The War on Christmas

The war on Christmas rages on.  I know here in Swift Current things haven’t changed much and it’s probably the same in most smaller centres in Saskatchewan, however, in the larger cities (especially in the schools) the push is on.  Our children are being indoctrinated by the politically correct zealots.   I’m not talking about the teachers here, it’s the school boards who set the agenda.

Now don’t get me wrong, times change and I don’t think people should be stuck in the past, however, there is a big difference in keeping up with the times in comparison with completely eliminating our customs.  There is a slow and deliberate eradication of everything that Canadians hold dear, or have fun with, simply for the purpose of being politically correct to appease a few complainers, and I mean a few.  For the most part, immigrants are quite content with the status quo.  It’s the people who imagine all kinds of offences that are the problem.  I think it’s time to STOP!!!

On a lighter note, in a recent survey of the generosity of Canadians, Saskatchewan tied with PEI for second place.  Manitoba came in first but we are a close second.  Congratulations, Saskatchewan!

Well, I thought I should keep my rant short and reasonably sweet this week.  I hope everyone has a wonderful time over the holidays.  Don’t eat too much. (Or do, what the heck!!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Progress Comes from the Ground Up

Are you weary yet of all the talk of climate change?  I’m getting there.  But I do have to tell you something that really, really bugs me.   In case you don’t already know, David Suzuki is telling our children that the North Pole is melting and that Santa Claus has to find a new home.  He has set up a “Where Will Santa Live?” website.  However, if you give money to his foundation, he will save Santa.  Wow, what a saint!

And then there are the climate conferences.  For the last 17 years, thousands of people from all over the world gather together in exotic places at this time of year for climate conferences.  And each year the carbon footprint of these conferences is astronomical.  If they were genuinely concerned about carbon emissions, you would think they would find another way.  And also each year, when it’s over, there is the same feeling that not very much was accomplished.  Sure, they always report that they came away with something, (like maybe agree to continue talking) but in all reality nothing much changes.

This year, Canada is the bad guy for wanting to withdraw from Kyoto.  In doing so, it saves Canada from having to pay an estimated $7 billion in penalties, so I would say it was a good move.  It should be noted however, that although we are withdrawing from Kyoto, Canada is still making progress on lowering carbon emissions, especially in the oilsands, even though you never hear that from the media.

California is also doing its part.  It is leading the states in reducing its carbon emissions.  Mary D. Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, said this about the Durban conference, “Instead of waiting for them to negotiate some grand bargain, we have to keep working on the ground.  Progress is going to come from the bottom up, not the top down.” 

If more people thought like her, we would be much further ahead.

Stephen Harper - A True Statesman

In this crazy world we are living in today, I thank my lucky stars that we here in Canada have a prime minister who is actually thinking about the future for this country and one who doesn’t just “go with the flow” on the international stage.

South Africa’s high commissioner to Canada leaked a story to CBC News that Canada’s conservative government is planning to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol and that they are lobbying other countries to do the same.  We can only hope that this is the case.  Kyoto has never been a good deal for Canada, one of the reasons being that it does not include the world’s biggest carbon emitters—China and India.  The United States refused to sign on because of that fact.  Canada’s Environment Minister, Peter Kent, said that they are working on a new deal that “includes all of the major emitting countries, whether they be developed or developing.”  They are working on a deal that will not destroy our economy like Kyoto definitely would.

The opposition parties are, of course, terribly upset.  They are saying things like “It’s shameful” (Elizabeth May) and that it “makes Canada look like an international outlaw” (Bob Rae) and “the Conservatives are making Canada a laughing stock” (Megan Leslie, NDP’s environment critic).

And then on the other hand, a well known and well respected British journalist, Melanie Phillips, said the following:

“Stephen Harper is a gold standard politician.  In a world run by political pygmies, he stands out as a true statesman.  It may be more than the Canadians who give thanks that he is up there on the world stage in the terrifying months ahead.”

I’m with her.

The Environment Nuts Would Rather have Blood Oil

Why does every Tom, Dick, and Robert (as in Redford) pick on Alberta's oil sands?  Robert Redford is the latest celebrity to jump on the "bash the oil sands" bandwagon.  Is it because it is an easy target, being Canada?

The Keystone XL, a proposed pipeline to be built by TransCanada Corp., would carry oil from the Alberta oil sands to a Texas refinery in a reasonably safe manner.  However, President Obama has chickened out on giving the go-ahead for the pipeline.  Every indication pointed to it being approved and then suddenly the decision was put on hold until after the election in 2012, to appease the environmentalists.  It would be interesting to hear what big labour unions are saying about the delay/cancellation of this project because of the much needed jobs it would provide.

TransCanada then agreed to reroute the pipeline around Nebraska's Sandhills area and Ogallala aquifer, which, of course, makes sense because this area supplies water to Nebraska and seven other states.  In today's political climate, I don't understand why they wouldn't have done that in the first place.  Having said that though, if it wasn't this issue, it would certainly be something else.  This movement simply does not want this pipeline built.

I'm curious though, the people who are protesting this pipeline, do they ever ask themselves the question "What then?" "What if the piepline is never built?"  The U.S. still relies heavily on oil and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.  With the proposed pipeline they could greatly lessen their reliance on oil from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, etc. and having to have it shipped by sea in tankers, which can and certainly have leaked.  With a pipeline, if there is an accident, the flow can be stopped by turning off a valve to stop the flow, just like they do with the approximately 55,000 miles of oil pipelines already crisscrossing the country.  But it seems they would rather have "blood oil" from countries that treat their women like slaves, killing them if they disobey, and beheading anyone who is discovered to be gay.  It certainly doesn't make one lick of sense.

In addition, the U.S. burns coal for their electricity.  They have coal-fired power plants across the country which produce enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.  The mining of coal is another huge environmental hazard that destroys the land around it.  So why this constant picking on the oil sands?

Mr. Redford, you are much more likable in the movies.

We've Seen our Day of Poor

My husband and I were at a conference a couple of weeks ago and there was a young man at our table with whom we were conversing.  (Do you every hear anyone talk like that?  Conversing?).   Anyway, we introduced ourselves and told him that we have a small business in town.  The "occupy protestors" topic came up and he indicated he was sympathetic to their cause while my husband and I indicated we were not.  At one point he said "You guys have probably never seen a day of poor in your lives".  We were both stunned for a second and then we pounced on him to set him straight.  Luckily for him, the speaker for the conference started, otherwise he would have gotten an earful.
My husband is part of a large family (nine children) that grew up in a tiny community in Saskatchewan in an old house with no central heating.  Upstairs where they slept, during the night in the middle of winter, the inside of the house was just about as cold as the outside.  His mother hung the laundry outside to dry summer and winter.  I'm surprised she still has all her fingers.  I have known her for approximately 35 years and I have never heard her complain about any of it.
I grew up in Saskatoon with my three sisters and we did have central heating, however, not much else.  After my dad left (which turned out to be a good thing) my mother was on social assistance--which back then was nothing like it is today.  She struggled, but she managed to feed and clothe us.  Then when we were all in school, she got a job and worked hard to keep things going.  I never heard her complain either.
I am not complaining here either, just stating how it was.  My husband and I started with nothing, we got married young and had two children right away.  We worked hard to get ahead and made the necessary sacrifices to do so.  We certainly didn't expect any help from the government (other than a student loan) or from any else (well, maybe a little babysitting from my mom and sister wile I went back to school).  The point is, we did it on our own and it never occurred to us to complain about our lot in life.
I think the occupy crowd is under the impression that society owes them a living--not just any living though, they want it all and they want it right now.  And who is this society that owes them?  It's you and me and all the other working stiffs who do what we can to get by or, if we work hard enough, do more that just get by.
We've seen our day of poor.  The question is, have they?

What are Canadian Protestors Whining About?

Let me say at the outset that I have no problem with protestors.  It is our democratic right to protest if we disagree with something.  However, shouldn't there be a specific reason for the protest?  According to the crowd at Occupy Wall Street or Bay Street or Vancouver, Saskatoon, Regina, whatever, there doesn't seem to be anything specific about the protest other than "we hate capitalism" or "we want the rich people to share their wealth with us but we don't want to have to work for it" kind of thing.

The protestors in the US at leaset have some justification, with their economy in the tank and their government bailing out the banks only to have those same banks hand out big bonuses.  It would be extremely frustrating to see your tax dollars being wasted like that when there are so many people struggling.

Here in Canada, however, we have had no such bailout and our economy is fine in comparison with most of the world, so what are they complaining about?  It seems to be just an opportunity for whiners to whine some more, only this time on a national stage, which the CBC is only too willing to supply.  The public sector unions have joined in the protest as well.  To protest what???  They are already better paid and get much better pensions that their private sector equivalents, and still they whine.

And then there is the cost to the cities where these protests are taking place, the tab for which is being picked up by the taxpayers.  In Vancouver, the numbers were released last week stating that the city has already spent half a million dollars on things like police and city crews, and the mayor was saying they could stay as long as they like.  I'd like to ask the citizens and the poor merchants around the park if they want to be so accommodating.

I think it's time for the protestors in Canada to climb out of their grimy little tents, stop whining, and start living in the real world.

Privatize the CBC

Did you know that the Canadian taxpayers pay $1.1 BILLION a year to CBC?  Not million.  Billion.  A year.
And last week George Stroumboulopoulos hosted a star-studded party for his Hollywood "friends" at the Toronto Film Festival in the most exclusive hotel in Toronto and we paid for it.  A couple of people at Sun TV tried to find out how much this party cost the taxpayers but CBC has refused to divulge that information or any other requested financial information and so far nobody is forcing them to.  So they get to spend our money however they please, including on lavish entertainment--they did the same party in the same place last year--and they don't have to account to anyone for it.
You would think a "conservative" government would try to scale back on CBC's funding, but noooo.  They have actually increased CBC's funding each year that they have been in power.  It's like an unpopular kid trying to buy his way into the "in" crowd.  "Please like us.  We will give you more money if you do".  It really is rather pathetic.
CBC should be privatized.  The rest of the TV channels in Canada are privately run.  Why do we need a publicly funded one?
Other than hockey does anyone even watch it?

Winston Churchill Said it Best

Given the current conditions around the world today, I count myself very lucky to have been born in Canada, in a democratic country with the many freedoms we enjoy, including the freedom of thought and expressions.

When we are young, especially growing up in an affluent country, our thinking tends to lean towards the left or liberal side.  We generally are very idealistic--social programs for everyone, no more wars, save the whales (or should I say polar bears), save the planet from evil capitalism, etc.

As we mature and especially after having children of our own, we become aware that many of our ideals might not be so practical--sometimes war is necessary, social programs are very expensive, environmental organizations (or so-called documentary makers) might mislead you somewhat or even outright lie (do I hear Al Gore or Michael Moore?  How about David Suzuki?)

And then we also realize, or should I say some of us realize, that a lot of things we took for granted when we were young, might not be sustainable forever--free healthcare (which is far from free), low tuition fees for secondary education, Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, and social assistance (which is definitely necessary for people in need, however, seems far too accessible for any lazy bum that asks for it).

I think Winston Churchill said it best, "Show me a young conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart.  Show me an old liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains."

Entitled to Entitlements

"I am entitled to my entitlements."  This was said originally by David Dingwall, former head of the Royal Canadian Mint, when he resigned his position in 2005.  But isn't that a phrase that says it all these days?

One of those "entitlements" that continues to come up is a national government subsidized daycare system.  Activists keep pushing for it.  They want everyone to pay for the lifestyle to which they believe they are entitled.  Wouldn't tax cuts for one income families make much more sense than paying for a national daycare system for which funding would be astronomical?  Besides putting private daycares out of work, it would put government bureaucrats in charge of raising our children.  What a scary thought!

By the way, Quebec has subsidized daycare.  However, that is one of the many social programs they provide but cannot afford.  It is paid for by the rest of Canada through transfer payments (which is something I could rant about for a while, but will save for another time).  Anyway, my point is that it is unsustainable.

So people who think the are "entitled" to subsidized daycare among many other social programs (including unlimited healthcare), they might want to think again.  Europe's culture of entitlement has led them down a path I don't think we want to follow.

Pierre Trudeau Gets a Failing Grade

I have come to the conclusion that everything that is wrong with Canada today is the fault of Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his government (well, maybe not everything, but darn close).  Here are some of my reasons:

1.  Changes to the criminal justice system.  In 1971, Canada's solicitor general, Hon. Jean-Pierre Goyer, said the following:  "For too long a time now, our punishment oriented society has cultivated the state of mind that demands that offenders, whatever the offence, be placed behind bars ...... Consequently, we have decided from now on to stress the rehabilitation of individuals rather than protection of society."  And they have done exactly that.  Protection of society seems to be of very little concern to today's so-called justice system.

2.  The Official Languages Act.  This one really bugs me.  With all the double printing on labels and having to listen to everything twice, be it on airlines, on the phone with any federal organization, speeches from the government (including debates), etc.  And while we are on the subject, if Quebec wants to separate, for crying out loud, LET THEM GO!!!!   If they knew we were serious about letting them go, I'm sure the whining would stop.

3.  Multiculturalism.  This is another bone of contention for me.  It is not working.  In fact, I think it has made things worse.  We have these large ethnic communities now that don't seem to want to be part of Canada.

4.  Liberalization of society.  Of  course, Trudeau is not totally to blame for this one as it is happening to all westernized countries; however, the decline of morality and the culture of entitlement has grown exponentially in the successive Liberal governments.  A prime example of this decline was demonstrated with the riots in Vancouver and then London.

5.  Then, of course, there was the National Energy Program or the "NEP" which practically destroyed the economy in Western Canada, especially Alberta.  It makes my blood boil when I think of the arrogance of that government to basically say F___ You to Western Canada.  It left a huge scar that is still visible today.

Well, that was my rant.  It feels good to get it off my chest.  What do you think?  Was Prime Minister Trudeau's leadership good for Canada?

Bilingualism Rearing its Ugly Head

Michel Thibodeau, a French Candian who is fluent in both official languages, has a hobby of suing Air Canada for not providing service in French.  He has recently been awarded $12,000 in damages  for ordering a 7up and receiving a Sprite instead because the flight attendant could not speak French on a flight that he and his wife were taking.  This is his second successful suit against them.

This also reinforces my feeling that too many judges are spineless and refuse to throw out such frivolous cases.  Justice Marie-Josee Bedard wrote in her judgment "The applicants' language rights are clearly very important to them and the violation of their rights caused them a moral prejudice, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of their vacation".  Really?  Loss of enjoyment of their vacation.  What a load of crap.  Is she really that removed from reality?

To quote someone I do admire, "As a religion, bilingualism is the god that failed.  It has led to no fairness, produced no unity, and cost Canadian taxpayers untold millions."  That was said by Stephen Harper when he was president of the Canadian Taxpayers Association.

Unfortunately, I think he is keeping thoughts like that to himself these days.

SlutWalk is Misguided

Have you ever heard of Slutwalk?  I hadn't until recently.  It's women getting together and walking in protest to victim blaming.  It started as a protest to Toronto Police Constable Michael Sanguinetti's comments that women should "avoid dressing like sluts" if they don't want to be attacked.  The walk is gaining momentum in Europe, Australia and North America.

I agree that Constable Sanguinetti was definitely out of line with that comment and I also agree that sometimes people blame the victim, perhaps even subconsciously, for putting themselves in harm's way.  However, I have also noticed that some women think they have the right to wear whatever they want, no matter how revealing, and they shouldn't be getting any unwanted attention.  Hello!!!  Let's be realistic here, girls.  If you put it out there, you are going to get attention, especially the unwanted kind.

Now I'm a modern woman and I believe in equality for all human beings.  However, I also believe  in human nature.  SlutWalk is telling our young girls that they "should" be able to be as free as they want.  I fear that message may give them a false sense of security and encourage them to be more daring. 

Unfortunately, just because something "should" be the way you want it to be, doesn't mean that it is.

Crackdown on Polygamy

If you have been following the story of Warren Jeffs and his polygamous organization/religion (a cult really) you will be pleased to hear that he has been convicted of child abuse and aggravated sexual abuse.  They are awaiting sentencing in Texas.

If you have not heard of him, he is a despicable human being who broke away from the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and started his own church when LDS banned the practice of polygamy.  Last report stated that he has 78 wives, 12 of whom were under age when he married them, the youngest being 12.

Here in Canada, in Bountiful, BC, we have our very own polygamous community that is connected to Mr. Jeffs' so-called church and it is run by Winston Blackmore.  At least five of the under aged brides of Mr. Jeffs' are from Bountiful.  Mr. Blackmore ripped these poor girls from their families and sent them down to Texas for Mr. Jeffs to marry or give to someone else to marry.  Mr. Jeffs would sometimes return the favour.  It sounds an awful lot like slavery to me.

Although I could never condone, of course, the actions of these two men, I can somewhat understand it because they are power hungry, nacissistic pedophiles.  What I don't understand, however, is the motives of all the people that are enlisted along the way (quite often family members of the girls) to ship them out like cattle to another country.  How do they justify it to themselves?

Texas is cracking down on this despicable practice.  Mr. Jeffs is the eighth person to be convicted so far since the 2008 raid on his compound.  It's time for British Columbia to get on board and start protecting the children from these monsters.