I always read the letters to the editor because they tell me more about a newspaper and, sometimes, the news, than the newspaper itself does. Take today's Moncton Times&Transcript, for example.
A writer from Sackville mourns the loss of thousands of Americans on 9/11 in New York City. So we all should. She says we shouldn't blame the American people for this happening. No. Of course we shouldn't. Neither the kills nor the responses were decisions made by ordinary Americans. But:
1. A CIA "asset" from Cuba blew up a Cuban airliner, killing over a hundred civilians. This is only one of many terror bombings within Cuba from him and other US paid agents. He took refuge in the US, and now lives in Florida.
2. The American government encouraged, supervised, and supplied weapons for a Guatemalan army massacre of Maya native peoples - men, women, and children. It was aided in this genocide of 200,000 people by the CIA and the Israeli secret service. Missionaries who befriended the Maya were murdered, and nuns raped and murdered. One of the lay missionaries was a man from Buctouche named Raoul Leger.
But the Moncton Times ignored the story. So did most of tohe North Amaerican press. If you doubt it, just Google: New York Times Clinton Apology Guatemala. The operation was directed by the CIA, headed for much of that period by George Bush I. You can also look up Raoul Leger in google.
For over a hundred years, US businesses like United Fruit Company had impoverished the people of Guatemala to keep them as cheap labour. They also took most of the arable land, so people had no choice but to submit. Anhybody who complained was beaten or killed.
After World War Two, the US supported dictator was overthrown, and Guatemala elected its own president who wanted to do silly things like letting people have land so they could eat.. Suddenly, an army of thugs armed with US weapons (our press called them "freedom fighters") overthrew the president, and installed a dictator. (Later 'presidents" won rigged elections.) Then came the killing years. Think of that as you peel your next Chiquita Banana.
3. Just a few days ago, the former head of British Intelligence testified to a formal inquiry that Tony Blair (and George Bush II lied about their reasons for invading Iraq. It had nothing to do with terrorism or WMDs. That means Bush and Blair killed more than a million innocent people. Heard any talk of commemorative spoons or memorials for that one?
3. The American government has publicly admitted it has no evidence against Bin Laden. That's why the government of Pakistan refused to allow his extradition at first. Before the invasion, it told Bush it was willing to turn him over to a neutral country for trial. Bush refused. Then he invaded.
4. The invasion of Afghanistan has killed far more innocent people than 9/11 did - even though there is no reason to believe that Afghanistan had anything to do with 9/11. But I haven't noticed a whole lot of tears shed for the women and children of Afghanistan.
5. There have almost certainly been far more Pakistanis killed by US forces than the total killed on 9/11. Do you think Pakistanis don't mourn for their family members killed in terror raids by the US drones and assassination squads?
6. I could add the more than two million innocent people killed in Vietnam, the half million killed in Cambodia by illegal and terrorist American bombing - but you get the idea.
7. Oh, I forgot about Iran. It used to be a democracy. A real one. But it wanted to raise the price of its oil and to build silly things like hospitals and schools. (While under a dictator before it became a democracy, Iran also supplied all the oil for the British navy, free of charge, for almost thirty years.) The democracy was overthrown by Britain, France and the US, with each getting a share of control over the oil. They then installed that murderous dictator called the Shah. And that's why the people of Iran turned to their mosques, and why it now is an Islamic state.
I don't blame the writer for not knowing that. How could she? Most of it never appeared in Bru\nswick Press - or most other media in North America. When it did appear, - well - words can be used to disguise the message. We've all, though our news media, heard of Islamic terrorists. How many of us have heard or read of US government (and Christian) terrorists? And guess which side has killed more people? By far.
The Moncton Times ignores news reports that Brunswick News doesn't want us to hear. It's not hard to get it. You can get news reports from all over the world on your computer. All the incidents I mention above can be checked in the very respectable and respected Manchester Guardian, in Al Haaretz (the best newspaper in Israel), Der Spiegel, Le Monde... There's lots of them. The Moncton Times deliberately misleads us on the news. Unless one is splitting hairs, that's called lying.
And then there's that streak of racism we all have. The truth is most of us don't give a damn about how many Africans or Asians or Arabs or Latin Americans get killed. They's iggerant. They ain't civilized like us.
But, you know, our side slaughters innocents by the million, and tortures in camps all around the world, and Canada willingly offers up its own citizens for torture and murder. The Canadian government refused even to ask about Raoul Leger. We were the only western country that failed to demand jurisdiction in the case of a citizen imprisoned at Guatemala. We are the only western country, to my knowledge, to have turned over our own citizens, without charge or evidence, to the US for torture.
Bin Laden was a mad man from hell? Possibly. We really don't know. But if he was, he's not alone.
I learn a lot about a newspaper from its letters to the editor. I certainly learn more than the newspaper tells me about anything.
For contrast, there's also a letter from Frank Belcastro of Grand Digue which tells the truth, and which offers evidence for what it says. I'm a little surprised The Moncton Times published it. But they probably figured that in this world of 1984, nobody will believe the truth, anyway.
re the editorial - I'm sure we're all aware of how much billionaires from this province have done for us. So how come at the end of the day, they're still billionaires, while New Brunswick is still poor?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 16: A banner day for bad taste, propaganda, and skewed priorities...
The Moncton Times@Tribune was at its worst today.
The lead story, reasonably enough, was of the death of one of New Brunswick's leading businessmen, one of a tiny group who have dominated the province for decades, and effectively make this province their feudal estate. But he was important, and he was of local origins. So a front page story was reasonable.
Then there was a full page on him on A 4. Page 5 was death notices. Guess who death took up almost twice as much space as all the others put together? It was full of the same gush that had appeared in the stories, even listing all of the honorary degrees that go to all rich people for being rich.
Then, God help us, there was an eight page special section that gushed even more. It also informs us that McCain came of humble origins. His father was only an owner of a potato seed business, and an investor, who loved to own fine cars. Right. And I'll bet they had to park those cars in a garage made of cardboard boxes.
All of this is a tasetelessly excessive piece of boot-licking that does no honour to Mr. McCain.
The propaganda, too, began on p 1 with a headline "Gas drilling study is 'good news'" Industory, environmentalists.
This relates to a pressing issue for New Brunswick. There is methane gax trapped in the shale of New Brunswick. Energy companies want it. The gas is taken by a process called fracking, drilling, then flooding the drillhole with huge quantities of fresh water. But there's a catch.
Studies of a region with fracking going on looked at 60 wells in the area. Wells closest to the drilling had levels of methane so high it was possible to set the water on fire. And these are early days. With alll that water pumped in, is iti possible that all our groundwater will become pulluted?
The industry is quoted as sayiing this is good news. Big surprise. It just, they say, has to be done properly. Like, say, oil drilliing off the coast of Florida or nuclear power in Japan.
But,despite the the headline, the only 'environmentalist' quoted is a geologist who is already on record as being opposed to a moratoruium on drilling - though even he says all the studies are still unclear, and he is distrurbed at the high levels of methane found in well in recent studies. That's a long way from saying the studies are "good news for environmentalists" as the headline claimed. In fact, that headline is not just bad editing. It's lying.
Check the letters to the editor to see what most environmentalists think.
As uusual, The Moncton TandT is kissing up to somebody with big money who really doesn't give a damn about the consequences to those who live here. Gee! I wonder who that could be.
And we still haven't reached the village idiot secton of the paper.
The editorial gushes over a board to encourage ' culture' in Moncton. They way he uses the word culture in an indicator that the writer doesn't understand the meaning of the word. I think the word he meant was fine arts.
In any case, it's clear that the puprose of the committee is not essentially fine arts, anyway. It's essentially about attracting toruists, making money, and doing it with anything that will attract a crowd. If it's ballet, fine. If it's drinking beer at Magnetic Hill while listening to pop music, that's even better.
Then, on the opposite page, there's an article about Moncton getting a pro basketball team. Right. This could fit right in with our pro hockey team in its 84 million dollar arena and our pro football team. And, hey, it would do kids a lot of good to sit on benches watching a pro tearm playing instead of sitting on counches in front of a TV set watching a better pro team.
So far, only one city in Canada has been big enough to be home to pro hockey, pro basketball, and pro football - Toronto. But, you know, if we add up Metro Moncton and Greater Moncton and all the dense population from Sussex to Sackville, we could show Toronto where the action is at .
Of course, it would cost money, much of it tax-payes' money. we could make that up by cutting the parks and playground programme for children - if we had one. Or we could cut the library programme. I mean, it's already the lowest funded one in Canada. So nobody will notice.
Or we could grow up.
What a disaster of a newspaper!
The lead story, reasonably enough, was of the death of one of New Brunswick's leading businessmen, one of a tiny group who have dominated the province for decades, and effectively make this province their feudal estate. But he was important, and he was of local origins. So a front page story was reasonable.
Then there was a full page on him on A 4. Page 5 was death notices. Guess who death took up almost twice as much space as all the others put together? It was full of the same gush that had appeared in the stories, even listing all of the honorary degrees that go to all rich people for being rich.
Then, God help us, there was an eight page special section that gushed even more. It also informs us that McCain came of humble origins. His father was only an owner of a potato seed business, and an investor, who loved to own fine cars. Right. And I'll bet they had to park those cars in a garage made of cardboard boxes.
All of this is a tasetelessly excessive piece of boot-licking that does no honour to Mr. McCain.
The propaganda, too, began on p 1 with a headline "Gas drilling study is 'good news'" Industory, environmentalists.
This relates to a pressing issue for New Brunswick. There is methane gax trapped in the shale of New Brunswick. Energy companies want it. The gas is taken by a process called fracking, drilling, then flooding the drillhole with huge quantities of fresh water. But there's a catch.
Studies of a region with fracking going on looked at 60 wells in the area. Wells closest to the drilling had levels of methane so high it was possible to set the water on fire. And these are early days. With alll that water pumped in, is iti possible that all our groundwater will become pulluted?
The industry is quoted as sayiing this is good news. Big surprise. It just, they say, has to be done properly. Like, say, oil drilliing off the coast of Florida or nuclear power in Japan.
But,despite the the headline, the only 'environmentalist' quoted is a geologist who is already on record as being opposed to a moratoruium on drilling - though even he says all the studies are still unclear, and he is distrurbed at the high levels of methane found in well in recent studies. That's a long way from saying the studies are "good news for environmentalists" as the headline claimed. In fact, that headline is not just bad editing. It's lying.
Check the letters to the editor to see what most environmentalists think.
As uusual, The Moncton TandT is kissing up to somebody with big money who really doesn't give a damn about the consequences to those who live here. Gee! I wonder who that could be.
And we still haven't reached the village idiot secton of the paper.
The editorial gushes over a board to encourage ' culture' in Moncton. They way he uses the word culture in an indicator that the writer doesn't understand the meaning of the word. I think the word he meant was fine arts.
In any case, it's clear that the puprose of the committee is not essentially fine arts, anyway. It's essentially about attracting toruists, making money, and doing it with anything that will attract a crowd. If it's ballet, fine. If it's drinking beer at Magnetic Hill while listening to pop music, that's even better.
Then, on the opposite page, there's an article about Moncton getting a pro basketball team. Right. This could fit right in with our pro hockey team in its 84 million dollar arena and our pro football team. And, hey, it would do kids a lot of good to sit on benches watching a pro tearm playing instead of sitting on counches in front of a TV set watching a better pro team.
So far, only one city in Canada has been big enough to be home to pro hockey, pro basketball, and pro football - Toronto. But, you know, if we add up Metro Moncton and Greater Moncton and all the dense population from Sussex to Sackville, we could show Toronto where the action is at .
Of course, it would cost money, much of it tax-payes' money. we could make that up by cutting the parks and playground programme for children - if we had one. Or we could cut the library programme. I mean, it's already the lowest funded one in Canada. So nobody will notice.
Or we could grow up.
What a disaster of a newspaper!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
May 14: Congratulations due to the Moncton TandT
I look forward to the part of the Whatever section written by middle school and high school students. It's one of the few parts of the paper that is honest, thoughtful, unpretentious, and well written. Today, the column by Tess Allen caught my eye.
Ms. Allen attended a model UN for high school students at St. Thomas University. Beautifully written, simple, clear, personal without pretending to be expert, her column breathed the excitement and intellectual srimulation of that event. I know what she meant.
My sons attended it, too. They were excited to go, and with an excitement they still feel today. They had the thrill and stimulation of meeting students who had the same interests as them. They weren't alone. They weren't outsiders; and the experience opened a world to them.
New Brunswick needs far more of that. New Brunswick is not a province of a rich mixture of peoples. New Brunswickers are nice people; but most of them are pretty much like most of the others. The result is that students get very little exposure to different outlooks and enthusiasms, though they need that as a flame needs oxygen. Our children get very little of that sharing and growing experience except, perhaps, in playing hockey or smoking pot.
I've been dismayed to see so little of the UN conference in the paper; no sense of the voluntary effort and time from public school teachers (though it happily spits vitriol all over them when Atlantic Institute of Market Studies wants it to); no sense of how important this events was for our children. Tess Allen made up for that.
Nathan Rinzler was thoughful on a seemingly light topic, getting a summer job by relating it to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". I should, though, offer a small correction. The novel is not quite a fable. For almost a century, Belgium pillaged the resoruces of Congo, in the process killing, torturing, maiminng uncounted millions. Forced out after World War Two, the Belgians left behind no schools or hospitals, just land poisoned by their theft. The Congo's first, elected president was murdered as other western countries moved in for the riches still to be stolen. The murder was not a coincidence. Western mining companies, protected by mercenary thugs, continue to loot Congo, and to be indifferent to the hunger and disorder they have created. Every minute of every day, a woman (or child) is raped in Congo. A man who sat on the board of a Canadian company operating there was Brian Mulroney. Just a coincidence. I'm sure he had no idea what was going on.
But Rinzler still does a fine job of putting a seemingly small but really very important matter into our consciousness.
I don't want to give special notice to anybody, though. Isabelle Agnew does her usual fine job, reinforcing the theme of Tess Allen's column with the excitement of theatre arts. Christina Korotkov shows a level of wisdom and maturity that few of us adults ever reach. So does Jana Giles, and with a writing skill I would have been happy to see in university students.
Alex Corbett picked up well on the joy of interacting with people who make him more aware of his own interests. Aurelie Pare offfers a column that starts simply enough, then hits us with a final sentence that is thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Why are these columns so successful?
The writers are sharing the world they see and feel with us. We, or at least the lucky ones among us, have been there, too. They're talking about the real world. They're talking about it without pretending they are experts or opinion leaders. They aren't trying to tell us what to think. They're opening the way for us to do our own thinking.
They're honest. They're real.
The Moncton Times&Transcript staff deserves congratulations for introducing this section. The Moncton Times&Transcript staff should also read it. And learn.
Ms. Allen attended a model UN for high school students at St. Thomas University. Beautifully written, simple, clear, personal without pretending to be expert, her column breathed the excitement and intellectual srimulation of that event. I know what she meant.
My sons attended it, too. They were excited to go, and with an excitement they still feel today. They had the thrill and stimulation of meeting students who had the same interests as them. They weren't alone. They weren't outsiders; and the experience opened a world to them.
New Brunswick needs far more of that. New Brunswick is not a province of a rich mixture of peoples. New Brunswickers are nice people; but most of them are pretty much like most of the others. The result is that students get very little exposure to different outlooks and enthusiasms, though they need that as a flame needs oxygen. Our children get very little of that sharing and growing experience except, perhaps, in playing hockey or smoking pot.
I've been dismayed to see so little of the UN conference in the paper; no sense of the voluntary effort and time from public school teachers (though it happily spits vitriol all over them when Atlantic Institute of Market Studies wants it to); no sense of how important this events was for our children. Tess Allen made up for that.
Nathan Rinzler was thoughful on a seemingly light topic, getting a summer job by relating it to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". I should, though, offer a small correction. The novel is not quite a fable. For almost a century, Belgium pillaged the resoruces of Congo, in the process killing, torturing, maiminng uncounted millions. Forced out after World War Two, the Belgians left behind no schools or hospitals, just land poisoned by their theft. The Congo's first, elected president was murdered as other western countries moved in for the riches still to be stolen. The murder was not a coincidence. Western mining companies, protected by mercenary thugs, continue to loot Congo, and to be indifferent to the hunger and disorder they have created. Every minute of every day, a woman (or child) is raped in Congo. A man who sat on the board of a Canadian company operating there was Brian Mulroney. Just a coincidence. I'm sure he had no idea what was going on.
But Rinzler still does a fine job of putting a seemingly small but really very important matter into our consciousness.
I don't want to give special notice to anybody, though. Isabelle Agnew does her usual fine job, reinforcing the theme of Tess Allen's column with the excitement of theatre arts. Christina Korotkov shows a level of wisdom and maturity that few of us adults ever reach. So does Jana Giles, and with a writing skill I would have been happy to see in university students.
Alex Corbett picked up well on the joy of interacting with people who make him more aware of his own interests. Aurelie Pare offfers a column that starts simply enough, then hits us with a final sentence that is thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Why are these columns so successful?
The writers are sharing the world they see and feel with us. We, or at least the lucky ones among us, have been there, too. They're talking about the real world. They're talking about it without pretending they are experts or opinion leaders. They aren't trying to tell us what to think. They're opening the way for us to do our own thinking.
They're honest. They're real.
The Moncton Times&Transcript staff deserves congratulations for introducing this section. The Moncton Times&Transcript staff should also read it. And learn.
Friday, May 13, 2011
May 13: From the shalllow to....
A couple of days ago, I suggested Mr. Cormier's understanding of foreign affairs (he was writing about terrorism) is shallow. Shallows are okay. Walking barefoot in the shallows is even pleasant on a summer day. Compared to Cormier, reading editorial page editor Norbert Cunningham on terrorism is like walking baerfoot over the Gobi Desert on a hot day. Try out his column justifying the killing of bin Laden. It's on the editorial page of todays' Moncton Times and Transcript.
He quotes Gwynn Dyer to the effect that the purpose of terrrists is not simply to goad governments, but to convince their own people of their own, twisted ideas.
I object to his crashingly ignorant understanding of what Gwynn said. I knew Gwynn back in our radio days in Montreal, and I have followed his columns ever since. He's the best in his business. The statement that Cunningham claims he wrote or heard could only have been made by ignoramus and a bigot. Gwynn is neither of those. But an ignoramus or a bigot might interpret his comment in that way.
That statement was not a definition of either terrorism or its purposes. It refers only to moslem terrorists, and only in our time.
Terrorism means to kill in order to create terror. That surely is not hard to understand. The end purpose may vary. But the desire to create terror is universal. That surely is not too hard to understand.
We have seen moslem terrorism, Nazi terrorism, Chrstian terrorism, Jewish terrorism, American terrorism - and one could go on forever. If you are going to approve of the assassination of a moslem terrorist without trial, then you have to approve of assassinations of the Sons of Liberty, the founders of the modern state of Israel, French leaders in Algeria and Vietnam, and every president of the United States in this century, You can do the same with every country on earth going back to ancient times. Read The Bible when you have a chance.
Bin Laden was at the heart of the current conflict? Really? Is that why the US just had to invade Iraq? Gee, and I always thought Hussein was opposed to bin Laden. Was bin Laden behind the slaughter of the Maya people in Guatemala? Was he behind all the Duvaliers and their murdering brother dictators in Central America? Did he invade Vietnam? Was it bin Laden who overthrew the elected government of Iran back in 1950, and imposed a dictatorship?
As for the justice of our fighting against dictatorship and extreme religious views, are you aware that among the world's worst dictators and most extreme in Islamic religious views are our close allies in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States?
Moslem terrorists are people - and much like us. I certainly mourn the loss of 2,000 innocent people in New York. I also mourn the millions of innocent people killed in Vietnam, Guatemala, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza, and I mourn the uncounted others all over the world killed by assassination squads of all the major powers.
I don't think it appropriate, though, to use that mourning as an excuse to peddle bigotry, ignorance and hate - and more killing. If we want to stop the killling, we have to recognize that we are all doing it. As Pogo said, :We have met the enemy. And he is us."
The world is at the edge of disaster. The last thing we need is ignorant bigots pushing us.
Oh, The word "justified" means according to law. The laws national and international, require that a person be charged, evidence presented, and a judgement made before punishment is assessed. Otherwise, the killing is called murder. That is not simply a "subtlety".. That is the definition of murder. We charged and tried even the leading Naziis before executing them. Without law, no society - and no world - can survive.
I don't have time to comment on the lead editorial. It's about being careful about overdoing pay equity. I can only advise the editoriall writer not to worry about it. It will take quite a while for the single mothers working at Wal-Mart to catch up to the CEOs of this province.
He quotes Gwynn Dyer to the effect that the purpose of terrrists is not simply to goad governments, but to convince their own people of their own, twisted ideas.
I object to his crashingly ignorant understanding of what Gwynn said. I knew Gwynn back in our radio days in Montreal, and I have followed his columns ever since. He's the best in his business. The statement that Cunningham claims he wrote or heard could only have been made by ignoramus and a bigot. Gwynn is neither of those. But an ignoramus or a bigot might interpret his comment in that way.
That statement was not a definition of either terrorism or its purposes. It refers only to moslem terrorists, and only in our time.
Terrorism means to kill in order to create terror. That surely is not hard to understand. The end purpose may vary. But the desire to create terror is universal. That surely is not too hard to understand.
We have seen moslem terrorism, Nazi terrorism, Chrstian terrorism, Jewish terrorism, American terrorism - and one could go on forever. If you are going to approve of the assassination of a moslem terrorist without trial, then you have to approve of assassinations of the Sons of Liberty, the founders of the modern state of Israel, French leaders in Algeria and Vietnam, and every president of the United States in this century, You can do the same with every country on earth going back to ancient times. Read The Bible when you have a chance.
Bin Laden was at the heart of the current conflict? Really? Is that why the US just had to invade Iraq? Gee, and I always thought Hussein was opposed to bin Laden. Was bin Laden behind the slaughter of the Maya people in Guatemala? Was he behind all the Duvaliers and their murdering brother dictators in Central America? Did he invade Vietnam? Was it bin Laden who overthrew the elected government of Iran back in 1950, and imposed a dictatorship?
As for the justice of our fighting against dictatorship and extreme religious views, are you aware that among the world's worst dictators and most extreme in Islamic religious views are our close allies in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States?
Moslem terrorists are people - and much like us. I certainly mourn the loss of 2,000 innocent people in New York. I also mourn the millions of innocent people killed in Vietnam, Guatemala, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza, and I mourn the uncounted others all over the world killed by assassination squads of all the major powers.
I don't think it appropriate, though, to use that mourning as an excuse to peddle bigotry, ignorance and hate - and more killing. If we want to stop the killling, we have to recognize that we are all doing it. As Pogo said, :We have met the enemy. And he is us."
The world is at the edge of disaster. The last thing we need is ignorant bigots pushing us.
Oh, The word "justified" means according to law. The laws national and international, require that a person be charged, evidence presented, and a judgement made before punishment is assessed. Otherwise, the killing is called murder. That is not simply a "subtlety".. That is the definition of murder. We charged and tried even the leading Naziis before executing them. Without law, no society - and no world - can survive.
I don't have time to comment on the lead editorial. It's about being careful about overdoing pay equity. I can only advise the editoriall writer not to worry about it. It will take quite a while for the single mothers working at Wal-Mart to catch up to the CEOs of this province.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
May 12: Lord love a duck....
Today's Moncton Times and Transcript is a real stinker - uninformative, gushing over our social superiors, fawning, preaching from ignorance.... What a shocking waste of trees this newspaper is!
The story on the Clinton/McKenna visit was pure gush. It was, we were told, about the world economy. At the end of it,there was still no mention of what the hell they said about the world economy. We do know, though, that they sat in green, plushy chairs and told a joke.
They couldn't have said much about the world economy because he whole show lasted only 35 minutes, including a long portion devoted to the killing of bin-Laden and time for three questions, all about bin Laden. If the audience of "political leaders, business giants, esteemed academics, officials from Canadian Forces..." learned anything from that, they must have been an incredibly thick bunch to begin with.
Both expressed their deep concern for Haiti. Bullshit. Haiti is the product of hundreds of years of brutal exploitation by France, Britain and the US who have pillaged that country into becoming the poorest in the western hemisphere while terrorizing it with some of the most ruthless dictators in history. The US deposed and exiled the only democratically elected president it ever had. And the US has still not given a cent of the recovery money it promised at the time of the earthquake. On behalf of the people of Haiti, I thank you for your concern, Bill and Frank.
The final gushes came from our Education Minister, Jody Carr. "It was thought-provoking. It was quite an honour to have him here. He's very intellectual. And it was great to see Frank McKenna as well, still doing well for the people of New Brunswick." As to the killing of bin Laden, she said, "...it was hearfelt...remembering the people who died because of him."
Quite so. And what's your favourite brand of bubble gum, Jody?
Any thoughts ot sadness about the almost two million innocent people who have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan - and all the millions of innocent people imprisoned, tortured, maimed, widowed, orphaned and impoverished since then? Or don't they count as real people?
Stick with the bubble gum, Jody. And god help our education system.
Despite the headline, it was not a sold-out audience. Many students got free tickers. So, I'm sure, did many of the politicians, army officers, etc. in attendance. As to the university people, only a damn fool would pay to watch that farce.
Bill Clinton charges big time for his visits. Like many presidents recently, he has made a fortune out of being an ex-president. I suspect Frank McKenna had a fee, too. So, with all those tree tickets, exactly how much did this dog and pony show cost the taxpayers?
The same page has another Clinton/McKenna adventure, the opening of the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership at St. FX, the alma mater of Franck McKenna and also of another leader beloved by Canadians for his self-sacrifice and generosity, Brian Mulroney.
Again, it seems to have been a fest of platitudes, bafflegab and nonsense. In attendance were acadmics from all over the maritimes. Of course. University administrators and most professors will kiss any rear end that has a pocket with money in it.
The final bit of gush then, not surprisiingly came from a dean at UNB.who praised the new centre as a source of meaningful productive change. Yes, indeed. Meaningful productive change is so much better than unemeaningful productive change.
The front page has a big story about Moncton beefing up culture planning for "community development through improved quality of life". Always be wary when you see bafflegab like that. In fact, the new committee on culture reports to the city's Economic Development, Tourism, and Culture Department. This will have very little impact on culture in Moncton. Of course not. It isn't meant to. It's for tourism, hotels, business in general. It's no more cultural than it was to invite Clinton and McKenna. At least, the latter told a joke. A joke is culture, kind of.
Glad to hear of the plan to close Main Street to traffic, and make it a place to stroll along and have coffee on the sidewalk. That should be very nice for at least six months of the year.
But where will strollers and coffee lovers park their cars?
The story on the Clinton/McKenna visit was pure gush. It was, we were told, about the world economy. At the end of it,there was still no mention of what the hell they said about the world economy. We do know, though, that they sat in green, plushy chairs and told a joke.
They couldn't have said much about the world economy because he whole show lasted only 35 minutes, including a long portion devoted to the killing of bin-Laden and time for three questions, all about bin Laden. If the audience of "political leaders, business giants, esteemed academics, officials from Canadian Forces..." learned anything from that, they must have been an incredibly thick bunch to begin with.
Both expressed their deep concern for Haiti. Bullshit. Haiti is the product of hundreds of years of brutal exploitation by France, Britain and the US who have pillaged that country into becoming the poorest in the western hemisphere while terrorizing it with some of the most ruthless dictators in history. The US deposed and exiled the only democratically elected president it ever had. And the US has still not given a cent of the recovery money it promised at the time of the earthquake. On behalf of the people of Haiti, I thank you for your concern, Bill and Frank.
The final gushes came from our Education Minister, Jody Carr. "It was thought-provoking. It was quite an honour to have him here. He's very intellectual. And it was great to see Frank McKenna as well, still doing well for the people of New Brunswick." As to the killing of bin Laden, she said, "...it was hearfelt...remembering the people who died because of him."
Quite so. And what's your favourite brand of bubble gum, Jody?
Any thoughts ot sadness about the almost two million innocent people who have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan - and all the millions of innocent people imprisoned, tortured, maimed, widowed, orphaned and impoverished since then? Or don't they count as real people?
Stick with the bubble gum, Jody. And god help our education system.
Despite the headline, it was not a sold-out audience. Many students got free tickers. So, I'm sure, did many of the politicians, army officers, etc. in attendance. As to the university people, only a damn fool would pay to watch that farce.
Bill Clinton charges big time for his visits. Like many presidents recently, he has made a fortune out of being an ex-president. I suspect Frank McKenna had a fee, too. So, with all those tree tickets, exactly how much did this dog and pony show cost the taxpayers?
The same page has another Clinton/McKenna adventure, the opening of the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership at St. FX, the alma mater of Franck McKenna and also of another leader beloved by Canadians for his self-sacrifice and generosity, Brian Mulroney.
Again, it seems to have been a fest of platitudes, bafflegab and nonsense. In attendance were acadmics from all over the maritimes. Of course. University administrators and most professors will kiss any rear end that has a pocket with money in it.
The final bit of gush then, not surprisiingly came from a dean at UNB.who praised the new centre as a source of meaningful productive change. Yes, indeed. Meaningful productive change is so much better than unemeaningful productive change.
The front page has a big story about Moncton beefing up culture planning for "community development through improved quality of life". Always be wary when you see bafflegab like that. In fact, the new committee on culture reports to the city's Economic Development, Tourism, and Culture Department. This will have very little impact on culture in Moncton. Of course not. It isn't meant to. It's for tourism, hotels, business in general. It's no more cultural than it was to invite Clinton and McKenna. At least, the latter told a joke. A joke is culture, kind of.
Glad to hear of the plan to close Main Street to traffic, and make it a place to stroll along and have coffee on the sidewalk. That should be very nice for at least six months of the year.
But where will strollers and coffee lovers park their cars?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
May 11: Using words to convey cartoon images - the base of bin Laden
There are hundreds of knowledgeable commentators around the world on the subject of terrorism. One of the best is Gwynn Dyer who is a regular contributor to The Moncton Times and Transcript. Why on earth would staffer Brian Cormier be asked to write a commentary on the killing of Osama bin Laden?
This gem can be found on p. D7, the op ed page.
The headline appears to have no clear connection to the point of the commentary (if it has one); Mr. Cormier obviously is lacking basic facts about the incident, and he uses words to create cartoon figures of Moslems in general. To say that is not a criticism of Mr. Cormier. He is, I'm sure, a serious and professional reporter. The criticism is of an editorial staff that would hand him such an inappropriate assignment.
Roughly, the commentary is that moslems are terrorists; and terrorists attack the innocent, that it was a good idea to kill bin Laden: that his death will have no effect on the (Moslem) terrorist threat. Let's examine these assertion in point form.
1. Terrorism is an attack launched to cause terror. That seems clear. Can Mr. Cormier name a people in all of human history who have not attacked iinnocent people to cause terror? Ever read The Bible? Check Numbers 31 for just one of the many slaughters carried out by ancient Israel, not one of whom was a Moslem. Never hear of the Reign of Terror in France? Never wonder why it was called that? Never wonder why none of those terrorists was Moslem?
Ever hear of the bombing of Cambodia in which the Christian US deliberately killed a half million civilians? Ever hear of the genocide of 200,000 Guatemala Mayans, men, women and children whose slaughter was directed by the CIA - which was, for much of that campaign, run by CIA Head and Christian George Bush I? When Clinton apologized for it, the story made The New York Times; but not The Moncton Times - even though one of the victims was a priest from this area.
And Mr. Cormier obviously never heard of the Iraqis who had no connection whatever with terrorism. But over a million innocent and helpless people were killed therre by the "born again" George Bush II. Nobody can count the millions more whom that Christian refugeed, maimed, tortured, widowed, orphaned and impoverished. I think that counts as terrorism.
Indeed, every war fought since 1914 had killed more civilians than soldiers. The ratio is now at least hundreds of civilians of all ages for each soldier.
2. Mr. Cormier says it was a good idea to kill bin Laden - and that Pakistan probably knew his hiding place.
As to the hiding place, it's possible that Pakistan knew. It's also possible, even likely, that the US knew, and knew long ago. It's possible, even probable, that bin Laden was more valuable to the US alive than dead. He was the bogeyman that made it possible for the US government to invade Iraq and Afghanistan - and Pakistan where thousands of innocents have already died of drones, conventional bombing, and assassination squads. We haven't seen terrorism like this since Mao-Tse Tung.
The bogeyman also made it possible to impose travel restrictions on millions of Americans, to impose domestic spying on anybody the government doesn't like (such as those annoying greens), to jack up spending for a corrupt defence industry while cutting social services, and to imprison and torture American citizens without charge or trial. All of this now being done by the recipient of the Nebel Prize for Peace.
In fact, Afghanistan offered shortly after 9/11 to turn bin Laden over for trial in a neutral court. Bush refused.
Obama alive was useful.
There's not much evidence that he has been an active leader for years. Indeed, there's not much evidence that Al-Quaeda was ever that powerful a force. Obama probably ceased to be a threat years ago.
But now, dead, he is a threat. He's a threat as a myth, as a grievance, as a \rallying cry to more hatred.
3. The killing of bin Laden will not slow down acts of terrorism, not on either side.
(I shall skip lightly over the fact that killing without trial is not justice. It is murder. The American force was, apparently, a large one. It had no opposition at all. (Not a single American (or mercenary) was injured.) It would have been easy enough to take bin Laden prisoner. Indeed, it was against international law and against a variety of agreements signed by the US to kill him.
So why was he killed?
Hint - There is an election looming, and Obama was low in the polls. He has now zoomed up to a majority.
This gem can be found on p. D7, the op ed page.
The headline appears to have no clear connection to the point of the commentary (if it has one); Mr. Cormier obviously is lacking basic facts about the incident, and he uses words to create cartoon figures of Moslems in general. To say that is not a criticism of Mr. Cormier. He is, I'm sure, a serious and professional reporter. The criticism is of an editorial staff that would hand him such an inappropriate assignment.
Roughly, the commentary is that moslems are terrorists; and terrorists attack the innocent, that it was a good idea to kill bin Laden: that his death will have no effect on the (Moslem) terrorist threat. Let's examine these assertion in point form.
1. Terrorism is an attack launched to cause terror. That seems clear. Can Mr. Cormier name a people in all of human history who have not attacked iinnocent people to cause terror? Ever read The Bible? Check Numbers 31 for just one of the many slaughters carried out by ancient Israel, not one of whom was a Moslem. Never hear of the Reign of Terror in France? Never wonder why it was called that? Never wonder why none of those terrorists was Moslem?
Ever hear of the bombing of Cambodia in which the Christian US deliberately killed a half million civilians? Ever hear of the genocide of 200,000 Guatemala Mayans, men, women and children whose slaughter was directed by the CIA - which was, for much of that campaign, run by CIA Head and Christian George Bush I? When Clinton apologized for it, the story made The New York Times; but not The Moncton Times - even though one of the victims was a priest from this area.
And Mr. Cormier obviously never heard of the Iraqis who had no connection whatever with terrorism. But over a million innocent and helpless people were killed therre by the "born again" George Bush II. Nobody can count the millions more whom that Christian refugeed, maimed, tortured, widowed, orphaned and impoverished. I think that counts as terrorism.
Indeed, every war fought since 1914 had killed more civilians than soldiers. The ratio is now at least hundreds of civilians of all ages for each soldier.
2. Mr. Cormier says it was a good idea to kill bin Laden - and that Pakistan probably knew his hiding place.
As to the hiding place, it's possible that Pakistan knew. It's also possible, even likely, that the US knew, and knew long ago. It's possible, even probable, that bin Laden was more valuable to the US alive than dead. He was the bogeyman that made it possible for the US government to invade Iraq and Afghanistan - and Pakistan where thousands of innocents have already died of drones, conventional bombing, and assassination squads. We haven't seen terrorism like this since Mao-Tse Tung.
The bogeyman also made it possible to impose travel restrictions on millions of Americans, to impose domestic spying on anybody the government doesn't like (such as those annoying greens), to jack up spending for a corrupt defence industry while cutting social services, and to imprison and torture American citizens without charge or trial. All of this now being done by the recipient of the Nebel Prize for Peace.
In fact, Afghanistan offered shortly after 9/11 to turn bin Laden over for trial in a neutral court. Bush refused.
Obama alive was useful.
There's not much evidence that he has been an active leader for years. Indeed, there's not much evidence that Al-Quaeda was ever that powerful a force. Obama probably ceased to be a threat years ago.
But now, dead, he is a threat. He's a threat as a myth, as a grievance, as a \rallying cry to more hatred.
3. The killing of bin Laden will not slow down acts of terrorism, not on either side.
(I shall skip lightly over the fact that killing without trial is not justice. It is murder. The American force was, apparently, a large one. It had no opposition at all. (Not a single American (or mercenary) was injured.) It would have been easy enough to take bin Laden prisoner. Indeed, it was against international law and against a variety of agreements signed by the US to kill him.
So why was he killed?
Hint - There is an election looming, and Obama was low in the polls. He has now zoomed up to a majority.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
May 10: Sherlock Holmes and the case of the troubled premier: conclusion
.Permier Alward poured out his story for close to an hour, paused, sighed, "....and that was the second time he humilitated me, publicy treating me and my government as if we were his office clerks."
Holmes' eyes revealed a sympathy he always felt for those who, despite honorable intentions, find themselves being used for evil puproses. But his voice also betrayed an impatience.
"You mentioned the Atlantic Insitute for Market Studies. What does it do? Was it founded before or after your troubles? Who pays for it? How did your predecessor, Shawn Graham, get the idea of of buying electricity from another province?"
Premier Alward looked back at the master like a deer caught in the headlights. "Well." he stammered, "AIMS is a scientific study group. But it is private; so it is not required to post the names of its donors...."
"Not another word". said Holmes. There is no need to answer. This is not even a one-pipe problem. I shall explain it to you."
"AIMS is a propaganda front for corporations and the wealthy. It's expensive to operate; so I can assure you it does not live on donations from widows and orphans. Its 'scientific' reports are worthless; but get excellent coverage by newspapers because the newspaper owners are commonly the same people who support these 'think tanks' all across North America."
"Generally, their purpose is to privatize as much as possible. Thus their constant reports that government should be small (except when making grants and giving tax cuts to the rich), and that everything should be privatized - education, health care, pensions....all should be for private profit".
"Currently, AIMS is also working on a project to form a sort of economic union of the Maritimes, Quebec and New England. That surely gives a hint of why we hear talk of selling NB Energy, buying some electricity from Quebec, and exporting some to New England where the donors to AIMS also have substantial interests".
"Premier Graham was simply a pawn who failed them in dealing with public anger."
"Your party, Mr. Alward, has traditionally, along with the Liberals, been safely in the pockets of the donors to AIMS. But they needed a tougher and more visible stance to deal with the voters. Thus the Economic Summit, essentially a programmed gathering of corporate heads with an assortment of attractive potted plants like university presidents and community leaders. The report that they presented at the end, could have been written - and may have been written - before the meeting was held. But there needed to be something more, if only to demonstrate to you that you had better not fail to deliver the goods, as Premier Graham did.".
"That was when Mr. Irbing announced in his papers that he had formed a coalition with your government. That annnouncement was unconsitutional and highly improper. Only an elected person can be in a coalition in a democracy. As well, one does not invite oneself into a coalition any more than one invites oneself to a private party. The invitiation - and the announcement - are up to the host. That announcement, coming from Mr. Irving was a warning to you and to oanyone who thought New Brunswick was a democracy. Your silence on that occasion must have encouraged him."
"I cannot, at this distance, determine how arrogance and ego may have influenced Mr. Irving's behaviour. He may suffer from those as the emperor Caligula did. Caligula, in his arrogance, thought he was a god and, accordingly, frequently wore a beard made of gold wire inserted, one wire at a time, into his skin."
"Whatever the full reasoning might have been, the effect was certainly to remind you and the voters who the boss is. But even that wasn't enough. He needed even more direct control."
"Thus the meeting you had with two, lesser corporate types, to tell you they were setting up a group to create an economic plan for the future of New Brunswick. You were graciously permitted to join as an ordinary member. That committte now has public credibility, and power to influence, even shape, every government function from privatizing NB Energy to clearing roads. The public and their elected representatives no longer matter."
"But what shall I do, Mr. Holmes? If I deny what they ask, they will leave the province.?"
"Holmes smiled. "And if you spray a mosquito, it will leave before it has sucked all it wants of your blood.. Mr. Alward, following the instinct of your fears will simply lead you to become as unpopular as Graham Shawn was. And New Brunswickers, I fear, will show their anger in the only way they seem to know - vote you out, and vote the Liberals back in."
"Go public, Mr. Alward. Tell your voters what I have told you. Expect no help from most of the news media, of course. But buy space on radio. Then travel the province to meet your voters. Tell them that you propose to resist. Then, do what you said you would do in your election campaign.."
"Listen to them."
A light flashed in Alward's eyes. He stood up, shoulders squared. "I'll do it, Mr. Holmes/ Thank you and bless you for making me a man,again."
Holmes grasped Alward's hand in both of his. "Spoken like a true Briton."
With that, Alward strode to the door. As it closed behind him, Holmes clapped his hands and, said, "Well, Watson, tonight we get away from Mrs. Hudon's dreadful sheepshead pudding, and dine at the best restaurant we can find."
"But Holmes, your last supply of heroin took almost all our money. We barely have enough to eat even Mrs. Hudson's food for the month."
Holmes chuckled. "The game's afoot, Watson. Before we go out,I 'll send a message to Mr. Irving, telling him what was said tonight. That will earn a mountain of heroin for me, and enough restaurant food to last the rest of our lives."
And so, fifteen minutes later, the two friends stepped into the evening fog. Holmes raised his stick..
"Cab!"
Holmes' eyes revealed a sympathy he always felt for those who, despite honorable intentions, find themselves being used for evil puproses. But his voice also betrayed an impatience.
"You mentioned the Atlantic Insitute for Market Studies. What does it do? Was it founded before or after your troubles? Who pays for it? How did your predecessor, Shawn Graham, get the idea of of buying electricity from another province?"
Premier Alward looked back at the master like a deer caught in the headlights. "Well." he stammered, "AIMS is a scientific study group. But it is private; so it is not required to post the names of its donors...."
"Not another word". said Holmes. There is no need to answer. This is not even a one-pipe problem. I shall explain it to you."
"AIMS is a propaganda front for corporations and the wealthy. It's expensive to operate; so I can assure you it does not live on donations from widows and orphans. Its 'scientific' reports are worthless; but get excellent coverage by newspapers because the newspaper owners are commonly the same people who support these 'think tanks' all across North America."
"Generally, their purpose is to privatize as much as possible. Thus their constant reports that government should be small (except when making grants and giving tax cuts to the rich), and that everything should be privatized - education, health care, pensions....all should be for private profit".
"Currently, AIMS is also working on a project to form a sort of economic union of the Maritimes, Quebec and New England. That surely gives a hint of why we hear talk of selling NB Energy, buying some electricity from Quebec, and exporting some to New England where the donors to AIMS also have substantial interests".
"Premier Graham was simply a pawn who failed them in dealing with public anger."
"Your party, Mr. Alward, has traditionally, along with the Liberals, been safely in the pockets of the donors to AIMS. But they needed a tougher and more visible stance to deal with the voters. Thus the Economic Summit, essentially a programmed gathering of corporate heads with an assortment of attractive potted plants like university presidents and community leaders. The report that they presented at the end, could have been written - and may have been written - before the meeting was held. But there needed to be something more, if only to demonstrate to you that you had better not fail to deliver the goods, as Premier Graham did.".
"That was when Mr. Irbing announced in his papers that he had formed a coalition with your government. That annnouncement was unconsitutional and highly improper. Only an elected person can be in a coalition in a democracy. As well, one does not invite oneself into a coalition any more than one invites oneself to a private party. The invitiation - and the announcement - are up to the host. That announcement, coming from Mr. Irving was a warning to you and to oanyone who thought New Brunswick was a democracy. Your silence on that occasion must have encouraged him."
"I cannot, at this distance, determine how arrogance and ego may have influenced Mr. Irving's behaviour. He may suffer from those as the emperor Caligula did. Caligula, in his arrogance, thought he was a god and, accordingly, frequently wore a beard made of gold wire inserted, one wire at a time, into his skin."
"Whatever the full reasoning might have been, the effect was certainly to remind you and the voters who the boss is. But even that wasn't enough. He needed even more direct control."
"Thus the meeting you had with two, lesser corporate types, to tell you they were setting up a group to create an economic plan for the future of New Brunswick. You were graciously permitted to join as an ordinary member. That committte now has public credibility, and power to influence, even shape, every government function from privatizing NB Energy to clearing roads. The public and their elected representatives no longer matter."
"But what shall I do, Mr. Holmes? If I deny what they ask, they will leave the province.?"
"Holmes smiled. "And if you spray a mosquito, it will leave before it has sucked all it wants of your blood.. Mr. Alward, following the instinct of your fears will simply lead you to become as unpopular as Graham Shawn was. And New Brunswickers, I fear, will show their anger in the only way they seem to know - vote you out, and vote the Liberals back in."
"Go public, Mr. Alward. Tell your voters what I have told you. Expect no help from most of the news media, of course. But buy space on radio. Then travel the province to meet your voters. Tell them that you propose to resist. Then, do what you said you would do in your election campaign.."
"Listen to them."
A light flashed in Alward's eyes. He stood up, shoulders squared. "I'll do it, Mr. Holmes/ Thank you and bless you for making me a man,again."
Holmes grasped Alward's hand in both of his. "Spoken like a true Briton."
With that, Alward strode to the door. As it closed behind him, Holmes clapped his hands and, said, "Well, Watson, tonight we get away from Mrs. Hudon's dreadful sheepshead pudding, and dine at the best restaurant we can find."
"But Holmes, your last supply of heroin took almost all our money. We barely have enough to eat even Mrs. Hudson's food for the month."
Holmes chuckled. "The game's afoot, Watson. Before we go out,I 'll send a message to Mr. Irving, telling him what was said tonight. That will earn a mountain of heroin for me, and enough restaurant food to last the rest of our lives."
And so, fifteen minutes later, the two friends stepped into the evening fog. Holmes raised his stick..
"Cab!"
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