He has always been his master's voice, Stephen Harper's most faithful stooge.A yapping Con pitbull, the absurd Minister of Religious Freedom, a gay Thatcherite in a government full of filthy homophobes.But these days nothing is more obscene than the way John Baird is pandering to the brutish settler regime of Benjamin Netanyahu,
Continue readingTag: John Baird
Alberta 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 readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Great North Pole Farce
Who can forget how Stephen Harper shocked the world a few months ago by suddenly and loudly declaring that the North Pole belonged to Canada?Even though it actually belongs to Denmark.But who knew the stunning proclamation also sent shockwaves through the cowed ranks of his own civil servants?New documents suggest
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Ten Questions about the Harper Government’s embrace of war with ISIS-ISIL-IS
Ready, Aye, Ready! Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird whips up the War Party in the House of Commons. Below: Stephen Harper, the prime minister, and Edmonton Centre MP Laurie Hawn. Stephen Harper, John Baird, Laurie Hawn and the rest of the boys yesterday finally got the war in Iraq they’ve
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Con Clown John Baird and the Dangerous Ukrainian Crisis
The situation in Ukraine couldn't be more ominous, with reports that some Russian troops have crossed into that country.World leaders like Obama are calling for calm, refusing to call it an invasion, and ruling out military action. The need for cooler heads to prevail has never been more urgent.So what is
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Con War on the Wounded Children of Gaza (Continued)
The ceasefire is holding. The kids are playing again on the beach where four of their friends were killed while playing soccer, by shells from an Israeli gunboat.But thousands of Palestinian children have been wounded… The situation in the hospitals is so desperate they can't treat them in Gaza.“Palestinian health
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Harper Regime’s War on the Wounded Children of Gaza
The other day I told you about a tiny candle of decency in the darkness that is Gaza.Ontario's plan to bring wounded children to be treated in the province's hospitals. The Ontario government is willing to provide medical care to 100 injured children from Gaza, it said Tuesday – several days after
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Con Clown John Baird and the Destruction of Gaza
As if the situation in Gaza wasn't bad enough. As if the need for serious diplomacy to end the slaughter couldn't be greater.As if Canada wasn't enough of a rogue nation in the eyes of the world.And the last thing anyone needed was the Con clown John Baird pouring more
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Linda McQuaig criticizes the Cons’ use of the tax system to try to silence charities who don’t match their political message: PEN now joins Amnesty International, the David Suzuki Foundation, Canada Without Poverty, the United Church and other groups that, having criticized
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Holding Our ‘Leaders’ To Account
It is almost impossible, I think, to feel anything but a dark impotence when it comes to world events today. Wherever we look, be it the Ukraine, Africa, the Middle East or our own backyards, death, despoliation and injustice prevail. At times, it seems assuming the fetal position is the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Elizabeth May backs Green Party motion condemning ‘illegal’ Israeli settlements
Convention motion could attract support from disgruntled New Democrats, author suggests By Kady O’Malley, CBC News Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has co-sponsored a policy resolution condemning Israeli settlements that is expected to come up for debate during the party’s policy convention in Fredericton this weekend. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Horror of Gaza and the Shame of the Harper Regime
It's taken me a few days to summon up the strength to write something, anything, about the horror in Gaza.I just couldn't bring myself to look at the images of this latest war. As rockets from Palestinian militants in Gaza continue to fly into Israel and Israel continues to strike hard
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Advice to Canadian politicians and media: Proceed with caution on your support for Ukraine’s rebels
Anti-Government Ukrainians prepare to fight police in Kiev. Below: Rioters throw gasoline bombs at police in Ukraine; Alberta Labour Minister Thomas Lukaszuk. (Wikimedia photos.) You can bet money that when trouble is brewing abroad things are always far more complicated than local enthusiasts for one side or the other make
Continue readingLeDaro: Harper’s Conservatives Further Damaging Canada
Are Harper’s CONs completely out of touch? Don’t they realize this is a multicultural country? Harper’s CONs seem to have no use for Muslims, given statements by Harper’s Chief of Communications towards a leading Canadian Muslim group, the National Council of Canadian Muslims, deriding them as a group with “terrorist”
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: The Real Reason We Need to Get Rid of Corporate Media
Goodbye. While I’m also sad that the Kamloops Daily News is closing, I think Warren Kinsella is over-simplifying a few things [see below] with respect to how the media climate will be affected by the closing of this for-profit business, earning shareholder value by producing mass media content, while sometimes
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Quotes of the Year
Scroll to the bottom to vote on your favourite quote… “I am Conservative. I am a traditionalist. I wish I left Cabinet in the traditional way – with a sex scandal!” –Stephen Fletcher, after being removed from Cabinet “When I stand back and look at the cast of candidates, even
Continue readingMontreal Simon: John Baird and the Con’s New Foreign Policy
OK. Let me be clear, as we say in Harperland. I ALWAYS thought it was a bad idea to make John Baird Foreign Minister.I couldn't help but feel that he lacked the necessary diplomatic skills. I never believed him when he declared that the Cons were human rights champions.Not after the
Continue readingLeDaro: Canada Stands Alone – John Baird on Iran
Is John Baird trying to out-Netanyahu the Israeli Prime Minister? Canada used to be seen as a force for peace on the world stage, but Baird is opposing a widely supported deal that would see Iran eliminate its nuclear weapons program. President Obama and other world leaders played a key
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: In His Master’s Voice?
I didn’t realize that John Baird and Benjamin Netanyahu were so close: The 2:20 mark especially shows their affinity: Recommend this Post
Continue readingLeDaro: John Baird is unhappy about the Iran nuclear deal and very skeptical
John Baird is not happy with the Iran nuclear deal. The deal with Iran is signed by six nations which are the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China -and Iran. I believe it is a foot in the door for future negotiations and stopping nuclear proliferation in the
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