The latest American air strike blunder in Afghanistan could mark a major shift in US military operations in south Asia. The bombing, against a home the military believed was housing a Taliban militant, wound up killing 18-civilians, mainly women, children and elderly Afghans. Western commanders had agreed to no airstrikes
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The Disaffected Lib: Cooking the Carbon Books
Maybe it’s time to put a cork in China’s hydrocarbon pipelines. A study published in Nature reveals that irregularities in China’s energy consumption data suggest total carbon emissions from the People’s Republic could be as much as 20% greater than stated. That would be the equivalent of the CO2 emissions of Japan,
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Now Do You Get It, Alberta?
A measly 3,000 barrels. Conventional crude oil at that. Yet such a minuscule oil spill has central Albertans in a fury. It turns out they don’t like their water contaminated. That seems to offend them. Hmm. Are these the same Albertans who don’t mind imperilling British Columbia’s pristine coastal waters
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Venus Movies
From NASA, here’s a montage of the planet Venus transiting the Sun earlier this week.\ The surface of the sun is recorded in a variety of wavelengths from visible light to ultra-violet and extreme ultra-violet. And, by the way, this is where you go when you die if you vote
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Calling the Prince of Darkness, Calling Beelzebub
The Insurance Bureau of Canada has an unwelcome message for Steve Harper – global warming is real and it’s going to cost Canada big time. Telling the Weather Story, a report released this week by the Bureau, predicts climate change will drive a 50% or greater increase in wild fires in British
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Steve Harper’s Taxpayer-Funded Enemies List
Last evening I wrote of a state security operation on behalf of the Tar Sanders that has been launched by Stephen Harper. It is a supposed counter-terrorism organization staffed by the RCMP, CSIS, the Calgary and Edmonton cops and the border patrol agency to “defend” the tar sands operations, the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Are You A Terrorist? To Harper, the RCMP and CSIS, You Might Well Be.
You might be to Stephen Harper’s twisted mind, at least if you’re opposed to the Athabasca Tar Sands and the associated pipelines and supertanker traffic that threaten northern and coastal British Columbia not to mention the City of Vancouver. Just what is terrorism? According to Wiki, “The United States Department
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Has Vlad Putin Ever Been to Quebec?
Russian president Jean Vladimir Charest Putin has human rights activists up in arms over a new law cracking down on peaceful protest. This week, the Russian parliament approved a controversial bill which will significantly restrict the right to demonstrate. Under the new law, individuals who take part in unauthorized protests could
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Just How Close Are We to the Edge?
A paper came out in the journal Nature yesterday that contends we have reached the point of imminent environmental collapse. Those of us who don’t have a couple of hundred bucks to blow on a Nature subscription can still find plenty of reviews of the paper. Let’s start with this
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: How Do You Compete Against a Computer Game?
That’s the dilemma faced by South Korea’s Defence Aquisition Program Administration (DAPA). DAPA is trying to hold a competition for new jet fighters for South Korea’s air force. There are three competitors on the short list, two of which have actually shown up, ready for hands-on evaluation – the F-15SE and
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Climate Change Noah’s Ark
Consider it something like a bomb shelter for species endangered by global warming. The Nature Conservancy is cataloguing regions best suited to accommodate plant and animal species that might otherwise be rendered extinct by climate change. The report, Resilient Sites for Terrestrial Conservation, (linked here) identifies large tracts of the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Disaffected Lib 2012-06-07 11:58:00
An article from Reuters asks “Can Occupy Wall Street Survive?” “More than eight months after Occupy Wall Street burst onto the global stage, decrying income inequality and coining the phrase “We are the 99 percent,” the movement’s survival and continued relevance is far from assured. Donations to the flagship New
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Jewel in the Crown – India
India has nothing but friends these days, that is if you leave out Pakistan. Russia’s her friend, has been for generations. China wants to be India’s BFF. And America is also courting India’s affections. US Def-SEc Panetta was in New Delhi, laden with roses and chocolates, to proclaim India the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Defence of the Realm
DefMin Pete MacKay is gung-ho for Canada to join America’s “pivot” to the Far East, a.k.a. the contaiment of China mission or, as I like to call it, Cold War II. Part of that requires the foreign basing rights MacKay is seeking to negotiate with Singapore and, of course, a
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: F-35, A Modest Proposal
Here’s a great way to handle Canada’s F-35 dilemma. Let’s wait until the aircraft’s operational testing and evaluation is completed, see what it is that’s actually on offer, and then decide whether it’s the best bang for Canada’s buck? That sounds kind of sensible, doesn’t it? But, you see, there’s
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Could Harper Force the Evacutation of Vancouver?
Tanker Navigating the Second NarrowsNo Margin for Error Harper’s fetish to deliver petro-sludge to China via British Columbia ports includes Vancouver as well as Kitimat. If Kinder Morgan gets its way, Vancouver could play supertanker roulette just about once a day. That probably sounds a bit alarmist to anyone unfamiliar
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: George Soros Dissects the Failure of Modern Economic Theory
Billionaire investor and activist George Soros has some interesting views on why the sort of economics that brought us where we are today no longer serves mankind.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Does the West’s Swing Right Portend Trouble Ahead?
The West has undergone a powerful rightward shift over the past two decades. Leftist parties have turned centrist. Centrist parties have become conservative. Conservative parties have left the traditional bounds of conservatism to embrace a radical, corporatist authoritarianism. What good can come of this? It’s safe to say that Ronald
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Jesus’ Numbers Are Holding
A Gallup poll has found that 46% of Americans believe that the world was created by their god less than 10,000 years ago. That’s 1 point above the statistical average for the past thirty years. Factor in those who believe their god has guided evolution, 32%, and god emerges as
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Is There Someone, Anyone, In Opposition Who Will Call Out Harper?
Whether it’s the demise of the Liberals or inexperience of the NDP, Harper is getting too much of a free ride from the Opposition. Canada is about to wrap up our first failed foreign war. We went to war in support of our ally (and senior partner), got caught up
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