KUDOS on the Roundtable article Kate. You are able to give voice to what a lot of us are thinking. Seems to me that if poverty were the cause of crime then there should have been a lot more crime in Canada in the prairies during the thirties. The real reason for crime is unquenchable greed, whether it is an acid-headed hopped-up street punk or an 'entitled' CEO. It all comes down to laziness and greed.

Another good one, Kate.

The shallow thinking of the socialist/altruist class made apparent in a few paragraphs!

Their heads should be exploding momentarily...

As someone who works in the investment field, after having dealt with the fallout of Bre-X, Nortel Networks, 360 Networks, Enron, Adelphia, and Worldcom, the income trust scandal is hardly the message you want to send out to the world, and the capital markets.

If PM Paul Martin had an ounce of credibility left he should have taken Mr. Ralph Goodale's resignation. PMPM suggested he would be holding his government to a higher standard.

http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?category=5&id=135

“I am personally and profoundly committed to rapid and permanent changes in the way things are done in Ottawa – a change to the culture of Parliament, where all MPs, including government members, are now empowered and encouraged to defend their opinions and vote according to their conscience; a change to the culture of government, where we have declared all-out war against waste and mismanagement, and where we will put an end to cronyism,” he said.

“I am going to change the way Ottawa works. This is not a slogan, it's a reality,” Prime Minister Martin promised during a luncheon address to the Chamber of Commerce in Quebec City.

“And we’re going to do it – come hell or high water.”

Well we have had high water with the Asian tsunami (where did those aid dollars go?), the flooding of New Orleans, Calgary and Sherbrooke.

It would appear that electoral HELL has now arrived.

It feels so good when one shoots oneself in the foot; especially when one stops. I trust he didn't do it with a handgun.

So sad, we are so much better than all of this manipulation.

Kate
You spoke my mind, thankyou.
doug

An excellent column in the Calgary Sun Jan. 1
by Ted Byfield, "Canada has been killed with kindness":
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Byfield_Ted/2005/12/31/1374724.html

Excerpts:

'...
When I was a child, it was known as "Toronto the Good." Now it is known for mayhem, murder and carnage.

What happened?..

I blame what might be called "kindliness."

I think, sometime after the Second World War, Canada became too kindly. And since Toronto is our biggest city, it became, in a sense, the kindliest of all.

We were told all the problems of the world could be solved by kindliness. Just be nice to people, and everything will be fine.

Make love, not war.

Now we knew old Toronto the Good was not always kindly. Canada of that day had massive numbers of immigrants, too. Hundreds of thousands arrived just before the First World War, most from cultures very "foreign" to the English, Scots and Irish who populated Toronto.

But, truth to tell, they were never really accepted when they arrived.

They were not told they were doing us a favour by coming here.

They were not offered instant welfare.

Most were given farmlands cheap, and told to make a living from them.

In other words, to be really accepted, they were expected "to prove themselves."

And it's a matter of record they certainly did, and in the course of doing so, they made the Canada we know -- or used to know.

But then the kindliness set in.

How harsh and condescending it was, we were told, to treat these poor incoming people with brutal demands that they earn a living.

We must help and assist them, make them feel at home, make them feel wanted.

We were kindly in other ways. We were much kindlier to school children, for instance.

In the bad old days, we actually strapped kids if they misbehaved.

We made them write really crucial exams; and we actually made them repeat the year if they failed them.

We were particularly unkind to convicted criminals. Prisons were unpleasant places.

Sensible people were somewhat frightened by the police. To most children, the huge constable, with his ramrod back, riding his bicycle and looking coldly on everything around him, was an object for terror...

In sum, we had a pessimistic view of human nature, based upon our inborn prejudice that's the way the world is.

"Exactly," said the reformers. "And the only way to change the world is to change the way we treat people. If you're nice to people, then people will be nice to you."

Well, we knew this was often true. But it was also often untrue, and we also knew that, to depend on an unfailing reciprocal "niceness" was dangerous, because those who are prepared to exploit our "kindliness" could very soon render the whole community uninhabitable.

Anyway, the reformers prevailed, and that explains what's going on in Toronto.

It also explains what's going on in our school system, and in our court system, and it's one of the things going wrong with our economic system...'

Mark
Ottawa

Entitlement. (Bang on Kate!)

Where have I heard that before?

Mr. Goodale claims that Mr. Martin didn't know which way he was going to decide the income trust taxation issue. Mr. Martin stated today that he did know which way Mr. Goodale was "leaning". Which one is lying? Could it be both?

Kate, I've always liked your writing style, but with the addition of writing for CBC your output is becoming more polished. Good for you! It's hard to find anything well-written nowadays. I flip between SDA and SteynOnline every day!
You're not at Mark Steyn's level yet, but yer gettin' purty close!

Kate: YOU ROCK!

the other Doug

Excellent post on ITscam as well. I don't think the the average Canadian realizes how serious this is!

Someone or certain persons would be facing DECADES of jail time if this "leak" occured in the private sector.

"We're not talking peanuts here, people. Those who had access to that information prior to its release stood to make a lot of money -- and would have a great deal of loyalty to the Liberal Party that allowed them to glean that cash off of the losers who traded without the prior knowledge of Liberal tax policy changes. Who might have comprised the loser's contingent? A significant percentage of the ownership lives outside of Canada -- 24%, to be exact. Any country whose investors lost money in the transactions could sue for damages, including the US. The countries could also launch their own investigations into the insider-trading scandal, a development that would undoutedly worry the Liberals much more than an RCMP investigation. After all, they can't control the SEC the way they can control the OSC or even perhaps the RCMP."

Posted by Captain Ed at December 28, 2005 10:39 PM

Let's hope so...

"Thugs know they won't be severely punished, says Rondi Adamson" in The Toronto Star, excerpt:

"I think," said Prime Minister Paul Martin, commenting on the Boxing Day killing of 15-year-old Jane Creba, "more than anything else, the shootings demonstrate what are, in fact, the consequences of exclusion."

I beg to differ. I think, more than anything else, the shootings demonstrate that Canada's justice system is too soft on violent crime and brutes out there know it.
...
Passing the buck won't help, but more cops walking the proverbial beat, would. Allowing them to do their job would be useful, as well. Why not subject someone using drugs on a street corner to more scrutiny and police officers to less? The Youth Criminal Justice Act needs changing, too — tougher sentencing for lesser offences, and eliminating "alternative" sentencing (such as attendance in community programs) for offenders."
----------------
(end of article)

I've always felt that Sven Robinson lifted that $64,000 diamond ring because he knew, deep down, that even if he were caught our lax legal system would let him walk consequence-free, due in no small part to his status as a member of a victim group.

I think the Yonge Street killers are of similar mind; that the system is a joke to begin with, and even if they can't make bail and do go to trial they can - thanks to the Prime Minister Of Canada - say they felt "excluded" into shooting innocent bystanders, that they are oppressed and discriminated into shooting and killing a teenage girl. In other words, they felt "entitled."

What a wonderful well written article. I once worked for the federal n.d.p. and have heard all of thier balanced approach to everything crap.
Jack Layton neads to debate your views kate. The country deserves to hear his answers.
From an old guy relaxing in Arizona, thank you.
mel wilde

The first murder of 2006 in TO was very likely an "excluded" member of society struggling with poverty, and trying to meet his bail conditions, while tooling around in his Caddy.
Pity.
Alex

Martin can say all he wants to about being tough on crime. If the killers of this young girl are under eighteen they will serve five years maximum thanks to the YOA or whatever it is called nowadays. Thank you very much Liberal Party of Canada.

Fraud in Plain Sight . . .
What if . . .
The Minister of Finance had a meeting with the heads of the Investment Dealers Association the day that he later announced changes in tax treatment on dividends to level the playing field (only when he was caught did he admit to this meeting).
And what if these IDA representatives were included in the "small group of senior people outside of the department" who were informed on the pending decision.
What if the Finance Minister simply did a nudge wink in the meeting: "I can't tell you what the announcement will be this evening (wink) because, obviously this would create an advantage for you (nudge). I can only tell you that we are making an announcement and you won't be unhappy (wink)."
Would this be revealing the planned announcement in advance?
And what if these individuals used information to secure huge gains for themselves and their clients at the expense of others who were not privy to this information.
Would the Finance Minister be any less guilty of malfeasance on a massive scale than if he had whispered same info on a confidential phone call?
Of course not. These Liberals think they're invisible. Think they can get away with anything by explaining it away.

Well said!

I nominate Kate McMillan for the Order of Canada - (but it is probably not bestowed for clear thinking).

Well in Kate.

Kate, Your piece is very good indeed. I as so glad that you are on the CBC roundtable, people need to read your articles. Thanks!

Excellent column Kate! Thank you. As was said in another post, when we hear a politician say he is going to attack the "root causes of crime", it means "I have no will to do anything about crime, it hasn't yet affected me personally, but my "root causes" statement makes a good sound bite, and the liberal left will be assured that I'm not one of those awful Fascists who populate the conservative side."
Now that you're on CBC can we look forward to the day you are proclaimed Governor-General?
lol

Kate--well said in both articles--thank-you

If the liberals are re-elected that will be the end of Canada--either the RCMP have a real investigation or no other country or company will deal with the TSX--that will hurt us all--Oh Canada

I have no desire to be Governor General.

I'll consider my blogging life fulfilled the day I hear a Dodge Diesel duallie is parked in the driveway at 24 Sussex.

You're overqualified for the GG position Kate.

We need change in Ottawa without a doubt. Mr. Goodale has interferred with the stock market to the gain of his cronies. Everyone who's listening knows it. The rest just aren't paying attention.

My preference would be a Super Duty with the Cummins motor and an Allison tranny.

And a gun rack in the rear window.

I know you have no desre to be G-G, BUT, if you ever do becomeG-G, can I borrow your Dodge dualie diesel for a week in October to do some deer hunting? I'd ask Michaele Jean, but her Mercedes doesn't handle well on rough logging roads.

kate, you just keep hitting that nail on the head square and true.

Kate: I can only echo what has been said about your writing. To the point. well-written. Excellent, to say the least. Thank you.

Now a question: How the hell do you find time to do this? I can hardly keep up with the reading and I'm semi-retired.

Thank for the efforts.

Kate, I think I should perhaps settle back and let you do all the talking for me from now on.

Two of the dearest friends I have (both he and his wife) and I have been swapping emails lately. He's a Liberal supporter and back room worker of many years, has a law degree and is a very savvy political thinker. Brilliant in my opinion.

But I can't seem to convince him. They are both going to vote Liberal. I'm going to send him the links to your posts on the Roundtable.

Cdn. Press via cnews.

Best headline of the campaign to date.

The black hat Martin is "gunning" for the white hat Harper. Good Harper vs evil Martin. Go Harper.>>>>

Harper goes after crime, corruption; Martin goes after Harper
OTTAWA (CP) - Stephen Harper is making a New Year's resolution to clean up government and crack down on crime, hoping to ride a wave of Tory momentum in the wake of flagging Liberal fortunes.>>

Poverty causes crime,that's rich.

Absolutely brilliant Roundtable presentation, Kate. Kudos! There is so much money and ego at play in the poverty industry and it's a breath of fresh air to read a well-presented argument challenging the status quo of faulty logic on the subject.

I'm so grateful my own anscestors, starving and cold with 7 children in a shack, didn't know that poverty causes crime. How unenlightened, how unhip were they?!

Keep it coming!

You forgot to mention something else that people steal. Not just electronics. They steal smokes as well. Maybe they eat smokes?

Some one stole the rear shocks off my motorcycle,were they going to make shish kabobs ?

Truly a great post. I'm so angry at the culture of passing the blame onto something that isn't tangible and, therefore, is unpunishable and unchangeable. We need to make people responsible for their actions - there is always a choice and not making people responsible insults the people who made the right choice.

Toronto needs a Giuliani (New York murders lowest since 1963)

News Flash; Liberal campaign plane runs into mechanical problems, flght to Winnipeg cancelled. The aircraft is like the LPoC, old, worn out and ready for the scrap heap.

..You don't hear too many people saying"gee,that poor young white girl would still be alive if we had just given more troubled black youth a new basketball court..."

The trouble with " bearing the white mans burden" as Kipling so aptly put it a hundred years ago,is that it is a never ending job. When it comes down to it(sorry to say..) at the end of the day the social apologists will always bring the root cause of black urban crime around to historical western (read white..) injustices.

They can't seem to understand that years of wooly headed social engineering has created the climate (of entitlement) that black youth feel is owed to them.Try to talk to a non white youth in a reasonable manner in Toronto. You will be insulted,brushed off and "disrespected".You are not worthy of an answer,because you are the enemy.

I have always thought that there would be no action in Toronto till a white person was gunned down.A backlash will occurr.I have friends that now arm themselves,as they cannot count on the police to protect them anymore.

They feel it is time to make a stand,and if threatened, the next thing that these thugs will be entitled too is a hard marble slab in the bowels of the coronors office...

so much for the just society....

More kindliness: Free booze paid for by free taxes.>>>

Ottawa program offers drinks to homeless alcoholics
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/02/alcoholics-ottawa060102.html?ref=rss ^

Posted on 01/02/2006 5:19:31 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Ottawa program offers drinks to homeless alcoholics Last Updated Mon, 02 Jan 2006 19:49:58 EST CBC News

Shelters across the country are taking a closer look at an Ottawa shelter that gives drinks to homeless alcoholics after a study suggested the program is having a positive impact.

Dr. Tiina Podymow envisioned the program after volunteering with chronic alcoholics, including some who drank upwards of 40 drinks per day, including mouthwash. >>>
via free republic.com

Kate you were on the money, with "they're poor because they're drug-addicted thieves." from one who has been there. When I got clean and sober 14 years ago, I immediately stopped stealing and in under a year was off welfare did not consider myself poor. The welfare system kept me out there using drugs and alcohol by enabling me. I believe I would have gotten to my bottom sooner, if it was not for the welfare system.

maybe we can get Stephen Harper to park a duallie in the driveway and you can borrow it when you're visiting Ottawa. you should run for office Kate, you're hard hitting, agonizingly straight forward and articulate. Those Libs, um CBC, must rue the day they signed you up!!

Bang on again. Bravo Kate.

So is it Happy Hour at the shelter tonight?

Norm,
I was a bit confused because that article you linked is dated today, and Michael Bloomberg is now Mayor of New York. But now I see that they give Giuliani the credit he deserves for starting a trend He's a real visionary and a true leader; no wonder he is considered a front runner for the Republican ticket in 2008.

I particularly like the term they used "crime blackspots." Can you imagine the outrage at using such a term in multi-culti Trudeaupia?

Bwahahahaha!

DOMINANT round-table post. You own Kate.

The link from Hans Rupprecht, http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?category=5&id=135
is fabulous because it comes right from the Prime Minister's own website.

Please, please, please, go to the website and copy and paste it into your e-mail program. On mine (Outlook Express) it embedded perfectly, right down to the fonts. Then mail it to every person you know in Ontario.

Kate, you're my personal hero too. If I weren't already married, I'd propose to you.

Once again Kate you so eloquently and succinctly put into words the thoughts ruminating in my head. Your articles should be mandatory reading for all voting-aged Canadians!

BTW, the idea of a chain-letter struck me as a good way to communicate to average Joe/Jill Canadian the absolute corruption and depravity of the Liberal party. To expose the criminal organization we have masquerading as a government we need to reach the people who don't read blogs. A template letter of Liberal scandal/corruption/malfeasance/greed/stupidity(etc) could be posted on your website for all viewers to copy and email to all of their contacts to email to their contacts ad infinitum. A letter which could so clearly explain the dire predicament of todays' Canada for the ignorant and uniformed. Lets use the blogoshere for a political tool. if I can receive a letter by email that had been around the world 6.5 times (or whatever) I'm sure all the viewers reading this can post this chain letter to make the difference we are looking for. As your webcounter shows, you certainly have the traffic in which to reach the masses.

Good post Kate BUT!!
I think that everyone has missed the point. Crime is an industry. The legal system in Canada owes its existance to crime. If someone could wave a magic wand and erase drugs 80% of crime would disappear and 80% of lawyers would have to revert to honest work, therefore the lawyers will not let the politicians do that.

kursk...
"I have always thought that there would be no action in Toronto till a white person was gunned down."

Well, someone had to say it. Another part is the randomness...a girl doing something quite ordinary...runs across a street and into a gun fight.

I imagine that her father may think what I would think...that whatever the system gives as punishment...that if my baby's gone, then I will deliver my own punishment someday somehow.

In big cities, maybe...what is it 54 murders in a year?... is not a lot and I don't know how many are from gun fire...but this year, this election, the issue is big.

It is said that shooters are known to police and that 3% of the poplulation is responsible for the vast majority of violent crime. and their crimes and homes are usually geographically in the same area.

So this shooting exploding in a public area on innocent people tends to break the trust we might have of police or whatever to keep us safe.

Do you mind if I make a comment from a Biblicist (narrow-minded Fundamental Baptist) viewpoint. Kate's brilliant column notes "a sense of entitlement" as a root cause of crime. I would dare say that "entitlement" is a variation on the old-fashioned word "sin." Now I know that most folks don't want to hear the word "sin" because it connotes responsibility to a holy God; however, we all don't have to look far to see the reality of the sin problem that corrupts human nature. I would like to further point out that one of the God-given agencies to restrain the sinful bent of human beings is the government. O how we need to give some other folks the opportunity to govern us in the fear of God.

Kate, I agree, and I hope your article makes many stop and think. I hope they don't just read up to this sentence and then dismiss the whole thing:

"If poverty were a root cause of crime, the six-figure executive wouldn't embezzle, the limo-driven politician wouldn't defraud."

Must there be one and only one "root cause"? Won't the people you are trying to convince say your argument falls flat, because there are simply two root causes, one for poor criminals (their poverty) and one for wealthy criminals (their excessive wealth)? I think you are right, there is a single cause (the sense of entitlement) behind both white-collar and gang criminality. However, I suspect that the people you are trying to convince will not even reach that point in the article. They already believe that there are two different kinds of crime here; after all, we use a special name (white-collar crime) to underline the difference. They will prefer to believe that there are two root causes, and they will move quite comfortably on from there to the idea that there is a single solution (coercively shifting money from the wealthy to the poor).

Again Kate well done.

Laura:

I think that your observation is a good one, and exactly what some of the people at the CBC website audience will think. In fact, I once respectfully suggested to Kate that she "dumb it down" a bit for her new audience on that site.

Maybe you and I are both wrong. There is the old adage that "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". They either think about it and "get it", or they likely never will.

In retrospect, I think it was a bit arrogant of me to assume Kate had not considered all facets of her audience. Especially in light of the quality of her writing being a reflection of her intellect...

Mad Mike

limo driven politician, kinda has a ring to it...handsinmypocket

Aaaah, so:

The Canadian Liberal Gum/Gum* Registry

Exhibit # Martin & Dingwall
New TV Spot targets Martin & Dingwall

http://www.conservative.ca/entitlements
via bourque.com

* H/T:David Dingwall @ $1.29 cud of gum. Your cost. Cheap.

After having redefined the word marriage, it seems Liberals have now redefined the word victim. Apparently the real victim in the boxing day shooting, if you are to believe all the idiots in public office and the media, is the perpetrator. How confusing. So we as good Liberal Canadians must feel at least equal compassion for the murderer.

Meanwhile, the guy that was shot new years had shot a guy in a burglary in 2003. He was out on parole. The reason why he didn't serve any real time? Well he was a victim as well of course. I guess by their judicial pretzel logic, the Liberals proved that once and for all - the guy is now indeed a victim.

The only solution for the violence in Toronto is to run all Liberals and leftists out of office at every level - they are the enablers of violent crime. Where Liberals have authority, people die. It's plain and simple.

As far as the so-called 'judges' are concerned - if the convicted criminal/victim is leniently let out into society and commits a crime again, then the judge who sentenced him should do equal time in prison as an accomplice to the new crime. I think that would make them think twice about sentencing to the full extent of the law.

As well, don't give criminals parole, give them the military. The army needs more recruits and these criminals need discipline.

In a previous post I pointed out the connection that these two Medisys directors have to BCE, which through Bell Globe Media, owns the CTV and the Globe and Mail.

Mr. John McLennan
Mr. John McLennan has been Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of AT&T Canada since May 2002. Prior thereto he was President and founder of his own firm, Jenmark Consulting Inc., specializing in strategy, finance and management of technology companies in Canada and the U.S., with a primary focus on telecommunications. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. McLennan was President and Chief Executive Officer of Bell Canada.

Louis A. Tanguay
Mr. Louis A. Tanguay is Co-Vice Chairman of the Board of RONA Inc. Prior to December 2001, he occupied several executive positions in the BCE Inc. group of companies. In addition, Mr. Tanguay currently sits on the board of a number of BCE Inc. affiliated companies. He is also a director of several other corporations and organizations such as RONA Inc., Saputo Inc. and Aéroports de Montréal.

According to the Captains Quarters post on the estimated profits from the Income Trust Scandal trading, the BCE controlled income trust yielded the bulk of the trades and the potential profits. Check it out at Captains Quarters in the Canada archive.

Here's the link to the individual trades in the BCE equity fund, showing time, volume and TSX member number, posted at Captains Quarters.

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/tsxbce11-23-05.pdf

Here! Here! I had to turn my TV off today when a Coalirion of Black Community leaders held a news conference in TO today, to talk about the "root cause" of the recent violence or should I say Carnage on Torontos streets. Its a familiar excuse for a community in denial. They want to shift the blame from taking responsibility for the actions of members of their community by playing the "blame game". They try to suggest that its racial bias or some other bs excuse so they won't have to address the problem directly. This is a well worn path for any identifiable minority. I won't mention any groups because I'm sure you can fill in the blanks. It all comes down to being accountable for your own actions, not trying to dump your problems on someone else to fix. It really irritates me that these people are given free access to the mrdia to spew thier venom. They are the real racists.

Kate, your post on "entitlements" said more about crime in a few paragraphs than one would find in most university libraries. Several years ago, CNN's Jim Woods interviewed a lifer in a federal prison in Georgia. When Woods suggested a variety of "social" causes of crime, the lifer stopped him. No, he said, people turned to crime in search of "easy money; that's all it is: easy money".

I was immediately attracted by your blog's "mission statement": This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me."

In this "entitlement" post, *you* speak for me and for many Canadians. Thank you.

Excellent writing Kate.

I wish I believed that you could make a real difference but unfortunaltely there is tons of money in "poverty pimping".

Class warfare is used extensively by politicians in the USA because it is very profitable.