Two Nutbars at the Top….

 

And dear reader, for once I am not talking about our Nutbars close to home.

Rather, I am writing today about the Leaders of Iran and more specifically, North Korea.

Iran is led by a tyrant who brooks no dissent from within and states his major priority to be the elimination of the Jewish State Israel by way of nuclear holocaust.  I have said in numerous past blogs that this is the biggest story of our time.  If Iran is allowed to perfect its nuclear weaponry Israel will most likely become history and the west will be sucked into the world’s first nuclear war.  No one will be spared the fallout.

Thankfully, it appears that at last Obama has realized what is at stake here, as evidenced by his recent buttering up to the Prime Minister of Israel.

But in recent days the worry about Iran has been replaced by the ravings of a even greater madman – the leader of North Korea.

As evidence of this, its leader cancelled just cancelled the armistice which brought an end to hostilities on the Korean Peninsula in 1953.  This has to be about the dumbest thing for the North to do.

All the while its leader, Kim Jong Un (hereinafter referred to as the ‘young-un’), plays toy soldiers with his Generals, while most of his populace starves.

From my perspective, there are but three possible outcomes:

first, that this has all been a bluff on the part of the young-un to gain more aid;

second, that he actually wishes to bring about a cataclysm but that will thankfully end prematurely when his Generals, realizing that the young-un is indeed serious, seize the reins of power from him; or,

third, his generals are a nutty as the young-un is and a nuclear war is unleashed.  This would not be pretty.

My guess is that either the second or third scenario will prevail but am hopeful for the second.

And, I do not think we will have long to await the outcome.

In any case, I do not see the young-un dying of natural causes like his grandfather and father before him.

We are living in dangerous times.  Our governments’ finances are teetering on the brink and our world is facing war on a scale that could exceed anything experienced in mankind’s history.

It is fitting then, at this most holy time of the year, to pray to the Lord Our God for deliverance.

As I see it…

“K.D. Galagher’

Preston Manning … A Wannabe

 

Very recently, Preston Manning concluded his annual Networking Conference here in Ottawa.

He gave the keynote speech where he identified the most pressing issue for us Conservatives – the need to be more environmentally conscious.

Yes, you read that correctly – we need to be more Green, as per the Green Party of Canada.

Never mind that the environment registers with the public right down there in the cellar … that is what he sees as our major need.

Let me be clear at the outset, I do not respect Preston Manning and his recent pronouncement only reinforces my poor opinion of him.

My colouring of Manning changed long before he became Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in 1997 but he certainly did not endear himself to me upon reaching this milestone:

He was not going to live at Stornaway; he was not going to have a car and driver; he was going to sit in the middle of his caucus, away from the front bench.  All of these promises lasted but mere weeks. 

It has been alleged that he changed his hair, fixed his teeth, took voice lessons and dramatically changed his haberdashery.

In short, there appeared to be little the man would not do to try to fit into the establishment.  

So much for the ideals of Reform.

And that, dear reader, leads me back to the formation of the Reform Party of Canada in the late 1980s.

Manning, as its founder, was going to bring Canadian Politics into a new era of openness where the grassroots would rule and their representatives in Parliament would carry out their wishes.  Even I bought into this dream since I was tired of the tweedle dee and tweedle dum approach of Liberals and Conservatives. 

I say dream since it soon became evident that Manning would not listen to his grassroots and he brooked no dissent from within.  He turned out to be just as autocratic, as any other leader.

With all this, I am left not knowing what political philosophy Manning really possesses, but I do know he is has let many of us on the right down by his acting like a traditional politician.   

As I see it…

‘K. D. Galagher’

 

 

Just When You Were Beginning To Think…

 

That Governments were running out of ways to tax the poor downtrodden  (as if..)  …

Along comes the EU which just imposed a Deposit Tax on the hapless folks of Cyprus.

You heard it correctly – a 10 % tax on Cypriots’ Bank holdings.

I have been warning for some time now that the European Contagion was not only far from improving …it was actually getting worse and would soon consume the Americas.

The bottom-line in all of this is that our Governments are all broke.

I do not need to tell you that this is a most novel way for Governments to secure new funding.  Up to this point, they had relied more or less on taxing one’s income but as those taxes have maxed out (e.g. France’s 75% income tax) there is only so much more that can be gained from it.

Obama too will soon see that increased taxes on the top 1% will only go so far in addressing the State’s $17 Trillion Dollar Debt and $1 to $2 Trillion Dollar annual Deficit.  Can you imagine the money to be had by going EU and taxing Depositors’ / Investors’ holdings at the rate of 10%.

For that matter what is hold politicians at the 10 per cent mark – why not go for 25% or higher?

Depositors have already been contributing albeit silently since their holdings have not been keeping up with inflation.  Over that last many years they have received pittance for their money – often less than 1% while inflation – even the low official versions of same – is running north of 3%. 

To put this in perspective, say you were a depositor in Cyprus and had $100k on deposit at the beginning of 2012.  At the end of the year and allowing for 1% interest, you would have a tidy balance of $101k.  However with inflation, that money would only be worth $98k after the effect of the year’s inflation.

Now move ahead to March 2013 and your nest egg is debited by the 10% EU tax – your balance plunges to $90,900.

Only in Cyprus you say?

Don’t be too sure and while you are reflecting on this you will be well to remember that income tax itself started as a temporary measure.

As I see it…

“K. D. Galagher’

 

Marc Garneau…

 

Another politician with sterling principles.

Garneau was the only candidate in the current Grit race that had any chance to beat or at least, give the Hair & Teeth – aka Justin Trudeau – a run for his money.  That he decided to drop out this close to the finish tells me one thing – and one thing only – he wants to endear himself to his about to be elected New Leader.

Any odds on who will be the Foreign Affairs Minister should Justin pull off a General Election win?

There are several losers in this scenario not the least of whom is Garneau himself – he has let himself / his team down by not seeing this through.

He has also let Trudeau down by making his upcoming victory all the easier since Trudeau needs some bumps and bruises to be an effective leader.

Finally, Garneau has let his Party down by ensuring another Coronation which is the last thing the Liberals need right now..  They have had too many of those in recent years and now of all times, when they desperately need to delve into soul searching, new policies and the like – that will all be jettisoned in the search for another Messiah.

Well hopefully it will all work out for Garneau since a bitter price is being paid for his actions.

I sat beside Garneau at a dinner many years ago and found him to be a rather cold fish – not the hail hardy politicians I was more accustomed too.  But of course, he was only an astronaut at the time.  But in following his career since then, I have seen no reason to change my initial assessment. Indeed, if I had been a Liberal voting next month – I think I too would have voted Teeth and Hair over him – the latter being likely much more fun to share a beer with.

The fact is though, I would not have been voting for either gentlemen – rather my vote would have gone to Martha Hall Findlay since of all the candidates, she seems to have been the only one who has made an effort to think through some policies.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

Finally, The Supreme Court of Canada Pt 3

 

At the end of Part 2, I left you to contemplate our ‘MIA’ Politicians, which sadly is the case whenever our courts pontificate, regardless the subject. 

But here their standard mode of operation is even more egregious since the issue here represents the underpinning of Democracy - Freedom of Speech, and more to the point, the restriction of same.

We can only hope that our politicians are using the silence to beaver away on plans to invoke the notwithstanding clause to neutralize the SCC’s unanimous decision or are drafting laws to abolish Human Rights Commissions …but if I were you, I would not bet the farm on it.

Rather, the Court’s decision appears to be another successful step in the relentless march to impose the will of special interest groups upon the majority. 

The fact that the Court’s action is consistent with similar steps being taken across Western Society, is of little comfort.

So dear reader, if you can’t beat them – join them and that is just what I plan to do.

Going back to Ezra Levant’s article, he also talks about a recent episode of CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes.  During the course of the show a skit was conducted mimicking a Catholic Holy Communion but in place of wavers and wine representing the body and blood of Christ, the Show used Tim Horton’s Coffee and Timbits.

Funny Fellows Those CBCers.

Except I did not find it all that funny.  Indeed, I did not find it to be funny at all; I was offended.

More to the point, I believe their offensive skit is likely to expose a person (me) to hatred or contempt.

The question then becomes whether or not as a Catholic – I am part of a vulnerable group which clearly I think I am since Christians and especially Catholics have been under attack throughout the world in recent decades.  Many – far too many have been killed in less stable areas; our absolute numbers are in decline. Next to the Jewish, we are fair game for obnoxious slurs, slings and arrows.

Admittedly, we have not always acted in a pure and Christian like fashion – i.e. the sex scandals and cover-ups, but I take comfort in the Court’s finding that truth is not always a bar to a successful Human Right’s Claim.

I will keep you current with my ongoing efforts.

Rest assured, that any monetary award I may garner, will be immediately donated to Christian / Jewish Charities which will do more good than remaining with CBC. 

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

 

The Supreme Court’s Shut Out …Cont’d …

 

In my last Blog, I ended by saying that I was in despair with respect to the recent Supreme Court decision in the case of one William Whatcott.  Fall out from the decision now leads me to conclude that my despair should more correctly have been labeled ‘fear’ since its serious ramifications are quickly becoming evident.

In that regard, I highly recommend to you Ezra Levant’s column yesterday wherein he sets out in detail the salient points of the Court’s pontification.

In particular, Levant points out that from now on, the Courts will not tolerate ‘exposing a person to hatred or contempt’ if he or she comes from a ‘vulnerable group’ …whatever that term is intended to mean.

The Court also invents a new legal right, namely, ‘the right to self-fulfillment’.  Again..whatever that means.

What is clear though is their combined effect ..censorship in a wide range of cases for comments irrespective that those statements are ‘true, or a joke, or fair’.

And we thought up to this point that the Truth would set you free.  No longer.

Think about this for a minute;  If a bunch of Martians landed here in Canada and were constantly drunk, raped and pillaged… you or I can no longer say a word in criticism, for fear of exposing them to hatred or contempt, and ourselves to legal charges and expensive defence costs.

Let’s take a example closer to earth (home) – pretend there is a group of individuals, living in Canada, separate from main stream society, that lives by and large off public assistance.  And let’s say that the majority of them live under third world conditions despite the fact that their leadership receives billions of dollars per year on their behalf without having to account for the disbursement of those funds.  The Supreme Court appears to be saying that, from here on in, no one from the outside can legally criticize what is going on here.   

And think of the harm this will do to our churches – Christian, Jewish, Muslim - whatever.  Their views have already come under fire for alleged intolerance, and with the Court’s decision it will now be open season on them. 

Moreover, T.V. / Radio Talk Shows across the country are now considering whether or not they can continue to function in such a restrictive environment…and rightfully so. In many respects  these shows have been the last bastions of free speech and when they go off the air, we all lose.

For me, Freedom of Speech means having the right to say what you think despite how intolerant it may be to others on the basis that open and frank discussion will allow society to make up its own mind as to what is right and what is wrong.  It is the very foundation of a healthy and vibrant society.  To curtail it, simply moves it underground and will result in trouble ahead – i.e. the Communist experience.

There will be a part 3 to this but, in the meantime, I leave you with the following question:  Where are our politicians in all of this?

As of now, they have been collectively Missing In Action.

 As I see it…

‘K. D. Galagher’

The Supreme Court 6… Freedom… 0

 

If there was still any doubt about our collective lack of freedom, it was dispelled with this week’s unanimous decision of our once esteemed Supreme Court.

Simply stated, we no longer have Freedom of Speech in this Land and indeed, it has been missing in action for some time now.

And surprising, given the recent proliferation of Human Rights Tribunals which have ambitiously pronounced on what we can / cannot say and can / cannot hear.

Freedom of Speech is, as I have mentioned in previous Blogs, the fundamental freedom upon which all are other supposed freedoms rest.  Without Freedom of Speech, all other freedoms are mere shells.  Can you just imagine Freedom of Religion without Freedom of Speech; ‘practice any religion you wish but just don’t write or say anything about it for fear of offending someone’.

In the case at hand, the SCC determined that one William Whatcott was guilty of hate speech for disparaging gays.  As an aside, much of his source material came from the Bible but it could have come from any source, including his own vivid imagination.  

Thankfully the vast majority of us do not for one moment share his belief but again that is not the issue.  The fact is, he believes it and in other times would have had the right to voice his opinion without censure.

This brings to mind the late British writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall’s proclamation: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”.

We do not need the quasi judicial bodies or even our courts filtering out what we can say or hear.

Another very recent example of what Freedom of Speech is all about is the comment made a day or so ago by Harper’s long time Mentor, Thomas Flanagan.  He said that for freedom’s sake, individuals should be able to view child pornography without fear of criminal sanction since it was a ‘victimless crime’.  In fairness, he coupled his statement by saying the producers of such filth were clearly breaking the law and were deserving of severe punishment.  But that said, it was still a dumb statement for him to make and I believe has caused his career to come to a crashing close.

But that is not to say, Flanagan did not have the right to say what he did.  After all, isn’t that what a free and open society is all about? 

That is not to say there should be no limits on what a person has to say.  For instance, if they incite death or violence against a person or group of persons, clearing that crosses the line.  But the exceptions to the absolute right to say what you want should be kept to an absolute minimum.  This principle though has been jettisoned at the feet of these self-serving non elected and hence undemocratic courts and boards.  

More and more I despair with the speed society seems to be going toward autocracy and do not see any indication that this is likely to change and I feel sorry for the next generations.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’