephen Harper is a libertarian in Conservative clothing, stating on many occasions that the only good tax is no tax, but I had no idea he would encourage what might look like tax avoidance.

OK … that might be a stretch, but an odd case that came up last week that needs to be repeated.  Apparently, the cleaning company that is hired by the federal government to take care of the Prime Minister’s office and other federal buildings was encouraging cash payments to its employees in order to dodge minimum wage requirements.

Admittedly, this is just a tiny story, but it gives a hint to the character of the PMO when they outsource simple tasks like cleaning.