"Freedom", as practiced in the USofA

Here's a good summary of how the freedom thingy is being practiced in the US these days:

http://original.antiwar.com/jwhitehead/2012/11/12/obamas-first-term-track-record-on-civil-liberties/

You can bet that Canada's government wants exactly the same sort of powers, and will probably sneak them into one of Harper's ever-so-popular omnibus bills in the near future.

How the world works

Here's a couple of basic lessons in economics that explain why things never seem to get better in our modern world:

http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2012-11-07.asp

Inflation is not inevitable, but it sure passes the debts along to future generations, thus keeping taxes low because the government does not want the current electorate to actually pay for current spending.

Obama , the good guy (?)

Here's what has happened to the US this century.  Things have changed down there in a very big way, and most people seem to think these changes are just fabulous:

http://blog.independent.org/2012/10/30/obama-and-civil-liberties-the-prospect-of-four-more-years/

I believe these changes will result in the destruction of our culture, but, what the hey, who cares?

Ahh ... our British heritage ...

Something to consider when you brag about our ancestors:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9653497/British-have-invaded-nine-out-of-ten-countries-so-look-out-Luxembourg.html

I'll bet the politicians said they were bringing good things to the invaded areas every time.

A new type of fealty ...

for those with liberal tendencies.

http://warisacrime.org/content/indefinite-detention-progressive-voter

This is an interesting slant on how politicians have co-opted the wishes of various 'groups' in order to retain their support.

The fruits of violence

Here's what NATO has accomplished in Afghanistan - It's created a nation of permanently dependent spoiled thugs:

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/11/01/report-afghan-cant-maintain-us-built-facilities-after-pullout/

Again, we need to ask whether it might have been better to have spend all that money inside our own borders as opposed to throwing it all away in the sand (and to continue doing so for the next 10+ years).

Stalin was right

Stalin said that the person who counted the votes determines the winner.  He was right;

http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/breaking-retired-nsa-analyst-proves-gop-is-stealing-elections/article20598.html

This is very troubling.

Kill lists now official US policy

There is no longer any doubt that the US President is acting as if he has the right to order the murder of anyone in the world without any public notice, presentation of evidence, or opportunity to appeal these death orders.  Read Glenn Greenwald's article about this obscene practice:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/24/obama-terrorism-kill-list

'They hate us for our freedoms' ...

Here's an example of how the brave security boys in Afghanistan are representing the west:

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/10/17/video-shows-drunk-stoned-us-security-contractors-while-on-duty/

I'm so glad Canada was part of this process!  (Hint: ... irony ....).

"Debate" among those with lots to hide

Just in case you were left with a feeling of unease regarding the 'spontaneity' of the US Presidential debates, here is the reason things seem so stilted and phony:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/16/presidential-debate-issues

Nobody is allowed to ask the right questions, nor refute BS in real time.  It's all a pleasant show for the kids (the great ignorant mass of the citizenry), like the way fighting relatives behave when meeting up at grandpa's funeral.

Opportunity knocked flat by 'defence'

Here's an good explanation of why defence spending is so obscene:

http://warisacrime.org/content/all-war-local

The concept is that of opportunity costs.  Money is finite (there ain't no golden goose) and if you choose to spend money on stuff that is only useful to destroy things, then you do not have that money available to spend on something useful, like schools, hospitals, roads, infrastructure, etc., etc.

Glenn Greenwald and questions of bias:

Glenn analyzes the debate show last night to expose the important bias inherent in the actual questions that were asked.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/12/raddatz-debate-objectivity

It's the old "When did you stop beating your wife?" problem.  The questions assume as fact things which are usually blatantly wrong, and ask for responses to the question which do not deal with the actual problem.

Questions for the Presidential candidates

Here's some things that will not be asked of either Romney or Obama, for reasons which are not obvious to most North Americans who do not understand where the true power lies in our societies:

http://original.antiwar.com/engelhardt/2012/10/11/dont-ask-and-dont-tell/

Maybe you should ask these questions of yourselves to try and understand what it is that you cheer about as you 'support the troops'

Time for some introversion ...

Some astute thoughts about the contradictions that are accepted by most western people in order to justify the horrific acts committed by our governments:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/10/11

Is the them vs us paradigm so ingrained as to force our brains to accept winning by murder as the only solution to competitions at the international level?

Omar Khadr, some thoughts

Maher Arar puts forward some ideas about Omar Khadr's return to Canada after his sojourn with the US military:

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1266158---i-miss-being-trusted

If you have forgotten, Mr. Arar was also a guest of the Canadian-government-supported US system for a while.

Some things just need saying ...

... and Phil Giraldi says it very clearly:


http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2012/10/03/why-i-dislike-israel/

You certainly don't hear very many express these concepts.  Stuff to think about and rebut, perhaps?

If Iran has nukes ...

... it won't be attacked by the US and Israel.  So says the Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/02/iran-nukes-deterrence

Iran has not started a war with anyone anywhere in the last 150 years.  Why start now?  It should, however, have the right to defend itself, even from the US and Canada, if attacked by them.

Two of the Good Guys, ...

Wylie and D'Arcy, discussing their world and its foibles:

Time to drop NATO as an entity

Interesting article from The Guardian (UK-based) supporting the comparo with CNN headlines in the entry from Oct 2, below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/02/why-british-soldiers-dying-in-afghanistan

I would love to see something like this is any Canadian or US newspaper, but I guess we couldn't stand the truth, if it ever were to be told to us.

Maybe I should have a cellphone after all ...

I really wanted to join the navy when I was a kid.

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/10/02/us-navy-can-turn-your-smartphone-into-a-spy/

 I wonder when the "iSpyOnYou" app will be ready?  It would be a shame if iPhone afficianados were not included in the info 'sharing'.