Two, BIG stories on today's front page of The Moncton Times and Transcript. One - the people who live in Dieppe, our "metro" neighbours, are happy. That is big and, without doubt, will be one of the features of Moncton that the whole world is watching. Two - a gull stuck in the mud at Jones Lake got free. Strong men wept openly at the sight.
Just to show the importance of those stories, they had to move the usual ad for the casino - (disguised as a news story)- to an inner page. And it was a big story. Dog the Bounty Hunter will appear on stage. The whole world will be watching Moncton.
The words fracking and shale gas, as usual, did not appear anywhere in the paper, though both government and the newspaper have asssured us many times that they are going to keep us regularly and fully informed. So, just for you, here's secret the Moncton T&T doesn't know.
Go to google. Search for "Shale gas accidents". There wou will find over a million entries, most of them very recent.
In fact, just in the last few months, you will find confirmed reports of poisoning of streams and the water table due to spills, massive escapes of shale gas into the atmosphere, leaking transmission pipes that poison both the air and the land, enormous tanking trucks of waste fracking fluid that have spilled their loads all over the land, law firms which have sprung up to specialize in damage caused by fracking, explosions that have killed and maimed....
Perhaps the TandT and the government could go just a little step further. They've already said we have to look at what NB can earn from this. Okay. Give us a look at how much we will get from the almost certain environmental damge. What percentage are we getting on oil sales? What tax breaks do we have to pay for? (For openers, I know one company won't have to pay taxes until 2016 - and not much even then.)
From what I've able to learn with computer searches, It doesn't sound to me as though we're getting a whole lot for the risks. Indeed, this deal has all the earmarks of all those other rip-offs by our economic bosses that have characterized the history of New Brunswick - ripping off the resources and taxes of New Brunswick ( with the help of a lying press), and leaving its people among the poorest in Canada.
'course, it ain't big like a story of a gull getting out of Jones Lake. Or the thrilling op ed column by Brian Cormier in which he confesses he likes to knit.( Hey, c'mon Brian. The whole world is watching Moncton.)
I have a small quarrel with Alec Bruce and his defence of Stephen Harper's comment on "Islamicism" being the greatest threat to Canada. I know Harper specified Islamicist extremism. But the importance of a statement lies not in what you say, but in what people hear. And what is heard is that Islam is the problem.
Actually, though I am a Christian - and rather serious about it - I think the biggest threat in the world today is Christianicism extremism It has certainly killed far more people than Islamic extremism has for some centuries now. Still, I fully agree with the main thrust of Bruce's column. Canadian democracy, never so strong as we think it is, has entered its most dangerous period. "We'll learn about that when Harper announces his plans on how to deal with them there Islamicist extremists.
My guess is that we can look forward to the destruction of fundamental freedoms -and lots and lots of wars that have nothing to do with protecting Canada..
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sept. 13: Keep 'em entertained. And lie to them.
Today's Moncton Times and Tribune story on Syria - yet again - got me thinking about the lying part. The T&T has been buying its stories from Syria from Reuters. Now, Reuters was one of the pioneers of news services, and has usually enjoyed a trusted reputation. But just about all news services lie when reporting war. Reuter's, I'm afraid, is no exception. It has reported a war in which the rebels had popular suppot, that we are helping because Ghdaffi is a bad man, that NATO has no troops on the ground - and all of it quite obviously lies.
If of those Reurters claims are true, if the rebel have popular support, then how come the war has so far gong on twice as long as it was supposed to be? If Ghadaffi had no popular support, why did he freely issue weapons to civilians in Tripoli? If the rebels were fighting so hard, how come Reuters reported "fierce" battles between major forces, battles in which only two or three were killed. And how could it be true - in one of their reports - that one sniper on a rooftop stopped the advance of the whole rebel army?
If NATO has no troops on the ground, who are all those French, British, and Americans running around with guns?
Ghadaffi was certainly a bad man. He made Libya available to the CIA for its "rendering" and torture. He worked very closely with British and American intelligence services. But you won't find that in any reports from Reuters. You have to go to Wikileaks. diplomatic cables for that.
Nor has Reuters said much about the rebel torturing and killing of Blacks in Libya (most of them migrant labour).
Nor has Reuters mentioned civilian deaths. We are left with the impression the NATO bombers, in flying well over 30,000 sorties, didn't kill any civilians. That is simply not possible. We know that many, perhaps most, of the bombing has been of cities. One cannot bomb cities without massive civilian casualties. That is particularly true in the use of cluster bombs which normally score some 90 percent of their kills on civilians. And our bomb use includes cluster bombs. That's quite a "humanitarian" effort.
Most war correspondents lie. I'm afraid those working for Reuters are no better than most of the others. (Oh, don't rely on Al Jazeera, either. Once an excellent news service, diplomatic cables on Wikileaks reveal it has come to an agreement with the US to suppress any news that the USgovernment might find embarrassing.
So the T&T routinely publishes lies as news, especially on matters of war. That's one of its major functions.
Another major function is to keep its readers ignorant of what is going on here, instead filling the paper with hunan interest trivia. It's rather like Ancient Rome in which a tiny elite grabbed all the loot of an empre for itself. That left a Rome full of people living in poverty - a sure path to rebellion. So the elite played it smart, staging the gladitorial games whose brutality appealed to a population that hated itself for its poverty and uselessnes - and wanted to see somebody else punished for it.
Now, you can can see the phenomenon in daytime television with shows like Gerry Springer. Or you can take in our local, ultimate combat fights. Or read today's sports headline - Wildtown Catfight. Or, for the bottom of the heap self-haters of this world, there's pro wrestling.
Think of it all as Rome making itself the entertainment hub of its region. Just like Moncton. Keep them trivial. Keep them hating themselves. Keep them ignorant of what's really going on.
Alec Bruce goes against the current with an excellent column on shale gas. a topic the rest of the paper has alternately ignored or lied about. The more usual summary of what's important and what isn't important in the opinion of the T&T is summed up in the last sentence of the editorial. "It should be an excellent year in Metro for sports, entertainment, and the bottom line."
Hail, Caesar.
On the op ed page, David Suzuki brings us back to the real world. The space above him is the usual column by a T&T staff writer. And it's the usual human interest story. It's nice that it marks a happy event and the tenth anniversary of 911. But it really tells us nothing, and is no help in understanding what is going on in the world.
We live in a society remarkably similar to the latter days of Rome, a world of diversions and deliberately created ignorance of what is going on.
It's said that as the barbarians attacked Rome, the Romans could hear the screams of the dying soldiers (mercenaries) on the city walls. But they paid no attention, so absorbed were they in the slaughter going on before their eyes.
Too bad Rome never had an NHL team.
If of those Reurters claims are true, if the rebel have popular support, then how come the war has so far gong on twice as long as it was supposed to be? If Ghadaffi had no popular support, why did he freely issue weapons to civilians in Tripoli? If the rebels were fighting so hard, how come Reuters reported "fierce" battles between major forces, battles in which only two or three were killed. And how could it be true - in one of their reports - that one sniper on a rooftop stopped the advance of the whole rebel army?
If NATO has no troops on the ground, who are all those French, British, and Americans running around with guns?
Ghadaffi was certainly a bad man. He made Libya available to the CIA for its "rendering" and torture. He worked very closely with British and American intelligence services. But you won't find that in any reports from Reuters. You have to go to Wikileaks. diplomatic cables for that.
Nor has Reuters said much about the rebel torturing and killing of Blacks in Libya (most of them migrant labour).
Nor has Reuters mentioned civilian deaths. We are left with the impression the NATO bombers, in flying well over 30,000 sorties, didn't kill any civilians. That is simply not possible. We know that many, perhaps most, of the bombing has been of cities. One cannot bomb cities without massive civilian casualties. That is particularly true in the use of cluster bombs which normally score some 90 percent of their kills on civilians. And our bomb use includes cluster bombs. That's quite a "humanitarian" effort.
Most war correspondents lie. I'm afraid those working for Reuters are no better than most of the others. (Oh, don't rely on Al Jazeera, either. Once an excellent news service, diplomatic cables on Wikileaks reveal it has come to an agreement with the US to suppress any news that the USgovernment might find embarrassing.
So the T&T routinely publishes lies as news, especially on matters of war. That's one of its major functions.
Another major function is to keep its readers ignorant of what is going on here, instead filling the paper with hunan interest trivia. It's rather like Ancient Rome in which a tiny elite grabbed all the loot of an empre for itself. That left a Rome full of people living in poverty - a sure path to rebellion. So the elite played it smart, staging the gladitorial games whose brutality appealed to a population that hated itself for its poverty and uselessnes - and wanted to see somebody else punished for it.
Now, you can can see the phenomenon in daytime television with shows like Gerry Springer. Or you can take in our local, ultimate combat fights. Or read today's sports headline - Wildtown Catfight. Or, for the bottom of the heap self-haters of this world, there's pro wrestling.
Think of it all as Rome making itself the entertainment hub of its region. Just like Moncton. Keep them trivial. Keep them hating themselves. Keep them ignorant of what's really going on.
Alec Bruce goes against the current with an excellent column on shale gas. a topic the rest of the paper has alternately ignored or lied about. The more usual summary of what's important and what isn't important in the opinion of the T&T is summed up in the last sentence of the editorial. "It should be an excellent year in Metro for sports, entertainment, and the bottom line."
Hail, Caesar.
On the op ed page, David Suzuki brings us back to the real world. The space above him is the usual column by a T&T staff writer. And it's the usual human interest story. It's nice that it marks a happy event and the tenth anniversary of 911. But it really tells us nothing, and is no help in understanding what is going on in the world.
We live in a society remarkably similar to the latter days of Rome, a world of diversions and deliberately created ignorance of what is going on.
It's said that as the barbarians attacked Rome, the Romans could hear the screams of the dying soldiers (mercenaries) on the city walls. But they paid no attention, so absorbed were they in the slaughter going on before their eyes.
Too bad Rome never had an NHL team.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sept. 12: .....sigh......
The front page had a story about Moncton congratulating itself for how good it was to stranded passengers at the time of 9/11. And a bigger one "Grey Cup Fever grips Moncton". In a real city, that means the Grey Cup is going to be played there. In Moncton, it means the cup is on tour. The rest of Section A was pretty much the same stuff, with lots of pictures to save money on reporting - and because this is regularly a newspaper that does not encourage literacy.
NewsToday was pretty much the same as section A. No mention of Libya (where fighting goes on though the war was said to be over two weeks ago.) Lotta babies dying in Somalia. But no mention of it. I guess it doesn't make for good picture spreads.
Serious danger of war and general collapse in the middle east as Turkey and Egypt move to teaming up against Israel. But this didn't make it either. Nor did continued US bombing in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. No mention of Obama's desperate economic plan; but a fuzzy picture of Obama hugging somebody. I mean, what the hell, it it's Obama So that's a story. Right?
The big editorial? The big subject of othe day? It's too expensive to rebuilt covered bridges. A hundred million collar hockey rink? for sure. A sweetheart contract to a fracking company with no taxes until 2015? And few taxes even then? you bet. But covered bridges and education and minimum wage and care for the elderly? This is no time for frills. The whole world, as always, is watching us.
The only important story was the chilling one that led NewsToday "Divide between West, Muslim societies 'irreconicilable': poll"
It seems 65% of Canadians polled think we and Islam are in an ideological struggle. And there is no hope of a peaceful solution. Neat. That means the only possible solution is mass slaughter. A very Christian view. And us followers of love thy neighbour are well ahead of the game with a score of at least a million Moslem civilians killed for the loss of Westerners in the thousands.
Where on earth do people get the idea these wars for oil and economic positioning have anything to do with ideology? Well, it has to do with listening to our politicians like Bush and Obama and Harper, and with following most of our news media.
Do Moslems kill for terror? Then they're extremists. Do westeners kill for terror -- as when they murdered almost a million Iraq civilians? When they slaughtered 200,000 in Guatemala? When they bomb Libya and Somalia and Pakistan...? When they torture uncounted (and unreported) tens of thousands?
Shucks, no. They's jes' good ol' boys funnin', and valiantly defending their values - whatever those might be. Nust keep movin' along, folks. Nuthin' to see here.
The choice of words is essential in spreading propaganda and fear and hatred.
No western country of the last thirty years has accused another western nation of terrorism or extremism - though it is western countries which have led the world in torturing and killing for all those years.
When Christian Americans practice terrorism within the US, they are never called terrorists. They are called militias - it's such a nicer word.
When Moslem clerics denounce the west, they are extremists. When western politicians (Harper springs to mind) denounce Islam, they are celebrated in the press. Remember the headline about Harper facing the "Islamicist" threat squarely? Notice the word "squarely". That's a good word. It suggests fearlessness, honesty, taking an unpopular stand because he is such a fine man. It doesn't at all suggest he could be building up fear and hatred for polical purposes. News media love to deliver hidden messages with their choice of words.
This is a war of ideologies? Ridiculous. Religiously, the west has very little of any religious ideology. Check out most Moncton churches on a Sunday. For over a century, the west has been killing Moslems for oil. Moslems are just rubble in the way (as we New Brunswickers are in the scramble for shale gas. That's why the gas companies like to refer to us protestors as hoodlums and thieves. Watch for the Times and Transcript to pick up on this theme.)
But don't expect much discussion of this (or any information) in The Moncton Times and Transcript.
Moslems are not attacking us because of ideology. They are shooting back because we have been terrorizing them for over a cenutry, But we don't talk about that. That's because the news media paid very little attention to the fact the the dictators attacked in the"Arab Spring" were dictators that we installed and supported in the first place.
Ideology. What a crock!. But 65% of Canadians believe it. That tells you something about the dishonesty of our political leaders and the manipulation of most of our news media.
NewsToday was pretty much the same as section A. No mention of Libya (where fighting goes on though the war was said to be over two weeks ago.) Lotta babies dying in Somalia. But no mention of it. I guess it doesn't make for good picture spreads.
Serious danger of war and general collapse in the middle east as Turkey and Egypt move to teaming up against Israel. But this didn't make it either. Nor did continued US bombing in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. No mention of Obama's desperate economic plan; but a fuzzy picture of Obama hugging somebody. I mean, what the hell, it it's Obama So that's a story. Right?
The big editorial? The big subject of othe day? It's too expensive to rebuilt covered bridges. A hundred million collar hockey rink? for sure. A sweetheart contract to a fracking company with no taxes until 2015? And few taxes even then? you bet. But covered bridges and education and minimum wage and care for the elderly? This is no time for frills. The whole world, as always, is watching us.
The only important story was the chilling one that led NewsToday "Divide between West, Muslim societies 'irreconicilable': poll"
It seems 65% of Canadians polled think we and Islam are in an ideological struggle. And there is no hope of a peaceful solution. Neat. That means the only possible solution is mass slaughter. A very Christian view. And us followers of love thy neighbour are well ahead of the game with a score of at least a million Moslem civilians killed for the loss of Westerners in the thousands.
Where on earth do people get the idea these wars for oil and economic positioning have anything to do with ideology? Well, it has to do with listening to our politicians like Bush and Obama and Harper, and with following most of our news media.
Do Moslems kill for terror? Then they're extremists. Do westeners kill for terror -- as when they murdered almost a million Iraq civilians? When they slaughtered 200,000 in Guatemala? When they bomb Libya and Somalia and Pakistan...? When they torture uncounted (and unreported) tens of thousands?
Shucks, no. They's jes' good ol' boys funnin', and valiantly defending their values - whatever those might be. Nust keep movin' along, folks. Nuthin' to see here.
The choice of words is essential in spreading propaganda and fear and hatred.
No western country of the last thirty years has accused another western nation of terrorism or extremism - though it is western countries which have led the world in torturing and killing for all those years.
When Christian Americans practice terrorism within the US, they are never called terrorists. They are called militias - it's such a nicer word.
When Moslem clerics denounce the west, they are extremists. When western politicians (Harper springs to mind) denounce Islam, they are celebrated in the press. Remember the headline about Harper facing the "Islamicist" threat squarely? Notice the word "squarely". That's a good word. It suggests fearlessness, honesty, taking an unpopular stand because he is such a fine man. It doesn't at all suggest he could be building up fear and hatred for polical purposes. News media love to deliver hidden messages with their choice of words.
This is a war of ideologies? Ridiculous. Religiously, the west has very little of any religious ideology. Check out most Moncton churches on a Sunday. For over a century, the west has been killing Moslems for oil. Moslems are just rubble in the way (as we New Brunswickers are in the scramble for shale gas. That's why the gas companies like to refer to us protestors as hoodlums and thieves. Watch for the Times and Transcript to pick up on this theme.)
But don't expect much discussion of this (or any information) in The Moncton Times and Transcript.
Moslems are not attacking us because of ideology. They are shooting back because we have been terrorizing them for over a cenutry, But we don't talk about that. That's because the news media paid very little attention to the fact the the dictators attacked in the"Arab Spring" were dictators that we installed and supported in the first place.
Ideology. What a crock!. But 65% of Canadians believe it. That tells you something about the dishonesty of our political leaders and the manipulation of most of our news media.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Sept. 10: The Moncton T&T, and unChristian Christians
Bill Belliveau has a good column in today's paper. It's about 9/11; and it's very critical of the Harper government. (Would he have written it if it were a criticism of a Liberal government? Well, let's give credit where creidit it is due. This is a good one.) He makes the point that we ae following the US in becoming a police state. In fact, we already have. Governments in free countries do not, for example, turn over their own citizens for torture. Canada does, and has. It does not turn them over for illegal trials. Canada does, and has. But there's no doubt it is going to become much worse. Very soon. The US is going to demand we imitate their level of hysteria, domestic espionage, arbitrary arrest and imprisoning with no charge or trial that it has. It's going to demand the paranoid hatreds it generates over Islam and,l indeed, anybody who's different. Harper has just said so - even inventing a new word, Islamicalism. I'm glad he included that new word. It's reassuring to know we have a prime minister who is the intellectual equivalent of a George Bush.
I was delighted to read that Brent Mazerolle is performing in Trial by Jury, and in what sounds to be an excellent setting at the old courthouse in Hopewell. I am too late for the regular performances, but shall certainly do my best be be at the Sept. 17 show at 4 p.m. It really is a delight to come across a community effort like this one.
Now, a comment on the news media in general, on the media assault we we are likely to endure on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, (with a thank you to the T&T for its restraint in coverage - and for a variety in the tone as we can see in Belliveau's column.
Moncton is, nominally at least, largely a Christian city. That's why I was shocked to see a church on St. George St. some months ago flauting a sign "Suppor our troops in Afghanistan." In my admittedly limited understanding of The Bible,, we are called on to love our neighbour. I don't think any trasnlation reads "love thy guy next door. Give hell to everybody else." God, despite speeches I have heard from retired generals, is not the commander-in-chief of anybody's armed forces, and does not take sides in wars.
On a related note, every country I have ever heard of has practiced terrorism. Moses used terrorism against the Egyptians - though I have never heard a sermon mourning the suffering of innocent Egyptians. The US and Canada used it against their native peoples. Aerial bombing has been terrorism killing mostly civilians ever since Italy launched the first bombing raids over North African villages in 1910. Winston Churchill (as Secretary of the Colonies) ordered terrorist bombing of what is now Iraq in the 1920s. The bombing of Tokyo in World War Two was pure terrorism, as was Dresden.
In Cambodia, the US deliberately killed a half million civilians, quite indiscriminately, in a campaign which was 9/11 every day for a year. Napalm, cluster bombs, and poisons killed even more, far more, in Vietnam. 200,000 (about 70 times 9/11) were killed in Guatemala without a mention in our news media.
When 9/11 happened, it was promptly used as an excuse to kill well over a million in Iraq and AFghanistan - though neither had anything to do with the attack. It was also used to convert the US into a police state (with Canada no to follow.)
When it comes to terrorism, Moslems are bush league. When it comes to terror, mass murder, and torture, they could take lessons from the Christian west..
I wonder how many Chistian churches will have a mention of 9/11 this Sunday? How many will pray for the victims?
And then, how many will also mourn the millions of men, women, children and babies mained and killed by us.
Or will they all just mourn the victims of 9/11, imply that God is on our side, and so put the blame on Him for the terror we have done? And are doing.
Love thy neighbour does not mean just the person next door.
I was delighted to read that Brent Mazerolle is performing in Trial by Jury, and in what sounds to be an excellent setting at the old courthouse in Hopewell. I am too late for the regular performances, but shall certainly do my best be be at the Sept. 17 show at 4 p.m. It really is a delight to come across a community effort like this one.
Now, a comment on the news media in general, on the media assault we we are likely to endure on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, (with a thank you to the T&T for its restraint in coverage - and for a variety in the tone as we can see in Belliveau's column.
Moncton is, nominally at least, largely a Christian city. That's why I was shocked to see a church on St. George St. some months ago flauting a sign "Suppor our troops in Afghanistan." In my admittedly limited understanding of The Bible,, we are called on to love our neighbour. I don't think any trasnlation reads "love thy guy next door. Give hell to everybody else." God, despite speeches I have heard from retired generals, is not the commander-in-chief of anybody's armed forces, and does not take sides in wars.
On a related note, every country I have ever heard of has practiced terrorism. Moses used terrorism against the Egyptians - though I have never heard a sermon mourning the suffering of innocent Egyptians. The US and Canada used it against their native peoples. Aerial bombing has been terrorism killing mostly civilians ever since Italy launched the first bombing raids over North African villages in 1910. Winston Churchill (as Secretary of the Colonies) ordered terrorist bombing of what is now Iraq in the 1920s. The bombing of Tokyo in World War Two was pure terrorism, as was Dresden.
In Cambodia, the US deliberately killed a half million civilians, quite indiscriminately, in a campaign which was 9/11 every day for a year. Napalm, cluster bombs, and poisons killed even more, far more, in Vietnam. 200,000 (about 70 times 9/11) were killed in Guatemala without a mention in our news media.
When 9/11 happened, it was promptly used as an excuse to kill well over a million in Iraq and AFghanistan - though neither had anything to do with the attack. It was also used to convert the US into a police state (with Canada no to follow.)
When it comes to terrorism, Moslems are bush league. When it comes to terror, mass murder, and torture, they could take lessons from the Christian west..
I wonder how many Chistian churches will have a mention of 9/11 this Sunday? How many will pray for the victims?
And then, how many will also mourn the millions of men, women, children and babies mained and killed by us.
Or will they all just mourn the victims of 9/11, imply that God is on our side, and so put the blame on Him for the terror we have done? And are doing.
Love thy neighbour does not mean just the person next door.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Sept 9: addendum to previous Sept. 9 blog
Sorry. Damn computer. All of a sudden, an unfinished blog was published - and now my computer won't let me edit it. (So this time I have an excuse for spelling mistakes.) This one takes up where the other left off.
s
The editorialist of the paper that has refused to give us information for years, that refused to make its own enquiries, that has propagandized for the gas project, and has tried to tar the protestors is now asking us to take a "balanced" approach. The government and the newspaper will now start giving us information in the honest and straightforward way that neither of them has ever shown. Why on earth should we believe them?
The discussion has been marred by lack of verifiable fact? And who is responsible for the lack of verifiable fact? And what about the facts that CAN be verified - as in US cases of damage? Why has The T&T never reported on them? Why has it never even asked Quebec, France, South Africa and, I believe, Australia why they have forbidden fracking?
And we are going to get an honest, balanced view from an energy company? Aren't energy companies the ones with a reputation for being the most brutal, lying and destructive ones on earth?
And the T&T and the Alward government will act as honest brokers? With their records?
There's a mess. It wasn't caused by demonstrators. It was caused by liars. I have no interest in taking part in dicussions and information sessions organized by proven liars. New Brunswick governments, big business, and the Times and Transcript have long ago proven their collusion, greed, and dishonesty. Enough. They have made a mess. They have done it consistently for generations. I cannot believe that they are suddenly turning into anything desirable or moral.
I don't believe I have ever demonstrated in my life. But this Thursday, from 10 to 2, I shall be joining the demonstrators at Centennial Building in Moncton.
This province is deep in corruption, greed, abuse and lying. There comes a time when you have to decide which side you're on. The choice has been made necessary not by protestors, but by the government, the business leadership, and their lying newspapers.
Oh, and if we need more money, can we get a look at just who is paying how much tax in this province? And can we ask who is getting favours from our tax money?
See you on Thursday.
s
The editorialist of the paper that has refused to give us information for years, that refused to make its own enquiries, that has propagandized for the gas project, and has tried to tar the protestors is now asking us to take a "balanced" approach. The government and the newspaper will now start giving us information in the honest and straightforward way that neither of them has ever shown. Why on earth should we believe them?
The discussion has been marred by lack of verifiable fact? And who is responsible for the lack of verifiable fact? And what about the facts that CAN be verified - as in US cases of damage? Why has The T&T never reported on them? Why has it never even asked Quebec, France, South Africa and, I believe, Australia why they have forbidden fracking?
And we are going to get an honest, balanced view from an energy company? Aren't energy companies the ones with a reputation for being the most brutal, lying and destructive ones on earth?
And the T&T and the Alward government will act as honest brokers? With their records?
There's a mess. It wasn't caused by demonstrators. It was caused by liars. I have no interest in taking part in dicussions and information sessions organized by proven liars. New Brunswick governments, big business, and the Times and Transcript have long ago proven their collusion, greed, and dishonesty. Enough. They have made a mess. They have done it consistently for generations. I cannot believe that they are suddenly turning into anything desirable or moral.
I don't believe I have ever demonstrated in my life. But this Thursday, from 10 to 2, I shall be joining the demonstrators at Centennial Building in Moncton.
This province is deep in corruption, greed, abuse and lying. There comes a time when you have to decide which side you're on. The choice has been made necessary not by protestors, but by the government, the business leadership, and their lying newspapers.
Oh, and if we need more money, can we get a look at just who is paying how much tax in this province? And can we ask who is getting favours from our tax money?
See you on Thursday.
Sept. 9: Doesn't the editorial writer read The Moncton Times&Transcript?
For years, the New Brunswick government and the editorialists for the The Moncton Times ignored the issue of drilling for shale gas. When protestors brought it out into the open, the government and The Times gave little information (and most of that false). For the last few weeks, there has been almost no information at all. There has been lots of propaganda from the gas companies (both in commerical ads as week as in free space in the always cooperative T&T.). There's been lots of loaded language to demonize protestors. There's been lots of obvious lying about how it's all perfectly safe. (Environment minister Blaney, probably without realizing it, said as much in her inteterview just yesterday). We also know from Ms. Blaney's interview that for all the years this has been going on, and for all that it was a plank in the Conservative election platform, we still don't have regulations in place. Indeed, she suggested we need even more study before they can be drawn up.
If there has been virtually no information, no debate, no governmental research, how come permission for exploration was given? And how long ago was it given? And what are the terms of that permission?
The editor says it's a pity that infotmation and consultation were not begun long ago.
Yes, indeed it is a pity. So why didn't the editors and their editorials say so long ago? Why, instead, did they do nothing but pump out pro-gas propaganda? Why, in consulting academics, did they ignore mining engineers to give play to Professor Savoie of U de Moncton who has no particular expertise in the field? (Indeed, why did professor
Savoie agree to an interview on such a topic?
If there has been virtually no information, no debate, no governmental research, how come permission for exploration was given? And how long ago was it given? And what are the terms of that permission?
The editor says it's a pity that infotmation and consultation were not begun long ago.
Yes, indeed it is a pity. So why didn't the editors and their editorials say so long ago? Why, instead, did they do nothing but pump out pro-gas propaganda? Why, in consulting academics, did they ignore mining engineers to give play to Professor Savoie of U de Moncton who has no particular expertise in the field? (Indeed, why did professor
Savoie agree to an interview on such a topic?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Oct. 8. Environment Minister Blaney tells the truth?
I don't think she meant to tell the truth. But she did. And her nose looks shorter already.
The story begins at the bottom of the front page, "N.B. to consult soon on shale gas". Don't bother with most of the story. Skip to the last five paragraphs (on p..2)
1, She begins that final part by saying that there have been a lot of problems in other places with fracking. Oh? Really? But Mr. Alward and the fracking companies and The Moncton Times and Tribune have been telling us there have been no such problems. Don't you listen to Mr. Alward, and read NBmedia, ms. Blaney?
2. "Problems occured because governments didn't put in careful regulation. But NB is not in that position because we in the very early stages"?
Really? And here I was under the impression that this search was approved some years ago, starting with Conservtives, then Liberals, then Conservatives again. The oil companies certainly have indicated they have a deal. Alward has told us it was a major part of his campaign plattorm (right up there after listening.) Let's see. It's been going on for years. Government commmitments have been made.
Ms. Blaney - exactly what is your definition of very early stages?
3. "If New Burnswick does go ahead and allow extraction of shale gas...." You mean those companies are spending millions on exploration without any guarantee that they be allowed to develop the resource? Yeah. Gas companies are big-hearted, whacky guys like that.
4. Blaney says "... the best and worst experiences of other jurisdictions will go into drafting NB's regulations"!!!!! You mean they aren't drafted yet? Through all these years? Through an election in which this was a major point in your platform? And all the way through these months of (undistinguished) goverment? And there still are no regulations? But I heard Mr. Alward say they were done. Don't you tell Mr. Alward anything? (He's really good at listening.)
I commend New Brunswickers for their restraint in the face of such incompetent, abusive and irresponsible behaviour.
5. And what "worst" experiences are you talking about? I've not heard a word from anybody in the government about "worst" experiences. Quite the contrary, the government has poo-poohed any mention of "worst" experiences. And certainly NBMedia has done nothing but kiss up to the government line.
And now you are going to consult with us and tell us the whole truth. Why? Why didn't you do that in the "early stages". Why weren't you doing it immediately after the election? Why weren't you putting a high priorithy on draftinig regulations? Why are you playing sweet and reasonable now?
Could it have anything to do with the display of anger and disgust by so many ordinary New Brunswickers (defined by the gas companies as "hoodlums"?)
Ms. Blaney, few will be so air-headed as to believe a word you say. You belong to a government that must have set a record demonstrating incompetence and dishonesty in less than a year.
Take heart, though. There are people now prepared to vote in the Liberals who they voted out for lying to us. And when that happens, and Liberals do exactly what you are doing, some people will get angry - and vote the Liberals out and you back in. So relax, and take the long term view.
The T&T continues its daily reports on Libya - and still telling us nothing. How many have been killed bt the 30,000 bombs, and the tons of small arms and rocket fire? The rebels and NATO have had control of most of the country for a week. Burials are quick in hot climates. So where are the estimates of the dead? Who were the dead in this humanitarian mission? How many bllack, migrant workers have been murdered by the rebels? How come the T&T source doesnt not mention that the towns still under siege are being bombed by us?
This was not a ground war. It was an air war, in which only one side had aircraft. That's why reports of ground "battles" in which one or two rebels were killed made no sense. There seems to have been very little ground fighting. It was, rather, NATO bombing a path to Tripoli, and then bombing Tripoli.
and that means heavy civilian losses. Odd for a humanitarian mission.
Still nothing on Somalia. Who cares? Babies die all the time.
Jody Dallaire and David Suzuki are, as always, bright spots in the paper. And Nortbert, though he tries to cover too many subjects for one column, is an interesting read.
The story begins at the bottom of the front page, "N.B. to consult soon on shale gas". Don't bother with most of the story. Skip to the last five paragraphs (on p..2)
1, She begins that final part by saying that there have been a lot of problems in other places with fracking. Oh? Really? But Mr. Alward and the fracking companies and The Moncton Times and Tribune have been telling us there have been no such problems. Don't you listen to Mr. Alward, and read NBmedia, ms. Blaney?
2. "Problems occured because governments didn't put in careful regulation. But NB is not in that position because we in the very early stages"?
Really? And here I was under the impression that this search was approved some years ago, starting with Conservtives, then Liberals, then Conservatives again. The oil companies certainly have indicated they have a deal. Alward has told us it was a major part of his campaign plattorm (right up there after listening.) Let's see. It's been going on for years. Government commmitments have been made.
Ms. Blaney - exactly what is your definition of very early stages?
3. "If New Burnswick does go ahead and allow extraction of shale gas...." You mean those companies are spending millions on exploration without any guarantee that they be allowed to develop the resource? Yeah. Gas companies are big-hearted, whacky guys like that.
4. Blaney says "... the best and worst experiences of other jurisdictions will go into drafting NB's regulations"!!!!! You mean they aren't drafted yet? Through all these years? Through an election in which this was a major point in your platform? And all the way through these months of (undistinguished) goverment? And there still are no regulations? But I heard Mr. Alward say they were done. Don't you tell Mr. Alward anything? (He's really good at listening.)
I commend New Brunswickers for their restraint in the face of such incompetent, abusive and irresponsible behaviour.
5. And what "worst" experiences are you talking about? I've not heard a word from anybody in the government about "worst" experiences. Quite the contrary, the government has poo-poohed any mention of "worst" experiences. And certainly NBMedia has done nothing but kiss up to the government line.
And now you are going to consult with us and tell us the whole truth. Why? Why didn't you do that in the "early stages". Why weren't you doing it immediately after the election? Why weren't you putting a high priorithy on draftinig regulations? Why are you playing sweet and reasonable now?
Could it have anything to do with the display of anger and disgust by so many ordinary New Brunswickers (defined by the gas companies as "hoodlums"?)
Ms. Blaney, few will be so air-headed as to believe a word you say. You belong to a government that must have set a record demonstrating incompetence and dishonesty in less than a year.
Take heart, though. There are people now prepared to vote in the Liberals who they voted out for lying to us. And when that happens, and Liberals do exactly what you are doing, some people will get angry - and vote the Liberals out and you back in. So relax, and take the long term view.
The T&T continues its daily reports on Libya - and still telling us nothing. How many have been killed bt the 30,000 bombs, and the tons of small arms and rocket fire? The rebels and NATO have had control of most of the country for a week. Burials are quick in hot climates. So where are the estimates of the dead? Who were the dead in this humanitarian mission? How many bllack, migrant workers have been murdered by the rebels? How come the T&T source doesnt not mention that the towns still under siege are being bombed by us?
This was not a ground war. It was an air war, in which only one side had aircraft. That's why reports of ground "battles" in which one or two rebels were killed made no sense. There seems to have been very little ground fighting. It was, rather, NATO bombing a path to Tripoli, and then bombing Tripoli.
and that means heavy civilian losses. Odd for a humanitarian mission.
Still nothing on Somalia. Who cares? Babies die all the time.
Jody Dallaire and David Suzuki are, as always, bright spots in the paper. And Nortbert, though he tries to cover too many subjects for one column, is an interesting read.
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