Freedom of Speech is being burned alive

For now, Trump is for Freedom of Speech because many of his fans among the conservative voices have been silenced.  Will he still stand for that freedom when things don't go his way?  Time will tell.


From WashingtonPost
Trump warns he will 'monitor the censorship' on social media after Facebook banned some far-right leaders

President Trump on Friday threatened to “monitor" social-media sites for their “censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS,” a day after Facebook permanently banned far-right figures and organizations including the conspiracy theory site InfoWars.

Trump’s subtle threat -- delivered in a series of tweets -- marked the president’s latest broadside against Silicon Valley, which he has repeatedly accused of unfairly targeting and removing conservative users and their views. Facebook, Google and Twitter strongly deny the allegations of political bias............

Cartoons on Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau - in hot water

According to those loyal to the PM, the Liberal government has made very definite inroads into uplifting those below the poverty line.  Kudos for doing that, if actually true.  To my eyes, besides the SNC-Lavalin scandal, the Justin Trudeau/Chrystia Freeland team has not only created havoc in Canada (SNC-Lavalin scandal and the Huawei fiasco) but the warmongering duo almost started a civil war in Venezuela.  For that alone, I am rubbing my hands in glee and doing a jig and looking forward to seeing the end of their rule.

Strange as it might seem, and it definitely is super-strange for moi - but I simply cannot understand how Canadians can be all het up over the bribing case (not that it's not something to be het up over) but don't care much  if  civil war breaks out in Venezuela and that nation becomes another Syria or Libya. The MSM in Canada are faithfully in line with whatever the government wants.  If the ruling power wants a coup in a certain country, our MSM wants one like yesterday.  If the elite in government wants a civil war in a certain country, our MSM wants it too and damn the deaths and destruction. 

Soo, okay ...Trudeau is going down.  But what's coming after him is nothing to be happy about. The Conservatives leader reminds me of Pence and all he has been doing since the Justice Minister/Attorney General's resignation and especially after her testimony, is demand that Trudeau resign.  Yeah...that's the way the Cons roll.  No in-depth dialogue or insight ...just ideology and going with the tide.  And going to wars, coups, creating civil wars ... those are favorite hobbies of the Conservatives.

On another note, isn't it strange that Canadians r in an uproar over bribes paid to Libyans 2get contracts which created jobs 4 Cdns but hardly batted an eyelid when Trudeau/Freeland almost started a civil war in Venezuela? #cdnpoli #tcot #TOpoli  https://t.co/GbhuA4uwyR

— MariaS Nunes (@Dodocanspell) March 3, 2019

Yves Engler: "SNC Lavalin Scandal Blowback from Corrupt Canadian Foreign Policy" #cdnpoli #tcot #TOpoli  https://t.co/upyX9xDVq9 via @grtvnews

— MariaS Nunes (@Dodocanspell) March 5, 2019

From iPolitics
"There are more questions still to answer" Trudeau  says as Philpott quits
Hours after his second cabinet minister quit in as many months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the latest bomb to rock his government at a climate change rally in downtown Toronto.
Treasury Board President Jane Philpott resigned Monday afternoon, saying she has lost confidence in Trudeau over the SNC-Lavalin affair. It was a stunning decision from one of the prime minister’s most senior cabinet ministers and plunged Trudeau’s government further into crisis.....


Rex Murphy: Drop the poses Trudeau. You owe this country a real explanation 
Don’t talk fatuously of the 'bigger picture.' There is no bigger picture than whether you are morally entitled to govern Fortuna, the wayward goddess, has abandoned her dalliance with Justin Trudeau. What he wins from here on, if he wins at all, will be on his own work, not her flippant favour.

The socks and the selfies are inert now, those props are dated, all their quaint magic gone. Even the rolled-up sleeves and the loosely knotted tie (his let’s-all-get-to-work look) come over now as a parody of the posing politician, the silk-vest patrician at the steel plant vainly affecting to identify with the sweating hard hats on the shop floor.
None of it is working anymore. The familiar gestures are all too self-conscious, the slogans dated and flaccid, the whole play-acting schtick is dead and worse — boring. And the speeches! Monday night’s in Toronto (to launch the election-year global-warming roadshow during a -19C cold alert ) verged on the manic; parts of the opening in particular were something you might have heard in the ancient Sunday morning revivalists’ broadcasts back in the Dark Ages of early television, Jimmy Swaggart or Garner Ted Armstrong raging against the darkness. It was eerie.......... 
 

#Trudeau 's chief fundraiser linked to Cayman Islands tax schemehttps://t.co/be3iWEq5EF

— Kim-Founding Member #PPC2019🇨🇦 (@AlbertaWellness) March 4, 2019

Rona Ambrose chosen as interim Conservative leader

Yup ... this is indeed  "because it's 2015"  and it's not just with the Libs as the Cons have now shown.  The Conservative Party can come back  with a bang if the party focuses more on Canada and Canadians instead of being a lackey of the powers-that-be in the USA and Israel.  Learn from your mistakes.
 

I dislike dishonesty

Larry Miller why, why, why did you apologize for stating the truth?  One should always stick by one's convictions even if it means the world will turn against you but that's not going to stop you being proud of yourself. So what's important to you ... what others think of you or what you think of yourself?  You said what probably 80% of Canadians think but only 10% have the courage to voice.  Truth when spoken aloud is at times inflammatory, but only to those who pretend to be saints. You had the courage to speak the truth and then you lost it.  **sigh**

While glancing at the comments to the CBC article below, I came across this link from a Pakistani "21st Century Woman" .... see what she says about the veil.

Larry Miller, Conservative MP, recants inflammatory niqab-ban comment
'This sentiment is not an aberration among the Conservatives,' NDP critic says
A veteran backbench Conservative MP has apologized for telling Muslim women who want to wear the niqab while taking the citizenship oath to "stay the hell where you came from."

In a statement issued Tuesday morning, Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound MP Larry Miller said that he stands by his views that those who wish to be sworn in as citizens should uncover their face.

"However, I apologize for and retract my comments that went beyond this," he said.

According to a post on the Broadbent Institute-affiliated blog Press Progress, Miller — who was once described by National Post columnist John Ivison as "the voice in [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper's ear" — made the comments during an open-line talk show on local radio station CFOS on Monday...........

Sound advice from Edward Snowden to thinking Canadians on Harper's "anti-terror bill"

In such a short period of time, the Conservative party of Canada has changed this lovely once-was-neutral country to a lackey of the warmongering police state USA. 
All relevant links at link below.

Zi-Ann Lum writing at HuffingtonPost:
Edward Snowden Warns Canadians To Be 'Extraordinarily Cautious' Over Anti-Terror Bill

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden addressed students at a Toronto private school via video link on Monday to warn about the perils of being complacent as the government makes sweeping changes to Canada’s anti-terrorism laws.

“I would say we should always be extraordinarily cautious when we see governments trying to set up a new secret police within their own countries,” Snowden said in a livestream feed from Russia. He made reference to Bill C-51, legislation tabled by the Conservative government days earlier.

More than 900 students attended the talk titled, “Privacy vs. Security: A Discussion of Personal Privacy in the Digital Age” hosted at Upper Canada College. Nearly 1,400 watched the live broadcast online.

Snowden urged the audience to be adept at lining up facts versus rhetoric with emergency legislations born from times of “fear and panic.” He added though Canada is not unique in its anti-terrorism laws and surveillance programs, it’s important to be critical toward political arguments championing their necessity.

“Once we let these power get rolling it’s very difficult to stop that pull through,” Snowden said. “So I would say that we need to use extraordinary scrutiny in every society, in every country, in every state to make sure that the laws we live under are the ones we truly want and truly need.”

Journalist Glenn Greenwald was also on hand for the keynote via conference call.

Using ‘fearmongering’ as vehicle for legislation

Despite the sharp uptick in terrorism rhetoric after two Canadian soldiers were killed within days of each other last year by “radicalized” attackers, the former Guardian journalist says a Canadian’s real-world chance of being killed in a terrorist attack is “infinitesimal.”

“If you are a Canadian citizen, you have a greater chance of dying by being struck by lightning; or by going to a restaurant and eating a meal that will give you an intestinal disease; or by slipping in your bathtub, hitting your head on the ceramic tile than you do dying in a terrorist attack,” said Greenwald.....

World War III news and updates .... December 16 .... Part 1

Warmongering Harper govt is playing with fire on Russia's border and not only putting Canadian economy in extreme danger but Canadian lives as well. October 2015 is not coming soon enough to kick these warmongers out of office and restore Canada to a peaceful nation that believes in diplomacy first, second and always.

Moreover, there are plenty of rumors that the angel-faced devil in disguise Harper is planning on sending Canadian troops to the Middle East.  Does the Harper government really think Canadian voters of Ukrainian and Jewish descent will give them victory come election time when we have imported millions of  baby-making immigrants from other religions which far, far outnumber the potential Jewish and Ukrainian Canadian voters?  When will this govt stop bending over for the USA and sucking up to Israel and polishing apples for the Ukraine and start thinking of Canada and Canadians first?  

Why are we interfering with Russia?  Is Russia coming to invade us from the North? 

From CBCnews
Canada to train Ukrainian military cops as Ottawa seeks closer ties
'This is a continuing effort,' says Defence Minister Rob Nicholson
The Harper government signalled Monday it wants to create deeper defence ties with Ukraine, signing a declaration that could lead to broader military co-operation in one of the most volatile parts of the globe.
As part of that pronouncement, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson revealed Canada is searching for bilateral ways to expand military training with the embattled country and that a team of trainers has arrived for an unspecified mission......
.....Canada has already donated quantities of non-lethal military equipment to the government in Kyiv.
In August, the Harper government delivered helmets, protective eyewear, first-aid kits, tents and sleeping bags......

From TheStar:
By sending military aid to Ukraine, Canada is throwing tinder on a conflict that shows no sign of letting up.
It’s not a lot of tinder. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government says it will provide items such as sleeping bags and helmets to help Kyiv’s army fight eastern separatists sympathetic to Russia.

From SputnikNews:
Kiev Denies Allegations of NATO Equipment Shipments to Closed Airports
Transport planes, combat aircraft and strike helicopters were spotted by militia fighters in eastern Ukraine.
The Eastern Ukrainian militia reports an increase of air activity over the territory controlled by the Ukrainian forces, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The militia fighters spotted transport and attack planes, as well as strike and multipurpose helicopters.
The biggest increase of activity is reported over the airfields in Kramatorsk and Chuhuiv where military equipment is shipped from Dnepropetrovsk. In addition, the militia reports that four NATO transport planes landed in Zaporizhia airport last night, carrying cargo containers and some unspecified equipment.....

From CBC:
Iraq crisis: Canadians on the ground in Iraq, Rob Nicholson says  
Canadian personnel are already working in Iraq following a pledge to send dozens of military advisers to help Kurdish forces battle ISIS, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said Tuesday.

Last week, the federal government said it would send a group of experts to advise on tactics for fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS or ISIL. The Canadian military advisers will mainly be members from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment. 

Nicholson and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird appeared before the House foreign affairs committee Tuesday morning, where they gave few details of the 30-day deployment, citing operational security.
"We're moving as quickly as possible and, as I indicated to you, there are already on the ground members of the Canadian lead in this area," Nicholson said. 
"We don't give the exact time and place up for obvious security reasons."
Both Nicholson and Baird said the mission will be re-evaluated after 30 days, making no promises that the deployment will end then.....

From BBC:
Islamic State: Coalition 'pledges more troops' for Iraq  
The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) militants has pledged to send an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq, a top US commander has said.
Lt Gen James Terry, who is co-ordinating efforts against IS, said the soldiers would be in addition to 3,100 US soldiers already promised.
He did not say which coalition nations would provide the extra troops or what role they would play......

From CBCNews
ISIS in Iraq: What Canada could offer if West decides on military action.
Range of options includes training for Kurdish fighters to surveillance planes.....
....In Iraq, Canada's ambassador to the region, Bruno Saccomani, has been meeting with Kurdish representatives in Iraq and had his picture taken on the "front lines" of the Peshmerga forces' fight against ISIS.

Any Canadian military contribution to the fight against ISIS would likely be small and specific. Canada almost never goes anywhere with its military force without allies alongside. Whatever is done would likely be in conjunction with American and, probably, British forces......

For the "Believe it or Not" folder: Canada under Stephen Harper glorifies Nazism

Yes, it has come to this.
And, what are the bets that the "No" votes got approval from Israel and the big billionaire honchos from the  Jewish diaspora all around the world?  Israel of course voted "Yes" for obvious reasons.
  
Not having the ability to recognize one's enemies can mean only one of two things. 
You think you are super smart and can outwit the enemy after you get whatever it is you want from the enemy;
OR
You have given in to your suicidal tendencies.

UN  Vote Name A/C.3/69/L.58/Rev.1

Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Yes = 115
Abstain = 55
No = Canada, USA, Ukraine
UN Vote Name A/C.3/69/L.58/Rev.1
More at the Vineyard of the Saker blog.

The sins of the Harper government

Even true blue Conservatives who have voted for the party throughout their lives are now coming out and openly showing their displeasure with Stephen Harper's government.  When veterans who are known to vote Conservative, say "Anybody but Conservative" .... you know the party is in deep, deep trouble.  Trouble of their own making.

As far as I am concerned,  there are far too many sins that the Conservative party can never be forgiven for:

Harper openly siding with warlord criminal Netanyahu in the mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza;

Harper government's involvement in the Ukraine's murderous coup and its full ongoing commitment to the Mafia-like regime that took over that country and started bombarding civilian areas of the separatist east Ukraine;  (at one point it got so disgusting with prominent members of Harper's government showing their support by changing their Twitter pics to Ukraine's symbol which looks like the devil's trident.)

Harper government's disregard for veterans after Canada has sent them to wars from which most come back without limbs and a big part of their sanity and health damaged forever;

Harper government's continuous import of immigrants and refugees from Muslim conflict areas;

Harper government's loud and malicious instigation for sanctions against Russia which sanctions are now crippling the economy of a large part of the world ....  the list can go on and on and on and on.

Janice Dickson writing at iPolitics:
Angry veterans launch ‘Anybody But Conservative’ campaign to defeat Tories in upcoming election
“We need a government that will look after us veterans,” said Ron Clarke, a 36-year-veteran, in an emotional plea.

For Clarke and veterans advocate Mike Blais, the federal election can’t come soon enough.

Clarke, an advocate from Cape Breton, launched his Anybody But Conservative campaign Wednesday in hopes of a government that will treat its veterans better.
In a Parliament Hill news conference, Clarke also made a plea to serving members of the military to join the protest.

Clarke and Blais are urging the government—or possibly future government—to re-open the nine veterans offices that the Conservative government closed across Canada, and to grant veterans a pension, rather than a minimal lump sum of $350,000.
This campaign could hit Conservatives where it hurts the most.
Seniors have historically voted Conservative — poll Conservative and in fact show up to vote.

So when a prominent, and elderly, Nova Scotia veteran announces he will be encouraging all veterans and Canadian citizens to vote, “anything but Conservative”— it draws attention.
“Into the thousands,” Clarke said, unable to pinpoint an exact number of supporters.

But if his message resonates among his age group—the number could stretch into the millions.
In 2011, five million Canadians were over 65 and that number is predicted to grow, according to Statistics Canada.......

Right on! Canada's opposition party readies to say "NO" to Conservative warlords

The ISIS/ISIL/IS/xyz barbarians are NOT at our gates.  Some minor, mini ones might be amongst us already but we can flush them out. The most important thing to do is change our immigration policies and either severely curtail or stop Muslim immigration altogether.  All refugees from the conflict ridden lands should be diverted to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. UN should be told in no uncertain terms that Canada is closed for refugee business.
We don't want Canada involved in this mess in the Middle East.  I hope Trudeau sticks to what he says and opposes any combat involvement in the mess.  Everybody knows that this is a "deliberate" war brought on to oil the machinery of the billionaire stakeholders of  companies whose lifeline is wars and nothing but wars.

From CTVNews:
Canada's role in Iraq does not have to be a combat mission: Trudeau   

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau agrees that Canada must play a role in the struggle against militants in Iraq, but says that doesn't necessarily mean combat.
Trudeau says Prime Minister Stephen Harper seems intent on sending Canadians to war, but has yet to explain why.
He's telling the Canada2020 conference that ISIL does pose a threat to regional and global security.
The question, he says, is what Canada should do about it.
Trudeau suggests there are options other than sending in CF-18 fighter-bombers to conduct airstrikes alongside allies.
He says Canada should be looking at offering strategic airlift, training, medical support or humanitarian efforts.

Pork bellies anyone?

The "cut our nose to spite our face" tales continue.

After chicken, my favorite meat is pork.  Perhaps now I will  be able to buy some of those choice cuts at a much reduced price to suit my budget. And, shrimp! Glorious shrimp!  Clearwater Seafoods might decide to feed us Canadians more shrimp at reasonable prices now that  Russia does not want it anymore. Sanctions can have their benefits, eh? 
Stephen Harper's delusional bizzaro world initiatives is the undoing of Canadian agricultural business for the next one year and who knows maybe even longer. Not only that, and not related to the sanctions, the US Congress wants Canada thrown out of the Trans-Pacific partnership. Only Canadians who are as delusional as the ex-hero Harper still continue to believe he can do no wrong.  His Evangelical belief has turned him into an ineffectual leader for Canada.

Dana Flavelle writing at TorontoStar:
Russia’s ban on imported food will hit Canada’s pork industry hard, closing a market worth more than $500 million to farmers and processors this year, and potentially stranding hundreds of containers of meat already on the high seas.
Industry members said they would work with Canadian officials to find alternate markets for their products, while also condemning Russia’s response to sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.
“Canadian pork producers understand this is not simply a trade dispute and are disappointed by the Russian action,” the Canadian Pork Council said in a statement. “This is an unwelcome market disruption in one of our more than 100 country markets around the world.”
Russia announced the restrictions Thursday on foods imported from the U.S., Europe, Canada and other countries that have imposed sanctions against it, and also threatened to target the automotive, shipping and aerospace industries in the future.
Canada exported $1.7 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2012, led by food, including pork and crustaceans, according to a government of Canada report.......

From Globe&Mail:
....Canadian businesses are bracing for a possible next wave of Russian sanctions after Moscow banned imports of key food products in an escalating economic war over the conflict in Ukraine.....

.....Clearwater Seafoods LP of Bedford, N.S., a leading shrimp exporter to Russia, said it could lose an export market that was worth nearly $16-million in 2013, representing about 3 per cent of its global business. ....

Canada's #1 cheats and liars .... The Liberals

They always put the Conservative party in second place when it comes to lying and cheating with a straight face.  

Wish Andrea Horwath was not of the NDP .... I definitely like her. If we had leaders of her calibre, Canada would never meddle in the politics of other countries nor would we ever go prancing into illegal and unnecessary wars.  

Guess, will have to hold my nose and vote for the conniving Cons one more time. Wish I could get over my loyalty to the blasted Cons once and for all. They are no better than the Libs, but  it  takes time to fully disengage..... although, of late, Harper and Baird have been helping many Conservative voters run to the arms of one of the other two parties.  

From CBCNews:
....PCs say Wynne hid $317M bailout of MaRS developer
NDP claims Liberals hired consultant to create fake Twitter accounts for transit plan.

Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne spent Thursday morning fending off attacks and allegations from her two main opponents.

The day began with the Progressive Conservatives releasing government documents they say show the Liberals secretly approved a $317-million bailout of a downtown Toronto real estate development.

The Liberals gave $71 million to build a second tower at the MaRS research complex near Queen's Park and provided a $234-million loan for the project, but the documents show the registered charity and the real estate developer behind it can't repay the money.

Former Tory MPP Frank Klees says a whistleblower turned over the cabinet documents. Klees and party leader Tim Hudak accused Wynne of approving the bailout behind closed doors to avoid embarrassment during the election campaign.

NDP campaign co-chair Gilles Bisson said in a statement that the NDP has written to the auditor general requesting he look into the incident.

Klees says the Liberals also failed to put the liability on the books in the May 1 budget. The opposition parties refused to support the budget, triggering Wynne to call the June 12 election.

The Tories say the government should take the hit on the books but let MaRS suffer the consequences of bankruptcy from a bad real estate deal........

39% of unemployed Canadians have given up looking for jobs, completely

And, it's not getting any better.  But wait ... there's solution to the problem.  Harper knows how to bring back jobs by imposing more sanctions on Russia. Glory be!  What a smart man!

From CBC:
.....Almost four out of 10 Canadians   who don't have a job have completely given up hope of ever finding one, a new survey suggests.

In a poll carried out by Harris Poll and published Friday by employment agency Express Employment Professionals, the company surveyed 1,502 unemployed Canadians. None of them had a job, and not all of them were receiving EI benefits.

The results were eye-opening.

Some 39 per cent of those polled were in agreement with the statement that "I've completely given up on looking for a job" with five per cent saying they "agree a lot" 11 per cent saying they "agree somewhat" and 17 per cent saying they "agree a little."

In the poll, which saw people respond to questions online over a week in April, more than a third responded they hadn't had a job interview in over a month. A full 13 per cent of respondents said they hadn't had a job interview since 2012 or before — well over a calendar year ago.

"The results of this survey should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers that some unemployed Canadians are falling behind," Express CEO Bob Funk said. "If left unchecked, they could fall into a trap of prolonged unemployment and risk being left out of the workforce entirely."

With numbers like that, it's not hard to detect the bleakness emanating from employment centres across the country.

"I'm not even going to look for a job anymore, because I've been searching for six months and nothing is happening," says Shirlon Marshall, an unemployed short order cook looking for a job at a Toronto-area job centre..............

The suicidal Conservative govt. of Stephen Harper

When the Conservatives are walloped in the 2015 election, I hope all you disappointed Conservative voters will remember that the reason for the party's demise will be the party itself.

It's extremely hard to ignore, even for those diehard Harper lovers, that the man has become so embroiled with some strange notions which have made him blind and deaf to what the rest of us can see and hear. The Conservative govt's foray into Libya was a big mistake, even bigger was the support for Syrian rebels .... and now the fiasco in Ukraine? Do you think voters can ignore all these humongous foreign policy errors?

I wish Jim Flaherty was alive, maybe he might have drummed some sense into this ex-superstar. 

Joan Bryden of AP at CTVNews: 
.....Harper gov't ignores advice on Ukraine election observation missions.

For the third time in four years, the Harper government has sent a large, Canada-only mission to observe an election in Ukraine, despite a report that concluded it would be cheaper, more credible and more effective to join a multilateral international mission.
Some 338 observers are part of Canada's current independent mission in Ukraine; they are fanned out across the troubled country to assess the integrity of Sunday's presidential election process.
Another 162 Canadians are also monitoring the election as part of a multilateral mission co-ordinated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), whose missions are considered the gold standard by veteran election observers.

Canada also sent large, independent delegations to observe Ukraine's parliamentary elections in 2012 and its presidential election in 2010, in addition to participation in OSCE missions.
Yet, after the first Canada-only mission in 2004, an evaluation report prepared for the government concluded the large scale of that bilateral venture "should not be considered as a precedent but only as a 'last resort option' for future Canadian observer missions."
"The use of multilateral missions for Canadian short term election observers should continue to be considered as the first deployment option," said the report, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.
Among other things, the report found the cost of going it alone was nearly double the cost of taking part in an OSCE mission: $9,335 per observer for the eight-day 2004 mission, versus $4,981 per observer for a 10-day OSCE mission in Ukraine earlier the same year.........

...........On the downside, the Canadian delegation had little election monitoring experience and Canadians of Ukrainian heritage were sometimes perceived "to be less than neutral."
Indeed, a survey of observers uncovered some concerns about "partisan behaviour" by some mission members, particularly Ukrainian Canadians who were perceived as favouring the pro-western presidential candidate in the 2004 election, Viktor Yuschenko......

.........."If there had been marked interference during voting and vote-counting, it was suggested that it may have been more difficult to defend the mission as non-partisan."
By contrast, the report said the OSCE has a "respected track record of elections observation" and its "multinational composition contributes to greater perceived neutrality."..........

47% unemployed have given up looking for work, completely

I wonder what the percentage is here in Canada.  I am in the percentage that's "completely given up looking for a job" and making do with my savings and a few dollars earned trading stocks.  However, now with Stephen Harper having knocked down some of Canada's best trading stocks because of his private rivalry with Putin .... those upbeat trading days in those stocks are gone for good.  The next person who says Harper is good for the economy and dares to say it in my presence is gonna get punched in the face. What Harper has done might be a blessing for the "shorters"  but definitely not for optimistic traders like me and not for long-term investors in those companies which have/had dealings with Russia.

Mark Hemingway writing at WeeklyStandard:
....A new poll suggests that finding employment, particularly for the long-term unemployed, continues to be a struggle for Americans. The poll, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals, asked questions of 1,500 unemployed adult Americans last month.

“This survey shows that millions of Americans are at risk of falling into the trap of prolonged unemployment, and it should give policymakers a greater sense of urgency to focus on the singular goal of creating jobs," said Bob Funk, CEO of Express and a former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, in a release. "We can take heart that in these difficult times the American spirit of confident hopefulness endures, but we can’t accept this status quo—not for our country, not for our unemployed neighbors.”.......

Revealed: Harper govt's plans for meddling in Syria

This is one of the many, many reasons Stephen Harper and his Conservative govt. will lose the next election. The Conservative govt. of Stephen Harper is heading towards that political limbo land which might be its abode for decades to come.  
The utter stupid naivety of the Harper Cons is reflected in the parts I have highlighted in the article below. Harper and his advisers actually think there are non-religious groups fighting against Assad? Yeah ... that should tell you how far gone our PM has become and how much out of the loop his entire gang has gotten.
We had high hopes for the Harper Conservatives, didn't we?Live and learn, folks. Live and learn. Politicians are all alike.

 Lee Berthiaume writing at OttawaCitizen:
...Canadian Defence And Diplomatic Officials Working On Plans For Military Mission in Syria.

Canadian defence and diplomatic officials have been quietly working on plans for possible Canadian military missions — as well as shoring up non-religious groups on the ground — in Syria as its three-year civil war continues.

The federal government has so far said it has no plans for Canada to be dragged into the conflict, which has killed an estimated 150,000 and driven hundreds of thousands more from their homes and their country.

But internal documents obtained by the Citizen show National Defence has drawn up at least five scenarios in which it could become involved in Syria’s ongoing civil war, as well as potential Canadian Forces missions for each situation.

The documents have been censored to remove specifics, but allude to “the rapidly deteriorating conditions in Syria, its impact on neighbouring countries and … the importance of Middle East stability.”

The scenarios also include several assumptions such as the Syrian government remaining “defiant,” as well as “most likely” and “worst case” outcomes, such as extremist groups getting hold of advanced or chemical weapons, or the conflict spilling beyond Syria’s borders.

At least one possible Canadian military intervention “assumes that a legitimate armed opposition group has been recognized” by Canada, although details about the rest of this scenario have been blacked out......

.....Meanwhile, separate documents show Canada has been helping train anti-sectarian activists, journalists and others so they can provide a political alternative to Islamic extremist groups if the fighting stops......

The scandal-plagued Harper government

Like I have said before,  come the next election, Harper and his Cons will be lucky if they are given the privilege to form a coalition govt.  The "strong Conservative majority govt" has slipped from their hands.... and the only people to blame are the Conservatives themselves. So many scandals of late, most of us have already lost count.  Besides, nobody takes kindly to bullies who think they can hop and skip to far away lands with intent to replace governments of those countries when those same billions of dollars spent outside the country can be spent inside it. Right now,  I am thinking of Libya, Syria and Ukraine. In the long run, we might have to add Afghanistan too to that list.

Andy Radia at YahooPolitics:
 ....One of the emerging themes as we inch toward the 2015 federal election is that of a political leader's judgement.
We saw a hint of this on Monday when Conservative Party Officials questioned Justin Trudeau's after the Liberal leader dropped an f-bomb at a charity boxing match over the weekend.
Trudeau countered, questioning Stephen Harper's judgement over the sudden resignation of the prime minister's hand-picked Conservative Party executive director Dimitri Soudas. Soudas resigned on Sunday after allegations emerged of him interfering with a nomination battle in Oakville involving his fiance MP Eve Adams.
"It's yet another example of this government in general, but Mr. Harper in particular, showing poor judgement in his appointments process. Whether its for senators or executive directors or chiefs of staffs," Trudeau told reporters on Monday.
"This is just part of a pattern of a government that has shown itself incapable of putting the right people in the right place."........

To judge or not to judge

The brewing of a horrid smelling broth.  

Chris Hall writing at CBCNews:
.....It marked the first time that a prime minister appointed a judge for one of the three Quebec seats on the Supreme Court who was not a superior court judge in the province, or an active member of the Quebec bar.

Within weeks Nadon's qualifications were challenged, first by Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati and then by Pauline Marois's Parti Quebecois government.

Harper then upped the legal ante, by formally referring the case to the Supreme Court and by introducing an amendment to the Supreme Court Act to change the rules should the high court find Nadon doesn't meet the existing criteria.

As a tactical decision, this was a doozy. In effect, Harper asked the Supreme Court for its opinion while serving notice that he would change the rules if he didn't like the answer.

Galati, who stated his case at the January hearing, accused the Conservatives of trying to stack the court with ''judges who are more friendly to their point of view.''

Other legal experts were somewhat more circumspect.

"No matter what is decided Friday this is a very sad chapter for the Supreme Court,'' says University of Ottawa law professor Carissima Mathen. "It puts the court in the difficult position of having to decide the qualifications of one of its own.''.......

The many mistakes the Harper govt is making that will minus the total from the votes they expect to get come the next election

The policy decision on Ukraine is just one of the many blunders these self-declared mini-gods have made in the last few days.

Canada has no business interferring in the politics of the Ukraine or EU to the extent that a Foreign Affairs minister goes waltzing in the midst of anti-govt. protestors in Kiev.   Foolish move Harper!   How would the Canadian govt. like it if Ukraine decides to send "election monitors" for our byelections?   What right does Canada have to interfere in Ukranian byelections?

From Globe&Mail: 
.....Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird   says he will address growing concerns about the violence in Ukraine when he meets with officials from other European countries in Kiev on Thursday.
Ukraine is locked in a political crisis after President Viktor Yanukovych decided to suspend talks on a long-awaited deal with the European Union, citing political pressure from Moscow. The move sparked massive protests in Kiev and throughout the country, leading to violent clashes in recent days........

From CBC:
Canada to send election monitors    for Ukraine byelections.  Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Canada remains committed to long-term democratic development in Ukraine despite its recent tilt toward Russia and the violence that has spilled into its streets.
Canada will still send two dozen election monitors to the country's byelections scheduled for next month, following last year's contribution of a 500-member observer force.
The teams of observers are not solely a Conservative phenomenon; Former Liberal prime minister John Turner led a large team of international election monitors to Ukraine in 2004.....

Australia's Liberals tearing out hair in chucks ...

because Conservative govt. reins in spending.
The Liberals had almost ruined the country.  It will take Tony Abbott's govt. at least a decade to fix the Liberal mess. Good to see the new govt. hasn't wasted any time pulling at the reins.  Expect to see a lot of bald lefties in Australia.

From CourierMail:
....More than $50 million will be saved over four years by changing how long someone has to live in Australia before receiving the pension.
Currently a person who has been out of the country for 26 weeks continues to get their pension if they lived in Australia for 25 years.
That will change to 35 years next year.
And from July 1, 2014, the length of time that families can be temporarily overseas and continue to receive family and parental payments will reduce from three years to 56 weeks.
Parents with teens have also been targeted, which will save $76 million over four years.
From January 2014, Family Tax Benefit Part A will be paid to families only up to the end of the calendar year in which their teen completes school.
Eligibility will be removed for 16 and 17-year-olds who have finished their Year 12 qualification. The benefit will also be slashed for families whose children have completed school and have a job.....