Archive for category Politics
North Korea – Again.
Posted by Daryl in Politics, Senseless Rants on May 28th, 2009
So North Korea (Chosun, DPRK, whatever) has tested another nuclear weapon. Unlike the last test which was widely thought to have fizzled, this test appears to have been a success. And, at about 20KT, comparable to the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki a the close of WWII.
Is President Obama Infallible?
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics on April 18th, 2009
"HOPE" by Shepard Fairey
I read in the news today that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now decided that CO2 is a pollutant that needs to be regulated, and that they’re going to do just that. It was only two years ago that Bush quashed a similar push.
This is only the latest in an absolute flurry of tectonic shifts away from the policies of the Bush Administration. It seems that it’s almost every single day that some old policy is nullified, exposed or outright revoked. It is as though America – with President Obama at the helm – is entering a new age of enlightenment. Can you tell I’m excited?
Already this week he gave Cuba (and Cuban-Americans) something to cheer for, released Bush-era documents that justified torture – while rightly saying that those who followed the bad advice would not be prosecuted, and announced plans for a national high-speed rail network. Today it’s CO2, and somewhere in there the First Family managed to get a new dog!
Add this onto everything he’s done since he took office, and if it wouldn’t kill me I swear my head would actually spin right off.
One thing I’ll remind you of, dear reader, is that I’m Canadian. During the eight years of Bush – beginning, fittingly enough, with a stolen election – I had thought America was all puffed out. An old power, past its prime, that would just have to learn to take a new place in the World.
Well, America will certainly take a new place in the World, but for sure it won’t be anything less. President Barack Obama most definitely has what it takes to get it done, and I say good on him. He is exactly what America needs to pull itself away from fear and xenophobia, and toward enlightenment and justice.
What is good for the USA is good for me, so I say GOBAMA, and GO the 21st Century Renaissance!
Update: CNN is saying that President Obama may be the “Superpresident“, and I couldn’t agree more.
Michelle Obama: Proud.
I can’t believe how much of a dustup has ensued from the following – seemingly inocuous – quotation:
“For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.” (CNN)
Regardless of your political affiliation, I don’t see how you could take this to mean that Mrs. Obama was ever anything but a proud American.
Did anyone on the right stop to consider what might actually be going through her mind? And what it means?
Where is Our Say?
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics, Technology on June 14th, 2008
Yesterday a reprehensible piece of legislation was introduced in the Canadian House of Commons that stands to make millions of otherwise law-abiding Canadians criminals. It also stands to expose those same millions to lawsuits that could ruin lives, careers and families for the simple crime of shifting songs from a lawfully purchased CD to a lawfully purchased iPod or other device or storage format. Welcome to the 21st Century, bitches.
The Federal Minister of Industry, Jim Prentice, says “This bill reflects a win-win approach.”
Just who will be doing all the winning with this is pretty clear. And it’s not me and you.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/06/12/tech-copyright.html
Taser Report Delayed? Leak it!
From CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/12/taser-report.html
Okay, now it’s all gone too far. I call shenanigans on this sorry damn excuse of a Federal Government, and I especially call out Stockwell “Doris” Day for delaying a report so that he might put some of his own spin on it before it gets released.
I don’t think there could be one single, solitary, non-bullshit reason given by any sane person to justify delaying such an anticipated report for any period of time at all…let alone for SIX DAYS.
Obviously, there’s something in there that very much concerns our Mr. Day.
I call upon anyone in possession of a copy of this report to leak it to the media immediately. Do your own conscience a favour and do your country a service by releasing this report before Doris puts his stamp on it. Please.
Accommodation?
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics on May 28th, 2008
Western law is entirely based on the premise that you may do whatever you wish, as long as it hurts no one else.
For all the volumes of laws and charters and everything else we have that defines what we are and are not allowed to do, that basic tenet rings true.
I love Canada. We don’t have the economic or industrial power of many countries, and we certainly don’t have the largest population or even the largest land mass. Canada doesn’t come first on very many lists of any consequence…though I’m not sure how many of those lists would be written by Canadians. Read the rest of this entry »
Hillary, Give it Up Already
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics on May 23rd, 2008
Dear Hillary,
I’d just like to thank you for running such a good campaign for the Democratic Nomination, at least up until a while back when you started talking about white people liking you more and blowing Iran off the map. Not that I necessarily disagree that there will come a time when Iran needs the rubber-hose treatment, but this isn’t the sort of thing a potential President should be saying.
Olympic Boycott
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics on March 28th, 2008
Nobody seems to be saying this outright yet, so I’ll say it for all of us that are thinking it:
What I Would Do With 1.6 Trillion Dollars
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics, Senseless Rants on March 15th, 2008
So the USA is up to $1.6 TRILLION dollars for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And that’s just the dollars that have been spent, to say nothing of the human toll that these wars have exacted – on all sides. And though we may mourn more deeply for those we have lost to this fight, we cannot forget the innocent lives that have needlessly been lost.
The object of fighting any War is to gain security. In this regard, I did and still do believe that we have done the right thing in Afghanistan. The right thing is not always the easy thing, but to deprive Al-Qaeda of their Taliban protectors and to attempt to return Afghanistan to the community of nations is a noble effort. We harbour no doubts that Afghanistan was the staging ground for numerous attacks, including those of September 11, 2001.
I also believe that the USA had to hit back after those attacks. To sit idle or to engage in protracted diplomacy would have sent the wrong message to those who would wish harm to the USA and its allies.
But Iraq, well, that’s an entirely different kettle of fish.
Read the rest of this entry »
Just Say No to Pennies
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics, Senseless Rants on January 9th, 2008
Recently there was a study released that 55% of Canadians want to keep the penny. Well, as one of that other 45%, I intend to vote with my pocket – my considerably lighter pocket – by not taking pennies any more.
That’s right. When I pay with cash, if my change is $1.59, I won’t take the four or nine pennies that will be foisted upon me.
It’s not like the “Take-a-Penny, Leave-a-Penny” tray you see in a lot of places, where you take your pennies and toss them in there. No, this is a more powerful statement than that, it’s “I say No to Pennies.”
So, say no to pennies. You can have a whole pocket full of the things and still not be able to buy a stick of gum, so let’s just ditch the things and move on with our lives. The more of us that don’t want pennies, the less pennies will be needed, and the less it will cost us all anyway.
