A Look Ahead To ...2012

Now for some real prognostication.


First: Politics

• Mitt Romney will win the GOP race handily;
• Even if I am wrong about Romney, whomever wins the GOP will go on to beat Obama, America's worst President since Peanut Grower, Jimmie Carter;
• Putin will be forced out of Russian Politics - you heard it here first;
• Bob Rae will be confirmed as the Liberal's Permanent Leader;
• The NDP Leadership race will not be won by Thomas Mulcair despite his sizable lead in the polls (45%). He will be beaten by one of two dark horses - Peggy Nash (16%) or Paul Dewar (5.5%) and my money is on the long shot Dewar;
• With Mulcair's loss, the NDP's slide down in Quebec will quicken with their former supporters going to the Liberals the Bloc and to the Conservatives. The Liberals will be the big winner.
• Alberta must by law go to the polls this Spring. I see the Tories winning by a minority with the Wild Rose becoming the Official Opposition. As polls stand today, the Tories would cruise to an easy Majority - they won't though;
• Great Britain's Tory Government will fall and in the subsequent election, PM Cameron will regain power, this time with a majority;
• North Korea will move closer to detente under its new Leader;
• Pakistan's Government will be taken over - once again, by its Military.

Second: Government

• The Governments of the West will continue to slash and burn as State Debt continues to overwhelm the economy;
• This will continue to be most evident in Europe and even here in Canada, where federal government programs will be dropped / scaled back and high paying government jobs lost - 10 to 15 % of our federal current work force will be gone by this time next year;
• Given it is an Election Year in the United States - there will be much resistance to 'slashing and burning' and besides, Obama does not have the make-up to do what is necessary. Accordingly, most of their cutting will come in 2013 and 2014 under the Republicans and it will assuredly come.

Third: Civil Discourse

• The Civil Discourse (riots) that have plagued Europe will continue and will become even more violent as cuts in their social programs accelerate and more radical elements will involve themselves. Deaths will mount;
• There will be some of this occur in Canada but nothing to scale given that our economy is doing well. Few if any deaths can be expected;
• Civil Discourse in the US will occur but it will be muted given the 'put off' of tough measures into 2013.

Fourth: Economy

• Our economy will continue to outpace the G-8;
• Our dollar will end the year higher than its US counterpart;
• Interest Rates will continue to move sideways;
• Gold, Silver will out perform most other investments.
• Oil will stay consistently above $100 per b. and much higher should my prediction below in regard to Iran come to pass;
• China's role internationally will modestly diminish this year as their exports soften but a rise in its domestic economy will put this country in good stead for the future.
• We enter 2012 on the brink of financial collapse in the West and our collective state debts threaten to overwhelm our respective economies - Canada as well. My guess is that we will muddle through for one more year but the clock is ticking and sooner - rather than later, Governments must get their balance sheets in order. Europe save for Germany has been downgraded, the USA is subject to a negative credit watch - as is our dear Province of Ontario. These things can only be expected to get worse in 2012 but as I said, with a bit of luck we in the West may be able to muddle through for one more year. That's my prediction.

Fifth: Foreign Affairs

• The Islamists will entrench themselves in power in the Middle East putting to rest, once and for all, any thoughts of an Arab Spring. The Dictatorships will be seen as the 'good ole days'.
• Iran will meet its 'comeuppance' most likely at the hand of Israel or perhaps even the USA - but the cat and mouse game that has gone on for the last few years will come to an end. The fact that Obama is in an Election Year and is desperate for voter support will also be a big factor in this.

We, as Canadians, live in the Best Country in the World - we are so very fortunate. We have been given natural riches and resources beyond comprehension and we are possessed of a people who are not afraid of hard work.

We are indeed Blessed - in the coming year and always.

As I see it..

'K. D. Galagher'

A Look Back Over 2011...

In regard to My Predictions For This Year.

But first, did you know that I completed 138 Blogs in 2011? And since the beginning - on July 6, 2009 - I have written 241 of the little devils.

Thought you might find that of interest. I enjoyed every moment.

Now for my prognostications for this year just ending:

Elections -

a) Federal and Ontario Provincial

• I predicted that both Harper and Hudak would win elections this year - Harper with a minority and Hudak with I majority. Wrong on both counts though Harper did win and won by a majority.
• I indicated that the Federal Election would take place this past Spring - which it did. And of note, I had been predicting the Spring 2011 Election Date for the past 2 + years.

correct, +1.5 points wrong, -2 points

b) USA

• I predicted that Mitt Romney would come out of 2011 in the lead for the GOP - and he has. I also predicted that the Tea Party would remain a force in 2011 - which it has.

correct, +2 points

c) Britain

• I said that the Tories would be forced into another Election - I was wrong. wrong, - 1 point

d) Italy

• I predicted that PM Berlusconi would be gone - I was right. correct; 1 point

The Economy

a) USA

• I predicted it would continue to decline due to its horrendous debt - and it has. no brainer - no points

b) Canadian Dollar

• said it would stay above par - and it has not. wrong; -1 point

c) Canadian Economy

• would out perform the US - it did. correct; + 1 point

d) European Contagion

• would continue to spread across Europe and would begin to affect America's ratings - and it has. Plus even our dear Province of Ontario is now on a negative credit watch. correct; + 1 point

e) Interest Rates

• I predicted that 5 year mortgage rates would rise to 5-6%. - wrong - they remained flat; - 1 point

f) Oil

• that it would average $100 a barrel - and it has. correct; + 1 point

g) Gold / Silver / Copper

• that they would reach record levels - and they did albeit are now on a temporary downward trend.

they did reach record levels but are now in decline - no points awarded.

h) China

• will continue to lead the pack - it did no brainer - no points

i) Over Legislation / Regulation

• will begin to slow - it has but remains in its infancy too small to register, no points

j) Number of Civil Servants - salaries

• will begin to reverse - it has but it too remains in its infancy too small to register - no points

k) Social Welfare Programs

• will begin to decline - they have declined big time in Europe and have just begun to decline in North Am. as I did not specify Europe - no points awarded

World Affairs

a) Terrorism will continue with softer targets - it has. correct, but almost a no brainer; +.5 of a point

b) Haiti plus Africa will continue to suffer - they have. no brainer - no points

c) Afghanistan to stalemate - it has. same here - no brainer - no points

d) Iran big story plus no regime change - right on both counts. correct; 1 point

e) North Korea - will continue to be majorly in the news for 2011 - it has been but primarily due to Dear Leader's death which I did not foresee. wrong; 1 point

f) Russia will continue to decline into dictatorship under Putin - it has. no brainer - no points

g) Airport and Border Security will continue to thicken - it has. no brainer - no points

h) Democracies will be upstaged by Communist / Dictatorship Governments - they have not. wrong; - 1 point

i) Immigration Backlash - rise of right wing in Europe to neutralize Muslim effect - it has. no brainer...

j) Persecution against Christians and Jews to accelerate - it has. correct; + 1 point

Generally Speaking

A most difficult year - greater civil unrest - it has been that. all and all 2011 was a most sh..ty year +1 point.

Final Tally: 11 Correct and 7 Wrong. Not So Good.

For Next Year's List, which I will post before Jan, 1, 2012, I will try to do better and I will also try to avoid predicting on the 'no brainers'.

As I see it....

'K.D. Galagher'

It's Official ......

The Race for the US Presidency, 2012 - 2016 is over !!

Well perhaps not 'officially over' but as good as.

And the Winner is ............'Mitt Romney'.

That is unless he a) dies before Election Day or b) is found in bed with a dozen other men. (women he would probably get away with).

So 'Mormon Mitt' is the West's new guy for the next four (4) years.

None of the 8 or so Republican challengers can hold a candle to him and Obama has made so many mistakes, even any one of those eight would have given him a good run for his money.

But in many respects, Mormon Mitt has it all.

He even looks the part !!

He has experience in business; as Governor of Massachusetts, he has experience running a major government and he knows his way around the Foreign Affairs files.

And unlike his main Republican Rival - Newt Gingrich and the Current Occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he works well with others (i.e. he is not a one man band); an essential attribute if one is to be a successful President in a Government composed of Checks and Balances.

So you have heard it here first. Look at all the wear and tear and worrying I have saved you awaiting the formal results next November.

I plan to do my usual prognostication for the up coming year but wanted to get this most important one out of the way first.

As I see it....

'K.D. Galagher'

What to do about Syria

Readers will know that I was not a fan of the West getting involved in the Arab Spring when it came to either Egypt or Libya.

That does not hold though in the case of Syria.

How so?

First, in regard to the Arab Spring - it was obvious to me that we were really dealing with an Arab Winter. The Dictators - as bad as they were - were less of a problem than what is replacing them - that is to say Extreme Islamists. Citizens of these two countries - the moderate muslims and the non-muslims will soon look back on the days of the Dictators as Utopia - sad as that is to say. Indeed, it is already happening while we in the West stand helplessly by.

So why should Syria be treated differently?

Syria along with Iran and North Korea are a Triumvirate of Rogue States. Most problematic is the fact that each wants to be a Nuclear Power - North Korea already has the Bomb - Iran is on the cusp - assuming it does not already have it and Syria is continually working toward it.

Simply stated - the three countries are just too dangerous to leave to their own devices.

Permit me to digress at this point.

In the First Gulf War, I supported 'Bush I' when he decided to leave Saddam Hussein in place as a strategic check on Iran.

I then mistakenly supported 'Bush II' when he went after the same Saddam Hussein after the bombing of the Twin Towers extending to him the benefit of the doubt that Saddam had Weapons of Mass Destruction that needed taking out.

I was wrong to have done that since I knew too that the Triumvirate of Evil even back then were the Three Rogue Powers noted above.

Rather than Iraq, - Bush the Younger should have targeted Iran - the most dangerous of the Three.

We have now lost a decade and nothing has been gained but much has been lost.

Iraq is swinging quickly over to the Islamists, Afghanistan will do so when the US pulls out as it must eventually do.

Korea's Nuclear capability gets stronger each year and it is only a matter of time when Iran joins the Nuclear Club.

Ant the Middle East is quickly transforming into an Islamist Paradise.

The only country that is on the ropes is dear olde Syria and we in the West should move in now to make sure that any of its weaponry does not fall into the hands of those even more antagonistic to our way of life.

But Dear Reader - it is not too late - even at this 11th hour. We could still move to neutralize the Threesome but I fear we in the West lack the Will (ability?) to do so.

Europe is engaged in an economic melt down, America is stalled in a recession with a President who lives in la la land.

That leaves Israel, South Korea, Canada and perhaps a demilitarized Japan.

Where is a strong vibrant NATO when it's needed?

As I see it...

Where is the Outrage ???

In regard to Peter MacKay's recent junket to Afghanistan - during his Christmas Holidays no less and once again needlessly employing DND Assets to ferry himself there.

We all remember the recent hullabaloo over his calling in a S & R Helicopter to extricate him from his fishing hole during an earlier holiday. Why you'd have thought the guy had committed high treason.

And now he is so thick - he's done it again - this time during his Christmas holidays - indeed on Christmas Day itself. Does he never learn?

And does he not realize that Christmas is a time for family - surrounded by a roaring fire with one's favourite drink?

Not good enough for MacKay obviously - he wants to spend his well deserved holiday with his troops in a god forsaken desert. What's wrong with the guy.

If he could only have walked there - all this might be excusable, but his taking Military Aircraft is simply inexcusable.

The above is of course tongue in cheek - but is meant to support my thesis that the Minister of Defence is on duty 365 days a year (366 in a Leap Yr) 24 hours per day.

This is the same Peter MacKay who took his precious time to undergo Military Boot Camp Training so he could better understand our military.

As a student of history and no youngster myself, I cannot recall a better Minister of Defence in Canada's History.

As I see it...

'K. D. Galagher'

More Inanity...

When it comes to Modern Communication.

Recently I wrote a Blog on the senselessness of telephone answering messages that do not identify the phone's owner - especially in the case of Commercial Establishments - i.e. you have reached number xyz 111-2222 please leave a message and we will get back to you as quickly as possible ... tone ....

Now I have encountered a similar situation, this involving my aged Aunt and my attempts to contact one of her health insurance providers to find out why her reimbursements have suddenly ceased.

Here goes:

First the usual mechanical voice overs and various prompts telling me how important my call is to them and that they consistently bend over backwards to provide first class service. Ultimately I am connected with a real person - let's call her Mary J; infact, that is what she calls herself.

I give Mary the background leading to my call at which point she advises me that she cannot speak to me - she must, for privacy reasons, only communicate with my Aunt.

I tell her I can understand her position but it would save everyone time and inconvenience if I could be told what the issue is regarding her ceased payments. I tell her that I suspect it is due to them not being advised of my Aunt's recent move - but again - the stock answer - they can only deal directly with my Aunt. This same Aunt who has no idea that her payments have stopped or for that matter, what her new address is.

But seeing that I am getting nowhere - I disclose that I have Power of Attourney and we agree that I will send Mary J a copy at which point they will be able to deal with me directly too.

What's your e-mail address I ask? Mary J "we are not allowed to give that information out".

Okay - what's your fax number? Mary J provides me with a 1-800 fax number.

And what is your full name so I can direct my fax to your attention? Mary J "we are not allowed to give that out either - only our first name and the first initial of our family name".

Okay - I will send a fax to you 'Mary J'.

May I have your direct telephone extension so I can call you afterward to make sure it gets to you?

You can guess - "not allowed to give that information out"

I send the Fax.

A few days go by and nothing.

I call Insurance Provider at its main 1-800 number and get the following recording:

"If you know the extention of the person you are calling - dial it now. If you do not, press #5 for a list of our staff directory".

Of course I have neither.

Eventually, I reach the company operator and explain the difficulty I am having tracking 'Mary J' down.

The Operator asks me for Mary's full name. I explain, feeling quite silly, that all I have is the first initial of her last name as in 'J'.

Operator tells me that she is unable to find 'Mary J' in her list of employees.

I ask the Operator to connect me with Mary J's area of work and in due course end up speaking with 'Bonny B'.

Bonny does not know a Mary J either and in response to my disbelief - she explains that there are many employees in their section; "she cannot possibly know them all".

I ask Bonny B if their section has received my fax of several days ago?

Bonny then proceeds to scold me for sending a fax to them - "we have several fax numbers how could you possibly know which one to send it too" she snarled.

Finally, I start to lose it. In a gruff voice I punt back - 'your Mary J gave me the number and asked me to use it, so I did;.

Bonny pulls in her horns.

She puts me on hold and then gets back to advise that there is no record on my Aunt's file that my fax has been received. Would I mind sending it again?

"To Bonny B" - I reply. 'Yes', says Bonny - as we are not allowed to give our last name.

And the fax number you are reluctant to give out would be? Bonny B provides me with a different one than was provided in the first instance by Mary J.

And I take it there is no telephone number available for direct follow up with you? "Correct".

Then how will I ever know that one or both of my faxes have been received? "Keep calling our main line until someone here confirms receipt" she responds.

Later that day I receive a voice mail message from Mary J - you remember her - my first contact. Mary just wanted to let me know that she was in receipt of my fax. I wondered to myself if it was fax 1 or fax 2 - but was thankful that at least one of them had gotten through and that she had taken the time to let me know. I know I am unlikely to get a similar call from Bonny B.

So after all that, I still have no idea why the reimbursements stopped but a least I think I am making some progress?

So there you have it - Communications in our Modern World. I am beginning to think though, that a return to Carrier Pigeons may be in order.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Be On The Look Out For ....

A Little Olde Lady With A Sign.

She is most dangerous - she has to be, since she has spent 10 years behind bars !!!

This criminal goes by the alias - 'Linda Gibbons' and don't let her grandmotherly looks fool you, she will stand too close to a doorway at the drop of a hat; a Morgentaler abortion doorway that is.

Just this Friday she was at it again - standing too close to Morgentaler's - with her sign no less and it took 5 - count them - five well armed gendarmes armed to the teeth, to subdue her. Hands shackled behind her back.

Despite the fact that she made no move whatsoever to resist. She must have a black belt in something or other.

And this particular arrest is simply bizzare. Just this past week, Linda Gibbons appeared before the Highest Court of the Realm - the Supreme Court of Canada and argued that our Criminal Justice System was treating her unfairly. A decision is now pending.

This alone should have brought the judicial vendetta against her to a halt until the Court renders its decision. I have seen traffic violation cases brought to such a halt in similar circumstances but sadly, not so for poor Ms. Gibbons.

What a State we live in. Real Criminals get a slap on the wrist and dear olde Ms. Gibbons gets the book thrown at her again and again.

Indeed, we can all relate to stories where perpetrators of violence receive light sentences and I have the following one for you.

A few years back, a brother of a chap I worked with was unceremoniously shot for refusing to by a thug a beer. The brother had been out celebrating the receipt of Canada Revenue refund cheque and had been liberally buying others drinks. When he wanted to leave to go home - the thug insisted he buy him another beer. And when refused, he shot him.

The Thug got 4 years and was out in two for good behaviour - despite the cold bloodedness of his killing. I have often wondered how many others have been struck down in his path since.

Even while awaiting trial this Thug placed numerous calls to the victim's family bragging how he had gunned down their son and brother. Where is the death penalty when you need it?

Anyway, Thug gets 4 years and is out in two - little olde lady carrying sign - 10 years - all of it served.

It is like living in a dream world.

And then you have riots, sit-ins and violent protests where numerous fringe nut bars deliberately break the law and receive no censure at all. Probably the worst example is in Caledonia where natives have beaten and assaulted law abiding, tax paying citizens while the police and our government officials - including most notably, our Esteemed Premier McGuinty - watch on in mute silence.

So now back to Linda Gibbons. We live in a society that prides itself on peaceful freedom of assembly and speech and here we have a lady who is troubled by assembly line abortion and all she wants to do is hold her little sign up near the entrance to the assembly line.

One of Morgentaler's minions whines "why should we put up with that (Linda and her sign) most people can't imagine what's that like...it's not a nice feeling". Poor woman, but is this not what freedom of speech is all about to make others uncomfortable by challenging their strongly held beliefs? Democracy is not comfortable.

And what about the discomfort the little baby feels when his or her young life is so violently taken.

Count me with Linda Gibbons - she is a true Martyr of our Sorry Times.

As I see it....

'K.D. Galagher'

They Just Are Not Listening...

To our Esteemed Premier, Dalton McGuinty - that is.

The "They" are the Province's Auditor General, Moodies Credit Agency and the entire German Government.

As many of you will know, I did not vote for the McGuinty Liberals in the recent election because I did not believe what he was saying - e.g. that Green Energy was creating jobs and that Ontario's economy was the best in the land and so on.

Post Election I realized I had been wrong on the basis that how could I have possibly been right when our dear Premier returned to power with a virtual majority - the voter had to be right and conversely, I had to be wrong.

So since then, I have fallen in line behind our dear Leader and now accept what he is telling us without reservation.

Now that leads me to the "They" in this piece.

How is that they are not listening to Premier McGuinty and accepting at face value what he has to say?

Let's take the AG first. His recent report is scathing on a number of fronts but almost a quarter of the report is devoted to the 'scam' of green energy. Get this - the AG says the Green Energy plan 'was not thought out - costs billions of wasted dollars and for every job it creates 2 to 3 jobs in the private sector are lost'.

The nerve of the man. Where do they come from - and I would bet you a donut to a dollar that he is not even bilingual.

But as you can see - he is just so out of touch with reality.

I would though like to focus in on one of his spurious claims - that being for every green job - two or three private sector jobs are lost. I say that because if what is being said in some circles that no green jobs - esp. lasting jobs - are being created - then you private sector jobs be lost? McGuinty needs to point this out in his rebuttal to the AG's Report - but I digress.

And then you have Germany announcing this week that it is scuttling its Green Energy Plan - it does not work - they say -it only has resulted in lost money and jobs. What do they know and their new position is certainly out of step with our Divine Leader.

Germany, as many of you will know, was the European Leader in Green Energy and was regularly referenced as a model for Ontario to follow. For them to claim now that it was a complete failure borders on the treasonous.

Anyway they are simply out to lunch.

And then there is Moodies. How dare them.

They have placed Ontario on a 'Negative Credit Watch'. A Negative Credit Watch - why this is the same Province that only months ago - in those pre Election -when in the words of our Esteemed Leader - Ontario was creating jobs at a record pace and was out performing every other Province economically.

(I know - he did not dwell on Ontario's new found 'Have Not Status' but give the guy a break).

He told it like it is and it is for this reason I just do not understand where Moodies gets off. It's a conspiracy - I tell you.

But there you have it dear readers - Our Esteemed Leader being maligned once again by more and more Lies.

And How Do I Know?

Why McGuinty Told Me So.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Another Set Of Quickies ...

I have been rather busy of late and therefore am behind on my Blogs but thought I would try to address my deficiency via the following timely quickies:

First Off - the Plight of Canada's Aboriginals -

My thoughts on this issue are generally well known to long time readers - simply stated, Reserves need to be busted up and their inhabitants moved to civilization.

I can hear the Lefties saying - 'what nerve on the part of Galagher to think that he knows best what "civilization" is for our natives'.

The fact of the matter is that I have no idea on that particular subject, but I do know what is not working. Living in remote areas - with absolutely nothing of value to do and being paid to do it, is a recipe for disaster as has been experienced by so many Reserves. This is most recently evident by the trials and travails experienced by the Attawapiskat Tribe*.

The simple fact is, The Indian Way of life - nomads of North America, ended 150 years ago never to return. To deny this is to live a dream.

The only answer is to bust up these reserves - move the inhabitants to population centres, introduce private land ownership and remove the Chiefs from the finances. Democratically Elected Councils should be established and subject to outside impartial regular audits.

Until that happens - nothing of substance will change. Full Stop.

*P.S. I found it amusing when their current Chief ranted on about De Boers Diamond Miner taking these valuable stones from local mines "while her subjects received nothing and lived in squalor". No mention was made of the fact that this self same De Boers was paying the Chief and her Managers - millions of dollars per year for the privilege of mining on reserve lands. Minor oversight on her part no doubt but of course, she had part of her story correct, in that none of her humble tribesmen shared in the booty.

Peter McKay's Helicopter Flight of Fancy -

Peter too was both right and wrong.

Right, in that he had every right to take this DND flight from his fishing hole. And Wrong, in that he tried to excuse it by saying he took part in a non-existent Rescue Training Exercise.

In doing so, he lied and looks foolish. Does it warrant his resignation - I don't think so. But you be the Judge.

But back to why he was correct in calling in the DND Air Taxi. As Minister of Defence, he is the Top Military Man and as such he should always have DND assets at his disposal to make life easier for him. Plus, every time he comes in contact with military personnel, both he and they benefit from the exposure.

Earlier you may recall that I did a Blog where I suggested that there are six or so Cabinet Ministers, given their responsibilities, who should have government transport at their beck and call - 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - including the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the External Affairs Minister and the Ministers of Public Safety, Transport and of course, Defence. For these six individuals there is no such thing as a holiday - they are always on duty even when sleeping - and yes - even while fishing.

So rather than come up with a lame excuse - McKay should have stuck out his chest and said, "I am the Minister of Defence and I never pass up a chance to be with our valued military personnel, whether on holiday or not". Full Stop.

Arab Spring -

Has of course become Arab Winter.

Pompous souls, such as President Obama, fooled themselves into thinking that the ongoing revolutions in middle eastern countries portended the advent of democracy. Readers of this Blog will know, I was always feared what would come after the Dictators.

Egypt, the largest Muslim Nation - is now in the process of electing an Islamist Government which will tolerate neither Christians nor Jews. Already, followers of both these religions are being killed or injured across the Muslim World with the lucky ones being those who are able to escape to the west.

While we, in the west, continue to keep our doors open to Muslim immigrants. Where is the fairness? But more importantly, what will be the end result. I am not for a moment suggesting that all Muslims are to be feared but admittedly in their ranks are the extremists - the Islamists - and they cannot be reasoned with. These Terrorists are already causing trouble across the West and this will only increase with time. Which leads me to the fourth and final quickie.

World War II Canada and Japan -

Two stories appeared in the papers this week both concerning this topic.

The first saw former Prime Minister Mulroney in receipt of a top award - The Order of the Rising Sun - from Japan some 70 years after the fall of Hong Kong. The award was for Mulroney's handling of an apology to Japanese Residents displaced during the War here in Canada. Mulroney's official Government Apology, along with Funding for Japanese / Canadian Reconciliation, plus compensation for individuals and families affected by the displacement, occurred during Mulroney's first term in Office in the 1980s.

Of interest, Mulroney had to go through 2 or 3 Secretaries of State before he found one who would acquiesce to his demand.

A little background - during World War II there was a large Japanese Population in British Columbia - many of whom did not have Canadian Citizenship. At the same time, there arose a genuine fear that Japan would invade Canada in the West and that the loyalties of our Japanese Inhabitants could not be totally relied upon. We can sit here today and say 'tut tut' how dare one question those residents' patriotism, but this is now and that was then when there was a real fear that the Axis Powers were going to win out and subject us all to slavery.

Property of the Japanese was seized and sold without compensation while many were interned in make shift camps.

In retrospect, what should have been done is to keep their belongings in storage and return them at war's conclusion. At the very least, compensation should have been paid to them at the time of their release - in 1945 / 46 since it would be clear at that time who the true owners were.

But to do so in 1985 - some 40 years later when many of the wronged were no longer with us and to provide an apology to boot, was just too much for some to stomach. Especially our Veterans of Hong Kong.

And that leads me to the second story in this week's papers which marked the anniversary of the fall of Hong Kong on Christmas 1941. Our troops were starved, beaten, killed - subjected to the most extreme treatment and literally worked to death. Pictures in this week's paper show what remained of our soldiers was mere skeletons.

Try telling them that we had to apologize and compensate our Japanese residents in the mid 80s many of whom had only tenuous ties to those affected during the War.

Some 2000 of our troops went to Hong Kong and at war's end, less than half returned.

With the bestowing of the medal to Mulroney, the media also announced that the Government of Japan finally provided an apology to Canada for their inhumane treatment of our troops. One of our very few remaining Hong Kong Vets reported that their apology 'meant nothing to him - but that hopefully it will prove to be of some value for the Japanese themselves'. As for compensation in regard to their forced labour and abuse - absolutely nothing.

When Mulroney received his award, he waxed eloquent - as he always does - by stating that "this was one of the greatest travesties that occurred in modern Canada history" and that he was most pleased to have been able to right this wrong.

Try telling that to our 'Hong Kongers" the few that remain. What he should have told the Japanese Officials is 'thanks but no thanks, your apology means nothing to me'.

As I see it ...

'K.D. Galagher'

Oh For Those Good Ole Democratic Days - Pt 2

I left you in part 1 bemoaning the fact that today, in many respects, we have Democracy in Name Only.



By "Democracy", I mean rule by the Majority; subject to the Rule of Law for the protection of all.




I pointed out in Part 1, the obvious fact that we no longer have Direct Democracy, it having died out with the last Athenian City State in the pre Christ years. And I hinted at the fact that we no longer even have Representative Democracy (RD) which seems to have come to a premature end in the final few decades of the last Century.



I can name four (4) developments that have contributed to the death of RD. Each, alone, has struck a most serious blow to the RD way of government; combined they have destroyed it.



First off, in the 1970s, Prime Minister Trudeau and his Clerk of the Privy Council conspired to centralize government power in the joint Offices of the Prime Minister and the Clerk. PMs to follow, including the current resident of 24 Sussex, have added to this consolidation to the point now where the ordinary MP, as well as the run of the mill Cabinet Minister, have virtually no say in determining the Government's Policy Agenda. Trudeau famously quipped that MPs were totally unknown 50 feet away from Parliament Hill and that statement now equally pertains to Cabinet.



I can remember those heady days in the 50s and 60s when MPs were elected to speak on behalf of their constituents. Now they simply parrot the lines given them 'from the centre' and dare not stray from that text.



The Second major change working against Representative Democracy is in regard to the Power the Courts and in particular, to their use of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to make laws. Prior to the Charter, Courts were there only to interpret the Laws made by our Representatives in the House of Commons. Judicial Activism has greatly neutered our once revered House of Commons and on important Societal Matters such as Marriage, Abortion, Drug Use, Immigration and Refugee Status, Language, the Courts rule supreme.


Rather than having 308 Members of Parliament deal with these important societal issues we have a mere handful of judges doing their work for them and when it comes to the cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, just 9 jurists have been given this responsibility - all political appointees and for the most part, all to the left.





The Third Development which has led to the diminished role of Parliamentarians relates to the growth of Commissioners and Quasi-Judicial Bodies. I liked to hear them referred to collectively as 'Tsars'. We have Commissioners for Privacy, Commissioners for Access, Commissioners for Language, Commissions for Human Rights and so on and so on. These chaps are always pronouncing on something or other and too often their pronouncements have the force of law. They are Not Elected are usually left of centre and in no way can it be said to represent the majority of Canadians.



And let's be honest here - Politicians have established these Tsars to avoid making difficult decisions themselves. But dear reader - that is why they were elected - to make decisions of all kinds on our behalf but they have weaseled out. We need to empower MPs by having them take back the making of such decisions - give them the staff and set-up powerful committees and by so doing, have them mirror more closely their counterparts in the States and by so doing change ordinary MPs into extra-ordinary Legislators. And yes dear reader - that includes 'deep sixing' the Senate. We do not need an unelected body nor do we need another layer of decision makers even if elected.



And now for the fourth and final reason our Representative Democracy is in such need of repair - The Bureaucracy. It is Too Large, Too Powerful and needs to be cut down to size. The King Pin is the Deputy Minister - he or she directs the mandarins - he or she hands out the appraisals and bonuses for the Senior Cadre below. The Minister has no such power nor does he or she even have the power to hire or fire Bureaucrats including the top dog Deputy. The Civil Service has grown so big and so powerful it has become virtually impossible for politicians to have much influence on it. They can and do simply wait out a current Minister tenure - Governments come and go - The Bureaucracy is forever there. In the end they tend to get their own way.



Depressing - isn't it.




Here is what we need do:

• Begin by finding a Political Party that will do what it says what it will do - no easy feat in itself;




• Disperse Power from the Centre back to the MPs - empower those MPs by providing them with the resources needed to do the job and establish a Committee Structure that has the power to compete with the PM and Cabinet;




• Rein in the Courts through liberal use of the not withstanding clause to frustrate their growing propensity to make law; (if possible - deep six the Charter)




• Cashier the Commissions and Commissioners - i.e. The Tsars - and return their Roles to a Reformed House of Commons Committee Structure;




• When the Government Changes - replace the Senior Cadre as soon as practicable with individuals in cinc with the Government's Policy Agenda and give the Ministers the Power to Replace Deputy Ministers at will. And just as important - reduce the Bureaucracy's size - It is far to wieldy. Plus much of what the Civil Service does can and should be done by the Private Sector. Even the collection of our income taxes could be done outside of government but I would not advocate something that extreme ....just yet.
  

And dear reader do not hold your breath awaiting these changes - it will take time but if we are truly to regain our voice in the operation of our affairs by Government - something along these lines will have to be done.

One further area that needs to be addressed and that is with respect to the election of our MPs. Currently we have first past the post where most get elected with a per centage far below half. This is a natural result where there are three or more viable parties vying for your vote. I do not believe in Proportional Representation since all you are doing there is making sure that the end result will be Pizza Parliaments run by Governments of Minority Status. It may work for a while but sooner or later nations need steps taken that can only be done via a Majority.

So here is what I suggest: when we vote - we vote for our first and second choice. If the top Candidate gets more than 50% of the vote on the first count - he or she wins. If the top Candidate gets less than 50% - then our second choices are counted in regard to the two Candidates who finished 1st and 2nd. Whomever receives the greater number of the first and second choices - wins and in so doing - has received more than 50% of the overall vote. I hope that's clear.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Reality Check x 2

Two articles appeared this week that go begging for the light of truth:

Note: an alert reader contacted me to advise that the sister of #1 spender Vivienne Poy is none other than our esteemed (?) former GG - Adrienne Clarkson. No wonder Senator Poy comes first in spending our tax dollars - it runs in her family.

First concerns a report released on the top 5 Senator Spenders for only the "first half of 2011"; all five (5) are Liberal Senators and all have spent more than $150,000.00 on Travel and Entertainment in just 6 months.

The top spender - Liberal Vivienne Poy spent a whopping $173,511.87. It is in respect to the number 2 guy on the list that causes me to include him in the need for a reality check although it can be said that all Senators are in need of same. Indeed, the best solution here is to see the Senate abolished - but I digress.

Number #2 Big Spending Liberal Senator is Terry Mercer who comes in for the last 6 months at $172,356.81. His home is far away in the remote Province of Nova Scotia - a cheap air flight from the Nation's Capital. He states that one of the main reasons for his high expenditure is the need for him "to go back to (his) constituency quite often, almost every weekend."

Senators Do Not Have Constituencies - Only Members Of Parliament Do !!!


The Second Reality Check is in relation to an article critical of the Government and praising the Federal Court in the handling of Refugee Cases. The case highlighted concerns a South American chap who came to Canada because he was forced to pay extortion money to criminal elements in order to operate his food stand.

The Government's arm - the Immigration and Refugee Board had turned this Refugee down but his case then went on to Federal Court - filled with Liberal Judges - where the IRB ruling was over-turned.

The problem with what the Federal Court did - and constantly does - and the angle taken by the media report is that they are wrong. Wrong in the sense that the South American Applicant may well be a Refugee but in order to gain entry into countries like Canada, an applicant must be Convention Refugee as Defined by the United Nations.

I say this with some authority given the fact that for 4- 5 years I worked in Legal Services with the Refugee Board.

By Convention Refugee - it means a person who has been profoundly discriminated for reasons of Race, Religion , or Politics. Nothing in the Definition refers to persons being 'shook down' in their business by criminal types.

So Second Reality Check - the Federal Court and the Newspapers may call this chap a Refugee - and he well may be - but He Is Not A UN Convention Refugee and as such he is not entitled to remain in Canada. Full Stop.

As a post-script this is all semantics though - since virtually all who enter Canada and claim Refugee Status - no matter how bogus their claim - seldom, if ever get deported.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Oh For Those Good Olde Democratic Days...

As in 'Direct Democracy Days' - the Athenian Way.






When every citizen voted on each and every measure - the Year Was 500 BC.






But here in Canada we have - or think we have - Representative Democracy and Ever since the Tories promised to redistribute the Seats of the House of Commons, I have been yearning to do this Blog. Here is my chance: it will be a Two Parter.







Direct Democracy, as practiced by the ancient Athenians was True Democracy in every sense of the word. The funny thing now is - with the advent of computers - we could, if we wanted to, return to those 'good olde days' any time we want.





But dear Reader - this will not happen - at least not in our life times, since the Elites have no faith whatsoever in the unwashed masses - that is to say, in either you or me. They enjoy telling us what to do and how to do it. Sadly, no Direct Democracy for us.







But I digress.






So with growing populations, the Athenian Way of Doing Democracy went by the Wayside. And, as I mentioned, has been replaced by Representative Democracy whereby the Citizens vote for Representatives to Represent them in the Drafting and in the enforcing of Laws.

That too now occurs in name only, and I will be dealing with that in Part 2. But for the purposes of this Part 1 - let's pretend that Representative Democracy is alive and well and is still with us.

So in that context, let's now look at the Tory Redistribution Plan as well as a Second Plan, put forward by the Liberals affectionately known as the Dion Plan. The Tory Plan proposes the addition of 30 seats to the existing 308 House seats while the Dion Plan maintains the 308 seat ceiling.

Both Plans have their flaws; the Liberal Plan is less Flawed.

Let's start our review by looking at how the House of Commons' seat distribution should look if all Provinces and Territories were treated equally i.e. if each vote counted the same, regardless of place of residence.

• Canada's population in 2011 is stated to be some 34.5 Million. Divided by 308 Seats, means that each riding should consist of 112,000 persons. Given this, each Province / Territory should have the following number of MPs:






• The Territories - all three together warrant only .9 of an MP - they now have 3 (1 each)






• Ontario warrants 119 - it now has 106 or 13 too few






• Quebec warrants 71 MPs - it has 75 MPs or 4 too many
  
  




• Nova Scotia .. 9 MPs ( currently has 11 MPs or 2 too many); Newfoundland .. 4.5 MPs ( currently has 7 MPs or 2.5 too many ); New Brunswick .. 7 MPs ( currently has 10 or 3 too many) and PEI *warrants only 1.2 MPs ( currently has 4 or 2.8 too many). *Note: If given the power, I would force PEI to join with New Brunswick since it is about the size of a mid sized city and has a very small land mass.
  




• Manitoba...11 MPs ( currently has 14 or 3 too many); Saskatchewan...9.3 ( currently has 14 or 4.7 too many)






• Alberta warrants 34 MPs ( currently has 28 or 6 too few ) - and -
  
  




• B.C. would warrant 41 MPs( currently has 36 or 5 too few )

So the big losers under the current regime are Ontario (-13); Alberta (-6) and BC (-5)

The big winners are Saskatchewan (+4.7) and Quebec (+4).

Okay, let's look how the Tory and Dion Plans would change this - beginning with Dion's.

Nova Scotia and Newfoundland would each lose 1 MP and Saskatchewan and Manitoba would each lose 2 MPs. So all four Provinces would continue to be over - represented but only marginally.

Quebec would lose 3 seats under Dion's Plan which would also bring it virtually in line with what it is entitled to - i.e. it would have 72 seats - just 1 more than its population warrants.

Ontario would gain 4 seats taking it to 110 or 9 seats short of what it should have; Alberta would gain 3 seats taking it to 31 or 3 seats less than it should have; and BC gains 2 for a total of 38 and would now be under-represented by 3 seats.

The big loser under Dion's plan continues to be Ontario since it would continue to be short changed 9 MPs. Otherwise, the Dion Changes does a good job of reinstating the balance of representation in the House.

Just as important - the Dion Plan maintains the 308 MP Ceiling. Even 308 is far too many Members - 250 would be more in keeping with Canada's modest size and fewer MPs would help to empower the ordinary MP. In the United Sates for instance - with a population 10x our own - their House of Representatives (equivalent to our H of C) has but 435 Members. If the US was to adopt our ratio of representation their H of R would have a staggering membership of 4,350.

So all things considered - not too bad of a plan.

Now the Tory Plan:

It adds a total of 30 seats to the current H of C configuration bringing its size to 338. In so doing, it drops the average size of a constituency from 112,000 to 102,000 which distorts the current make-up of Parliament even more.

Ontario is to be given 15 more seats thereby increasing its membership to 121. But with the increased size of the House of Commons - Ontario's entitlement would balloon to 129.5. The net result is that Ontario would still be short changed 8.5 or virtually the same as called for by Dion (9 short).

Six are to be added to Alberta giving them 34 MPs which is consistent with its current population. And 6 MPs will be added to BC's number taking it to 42 which is 1 more than its population warrants.

It will also give to Quebec 3 more seats taking their total to 78 which is given the increased number of seats in the House is only 1.5 MP more than its population warrants.

So the major difference between the two plans is the 30 additional MPs proposed by the Tories. The increased number is not only an issue of manageability, it is also a matter of increase cost. Thirty new MPs require 30 new offices, staff both in Ottawa and in their new ridings, travel / living expenses and so on. And as noted, it dilutes the power of the individual mp more than is already the case.

For these reasons, I find the Dion Plan preferable and I suggest that the Tories adopt it over their own. I would also encourage the Conservatives to take a few more seats from those jurisdictions that are over-represented and give those seats to Ontario to bring it closer to its rightful number of 119.

If the Conservatives do not do it now - while they have a majority - a fair and just redistribution will never be achieved.

As I see it ...

'K.D. Galagher'

There Was A Time In This Fair Land

When Gordon Lightfoot was a renowned singer / song writer.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for his parenting skills - presumably then or now.

I can remember when I was attending Queen's University in the late 60s, early 70s when Lightfoot was at the pinnacle of his success. He came to Queen's yearly and I never missed his concerts. I can still sing many of his songs - word for word - hence the lead-in to this very Blog.

In recent years, Lightfoot has more or less disappeared from the public stage but he was back in the news this past Tuesday, attending the Occupy Toronto Protest to lend them his support.

In particular, he was there to support his seventeen (17) year old daughter, who was living in the squalor of Occupy's tent city.

Lightfoot, oblivious to the sexual assaults and shooting ups going on in the park, praised his young daughter's 'strength, stoicism and bravery'. Rather, he should have been commenting upon his own Stupidity.

The fact that his child had contracted pneumonia while at the Site, seemed of little interest or concern to the once famous singer.

What Parent in their right mind would allow or even support their 17 year old child, - especially a girl - to camp out at such a lawless venue?

These days, barely a day goes by when I despair at the crazy things that our artistic (leftist) idols say or do.

This week - Gordon Lightfoot added his name to my infamous list of such fallen idols.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Mayor Jim Watson...

Is Doing A Good Job.

No I am not having you on.

Admittedly, I did not vote for Jim Watson, nor do I intend to vote for him in the future - he is a Liberal and I am a Libertarian - that is to say, right of the Conservatives.

But Mr. Watson has done an admiral job of effectively running the affairs of our great city.

He is spending more - but is keeping those additional expenditures within reason.

The main reason though that I have become a bit of fan, is the fact that he has restored civility to the operations of City Council. During his term, we have been spared the antics displayed by individual and groups of councillors so much in evidence during the administration of previous Mayor Larry O'Brien.

I voted for O'Brien - the first time, since I thought we needed to bring some 'business' discipline to reign in Ottawa's out of control spending. Although I stand by my desire to see business discipline applied to government, I soon realized that O'Brien was out of his depth. He was a good businessman but a very poor politician. When he needed to encourage unity, he sowed dissent.

I misunderestimated the importance of candidates having a political background.

This lack of background has been evident lately at other levels of government, indeed even at the highest level in the entire world. Barack Obama came into the Presidency after only a brief stint in the Senate. He too has reaped dissent when he should have been encouraging unity.

His main tactic is to criticize anyone and everyone who he sees as not sharing his particular vision at the time. He should instead be trying to form bridges to such groups to better the chances of overall success.

One of the leading Republican Candidates is Pizza Mogul Herman Cain. A nice chap with some good policies but he too lacks the needed political background. He is running for a job that does not lend itself to on the job training.

Indeed, in regard to the Presidency, to be effective - a successful candidate must intimately understand the intricacies of how government works in the most important and powerful country in the world. It is not something you can learn from a book - it is something you need to be steeped in.

One of the most effective politicians in recent history was Lydon Johnson who, up until the time he became President - he had spent a lifetime in Congress learning the ropes - its secrets, and forging alliances.

Obama should never have become President and hopefully Cain never will.

We need politicians to make government work.

Now if only we can keep them from lying every time they open their mouths.

As I see it ...

'K.D. Galagher'

Women Politicians, like their Male Counterparts...

Seem to have something in common ...







That is to say, when they open their mouths, they too lie.







Take for instance, recently elected Premier of Alberta, Alison Redford (at the Tory Leadership).







In the contentious Leadership Race this summer, Ms. Redford was most clear in several key positions as follows:

1. She was going to immediately move to eliminate notorious section 3 of Alberta's Human Rights Act. The section that prohibits the publication of material 'deemed discriminatory' - ( i.e. the infamous 'Hurt Feelings' clause.) The most famous example of a prosecution under this section is Ezra Levant's publication of the Danish 'Mohammed' Cartoons. Levant was successful in his defence, but it cost him over $100k in his success;






2. She would call Parliament back at the earliest opportunity, i.e. this Fall 2011 and would move quickly to enact a Fixed Election Day - beginning March 2012 and every four (4) years thereafter. This, she trumpeted, would not only legitimize her appointment as Premier but would take politics out of the calling of their Provincial Elections.






3. And her Third main Plank; she would immediately call a Judicial Inquiry into Alberta's Health Care 'Queue Jumping' Scandal.

That was of course Then, during her campaign to replace Progressive Conservative and then Premier Ed Stelmach.

And This is of course is Now - post her successful bid to be appointed Premier.

So what's changed in her 'cast in concrete' promises?

Let's look at where the above three (3) Key Promises in reverse order:

Alberta's Health Care Scandal -

• Accusations have been circulating for the better part of a year that some individuals, within the Province of Alberta, have been receiving special treatment when it comes to accessing the Province's Health Care System. Former Premier Stalmach asked the Province's Health Quality Council to look into these accusations and report later on their findings. During the recent Leadership Campaign though - candidate Redford stated unequivocally that an internal investigation such as to be carried out by the Health Council was not sufficient and that a full blown Judicial Inquiry was needed to get to the bottom of things. Now though, she has second thoughts - and recently announced she will await the findings of the Health Quality Council's Report, expected this Spring and will then decide if a Judicial Inquiry is required.

An Early Calling of the Legislature and a Fixed Election Date -

• This particular promise, as you can well imagine, was supported by voters of all political stripes. And yet, barely upon her being crowned Leader / Premier, than she balked on calling back the Legislature. Instead of this Fall, it has now been postponed until the Spring 2012. What happened to her concern regarding her lack of legitimacy to hold the office of Premier? And in regard to Fixing An Election Date for this coming March, and for every Four Years thereafter - silence.

Abolition of Section 3 of Alberta's Human Rights Act -

• More silence from the distinguished new Premier on whether or not she intends to proceed with this major plank from her Leadership Campaign. Only a month or two ago - it was a given - and now it too is in doubt.

So much for following through. It is enough to make even our Premier - Dalton McGuinty blush.

I have a feeling and I would be willing to bet money on it. Her new office has been bequeathed to her from two recent premiers - Ralph Kline and more lately Ed Stelmach. Neither gentlemen strike me as being avant garde when it comes to office decorating. I suspect that dear Alison had some definite ideas on how to redecorate the Premier's Office long before she became Premier and I further suspect that those decorations are either completed or well on the way to being so. No waffling or procrastination here. Just a guess on my part, but again one that I would be prepared to put money down on it.

There is one thing I do know however and that is if Ms. Redford continues with her gamesmanship, there will be another woman who will be most pleased and that is Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith.

And it will be interesting to see, should Ms. Smith eventually become Premier after Ms. Redford, will she too be found to suffer from the illness of open mouth lying?

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

One Of My ....

Pet Peeves:

I don't know about you, but it drives me crazy to call a phone number and get a recording along the following lines - "you have reached 123-4567, please leave a message after the tone and we'll get back you".

Who exactly 'will get back' to me after the tone ??

Usually the message is delivered by a mild voiced female; even if you are calling a single male.

What is he or she afraid of that they cannot identify the 'party to whom you are calling' other than by a telephone number ??

It happened again to me last week. I called the number of a Realtor which appeared along with his name in Big Bold Letters on a massive Bill Board. Again - the meek woman's voice - you have reached number ....

In such cases there are three possibilities the caller must contend with:

First - that he or she had a wrong number to begin with and with "the voice" has linked with God Knows Who.

Or Second - that he or she has the correct number but dialed it incorrectly.

And of course, Finally, that he or she has the correct number, has dialed it properly and has reached his intended party and yet is still left in doubt since the 'one who answers' fails to identify themselves save for confirming their phone number which is said so quickly it fails to register with you in any event. Dah.

Again I ask, what is to be gained by just answering with your number. Is someone going to reach into your phone and throttle you by the throat. You would certainly think so.

I often wonder how they like getting their calls answered in the same manner? The three options above must go through their minds as well. And yet they persist.

Well there is a simple answer to all this confusion ...

And in the case of my call last week - for someone to do this in Business is even more incomprehensible. Do they not want you to easily reach them? Why leave an enquiring party (ie potential customer) in doubt?

Going back to the Realtor's name and number on the massive Bill Board - when I called I was expecting something along the following lines:

"Hi You Have Reached Fast Eddy, your Realtor's Realtor, can't come to the phone right now since I am out selling one of my valuable client's homes - leave a message though and I will get back to you just as fast as Fast Eddy can. And Remember - Nobody Out Sells Fast Eddy"

Or Maybe again, I wrote the number down incorrectly or dialed it incorrectly or ...

You get the idea.

As I see it..

'K.D. Galagher'

Today; Remembrance Day 2011

Levels of Sacrifice: My Three Heroes.

I had not planned to do this Blog this morning but some of you had enquired about the real facts behind Major George Hees' shattered elbow so I thought I would provide you with that information along with some other of hopeful interest to you.

First though, Remembrance Day each year is primarily to recall and thank in quiet prayer, those who paid the Supreme Sacrifice in the Defence of their Country. As I mentioned in yesterday's Blog, some 110,000 Canadians died in the Two World Wars which is a very high number given the small size of our country - especially 50 and 90 years ago.

One of those was the Brother of my Grandfather - Sgt. Robert (Bob) John Bell. Great Uncle Bob bled to death in no-man's land, during the Battle of the Somme River, in the early morning hours of September 16, 1916.

But Remembrance Day is also an opportunity to for us to thank those who sacrificed in other ways. Two of those soldiers are also my Heroes.

Let's talk first about Maj. George Hees since his war injury sparked the writing of this Blog.

Major Hees was attached to the Canadian First Army during the famous Battle of the Scheldt Estuary, in Holland, between October 1st and November 8, 1944. It was imperative for the Allies to seize this land from the Nazis since it allowed for the opening of the Port of Antwerp which would enable us to land more troops and equipment but especially food for the starving peoples of the Netherlands.

In the early morning hours, before sun-up, Major Hees walked up to the Estuary to do reconnaissance. He had a pistol in his holster but for some reason (the Hand of God ?) he took that pistol out of its holster and placed it in his mid-rift. Unknown to Maj Hees, the sun began to rise behind him and a German sniper took advantage of the fact that George Hees was now silhouetted against the background of the rising sun. The next thing Mr. Hees recalls is that something in the nature of a "ballpeen hammer slammed against his elbow".

He soon ended up at a medic station where the first thing his attendant did was remove the pistol from the waist. The attendant enquired of Major Hees "why would you be walking around with a fully cocked pistol in your mid-drift?"

Sure enough, the gun was cocked and ready to fire. Closer inspection confirmed that the gun had been damaged by the rifle shot fired by the German Sniper. The bullet had ricocheted off the pistol and into Hees' elbow.

George Hees was dumbfounded. Never before could he recall taking out his weapon from its holster and placing it in his waist belt. So why this time?

Whatever the reason, it very likely saved his life in those early morning hours on the Scheldt.

By early November the Scheldt Estuary had been taken and soon the Port of Antwerp was open to Allied Shipping. But the price for Canada had come dearly, some 6 thousand of our young soldiers were either killed or wounded during the course of that month long battle.

I saved my Third Hero for my Father, Robert Ralph Bell.

Dad was a gunner , wireless operator in the tanks of the British Columbia Dragoons. Born and raised in Belleville Ontario it is a bit of story how he ended up with the BCDs but I won't get into that now.

After fighting his way up Italy and then into Holland, my Dad missed out on the celebrations of VE Day - Victory in Europe Day because he was stuck in a military hospital.

His wound injury came about in mid April 1945 less than a month from war's end in Europe. Dad's tank was part of a convoy and they had come across a large clearing. What they did in such cases was drive through one at a time to avoid mass casualties should German artillery be setup in the periphery of the clearing. Dad's tank - and M4 Sherman, was second in line.

The first tank cleared the opening and went on its way. Dad's tank started through and was immediately hit by a large artillery shell. The Commander, who had been looking out one of the hatches, was decapitated. The gunner, was in agony from a spray of shrapnel. Some shrapnel pieces had also hit my father in the left cheek of his face. The driver was unhurt but he froze - the tank came to a complete stop.

Dad yelled at the driver to keep moving - "we're sitting ducks" and the tank once again began its forward motion. He then contacted the first tank to return and knock out the artillery piece - which it soon did.

Their tank was hit again for a second time, knocking off its track - so it now stood permanently motionless. But by now the first tank had returned and neutralized the German field piece.

Dad never got a medal for what he did that day - nor even a wound stripe for the shrapnel in his face. And to boot, he was hospitalized come VE Day.

But he was alive - and I can thank him for my presence here today.

So Dad, you are my most Especial Hero.

These stories although interesting are not unusual - many other of our now old veterans could tell similar ones.

On this Remembrance Day - please go to your nearest Cenotaph and give thanks for their sacrifice.

'K.D. Galagher'

11 / 11 / 11 Part 2

In the mid 1980s the Progressive Conservatives finally came back into power after an long electoral drought.

One area of complaint by the Electorate against the former Liberal Government was the poor way in which our Veterans were being treated by their Government and in particular by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Things were so bad, a Commission of Inquiry had been established to hear Veterans' complaints and to then Recommend Needed Changes.

It is with this background that Major George Hees, M.P., P. C. was appointed at age 74 to the position of Minister of Veterans Affairs.

His first official act was to shut down the Commission. He knew what was wrong with the Department and with the former Government's treatment of Veterans and he "did not need to await a year for a Commission to report on what needed to be done." Hees went on to say, "I'll do it now".

And he did !

George Hees was supported by a small Staff Team which consisted, among others, of four persons - Shirley who had remained with Mr. Hees from his MP days and joined by Elizabeth, Del and Yours Truly.

Mr. Hees, a wounded veteran himself, taught the four of us what it meant to be a veteran in the service of Canada. "You risked having your head blown off, or an arm or a leg lost" all for the princely sum of $1.50 per day.

"Our Veterans deserve the Very Best" and he coined the Phrase - 'Courtesy, Generosity, and Speed'.

Heaven help the Bureaucrat who failed to show Courtesy to a veteran client after Mr. Hees was appointed. They deserved respect and they got it.

As for Generosity, I was with him when he told the Decision Makers in the Department that he did not want them to agonize over whether or not to grant a claim. "Give them them the Benefit of the Doubt and Give them the Money" he demanded. And they did.

And as for Speed, decisions were bogged down and were taking years to be processed. "Our guys will be dead by the time DVA renders its decision" said Hees. "Speed up the process" - and they reduced it to months. On each of his frequent visits to Veterans Affairs HQ in Prince Edward Island, he insisted on reviewing the progress the Department was continually making in improving their processing times. Bureaucrats confided in me that they truly believed Minister Hees would eventually lose interest - 'like all those before him' - but he never did and they respected him for that. As did we his personal Staff.

When his term ended four years later he would be called the Best Minister of Veterans Affairs - ever - by both Veterans and Departmental Officials alike.

(I mentioned George Hees' wound - it amounted to a shattered elbow - but should have been fatal as I will try to relate to you in a future Blog.)

So the four of us came away with great respect for what our Veterans had undergone in the up to six years fighting the powerful Axis Forces in the Second World War. Many did not return - some 55,000 Canadians were killed in that war alone. WWI saw another 66,000 remain beneath simple white crosses. So in total, for a small country like Canada, over 110,000 of our young manhood made the Supreme Sacrifice.

Reports of late once again complain about the poor treatment our Service Men and Women are receiving at the Behest of Veterans Affairs. And included in those complaints is the allegation that the Royal Canadian Legion is MIA (I will deal specifically with this latter issue later).

That said, I am admittedly not up to speed on what has gone wrong here but a recent event has convinced me that the Department has slipped sadly backwards from the days of our Boss.

My 93 year old Uncle - a veteran of WW II had a couple of serious falls of late and found himself admitted to hospital. His wife - my Aunt, remains living in their apartment at a Retirement Home. They have been married for over 70 years.

My Aunt called me recently to tell me that 'Mel' would be moving from the hospital to a nursing home and she was naturally distraught. After 70 years, to be split up is too traumatic to contemplate.

To help her somewhat, I offered to contact Veterans Affairs to see if they had any programs to assist them.

First off, I tried to telephone the District Office which serviced their home area. No number existed.

I then (given my background) called the current Minister's Office for that number and they too did not have it. (We'd have been flogged back in the 80s for lack of such info.) They suggested I call the Regional Office in Kirkland Lake.

Which I did - manoeuvring through all the prompts. I finally spoke with a person and was told that you cannot contact a District Office directly. They'd do it for me and "in due course someone from the District Office would be in touch".

At this point, I was thinking about my distraught Aunt and was most anxious to get back to her with some news.

Eventually, the District Office did call me and took the particulars of my Uncle's situation. They thought they could help but paperwork would be naturally required.

Great says I - send a councillor out asap to see my Uncle and Aunt and the councillor can get all the needed paper work done. The women on the end of the phone nearly giggled - they have not had field councillors for years. The Veteran must get his or her own paperwork in order and the send it in. We are talking here of late 80 and 90 year olds from WWII.

When George Hees was there and for years after, a contingent of councillors was available to attend at the Veteran's own home and provide advice and assistance to these mostly old fellows who, as mentioned above, laid their lives on the line for a buck and a half a day.

No more apparently. They are now on their own. Incredible. George Hees, was he alive today, would have been speechless.

I decided to do this councillor work myself.

So I said to the nice District Office Lady, could I please have a telephone number so I can reach her should any questions arise when filling out the paperwork. Nope - not possible - you need to work through the Regional Office up north in Kirkland Lake.

An e-mail address then. "No can do".

So how am I to get the necessary data to you, I enquired? She gave me their general District Office fax number.

So things have really changed.

Courtesy, Generosity and Speed seem to be something from the past - the George Hees past.

Our Veterans deserve better; they desperately need another George Hees to champion their cause.

As I see it..

'K.D. Galagher'

Libya... They Are Shocked !!!

In the same way Captain Renault was "shocked" that gambling was going on in Rick's Bar as the good Captain was in the process of picking up his winnings.





So too with Libya - The Allies are "shocked" that Muslim extremists have taken over the government from mad-man Dictator Muammar Qaddafi. And that they have installed the hated Sharia Law. Oh my.





In the case of the latter - Sharia Law, was it not our esteemed Premier, - the Right Honourable Dalton McGuinty who wanted to see that Law in force in Ontario? So why the surprise that real muslims would want the same in a majority muslim country like Libya?





As readers will know, I did not support the Allies in their efforts to depose M. Qaddafi. That he was a bad man - to be sure. But that he kept worse men in line - ie the Extreme Muslims cannot honestly be argued; Al - Qaeda, Hamas, Fatah, Hezbollah, the Taliban and so on.





And sadly, it sends a message to other Qaddafi types that they too can expect the same treatment from the West should push come to shove. And this is most worrisome in regard to Saudi Arabia.





What is certain here is that the Arab Spring is quickly turning into an Arab Winter with Jews and Christians alike facing more and more persecution, injury and death. Moderate Muslims too, who cherish freedom and human liberty, are facing their countrymen's wrath.





When President Bush Sr. pulled back from Iraq during the first Gulf War - leaving Saddam Hussein to live another day - the brilliance of his move was immediately obvious. It was Hussein and company who were keeping Iran in check and without him, Iran would quickly move to fill the vacuum. This is exactly what has happened as a result of Geo. W's impetuous act a decade later.





Again, there is no doubt that Hussein was a very evil person but when compared to the alternative, the Iranian Ayatollahs, he was much preferable. These Ayatollahs who are on record as promising to obliterate Israel from the face of the earth.





So with Libya gone and Egypt and Iraq before them, things are getting much worse than better.





On the positive side, rumblings are now being heard about a possible Israeli attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities. Hopefully this will come to pass. If it does not and when Iran's insane leaders finally obtain a functional nuclear arsenal all bets for peace are off and the imminent danger of all out nuclear war will be once again upon us.

As I see it....

K.D. Galagher'

11 / 11 / 11 Part One

I had only planned to do one Blog this year on Remembrance Day but a conversation last eve has caused me to double my intended production.



Why So?



Specifically, to address a matter of Revisionist History on the part of Italy.



A few years back, my wife and I were in Italy when we encountered a National Holiday. I enquired as to its basis and was told that each year on April 25th the Italians mark the fall of Mussolini and their Liberation from German occupation which occurred on April 25, 1944.



Freedom from Mussolini and Liberation from Germany?



Wasn't Italy one of the three founding members of the Axis Powers along with Germany and Japan?



Didn't Italy declare war on the Allies at the same time their other Axis Buddies did in 1939?



And was it not Italy that invaded a defenceless Ethiopia in 1935 with the intent to create a "Second Roman Empire".



Surely I had heard wrong. I didn't though - they have such a day and continue to celebrate it annually.



Now to my conversation with our guests last eve.



They too had visited Italy and were recently back from their venture.



Both he and she - albeit mostly he, waxed eloquent about the "key role the Italian Resistance had played during WW II".



I nearly choked on my cappuccino; did I hear correctly - " Key Role Played by the Italian Resistance"?



I pointed out to our friends, to no apparent avail, that the Italians were our Enemy in the Second World War - and that they strongly supported their charismatic, albeit clownish, Leader Benito Mussolini. So why did they think there would be an organized resistance in Italy against the forces of evil during WWII?

Forces of Evil I might add in which Italy held prominent membership.

Apparently their Hosts had spoken at length about the fine work of the Italian Resistance during the War and they had visited numerous Museums built to propagate this fantasy.

Speaking of which, I was beginning to think I had landed in Alice in Wonderland where 'up was down and down was up'.

I quickly came to my senses though recalling my own father, who fought up through Italy, saying to me that the Canadian Soldiers never felt safe or liked in Italy; we were always viewed as the enemy. It wasn't until they reached Holland that they were amongst friends and appreciative citizenry.

But to be sure, I took the time to do some research.

Until September 3, 1943 there "is no evidence to suggest the existence of an Italian Resistance".

The significance of Sept. 3rd is that on that day, Italy surrendered to the Allies who were by then marching north up through their country.

So from the 20s and 30s Italy worked hand-in-glove with their Fascist Friends but it was not until the time of their surrender, did a Resistance begin to emerge.

Coincidence? Or more to the point, by then, the Writing was on the Wall?

Not only that, the early Resistance Groups, post Sept. 3, 1943, more often than not "fought amongst themselves" which was not surprising given the broad political spectrum these so-called freedom fighters sprung up from.

Rather than assisting the Allies, I submit this late in the day Resistance was directed more to having some say in how Italy would be run Post War. In other words, it was a bald power play on their respective parts.

At least Germany has never attempted to down play their misguidedness - they are the first to say, they erred and vow never again to put themselves in such a nefarious position.

And I respect them for that.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Premier Dalton McGuinty Told Me So .

As a vocal opponent of Dalton McGuinty in the lead up to the recent Ontario Election, I have vowed not to say a disparaging word about him given his stunning electoral victory; i.e. I was obviously out of sinc with my fellow Ontarians.

So in that vain, I want to relate some positive aspects about his new administration.

First on the Economic Front.

During the last Election, the Premier was at pains to promote the excellent job he and his fellow Liberals have done in preserving Ontario's economy and in creating jobs - both black and green jobs. He glossed over the fact that under his stewardship, Ontario had fallen to Have-Not Status but let us not be picky.

So the Good News. Reports out this week indicate that both the United States and Ontario have created about 70,000 full time jobs in October. Oh wait, the United States did but the papers report a negative 70,000 in the case of Ontario. A mere typo I am sure - Premier Dalton McGuinty told me so. Those same newspaper reports show Ontario's jobless numbers increasing but again they are not to be believed.

And Speaking of Green Jobs - you will well remember during the Campaign, Premier McGuinty held a press conference at one the new Green Manufacturers where he stated that Ontario's Green Policies have created 20,000 jobs on the way to 50,000. We were all so proud of our Premier, even when it came out the next day that the company where his news conference was held - was closed for want of business. A mere detail

But want I want to communicate to you today is another misleading newspaper account stating that a Green firm in St. Catharines called Silicon Knights upon receiving a large government grant - just laid off half of its work force. Lies, Lies and more Lies. Again, Premier McGuinty told me so.

As an aside, I really do not understand what has gotten into the media - they are usually so left wing and we should be able to count on them to put our Premier in proper light.

And then there is Hydro. Users began calling into the Talk Radio Stations - some in tears - saying that immediately after Election Day they began to receive letters from Hydro threatening to cut off their power. Many said that they even offered partial payment - since their bills were so high - but Hydro out and out rejected their offers.

Well dear reader, I know what is going on here too. Tories disguised as Hydro Consumers are clogging these shows with their false and misleading statements. Premier McGuinty told me so.

Well that's it for now. Rest assured I will continue to point out these frivolous yet spiteful attacks against our Premier as they continue to come to me attention.

And just remember, when you too come across them - bear in mind they are all false.

Premier McGuinty Told Us So.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galager'

Well So Much For Democracy...

Papandreou collapsed faster than a cheap card table in the face of Germany and France's dictum to drop the Referendum or face immediate expulsion from the EU.

So where does that leave the people of Greece?

Angrier than ever. They will not be allowed a say in the continued loss of their 'entitlements'.

More violence and bloodshed will follow.

As I said yesterday, with such major changes being imposed on Greek Society, it is only proper that its citizens have a direct say in what occurs.

Now they won't.

Not that it matters in regard to the eventual outcome though.

Either way, Greece will have to continue to reel in its spending. And either way - with or without a Referendum, Greece will most likely be dropped from the EU Club.

But at least with a Referendum, the Greek People would have a direct say in their future.

And with that, it would have mitigated the violent fallout and would have help the average Greek person to both accept and positively engage the needed austerity measures.

An opportunity lost.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Beware of Greek Bearing ...

... A Dagger.

One just stabbed it into the back of his EU Colleagues - as in Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.

And this just following Europe's months of contortions to reach a financial bailout for their Greek Member State.

Some friend.

But you know what - Papandreou is correct in what he is doing - too bad he let things drift so long before springing his plan; it would have saved much time and wasted energy.

But why do I say the PM is correct? Simply because it is the Democratic Way to do things.

Greece is in turmoil; strikes, riots and demonstrations by its citizens over draconian cuts to jobs, salaries, and pensions.

In a democracy, they should have the right to decide on such major developments via a Referendum.

As an aside, these draconian measures are coming our way too, as I have pointed out in many of my previous Blogs. We had a chance and indeed we still do to a lesser extent - to cushion the blow in regard to our so-called "Entitlements," but if we put it off much longer, we too will soon experience a Greek-like Collapse.

The EU is in shock by this development and are threatening Greece with expulsion.

Bear in Mind though, it would have happened anyway - even with the bailout and assuming Greece went along with it; - in the end, Greece's continuation in the EU Community was destined to failure given its dire economic position.

Now to the Referendum which is to be held within three or four months time.

But you know what ? - it will never be held.

There is no way in hell that Europe will put things on hold for that length of time awaiting Greece's decision.

Europe will move right away to give Greece an ultimatum - go with the Bailout or get the hell out the Union.

Greece will opt for the latter, since Papandreou has now boxed himself in with his Referendum Pledge.

And as I mentioned above, this would have eventually happened in any event; there is no way Europe would want to continue to extend needed future packages to this ailing country.

So Papandreou gets the best deal he can - his approach is democratic and cannot be faulted in that respect. Plus, he is currently vilified by his citizenry for imposing draconian measures and now the acceptance or rejection of those self same measures will fall to the voter for decision where they belong.

If a Referendum is held, it will not be on whether or not to remain in the EU - that decision will be made much sooner and certainly not by the Greeks themselves.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

I Have A Confession To Make...

And I do so at the real risk of having you think less of me .... if that's possible.



As you know, I am not a fan of Jogging - from my perspective it just wrecks one's knees and flattens your feet.



Perhaps it's my Scottish Background but I see most exercise, just the sake of exercise, to be a waste of precious time in the sense that if you have time to run around like a gerbil - why not do something useful like split a few cords of wood?



I know many of you will take great exception to this and I accept that.



But that's the lead-in to my Apology.



So here goes...


Rick Hansen has been in the news over the course of the last couple of days in regard to the 25th Anniversary of his World Sojourn in a Wheelchair. Quite a feat of strength by any standard.


So here is my Confession - I was not all that excited about his Achievement in the first place and continue to feel that way today. It was a waste of time and energy.



So there - think what you will, but I wanted to come clean with you.




And this applies to similar masochistic endeavours such as Terry Fox's run across Canada.




Do it for yourself if you will, but don't expect everyone to hoist you on a pedestal for the doing. It is a useless activity made all the more so by drawing it out.



I cannot deny that much good came of their struggles - millions of dollars were raised in the fight against cancer and spinal injury but did that warrant the glory and idolization that flowed from their running and wheel chairing?



Does it warrant the statutes placed across Canada?



What about real heroes such as Sir Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best who, in the 1920s, rather than raising millions of dollars, saved millions of lives through their important discovery of insulin in combating diabetes?


I think that we as a civilization have lost our way in determining who the Real Heroes of Society Are.


And speaking of Real Hereos - what about our young 20 year old soldier killed in Afghistan earlier this week. He never even got to meet his new baby girl saving our sorry butts back here in Canada.


For my money - I will go with Him and the Bantings and Bests of this world and leave the masochists to fellow joggers to cheer on.


I know, I know, ... I am hateful.


But as the younger generation would say - "Bite Me".


As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

























It is quite an accomplishment to roll yourself such a distance, but where I take exception is for the Roller to think he or she is entitled to other peoples' caring - just for the rolling. If Hansen or others had come to me first I would say to them 'if you really want to help others in your situation - go and help them directly or join their associations and do volunteer work'.













If he or she persisted in wanting to roll or walk or run or swim or whatever I'd say "fine" but do it for yourself - as a test for yourself - and not expect others to idolize you just for the doing.













People every day do specular things mostly because it is needed (i.e. useful). They do not expect glory for their actions - although it would not be out of place to give some to them.













But for those who set out to do what I find to be bordering on useless and then expect me to say Wow - that is another thing entirely.