A Better Review

Yesterday I posted some less than flattery comments concerning my Buzz Hargrove op-ed.

Well to balance it off, here's an email I got this morning:

Dear Mr. Nicholls:
Thank you for the article today on the CAW convention this past weekend. As a CAW worker working mandatory 48 hour weeks, it is hard to keep on top of what the Mandarins are up to.

As noted above, I am a CAW worker. As such, articles such as yours are of more than passing interest to me.

I do believe this to be a huge story - a major political force in this country just called for the overthrow of our economic - and necessarily political – system.

Thank you very much for any help, as well as for an important piece of journalism - too bad the country's journalists missed it.

Just goes to show you that not all CAW employees are ready to embrace Buzz's socliast revolution.

Getting the Buzz Out

My friend Joel Johannesen has posted my Buzz Hargrove column on his Proud to Be Canadian site.

Also don't forget you can hear me discuss this topic with Greg Staples here.

New Day

Recently the Canadian Medical Association elected Dr. Brian Day to be its next president.

This has led to much hand-wringing on the left, as Day is seen as a proponent of ending the government's monopoly over health care.

Yet as Dr. David Gratzer writes in today's National Post:

"Dr. Day isn't suggesting that the entire system be privatized, as his most zealous critics have charged. He simply recognizes that there is a role for a vibrant private sector in health care -- as there is in the other nine-tenths of the economy."

In other words, the Berlin Wall of socialist health care in this country is starting to at long last crumble.

"Neo-Con" Rant Edition

As noted in my previous post, I had an op-ed in the Globe and Mail web edition discussing CAW boss Buzz Hargrove's political ideology.

Well it has won me a whole bunch of new "fans."

Here's a sampling of some comments posted on the Globe site:

***

"Mr Nicholls is spouting off the usual neo con rant against unions and socialism."

***

"I can't believe the Globe and Mail would have someone such as Gerry Nicholls write on the CAW severing ties with the NDP. Mr. Nicholls writes with a definitive bent against socialist movements."

***

"Having Gerry Nicholls of the ultra-right wing National Citizen's Coalition write an insight (?) piece about CAW and the NDP is about as appropriate as his reference to Mel Gibson and Jewish history."

***

"It's just too bad the Globe couldn't find somebody more credible that Gerry Nicholls to write an opinion piece about unions and socialism. As the VP of the National Citizens Coalition, Gerry is just another extreme right-wing ideologue who can't put together a logical opinion without sputtering ultra right-wing rhetoric."

***

"Well, I'd like to hear what Gerry Nicholls really thinks, not just the party line of the National Citizens Coalition, whoever they are. This appears to be another Neo-Con group that is a front for the most extreme of interests, or is it foreign interests."

***

"This is the first time I would actually deem the Globe editorial staff to be irresponsible. Gerry Nicholls is neither an expert on the CAW or the NCC. He is a media relations hack for an organization that makes the Conservative Party look liberal by comparison."

***
"Why the G&M would even feature an opinion piece by Gerry Nicholls is beyond me. He's a paid propagandist. Don't believe anything he writes. Every word is chosen to sell his minority view that those who have deserve more and those have less get what they deserve."

***
"It is somewhat surprising that the Globe and Mail would allow such propaganda to be published. Mr. Nicholls passes off his outdated theories and opinions as if they were facts."

***

"I really can't imagine anyone less qualified than this right-wing propaganda-spouting nutbar to comment on the shenanigans of labour and the left. The Globe should be embarrassed by their choice of comment-writer."
***
"I have a feeling that the only person less reputable than Buzz Hargrove - insofar as providing analysis that one can interpret prima facie as relatively academic and undertaken with intellectual integrity - is the head of the National Citizens' Coalition."

***

So there you have it.

Apparently I am an extreme right-wing ideologue, propaganda-sprouting nutbar, media relations hack.

Wow, it’s going to be tough fitting all that on my business card!

Why Buzz Really Split from the NDP

I have an op-ed today in the "web-exclusive" comment section of the Globe and Mail website.

It's all about Buzz Hargrove's radical left-wing agenda and what it could mean for Canada.

I would also urge you to check out Hargrove's political manifesto: In the Eye of the Storm: The Re-making of Canadian politics.

It lays out his plan to replace "capitalism with socialism."

Oh and be sure to check out page 16 - where you will find the National Citizens Coalition singled out for attack.

It's reminiscent of another attack against us.

Buzz doesn't like us very much, and he will like us even less after he reads my Globe piece.

Update:

I did an interview about my Globe piece with Political Staples, which you can listen to here.

Also did an interview on the Gary Doyle Show (570 News Kitchener) and on Focus 980 (CFPL London)

Tonight I will be on Nightline BC with Michael Smyth.

CBC Bias

It's not often the CBC apologizes for its biased reporting.

In fact, I don't think it has ever happened, until last night.

Thanks to some excellent work by blogger Stephen Taylor the CBC last night admitted it goofed on a story concerning Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Congratulations to Stephen Taylor for this coup.

Boston Massacre

My sincere condolences to the entire Red Sox Nation.

Covert Enemies

It seems some Liberals don't understand the real nature of our terrorist enemies.

Why is that?

American write Michael Barone comes up with one possible answer: the rise of moral relavitism.

H/T Powerline

Politicians Should Look West

Canada’s western provinces – British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan – are doing quite well economically these days.

In fact, over the past three years, British Columbia has grown 3.4 percent a year on average; Alberta 4 percent; and Saskatchewan 3.5 percent.

Or to put it another way, among Canadian provinces and the 50 American states, Alberta ranked seventh in growth, British Columbia ninth and Saskatchewan 17th.

I got all these interesting little facts from the Fraser Institute’s Niels Veldhuis, who wrote about them in a piece which appeared recently in the Wall Street Journal.

Velduis says the reason for this economic growth is simple: those three provinces cut taxes which improved “incentives for work, savings, investment and entrepreneurship.”

Ontario and Quebec meanwhile, which refuse to cut taxes, are experiencing sluggish, underperforming economies.

Anybody see a pattern here?

As Velduis puts it, “Western Canada has created an environment within which all types of economic activity can flourish. This is why the region is benefiting from not only direct resource extraction, but also growth in downstream related industries such as manufacturing and processing as well as in the skilled service sector.”

Of course, this scene is also playing out on the world state.

Those countries which cut taxes and encourage freer trade will prosper; those which do not will falter.

It’s time the federal government looked to the West for some inspiration.

Waste News

There go the politicians again -- taking away our rights.

Globalization the Book

This is the book I am reading right now, In Defense of Globalization, by Jagdish Bhagwati.

If you think this is a boring book to be reading in the summer . . . well you are absolutey correct!

But it's the least I can do to ensure this blog has all the latest news on world trade.

Well I guess I could do less.

Not so Sweet Story

Remind me never to buy any candy from this company.

Sarcasm Alert

It's good to see big time actors taking courageous stands on the really important issues of the day.

Blackout Blues

Here's what the CRTC and other Canadian cultural nationalists would just love to do.

History's Biggest Loser

Why does anybody care what this guy thinks?

Buzz's Strategy

Yesterday Buzz Hargrove and the CAW formally severed their political relationship with the NDP.

This comes after the NDP expelled Buzz from their party to punish him for his decision to back the federal Liberals in the last federal election.

Now while it’s fun to watch this little civil war unfold on the Left, there are also deeper questions that need answered.

For instance, what is Buzz Hargrove up to? Why has he abandoned the CAW’s traditional support for the NDP and for all intents and purposes gone over to the Liberals?

Well, I think Buzz, who is no dummy, understands the tide of human history is flowing against him and his socialist world-view.

A few months ago in a Financial Post column, Hargrove warned against the new “social and economic regime” taking root in Canada.

This new regime, says Hargrove meant new policies such as “deregulation, privatization, tax cuts, the leaning and refocusing of government programs and – of course – globalization.”

Hargrove, probably correctly, has decided the NDP can’t overturn this new market-oriented regime. Only a left-leaning Liberal Party – backed by the NDP in Parliament – can possibly turn back the clock.

So that’s Hargrove’s goal.

Give him credit – Hargrove is thinking strategically.

And if conservatives and other free-market supporters are going to stop him, they will have to start thinking strategically too.

Terrorism: the basics

John Thompson of the Mackenzie Institute is one of Canada's foremost experts on the threat of terrorism

In a recent MacKenzie Institute newsletter, Thompson outlines the fundamentals of this threat:

1. Terrorism is as terrorism does. Terrorism is not radicalism or protest; nor are terrorists ‘soldiers’ – they are thugs on the make. The characteristics of terrorism involve deceit, concealment and violent atrocity in pursuit of an abstract agenda. They only seek to tear down. Building up is not something that they are focused on except in the most general ‘after I win everything will be better’ sense.

2. Remember that terrorists lie to themselves. So why expect them to be truthful to the rest of us? Terrorists allow themselves to become caught in an artificial worldview, convince themselves that their violent actions are for the purest of motives, and believe that they are heroic figures and agents of destiny. The longer they stay in their group, the more real these self-deceptions become and the more unlikely it is that they will ever abandon their course. One should then also remember that:

(a) What terrorists say they want and what they really want can be very different. The political demand is often only the excuse for their actions; their primary motive is always based on an interior psychological terrain.

(b) Sometimes an offer to talk is not worth accepting. Young groups hold you in contempt and view any negotiation as a short term ploy; old terrorist groups (like the Basque ETA or Tamil Tigers) simply cannot give up the conflict which has become the sole meaning of their lives.

3. There are no root causes, okay? If somebody is talking about root causes, you can
automatically dismiss their viewpoint as being unhelpful (at least). Terrorism always involves choice. Terrorists always deliberately select to identify with an ideology that lets them act out in the way that they chose to. Carlos the Jackal, Yasser Arafat and Bin Laden each could have been anything they wanted to be, but they each chose to be a terrorist.

4. The terrorist’s first victims are his own people. If you think taking measures against al Qaeda is disrespectful to Muslims, think again. Jihadists have killed far more Muslims in the last 20 years than the United States and Israel combined. Then add American and other Western emergency aid and interventions that have saved Muslim lives to the total. How many Muslims has al Qaeda saved from famine and want?

5. The terrorist’s claims of leadership are always suspect. If a terrorist is claiming to be speaking for an entire people, it’s usually because he silenced the moderate leaders among them. Terrorists want to lead societies and don’t want compromise – the first killing by the leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers was of a federalist Tamil politician… and they’re still being murdered there.

6. We are the good guys. Terrorists are not. If you don’t understand this yet, you may be afflicted with “Fuzzy-Thinkingitis” a common problem in the Post Modernist environment where no values are concrete, context is irrelevant and all opinions are to be regarded as being equal. Please restrain yourself from public commentary in order to protect others from your condition.

7. Self-Defence is not immoral. If a terrorist thinks it is worth his while to attack you, surely it is worth your while to defend yourself? The terrorist thinks passivity is weakness and holds it in contempt, and despises tolerance except when using it as a shield. There is no real hope of political negotiation, so you might as well look to your defences.

8. Their idea of peace is not your idea of peace. This is especially true with the Jihadis – for them peace can only come when the whole world is under the rule of a restored Caliphate (which, frankly, will spell an end to human progress).

9. We can’t protect everything all the time; make your choices carefully. Terrorists will always get through somehow, and the cost of greater protection comes with a very steep price-tag. We can only expect so much of our police and security without turning into a totalitarian state, so think carefully about what you ask for. However, we can spend more than we have been and Canada’s new anti-terror laws are a reasonable response.

10. The terrorist wants you to feel afraid and helpless. Here is how you fight back against terrorism – refuse to be terrorized. Live as normally as you can. Don’t fear the abstract threat but respect the real one (e.g. go touring in Europe but don’t go backpacking in northwestern Pakistan). If and when your city gets hit, make a visible show of resolute calm.

Survival Tips

Maybe homeland security should check this out.

Brookstreet Posting

I have another posting up at the Brookstreet Blog.

This one is on forced dues and politics.

Liberal Priorities

Now that Maurizio Bevilacqua has endorsed Bob Rae what does it mean to the Liberal leadership race?

Not much according to journalist and author Paul Tuns.

Paul argues Michael Ignatieff is still the front-runner:

"Most people I talk to say that Ignatieff has emerged as the person to beat not because he has excited the party but that likely delegates (to use a word I've heard a lot) are 'settling' on him. They like the positive media coverage, they think he brings fresh ideas, and he is not tainted by either Adscam or taking sides in the Martin-Chretien feud. Most importantly, they think he is the only person who can beat Stephen Harper. "

Doesn't that reflect the sterility of political debate in this country?

The Liberals aren't thinking about new visions or promoting an ideology, it's just "who can beat Stephen Harper."

And it's not just the Liberals; the Tories were guilty of the same mindset while they were in opposition.

The irony, of course, is that a party that spent more time on developing a coherent set of policies and less time on short-term political tactics, would likely be more successful at the polls.

Alexandre has a rival

Shhh, nobody tell Alexandre Trudeau, but it looks like Fidel already has a special friend.

Sun Song

Ever wonder why the sun shines?

Best Sci-Fi Movies

Top Ten Science Fiction Movies of all time as determined by me:

1. Forbidden Planet
2. War of the Worlds (1953 edition)
3. Aliens
4. Them!
5. Planet of the Apes (1968 edition)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
8. Alien
9. The Road Warrior
10. Star Wars

Honorable mentions for The Andromeda Strain and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Alexandre and Fidel sitting in a tree . . .

Bad news for Alexandre Trudeau.

Trudeau's little love note to Communist dictator Fidel Castro has revealed his true feelings, so as a favour I plugged his and Fidel's name into the "Love Calculator".

Sadly, it says they only have a 15 percent chance of their relationship working out.

And to make sure the Love Calculator is accurate I performed my own test and it passed with flying colours!

But don't worry Alexandre, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Real HIStory

I took a lot of history courses in my university days, but not once in any of my classes did this ever pop up.

Waiting for Raul

Latin American specialist Ken Frankel had an interesting op-ed in the Globe and Mail the other day on Cuba's future after Fidel.

Frankel noted, Raul Castro, Fidel's annointed successor, is a "pragmatist, a proponent of Cuba's free-market experiments earlier in the regime, and an admirer of China's success in introducing free-market programs."

So perhaps, just perhaps, once Fidel is ethicaly, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead, Cuba might break free of its antiquated Marxist mind set and embrace at least some free market reforms.

And that will be good for the world and it will be good for the Cubans.

But please don't tell any of this to Alexandre Trudeau, I don't want to spoil any of his childhood fantasies.

Hair Raising Science

Here's why I wholeheartedly support more cloning research.

Barry's Blog

American humour writer Dave Barry is apparently a libertarian.

I mention that to justify recommending his hilarious blog.

The Big Picture

While cleaning up my desk I came across this Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, I had clipped several years ago. (click on it to enlarge)

It kind of puts things in context.

Nation-states and violence

When it comes to the legitimized use of violence the nation-state isn’t the only game in town anymore.

Look at what’s happening in the Middle East.

Israel is waging war not against another state, but against Hezbollah, which is essentially a street gang on steroids.

Yet rather than being isolated as an outlaw aberration, Hezbollah enjoys the support of large parts of the world community and the international media.

In other words, Hezbollah – a non-state actor – is getting the stamp of approval when it comes to using violence to achieve its aims.

And you don’t have to go thousands of miles away to see this happening.

In Ontario, there has been an illegal native protest going on for about five months.

Militant natives have blatantly defied the law and occupied land in Caledonia to press their land claims.

And for months the police and the federal and provincial governments have done nothing to uphold the law.

They are letting the militants get away with it.

Why?

Because they are afraid of violence.

Now I am not suggesting the government is wrong to avoid violence.

But clearly the message coming out of the Caledonia stand-off is that the government is implicitly admitting that the Mohawk Warriors – a non-state actor – have the right to use violence to achieve their aims.

So what does all this mean for the future?

It means the nation-state is in for some competition.

Case of the Vanishing Billboard

Here’s something pretty strange.

Yesterday CBC news was doing a story on the “Support our Troops” campaign the National Citizens Coalition is running.

And as part of the story they wanted to shoot our billboard in downtown Toronto.

Great publicity right?

Yeah, except for one little detail: the billboard was not there.

I don’t mean it was vandalized, or that a new billboard had been put up.

I mean the whole billboard was missing. It had completely vanished.

It was a real mystery.

After a little investigation, however, the story unfolded. Turns out somebody in a truck had smashed into it before the weekend.

Now the culprit was probably just some drunk; nobody could possibly be that angry about our message.

Could they?

Liberty Seminar Update

I hear from my secret sources that this year’s Liberty Summer Seminar was a big success.

As readers of this blog may remember, the LSS is a great little country outing where conservatives and libertarians get together in bucolic splendor to exchange ideas, engage in debate and just have a good time.

Unfortunately, I could not attend this year’s seminar which prompted LSS organizer Peter Jaworksi to send me an email.

Here’s an excerpt:

“I’m sorry you couldn’t make it this year Gerry. I would have liked to have seen you . . . and I’m absolutely certain that you would have stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning with Mike Walker drinking Liberty Ale to ballads by Lindy. I’m just certain of it.”

Of course, Peter could not know this, but I am not much of a drinker, and I usually nod off by about 10:30 PM, but it still sounds like a lot of fun and I am sorry I missed it.

Next year I will have to make it.

Unions, the NDP and gag laws

According to Elections Canada, big unions and their allies spent about $354,000 on political advertising during the last federal election.

And surprise, surprise the bulk of that money went to support NDP candidates or NDP policies.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) even spent $287 to buy a leather jacket for NDP leader Jack Layton!

Of course, one problem with all this is that union bosses are using forced dues to finance this spending. In other words, they are forcing employees who pay dues to pay for a political agenda they probably may not support.

That's undemocratic.

This pro-NDP campaign also highlights a problem with the election gag law. That's the law which makes it a crime for citizens or indepedent groups to spend more than about $170,000 on political advertising during an election.

The National Citizens Coalition, for instance, would be severly limited if we wanted to mount a pro-free enterprise ad campaign.

Yet unions, by pooling their resources into a common goal, such as supporting the NDP, can spend many times more than the official gag law limit.

This might lead some politicians to call for tigher gag law limits.

A better answer, however, would be to scrap it altogether.

More Progressive Opinion

Recently I wrote a piece for the Brookstreet group blog on the word "progressive."

Typically a word used by the left to describe their policies, I argued there was nothing progressive about socialism.

Well, here is another take on the political use of that word.

Media Bias

Here are a couple examples of media bias for your long weekend pleasure.

First, Stephen Taylor exposes what he says is a little editing on the CBC's part to make Prime Minister Stephen Harper look bad.

Second, Reuters confesses that it released a doctored photograph which makes an Israeli attack on Lebanon look worse than it actually was.

More and more it seems like media bias is becoming more blatant these days.

Role Reversal

Communist officials say they fear the Americans will soon invade Cuba.

Well, that would be a switch.

After all, for the past 47 years, Cubans have been invading Florida.

Who's Progressive?

Here's my latest contribution to the Brookstreet Group.

It's about who really is "progressive"?

Really Right Brothers

While visiting the Powerline Blog last night, I learned about an interesting band called the Right Brothers.

And what makes them interesting is their unabashed conservatism.

They have songs like Bush Was Right, and Dear Mr. Reagan and my personal favorite Shut up and Teach.

If I wasn’t so cheap I’d buy their CDs.

Words Matter

Mel Gibson is – deservedly – being vilified for his recent anti-Semitic outburst.

It’s shocking to think that someone like Gibson could utter such a bigoted comment as “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

But it’s interesting how one word can mean so much.

For instance, if Gibson had been giving a speech to a literary society in Paris and declared, the “Zionists” are responsible for all the wars in the world, he would be the hero of the European elite.

Or if he had been speaking to an anti-Bush rally in Los Angeles and shouted out that the “neo-cons” are responsible for all the wars in the world, he would be a cinch to win an academy award.

And if he had been on the CBC and suggested the “Americans” are responsible for all the wars in the world, he would be considered a visionary.

Maybe Gibson’s problem is he just didn’t understand how to speak in code.

Castro Successor

Now that it looks like Fidel Castro might be on his last legs, it’s time to start thinking about replacements.

After some serious thought I have come up with some likely successors.

Here they are in no particular order.

Jack Layton
As Cuban president he will get a first hand look at what Canada would look like in a few years if the NDP ever takes power.

Mel Gibson
I don’t think there are many Jews in Cuba.

Michael Moore
It would give him a captive audience for his next documentary.

Justin Trudeau
His dad would be so proud.

Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Riccardi
He might be able to finally find some decent pitchers for the Blue Jays.

Protecting the Good Life

Ahh, the summer time, a time to relax and to enjoy the good life we all enjoy in North America.

And we should enjoy it too, because according to historian Victor Davis Hanson our civilization could come tumbling down at any time.

In a recent column Hanson notes that our current prosperity can be deceiving.

“Many Americans,” he writes, “despite superficial affluence, are in debt and often a paycheck away from insolvency. By historical standards, they are pretty helpless. Most of us can't grow our own food, don't know how cars work and have no clue where or how electricity is generated. In short, few have the smarts to survive if the thin veneer of civilization were to be lost, as it has been from time to time in places like downtown New Orleans”.

Hanson then reminds of us of the many dangers lurking out there:

“In our own new age of war, terrorism, huge debt, high-priced gas and frightful weapons and viruses that we try to ignore, we should remember that civilization's progress is not always linear. The human condition does not inevitably evolve from good to better to best, but always remains precarious, its advances cyclical. The good life sometimes can be lost quite unexpectedly and abruptly when people demand rights more than they accept responsibilities, or live for present consumption rather than sacrifice for future investment, or feel their own culture is not particularly exceptional and therefore in no need of constant support and defense.”

Ok go back to enjoying your summer.

Commie Cartoon

There’s a new kid movie hitting the screens today called The Ant Bully.

Now I have nothing against ant movies – for instance I enjoyed Antz and A Bug’s Life.

But according to this review from Aint it Cool News, The Ant Bully is a socialist fairy tale.

The reviewer claims the movie is “a warm ultra-liberal hug of a kids film, preaching the joys of socialism and hard work, all the while telling a story of what the world might be like in a liberal post-9/11 world.”

What a shame.

I think Hollywood should balance things off and bring back Popeye, whose motto “I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam,” certainly revealed him as a libertarian.

Maybe I am too cynical

Lots of people always say they hate “negative” political ads.

They say political ads should be positive and optimistic.

Well, they should check out this cutesy-wutesy TV ad from the campaign of a guy named Mark Kennedy, whose running for the United States Senate.

Yeah it's positive, but one look at it just might make you pine for some good old fashioned, cynical attack ads.

Brookstreet Group

Stephen Taylor, the bright mind behind the Blogging Tories, has now set up a group blog called the Brookstreet Group.

This will be a kind of forum for conservative pundits.

I only mention this because Stephen has graciously asked me to be a contributor.

You can see my first contribution here.

I Get Fan Mail

It looks like I made a new fan. Check out this email I got yesterday:

Last night I happened to hear some of your gibberish on the Mike Smith show, CKNW980 Vancouver. Of course, I was instantly blown away by your humbleness - such a self-effacing, modest person you seem to be. It certainly made me wonder about your age.

Anyway, I seem to have understood you saying money spent on weapons and war is OK, in fact good for the country, but spending on social programs is not. That is, it's good for Canada to invest in killing people, but it's not OK to invest in programs that enhance the lives of Canadians. Sure, I can see the first option puts a lot of money into the hands of the munitions manufacturers, mostly in the U.S. I guess, but, seriously Gerry, It's troubling to hear of someone like yourself holding such a limited vision for Canadian society.

Yes, I must admit, I am modest – which is difficult when you are one of the “top five political minds in the country.”

As far as spending money on weapons goes, well it seems to me such spending does “enhance the lives of Canadians,” in that it helps stop terrorists from killing them.

But hey that’s just my “limited” view.

Stand with Israel Rally

More than 100 Jewish and non-Jewish organizations -- including the Canadian Coalition for Democracies -- are holding a "Stand with Israel" rally on July 26 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Now I don't usually like rallies, but this might be one worth attending.

The speakers will include Retired Major General Lewis MacKenzie, Robert Lantos and Israeli Consul General Ya'acov Brosh.

You can find out more information here.

Column Catch-up

Here's a couple of my columns which have appeared in Report Magazine.

This one deals with why I think the Liberal leadership candidates are heading in the wrong direction; and this one looks at union bosses using forced dues to promote their own political agendas.

Media Update:

Just did an interview on Charles Adler regarding my views on the Liberal leadership race.

Am scheduled to do an interview tonight on the same topic, on CKNW's Nightline BC at about 10:00 PM Eastern time.

Radical Capitalism

It's no secret that I have libertarian leanings.

But compared to economist David Friedman, I am a raving socialist.

Friedman calls himself an "anarchist-anachronist" capitalist, which essentially means he believes we could get along quite well with absolutely no government.

Here's a chapter from his book, The Machinery of Freedom, in which he explains why we don't need government police or courts.

You might not agree with him, but you will probably find his radical views intriguing.

McQuaig the Sadist

Left-wingers like to portray themselves as compassionate, so why is it they seem to truly enjoy torturing logic?

Take Linda McQuaig, who in a column in today's Toronto Star chains poor logic to a rack and stretches it to the limit.

McQuaig, you see, blames Prime Minister Stephen Harper for putting Canadians in harm's way.

What did Harper do?

Well, the Prime Minister didn't call for a ceasefire.

"Instead," writes McQuaig, "he did the opposite. He defended Israel's bombing, calling it a 'measured' response — a description he refused to withdraw even after a Canadian family vacationing in Lebanon was killed by an Israeli bomb. This amounted to giving encouragement to a foreign army whose actions were directly endangering the lives of Canadians, and tens of thousands of others."

Now does McQuaig really and truly believe the Israelis or the Hezbollah would stop shooting because the Prime Minister of Canada called for a ceasefire?

Talk about delusional.

Also delusional, is that McQuaig seems to believe that by supporting Israel, Canada is somehow failing to show fairness or moderation.

Seems to me that supporting Israel is both fair and moderate, when you consider its opponents in this instance are a bunch of neo-Nazi, terrorist, thugs.

But I am being logical.

More Oakville Tree News

I am getting a positive reaction to my column blasting Oakville's stupid tree-by law.

That's the law which makes it illegal for residents to cut down trees on their own property.

So far, all the emails I have received support my position.

And the Oakville Beaver came out with an editorial basically saying much the same thing I did.

Maybe I should run for mayor?

My Cottage Retreat

Well I had no blog posting yesterday, because I was enjoying a brief cottage retreat.

Now I am not much of a cottage person, but I must admit, I had fun swimming, kayaking and reading by the water.

However, I did notice that cottage life is not all it's made out to be in those beer commercials.

I mean, I did not see a single bevy of bikini clad babes!

I, however, did see a fat guy in a speedo, and unfortunately, it will be a long time before I can cleanse that image from my mind.

I also saw spiders the size of grapefruit.

Oh and I suffered third degree burns all over my legs thanks to a failure to apply sun screen.

But all in all I had a great time.

Score one for the Commies

Looks like the Commies scored a triumph over the federal government.

Back in 1993 the government tried to pass a law which would have, for all and intents and purposes, put smaller parties out of business.

But the Communist Party challenged it in the courts and won.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled the law was unconstitutional because it infringed on free speech.

Well now the government has finally settled out of court.

Now I am no fan of the Communists but I supported their effort in this case.

The more voices voters can hear during an election the better.

I will be talking about this morning on the Richard Cloutier Show on CJOB radio at about 10:30 Eastern time.

Blackout Update

I am going to be on CFAX-Newsline with Joe Easingwood this morning (11:15 eastern) to talk about Paul Bryan's challenge to the election blackout law.

And speaking of Paul Bryan's challenge, we just found out, the Supreme Court of Canada has granted the Canadian Civil Liberties Association the right to intervene in this case.

Like the NCC, the CCLA thinks the blackout law is an infringement on free expression.

My Enemy's Enemy . ..

Check out this item from Strategy Page.

It makes the argument that maybe a lot of Arabs wouldn't mind if the Israelis gave Hezbollah a bloody nose.

Supporting Israel

It's good to see Prime Minister Stephen Harper standing by Israel in these dangerous times.

Unlike France, Russia and Sid Ryan, Harper seems to realize what is at stake for the region's only democracy.

For good analysis on this issue see these columns by Rondi Adamson and David Horowitz.

The Israelis are not fighting for territory -- they are figthing for their existence.

Rights Don't Grow on Trees

Got an guest column published in the Oakville Beaver, the community paper where I live.

It's about a proposed Oakville by-law that will make it a crime for residents to cut down trees on their own property.

I am opposed to it.

Not a Great Day

Today just happens to be my birthday!!

And you know what I got for a birthday present: A massive train derailment!!!

That means all the trains home are cancelled until "further notice."

I could be stuck here all night.

Happy Birthday to me.

Update:

Took a cab. No air conditioning. Horrible traffic. But at least I'm home.

Changing Hollywood

This is Govindini Murty, a charming and lovely actress/producer/conservative I had the pleasure of meeting recently at a convention in Ottawa (who says these conventions are boring).

And not only is Murty beautiful, she’s also quite perceptive, since she agreed with me when I pointed out to her the similarity in looks between me and Tom Cruise.

So when she sent me an email asking me to help with her pet project – the Liberty Film Festival – how could I refuse?

The Liberty Film Festival is Hollywood’s first conservative and libertarian film festival which aims to provide a greater diversity of viewpoints in Hollywood.

In other words, it aims to challenge the Hollywood Left’s attempts to undermine our Western values and the War on Terror.

The next festival will take place in Los Angeles this fall and if you can’t make it but would like to financially support the festival you can do so here.

Tell them the “Tom Cruise-look-alike” sent you.

Media Takes on Blackout Law

Typically when my group, the National Citizens Coalition, takes on a court challenge it’s a lonely affair.

We don’t usually get a lot of help.

For instance, when we legally challenged the election gag law, the only organization to intervene to support our position was Environment Voters, a small environmental organization.

But things are different with our latest court challenge which pits us against the election blackout law.

This is the case where computer software developer Paul Bryan, with our financial support, is challenging the section of the Canada Elections Act, which makes it a crime to “prematurely” release poll results on election night.

Paul thinks the blackout law infringes on his right to free expression and we agree.

You can learn more about this historic case here and here. The case is scheduled to go before the Supreme Court of Canada on October 16th.

Anyway, the good news is that the CBC, CTV, Rogers Broadcasting, Sun Media and Canadian Press have all intervened to support Bryan’s position that the blackout law is unconstitutional.

Plus the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association are seeking intervener status to also support Paul’s position.

This is all great.

But I have one question: where were all you guys when we needed your help to fight the election gag law?!!

First Language?

In an interview recently Prime Minister Stephen Harper referred to French as Canada's first national language.

He was explaining why he likes to start his news conferences in French.

"We have to remember that the original word 'Canadian' meant the French-speaking inhabitants of North America," says Harper, " so it's our first national language. So I say it first and then I say it in English."

Yeah but the French were not the first ones in North America, so maybe it's not our first national language.

Maybe it would make mores sense for the Prime Minister to start his news conferences in Cree.

That's a Hellyer of a Loan

A couple of posts ago I noted the problem of “loans” to political parties and candidates.

Under our campaign finance laws a lender to a politician can “write off” any loan if he determines the loan is “truly uncollectible”.

This clearly raises the possibility of a contributor getting around the $5,400 limit on donations.

Take, for instance, the Canadian Action Party.

Back in 1997, Paul Hellyer, loaned the Canadian Action Party (which he founded) $750,000.

Well, a few days ago he told his accountants to write it off. Hellyer calls it a “bad loan.”

Critics are calling it a loophole. After all, that $750,000 loan now looks an awful lot like a contribution.

But you know what? The poor folks at the Canadian Action Party need this loophole to survive. A small party, lacks a large grassroots following and needs a small number of wealthy donors to keep it going.

Campaign contribution limits only serve to help the larger parties and most especially the incumbent party.

Collective Wrongs

Tommy Douglas is an icon and hero for Canada’s socialist left.

The CBC even dubbed him “The Greatest Canadian”.

Yet as a young man Douglas held some unsavory views, views that you don’t much hear about from the left or from the CBC.

For instance, as John Robson points out , Douglas proposed in his 1933 masters thesis the sterilization of “mental defectives.”

Nor is Douglas the only socialist to support such measures.

Sweden, good old social democratic, benign Sweden, practiced eugenics for 40 years beginning in 1935.

In fact, during that period 60,000 Swedes were sterilized in a “controlled breeding” program, for the “good of society.”

Remember this the next time somebody tells you government needs more power to protect the “collective good”.

Sometimes what’s supposedly good for the collective is just plain morally wrong.

Not So Smart Meters

Toronto Sun business columnist Linda Leatherdale quotes me in her Money column today.

She is talking about Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's plan to put "smart meters" in people's homes to measure their energy usage.

Here's my quote:

"Maybe instead of putting smart meters in people's houses, we taxpayers should put a tax meter at Queen's Park, so we can track government waste."

Robbins vs Nicholls

A couple of days ago I posted a picture of myself on this blog, which prompted somebody to leave the comment that I looked like a "younger Tim Robbins".

And that's a nice compliment, except for the fact that Robbins and I actually about the same age.

Anyway, here we are side by side, and I guess we do look alike, with maybe me being just a tad cuter. Oh and of course, my politics are much better.

Viva Italia

I have decided to root for Italy on Sunday to win the World Cup.

Why?

Because who wants to see France win anything?

Left-Wing Council Picking On Me

That group of left-wing dinosaurs also known as the Council of Canadians, is describing the Civitas organization as a “group of Canadian conservatives that includes Harper’s Chief of Staff Ian Brodie, Campaign Manager Tom Flanagan, and National Citizens Coalition Vice-President Gerry Nicholls.”

Now I don’t mind being lumped into such august company, but why is the Council of Canadians picking on me? I mean there are hundreds of other conservatives who belong to Civitas.

Maybe left-wingers find me scary or something. Maybe they saw this picture of me in my cool shades.

Anyway, the Council probably won't like my comments which appeared in the Sun Media today on the question of respecting taxpayer dollars.

Young Conservative and His Blog

The National Citizens Coalition, recently hired a university student named Marshall to do some research for us and he’s doing a terrific job.

And, no doubt inspired by me, he has set up his own blog.

It’s pretty good.

Reason Goes to Europe

The libertarian-oriented Reason Foundation is holding what sounds like a great conference in Amsterdam next month.

The conference, which will focus on the struggle for freedom in Europe, touches on such subjects as tax harmonization, social policy and the threat of radical Islam.

What’s really cool about this conference, however, is that Trey Parker and Matt Stone,creators of the hit show South Park will be in attendance.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to jet out to this event, so I figure I will do the next best thing.

And that is rent the Team America: World Police DVD this weekend!

Learning from Joe Volpe

I have an op-ed in today's National Post which takes a look at loopholes Liberal leadership candidates are jumping through in the quest for dollars.

My point is simple: Campaign finance laws which restrict politicial contributions don't make for purer politics.

Just look at the Liberal race which features political donations from children and fishy "loans" from friends and family.

A better plan would be to scrap limits and let voters judge for themselves whether politicians are being corrupted by their financiers.

You can read my article here.

Cool Shades

Check out my new "assassin" shades.

Now not only am I one of the "top five political minds the country," I am also one of the coolest.

I also need a shave.

A Purrfect Gift

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be meeting with President George Bush on Thursday, which happens to be the President’s 60th birthday.

What should Harper bring as a gift?

Well a group of experts has come up with some tongue-in-cheek suggestions.

My favorite comes from Patrick Basham, director of Washington's Democracy Institute.
He is urging Harper to bring Bush a cat.

"Keeping his new Canadian friend purring over the coming months will require a serious diplomatic effort on Bush's part," Basham says.

"If Canuck Cat ever feels like a lap dog, a well-aimed claw should remind his American master that he does not always call the shots."

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to our neighbors to the south.

At a time like this it's a good time to remember that the United States of America is not only Canada's largest trading partner and most important military ally, but also our best friend.

So for today at least, let's put aside our past differences -- the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Fenian Raids, and the Carolina Hurricanes -- and extend a happy 230th birthday to the American Republic.

Happy Whatever Day

I would love to wish everybody out there a Happy Canada Day!!

I would love to but I can’t. I can’t because I just absolutely hate the name “Canada Day” for our national holiday.

It’s so boring, so generic, so blandly politically correct.

David Menzies makes a case in today’s National Post for bringing back the name “Dominion Day” which the Trudeau government scrapped in 1982.

He notes: "Dominion is synonymous with independence, freedom and free association."

You can even contact David and order “Dominion Day” or “anti-Canada Day” buttons for $10.00 a pair.

However, I don’t think Dominion Day will ever make a comeback because the vast majority of Canadians probably don’t even have a clue that Canada really is a Dominion or what Dominion means.

Maybe instead we could rename the July 1 holiday to something like “Confederation Day”. At least that has some sense of historic significance.

Oh well, no matter what you call it, I hope everybody has a nice long weekend.

Liberty Summer Seminar: Fun, Sun and Libertarianism

My friend Peter Jaworski will be holding another one of his wonderful Liberty Summer Seminars on the July 29-30 weekend, an event that’s becoming one of the premier liberty-oriented events of the year.

If you have never heard of the Liberty Summer Seminar just think Ayn Rand Meets Survivor and you will get idea as to what it’s all about.

First off the seminars take place in the wilderness. Well not really. Actually they are held on a beautiful 40-acre farmland property near Orono, Ontario, a property that includes a swimming pond, walking trails and tons and tons of trees.

And if you’re not a fan of trees don’t worry ---the real attraction isn’t the bucolic splendor; it’s the fact that Peter brings together prominent libertarian/conservative speakers with an energetic, enthusiastic audience.

The result: everybody has a great time.

I had the pleasure of speaking at last year’s seminar and I had a blast. It’s not often you get a chance to spend quality time with a bunch of like-minded friends, in such a gorgeous environment. (The meals were quite good too.)

So if you want to have outdoor fun while getting energized about your libertarianism, I recommend you register for this year’s get-together.

You will thank me later.

Attack of the Killer Mailboxes

Watch out for those killer mailboxes, apparently they can be quite hazardous.

In fact, Canada Post says it is suspending delivery to Roy Paterson, a, 81 year old Windsor man because it deemed his mailbox to be too dangerous.

Apparently it’s too high.

Mind you, Paterson says he has had the same mailbox at the same height for the past 46 years.

Not that he cares.

“I just say keep your damn mail,” Paterson recently told the media. “We’ve got e-mail, we got telephone, we pay our bills through the Internet. I don’t need Canada Post anymore.”

All this shows the difference between the public and private sectors.

Private sector companies seek ways to woo customers; public sector companies seek ways to alienate them.

U.S. Court Strikes Down Limits

Anyone who reads my blog knows I don’t like the idea of campaign contribution limits.

Well, now it looks like I have some company: the United States Supreme Court.

Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Vermont’s campaign finance scheme, which included low contribution limits and mandatory expenditure limits, was unconstitutional.

The court ruled Vermont’s contribution limits --- $200-$400 – per election cycle were so low they prevented candidates from amassing the resources necessary to mount effective campaigns and only served to help incumbents.

The court also ruled the expenditure limits infringed on the right to free political speech.

Maybe it’s time somebody here in Canada challenged the federal government’s political contribution limits.

Loan Loophole

Election financing laws, limiting what individuals can contribute to political parties, are supposed to make our electoral system less beholden to wealthy interests.

But so far, if the Liberal leadership race is any indication, all these financing laws do is encourage politicians to find inventive ways to seek loopholes.

A lot of media attention, for instance, has focused on Joe Volpe’s little loophole, wherein 11 year old children, supposedly so enthralled with his vision, broke open their piggy banks and cut him $5,400 cheques.

But less attention is being paid to another possible loophole – loans.

Aside from Volpe, every Liberal candidate is taking out huge loans to help finance their campaigns: Scott Brison -- $200,000; Michael Ignatieff -- $125,000; Bob Rae -- $100,000, Ken Dryden, $100,000.

And interestingly out of all the Liberal hopefuls, only Carolyn Bennett, who borrowed $35,000, is taking a loan out from a bank. All the rest are borrowing the money from relatives, friends or from corporate executives.

Here’s an even more interesting point: Elections Canada says the lenders can “write off” any loan 18 months after the Liberal convention if they determine the loan is “truly uncollectible.”

NDP MP Pat Martin calls this a “loophole you can drive a Brinks truck through.”

He has a point.

What’s to stop a relative or a close friend from saying, “Well, I can’t collect the money so let’s just forget the whole thing.”

Wouldn’t that make the “loan” really a contribution?

Clearly, the system of finance laws is only serving to twist and contort the system, forcing our politicians to spend more time figuring out how to raise money than on coming up with policy ideas.

Why not scrap them? Why not let politicians compete for contribution dollars on an even playing field with no limits?

As long as the system is transparent it would work better than the system we have now.

Another NCC?

I always thought the National Citizens Coalition was a unique organization.

Turns out I was wrong.

There is another National Citizens’ Coalition operating in the African country of Zambia. It’s a political party that isn’t doing too well – in the last election its presidential candidate only got 2.2 percent of the vote.

I just hope our chairman never gets wind of this Zambian NCC. Who knows he may decide to transfer me there.

CBC and Reality TV

In case you missed it, here is a letter to the editor I wrote, which appeared in today’s National Post.

It’s about the CBC:

Dear Sir/Madam:

So the CBC will bump The National to make room for an American reality program.

Has it really come to this? Is the self-proclaimed guardian of our culture going to scrap its dignity in a mad grab for ratings?

If so, then I have a suggestion for the next CBC reality show.

It would be called The People's Network and it would feature a bunch of CBC brass going around explaining how they squander millions of taxpayer dollars to produce shows nobody wants to watch. In the final episode, the host would point to them and declare: "You're privatized!"

Now that would be must watch TV.

I also did interviews regarding the CBC on Adler Online and on Calgary’s The World Tonight. Will be doing an interview on it tomorrow on 570 News.

Better Sorry than Safe

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will get up in the House of Commons this week and apologize for a head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants from between 1885 and 1923.

Now I don’t think Prime Minister Harper had anything to do with that head tax, so I am not sure why he feels the need to apologize.

But as along as he is in an apologizing mood, maybe he should also express regret over other government misdeeds.

Here, in no particular order, is a list of things I would like a Prime Ministerial apology for:

The whole Trudeau era of the 1970’s.
Any CBC Show that starred Ralph Benmergui
The Participaction Program
The National Energy Program
Joe Clark
Health Care Waiting Lists
Almost every Supreme Court of Canada decision
The Gun Registry
The Wheat Board monopoly
Election gag laws
The Depression
Anything supported by the Canada Arts Council
Changing the name of the July 1st holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day
The Durham Report
The GST

Now this is just the beginning of my list. The government, after all, has lots of reasons to be sorry for lots of things.

Maybe they should name a new Cabinet Minister in charge of apologies.

Just a thought.

Welfare for Politicians

It’s hard to believe the Marijuana Party, the Canada Action Party, the Communist Party and the Christian Heritage Party would have anything in common.

But they do.

They all want to jump into the government trough and get public subsidies from Canadian taxpayers.

In fact, all those parties will be in court today to argue that Canada’s political finance laws discriminate against them.

And in a sense they do.

Under the law, a political party gets $1.75 in public money for every vote they receive in the most recent federal election.

That means the Conservatives and the Liberals will pull in millions of dollars every year.

But here’s the catch: The funding is restricted to parties that obtain at least 2 per cent of the national vote or 5 per cent of the vote in the ridings where they ran candidates.

This clearly discriminates against the smaller fringe parties.

So I can understand why these parties are fighting this law in the courts.

Yet it’s a lose, lose situation.

If the smaller parties win this case it will cost taxpayers more money; but if the smaller parties lose, it will mean they will be discriminated against.

The answer, of course, is to abolish the public subsidy, which is really nothing more than a welfare plan for political parties.

No taxpayer should be forced to finance a political party, whether large or small. Political parties should rely on voluntary contributions. That’s the only system that’s fair for all parties.

For more on the “Welfare for Politicians” plan see this article I wrote which appeared recently in Report magazine.

World Cup Lessons

Things I have learned about soccer from watching the World Cup:

* The game time clock goes in the wrong direction.

* BBC play-by-play men sound more like English professors than sports announcers

* Soccer uniforms are really boring

* Every team in the World Cup has at least one guy with a weird hair-do.

* Where are all the hooligans?

Forced Dues Blues

Sid Ryan continues to meet resistance for involving himself in international relations.

The Ontario CUPE boss, of course, was behind an anti-Israeli resolution that calls upon his union to boycott Israel.

This has led a University of Toronto teaching assistant to launch a lawsuit against CUPE Ontario, because he wants the courts to clarify how much money unions can spend on issues which are “irrelevant” to its members’ interests.

That’s an issue for lots of unionized employees both here and in the United States.

Indeed check out this fantastic ad, that the group Union Facts is running south of the border.

Apparently union bosses aren’t too happy about them.

Progressive Advice

About 150 people are gathering at a Mont Tremblant resort this week to figure out how to revive Canada’s “progressive” movement.

Progressive being the word, of course, that left-wingers like to use when describing themselves as if high taxes, bigger government and less freedom is somehow progress.

Anyway, one of the organizers of this conference had an op-ed in the Globe and Mail yesterday explaining what progressives need to do to win back power.

I replied with a letter to the editor which was published today.

Here it is:

Dear Sir/Madam:

If Matt Browne and Eugene Lang really want to see a “progressive” comeback in Canada, they will have to rethink the role of government.

Maybe self-styled “progressives” still see government as a “force for good in society” but an increasing number of Canadians see government as a force for something else, namely inefficiency, waste and corruption.

You won’t make inroads among these Canadians by continuing to trumpet the glories of big government.

Instead the Liberals should embrace the idea of giving Canadians the option of relying on the private sector when government isn’t working.

Why not, for instance, permit Canadians a private sector alternative to the failing government heath care monopoly?

Now that would truly be progressive.

Satire Site Punctures the Left

My favorite form of humour is satire – but you don’t really see a lot of satire from the right these days at least in Canada.

So that’s why I was delighted to discover the Iconoclast, a web site that features some brilliant satiric jabs at the left.

The Iconoclast’s “Top Headlines”, for instance, feature particularly biting attacks.

Here’s one hilarious item from that section which caught my eye:

GRIEVING CANADIAN LABOR UNION SENDS REPRESENTATIVE TO AL ZARQAWI FUNERAL
by Marni Malarkey for Iconoclast
TORONTO -- CUPE Ontario, the provincial branch of Canada's largest labour union that recently encouraged a boycott of Israeli goods in Canada, has announced plans to send representatives to Abu Musab al Zarqawi's funeral. "We were heartbroken to hear of his murder by Crusader forces," said Sid Ryan, CUPE Ontario's president, to reporters outside his office. Abu was a freedom-fighter, a man of the people, a man of peace. If it hadn't been for American imperialism, he would never have had to harm a fly." Ryan broke down in tears, describing the Zarqawi he knew and loved. "He sent me a telegram of encouragement, just last week, when I was receiving so much criticism for our boycott of Israel. That's the kind of guy he was. It didn't matter how busy he was. He never forgot his friends."

Union Bashes NCC

Earlier this month, the National Citizens Coalition ran a full page ad in the Yellowknifer newspaper to offset union boss propaganda.

The union leadership is telling striking workers at Ekati mines (300 kilometers north of Yellowknife) that they will be fined if they cross picket lines.

However, as the NCC ad explains, that’s an empty threat.

Anyway, we must have had an impact because a couple of days ago, the union bosses responded with a full page ad of their own, that’s essentially a smear attack against the NCC.

Here’s how I responded in a letter to the editor:

Dear Sir/Madam:

A couple of union bosses recently placed a large ad in your paper to smear the National Citizens Coalition.

To set the record straight, the NCC is a grassroots organization that stands for free enterprise, better government and individual freedom.

We also believe in defending democratic rights and freedoms in the workplace.

That’s why we ran an ad of our own a few weeks ago, an ad that offset PSAC propaganda concerning union “fines.”

In a classic case of misinformation, PSAC is threatening striking workers at Ekati mines with “fines” if they crossed the picket line.

The NCC ad let employees know the truth: Canadian law covering Ekati employees does not allow the union to use Canada’s courts to enforce the collection of its fines.

And so the union leaders are attacking the NCC through expensive ads paid for with the forced dues of employees.

Of course, the union ad does not challenge the NCC’s point about the legality of their “fines”.

Why?

Because they know the NCC is right.

Instead of smearing private organizations, the union bosses should admit the truth to the employees they are supposed to represent.

It’s time to stop the misinformation. It’s time to stop the intimidation.

Not sure if the Yellowknifer printed my letter, but if they do we can probably expect another full page union ad.

NDP Plot

Liberal MP, and former cabinet minister, Ujjal Dosanjh will announce today he is endorsing Bob Rae as his choice for the next federal Liberal leader.

This makes perfect sense.

Like Rae, Dosanjh is a former NDP Premier. Like Rae, Dosanjh lost his job as Premier in a landslide loss. Like Rae, Dosanjh defected to the federal Liberal Party.

Hmmm, in fact, come to think of it maybe there are too many coincidences here.

Maybe Rae and Dosanjh are part of some sinister and secret NDP plot to undermine the Liberals from the inside.

After all, what better way to doom the Liberal Party than by having it choose Rae as its leader?

Think about it.

Malkin Celebrates Psycho's Termination

Michelle Malkin has put together a nifty video that both celebrates the demise of psycho terrorist kingpin Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and puzzles at the left’s failure to celebrate.

Fox News’ Bill O'Reilly makes a cameo appearance

Harper the Moderate

I was just rummaging through some of my ancient files and I came across a Canadian Press story dated January 15, 1997.

The story was about then Reform Party MP, Stephen Harper dropping out of partisan politics and joining the employ of the National Citizens Coalition.

At one point in the article it says, “Harper, widely known as a Reform caucus moderate, was one of the early players in building Reform from a Western protest movement to a national party…” (Emphasis mine)

Did you get that?

Back in 1997, Harper was “widely” viewed as a moderate.

So why is it during the last election the Liberals and large segments of the media were tripping all over themselves in their attempts to portray Harper as some sort of scary, right-wing extremist?

I mean Harper was pretty much the same guy in 2006 as he was in 1997.

Maybe people just have short memories.

World Cup Prediction

The World Cup of soccer starts today and I know this has about six billion people real excited.

But I am not one of them.

Yes I will watch some of the games, but I must confess the appeal of this sport has always puzzled me.

Why?

Because even though I have no idea as to who will win the 2006 tournament here’s one thing I do know: the final score will be 1-0.

Update: Wonkitties tells why we should root for Iran to lose.

Alls Well that ends well

Well one good thing about our little misunderstanding with the Department of National Defence is that it generated lots of publicity for our "Support the Troops" trust fund.

Yesterday I did interviews on the Bill Carroll Show (CFRB, Toronto), the Dave Rutherford Show, (CHQR, Calgary), the World Tonight (CKNW, Vancovuer), Adler Online (Corus Radio),
Kevin and Trudie Show, (CJAD, Montreal), Windsor Now (CKLW, Windsor).

Plus I have intereviews later today on London in the Morning (CJBK, London) and the Afternoon Edition, (CFRA, Ottawa).

Kerry Diotte of the Edmonton Sun also has a terrific column on this.

Also officials in the Canadian military have contacted us and promisedtheir complete co-operation for our plan to aid military families.

So a very happy end to this story.

DND Now Says NCC "Support our Troops" Campaign OK

Note: I had a bit of a mix up on my blog where I meshed together my blog entry and a news release. Unfortunately the system crashed and I couldn't repair it.

It should have said this:

Here is a message I got from a DND spokesman regarding the NCC "Support the Troops" campaign:

Acting Chief of Defence Staff of Canadian Forces has apologized to Mr. Peter Coleman, President of the National Citizens Coalition and has indicated that we are very pleased to see Canadians supporting our troops and that we strongly support the kind of private endeavour for our men and women in uniform.

Lower level staff with the legal section of the Department developed a position that was communicated to the National Citizens Coalition.

Regretfully this was done prior to approval being received from higher command.

Senior officials reviewed the circumstances of this case and have informed the NCC that we support this particular campaign.

The Department will communicate in writing to Mr. Coleman. This communication will indicate the Department does not have issues with billboards, magnetic ribbons or the campaign to support Canadian forces personnel.

In addition, Chief Military Personnel will be calling Mr. Coleman to find ways we can work together on this project.”

I am quite glad this situation has been resolved. After all, we are on the military’s side.

This is also a victory for free speech.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the special trust fund the NCC is setting up to help the military families of fallen soldiers go here.

Patriotism is a Crime!

This is absolutely insane.

The Department of National Defence is ordering us (the National Citizens Coalition) to take down a “Support our Troops” billboard we put up in downtown Toronto.

The DND is also telling us to remove any reference to “Support our Troops” from our website and to stop handing out “Support our Troops” car magnets.

Why?

Because of some stupid and vague law.

Section 291 of the National Defence Acts states:

1) Every person who uses

(a) the words "Canadian Forces" or "Canadian Armed Forces" or the name of any component, unit or other element thereof or any abbreviation thereof or any words or letters likely to be mistaken therefore,

(b) any picture or other representation of a member of the Canadian Forces, or

(c) any uniform, mark, badge or insignia in use in the Canadian Forces,

in any advertising or in any trade or service, having been requested in writing by the Minister to cease that usage, is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

In other words, says the DND, it’s a crime for us to express gratitude to the men and women who are risking their lives to defend our freedoms!!

Something is very wrong here.

I can understand a law prohibiting improper use of military symbols for advertising, but citizens should be permitted to make what are essentially patriotic statements.

Could you imagine such a law being enforced in the United States??

What makes all this worse, is that the NCC was using these “Support our Troop” ads to raise awareness about a special trust fund we were setting up to aid the families of soldiers killed in action.

Either the government has got to stop enforcing this law so zealously or they should change the law.

Canadians should have the right to express thanks to our troops!

Betting the Numbers

This, of course, is one of those numerologically important dates -- 06/06/06.

If I was a betting man I would go to the race track tonight and place a $600 bet on horse number six in the sixth race.

But with my luck, my horse would probably end up finishing 6th!

Rabble Rousing Ryan

It looks like CUPE union boss Sid Ryan is getting too radical even for other union bosses.

According to media reports, the leaders of five CUPE locals are demanding the union’s national leadership rescind an anti-Israeli resolution Ryan supports.

The ridiculous resolution, which was passed by CUPE’s Ontario division, calls for a boycott of Israeli goods and likens Israeli policies to “apartheid”.

This has upset the leaders of CUPE locals who represent workers at Jewish social-service agencies, so they sent a five-page letter of protest to CUPE’s national president.

Part of the letter reads:

"Mr. Ryan is not behaving as a brother, but rather as an indignant, self-serving rabble-rouser. He has become an embarrassment to the dignity, equality, respect and goodwill associated with the CUPE name."

Of course, there’s nothing new about that.

Ryan has been a self-serving rabble-rouser for years. What’s worse, the law says he can use forced dues to finance his rabble-rousing.

It’s time to change the rules so that the Ryan’s of the world can’t use other people’s money to finance their extreme views.

Canada's War

The police say they have thwarted a possible terrorist attack in Canada.

That’s the good news. The bad news is we still don’t know if the planned attack was just a local scheme concocted by local nutcases, or part of some wider global Al Qaeda-inspired scheme.

Cuanas, quoted in The Belmont Club, argues for the latter scenario.

A week back the FBI and the Justice Dept announced that they were conducting "urgent" investigations into terror cells across the US, and in particular in NYC. The next day, British intelligence made a similar announcement.

Then, we had the London raid and the Toronto raid. Clearly, something massive is in the works, spanning at least three major Western countries.

But, if Canada is a target, why not France, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Germany?

My guess is they are also targets. An early report out of London also said that police had ordered a five mile no fly zone around the site of the bust. This might also indicate they suspect rocket launchers.

Let’s hope he’s wrong.

And even if he is wrong, however, his point still helps to remind us that like it or not, a group of dedicated fanatics is targeting not just Canada but Western civilization.

As Lorne Gunter wrote in today’s National Post,

“We are their (the Jihadis) targets not we have been insufficiently tolerant of Islam, but rather because in their minds we have been far too tolerant of non-Muslims. They are not at war just with Christianity and Judaism. So Canada cannot indemnify itself against attack by expunging its religious roots. Pluralism and secularism upset them just as much because those "isms," too, are an impediment to the creation of a worldwide Islamic empire.”

In other words Canada is at war.

And it’s a war we must start planning to win.

CUPE's Politics

Now that the police have foiled a possible terrorist attack in Toronto, I wonder how long it will be before Sid Ryan and the guys over at CUPE pass a resolution blaming it all on Israel?

Volpe Shows Folly of Contribution Limits

The Joe Volpe donation fiasco shows why limits on political campaign contributions are a bad idea.

For one thing they make our politicians act like idiots.

Take Volpe, for example.

He actually wants us to believe that two 11 year olds and a 14 year old each contributed $5,400 to his leadership campaign.

“Apparently,” Volpe told the media with a straight face, “I had seen the kids when I went to their school and gave a talk during the (federal election) campaign. They went back home and said `that’s a guy we want to help, we want to support.’ The parents told them there would be a good time to do that and here is the time.”

And he got back up from Steve MacKinnon, the national Liberal Party director, who also with a straight face declared, “Affluent families often have children who possess that kind of resource” to contribute to political parties.

Sorry guys that doesn’t even pass the giggle test. Do they really think anybody is going to believe that dopey story?

Apparently not because now they are returning some of the donations.

Of course, everybody knows what happened in this case.

Some rich guy is using a legal loophole to get around individual campaign contribution limits ie his wife and kids are making contributions.

And in a way you can’t really blame Volpe for taking the money.

After all, running a leadership campaign takes money – lots of money. But unfortunately, political contribution limits will make it more difficult to raise that money – much more difficult.

Something has got to give.

Right now, politicians and their backers are making use of loopholes but when they get plugged they might resort to less legal means.

And that’s the problem with campaign contribution limits. Rather than making government more honest, they make our political system more corrupt.

Check an article I wrote on this which appeared in the Globe and Mail web site a few weeks ago.

Media Update -- Will be discussing this issue on Charles Adler online at 2:15 PM Eastern time.

Me Conceited?

I got an email yesterday taking me to task for the claim in this blog’s “About Me” section.

Here’s what the writer pointed out:

Your ABOUT ME says, "He's one of the top five political minds in the country."

You think that doesn't come across as maybe just a little, oh, I don't know, conceited?

Now, if someone ELSE (preferably someone independent of your organization) is calling you one of the top five political minds in the country, then by all means you should give the attribution. It can only lend strength to the assessment, because then it will actually mean something.

Clearly this person has problems with arbitrary claims.

So I wonder if he takes offence with Disneyland’s claim to be “the happiest place on earth.”

I mean has this ever been verified by “someone independent” of the Disney Corporation?

Of course not.

So until someone sues Mickey Mouse, I won’t change my ranking among the top five political minds.

Right to Earn a Living

The National Citizens Coalition is doing what it can to offset union boss propaganda that’s being spewed at striking employees up in the Northwest Territories.

Public Service Alliance of Canada officials are threatening employees of Ekati mines (300 kilometers north of Yellowknife) with fines if they cross picket lines.

That’s quite a threat; except for one thing: Canadian law covering Ekati employees does not allow the union to use Canada’s courts to enforce the collection of its fines.

In other words, PSAC is using misinformation and scare tactics to stop employees from working during the strike.

What’s worse, PSAC knows its threat is legally meaningless.

A past PSAC official wrote a memo stating: “PSAC has a legal opinion that clearly and without ambiguity concludes that we have no legal ability to enforce the collection of fines.”

To help set the record straight and to help employees get the real facts, the NCC ran a full page newspaper ad in the Yellowknifer newspaper under the headline, “Here’s what PSAC Union Bosses Don’t Want Ekati Employees to Know”

You can read it here.

The bottom line is that PSAC has a right to call a strike, but employees should also have the right to work during a strike without threats or intimidation.

That’s how free and democratic societies are supposed to work.