More Government Propaganda While Canada Once Again Stands Alone

A very strange Oped piece appeared in the Globe and Mail on the weekend, written by none other than Stephen Harper. It was a follow up to a government announcement that we would be giving the Ukrainian military another 220 million dollars, on top of the 300 million already provided, to assist in their battle with rebel forces.

It reads like a typical propaganda piece, laying all of the blame on Russia's doorstep, for the horrific downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, that killed 298 innocent civilians.

Had this appeared under a different byline, it would simply reflect the views of the author. However, when it comes from the leader of a country, it is something much more.

An official position. And that position is pretty clear. Russia is our sworn enemy.

The United Nations is investigating the incident, and most in the international community are taking a wait and see approach, before becoming judge, jury and executioner.

While there are calls to strip Russia of their right to host the The World Cup in 2018, British Prime Minister David Cameron, is calling for cooler heads to prevail, and FIFA see it as a potential "force for good". It might just be the golden ticket for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, since sanctions don't appear to be working.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, has actually called Vladimir Putin personally, to discuss the situation. This is something that is no longer an option for Canada, as our government has already burned too many bridges with the Russian leader, making us irrelevant.

Australians still don't approve of Abbot, but do believe he is leading the way in diplomacy, with a position contradictory to Harper's.

It is not inconceivable that the shooting down of the passenger flight was an accident. As the National Post points out, '-Iran Air Flight 655—shot down on July 3, 1988, not by some scruffy rebel on contested soil but by a U.S. Navy captain in command of an Aegis-class cruiser called the Vincennes.'; it's happened before.

The Reagan administration tried to cover it up, but eventually the truth came out, as it no doubt will in this latest tragedy.

Conservative MP, Peter Goldring, is joining Sarah Palin, in calling for an all out war with Russia, reminding us of Harper's Reform Party and their bumper sticker foreign policy. Simple and dangerous solutions to complex issues.

Obama may provide equipment that would help to reveal 'specific locations of surface-to-air missiles controlled by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine so the Ukrainian government could target them for destruction', but with only 17% of Americans supporting military engagement in the area, I doubt he would consider doing anything more.

Besides, the optics may not be good, given that Joe Biden's son now works for a Ukranian company that is pushing for energy independence from Moscow.

So what is Harper's endgame here? Is he trying to earn some respect, given his abysmal record on foreign policy?

In 2003, when Leader of the Opposition, he spoke out in favour of Canada joining the U.S. In Iraq, and now that country is in shambles, with 63% of Republicans believing that it was a mistake.

He escalated our involvement in Afghanistan, and now the Taliban is stronger than ever, even winning in areas they never held before the invasion.

Canada led in the regime change in Libya, and despite spending $800,000 on a "victory" celebration, Libya is in a bloody mess. Republicans blame Obama, but who should we blame?

Engaging in a war of words, with an enemy he will never have to actually fight, (despite the views of the crazy wing in his Party), is a safe way to inflate his ego. However, I think there may be another motive.

Vladimir Putin was tanking in the polls, until he took a firm stand on Western interference in the Ukraine. Now his popularity with Russian citizens is overwhelming.

Is Stephen Harper hoping that by taking a firm and very public stand with Russia, that Canadians will view him as not so bad after all, despite his horrendous policies?

Could be.

Sadly, it might just work.

Prime Minister Said he Created a Million Jobs ... Oh! You Thought I Meant Our Prime Minister

I try to keep up with politics everywhere so follow political junkies from several different countries.

What I've discovered, in this mostly conservative sphere, is that the top news stories, no matter where they originate, are eerily similar. In fact, I often have to rely on the media source to assign it to a nation.

One headline that's popping up everywhere, contains the phrase "million jobs".

In the last Ontario election, Conservative candidate Tim Hudak, gave the term a life of its own, when he presented his Million Jobs plan, worked out on an abacus that was missing a few beads.

I think we can all agree that Tim Hudak is a few beads short of an abacus, but he did give us a new slogan "Hudak Math", that replaces things like "defies logic", "utterly senseless" and "you stupid moron".

One headline, while a bit older, comes from the UK Guardian, asking if British Prime Minister David Cameron and his coalition 'really created one million private sector jobs?' Clearly something they had boasted of.

But when the numbers were crunched, and the analysis scrutinized, the million jobs was only true if you used the Hudakian theory of mathematics. You just make stuff up.

Stephen Harper uses the theory, when he boasts that his government has created a million jobs. Remove the Hudakian component from the computation, and the results are staggeringly different, as graphs from Press Progress reveal.

We are actually down 638,810 jobs. Harper must have thrown a bit of Rob Ford Haze into the mix, a dangerous and potentially lethal combination.

Another Conservative, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, believes that Cameron and Harper are amateurs. Why stop at one million, when you can promise to double that? After all, it doesn't have to be true. You just have to sell it with conviction.

Before being elected, under the headline: Fact checker: Can Tony Abbott create two million jobs in a decade? we learn that there is a whole lot of wishful thinking wrapped up in conservative bluster, but it seems to have worked.

However, doesn't his election promise sound a lot like that of Hudak's? Freaky.

Of course American Conservatives can't let any of them show up their nonsense. Under an L.A Times headline in response to Obama's employment strategy, they promised to create five million jobs. No time frame though for their Million Jobs Plan.

We know that Tim Hudak visited members of the U.S. Tea Party for insight, so would it be a stretch to imagine that Cameron, Abbot and Harper sat down for a spot of the brew?

Although, actually, I see them all in a cave, sacrificing a liberal on an altar, while dancing around a pot of steaming crude and rusty nails, chanting:

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Give us a slogan, the best selection
To fool them all in the next election.

I think they need a new potion, because this one is just making us ill.

When in Doubt, Blame the Poor

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has responded to the rioting in London over his budget, by blaming parents and kids who live in social housing. He promises to evict, and allow landlords to evict these "criminals" to teach them a lesson.

Across the country, they are listening.

Several councils - including Manchester, Wandsworth and Salford - have said they will take action to evict tenants if they are found to be involved in rioting.

Ravi Govindia, the leader of Wandsworth Council, said: "People who live in council homes should be under no illusions about the fate that awaits them if they are found to have been involved in Monday night's destruction and thuggery."

Poor people protest actions to make them poorer, and they are being punished by being thrown into the street.

Cameron makes Margaret Thatcher look like Mother Theresa. His critics were right when they said that he would pander to the rich. A prep boy who has no idea how many are forced to live.

Community leaders are right when they say:

Regarding the cause of the riots, community leaders say inequality, cuts to public services by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government and youth unemployment fed into the violence in London, Birmingham, Manchester and other multi-ethnic cities.

Already volatile with the English Defense League attacking Muslims, there could be a small civil war. And like Rob Ford in Toronto, one of the places where Cameron plans to cut, is on policing. But not to worry:

Defending planned police funding cuts against criticism from opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband, Cameron proposed more police powers ...

"More police powers". That worked so well at the G-20 in Toronto.

In Philadelphia, young rioters have also taken to the streets, prompting curfews and other measures. Most of the rioters are black youth, but as many are saying, this is not about race. It's about the growing gap between the "have" and "have nots".

The by-product of neoconservatism.

In Philadelphia they are targeting upscale dining and entertainment venues. One woman almost choked when her diamond earring fell into her Foie gras.

In Toronto, Rob Ford is taking preemptive measures, by also reducing the police force, while making threats of what will happen if you oppose him.

His sidekick, Giorgio Mammoliti, claims that any dissenters will be deemed to be "Communists", and he is already sniffing them out.

I think Ford would love nothing better than an all out riot in Toronto. He and his new BFF, Stephen Harper, would probably host a Toga Party, where they'll watch the mayhem on a wide-screen TV, while engaging in a food fight.

Sorry for all those not old enough to remember the cult classic, Animal House, but for those who do, be honest. Does Rob Ford not remind you of John Belushi's "Bluto" Blutarsky?

I keep expecting him to appear in a Toga with a wreath of vines on his head.

Mammoliti makes a perfect "Stork", suspected of having brain damage, and Stephen Harper a shoe in to play the clumsy "Flounder".

Only now all grown up (sort of), they prefer more powerful ammunition. A spoonful of mashed potatoes, thrown at the poor, will only invoke accusations of pandering to the hungry from their neocon friends. It would reek of Communism, for sure.

How do you like neoconservatism so far?

Right-Wing Media Moguls and the Buying of Politicians

In the unfolding scandal of Rupert Murdoch and his media empire, aside from phone hacking and the buying off of cops, there is another question emerging.

How did these media moguls gain so much political power?

The BBC asks: Who is more powerful - Murdoch or Parliament?

If ever there were a symbol of the uneasy balance of power between national governments and large multinationals companies, it is the spectacle of the British Parliament being poised to vote overwhelmingly (it seems) for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp to abandon its bid for British Sky Broadcasting - but being powerless to force him to abandon that takeover.

If Parliament is sovereign, there is something slightly odd about the idea that the vote can be passed and that Mr Murdoch can choose to ignore it.

Maybe Mr Murdoch will eventually abide by the revealed will of the elected representatives of the British government. But as of last night, Mr Murdoch appeared unimpressed that the prime minister and the deputy prime minister decided to throw their weight behind the leader of the opposition's motion calling on him to drop the takeover.

British prime minister David Cameron really has no choice but to at least give the appearance of standing up to Murdoch, but he would not have been as successful had it not been for this man's support.

The relationship between politicians and the press has always been a topic for debate, but simply supporting a candidate or party, through spin, has transcended to something far more alarming.

They are now being groomed by the media and even purchased.

Margaret Thatcher had a very close relationship with Murdoch editor Larry Lamb. He would even visit her home, giving her communication advice.

Says Murdoch biographer William Shawcross:

Thatcher was persuaded by advisers that tabloids like the Sun, the Mirror and the Daily Mail were far more important than the more serious papers in influencing voters. The Mirror would always be pro-Labour, but she was advised to cultivate the editors of both the Sun and the Mail.

... Mrs. Thatcher came to Bouverie Street. Lamb said she "accepted a glass of whisky, kicked off her shoes and engaged us all in spirited debate for several hours. We were all impressed, not least by the fact that she listened." Lamb also went to see her at her house "to talk about the kind of campaign she planned, who she felt might emerge as the star performers, and which members of her team we should stick close to.

... On Election Day, May 3, 1979, the Sun's massive editorial., covering the entire front page and continuing inside, was headlined "VOTE TORY THIS TIME. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE ROT." ... The editorial asserted that the Sun as a radical paper was urging a vote for the Conservatives.

Murdoch's papers appealed to what Shawcross called, "the lower-income group", and their massaging of the campaign was effective.

The biggest swing to the Conservatives was among the lower-income group, known to market researchers as Us, which included many Sun readers. A victorious Thatcher wrote Lamb what he called an "affectionate" letter and thanked him for his help.

It's rather ironic given that Thatcher's policies hurt the low-income group the most, but it didn't matter. Lamb was able to paint her as a champion of the lower class. (Source: Rupert: Ringmaster of the Information Circus, Shawcross, 1992, P. 153-155)

And he was later rewarded with a knighthood.

In Canada, Conrad Black was ringmaster of the media circus, before he went to prison for fraud.

Not only did he shift Canada's media to the right, but he also provided "communication" and financial backing to the neoconservative movement.

As a member of both the National Citizens Coalition (who ran an ABC: Anyone But [Joe] Clark campaign. (Loyal to the Core, Gerry Nicholls, 2009)) and the Fraser Institute, he helped to make sure that they stayed on track. He even allowed an employee, Peter White, to work with Brian Mulroney, to help capture the support of the Conservative youth movement.

Disillusioned with Mulroney, who he deemed not to be right wing enough, he switched his support to Reform, donating $20,000.00 to their 1993 campaign. According to the infamous James Keegstra, Preston Manning was often seen riding around in limos with Black, making him suspicious of the true intentions of the party.

Seeing perhaps more promise in Stockwell Day, as someone who could be manipulated, Black then went to work to create a charismatic leader. According to Trevor Harrison, in his book, Requiem for a Lightweight: Stockwell Day and Image Politics, Black hosted $1000 a plate dinners and allowed Ezra Levant to hold party fundraisers in his home.

Levant was a boyhood friend of Day's son Logan.

With a right-wing media firmly in place in Canada, thanks to Conrad Black, Rupert Murdoch trumped him after a luncheon with Stephen Harper, giving us the vile Fox News North.

So how did the media become so powerful, that they can defy governments, and yet so powerless, that journalists are not allowed to write the truth?

Wow! Isn't neoconservatism grand?

Rupert Murdoch Will Not Go Out in a Blaze of Glory

Rupert Murdoch, the man who has done so much to poison politics, is now trying to defend his "honour", after a scandal with one of his tabloids.

News of the World routinely hacked phone lines and even bribed cops to allow them to track 9/11 calls. And it was not the first time that the publication was in trouble.

Murdoch, 80, has been widely criticized for refusing to fire [Rebekah] Brooks who was editor of News of the World in 2002 when its reporters deleted phone messages left for a missing murdered schoolgirl, leading her family to believe she was still alive.

Just how low will they go?

We're quickly learning that in Canada, where Fox News North vilifies Muslims and refers to the Caledonia land claim protests as a struggle between "Indians and white people".

The scandal is also threatening the government of David Cameron, who was promised a daily television spot if Murdoch was able to take over British Sky Broadcasting, 'the biggest deal of his storied career'.

When it was discovered that the Harper government had spent almost a quarter million dollars to advertise their 'Canada Action Plan', I spent a few days researching, emailing and calling others who had initiated stimulus programs, and not one saw the need to bilk taxpayers for self-promotion ads. Some were quite surprised that Harper was being allowed to get away with it.

But in Britain, using tax dollars in such a manner is actually illegal, so Cameron took a lot of flak for his deal with the aging media mogul.

And to better understand the modus operandi, of Murdoch, let's compare:

Stephen Harper had lunch with him and his team, after which Harper's communications director, Kory Teneycke, was named to head up the project, now dubbed Fox News North (Sun TV).

David Cameron arranged a meal with Murdoch and his press spokesman, Andy Coulson, was plucked from News of the World. We'll call it 'The Eat, Bleat and Cheat club'.

Teneycke was fired for his involvement in the hacking of AVAAZ (now back). Coulson was arrested for his role in the hacking scandal.

This appears to be an issue that is not going away anytime soon, and many speculate that it could affect the Murdoch empire.

Poor Stephen Harper. If he loses his Fox News, where will he spread his poison?

David Cameron May be a Neoconservative But He's Not an Idiot

The Toronto Star has published a column by Washington Post's E.J. Dionne: Politics of stupidity saps U.S. power

In it Dionne discusses the new British prime minister's latest budget which includes massive spending cuts, but rather than follow the old neocon insanity of cutting costs, while providing tax cuts for the rich, he is raising consumption taxes.

A conservative raising taxes? Grover Norquist must be having a nervous breakdown.

Can a nation remain a superpower if its internal politics are incorrigibly stupid? Start with taxes. In every other serious democracy, conservative political parties feel at least some obligation to match their tax policies with their spending plans. David Cameron, the new Conservative prime minister in Britain, is a leading example.

He recently offered a brutal budget that includes severe cutbacks. I have doubts about some of them, but at least Cameron cared enough about reducing his country’s deficit that alongside the cuts, he also proposed an increase in the value-added tax from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent. Imagine: a fiscal conservative who really is a fiscal conservative. That could never happen in America because the fairy tale of supply-side economics insists that taxes are always too high, especially on the rich.

Dionne believes that the Democrats should make raising taxes on the wealthy an election issue. I agree. And we must do the same thing here.

While Stockwell Day is huffing and puffing about cuts, we wonder if Guy Giorno is suggesting that he do what he had Mike Harris do to reduce spending, which was massive layoffs in the civil service and drastic cuts to services for the most vulnerable.

The wealthy in Ontario did very well under Harris. The poor not so much.

But this is what we need to make an election issue. Harper is promoting austerity, and yet:

2 million for a "fake lake".

1.3 billion for security at the G-20 to target the media and advocacy groups, while telling the police to leave vandals alone to do their job.

16 billion for new jets.

125 billion bank bailout so they can give their execs 8 billion in bonuses.

25 billion ad blitz to sell us on their new census decision

Massive increase in Harper's communication budget, which is rich because he doesn't communicate.

45 million for signs

5 million for self-promotion TV ads during the Olympics

Millions to sell bogus Canada Action Plan where stimulus went to ridiculous projects including the opening of a circus school (Harper's fall back career)

And yet they are carrying through with a 6 billion dollar tax cut to the wealthy, while telling our veterans to take a hike.

They are making this almost too easy.