John van Dongen examines the BC Rail Scandal

John van Dongen applies for intervener status into corruption court case. Interesting. Monday he applied to be a party to a court case launched by the auditor-general, who is trying to find out why the two defendants in the B.C. Rail corruption trial had their $6-million lawyer fees paid for by B.C. taxpayers.

Van Dongen, MLA for Abbotsford South, left the B.C. Liberals in March, citing the decision on the legal fees for ministerial assistants David Basi and Bob Virk, as one of his main reasons for leaving. Van Dongen has every right to be concerned. The subsequent editorial in the Vancouver Province explains why.

It gives the outrageous example of how a woman in his riding was completely shafted. She's a disabled mom who lives with her disabled son on a small disability pension. The woman's brother, who lives in Alberta, recently decided to give her a used car to make her life a little easier.

But then the B.C. government demanded she pay $700 in taxes on the gift. When she couldn't afford that, she tried to give the car back to her brother, but the government said she still owed them the money. "She came to my office a couple of times, completely distraught," van Dongen told the columnist. "We tried for weeks to get her some help, with no success."

First of all, the woman shouldn’t have had to pay $700.00 for a gift in the first place. Making her pay after she returned the gift was absurd. Compare that to the $6 million those same people blew on a couple of idiots who plead guilty in the BC Rail case is astounding.

Holding a public inquiry as to why they paid Basi Virk’s legal fees is pretty pointless. We all know it was a scam. They proclaimed their innocence to stall it off and as soon as Gordon Campbell and some other high ranking members of the party were going to be implicated, they copped a plea to censor the evidence. Yet it’s a court hearing not a public inquiry. Perhaps some of the missing evidence can be recalled.

This is just another example of the kind of heartless extremes that we need to address. Letting the rich pay zero tax while the poor have to make up the difference is wrong. Making these huge tax dollar expenditures to cover up fraud is outrageous.

The BC Rail case was bad enough. Selling public assets to your friends who profit from the taxpayers loss and in return give the corrupt politicians a kickback. Nothing surprising or earth shattering there. Just like Harpers conflicted Jets. It’s not surprising but it is wrong.

As bad as the BC Rail case is, despite the fact that Gordon Campbell was going to be implicated along with Christy Clark and her brother, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The real dilemma of the BC rail fraud was the reason the RCMP got a search warrant in the first place. Because of Basi’s ties to his cousin who was convicted of cocaine trafficking. It was a huge operation. Bassi was accused of money laundering through real estate. Those charges never happened after they copped a plea. Clearly the depth and extent of the BC Rail fraud still needs to be examined.

Vancouver's Quiet Places

I finally made it out to the mountains yesterday afternoon. I've been getting antsy like a bird in a cage. Like everywhere, Vancouver has some nice quiet places to get away from the insanity of city life. This was our home before the Hells Angels came here. In fact, they never did come. Just a few local wannabes exploited the name and reputation to sell crack and profit from crime. Now somebody wants to put a cap in my ass. Big surprise. Perhaps putting a cap in my ass will simply make the police do it themselves and put bar watch online. Be careful what you wish for.

The Podcasts have begun

To kick off the Kelowna Summer Jam, the Gangsters out web site has gone retro and started podcasting in mp3. Now you can listen to us on the way to work on your mp3 player as we talk about the latest gang issues that affect us. The heat is on this summer in Kelowna.

Robert B. Nichols, John P. Ellis and the Bayou Hedge funds

Robert B. Nichols and his wife were the owners of a US dollar bank account in London, England that was seized in the Bayou bankruptcy case. Nichols sued trying to get the money back. The United States government contended that the funds in the account belong to Samuel Israel III.

April 2004 Nichols met Israel and discussed investment opportunities. Nichols became his financial advisor and was paid $10 million by Israel for his services. A portion of that fee was deposited into the account in question in London, England.

Nichols claimed his services were separate from Bayou Management Ltd. The financial press published Israel’s success with the Bayou Group. Nichols claimed that he was not aware that Israel breached any obligation to the Bayou Group and owed them any money.

Confirmation of the governments sanction and legitimacy of the project was communicated to Nichols by John P. Ellis who at the time was affiliated with GH Venture Partners of New York. Mr. Ellis is the first cousin of George W. Bush and his material involvement with President Bush’s political campaign (particularly in Florida) was reported in the general press.

Nichols relied on statements made by Ellis with regards to the legitimacy of the project and of Israel. He claims he only became aware of the criminal allegations against Israel after they became public in September 2005.

However, the lawyers claim it was a fraudulent transfer from Bayou Management before it went bankrupt with the actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud the Bayou creditors. They contend that Robert B. Nichols did not receive the fraudulent transfer in good faith and or knew it was a fraudulent transfer.

In 2004 Israel sought to invest in a series of prime bank instrument trading banks in Europe. He hired Robert B. Nichols to find financial instruments that were bone fide obligations of the Department of Treasury of the United States of America.

The Bayou Entities turned into a massive fraudulent investment scheme which created and controlled private pooled investment funds. During the course of the fraud, the Bayou Entities attracted more than $450 million in investments for their Hedge Funds.

After suffering millions of dollars in losses, the Bayou Entities attempted to stay afloat and prolong the scheme by disclosing false investment performance and creating false financial statements. The Bayou Entities also attempted to conceal their losses through a series of fraudulent transfers. After the Bayou Entities fraudulent investment scheme collapsed, there was $250 million in principle unpaid to hundreds of creditors.

Three days after the fraudulent transfer which was the subject of the court case, Israel transferred $10 million to Nichols. The $10 million was not from Israel’s personal funds. It was from the fraudulent transfer from Bayou Management before it went bankrupt.

The Bayou entities were involved in a series of fraudulent actions and transactions in furtherance of a criminal investment scheme. Israel and Daniel E. Marino directed and controlled the business of Bayou Entities from their inception through August 2005. Both have plead guilty and have been sentenced to federal counts of mail and wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud relating to their operation of the Bayou Hedge Funds.

On or about April 2004, virtually all of the contents of the Bayou Hedge Funds’ brokerage accounts were wired to a bank account titled “Bayou Management LLC Special Account.” On or about July 8 2004, Israel caused $120 million be transferred from Bayou Management to a bank account in Israel’s name at Deutsche Postbank in Hamburg, Germany. (What the courts referred to as The Fraudulent Transfer) Israel and the Bayou entities failed to disclose the Fraudulent Transfer to the Bayou Hedge Funds investor creditors. Gee that sounds very similar to what CONrad Black did in his case. Turns out Guy Lawson has just written a book about Samuel Israel's involvement in the Bayou Hedge Fund fraud.

Recent Vancouver Gang Violence – The Exterminator

We all know about the 2009 Vancouver gang war which peaked a few years after the Surrey Six murder. Now let’s take a look and the recent outbreak of Vancouver gang violence. It started in 2011 and has started to heat up again recently. The most famous of which was the murder of the despised Jonathon Bacon in Kelowna. After that, there has been a series of exterminations.

Not likely in retaliation because it is very unlikely the Dhure or Dhak group had anything to do with the Kelowna hit. It appears that one small group of drug dealers that don’t work for the Hells Angels are being exterminated. Unlike with the Independent Soldiers or the Red Scorpions, they aren’t trying to take over this group, they are wiping them off the face of the earth simply to maintain exclusive control over the Vancouver drug trade.

Khun-Khun September 16 2011

Billy Woo October 2 2011

Stephen Leone October 22 2011

Sandip (Dip) Duhre January 17 2012

Sean Beaver and Stephen Leone’s brother January 21 2012

Tom Gisby April 28 2012 murdered in Mexico

Nicholas Lucier May 1 1012 arrested in Mexico

Ranj Cheema May 2 2012

It all reminds me of the infamous words of Eric Sandburg to Agent 22 from a Hells Angels puppet club in Winnipeg called the Zig Zag crew when he was visiting Vancouver. Eric Sandburg told the Hells Angels associate that he could get him any gun he wanted and that they were ready to wipe out all the competition in Surrey. Indeed they were. Not only is the Hells Angels violent control of the drug trade concerning, but so is the deranged level of violence that goes along with it.

Jarrod Bacon sentenced to 12 years

Jarrod Bacon has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for drug conspiracy charges. His brother Jonathon was gunned down in Kelowna with Larry Amero and his other brother Jamie is on trial for his involvement with the Surrey Six Murder. Jamie was also an associate of Kevin LeClair. Kevin was shot dead and trained at Revolution in Langley which has ties to the Hells Angels.

Nicholas Lucier busted in Mexico

Nicholas Lucier who was wanted by police in connection with a lage cocaine bust in Victoria back in 2009 has just been arrested in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. This is the same town where his associate Tom Gisby was gunned down last week.

Another Vancouver gangster bites the dust

The Vancouver gang war has reignited and there is a lot of new information coming in. Long time gangster Ranj Cheema was shot to death in front of his parents’ East 61st Avenue house Wednesday. The 43-year old was once an ally of the late Bindy Johal, before turning against the admitted trafficker. He was also an associate of the late Tom Gisby and others who have been shot and/or killed in recent months. Cheema was a one-time associate of Tom Gisby, killed in Mexico Saturday. He also was close to Billy Woo, killed and dumped near Squamish last fall.

It's hard to pin down who is who in all the former Indo Canadian gang violence. For many years they were killing each other. That was in the days of Bindy Johal. Things have changed considerably since then. Now the Hells Angels control everything. The Independent Soldiers are no longer Independent. The common thread in all these recent murders is an association with the Dhures and a former association with the Hells Angels. Being close with Billy Woo would also imply a Hells Angels hit list connection since Billy Woo used to be affiliated with the Hells Angels but was likely executed for his Dhak connections.

Yet Kim Bolan is reporting that before Cheema went to jail in 2008, he was a rival of Sandip (Dip) Duhre, who was gunned down at the Wall Centre in January. That one doesn't fit the puzzle. The common thread is that the Hells Angels are wiping the Dhure and Dhak group off the face of the earth to secure their violent monopoly on the Vancouver drug trade.

A Balance between the Extremes

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I really think it’s important that we see through the ridiculous stereotypes and find a balance between both dramatic extremes so we don’t get led astray by either side or rather either extreme.

There was some discussion in the Vancouver Province today about how the minimum wage has finally been raised to a humane level after being frozen by the Campbell government for so long. One person wrote in with the ridiculous perception that minimum wages are a Marxist ideal and we need to pay people what they are worth. Don’t get me started. Human beings are worth a lot more than ten dollars an hour. Greed redefines worth in terms of how much money we make which is absurd. Here we have a coveting Capitalist who wants to get rich by employing slave labour. Saying a minimum wage is Marxist will create a knee jerk reaction. People will say, well if that’s Marxism then I guess I’m a Marxist. Only it isn’t Marxism, it’s common sense.

Many people define capitalism as democracy. However, that isn’t necessarily true. Capitalism can also be described as greed. Always wanting more than someone else. Technically, imperialism could be defined as capitalism. The old era of colonization where you conquer a country and exploit them with taxation without representation. That is what the Boston Tea party and the American Revolution was all about.

The purpose of the American Revolution was not to say we don’t want England to tax us, we want to become our own empire so we can conquer and tax others. The purpose of the American Revolution was to establish a free republic where democracy, free speech and human rights are protected. Provide for the common defense meant to help others find democracy and freedom. It didn’t mean exploiting others through greed. The oil wars have started to change that. That is why the constitution is in jeopardy.

It’s not about the poor being jealous of the rich. It’s about protecting the poor from being exploited by the rich. When the rich steal from the public purse by committing investment fraud, that is wrong. When the rich pay zero income tax while the poor pick up the tab, that is wrong. Those are valid concerns. Yet throwing out the baby with the bath water is not the answer. Waving the Communist hammer and sickle is concerning.

My father used to say Communism works in theory but it doesn’t work in practice. That’s because historically we have always seen some rich elitist take over the workers revolution and change the agenda by poisoning the dream. Under Stalin, the striking university students would face riot police using live ammunition. People could argue that the striking students in Montreal wouldn’t be striking in a Communist dictatorship because university would be free. Yet if you’re grades weren’t high enough you wouldn’t be let in. The bottom line is that free speech and lawful assembly did not exist in Stalin’s empire. It wasn’t a free republic. In East Berlin, when the Berlin wall was still up, the machine guns pointed inward. To prevent it’s citizens from escaping.

Stephen Harper likes to throw around the socialist word a lot. He said if you don’t vote for me, you’re a socialist or a separatist. Again that’s counter productive. I don’t agree with Harper so I guess that makes me a socialist. Yet there is a better way.

Instead of saying Capitalism represents democracy because that isn’t necessarily true, we need to establish that a free republic represents democracy. Empires or dictatorships don’t. Within a free republic you can define boundaries. You can protect individual rights and aspire to collective rights at the same time. This is within a constitutional government. Like Maximus helped set up for Rome in the movie Gladiator.

This whole nonsense of breaking windows and vandalizing things concerns me. If that is your quest you can not only count me out, but you lose my support as well as a great deal of public support. Responding with a clenched fist that says, I don’t care what the public think. I will break things and hold them at ransom, is wrong. That’s no different than the capitalists. The only difference is that you want to be the one on top exploiting others.

I will however say this: Neocons always run around like chicken little and cry the left will tax and spend, the left will tax and spend, the sky will fall if we vote for the left. Yet their own pork barrel politics is taxing and spending more than the left ever did. The only difference is they spend it on different things. Neocons spend the money on their rich friends who give them kickbacks by donating to their campaign. The left spend it on the elderly, the disabled and the homeless. The left builds the kind of world I want to live in.

Harpers obsession with big business and oil monopolies is anything but a free market where small business can participate. Big business squeeze out small business and prevent them from existing. Historically it was big business which funded and high jacked Communism in the past. We need to remember that. Stephen Harper is on the wrong road. He is not a Conservative.

Mayday Madness

A lot of madness going on this May Day across the globe. I would like to clarify that although I have a special place in my heart for Quebec, I am concerned about the nature and scope of the University Tuition protests in Montreal. Everyone would rather spend tax dollars on schools and hospitals instead of on investment fraud, wars and prisons. Yet tuition in Montreal is the lowest in the country. Planning protests at night can’t be blamed on government infiltrators who cause violence to discredit the cause. A political protest shouldn’t look like a Vancouver Cannucks riot. We in Vancouver are ashamed of and furious with the senseless looters in the Stanley cup riot. Likewise, I understand the majority of Quebecers support Charest in the tuition dispute.

Again, I do think the concerns about tuition have merit and should be discussed. I just don’t support the use of vandalism to jump that cause before other important causes in the queue. I don’t see Australia as a Communist country. Yet their university education is paid for. Other countries in Europe, the same thing. I don’t think that is a goal within immediate reach for Canada but I think it is important to acknowledge and is a worthy goal to aspire to. Education is good.

The Greek protests are especially concerning. The Greek financial crisis was the result of investment fraud. What was once public money became private money and then disappeared. We are seeing the same thing happen here with BC Hydro. We are told Madoffs in Greece were springing up like popcorn without a lid. Goldman Sachs was involved in that fraud. That makes former executives from Goldman Sachs serving in the US government very concerning.

The Occupy movement returns. The Occupy movement has many valid concerns. Yet we need to support the democratic process. The Canadian bank bailout has finally made the news. Harpers spin doctors are still denying it happened. That kind of nonsense is very disturbing.

The Harper government was found in contempt for hiding details of the budget from parliament. They wanted to and in fact did, pass a budget without revealing the costs. That was unprecedented. Every step of the way more expenses are appearing and the Harper government is denying and rationalizing every single huge addition to their wish list. The costs of the fighter jet fleet is but one example. The more we dig the more we find out it costs. One military official said they were the wrong type of jets to defend the Canadian arctic. That’s because they aren’t for defending Canada. They are for invasive corporate oil wars.

Now when the bank bailout news breaks, they deny it and say it is a conspiracy theory to fuel leftists in the occupy movement. Well I’m sorry Mr. Harper but real conservatives are concerned about pork barrel politics and fiscal dishonesty. That was the era of Brian Mulroney that we broke off from. That is the era Mr. Harper merged with to get elected.

We wanted an Albertan in Ottawa. Unfortunately, Mr. Harper doesn’t share Albertan values. Alberta is a prosperous province. They don’t have sales tax. That stimulates business. Harper does the opposite by introducing the HST which taxes things that were previously tax exempt. That was unAlbertan.

Since Alberta is prospering, they now pay the premiums for their residents’ medical insurance. That is a wonderful idea. That isn’t socialism. It’s building a better society that we can be proud of. I am really concerned with Stephen Harpers obsession with propaganda and his defiant abandonment of Reform principles of polling the electorate. The robocall scandal is yet another example of this bizarre obsession.

In steps Conrad Black. Why not pour gasoline of the fire of insanity. Conrad Black was recommended to the Order of Canada by none other than Brian Mulroney. That shyster stole $30 million from Canadian taxpayers by committing perjury. He was tied to Iran contra through Trans World Arms and a host of other scandals. That kind of insanity is madness indeed. It’s maddening, but it is also infuriating. Taxation without representation and warrantless surveillance is what wars are fought over.

And then there was Seattle. A friend at work today asked me if I was in Seattle last night. I smiled and said why was their agro. He said they were rioting. It looked as ridiculous as the Stanley Cup riot. I shook my head and said no, I don’t support that. I believe in free speech and lawful assembly but looting and vandalism is not only senseless, it’s counter productive. It destroys the original cause completely.

Likewise, I understand there were some local skirmished in Vancouver last night. Lighting a fire in the middle of Commercial drive was stupid. The drive is a hub for nice restaurants and cafes as well as being artsy. It’s where the Italians go to celebrate or mourn Italy’s standing in the World Cup. No doubt the extreme right would be more than willing to pay provocateurs to cause trouble.

Nevertheless, I do think some trouble makers are there on their own accord. General Strike. People have been calling for a general strike since the Woodwards squat just because. There are a lot of valid concerns and some really important issues on the table. This is too important to let it slip away by a few idiots who want to cause trouble just because they enjoy the mob mentality.

In contrast, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello lead the Occupy march in New York on May Day supporting his guitar army. Now that is inspiring.

Je t'aime Quebec

This letter from a former MP about Quebec is offensive. Quebec is a wonderful province with a vibrant culture and history. Their history is a part of our history. This kind of divisive propaganda comes right after Quebec made a huge step forward in embracing federalism by supporting Jack Layton. I think the hateful former MP is just upset with their freedom of association. Salut Quebec. Je me souviens!

Canadian Banks received $114 billion taxpayers bailout

Speaking of Government fraud, turns out the Canadian Bank Bailout that Harper said we didn't do was $114 billion not $65 billion. This is why they raised the agre of retirement. Meanwhile Harper's spin doctors are still denying it ever happened. I'm sure there's a job for Conrad in there somewhere. Perhaps the new HST commercials will also proclaim Conrad Black's innocence. The Financial Post on the secret bailout.

CONrad Black: Stop the Greed

Speaking of fraudsters and criminal diseases, CONrad black is finally getting released from prison. Harper is welcoming him in to Canada despite the fact that he gave up his citizenship and has a criminal record. Why not? After his right wing takeovers of all the media outlets, perhaps Harper will put him in charge of his own Fox News North. Better yet, since Stephen Harper likes to surround himself with fraudsters with criminal records perhaps he'll give CONrad Black Bruce Carsons old position as senior advisor. After all, Harper pulled a few strings for the RCMP to over look Bruce Carson's criminal record for fraud, why not Conrad?

W5 did an interview and shocking episode on Conrad Black the other night. The only thing truthful in that interview was Conrad black’s arrogance. The news isn’t supposed to be spin. It is a shocking reminder of how tainted the news really was when Conrad Black was busy buying up all the media outlets in a monopoly of censorship.

At one time Conrad Black even owned the Vancouver Sun and the Vancouver Province. The one common occurrence when he acquired news outlets is how biased the reporting became in those various outlets. Layoffs and downsizing were common place in acquisitions and mergers. Many claimed that if you ever wrote an pro labor editorial, You were first in line for a lay off.

No doubt certain newspapers have certain biases. It’s called supply and demand. They want to appeal to a certain type of reader so they print editorials geared to that political way of thought. It’s also a great way for a complete wacko to practice censorship in a modern world that guarantees free speech.

Conrad Black coming back to Canada? God help us. That is the last thing we need. That’s like promoting the book cooker from Enron to the book cooker of the Pentagon. All the fraud and embezzlement aside, that is one guy that needs to trim his Groucho Marcs eyebrows. Meryl Normans may well me an extreme but that is just plain nasty.

He was forced out of the global media empire he'd built out of his Toronto offices in 2003 after shareholders accused him of engaging in a $500-million "corporate kleptocracy." U.S. prosecutors charged Black and his associates with skimming some $60 mil-lion from his global newspaper empire between 1999 and 2001.

They were ultimately convicted of stealing $6.1 million by awarding them-selves tax-free bonuses from news-paper sell-offs without the approval of the board of the Hollinger holding company. He served 29 months of a 78-month sentence when the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out the "honest-services" law that had formed the basis of his 2007 conviction, and was released in 2010 while his case was re-examined by the courts.

Conrad Black was convicted of Fraud. After multiple appeals the US Supreme court tossed out the "honest-services" law that had formed the basis of some of his 2007 convictions but not all. The Supreme court tossed out the law. Can you believe it? Black has always said he did nothing wrong. He was the CEO. He was of the opinion everything the company owned, was his. He stole from the company. It wasn't OK just because he was the CEO. He wasn't the owner, Shareholders owned the company. This guy is a fraud and he should not be allowed back into Canada. Harper welcoming him back in is a disgrace. Let's make Harper legally liable for the next taxpayer bailout Conrad Black incurs.

Zion

I would like to clarify that my concerns about Mossad teaming up with the CIA in drug smuggling, money laundering and using investment fraud to raise money for operations, has absolutely nothing to do with them being Zionists. When I was conducting an interview for my story on Earl Brian, the subject referred to one of the people involved and said he was a Zionist tied to the Mossad. The term Zionist has very different meanings for different people. When I first heard the reference I thought to myself, so? I’m a Zionist. Aren’t we all? Don’t we all aspire to build a better society?

I was somewhat shocked to hear some people describe Zionists with a passionate hate. Why on earth would you hate on someone for wanting to build a better society? The misconception arises when people call Zionism when Jewish settlers evict Palestinians from their homes and build Jewish homes on that same spot. That has absolutely nothing to do with Zionism.

Zion is a Biblical term. It’s a quest to build a better society. The city of Enoch was a successful attempt to create the perfect society on earth. The Caribbean brothers and sisters are well familiar with the term. Bob Marley was a Zionist for heavens sake. He counseled us to get up, stand up and fight for your right. The way of the rebel. Wyclef from the Fugees even referred to the lion from Zion just like Bob Matley did. Bob Marley's clothing line is Zion Rootswear.



I totally support the Jews right to a homeland. Everyone deserves a home. Including the Palestinians. The holocaust was a horrific tragedy. As I’ve said before, my grandfather received burns on his back from Mustard gas in the trenches of WWI. Opposing genocide is the right thing to do. Killing Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Gays or Atheists, is wrong.

The Palestinian conflict is a heart wrenching mess. Gaza randomly firing rockets into Israel, after Israel pulled out of Gaza giving them more autonomy, was absurd. Then Israel using white phosphorus on Gaza in response was extreme. I remember hearing some Canadian trade Unions getting all freaked out calling upon Israel to tear down the wall they built to defend themselves against rocket attacks. I thought to myself how ridiculous that was. If someone was firing rockets at me, I’d build a wall to defend myself too.

The forced evictions are a very sensitive concern. I can’t help but think of the Old Testament verse that says Vex not the stranger that sojourneth with thee. The whole concept of loving your neighbor and treating others the way you want to be treated seems to be sadly forsaken by both sides. Yet there is Neve Shalom / Wahat al Salam – the Oasis of Peace. Where Jews and Palestinians live in the same community based on principles of religious freedom. Imagine that.

Nevertheless, Mossad teaming up with the CIA to smuggle drugs and commit investment fraud to fund raise for operations concerns me greatly. Surely, if a Canadian went to Israel and stole money from Israel through investment fraud, that would concern them too. The problem arises when a secret service has no public accountability. Intelligence agencies need to obey the law and protect human rights. Stealing is wrong. No black op will change that. Keeping an unlawful state secret is unlawful.

Friend of Larry Amero and Jonathon Bacon loses access to his son

The Vancouver Province ran a front page article about a friend of Larry Amero and Jonathon Bacon who lost access to his son because of his criminal associations. Hearing a father or mother has lost access to his son is never good news. Had the father ever hit the child? I don’t know. Would the child be in danger if with the father in public? Perhaps.

The court documents claims the father was a friend of Larry Amero and a crystal meth dealer. Not a surprising combination to say the least. Court documents also claim he was a meth cook which is also very dangerous. I realize there is a lot of mudslinging in custody disputes. Yet if he was a meth cook and dealer and if he was associated with Larry Amero and Jonathon Bacon, those would be valid concerns. Assaulting the child’s mother would be another valid concern if true as would the claim of assaults in the child’s presence.

I guess my first unrelated question is why are we allowed to hear this information yet we’re not allowed to hear the Viki Leaks information about Vic Toews a “Christian” politician who had an affair on his wife and fathered a child with another younger woman. I submit that both are relevant.

The Jonathon Bacon shooting in Kelowna was big news and we haven’t heard a lot more since. We’ve heard that the Hells Angels have been exterminating the Durry Dak Pak but it is highly unlikely they were responsible for the Kelowna hit. They are simply guilty of selling drugs in the Hells Angels area. Unlike the Independent soldiers and the Red scorpions, the Hells Angels aren’t going to take over the Durry Dak Pack, they are going to wipe them off the face of the earth.

I think there are a couple of points worth remembering. This wasn’t some chance meeting between Larry Amero and Jonathon Bacon in Kelowna. They were making a huge scene on that stupid boat Steroids and Silicone. They went very public with their association. We knew this was not a new friendship. We just couldn’t prove it before because it was on the QT. All we could prove is that Larry’s friends were friends with friends of the Bacon brothers.

The key thing to remember here is how despised the Bacon brothers are. They have been implicated in the Surrey Six murder where two innocent bystanders were executed. That created a huge public outcry. The Bacon brothers took over the leadership of the Red scorpions who used to be affiliated with the UN and had beef with the Haney Hells angels. It was no coincidence that a relative of Spike, a senior Haney Hells Angel, was also with them in Kelowna. Larry sent his ex, Sarah Treble, who he shared a car lease with, along with the UN guys that shot at the Bacon brothers outside Tbarz. It was a political move of showing support without being there in person.

At that time the Hells Angels were playing the UN. Supporting them on one hand and supporting their enemies on the other, at the same time. Some people asked if I thought the Hells angels put the hit on Larry because they were upset with him associating with Jonathon Bacon. No I do not.

First of all, the Hells Angels would not have hired a hit when one of their own nieces was present. I still say her becoming paralyzed was an absolute tragedy. It was tragic that it happened and it was tragic her uncle and cousin put her in that high risk situation.

Second, Larry doesn’t do business for the club without approval of the club. The Surrey Six murder had an objective. They wanted to take over the leadership of the Red Scorpions which they did. Only under the despised Bacon brother leadership they’ve turned it into the Red Lobsters with that cheap karate school logo.

I think the UN hired a very professional hit on Jonathon Bacon. I think the UN finally started to do the math in prison. A couple of UN guys had some serious beatings in prison before that. The Bacon brothers most certainly don’t control the prisons but the Hells Angels do. That must have made a light go on for them. Hearing that Larry Amero was bragging about his association with Jonathon Bacon must have made another light go on for them.

So where’s Waldo now? Witnesses claim they saw Larry and Jonathon together last summer at Nabil’s wedding in Ontario. Some claim Larry went back to Ontario with the Nabil brothers. I personally have no idea.

However, another connection that everyone seems to be missing is that guy Jeremy Bettan who was shot dead in Walnut Grove. He wasn’t from Montreal, he was from Walnut Grove. He was a friend of Larry Amero. He’d been to Montreal on business for Larry but he was from here and was a friend of Larry. Him getting shot dead was significant.

Earl W. Brian and the CIA

We’ve already talked about the October Surprise and how it isn’t very surprising or earth shattering. This time I want to get into the investment fraud that funded it and how it was tied to Canadian Companies as well as two foreign intelligence agencies.

Earl W. Brian served in the California Cabinet of Governor Reagan. He was also a CIA agent that embezzled $50 million from Nesbitt Thompson’s clients and went to jail for fraud. He was released from prison in 2002.

The four shell companies Earl Brian used to embezzle the money were: Clinical Sciences Inc., Hadron Inc., Biotech Capital Inc., and American Cytology Services Inc. These were pump and dump stocks that he convinced Nesbitt Thomson to recommend to their clients. Nesbitt Thomson was a Canadian brokerage firm.

Guardian Capital was another company in Toronto tied to the scam because it was illegal to trade some of these companies in Canada, namely Biotech Capital. They had to set up magic shell accounts for the marks to use to invest in the pump and dump stocks used in the scam. One source claims Guardian Capital was tied to Gurston Ira Rosenfeld whom was tied to the Mossad and Janos Pasztor who was tied to the CIA.

Nesbitt Thompson was a very well established and reputable brokerage firm. When Dean Nesbitt died from a skiing accident in 1978, the company was taken over by Jon Brian Aune and Brian Jasson Steck. Our source claims Aune was a bit of a playboy which was very different from the years of stable tradition the company had know prior to that time. Steck was a Zionist tied to the Mossad. You laugh but remember this was the same time period as Trans World Arms another Montreal firm that was tied to arms dealing in Nicaragua durring Iran Contra. That was a separate deal involving Emmanuel Von Weigensburg also known as Manny.

After he had embezzled $50 million from Nesbitt Thompson clients, Earl Brian took $40 million with him to Paris where he was alleged to have met George Bush Sr. and William Casey from the CIA so they could bribe the Iranians to keep the American hostages another 90 days to discredit Jimmy Carter and help Ronald Reagan win the election against him. As I’ve said before, this allegation known as the October Surprise is not surprising or earth shattering.

What I find interesting is how they used investment fraud and Canadian companies to raise the money for the operation. That’s $50 million embezzled from Nesbitt Thompson less a $10 million finders and keep your mouth shut in prison fee for Earl. I guess I am surprised to hear of Israeli and American intelligence agencies operating in Canada. I’m even more surprised to hear of them using investment fraud and Canadian companies to fund raise for black ops. Al Martin has explained how investment fraud was a tool they used to raise money for Iran contra. I guess it’s hard to believe until you actually see it in action. Not surprisingly, I am told that Earl Brian was also involved in some penny stock scams on the VSE before it was closed down for fraud.

The key thing with Earl Brian and the CIA is the web of Canadian shell companies they used to embezzle the money which was not only tied to the CIA but also to Mossad. Brian was charged but they weren’t. If that many Canadian shell companies were ATMs for the CIA and for the Mossad back then, what are they using now and how does that affect our current banking system which just received a $65 billion bailout that taxpayers are now having to make up.

Harper removes all CSIS accountability

The Vancouver Province is reporting that The Harper government did away with an office mandated to oversee the activities of Canada's spies Thursday, a move critics say opens the door to abuses of power by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The Office of the Inspector-General of CSIS played a key role in ensuring Canada's spies don't break the law, according to Jez Littlewood, head of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies.

Let’s connect the dots and take a look at the pattern that keeps repeating itself. Remember Harper’s pal Arthur Porter? He was the chair of that committee that was “supposed” to be a CSIS watchdog. He resigned after his questionable ties to an Israeli arms dealer was made public.

That was last November. Now, after the anti corruption committee was shown to be corrupt, they are doing away with that office entirely so CSIS will have absolutely no accountability whatsoever. This is really wrong. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see how wrong it is.

Ben-Menashe, the “lobbyist” that the former chair of this committee was tied to, wrote a memoirs called Profits of War, filled with accounts of international espionage and conspiracies he says he either participated in or was privy to. These spy agencies need more accountability now more than ever, not less. Stephen Harper is doing some very serious things to destroy our liberty. He is not a Conservative. He is a neo con.

Ben-Menashe also testified in 1991 that he had personally witnessed George H. W. Bush attend a meeting with members of the Iranian government in Paris in October 1980, as part of a covert Republican Party operation — the so-called October Surprise — to have the 52 U.S hostages then held in Iran remain there until President Jimmy Carter, who was negotiating their release, had lost the 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan. Imagine that. I’m working on the Canadian connection to that incident as we speak.

More BC Mayors on Pot

More BC Mayors have joined with the present and former Vancouver Mayors to call for the legalization and taxation of pot. Clearly about 50% of the population support the legalization of Marijuana. Even more than that support the decriminalization of pot. So we see Harper do the exact opposite and instead of implementing mandatory minimum sentences for violent crime or hard drugs like crack or meth, he implements mandatory minimums for growing pot which will break our overburdened courts and prisons leaving violent crime and prolific offenders not dealt with.

As I’ve said before I support decriminalization of pot. Pot is totally different that crack or meth and should be treated differently. I’m not comfortable with legalization. Smoking pot while you’re driving is irresponsible. Yet I am told in one Okanagan town it is common. There are way too many people out there that smoke way too much pot. I’m not going to keep repeating myself on the issue but I will point out that the more Mayors joining together calling for the legalization of pot, the more extreme Harper goes in the opposite direction. I do agree decriminalization is the answer.

Another BC Gangster gunned down in Mexico

Hang down your head Tom Dooley. Kim Bolan is reporting that Long-time B.C. gangster Tom Gisby has been gunned down in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. He was shot in the head as he was buying coffee at a Starbucks in the Mexican resort town Friday night. Gisby's motor home was targeted in an attempted bombing near Whistler in January so he went to Mexico for an extended stay in late January.

The Fraser Valley-born drug trafficker and importer had been involved in the drug trade in B.C. for more than 20 years and had connections with major crime figures from the Hells Angels to the Dhak group. The late Gurmit Dhak, who was gunned down outside Metrotown mall in October 2010, was very close to Gisby. I guess that would put him on the Red and White hit list.

Is anyone still claiming the Hells Angels aren't involved in the Vancouver gang war?

Iron Order mc New Brunswick

One blog reader forwarded a link to a new club in New Brunswick that the patron saints, Bacchus, don't seem to be too happy about. The aging rebel wrote about them in the States. Looks like they’re setting up shop here in BC too. It’s hard to think they’re not kissing 81 ass if they’re setting up in Victoria. The Hells Angels have a chapter in Nanaimo and there’s a huge drug trade in Victoria.

Take a Hike program spotlighted

The Metro Vancouver News wrote an article about the Take a Hike program expanding into other BC communities. This is a good program. Getting at risk youth out of the city helps them put things into perspective.

Dramatic Jewelry Heist in Victoria

There was a dramatic daytime robbery at a jewelry store in downtown Victoria today. Thanks to observant citizens and one quick thinker who got a video clip of the suspect escaping on his cell phone, the suspects were quickly apprehended. Interesting to note that the VPD has increased their presence in the downtown core where drug related crime is adversely affecting businesses in the area. It reinstills the fact that the drug trade drains business it does not feed business. Stopping the public sale of crack helps reduce crime and increase business revenue.

The VPD incentive included getting drug dealers and prolific offenders red zoned which means they would be banned from the downtown core by way of court order. If you have been convicted of selling drugs downtown or stealing from people or businesses, then getting them banned as a term of probation is wise and within reach. Committing crime is not a charter right.

Harper reopens abortion debate

One of Harper’s MPs has introduced a private members bill reopening the abortion debate . I am not a fan of abortion on demand as a form of birth control nor am I a fan of late term abortion. When the health of the mother is at risk abortion is automatic. In cases of incest and rape, it is a personal and private decision.

What I do find ironic is that the debate has returned when Harper promised it wouldn’t. That seems to be a consistent problem for Harper’s credibility. As they said on the news, Harper could easily have told his MP not to introduce the bill. He certainly hasn’t had a problem with forcing MPs to tow the party line before.

The concern I have is when a politician pimps the church for their own personal gain. Jeb Bush made a huge scene in Florida denying a woman from having an abortion who was raped. I find that both extreme and hypocritical. Why is it that the most dishonest businessmen that are consistently involved with investment fraud champion some other religious cause to distract the world from their own misdeeds?

I shun extremism. Shooting abortion doctors is extreme. So is the hateful rage against anyone who dares ask moral questions about abortion. Our laws are framed on morals. The law says it is illegal to commit murder and shoot your ex. That law is based on a moral judgment. Some extremists get rageful when you express the truthful concern that abortion stops a beating heart. That rage completely disregards the rights of a father who might want a child the mother doesn’t. My father was adopted. I’m glad his biological mother did not have an abortion.

Abortion is a private and passionate topic. Yet the discussion cannot exist without a reference to morals because that is what our laws are framed on. The conclusion that it is wrong to steal is a moral judgment. I knew a woman in Ireland who deeply regretted her abortion. She told me in confidence that she kept having nightmares of hacked up pieces of baby screaming. I thought to myself that’s sure not something you hear at an abortion clinic. Parenthood is no easy task. Neither is child birth. Yet every decision has a consequence. Calmly and rationally discussing all options and all consequences is imperative in any serious life changing decision.

Michael Lawrence testifies at Hells Angel murder trial

Michael Lawrence testified at Leslie Douglas Greenwood murder trial. Lawrence pleaded guilty last January to three counts of first-degree murder in the September 2000 deaths of Charles Maddison, 55, Barry Kirk Mersereau, 48, and Mersereau’s wife, Nancy Paula Christensen, 47.

Because of his guilty pleas and the fact that others have been charged with the Mersereau and Christensen deaths, details of the killings have never been made public. That is until Lawrence’s testimony Wednesday during the trial of Leslie Douglas Greenwood, 41, also charged with the first-degree murders of Mersereau and Christensen. Lawrence is the key witness for the Crown, which is arguing that the murders were Hells Angels-ordered, execution-style killings.

Michael Riconosciuto and Hurricane Carter

Hurricane Carter was a boxer who was racially profiled and wrongfully imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit. They made a movie about his story and Bob Dylan sang a song about him.

Conversely, Michael Riconosciuto is a CIA whistleblower who was wrongfully imprisoned after testifying at a Congressional Hearing. Within a week of Riconosciuto's testimony he was arrested by Federal Agents. Even while under arrest, he was subpoenaed to testify before a U.S. Federal Grand Jury seated to hear the INSLAW case. On Thursday, November 12, 1991 Riconosciuto made a declaration to the court. After the declaration was filed his wife, Bobbie, was arrested in Napa on the eve of his testifying at Federal Grand Jury.

The thing is, everybody knows the CIA has a long standing tradition of arms dealing, drug smuggling and money laundering. Everybody knows about Mena Arkansas. Everybody knows the PROMIS software the CIA sold Canada had a Trojan horse in it. In the INSLAW case Mike testified in, a Federal Bankruptcy Court ruled that the Justice Department was deceitful and stole the $6 million software package. In 1996, Earl W. Brian was convicted on ten counts of fraud and sentenced to four years in prison. He was released in 2002. The problem is, nobody cares. There’s no reason to keep Michael Riconosciuto in prison any more.

The RCMP investigated Michael Riconosciuto and the INSLAW case. They know he was wrongly imprisoned. The frustrated investigating officers said no one outside of law enforcement will ever know what happened because they aren’t allowed to say what they found. Here’s the problem: Keeping an unlawful state secret is unlawful. It makes one an accessory to the crime.

Free Mike!

Appeal court rules Harkat deserves a new hearing

The Federal Court of Appeal says Mohamed Harkat deserves a new hearing to determine if he's a threat to national security. This is the guy that Canada imprisoned based on information from the CIA which turned out to be false. So instead of saying sorry we made a mistake and open themselves up for a law suit, they've found a technicality to drag it on and give him another chance at a hearing. How about let him go now that you know he was wrongfully imprisoned on false information.

The court said it was unfair that the Ottawa man was not allowed to see top-secret summaries of phone conversations recorded by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service between 1996 and 1998. Now all of a sudden CSIS claims the recordings are missing because they destroyed them. Bullshit. They knowingly imprisoned an innocent man. This is why we should not let them destroy the Constitution and the Charter of Rights. This is why they shouldn't have secret CIA "black-site" prisons that torture suspects without a fair trial.

The goal of the Justice for Mohamed Harkat web site is to abolish the use of security certificates in Canada which enables the federal government to detain and deport permanent residents and non-citizens without charge and to deny them access to the evidence related to their detention.

Harper wants to stay in Afghanistan

No wonder Stephen Harper wants to stay in Afghanistan. It's a big money maker now that the allies have returned Afghanistan to being the worlds largest suppliers of opium after the Taliban had it almost completely shut down in 2001. That created the panic and the shortage. Based on UNODC data, there has been more opium poppy cultivation in each of the past four growing seasons (2004–2007) than in any one year during Taliban rule. In the year 2000, several years after they captured Kabul, the Taliban banned opium production, slashing Afghan opium production from about 76% of word production in 2000 to 6% in 2001.



It is tragic Eight soldiers died of drug overdoses between 2010 and 2011. I guess that's what they call the casualties of doing business. Julie Couillard claimed that her boyfriend at the time, Maxime Bernier told her that the war in Afghanistan had nothing to do with promoting democracy. It was about control of the opium trade. Then again the Taliban did decide not to let UNICOL build that gas pipeline right before they were invaded. After the invasion that decision was reversed. No I don't see us leaving Afghanistan very soon. The Neo Cons are making too much money off of it.

Murder trial with alleged Hells Angels link begins

Leslie Greenwood is starting his trial for the murder of Barry Mersereau, and his wife, Nancy Christensen. Barry was the brother of Randy Mersereau who was a former Hells Angel. Jeff Lynds confessed to shooting Randy on behalf of the Hells Angels. Randy had left the group and started selling drugs on his own instead of for the Hells Angels.

It's strange how in this trial, the claim is that Jeff Lynds, a member of the Hells Angels at the time ordered Leslie Greenwood to murder Barry and Nancy, but Jeff was never charged. There have been all kinds of speculation about Jeff making a plea bargain. He ended up committing suicide in prison, so we are told. I just find it strange that the shooter is being charged while the one that ordered the hit is not. Idealistically, if the Hells Angels ordered a murder, that criminal organization should be tried for the murder as an organization.

It's also strange how Jeff Lynds' nephew is also being charged in Barry and Nancy's murder when Jeff wasn't. Charges against Greenwood were dropped in Randy's murder but are proceeding against him in Barry and Nancy's murder. Leslie's lawyer claimed that there have been no deals made between his client and the crown. We're still waiting on word who killed Rusty and Ellen.

Terry Reed and the CIA

We've talked about Gary Webb. The pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head twice. He was the one that claimed the CIA were responsible for the LA Crack epidemic in the /80's. He claimed it was all tied to Arms going to the Contras in Nicaragua and cocaine coming back as payment. After the character assassination he experienced when he published a series of articles in the San Jose Mercury News, he documented everything in his book, Dark Alliance.

We've also talked about how former LAPD officer Mike Rupert came forward supporting Webbs allegation. As did Nicaraguan DEA agnet Cele Castillo. We've talked about Bo Gritz, retired Navy Intelligence officer Al Martin's book as well as CIA Agent Barry Seals involvement with drug smuggling out of Mena Arkansas. We've even talked about former CIA operative Chip Tatum who claimed he opened up a box he was flying in to Mena marketed Medical supplies. He claimed he opened it up because he heard another piolt was once given a bomb to ship which exploded en route. Tatum claimed the box marked medical supplies he opened was full of cocaine.

All these different testimonies, silenced one by one, continue to paint a pretty clear and credible picture of what really went on in Mena when Bill Clinton was Governor. The next source we need to look at is former CIA agent Terry Reed. After Time magazine made a similar character assassination campaign against him like Gary Webb experience he documented everything just like Gary Webb did in a book called Compromised: Clinton, Bush, and the CIA.

Mena was all about arms dealing, drug smuggling and money laundering. It was also tied to BCCI. The reason why it is still relevant is because they were recently caught doing the same thing in Operation Fast and Furious. The reason it is still relevant is because BCCI was a bank that collapsed because of it. The reason it is still relevant is because Hillary Clinton is still in office. Witnesses claim she was directly involved in the program in Mena through the Rose law firm.

It's time to take a look at Terry Reed's claims in his book Compromised. The real concern isn't the recent secret service idiots who were caught trying to stiff a prostitute in Columbia. If you look at the picture of one of the suspects when he was watching Sarah Palin and the ridiculous comments he made on facebook about it, that guy is not dangerous. If he had half a brain he'd be dangerous. He's an idiot. He's just a mall cop with delusional fantasies about James Bond. The dangerous secret service agents are the ones that will violate the oath of office to defend the constitution and use lethal force to protect unlawful state secrets. Those agents are dangerous.

It is also worth studying Nugan Hand, the Australian "investment bank" that collapsed in a spectacular fashion in 1980. When banks collapse because of the CIAs arms dealing, drug smuggling and money laundering, that affects the public interest.

However, even before Mena, Arkansas was The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity In The Global Drug Trade written by Alfred W. McCoy as part of his PHD thesis at Yale. The CIA traficking drugs in not a conspericy theory. It is a longstanding tradition.

Abbotsford police issue public safety warning

Abbotsford police have issued a public safely warning about an alleged gang member who they believe is at risk. Chad Weber is an alleged associate of the UN Gang and was sentenced to a 60-day jail sentence in 2011 on a drug charge. Now police have reason to believe a hit has been put on him which would put others at risk.

Just like the police warned the public about a hit on the Bacon brothers. That certainly materialized when Jonathon Bacon was gunned down with Larry Amero in Kelowna. The police have also issued a similar warning about members of the Dhak-Duhre group who were in conflict with the Hells Angels. Many of them have been publically executed since that warning. Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out who's responsible. Now, a member of the UN is being targeted. Well we know he's not being targeted by the Dhak-Duhre group.

Maple Ridge man charged after violent crime spree in East Vancouver

A career criminal from Maple ridge has been arrested after a crime spree in East Vancouver. Kevin Vern Beaulieu, 40, is charged with robbery, two counts of motor vehicle theft, possession of a dangerous weapon and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Vancouver police said the suspect first stole a truck and collided with another vehicle - injuring the driver. He then dumped the vehicle and ran up to an 80-year-old woman sitting in her car and allegedly cut her in the neck.

Kenneth Lavallee's appeal gets longer sentence

A New Westminster man who was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping, robbing and beating a man who sold drugs for him has had his sentence increased from five to eight years on appeal.

Kenneth Lavallee, 41, pleaded guilty to the May 2009 abduction of Robert Chartwell, who sold and delivered drugs for him. The appeal court increased the sentence after concluding that the sentencing judge did not properly account for the likelihood that Kenneth M. Lavallee would violently reoffend.

Lavallee, 41, who had a 20-year criminal record, was sentenced last year in provincial court to five years in prison for kidnapping and robbery, and received concurrent sentences for dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle while prohibited and possession of cocaine.

After the sentencing judge gave Lavallee 51 months credit for pre-trial custody, his actual sentence was only nine months. The Crown appealed.

The Meerholz brothers in Prince George

Meerholz brothers have turned themselves in to answer in kidnapping and assault charges in Prince George. Frankie Meerholz has been awaiting deportation and has ties to the Game Tight Soliders who as we know answer to the Hells Angels. In a press release, police say the offences are drug-related and targeted.

The Baseball Team and the Alberta Warriors

There has been a guilty plea in the Brian Mcfarlane murder. Court documents claim that both parties were members of rival gangs and that those responsible for his murder were members of the Alberta Warriors.

The court document claims Brian Mcfarlane was a member of a rival gang and that is why he was targeted. It doesn’t name his gang but we know that members of the Baseball Team were charged in Grand Prairie’s largest cocaine bust not long after that murder.

At the time of that cocaine bust, sources told us that the Baseball Team were a puppet club for the Hells Angels and that they saw Hells Angels gear in the GP Baseball Team’s clubhouse. Other sources told us that Brian Mcfarlane was an enforced for the Baseball Team and was responsible for similar swarming and beatings that did him in. Although I totally oppose swarming, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that steroids don’t make you bullet proof. Just ask Larry Amero.

30th Anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights

The 30th anniversary of the charter of rights has come and gone. The Harper government has not said a word about it but I most certainly will. It’s sad to see a political party refuse to acknowledge any success of their political “opponents.”

I attended a regional conference of a trade union once. Someone from another “political party” spoke on an issue and I spoke after them. I cited the person and said they said three things that I agreed with, this this and this. Yet they also said three things I disagreed with and proceeded to explain why I disagreed with those other three points.

After I spoke a senior member of my “political party” leaned over and chastised me. They said you never acknowledge any success of your enemy. You always try to make them look bad. I thought that was so petty. No two people agree on every issue yet no too people disagree on every issue either. Building on common ground and admitting there are things that we do agree about is a good thing.

I’m not a big fan of Paul Martin, but I am a big fan of the Charter of Rights. I think that is a wonderful document. Even as we speak, Harper and his warrantless internet surveillance and his support for off shore prison camps are trying to remove those sacred rights.

Some passionately criticize the Charter of Rights claiming it is incomplete because it doesn’t mention property rights. Perhaps, but it does mention many other important things that others are currently trying to take away from us. One blog reader claims that people don’t realize how much they lost with the introduction of the Charter of Rights as all those rights were already entrenched in British common law. I disagree. Yes many of those rights were already entrenched in British common law. But I don’t agree we lost any of those rights in the Charter.

That’s like saying the American Revolution was pointless because all the rights in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights was already to be found in British common law. Maybe so but they weren’t all being enforced. The Bill of Rights spells out protection for individual rights and freedoms which is a good thing.

Likewise the Canadian Charter of Rights is a very good thing. Like the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, it is a measuring stick that we should compare new invasive laws with like off shore prison camps and warrantless surveillance with. Three cheers for the Canadian Charter of Rights. Lest we forget, dark forces are trying to rob us of those inherent rights as we speak.

The Rise of Thomas Mulclair

I saw a commercial on TV last night about Thomas Mulclair picking up where Jack Layton left off. I have to admit it was a positive message and I highly doubt that it was paid for with tax dollars like the dishonest ads for the HST. I didn’t say a word about the NDP leadership race at the time because I really had nothing to say about it. I didn’t really know the candidates and I just wanted the democratic process to fulfill it’s course which it did.

I was happy to hear that Thomas Mulclair was from Quebec. My first thought during the leadership race was why wasn’t the interim leader that Jack Layton assigned running? Quebec needed a voice. They deserved a voice for their huge support during the last election. Jack Layton did more for Canadian National unity than any other politician before him. All the Bloc Quebecois “separatists” joined his vision for a united Canada. That is a good thing.

I was also happy to hear that Mulclair did not want to merge with the Liberals. No disrespect to the Liberals. I do think they have every right to exist and I don’t think they deserved to be wiped off the face of the map at the last election like Conservatives did after the Brian Mulroney disaster.

One of the political commentators on TV cited the fact that Thomas Mulclair doesn’t want to merge with the Liberals and suggested that he wanted to crush them. Yet I see no evidence of that. Everyone agrees the Harper government wants to crush them. That’s a given. That is their MO. The Robocall scandal is further evidence to that fact. Yet I really don’t think that’s the MO of Jack Layton or Thomas Mulclair.

Political analysists also claim that Thomas Mulclair wants to bring the party to the centre. That may well be the case but I really want us to rise above linear politics and these left and right stereotypes that have fed misconceptions for so long. We need to look at issues not serotypes. “The NDP will tax and spend.” Well the NeoCons and their pork barrel politics are quite capable of that. The only difference is that the NeoCons steal from the public and give it to their insider friends as well as the fat banks and corporations.

I really don’t think Jack Layton or the NDP would steal a soldier’s pension to give the banks a bailout that they didn’t need. I really don’t think the NDP would raise the age of retirement and reduce seniors benefits into poverty. I think they would find some other way. Like making sure the rich and the big corporations pay some tax instead of no tax.

I really don’t think Jack Layton or the NDP would wage war with the environment and obsess about removing any protections for the environment that we currently have. I think Jack Layton and the NDP represent responsibility and sustainability not dishonest, mean spirited removal of individual rights with warrantless surveillance and tax paid propaganda. I don’t support all the misguided stereotypes about the NDP but I do think Thomas Mulclair is a step forward in protecting individual rights that the Harper government is trampling on and I do think Thomas Mulclair has a vision of building the kind of Canada I want to live in. Je me souviens.