Face it. There’s not much hope that we’re really going to achieve anything significant from our air war in Iraq, regardless of whether we get stuck into Syria also. All ISIS needs to survive is a nation in chaos. They weren’t in on the ground floor in Syria. ISIS moved
Continue readingTag: Harper
The Disaffected Lib: Because You Really Can’t Tell the Players Without a Programme
The Duffy trial is just about a week away. It seems like forever since the scandal broke plunging Harper’s PMO and the Senate into a fearful rout. To get you back up to speed on the scandal and all the players, National Post has published a dandy primer on the Who’s
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Running on Empty – Harper Defence Budget Stretching Military to Breaking Point
It’s the usual story. The federal government talks a good game but it’s just empty talk. A glaring example is Canada’s military. Harper came to power promising to build up the Canadian Forces into a war waging, ass kicking powerhouse. Rick “The Beached Cod” Hillier praised Harper to the rafters
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The "Piss Away" Province
The key to understanding the dilemma is to realize that Tar Sand, bitumen, is just a part of Alberta’s oil history. The province has also produced a vast amount of conventional crude oil. It’s actually produced and exported a good deal more conventional crude oil than Norway. That brings us
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Three Eras of Canada’s Democracy or How We Got to Where We Are Today.
I first voted in the 60s and I’ve watched Canadian democracy evolve, not always in a good way, ever since. I’ve witnessed three political eras in my lifetime. There was an era of rights and freedoms, the years of Diefenbaker, Pearson and Trudeau. Some might not realize it but Diefenbaker
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Finally, a Mulroney We Can Believe In.
David Mulroney served as a deputy minister in charge of Canada’s Afghanistan task force. It seems he learned a thing or two from the experience, enough to know that we’re at risk of repeating the same mistakes in our rush to war in Iraq. “When I recently saw Foreign Minister
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Yeah, But in Harper’s Eyes, They’re the Canadians That Matter.
Another zinger from the parliamentary budget officer. The PBO is confirming what other critics have been saying for a long time – Harper’s income splitting initiative will benefit just one in six families and they’re already the well off. “The FTC [family tax credit] benefits about two million households, or
Continue readingTrashy's World: The NRA folks must be smilin’…
… as Harper seems to be moving toward an American style position on gun ownership rights. Now, not only are Canadians being told that there are terrorists around every corner, but armed criminals are just waiting for us at our country homes and cottages. Scary country, Harper’s Canada! Harper’s comments
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Filipinos Trash Stephen Harper
I couldn’t have said it better myself.“Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government is an embarrassment to the civic-minded and environmentally conscious Canadians.” That’s the assessment of Filipino priest and environmentalist, Father Robert Reyes, speaking on behalf of environmental and public health activists protesting 50-cargo containers full of hazardous waste that have
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: The Niqab Hijab etc.. real issue.
By now, you know that a Federal Court has ruled against the Government of Canada that wanted veils/face coverings removed for the “ceremonial” part of the citizenship ceremony to become a Canadian citizen. (more specifically, niqabs, and apparently hijabs). You also know that Prime Minister Harper has decided to go
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Gamble – High Stakes for Harper, Trudeau and Mulcair
The collapse of world oil prices is reverberating through Canada’s petro-provinces; Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador; and the fallout should yet might not be a major issue when Canadians go to the polls for a dominant fragment of eligible voters to decide who will govern our flagging petro-state, Canada. Watch
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Closer Look at Oil and Climate Change.
Stephen Harper will not be pleased. The Carnegie Endowment is fingering his cherished Tar Sands. Not all oil is created equal. Sweet crude, of the Saudi sort, comes out of the ground almost ready to use. It’s pumped out of the ground easily, free of most contaminants (sulphur, water, sand,
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Yeah, But He’s Still a Member In Good Standing in Harper’s Caucus
Oh, what’s another racist more or less when it’s today’s Conservative caucus? New Brunswick Tory MP John Williams knows a thing or two about messaging. He should given that he previously worked as Steve Harper’s communications director. MP Williams, in a blatant burst of racism took a swipe at brown
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Duffy’s Sting
It’s a tale with two scripts. One is the story presented by Stephen Harper, his PMO, the RCMP and others. The other is the account presented by disgraced senator Mike Duffy. At least one side isn’t telling the truth. Who to believe? We’ll have to wait until all the evidence
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Aviation Week Pays Homage to the Avro Arrow
Few people today know much about Canada’s legendary foray into aviation high tech – the Avro Arrow that rolled out of the Avro Canada Malton plant in October, 1957. Aviation Week’s Bill Sweetman revisits that bittersweet moment in Canadian aviation that ended when the Arrow was put to the cutting torch
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: What’s Going On with the Senate?
It seems there are a good many senators anxious about the already overdue audit reports into their expenses. Complicating matters is the letter they were cajoled into signing that waives all privilege, both Parliamentary and solicitor-client. Suddenly we seem to have a Senate packed full of Mike Duffys in waiting.
Continue readingLeft Over: Can’t Tolerate Bigotry…
Time to put the brakes on our slide to intolerance: Tim Harper A government which deals with only symptoms and refuses to look at root causes is part of the problem. By: Tim Harper National Affairs, Published on Sun Mar 01 2015 (with thanks to Montreal Simon’s blog for the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
In a decade or so the government of Canada will be in the market for new submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy. In the 17-years since the Chretien government snapped up four used British boats, supposedly a bargain, we haven’t seen much use out of them. In fact we’ve about
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: And Now, For the TFSA Switch!
Following up my blog post of 4 years ago about Harper’s tax break for the wealthy are stories on CBC and elsewhere regarding the TFSA folly. The increase benefits only ~39% of Canadians who’ve managed to open such a savings account. “Harper pledges to double tax-free savings limits – but
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: More Debates, Not Fewer Debaters
The unethical fools at the Broadcast Consortium will probably gladly keep Elizabeth May away from the debates this year too. Especially amusing is the Conservative spokes-tool saying more participants would make it a gong show. Mulcair wanting a debate focused on women, while angling to keep the only female leader
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