Librano Translations Online

The Libranos 8 Comments

Regular reader Rusty Smith emails;

“After watching Paul Martin making denials in the House over the last two days, and then reading the Grewal transcripts today, I have come to the conclusion, crude as it might be, that the only difference between Martin and Chretien is that Martin has the ability to LIE out of BOTH sides of his mouth.”

I’m not sure that’s entirely fair.
I think that what we lack is the ability to properly translate the Librano dialect heard in the House of Commons into English. To rectify this problem, I have taken the liberty of creating an online translator: Simply enter any quote of Prime Minister Paul Martin that appears to deny Liberal attempts at bribery, as suggested by the Grewal tapes (ie:“No offer was made”) and click “TRANSLATE”.
(Max 60 characters)


TRANSLATE!

Extremist Secularism

Moonbats 106 Comments

Expanding on discussion in the comments in the post below, it may be time to remind ourselves there is no such thing as a politician who functions at arm’s length from their personal religious beliefs. Even those who claim to leave their individual religious principles “at the door” when they enter the halls of government have accomplished little more than to trade them in for someone else’s.
Even the atheist must take the same leap of faith before declaring that no God exists as the person who declares that He does – it’s merely the path taken and the conclusions drawn that differ.
Thus, in any discussion involving religion in politics, it is a mistake to allow the self-defined “secular community” to assume the default position against which all others are measured, because, in so doing, we are permitting nothing less than the raising one religious belief system to reign supreme over all others.
With the precedent set, it is simply a matter of time before the secular default is replaced or modified to suit the political ownership of the day. Indeed, it’s not hard to make a case that the phenomenon is already in progress, and that we are witnessing signs of the emergence of “extremist secularists” in Canada and the bastardization of the core ideology into a movement that is increasingly repressive and dogmatic.
In modern democracy, all religious viewpoints must be provided a place in the public policy debate without fear of reprisal or official scorn (so long as they are not intent on undermining the very democracy that permits them to speak – there is a difference between religious tolerance and societal stupidity.) It is our duty as citizens in a liberal democracy to condemn the secular intelligencia and their voices in the media in the same matter we would any other extremist group who would silence other religion based opinion – for any system that would disallow an evangelical Christian or orthodox Jew or devout Buddist a voice in the political process, including the right to cast a vote in Parliament with the full respect of all members, is putting their own rights to religious freedom – including the freedom not to “believe” – in jeopardy.

Christophobia In The Media

Media 39 Comments

Charles Adler is as fed up as I am with the smear campaign against Christians in the Canadian media.

Do you think the Globe and Mail would use headlines such as “Indo-Canadian activists capturing Liberal races,” or “Muslim Activists forcing Liberals to shift position on Israel?”
The truth is the Globe gets a free throw in this country, as do other media, when it comes to castigating Christians.
If The United Church of Canada gets involved in advancing gay rights, the Globe and Mail is not likely to be concerned. The Globe would never suggest United Church members stay away from Liberal or NDP nomination meetings.
But, when evangelical Christians and socially conservative Catholics get involved in politics in order to advance their issues, look out.

If these uppity evangelicals would just respect the system we have in place, they’d convert to Sikhism��or Islam where their views have been declared legitimate by the Official Media Handbook On Canadian Religious Diversity, and then take their opinions on public policy to the political marketplace.
update – Violet Nightshade serves up a lesson in tolerance, from the persective of the “gay community”.

Watching Democracy Watch

Political Animal 3 Comments

Stephen Taylor is puzzled about the language in a Democracy Watch report on party fundraising released yesterday.

The Liberals have many more donors donating more than $1,000 than all the other parties combined. (DW suggests the max limit should be reduced to $1,000 as most Canadians cannot afford to give as much as $5,000)
Gomery has revealed that the Liberals have allegedly used undeclared corporate-bankrolled “volunteer” labour to work election campaigns in Quebec.
The Liberal Party receives four times more money from riding associations and candidates than all the other parties combined. Remember that the identity of donors who donate to a candidate or riding association and then have their donation transferred to a party are not required to be disclosed quarterly, allowing parties to hide the identity of donors for up to 18 months.
Where does Democracy Watch find fault in the Conservative Party of Canada?
In a year where a commission of inquiry hears evidence about hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing to the Liberal Party in unreported, illegal cash and in-kind contributions, allegedly in exchange for favoritism in government ad contracts, Democracy Watch is worried about $85-a-year donors corrupting the process of government in Canada.

The DW report includes valuable information, and it’s damning stuff for the Liberals. The puzzling portion is that DW goes on to condemn all parties equally – an assertion that seems to have little basis in the facts or figures presented.

Citizenship Has Its Price

Little Known Facts 10 Comments

Have they got a deal for you!

To qualify for the program, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • Have worldwide net assets of at least $800,000 CAD accumulated through their own endeavours;
  • Have successfully operated, controlled or directed a business;
  • Undertake to make a passive investment of $400,000 CAD for a five-year term (or limit your down payment through the Desjardins Golden Plan).
    […]
    The mandatory $400,000 CAD deposit is invested in a term note guaranteed by the Government of Qu�bec. A significant portion of the interest earned on the investment is paid out to eligible Qu�bec corporations in the form of grants. In this way, investors contribute to the economic development of society and to job creation.
    […]
    If you do not wish to liquidate your assets to come up with the $400,000 CAD mandatory deposit, the Desjardins Golden Plan is the ideal financing plan for you. Thanks to the plan, you can:

  • Limit your down payment to as little as $120,000 CAD and still meet all the requirements of the Immigrant Investor Program in order to obtain Canadian citizenship;.

    • “A hollow and worthless shell”

    What He Said 38 Comments

    The Monarchist has an excellent essay that’s getting the attention it deserves.

    I am not a Quebecer. I have not spent much time in Quebec, nor do I identify personally with Quebec’s culture and history. In short, I do not readily identify with Quebecers; I do not naturally walk in their shoes. But over the past several months, as Gomery has dropped bombshell after bombshell, I have found myself quietly and steadily becoming outraged on their behalf. And I have been inspired to behold the rise of their quite righteous indignation. I have been encouraged by the resolution and grit of Gilles Duceppe and his party, as they have stepped up to refuse, on behalf of all Quebecers, to be tarred by the Liberal manure. And I was proud to see the Conservatives join with them in an attempt to bring this disgrace of a government to the ground. Belinda Stronach accuses Stephen Harper of siding with separatists. I would say, rather, that the Conservatives chose to side with men and women of integrity and honour, against those who lack both, and that Belinda went where she belongs. Duceppe and the Bloc represent their people faithfully. Martin and the Liberals represent only themselves, and a view of how a country should function that no decent person can share. So from now on I say: Quebecers, save yourselves; take your birthright, take your beautiful land and heritage, take your pride and your self-respect, and go. I will be cheering you from the other side: cheering your courage and character, and cheering the death blow you will be delivering to the rotten structure that Canada has become.
    To Albertans, and indeed to all Western Canadians, I now say: what are you waiting for? Can you now doubt that Ontario will never, ever, give you a seat at the table? Your money is taken from you, year after year, and not only have you no say in the matter, but under the current order, you never will. Make no mistake: with the new precedents of irresponsible government just set, what has been true in the past will be even truer in the future. And dissecting the events of the past two weeks, this has become clear to me: that the Stephen Harper who so closely represents you, your beliefs, and your aspirations for your future in Canada, is hated in Ontario precisely because he represents you, your beliefs and your aspirations. What does that tell you? This is the outcome of your twenty years of work in building a party, a platform, a cause that would bring you into Canada. This is the answer to �the West wants in�. So I now truly hope that the West will want out. Really, what is there here for you? Do you really want to continue to be taxed without representation, especially when so much of what you pay is handed over to others? Do you really want to continue to be despised and mocked? Do you really want to continue to elect senators who will go nowhere while Ontario Liberals send hacks of their own to the red chamber to “represent” you, and laugh in your face?

    Read the rest. Then, send it on to every Liberal apologist you know.

    What’s He Going On About Today?

    The Libranos 19 Comments

    Exclusive photo of Warren reacting to the news that he won’t have the Gomery Commission to kick around anymore.

    If Kinsella’s hinting that the Chretien lawsuit may have legs, it’s probably the best thing that could happen for Conservative fortunes. A premature halt to proceedings would “rob” the large percentage of misinformed Canadians of the Martin-fueled false expectation that, at the end of the process, names would be named, blame laid and charges pursued.
    After personally floating that misconception in his address to the nation, it would be delicious irony to watch Paul Martin struggle with his choices – to play “outraged victim” or “incompetent fool”, outsmarted by Chretien again?
    My guess is that the electorate would settle on the latter.
    In the meanwhile, though, moves are afoot to extend the authority of Gomery past the tight restrictions of paragraph K.

    As of last Friday, it didn’t look as if the Conservatives were preparing to try to bring down the government again. On Thursday, it gave notice that the topic for tomorrow’s debate will be on a technical matter related to the terms of reference for the Gomery Inquiry.
    The motion reads in full: “That this House call on the Government to amend section (k) of the Gomery Commission’s terms of reference to allow the Commissioner to name names and assign responsibility.”
    Tory MP Diane Ablonczy has been hammering away at the government over this for weeks. She is upset that “clause k” in the terms of reference only allows Justice John Gomery to make recommendations aimed at preventing mismanagement of future advertising activities, but not say who is guilty.
    According to Ms. Ablonczy, “Gomery can watch the surveillance camera and he can confirm the bank was robbed but he cannot disclose who grabbed the cash or who drove the getaway car.”
    The Conservatives have until 6 p.m. Monday evening to place more motions on the Notice Paper. It must then decide which one it will use by 10 a.m. the day of the debate.

    Stay tuned….
    update In the comments, WK accuses me of seeing Black Helicopters – to which I can only reply, “get your own comments section, you pussy” – and now there is news today is that Chretien is dropping his legal challenge, which means he probably reads my blog and realized how his tactics would play into the hands of The Scary Stephen Harper Reform Alliance KKK Konservatives!
    I really need to keep fingers off the keyboard sometimes.

    Maryantonett Flumian

    Political Animal 9 Comments

    …is coming to a government department near you;

    On Monday, Maryantonett Flumian will take up a position as the DM responsible for Service Canada, which is a massive initiative to centralize ‘customer service’ functions in a single organization, while decentralizing the adminstration to various regional centers.
    It is a major project, and at present no minister is directly accountable for it, because it is shared across multiple departments – as is the budget. There is no real plan, just the idea of simplifying contact for citizens. Money has been spent to build the minister’s office, but no minister yet.
    Now, I agree with both that idea and moving work to regional centers. But on the other hand, this is exactly how the HRDC boondoggle started – and Service Canada will handle EI, CPP, all other income security, Canada Student Loans, Social Insurance Numbers, and possibly even Passports.
    That is a huge area of responsibility, and a daunting management challenge. So the bureaucrat should be about the best we have in the civil service. So who is Maryantonett Flumian?
    Biography
    That’s right, the sharp knife that managed the gun registry. If she can screw up the gun registry that badly, think of the nightmare that she can create in something of this scale.
    “Your old age pensions are being run by the people who did the gun registry”

    Via an email tip.
    (note to tipsters; if in question, I default to anonymity when readers send me tips. That said, I prefer to give credit where it is due.)

    Poundmaker

    Gopher News No Comments

    I’ve been home a couple of hours, mostly cleaning the house and cleaning up my email inbox. I probably won’t do much more blogging tonight, but I have a treat for you. Lance has several posts up on his impressions after doing a grocery run for the Poundmaker Working Group. The first;

    I found Democracy and it wasn’t in a Greek text, it wasn’t in England, it wasn’t in Regina, it wasn’t in “parliamentary tradition”. I found Democracy in the hearts and minds of thirty people trying to get their little piece of the world back in their hands. It was in the majority of the band backing them, it was in Tyrone Tootoosis picking out the groceries, and Diane filming the reenactment of the move from Jacob’s place to the present site of the Band office (not quite, but only a km away). Democracy was in Marvin recounting the accident on the Pow-Wow grounds. Democracy shone and the clouds parted. They’ve finished sitting, the trail did not grow over, they are finding their way back.

    Be sure to read them all.

    Reader Tips

    Reader Tips 56 Comments

    This post is for the tips you have for other readers, links to scintillating posts at your own site (I recommend you use the trackback function). Keep descriptions brief, please. No discussion please – links only.
    See you guys in a couple days. Have a good weekend!

    Upcoming Carnival Of The Newbies

    Blogging 12 Comments

    I’ll probably pull a Newbie Carnival together by next weekend. If you’ve started a blog in the past month or two, and haven’t already been part of one of the previous two, send me your URL and a brief description, and start writing. Suggestion: if you’ve only just begun, maybe wait a little longer and build some content before asking to join in. My email address is on the sidebar.
    (Past carnivals here and here.)
    Also – to round things out I’m asking established bloggers to share their helpful hints on getting your blog off the ground and building traffic. Just shoot your comments to me by email, or if you prefer to compose a post on the topic, send me the URL.

    Don Martin, You Got A Problem

    Media 53 Comments

    Every so often, someone in media exposes their cultural bigotry towards the rural west. I just sent a letter to Mr. Martin.

    Mr. Martin – as a lifetime resident of the rural prairies, I cannot adequately explain how abhorrant these cultural slurs (“prairie knuckledraggers”) towards our lifestyle and values are becoming.
    “Knuckledragger. Redneck.”
    For reasons unexplained, these are the favoured terms of elitist politicians and media alike, when referring to those who have committed the “crime” of adhering to the conservative values that have been the mainstay of rural culture since the founding of our nation.
    Yet, to you, we are someone that “mainstream Canadians” should fear – indeed, something less than fully human. We are “knuckledraggers”.
    (Let me ask you – when writing about an immigrant politician in Toronto, would you refer to those in their community as “spearchuckers”?)
    You are devaluing our culture, you are demeaning an entire class of Canadians and in so doing, suggesting we do not deserve a voice in the political process.
    I suggest that you owe a great number of Canadians a sincere apology. You may not agree with conservative rural values, but you have no right to dehumanize those who hold them.
    Kate McMillan

    update – May 30 Don Martin replies;

    I can’t believe I’ve been so misunderstood by so many readers. Apologies
    indeed for not communicating better. I was attempting to belittle the stereotype, which seems so ingrained around here in Ontario, of Prairie residents somewhere low on the evolutionary chain. They’re anything but . And I know that as someone who in Alberta (rural for part of the time) for 22 years. I only moved here reluctantly five years ago and will return eagerly at the first opportunity.
    Again, apologies.

    Well, I’ll take him at his word. But if the stereotype was being “belittled”, it was with a good measure of subtlety, considering that suggestion that certain politicians try to distance themselves from it.
    I’d rather they attack it for what it is.

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