Solzhenitsyn...A Most Unappreciative Guest

First, I apologize to you in advance for another rather 'heavy duty' Blog.







This may surprise you; I do try to avoid 'heavy' but there seems to be no escape from it - the world as we used to know it back in the 'good olde 60s' has completely turned on its head. What was right then is wrong now.








What got me started on today's rant is an article I came across recently about the late Russian Writer & Philosopher Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn, as you will recall, exposed to the world the Russian forced labour camps through his two most famous writings - The Gulag Archipelago and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich.






At the end of WW II he was imprisoned in these forced labour camps for being critical of the way in which Stalin conducted the war. He was not released until 1956 - some 10 years later.





As such, I believe it is safe to say that he was an expert on Totalitarianism.



To make a long story short - at least this portion of the story, he visited the USA for an extended period of time in the late 1970s and in 1978 was the recipient of an honourary degree from Harvard.





In his commencement address that day, his topic was 'A World Split Apart' and students and faculty alike sat back prepared to listen to him castigate the Soviet Union. To their amazement the subject of his scorn was the very United States which had welcomed him to its bosom.





Here are some of his comments from that day long ago:

• The Western World has lost its courage and its Leadership is mediocre;





• The West is guilty of blind arrogance, of material abundance coupled with spiritual poverty;





• That Security, brought about by Western Capitalist Welfare States, is both addictive and enervating;





• He pointed out the Mendacity of our Media and the Decadence of our Art.

In sum, he bemoaned the fact that the gift of freedom had been abused and debased in the West.

Those present had not expected this from their guest - indeed, they had thought he would be thankful for being granted time in their great country. They were sadly mistaken.

Looking back from our vantage point today it is not surprising that Solzhenitsyn spoke out the way he did. Here was a man who had looked into the Jaws of Hell for 10 long years and accordingly, was not about to sugar coat his beliefs for the sensitivities of his Host Country.

The only question I am left with is just what he would think of the state of things today - some 30 years later?

Although Solzhenitsyn is no longer with us I did come across two columnist of late who I believe may just be able to speak on his behalf albeit without the Great One's forcefulness.

David Warren in his Article 'Before the Deluge', speaks about an "impending catastrophe in almost every direction". In the "World at Large" he notes, "tyranny is almost everywhere advancing ...while our ability to rise to each potential crisis is diminishing".

His article then goes on to examine the terrible financial state that our Free World Leader - America finds itself. These Debts and Deficits have not only resulted in Big Government, but more importantly, he notes, has resulted in its Citizens having become mere vassals of the State - so dependent on its Welfare that they have lost the ability to Act and Think Independently.

The Second Article I would like to Reference is by Ken Gray entitled 'The New Abnormal'.

Gray continues on the same Theme. "If people ever begin worrying about the $13 Trillion public debt, it might not hurt to start patrolling the edges of your property with a rifle".

He continues with a review of the terrible financial stats.

• US Debt is 89% of GDP



• it has been increasing annually by $500 billion since 2003



• in 2009 alone it increased by $1.9 Trillion

Sooner of later he notes that both government and individuals will have to get their "debt under control" but this will mean an end to artificial stimulus. And this coupled with the Boomer Retirement will mean that economic activity will tank for many years to come.

So what does all this mean for you and I?

The US will no longer be able to fulfill its role as World Leader. That Role will pass by default to China.

The West has been unable to contain Terrorism to now - under the New World Order it will be less and less able to even try.

There is an answer though and it lies deep inside each of us. A return to basic values of truth, honour and integrity. We have seen an example of this - this past weekend where Glenn Beck brought half a million ordinary Americans to the Lincoln Memorial to pray for the courage to do just that. It is a start - indeed a bid start and I will be writing more on this in later Blogs.

Suffice to say, Beck has been universally put down by the liberal left but then again, Christ was the subject of scorn some 2,000 years ago. I am not for a minute equating Beck with Christ - I am only pointing out that to be scorned by the Leftist Elites

Death of the Long Gun Registry....

It looks as though a final vote will taken within weeks on the Tory Private Member's Bill designed to kill the Long Gun Registry and put it out of its misery.

This issue comes down to the Rural / Urban Divide. Rural Canadians want it - Urban Canadians do not. As a resident of Ottawa - albeit Rural Ottawa, I fall into the former camp. I also own firearms.

Firearms for Rural Canadians are simply tools - like pitch forks and tractors. Even here on the outskirts of Ottawa we co-exist with coyotes, wolves, fox, fishers and the odd bear. It is nice to have a weapon to help dispatch them if they get too bothersome. A couple of years ago a deer got caught up in one of our fences and badly broke its leg to the point that it could no longer walk. At the time I owned just a 22 cal rifle and I was not sure it would do the job of humanely putting the animal out of its misery. I called a local hunter who was fortunately home and did the deed. We had also called the humane society, the vet, the police and the conservation officers first - but none were willing to get involved.

So to me there is a need.

But more important, there is not a need for the Registry itself. It is just a monumental waster of taxpayers' money.

Gun owners are already Registered. In order to purchase long rifles and ammunition - you must first have an Acquisition Permit and as such - you are registered. So when the Police Chiefs say they need to know if firearms are present before they enter a residence - this information is and has been available to them for some time. The registration of firearms is, in other words, a redundant activity.

It is also a very emotional topic. Born out of the Polytech Massacre in 1989 - it was a knee jerk - feel good initiative designed simply to placate the residents (voters) of Montreal. In so doing it rang up over $2 billion in costs. Police Chiefs say today that the costs are a mere $4 million a year to run the program and if you believe that I have a swamp....

The average cop knows the folly of the Program and if truth be told - so do their Chiefs. But may I suggest that their Leadership's position is less about safety and more about bulking up their resources from the public purse (i.e. in much the same way as their war on drugs which they have been losing from day one).

At this point it looks like enough NDPers will support the Tories in 3rd and final reading and hopefully this boondoggle will be behind us all.

As I see it..

'Galagher'

Green Thumb in the Dike...

a.k.a... Chicken Little on Steroids.


If the Elites of this Country and the World are to be believed, we are in the midst of an Environmental Collapse - one that is likely to destroy the world as we have known it.

And in that regard, you may well think that their little green thumbs are positioned to hold back the Apocalypse, but in reality they are holding back progress - progress necessary to ensure us all of a vibrant and healthy & happy future.

It comes down - as it always does - to an issue of power. The Greenies see an opportunity to inflict their will upon the majority, despite the disastrous consequences that follow. The Al Gores' of this world line their pockets while spouting doom and gloom all the while forcing the rest of us to do their bidding; to recycle, to turn the heat up and down; to use less, to drive less, eat less (e.g. meat) and so on.

Simply stated, it goes against the grain of our 5,000 years of history, a history that encourages a constant betterment of the individual's circumstance.


One of the Greenies' primary concerns centres on Global Warming and in particular the damage caused by Fossil Fuel Poisoning.

There is no doubt that fossil fuels are bad for the environment, there is also no doubt that until a satisfactory replacement can be found, we are stuck with them. Without fossil fuels our way of life would quickly come crashing down. What to do?


The Green Hornet to the Rescue:

• Eco Fees


• Wind Mills


• Solar


• Smart Meters


• Carbon Caps


• Carbon Trading, and the


• Greening of Taxes to pay for their folly.

All this serves to do, is impoverish the taxpayer who gets stuck paying all the bills attached to this nonsense. He or she will have to forgo many amenities to fund these silly but costly initiatives. In just the area of Hydro alone, Costs are in the process of tripling because the Greens are having taxpayers pay 12 times the going rate to producers of wind and solar power.

Every day, people are calling into the Chat Lines to say that they are in very real danger of losing their homes, their medicines, their dental care etc to these increased Green Costs.

If not the Greens ...then Who?

Why Capitalism, naturally. We desperately need the likes of Edison and Ford to bring their genius to the issue of finding a replacement to fossil fuels and the other serious environmental issues that confront us today. The Market has come through for us before and it will again if given the chance. Its focus is progress not cutting back and doing less with less.

Permit me to provide you with a recent example of what the private sector can do in the face of a very serious problem - Bed Bugs. These horrid little insects have become a plague in recent years in our large cities including in our beloved Capital City. Exterminators tell us that the problem stems from the fact that the Greens banned effective pesticides. Be that as it may, this week's papers tell us that an inventor has now come up with a way to "freeze" these little critters in an effective, cheap and environmentally friendly way. Now hopefully, the Greens are okay with the killing of Bed Bugs!

Had it been up to me, I would have kept the effective pesticides going until this alternate had been invented. It would have spared many a great deal of grief.

Here is the trick - don't tell the private sector what to build / invent- rather tell them what not to build / invent i.e. "do not produce a product that causes damage to the environment". Then let the private market do its thing. It could even mean continuing reliance on oil if it can be shown to the government's satisfaction that new developments can neutralize its injurious affect.

This regulatory / oversight role is what government should be all about.

What we have now are the Greenies telling us to do this, that and the other thing, knee jerking us into ultimate catastrophe.

Since the second half of the last century we reached the moon and beyond. There really are few limits to what is possible for mankind. Greenies are all about restrictions and limits and should therefore be swept up into the trash bin of history where they belong.

As I see it...

"Galagher"

Right of Centre Under Attack

You want to hold a demonstration - peaceful or not - and you are a native or a visible minority - be our guests.

You are Gay and want to put yourself on display - go to it.

You take your clothes off for PETA or any other politically correct cause - no problem.

But if you are are group seen to be right of centre - look out - the State will seek you out and destroy.

Take the Jaworskis for example.

This poor family is facing fines of up to $50,000 for - brace yourself - holding an annual 2 day Libertarian Think Tank on their rural property near Orono Ontario - south of Peterborough.

This nefarious event occurs each summer and hosts up to "a few dozen Libertarians" the likes of Randy Hillier and Jason Kenney. Can you imagine.
(see front page of the National Post August 19, 2010)

Ontario's Ministry of Health first tried to shut them down and when that failed they were charged for using their property as a "commercial conference centre". Yeah - 2 days per year - some conference centre.

It is hard to imagine the Province being so vigilante if the Jaworskis were using their property to hold annual retreats for the Liberal Party of Ontario!!

The Jaworskis emigrated to Canada from Communist Poland so they know first hand all about State Control. I am sure though that little did they think they were in danger of being the subject of such arbitrary action in their adopted nation.

If the Jaworskis are in danger of such arbitrary and discriminatory action - we are all in danger.

If Libertarians cannot hold unobtrusive get-togethers, Parties of All Stripes need to sit-up and take notice because in time they will all be eventually targetted.

As I see it...

"Galagher"

Lord Black of Crossharbour

As you know, I am a fan of Conrad Black.



He is his own man and continues to do it His Way: a take on Sinatra's famous song.



Anyway he is now out of jail and I do not see him ever having to return to incarceration.



As many have noted, I too believe the experience has had some benefit for him - again though, not to say he deserved it- he most certainly did not. But it did bring him in contact with those of much lesser ability and he was able to use his teaching skills to enhance their own.



I could talk about the injustice of what befell Lord Black but it has all been said and indeed I covered much of that in an earlier Blog.



But what stands out for me is how Black has been able to keep his individuality - his sense of self - in such troubling times. A lesser person would have been beaten down.



At a time when too many XYers walk around with earrings and necklaces, their hair tied up in pony-tails and sporting pink shirts and spandex, (how can they not help but be 'conflicted') - Black stands out like the quintessential man - the one that Rudyard Kipling was referring to in his famous poem (and my favourite) - IF:

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too.

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good nor talk to wise.


If you can dream and not make dreams your master, if you can think and not make thoughts your aim.

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken and stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and- toss,

And lose and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you, Except the Will which says to them 'Hold-on'.


If you can Talk with Crowds and keep your virtue or Walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you but none too much.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute with Sixty Seconds worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it -

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son*.

*Of note, Rudyard Kipling's son was killed in the Great War of 1914-1918.

In my books, Conrad Black is very much a Man.


As I see it...

'Galagher'

The Absolution of Helena Guergis

THE RCMP HAS JUST COMPLETED ITS INVESTIGATION OF THE HAPLESS HELENA GUERGIS AND HAS CONCLUDED THAT THERE ARE NO GROUNDS UPON WHICH TO CHARGE HER (ie. for the heinous unspecified crimes alleged against her by the PMO).

QUELLE SURPRIS !!

You may recall that I wrote about this matter back in April and at that time concluded that Ms. Guergis was being unfairly treated and, in my own words at that time, stated that dear Helena "has been given a bum rap." I went on to suggest that any investigation was unlikely to find anything of substance.

When I wrote the April column, all of the media and politicians of all stripes, were busy crucifying the dear lady. So I got it right - right of the bat.

I also said back in April that I did not think I would like Helena Guergis if I knew her - given her silly antics but that aside, she did not deserve the ill treatment handed out by so many - most notably by our Prime Minister.

He not only fired her from Cabinet, but kicked her out of Caucus and revoked her right to run in future Elections as a Conservative. All over nought.

Ms. Guergis has stated recently that she wants a 'face to face' with Harper to clear the air but I suspect strongly that he will never grant such a meeting even though that would be the decent thing to do since he has utterly destroyed her political career.

Harper should get down on his knees and apologize for his misguided wrath and pettiness but as Adlai Stevenson once so aptly put it - "Hell will likely freeze over first".

As I see it...

"Galagher"

Plus or Minus...Wheatska and ...

... the rest of the Boys.



As you have no doubt noticed, I have more or less taken this Summer off. The weather is just too nice to waste in front of a Computer.

This Summer reminds me of the wonderfully hot Summers of my youth.



It also has the effect of reminding me of some humourous moments from long ago.



Take Wheatska for instance.



Wheatska was about our age and was raised on a Dutch Settlement Farm in the Rural part of Brighton. His claim to fame was the trouble he had in getting his '60 day' beginner driver's permit - as it was then called.



On one occasion he was met coming out from taking his latest written driver's exam - all smiles. When asked if he had passed the test he responded "no" but that he had answered "two more questions correctly than last time". Wheatska you see had a plan and he was not easily discouraged.



How many attempts he made in total, I no longer remember but the day did come to pass when he was finally was successful.

It was then onto the actual driving portion of the test.



Word went around that on that fateful day, Wheatska was bearing down on a railway crossing when he saw an oncoming train - as did the Examiner who hollered at him to "stop". It made little impact on dear Wheatska. His response - "hold on, I think we can beat it". And luckily he did - whereupon the Examiner is alleged to have got out and walked back to his office.



I must admit , I am suspicious as to the accuracy of the latter part of this story but can personally attest to the following:



It was the day I passed my driver's exam. I picked early Monday morning when I knew there would be little traffic and few parked cars on Brighton's main street. My parallel parking was not the best and I figured my chances for success were higher on that day and time.



My strategy worked - I got my licence to my great personal relief. But unfortunately a grade 11 class mate of mine - who directly followed me - was not as fortunate. As I returned to the Examination Office, in my father's car - my friend was just arriving in his father's car. The trouble was, he was alone - a bit of a 'no no' especially if done directly in front of your Examiner.


Not to be deterred, he bounced out and enthusiastically announced that he was ready for his Test. The Examiner, just as enthusiastically announced that he had Failed The Test.

How come, my class mate wined? The Examiner just shook his head and then made it clear that he was not to drive the car back home without a licenced driver by his side.

And then there was Gary and his friend Floyd. My life long friend Johnny and I were walking down the main hallway in High School when we came upon these two hammering away at each others shoulders. What's going on we asked? "He beat me in a test" moaned Gary. What did you get Gary? 39% he proclaimed. And you Floyd - what did you get? 37% he shot back with a wicked smile.

Looks to us Gary that you got the better mark. You see John and I were quite adept at arithmetic. "That's just it sighed Gary, we always compete for the lowest mark so Floyd here beat me by 2 % points". We commiserated with Gary and then moved on.

On a sad note, Gary died with his young wife in a house fire several years later. We called him 'Cagey' and while he might not have been the brighest of guys - he was a nice guy all the same and in my book that counts for alot.

As I see it...

'Galagher'