Texas reject Harper's crime plan

On a recent trip to Texas, an array of conservative voices told CBC News that Texas tried what Canada plans to do - and it failed. As recently as 2004, Texas had the highest incarceration rate in the world, with fully one in 20 of its adult residents behind bars or on parole or probation.

The Lone Star state still has the death penalty, with more than 300 prisoners on death row today. But for three decades, as crime rates fell all over the U.S., the rate in Texas fell at only half the national average. That didn't change the policy - but its cost did.

I'm all for mandatory minimum sentences for violent crime like murder, swarming or for selling crack or meth but not for pot. A mandatory minimum sentence of three months for a prolific offender who commits a huge amount of crime to pay for his drug addiction is not excessive. Harper preventing those important steps from happening by taking us to the other extreme is in itself criminal. It prevents us from doing what really needs to be done and takes money away from other important programs.

Democratic Socialism

I know this post doesn't have anything to do with the Hells Angels or the gang war but since there has been so much talk about the Vancouver Occupation as well as the New York occupation and what's happening around the globe, I do think in all fairness it needs to be said. For those who just want to hear about the gangs, scroll past. The gang problem is continuing.

I used to work with a good friend who thought I was a Communist for the same reason I thought he wasn't. We both believed in democracy and free speech. I found that somewhat ironic. I used to be a member of a large trade Union. Many members of which were self professed Communists. I was somewhat shocked. I remember having one discussion with a very intelligent National officer who said to me "The Chinese Red Square call themselves Communist but they aren't really Communist. The old Iron curtain and Eastern Europe (Before the fall of the USSR) call themselves Communists but they aren't really Communists." My response was what on earth are you talking about? That's what Communism is.

I've had many debates and heartfelt discussions with many who profess to be Communists. After hearing them out I wouldn't classify them as Communists, I'd classify them as Democratic Socialists which in my opinion is a far cry from hard line Communism. Yet they don't define it as such. They claim true Communism is democratic. It's just so sad every time we see a Communist regime take over, democracy and free speech are the first to go.

These friends would always hold up Cuba and say Cuba is the best model for Socialism we have. I was like what are you taking about? They hold political prisoners. Sure it's a watered down form of Communism because they haven't outright banned religion, but they do discriminate against religion. You can't be a member of the Communist party if you have a religious affiliation and you can't run for office unless you belong to the communist party. I don't see that as a democracy. Yet doing business with China and boycotting Cuba is somewhat absurd.

Personally, I think the best model of Socialism we have is the Kibbutz movement in Israel. That's where volunteers can come and go as they please while those who wish to stay are free to do so. That is the defining difference. They are free to join and they are free to leave. No one earns a wage per say, the profits from the Kibbutz go toward making the standard of living for everyone better. I loved it. I recognize it's not for everyone. Some people don't like to work. At all. They take advantage of the system. Others are greedy. They want more than others and consume all the rations before everyone has had a chance to share. Yet all in all I found it to be a wonderful experience.

Here's my conundrum. True democratic socialism that's governed by the people for the people can only exit in a constitutional republic. For example in Canada or the U.S. people are free to form a collective community where they share things in common. The Amish do. They are free to come and they are free to leave. Their human rights are protected by a Constitution or a charter of rights.

As soon as you throw away that Constitution or that charter, you are throwing away any and all legal protection you have that preserves your democracy. I don't care how wonderful or opiate like the ideals of Marx sound, talking the talk is very different than walking the walk. Lenin taking over the Russian revolution from Shiplov and then sending in the machine guns on the same unionized workers he exploited to get power is a prime example. Like any politician they can promise you the moon but when they assume power they do what they want. A Constitution, charter, proclamation or a declaration needs to bind the politicians to protecting human rights.

Some on the right are deathly afraid of socialism and any element there off. I personally don't share that same paranoia. I consider myself half capitalist and half socialist. I have no problem with someone starting a business and making a buck. Selling those Hope in the Shadows calenders in East Van is capitalism. More power to them. Yet I'm not afraid of sharing things in a collective. I like socialized medicine. A civilized society does not exist if a homeless person can't receive emergency medical aid.

People can argue about ICBC all they want. You want it private or you want it public, I don't care both have their pros and cons. I oppose excessive privatization because of the reason they are doing it. They are doing it to circumvent public accountability and they are doing it to make money off some things they shouldn't be making money off of. Prisons, police and the military should not be for profit Corporations.

Trailrunner claims that all forms of Socialism lead to the Gulag. Many on the right share that opinion. I don't. It's pretty simple to draw lines in that sand as set foundries. I'll never forget hearing Joan Smallwood from the NDP speak many years ago at a large Union convention. She spoke out against the human rights violations of Communist China. I was surprised. Yet the New Democratic party is defined by democracy. She drew a line and she did not cross it.

She also spoke out about how trade agreements like NAFTA or TILMA are bad not only because they ship jobs off shore. They also erode our democratic rights and our sovereignty by removing government's power to create a law that would inhibit a corporation's ability to make a profit. Public health care inhibits a private corporation's ability to make a profit so if you chose public health care, that trade agreement just made it illegal. Dumping or transporting toxic waste damages the environment? Too bad because laws that protect the environment inhibit a corporation's ability to make a profit. These new trade agreements aren't about free trade. They're about removing our sovereignty as we speak. That is the road to
the Gulag right there.

We talked a little but about Cuba and Poland. Remember how Cuba got screwed up in the first place that necessitated a revolution of sorts? The Americans were supporting organized crime in Cuba. The Batista government were a corrupt right wing dictatorship. They didn't care as long as they weren't socialist. They even enlisted the support of the mafia to fight Castro. What the Americans did was wrong. Just like what England did in Iran under operation Ajax when they finally recruited the Americans to help them with that political meddling to exploit for oil. Not much has changed.

I just think we should shun extremism. It is important to confront the corruption in Wall Street. The former Vancouver stock Exchange is a legacy to that urgency. Yet I don't think we should throw out the baby with the bath water and start chanting Castro or Mao. A left wing dictator is no better than a right wing dictator and visa versa. Let's confront corruption and not get swept away in any extreme so we can also preserve democracy and free speech.

Occupy Vancouver Day Two: The devil you know

Day two and more tents are up as the protest continues. There was a brief break in speakers for some song and dance. They played you say you want a revolution by the Beatles as well as a few other non violent activist songs. Turns out New York has a live stream for their protest and Julian Assange spoke at the London protest. An interesting thought from Toronto:



Here's another valid point coming out of New York:



Wall Street does need Adult Supervision. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is defending Ottawa's record on banking regulations. Banking regulation is not a dirty work. The right though the less red tape the better chances a free market has to succeed. In reality, deregulating the banks just paved the way for more investment fraud. That is the key.

I know every time we have a protest the Marxist Leninist party shows up and I know everybody thinks it's cool to wear a Che Guevara T-Shirt but we need to be mindful of how sometimes the devil we know as bad as it is, is better than the Devil we don't know. Let us remember Poland.

Hitler burned his own parliament building and blamed it on terrorist to gain public support to give him the powers of a chancellor. Then he burned a German radio station to gain public support for invading Poland.

Now let's remember how Poland was royally screwed. Lenin promised to help "liberate" Poland from the Fascists. He told the Polish underground resistance to attack from within and they would attack from the outside and outflank the Nazi enemy and liberate Poland.

Well the Polish resistance did indeed strike but Lenin held back until all the resistance were pretty much destroyed by the Nazi's. Then, when the underground was exterminated and the Nazi's weakened, Lenin sent his troops in to take over and bring Poland into bondage not into Liberation. That is an important part of history to remember. We need to address the fraud in Wall Street but we don't need to throw out the baby with the bath water.

Occupy Vancouver

What a wonderful day for a protest. The Occupy Vancouver Wall Street Protest went off without a hitch. Very peaceful. Very well represented.



Guy Faux was even there.



Interesting concerns about the legal liabilities of Corporations.



A lot of references to the Bull of Wall Street.



Even references to castrating the Bull.



A call to abolish the Federal Reserve.



Acorn was present.



A call to Water board Wall street.



An add about George Bush's upcoming visit to Surrey.



There was even a group of people meditating.



Tents are being set up for the occupation.



A stroll down memory lane past the old Vancouver stock Exchange. How ironic. Perhaps the focal point of the entire demonstration. Vancouver no longer has a stock exchange because they couldn't control the corruption. It was full of fake pump and dump stocks.



Cars broke out signs waiting for the march to pass.



Heart warming singers.



Talented musicians.



A call for money to be spent on housing instead of war.



An inspiring graphic design artist making free souvenir T-shirts. He was just accepting donations for more shirts. He ran out pretty fast but said he'd be there all week. If you bring your own shirt I'm sure he'd silk screen it right there for you. He designed the logo himself.

It says Occupy Vancouver with an open hand and the saying "You can't shake someone's hand with a clenched fist." A lot of calls for peaceful demonstrations and it was very peaceful indeed. A great start to an important message. Oh yeah, the 911 truth movement was well repressed too. Imagine that.

Shooting at Hells Angels funeral

Despite a heavy police presence at a Hells Angels funeral in San Jose on Saturday, a top bike-club enforcer nicknamed "Mr. 187'' after the state penal code number for murder was gunned down Saturday in front of stunned spectators.

Multiple sources told this newspaper the victim was Steve Tausan, a notorious sergeant-at-arms for the Santa Cruz chapter of the club suspected of killing another biker years ago.

San Jose police would not confirm the identity of the shooting victim, but did report that he was pronounced dead at a hospital at 1:44 p.m. Sources said the incident Saturday was an inter-club squabble set off when Tausan punched a fellow biker and the biker retaliated by shooting him. Police have no suspect in custody but are interviewing several witnesses, according to San Jose police spokesman Jose Garcia.

The funeral at the Oak Hill Cemetery was for fellow Hells Angel Jethro Pettigrew, president of the San Jose chapter of the club, who was shot in a Sparks, Nev.

William Mastop

Speaking of the Vernon Greeks trial, what's up with that lawyer who was charged with them, William Mastop? His bail conditions say he can't practice law right now. Seemingly the no-contact orders attached to Mastop’s release cover past or current members of the Hells Angels or the Greeks.

The Vancouverite claims Cops said Mastop also had alleged “dealings” with the Calgary chapter of the Hell’s Angels and the Kelowna East Side chapter. I guess the Calgary connection would be through Zenon Stepkowski.

His case should be going to trial this year. I've never seen Napoleon Dynamite with a gun but I'd imagine he'd loom a lot like this. Kinda reminds me of Dwight from the Office. A white collar nerd trying to be a gangster.

Another man gunned down in Edmonton

Edmonton Homicide investigators are probing yet another case after a man was gunned down outside a northside apartment building around midnight. The victim was shot outside the building near 132 Avenue and 67 Street. He was transported by ambulance to hospital but died of his injuries.



The case is being probed as the city's 43 homicide of 2011. Police tape still blocks access to the apartment building, which is directly across the street from Balwin Elementary School. As officers combed the scene Friday morning, children played in the school ground just yards away. The investigation is focused on the parking lot behind the Bayview Manor apartments.

Meanwhile the Edmonton Sun is reporting the names of the victims shot in the SUV at Rosehill Cemetery Tuesday are Trevor Greenway and Jason Trundle. Turns out our tip was right. The media asked me where I got the info from and I just said it was an anonymous tip but there was a facebook memorial page already set up. Looks like the media got the information from the family and friends not the police.

I'm not sure why the EPS would hold that information back. Surely they're not trying to hide the fact that some of their record breaking homicides has something to do with the drug trade. Why would they want to hide that? You'd think they'd want more resources to address the problem.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday afternoon. If the death is officially confirmed to be a homicide, it will be the 43rd in Edmonton this year. If it's confirmed to be a homicide? How can they say that with a straight face? Three fatalities in three days from shootings and they still have to determine if those suspicious death are actuality homicides. Give me a break.

Meanwhile Edmonton police charged two men in a shooting last Tuesday night at an apartment building in southwest Edmonton. The two men, aged 23 and 27, were arrested in Sherwood Park on Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault, robbery, wearing a disguise with intent, forcible confinement as well as various firearm charges. Yet their names have for some mysterious reason not been released. Sounds like a lot of strange things going on in Edmonton.

Police will no longer probe police

B.C. police who are involved in an incident involving death or serious harm will no longer be investigated by fellow officers, the province's attorney general announced Wednesday.

Shirley Bond said the government is creating a civilian-led body to conduct criminal investigations into incidents resulting in death or serious injuries involving municipal police and RCMP.

The chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office will be in place by the end of the year and the team will begin investigations in the first half of 2012, added David Loukidelis, deputy attorney-general.

Three cheers. Now that's better than another stat holiday. There is irony in a civilian body conducting a criminal investigation but I think the public's intent is to have police misconduct allegations reviewed by civilians not by more police.

Now for the impossible dream and get the intelligence agencies publicly accountable and subject to the law. Like that's ever going to happen.

Oppal's tab keeps growing and growing

Michael Smyth made a good point. He said the least-surprising development at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry so far is that it will last much longer, and cost much more, than previously anticipated.

Everyone knew this inquiry was ripe to transform into the political circus it's become, and Wally Opal is not known for his efficient work habits — especially when he's bagging $1,500 a day plus expenses. Now hang on to your wallets. On the very first day of the inquiry, Opal's chief counsel confirmed what everybody had been expecting — the budget and deadline are likely to be blown out of the water.

Wally Opal is financially benefiting from this circus side show. I can't stomach reading all the bs drama about the inquiry venting on the police. What a side show. What a waste of money. The real issue is who else was involved, who killed all the other missing women and which drug dealers are pushing Native Women out of hotel windows in the Downtown East end over drug debts. The real questions aren't being asked.

Guantanamo Bay detainee denied entry to Canada

Guantanamo Bay detainee denied entry to Canada while George Bush who vetoed the bill to stop the CIA from torturing prisoners is welcomed in as well as Dick Cheney who's company Haliburton made a killing from the invasion of Iraq based on a lie. This is so wrong.

Since Stephen Harper fired and slandered the whistle blower for leaking out the fact that Canada was knowingly handing over prisoners in Afghanistan to be tortured, perhaps he just doesn't want Moazzam Begg to tell us about the torturing going on in Libya that Canadian tax dollars are supporting.