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Thom, your sentiment is right, but the pro-Liberal guests and callers you've had on your program aren't giving you the complete picture of what happened up here.
I live in Western Canada (Vancouver) in a very conservative riding, but I'm as progressive as you and Bernie Sanders. I voted NDP, but I'm still very happy that Trudeau won and we're rid of Harper.
Here's the thing, though; the Liberal Party has traditionally been a centrist, pro-business party. They would be best compared to DLC democrats like Hilary Clinton or Obama. The Liberal Party has had its share of scandals, and they haven't done a good job running the province of British Columbia. They've reduced certain health care services, increase fracking, sold off public assets to private interest groups, and we're now in a housing bubble where an entry-level home in Vanouver costs over $1M. I cannot speak on how the Liberals have performed in other provinces, but federally, in the 90s, they were involved in all kinds of scandals.
I don't want to come across as demonizing the Liberal, though. I do like what Trudeau is saying, and I hope he follows through on his campaign promises. I like what I'm hearing so far. His father kept us out of Vietnam, and the pressure from the US must have been immense. Just as there will be a lot of pressure on Justin to go along with the TPP and Keystone XL.
OK, the NDP didn't lose because they "proposed austerity." In fact, there seems to be a prevailing view that they're a bunch of crazy leftists who would destroy the country if they got into office, which is preposterous. Bernie is more progressive than most NDP candidates. In fact, the most progressive Canadian politician -- the most Bernie Sanders-like candidate we have -- is Elizabeth May of the Green Party. She's wonderful, but unfortunately Canada isn't ready for a real Bernie Sanders prime minister yet.
What happened here this week was a referendum, not a revolution. Harper was to the right of most Canadians and was causing irreperable harm to the citizens and our image in the world. Harper is every bit as right-wing and hawkish (and oil hungry) as George W. Bush or Dick Cheney.
An advocacy group in Canada called LeadNow devised a strategy they termed "Vote Together" (aka "ABC" or "Anything But Conservative"), and they worked hard to get the message out. This strategy was to vote for whoever the nominee was who could beat the Conservative in each riding. In most cases this would be the Liberal candidate because they're a more established party. I would question the integrity of anyone who calls your program and leaves out the details of this huge movement.
The NDP, on the other hand, has a long history of rising to meteoric levels early in an election cycle and then crashing as they approach election day. This happened in this latest election, and it's happened many times in BC. They're also terrible at defending themselves and will waffle on issues when in office.
The NDP lose elections because they are terrible at messaging. They allow the other side to frame the debate and are unable to rally their base. I was on their mailing list and finally gave up. Unlike Bernie Sanders who gives regular updates and inspiring emails, the NDP would send out donation requests once or twice a day. Their website had little, if any, events for supporters to attend (unless you count black tie fundraising dinners). Social media and messaging from the individual candidates was virtually non-existent. When they finally did put on an online streaming event, they waited until 10pm the night before to announce it!
I voted NDP, but I really had no idea who my local candidate was or what they stood for. To give credit where it's due, our local Conservative MP has always send out monthly newsletters detailing the "progress" he and his party were making on behalf of Canadians. I disagree with everything he stands for, but it's an effort I've never seen from any of the other parties.
I wanted to respond because I've heard so much spin from all sides that I don't think people are getting an accurate picture. Canadians are slowly waking up, just like people in the US, Britain, and Australia after suffering from Reagan/Thatcher economics for the last 30+ years. Trudeau is the right man for the times we're in now, but as climate change becomes more problematic, we're going to eventually need a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth May who can stand up to big corporations and enact the kind of tough climate legislation necessary for the human race to survive.
Dems are 100 X more supportive of what the majority of Americans want & believe in Better wages, pensions intact, fair tax laws, NO more Mid east wars, NO having fat cats run / control our country . TOP 5 % must pay their fair share of taxes, receive much fewer loopholes, subsides & corp tax cuts. Quality affordable education for our young is a must, that will lead to a much stronger economy & stable families. US must bring back Glass Steagle & Repeal Citizens United aka Billionaires United. Wealth must NOT determine how much power one wields in elections or passing gov't policies ! Thats UN American at its core . NO TPP until we the people knows whats in it !!
Senator Udall lost in Colorado to a radical Tea Party candidate Cory Gardner. Cory ran constant ads that Udall had voted with Obama 99% of the time. First of all they are both Democrats and should vote the same. Udall never once said that is right and I voted this way for this reason. It was terrible to watch. No backbone whatsoever. Cory won and he was a do nothing congressman going into the election. Udall never attacked his do nothing record, Government shutdown etc.
WHY not go full force on them - crimes against humanity.
How did President of the Senate Thomas Jefferson manage to put rules in place in the House of Representatives?
Since Exxon and oil industry is being compared to the tobacco industry why not do to them what happened to the tobacco companies and the Americans who used tobacco. Tax all fuel to the point no one can afford to use it and say the proceeds will go to clean energy when in fact it will go to anything else those in charge can think of. Bottom line, the air will get cleaner. And those that can least afford it will pay. Home run.
Tom DeLay was never Speaker of the House. It went straight from Gingrich to Hastert. DeLay was the Republican whip at the time of the 2000 election, under majority leader Dick Armey.
I have to ask Joe Biden, for the past 8 years, how well has reaching over the isle worked out? The issue with Republicans is not the lack of isle reaching, it is the contract they made to actually obstruct the President. I do not think they will cave to anyone, regardless of which Democrat it is.
The Postal Inspectors are doing an excellent job of finding and prosecuting criminals. In fact, there has been much success and quite a history in nabbing people doing other serious crimes using the USPS rules and jurisdiction. The GOP would love to do away with that obstacle. They would also welcome the privatization of the mail for use in massive voter fraud. Can you imagine if private individuals and companies were handling your mail? There would be nothing stopping them from discarding or altering your votes, their opponents campaign literature, and any of our other mail. It is a federal offense to do so now. That is why we have the most secure mail in the world (including how our Registered – but not the Certified - mail being transported under lock-and-key).
And, unless it is a USPS official site, that convenient place that takes your letters and has mailboxes for you is simply another mail customer, like yourself. There is not the security, nor the delivery schedule, of the real Post Office. Believe me, I know. I used to deliver mail to a Mail Boxes, Etc. business. The owner went on a bender and his place was closed for about 2 weeks. No one else had a key to get in. The people who had mail there (in their boxes and that which they deposited to be picked up by the real mailperson for real delivery) were out of luck. They had to wait quite a while for the police and/or court authorities to finally get in and try to straighten things out. It was a sad mess. If it weren’t for the Postal Inspectors, it would have taken longer. Our Post Office extended help to the individuals in the interim, as well, by setting up temporary postal boxes for them in our office, and the clerks to accommodate them and their needs.
By the way, I also feel strongly that the P.O. should not be closed on Saturdays. That would leave 3 days-in-a-row of no postal service whenever there is a Monday holiday, of which there are many. Better would be a Thursday break. It makes more sense, as there would be a two-day cushion on either end of that day, so as not to make interruption so drastic. The other way would be a nightmare for people trying to meet billing deadlines. It would also save more money for the USPS, as the offices are already closed for a half-day now on Saturdays. It would give them a whole day of closing, and more money saved, if they closed on Thursdays, along with the no delivery.
Our postal system offers banking services and they work just fine. Postal outlets are also a kind of franchise. Convenience stores offer postal services and accept delivery of packages held while notices are delivered to mail boxes of the recipient.
The GOP wants to kill the USPS to end the risk of mail fraud that American business faces when using the postal service. USPS and Fedex allow Bernie Madoff fraud unabated and exempt from federal felonious prosecution. However, USPS does deliver Fedex and USPS packages to certain rural areas out of range of their dispatch centers. The Postal Inspector General could inspect Fedex and USPS deliveries IF some of their routing was in USPS hands. Paying 20 dollars for a delivery that costs 45 cents sounds wasteful, but getting exemption from mail fraud is worth the 19 bucks, and American businesses love fraud. Enron was a preferred customer of Fedex.
America's tragedy, with Democrats and "liberals" playing a vital role, is that so much work has already been done to reverse decades of progress, specifically reversing the New Deal step by step -- usually with the implicit (but powerful) support of the media marketed to liberals. Liberals devoted the years of this critically important administration hard-focused on appealing to middle class campaign donors, only more deeply alienating the "masses."
Predictably (and certainly, predicted), we already see them formulating excuses for their 2016 defeat. In defiance of reality, of all the evidence to date, they continue to preach that the deregulated corporate state is so successful, that everyone is able to work, there are jobs for all, therefore no need for poverty relief. The Dem votere base -- the poor and middle class -- have been profoundly divided and conquered.
Re: The "tobacco" executives who testified about nicotine...note that all of them weasled. They said "I believe nicotine isn't addictive" or the like. They can BELEIVE that the Moon is the NorthWind's Cookie and not be hit with perjury or Lying to Congress. Remember all the "I believe" statements in Watergate? Same trick here.
Not ONE Congress member asked on what info they based that "belief" or if they could come back tomorrow with the scientific reports so they'd have info about what they KNOW, not what they "believe". Not one Congress member asked "You 'believe'? You don't know?"
AND...the topic of how ALL non-tobacco cigarette additives none labeled (except menthol in some) contribute to addiction (as withdrawal from all that is significant) never came up...as did not the matter of also un-labeled caffeine (addictive) and sugars and chocolate etc in typical cigarettes.
That famous "I believe" moment is one of the biggest scams we've seen. Sorry to see that Thom buys it.
Excellent artcle, Thom!
But we need to pay attention the fact that the fossil fuel industry is trying to avoid paying for their ( LION'S) share of the responsibility for climate damage by making all of us pay equally to ameliorate climate change. That is why they are all NOW proclaiming "support" for the coming December COP21 Paris Climate Talks. It's part and parcel of their duplicitous modus operandi.
The fossil fuel industry is just trying to get out in front of the Paris talks with disingenuous fake support for measures to ameliorate climate change. They have been at this since these talks began in the early 1990's. Nothing they say publicly is to be taken at face value. Careful attention is to be given to who they "support" with MONEY in these talks.
Here is a snippet from part three of an article on our responsibility to future generations. I provide it so you can understand what the PLAN of the fossil fuel industry is in regard to who, EXACTLY, will be saddled with the bill for ameliorating climate change.
Agelbert NOTE: The mens rea of the fossil fuel industry and almost half of the world’s 100 largest companies, including Procter & Gamble and Duke Energy, has been recently exposed. They all funded lobbyists and propagandists in order to obstruct climate change legislation.
I use the Latin legal expression, "mens rea", because the above obstructionists of climate change legislation were knowledgeable over 40 years ago of the damage that burning fossil fuels causes to the biosphere in general and humans in particular.
As Theresa Morris made quite clear in her essay, these corporations made the wrong choice. And they made that choice because they refused to think things through.
Theresa Morris said,
"This task, however, is difficult, not only because of the extent of effects in time and space, fragmentation of agency, and the difficulty of predicting harms, but also because in many cases we may benefit now from actions that result in harms to future generations.
Ethical considerations aside for a moment, the people in these powerful corporations are not stupid. They love their own children.
So, if they knew, because over 40 years ago ExxonMobil scientists laid out the facts to oil executives, who then secretly joined with several other corporations to fund denial of climate change and obstruct climate change legislation, why did they, with malice and aforethought, engage in disguising the fact that they were, and are, getting an F in viable biosphere math?
Some will say that it's a no brainer that they did it for profit. While that is partially true, it ignores the fact that big oil corporations DO believe their own scientists. It also ignores the fact that fossil fuel corporations DO NOT believe the happy talk propaganda that they fund.
They plan ahead. They plan to take advantage of the 'Fragmentation of Agency' mentioned by Stephen Gardiner. The corporations did not get limited liability laws passed because they wanted to be socially responsible. I believe they will use the 'Fragmentation of Agency', in regard to biosphere damage claims, to unjustly limit their liability in a typically unethical "damage control" exercise.
One of the themes about human history that I have tried to communicate to readers over and over is that predatory capitalist corporations, while deliberately profiting from knowingly doing something that causes pollution damage to the populace, always plan AHEAD to socialize the costs of that damage when they can no longer deny SOME liability for it. Their conscience free lackey lawyers will always work the system to limit even PROVEN 100% liability.
While the profits are rolling in, they will claim they are "just loyal public servants, selflessly providing a service that the public is demanding", while they laugh all the way to the bank. When the damage is exposed, they will claim we are "all equally to blame" (i.e. DISTORTED Fragmentation of Agency).
This is clearly false because polluting corporations, in virtually all cases, AREN'T non-profit organizations. If they were NOT PROFITING, THEN, and only then, could they make the claim that "we all benefited equally so we all are equally responsible to pay equally for the cost."
Those who presently benefit economically from the burning of fossil fuels, despite the scientific certainty that this is ushering in a Permian level mass extinction, will probably be quick to grab on to a severely distorted and duplicitous version of the 'Fragmentation of Agency' meme, in regard to assigning the proportionate blame for the existential threat our species is visiting on future generations.
Privatizing the profits and socializing the costs is what they have done for over a century in the USA. They have always gotten away with it. That is why, despite having prior knowledge that their children would be negatively impacted by their decisions, they decided to dispense with ethical considerations.
They assumed that, with all the profits they would accumulate over the last 40 years (or as long as the populace can be blinded to the truth of the existential threat), they could protect their offspring when things got "difficult".
They know that millions to billions of people, in all probability, will die. But they think their wealth can enable them to survive and thrive.
As for the rest of us, who obtained a pittance in benefits in comparison to the giant profits the polluters raked (and still continue to rake) in, we can expect an army of corporate lawyers descending on our government(s) demanding that all humans, in equal portions, foot the bill for ameliorating climate change.
The lawyer speak will probably take the form of crocodile tears about the "injustice of punitive measures" or, some double talk legalese limiting "punitive damage claims" based on Environmental LAW fun and games (see: "punitive" versus "compensatory" damage claims).
This grossly unjust application of the 'Fragmentation of Agency' is happening as we speak. The poorest humans are paying the most with their health for the damage done by the richest. The richest have avoided most, or all, of the deleterious effects of climate change.
When the governments of the world finally get serious about the funding needed to try to clean this mess up (present incremental measures ARE NOT sufficient), the fossil fuel industry oligarchs (and other corporate polluting crooks) plan to continue literally getting away with ecocide, and making sure they don't pay their share of the damages for it.
Our Responsibility to Future Generations
http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/climate-change/future-earth/msg3885/#msg3885
re: Recording on Direct TV, Whoever told you that your program cannot be recorded was 'correct' to the extent that it cannot be prerecorded except by tediously scrolling through the dates and requesting each hour slot individually, and then only for a couple of weeks in advance. Any other program series can be done with one visit through Direct TV's series manger and works indefinitely into future. My equipment has been up-dated about a year ago so the problem is not age related. Please pass this on to Thom.
My b-i-l was frequently questioned on his airplane flights before 9-ll (he had a beard).
Why does Hillary have a Saudi assistant?
The leaders at Exxon since 1980, each and every one of them, is a war criminal. They have acted in ways that is similar to a dictator ordering the deaths of millions of human beings. They are disgusting people who should be brought to trial for their evil actions that seem only to have been driven by profits and money. Every one of them is guilty of the crime of murder. Thirty five years of hiding behind their corporate shield. They must be brought to trial to explain themselves.
I remember in high school (1968?) reading about the President's Scientific Advisory Council releasing a report that greenhouse gasses were building in the upper atmosphere, that this would result in a greenhouse effect, & that it would be irreversable in a only very few years. Climate Science has known about this threat for many, many years. & we still try to ignore it.
Donald Trump is a washington outsider. He never got or listened to the message that there are some things you don't say or talk about as a republican. Weather you like Trump or not you have to admit when you hear him telling the truth and in this case he is telling the truth. Trump is not the republican party's man. Trump is his own man and although I admire that about him I still wouldn't vote for him.
Here is the petition to try George W. Bush for murder and the conspiracy to commit murder. The argument was formed by renowned prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi and the petition is to be delivered to the NY Attorney General:
https://www.change.org/p/new-york-state-attorney-general-eric-t-schneide...
George W. was too busy entertaining Saudi Royalty at his Crawford Ranch to worry about what their assassins were doing on the East Coast ! Then he tried to blame it all on Saddam Hussein who had no connection with 9/11, in fact he had actually worked with the Reagan Administration to mount attacks on Iran, the same Iran that the Republicans have been attacking since the 1979 revolution that ended the regime of their brutal dictator the Shah ! The same Iran where the John Foster Dulles led CIA arranged an overthrow of Iran's Democratically elected leader Dr. Mohammad Mossadeq, replacing him with a U.S. backed brutal dictator known as the Shah, as they grabbed Iran's state owned oil company and handed it over to British Petroleum in 1953 ! Sixty two years is a long time for the GOP to hold a grudge but, like a dog with a bone, you can't accuse them of not being doggedly single minded !
Debt? Baloney!!
… … …
About the debt
the Right is phony.
Deceitful’s their fret
as they ride this pony.
Let us say “Nyet!!”
to their baloney, -
- which they beget
from heads hard and bony.
====================
I can't add much to the above comments but want to thank Thom for getting this conversation going. There are many of us who believe that 9/11 was the New Pearl Harbor the neocons were waiting for and that is why it was allowed to happen, etc. This is the least contraversal remark I could make. Thanks again.
Trump was 100% right. Chimp was entirely complicit in the 9/11 screwup. He had loads of actionable intelligence on the plot, but refused to do anything about it. Trump should have gone much further in his statements and Jeb Bush is an idiot & a blowhard for claiming "nobody believes my brother was responsible". Yep, Bush many people not only believe but bloody well know your brother was responsible. Interesting how Chimp was another Skull & Bones recruit who had to masturbate in a coffin in front of his father as part of his initiation into the secretive cult of plutocracy candidates at Yale.
George W. Bush, The Skull & Bones and the New World Order:
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_skullbones0...
Abby Martin, Big Brother Watching You Naked, Secret Societies, Hope For Cuban 5, & Police Sate Round Up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyqXNV-yzKw&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs
America Betrayed: Bush Administration And FBI Complicity In
The 911 Terror Attacks On America:
http://www.rense.com/general25/fb.htm
"...The FBI, CIA, and Bush administration, not only had advanced and detailed information and then did nothing to prevent the 9/11 assault and murder of 3000 Americans, they tried to cover it up and then lied about it..."
"...Other top officials in the FBI, CIA, and Bush administration, including President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney, echoed these claims of ignorance. Bush and Cheney were lying. They had received detailed briefings in August 2001..."
"...In the months, weeks, and days before 9/11, top officials in the FBI, CIA, and in the Bush administration knew with 100% certainty that over a dozen men with links to Osama bin Laden and his organization were in the United States and attending U.S. flight schools. And government and Bush administration officials knew that these men were being trained to hijack commercial jetliners in order to use them as guided missiles that would be fired at major U.S. cities including New York and Washington. And, by August 2001, they knew with 100% certainty that a horrific attack would soon take place and that the primary targets would be the Pentagon and the World Trade Center..."
"..."Everybody knew about a heightened alert, and knew that bin Laden was preparing a big attack," admitted an administration official on conditions of anonymity. In fact, George W. Bush and other security officials had received a memorandum in August which explicitly stated that bin Laden and al-Qaeda were about to launch an attack. Bush responded to this threat by leaving Washington and returning to his ranch in Texas where he hid out for the next four weeks. Bush repeated this performance on 9/11, abandoning Washington for Florida prior to the attack,..."
"...When informed that the warrant request had been altered and then denied, FBI agents in the Minneapolis field office were shocked and outraged as they were convinced an attack was about to take place and that Moussaoui was the key to preventing it. In fact, given the widespread knowledge that the U.S. was about to be attacked and that commercial jets would be employed, the roadblocks erected by FBI headquarters seem incredibly suspicious to these agents. Some of the Minneapolis field agents even began to suggest that top FBI officials were acting as "accomplices" to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden..."
And furthermore the criminal & Bankster crony, George "Chimp" Bush, ordered the coverup of major Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks. And information on that remains redacted to this day.
http://stonezone.com/article.php?id=676
I think Hillary's peopl etried to grind the Ax on Bernies stand on Guns, Bernie knows that Gun Violence is an issue that needs to be addressed, he supports an assult weapons ban,and is for stronger background checks on guns, and getting rid of gun show loopholes,its also obvious that Hillary was well rehearsed on her answers, it wouldnt surprize me if she knew what the questions were beforehand even as CNN, owned by Time Warner, who is a big contributor to her campaign, I am hoping Benie is our next president, and I think he will win the primary,some states are caucus states, and people need to become precinct committe officers if there isnt one in their precinct, there is a democrat one, and a republican one,and many are not filled, I signed up, and became one in Washington state where I live, as we are a caucus state.
"ballroom-sized elephant"
agreed.
"It's not like this is some "truther" conspiracy theory."
Love your work, Thom, but...
Since when is being a "truther" about anything a bad thing? (and, some say that the term "conspiracy theory" was coined by the CIA to marginalize and ridicule those who were reluctant to accept the official JFK assassination narrative.