At the risk of being investigated by the 130 agents RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson has working on the Michael Zehaf-Bibeau case, I must say I think the man made a valid point. After watching his now famous video, or at least the portion big brother has allowed us to see,
Continue readingTag: Iraq
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Solar PV Nearing Grid Parity
Cambridge and #PWC [PDF] say #solar PV will be at grid parity on most of Earth, in only 2 years! “It is clear that renewables will be an established and significant part of the future energy mix, in the [Gulf] region and globally.” Regina’s potential ranks about 6th in the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: You’ll Need More Than a Six-Pack for That Job.
Well, that was the idea anyway. Brace yourselves. In a move that could send chills down the spine of every member of ISIS, it’s been revealed that Canada is ‘considering’ expanding its war effort to Syria and, gasp, Libya too. Libya? That’s that place that Gaddafi guy used to run.
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Excerpts from “Letter to a Young Army Ranger” – Rory Fanning
A brief note. I think that this essay should be required reading for all those who consider joining the armed forces and participating in the cycle of terrorism and destruction that currently dominates our foreign policy and geo-political goals here in the West. Many thanks to Tom’s Dispatch for hosting
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: CIA Tortured For Bad Info
Don't worry folks, no one will go to prison for the massive torture program we ran, but we'll still condemn other countries for injustice. — Nima Shirazi (@WideAsleepNima) December 9, 2014 Canada is implicated. Ahem. RT @Independent: These are the countries that will be worried by the CIA 'torture' report pic.twitter.com/2QAHWysfhU
Continue readingA coalition of the willing for Syrian refugees?
The United States has resumed its war in Iraq, once again building a “coalition of the willing.” Our government has, unfortunately, decide to join this one. Our participation is unwise and unjustified for a number of reasons. To begin with, this war—to “degrade and destroy” ISIS—is the result of a
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Six things we all need to think about when Canadians volunteer to fight for the Kurds
The Kurds: They should have had a country of their own, but since they don’t, and since Canada is allied by treaty to one of their principal enemies, letting Canadians join their fight isn’t a simple matter. We need clarity on just what Canada’s position is from the Canadian government.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Caution. This May Make Your Jaw Drop.
The book opens with this mea culpa: “I am a United States Army general, and I lost the Global War on Terrorism,” Lieutenant-General Daniel Bolger begins his history of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “It’s like Alcoholics Anonymous; step one is admitting you have a problem. Well, I have a
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: When My Enemy’s Enemies Are Still My Enemies
One of the greatest mistakes we make in the conduct of modern warfare is to make our conflicts suit a politically palatable narrative. It can seem as though the spin doctors are as powerful as the generals which might explain why they seem to do an equally marginal job at
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Canada Versus ISIS – Don’t Buy The Imitation Soundwave Steven Harper!
Canada has sent CF-18’s to participate in the bombing of ISIS. I think this is a very bad idea and I need to tell you a story from my childhood to illustrate why. This whole sending planes overseas to bomb people reminds me of one Christmas I had the pleasure
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Journalist Tired of Unfree Press Pushing War
A German journalist explains how the CIA misused him to manipulate people, to push war. “Non official cover”
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Russell Brand Re-Spins Stephen Harper, Expertly
Politics, Re-Spun hereby bestows honourary Canadian and Politics, Re-Spun citizenship upon Russell Brand for his precise and effective re-spinning of Steve Harper and his soft fascist, neo-conservative manipulation of most of last week. And we all need to think more carefully about “convenient murders.” His new passport is in the
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Ottawa Attacked
A sad day of note in Canadian political history, as Parliament Hill was under gunfire today. A soldier was also shot at the nearby War Memorial. Putting the day’s events into perspective though, are Canadians less safe today because of our political leader’s choice to take us to war in
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Harper, the Dog of War
For Harper, 6 CF-18s in Kuwait, all war all the time, phoning up the Pentagon asking where we can become more militarily engaged…all these things lead to a war posture, including a soldier being killed at home. A war posture is good for Harper’s base and makes Canadians more scared
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Madness of King Stephen
As excuses for war go, claiming a conflict to be “noble” is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. It’s something you resort to when there’s simply nothing left to pull out of your ass. “Squires, attend your Lords. Summon the Heralds. To the jousts! Ah, there’s a noble scent
Continue readingWill we have to bomb the Shias now?
We are all familiar with the depravity of the Islamic State. Tragically, some of their foes are also descending into the moral depths. According to a report by Amnesty International, Shia militias, often armed and supported by the Iraqi government, “have been abducting and killing Sunni civilian men in Baghdad
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Bomb’Em All – Well Except the Kurds, Maybe
By now we’ve all been well steeped in the brutal excesses of ISIS – beheadings, mass executions, torture – in Middle Eastern parlance, the full nine yards. And so we’re off to Kuwait from where we’ll launch air strikes against ISIS forces in Iraq. Well, since we’re going all the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On gleeful destruction
Others have pointed out Stephen Harper’s remarkably joyful mood at the prospect of getting into another Iraq war. But lest we let the moment pass without some photographic and Photoshop memory, I’ll offer up the following…
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: What Are We Getting Ourselves Into?
Before long the Middle East will look like a parking lot for Western jet fighters. The place will be awash in Hornets and Super Hornets, F-16s, F-22s, Eurofighters and Rafales and Tornados. They’ll be flying about over Syria and Iraq searching for something, anything to bomb into rubble and pulp.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Canada’s Militarized Foreign Policy
Perhaps the ultimate legacy of the Bush/Cheney regime was the militarization of America’s foreign policy by which the use or threat of military force came to displace diplomacy as the principle instrument of foreign policy. That Canada should succumb to this same contagion is as lamentable as it is inevitable
Continue reading