“Individual freedom is something Conservatives value…
What exactly are those conservative values?
I think we all instinctively recognize them when we see them, although it is sometimes difficult to define them. I like to summarize my idea of conservatism in three "Fs" --freedom, family and faith.” Stephen Harper [1]
Mr. Harper says he believes in “freedom,” yet his government sided with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and was an intervenor with others against free speech:
“The Attorney General of Canada, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and B'nai Brith Canada will be intervening in the Lemire case in support of Section 13, arguing that it is a reasonable restriction on freedom of speech” (Canadian Constitution Foundation Letter of April 28, 2008).
The words “reasonable restriction on freedom of speech” have become a weapon to punish decent, law-abiding Canadians for daring to have an opinion in a so-called “free society.”
Free speech is either free or it is not free. We already have laws on the books if people libel or defame others. I believe cowardly politicians have abdicated their responsibilities to unelected, appointed “Human Rights Commissions.”
Mr. Harper is on record as saying this:
“Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society,” says Stephen Harper, president of the National Citizens' Coalition. “It is in fact totalitarianism. I find this is very scary stuff.” [2]
Mr. Harper also says this: “Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms…” Yet, his government is an intervenor against free speech, and sides with the CHRC and powerful special interest groups, rather than defending freedom for the people of Canada. Meanwhile decent people across Canada are being dragged before these Stalinist commissions and have to pay their own costs while their accusers get a free ride. If this is “freedom” in Harper’s Canada then I believe it is a farce.
Mr. Harper says he believes in “family.” Yeah sure! His government recently gave $400,000 dollars to the Toronto Gay Pride parade where men and women have been known to march naked and make obscene gestures. The Gay and Lesbian newspaper Xtra of Toronto June 16, 2009 said this:
“In what is surely an effort to make Toronto's Pride festival as fabulous as possible Canada's federal government has announced a plan to dish over $400,000 to Pride Toronto.” [3]
Life site News of June 24, 2009 had this headline:
“Formerly Pro-Family Finance Minister Jim Flaherty Expresses Support for Homosexual Agenda.” The article stated,
“Maclean’s magazine reported on June 18 that Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, once supported by pro-family advocates, has expressed support for the homosexual agenda in a congratulatory letter to Conservative strategist Jaime Watt. Watt was awarded Egale’s inaugural Leadership award for homosexual rights at Egale’s gala last week….” [4]
But hey, Mr. Harper and his government believes in “family!” And yet, he and his government did not have the courage to defend the traditional family on the nonsense called, “same-sex marriage.” Oh sure, he and most of his government voted against it in a lukewarm motion in Parliament. The truth is so-called “same-sex marriage” was never in the Charter and is an invention of nonsensical words. Mr. Harper and his government could have used the not-withstanding clause. But, Mr. Harper is on record as saying the following regarding this nonsense called same-sex marriage, “I will never use the notwithstanding clause on that issue”[5] (Lifesite News December 16, 2005.)
And on the greatest moral issue of our time, the killing of the innocent child in the womb, Mr. Harper is on record as saying this:
“The Conservative government won't be initiating or supporting abortion legislation, and I'll use whatever influence I have in Parliament to be sure that such a matter doesn't come to a vote…” [6] Lifesite News, January 17, 2006
And we thought we lived in a democracy!
Still, Mr. Harper has “faith.” Unfortunately, based on the evidence, thinking people must surely have little faith in Mr. Harper or his government. Somebody once said, “By their actions you will know them.” Therefore, I ask the question, are Harper and his “conservative” government hypocrites?
Stephen J. Gray
June 26,2009.
Endnotes:
[1]
http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=1547376
[2] B.C. Report, magazine article by Terry O’Neill) http://www.axionet.com/bcreport/web/990111f.html
[3] http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Federal_government_announces_400000_for_Pride_Toronto-6944.aspx
[4] http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09062412.html
[5] http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/051216.html
[6 http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06011707.html
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The “Great” O-Scam-a
The “great” O-scam-a arrived in a blaze of glory
Change was his only story
Clever words with no real meaning
Had the media in adulation screaming
One person in the media compared O-scam-a to a God
But, the media is notorious for being a fraud
Propaganda merchants beyond compare
They produce an abundance of hot air
Many of the masses were also overcome
Change was a magic word for some
O-scam-a spoke and many were fooled
Now the people will be ruled
“An empty vessel makes the most sound”
And the crowds bayed praise out loud
O-scam-a, O-scam-a our lord and master
But, others thought this guy was a disaster
But hey, at least he will bring change
And the peoples' lives he will arrange
They will pay for this political trauma
Because they elected the “great” O-scam-a
Stephen J. Gray
June 22, 2009.
Change was his only story
Clever words with no real meaning
Had the media in adulation screaming
One person in the media compared O-scam-a to a God
But, the media is notorious for being a fraud
Propaganda merchants beyond compare
They produce an abundance of hot air
Many of the masses were also overcome
Change was a magic word for some
O-scam-a spoke and many were fooled
Now the people will be ruled
“An empty vessel makes the most sound”
And the crowds bayed praise out loud
O-scam-a, O-scam-a our lord and master
But, others thought this guy was a disaster
But hey, at least he will bring change
And the peoples' lives he will arrange
They will pay for this political trauma
Because they elected the “great” O-scam-a
Stephen J. Gray
June 22, 2009.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
An Imaginary Letter From a Very Worried Politician
Dear honorable members of all parties,
Thank goodness no election was called. But, I keep hearing there will be an election in the fall and that some of you intend to bring down the government. Have you all gone quite mad? What is the matter with you all? We are paid around $150,000 a year plus perks and expenses to do it to the people, oops, I mean do the people’s business, and some of you want to give all this up for a fall election?! For what? Just so some party can have a seat or two more or a seat or two less; and who knows, some of you might not even have a seat after the election.
We are all sitting pretty right now and having the summer off. Why would any of you risk losing the nice, cushy, comfortable jobs you have? Some of you are making more money than you ever dreamed of. You never had it so good, as one former politician once told the people. Now for the sake of making silly political points some of you want a fall election! Come on, climb down off your platforms, forget your visions rhetoric, file your plans away, and stop gibbering. It’s too early to go to the people. Some of us are still trying to get our pension time in and you selfish ones with seniority want an election. Where is the political solidarity?
Politics is a game—as you all know, or should know. The different party labels are just choices for the people; it gives them an alternative. We are nearly all the same under our political skins, but the game is the thing. The people get to place an X in the ballot box at election time and this allows them to participate in the game; however, this game is still being played and we do not want it stopped just yet. It would be a political tragedy of mammoth proportions if some of us got voted out of the game. Surely none of you want to be voted off this political island just yet, right?!
Think about it like this: You win some arguments you lose some arguments in the House, but it’s all good fun. We even get to be on television during question period, asking each other silly questions for the benefit of the people who care to watch us. And we can let off steam by banging our desks at each other when some of us make stupid comments. It’s all good political fun. Some of us have even appeared on comedy shows and put on a good performance. Are we all clowns at heart? The show must go on, and we the performers are still on stage. The people are the audience and they pay for our performances, and some of you want to give all this up for a fall election?
Think about it: We all would have to go on the campaign trail promising the people goodies with their own tax money. We would have to have silly debates with each other over party policy differences, when we all know there are very few differences, if any. Only political scrooges would want an election.
A fall election, if it happened, might also bring a vote near Christmas and this would surely destroy our Christmas party on the Hill. There would be no turkeys around, except for you political turkeys who want an election. So do you birds get the message? Please no fall election. All our needs are met right now. If we want to cross the floor we do it. If we want to re-cross the floor we could do it. This house is our political home, and just like any home it has its arguments and differences of opinion. So please don’t go to the people for approval. Some of us don’t want to be evicted just yet.
This letter is respectfully submitted by a worried honorable member, who likes serving the people and needs the job.
Stephen J. Gray
June 21, 2009
Thank goodness no election was called. But, I keep hearing there will be an election in the fall and that some of you intend to bring down the government. Have you all gone quite mad? What is the matter with you all? We are paid around $150,000 a year plus perks and expenses to do it to the people, oops, I mean do the people’s business, and some of you want to give all this up for a fall election?! For what? Just so some party can have a seat or two more or a seat or two less; and who knows, some of you might not even have a seat after the election.
We are all sitting pretty right now and having the summer off. Why would any of you risk losing the nice, cushy, comfortable jobs you have? Some of you are making more money than you ever dreamed of. You never had it so good, as one former politician once told the people. Now for the sake of making silly political points some of you want a fall election! Come on, climb down off your platforms, forget your visions rhetoric, file your plans away, and stop gibbering. It’s too early to go to the people. Some of us are still trying to get our pension time in and you selfish ones with seniority want an election. Where is the political solidarity?
Politics is a game—as you all know, or should know. The different party labels are just choices for the people; it gives them an alternative. We are nearly all the same under our political skins, but the game is the thing. The people get to place an X in the ballot box at election time and this allows them to participate in the game; however, this game is still being played and we do not want it stopped just yet. It would be a political tragedy of mammoth proportions if some of us got voted out of the game. Surely none of you want to be voted off this political island just yet, right?!
Think about it like this: You win some arguments you lose some arguments in the House, but it’s all good fun. We even get to be on television during question period, asking each other silly questions for the benefit of the people who care to watch us. And we can let off steam by banging our desks at each other when some of us make stupid comments. It’s all good political fun. Some of us have even appeared on comedy shows and put on a good performance. Are we all clowns at heart? The show must go on, and we the performers are still on stage. The people are the audience and they pay for our performances, and some of you want to give all this up for a fall election?
Think about it: We all would have to go on the campaign trail promising the people goodies with their own tax money. We would have to have silly debates with each other over party policy differences, when we all know there are very few differences, if any. Only political scrooges would want an election.
A fall election, if it happened, might also bring a vote near Christmas and this would surely destroy our Christmas party on the Hill. There would be no turkeys around, except for you political turkeys who want an election. So do you birds get the message? Please no fall election. All our needs are met right now. If we want to cross the floor we do it. If we want to re-cross the floor we could do it. This house is our political home, and just like any home it has its arguments and differences of opinion. So please don’t go to the people for approval. Some of us don’t want to be evicted just yet.
This letter is respectfully submitted by a worried honorable member, who likes serving the people and needs the job.
Stephen J. Gray
June 21, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Your Words Are Killing Me: An Imaginary Letter from An Unborn Child
If the child in the womb could share her thoughts on the horrific killing and dismembering of millions of her fellow innocents, this surely would be what she might say:
“Dear fellow human beings, I know there are some people out there who want to be ‘non-confrontational’ about my fellow little innocents being slaughtered by abortionists. They believe they have a ‘new,’ ‘wise,’ and ‘strategic’ approach to this heinous crime. Their words sound nice and reassuring. But, of course, they are not the ones being killed. Don’t they realize that there is nothing ‘compassionate’ about killing us? And if they are ‘not concerned with the law,’ (there is no law) or any law prohibiting abortion, then they should be. And so, these murderous atrocities perpetrated on we the innocent continue unabated in depraved acts of lawlessness.
“There are some in the judiciary who call the killings ‘terminations’ and advocate that an abortionist should be paid for his bloody slaughter. They even honored this butcher, with his country’s top award, and some even called him a ‘hero.’ Then there are some in the media who are supposedly ‘searching for truth,’ but when it comes to the awful truth of the abortion slaughter they hide the truth with lies like ‘freedom of choice’ to make it look like killing us is acceptable.
“And while there are some courageous souls who expose the atrocities committed against us, they are vilified and criticized by abortion supporters. There are others who say they are against abortion, yet they describe those who expose this horrific injustice as acting ‘confrontationally.’ My question to them and their strategists is this: If you are against the murderous slaughter of we the innocent unborn who have committed no crime, why are you against the showing of the gory atrocities visited upon us? Are you afraid to show the truth? Why would you send a confused signal by keeping the facts vague, just like abortion supporters do?
“We the innocents in the womb have no choice. We are carved up, cut to pieces, torn apart and some of us have even been born alive and left to die. So how can a ‘low key’ approach to abortion, without showing the evidence of the crime, be an ‘exciting strategy?’ The killing needs to be exposed. Our massacred, bloodied, dismembered bodies cry out for justice. And justice always tries to show in truthful words and deeds the horror that the victims experienced. If you really care about the awful slaughter perpetrated against us, have some courage and publish these horrific atrocities being committed against us. Politically correct pablum does not cut it (no pun intended). Nor does, as has happened in some pro-life circles, approval from a former politician whose credibility is questionable. And for those who have money to burn, instead of simply handing over money to the pro-abortion media who will only publish politically-correct ads, why don’t you publish the truth about this atrocity committed in the name of ‘choice’?”
Sincerely,
An innocent unborn child hoping for justice, not for death by politically correct words
Note: See the killing of the innocents at: http://www.AbortionNo.org
Stephen J. Gray
June 15, 2009.
“Dear fellow human beings, I know there are some people out there who want to be ‘non-confrontational’ about my fellow little innocents being slaughtered by abortionists. They believe they have a ‘new,’ ‘wise,’ and ‘strategic’ approach to this heinous crime. Their words sound nice and reassuring. But, of course, they are not the ones being killed. Don’t they realize that there is nothing ‘compassionate’ about killing us? And if they are ‘not concerned with the law,’ (there is no law) or any law prohibiting abortion, then they should be. And so, these murderous atrocities perpetrated on we the innocent continue unabated in depraved acts of lawlessness.
“There are some in the judiciary who call the killings ‘terminations’ and advocate that an abortionist should be paid for his bloody slaughter. They even honored this butcher, with his country’s top award, and some even called him a ‘hero.’ Then there are some in the media who are supposedly ‘searching for truth,’ but when it comes to the awful truth of the abortion slaughter they hide the truth with lies like ‘freedom of choice’ to make it look like killing us is acceptable.
“And while there are some courageous souls who expose the atrocities committed against us, they are vilified and criticized by abortion supporters. There are others who say they are against abortion, yet they describe those who expose this horrific injustice as acting ‘confrontationally.’ My question to them and their strategists is this: If you are against the murderous slaughter of we the innocent unborn who have committed no crime, why are you against the showing of the gory atrocities visited upon us? Are you afraid to show the truth? Why would you send a confused signal by keeping the facts vague, just like abortion supporters do?
“We the innocents in the womb have no choice. We are carved up, cut to pieces, torn apart and some of us have even been born alive and left to die. So how can a ‘low key’ approach to abortion, without showing the evidence of the crime, be an ‘exciting strategy?’ The killing needs to be exposed. Our massacred, bloodied, dismembered bodies cry out for justice. And justice always tries to show in truthful words and deeds the horror that the victims experienced. If you really care about the awful slaughter perpetrated against us, have some courage and publish these horrific atrocities being committed against us. Politically correct pablum does not cut it (no pun intended). Nor does, as has happened in some pro-life circles, approval from a former politician whose credibility is questionable. And for those who have money to burn, instead of simply handing over money to the pro-abortion media who will only publish politically-correct ads, why don’t you publish the truth about this atrocity committed in the name of ‘choice’?”
Sincerely,
An innocent unborn child hoping for justice, not for death by politically correct words
Note: See the killing of the innocents at: http://www.AbortionNo.org
Stephen J. Gray
June 15, 2009.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Questions about the Bailouts of General Motors (GM)
Billions of taxpayers’ dollars have been handed over to GM by the Canadian and United States governments. Some reports have the figures totaling as high as $60.4 billion (see information below). This is a colossal amount of money being handed over to a multi- national corporation that had subsidiaries in offshore tax havens. The Huffington Post of January 16, 2009 stated this:
“General Motors Corp., which received $13.4 billion from the [U.S.] federal rescue package, had 11 offshore subsidiaries…” [1]
Meanwhile, here in Canada the Canadian government has also participated in this billion dollar bailout bonanza for a “free enterprise” multi-national corporation that had subsidiaries in offshore tax havens. In fact, the Canadian Government is on record as saying this about the handover of taxpayers dollars:
“Ottawa doesn't expect to get back the billions in taxpayers' dollars it's investing in General Motors… It's regrettable that public money is funding the $10.5-billion bailout of GM but the move is a necessary one amid a global recession, said [PM] Harper.”
(Source: Keith Leslie, THE CANADIAN PRESS, published 01 06 2009) [2]
One wonders if PM Harper’s government checked out how much money GM had in its “11 offshore subsidiaries” before it started doling out Canadian Taxpayers dollars? Surely, the taxpayers of Canada should be privy to how much money is in these “11 offshore subsidiaries” of GM. After all, he who pays the piper calls the tune, or so the saying goes. Or are the taxpayers of Canada not allowed this information from their own government?
The United States government’s taxpayers are also participants in this billion dollar delivery to a multi-national corporation of a tsunami of money. The Financial Post of June 1, 2009 stated:
“The U.S. government has already provided $19.8 billion U.S. to GM and will inject another $30.1 billion U.S. as the 100-year-old automaker works through its restructuring.” [3]
Meanwhile GM appears to be prospering in Communist China. An article in China Daily of June 2, 2009, stated this: “General Motors Corp.'s fast-growing China operation will be unaffected by the parent company's bankruptcy and plans to open a new factory within five years will not change even as the automaker closes US facilities, the unit's president said Tuesday.” [4]
GM has closed facilities in Canada and the United States, yet it plans to export cars from China and “import them into the United States” according to the Telegraph, U.K. Newspaper of May 14, 2009. In the same article a union lobbyist had this to say: “‘GM should not be taking taxpayer's money simply to finance the outsourcing of jobs to other countries,’ said Alan Reuther, a lobbyist for the United Auto Workers union.” [5]
There are, I believe, many unanswered questions regarding the billions of taxpayers’ monies handed over to GM. For instance, how much money did GM have in its “11 offshore subsidiaries”? Do we know for sure that the bailout billions of taxpayers’ dollars will stay in Canada and the United States? Are there any safeguards in place to make sure that none of this money goes offshore? Could any of this bailout money go to GM’s China operation? If GM in communist China is going to import their China made cars to the United States, how will this affect GM’s operations in North America that has been bailed out by taxpayers dollars? And finally is it in the public interest of taxpayers everywhere that offshore tax havens are used as places to conceal money? I believe answers are needed to these questions.
Stephen J. Gray
June 12, 2009.
Endnotes:
[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/16/over-8-in-10-corporations_n_158693.html
[2] http://www.autonet.ca/autos/news/2009/06/01/9639056-cp.html
[3] http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1652295
[4] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-06/02/content_7963892.htm
[5] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/general-motors/5323274/GM-plans-to-export-cars-from-China-to-the-US.html
Other info at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/business/17tax.html
U.S. Subsidiaries in Offshore Tax Havens
By LYNNLEY BROWNING Published: January 16, 2009
…
“General Motors Corp., which received $13.4 billion from the [U.S.] federal rescue package, had 11 offshore subsidiaries…” [1]
Meanwhile, here in Canada the Canadian government has also participated in this billion dollar bailout bonanza for a “free enterprise” multi-national corporation that had subsidiaries in offshore tax havens. In fact, the Canadian Government is on record as saying this about the handover of taxpayers dollars:
“Ottawa doesn't expect to get back the billions in taxpayers' dollars it's investing in General Motors… It's regrettable that public money is funding the $10.5-billion bailout of GM but the move is a necessary one amid a global recession, said [PM] Harper.”
(Source: Keith Leslie, THE CANADIAN PRESS, published 01 06 2009) [2]
One wonders if PM Harper’s government checked out how much money GM had in its “11 offshore subsidiaries” before it started doling out Canadian Taxpayers dollars? Surely, the taxpayers of Canada should be privy to how much money is in these “11 offshore subsidiaries” of GM. After all, he who pays the piper calls the tune, or so the saying goes. Or are the taxpayers of Canada not allowed this information from their own government?
The United States government’s taxpayers are also participants in this billion dollar delivery to a multi-national corporation of a tsunami of money. The Financial Post of June 1, 2009 stated:
“The U.S. government has already provided $19.8 billion U.S. to GM and will inject another $30.1 billion U.S. as the 100-year-old automaker works through its restructuring.” [3]
Meanwhile GM appears to be prospering in Communist China. An article in China Daily of June 2, 2009, stated this: “General Motors Corp.'s fast-growing China operation will be unaffected by the parent company's bankruptcy and plans to open a new factory within five years will not change even as the automaker closes US facilities, the unit's president said Tuesday.” [4]
GM has closed facilities in Canada and the United States, yet it plans to export cars from China and “import them into the United States” according to the Telegraph, U.K. Newspaper of May 14, 2009. In the same article a union lobbyist had this to say: “‘GM should not be taking taxpayer's money simply to finance the outsourcing of jobs to other countries,’ said Alan Reuther, a lobbyist for the United Auto Workers union.” [5]
There are, I believe, many unanswered questions regarding the billions of taxpayers’ monies handed over to GM. For instance, how much money did GM have in its “11 offshore subsidiaries”? Do we know for sure that the bailout billions of taxpayers’ dollars will stay in Canada and the United States? Are there any safeguards in place to make sure that none of this money goes offshore? Could any of this bailout money go to GM’s China operation? If GM in communist China is going to import their China made cars to the United States, how will this affect GM’s operations in North America that has been bailed out by taxpayers dollars? And finally is it in the public interest of taxpayers everywhere that offshore tax havens are used as places to conceal money? I believe answers are needed to these questions.
Stephen J. Gray
June 12, 2009.
Endnotes:
[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/16/over-8-in-10-corporations_n_158693.html
[2] http://www.autonet.ca/autos/news/2009/06/01/9639056-cp.html
[3] http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1652295
[4] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-06/02/content_7963892.htm
[5] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/general-motors/5323274/GM-plans-to-export-cars-from-China-to-the-US.html
Other info at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/business/17tax.html
U.S. Subsidiaries in Offshore Tax Havens
By LYNNLEY BROWNING Published: January 16, 2009
…
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