How Canadian PM Lyin' Brian Mulroney got rich fighting apartheid

Now that Lyin’ Brian has gone to his reward, we will be endlessly harangued about his principled stand against apartheid in South Africa. And he was indeed a high-profile anti-apartheid activist. When Brian came to power, the South African Krugerrand was by far the world’s most popular investment-grade gold coin. It was one of the most important exports for the SA economy. A few years before Brian ascended the throne, Canada had introduced it’s own investment-grade gold coin, the gold maple leaf coin. It got off to a slow start. It would be a tough uphill slog to capture market share from the Krugerrand. Enter the humble electrician’s son from Baie Comeau, and his principled stand against apartheid! Mulroney was a leading figure in the drive to impose sanctions against the South African economy, including, of course, international sales of the Krugerrand. Sales of Canada’s gold Maple Leaf took off! Oddly enough, after Brian left office, he soon found himself on the board of directors of Barrick Gold, Canada’s premier gold producer! Brian advanced through the corporate governance ranks to become Chair of the Board of Directors, and if I’m not mistaken, remained a “special advisor” to the board until his passing. Isn’t it great to see such a principled politician enjoy a lucrative payday! Mind you, there were also those embarrassing ethical lapses around that Karl-Heinz chappie and his cash-stuffed envelopes... but let's not bring that up now... RIP Mr Mulroney.

Lyin' Brian Mulroney gifted Canada's working class "free trade," and my butt still hurts

The sales pitch went something like this; Yankee money and know-how, Mexican labour, and Canadian resources would invevitably coalesce into a world-beating economic bloc, bringing oodles of prosperity to all of us! Yes indeedy! Sure, we'd lose a few jobs to Mexico, due to their tendency to work for $20 per week instead of our $20 per hour, but experts assured us we'd only lose the shit jobs like manufacturing cars and stuff. Really good high-tech jobs would replace them, because Mexicans are too stupid to do them. Lyin' Brian didn't have to spell out the too-stupid part. It was implied. The only people who never bought it were the shop floor workees in Canadian factories. We knew from the get-go the Mexicans could do anything we could do. They just did it way cheaper. Free trade was the beginning of the end for Canada's working class. Thanks Brian!

Dementia Joe talks imaginary ceasefire while licking ice-cream cone

This is where we’re at in the world of international diplomacy, circa 2024. The Leader of the Free World is taking a moment from his busy schedule of avoiding issues, to visit an ice-cream shop. Some nosey reporter types mistook the ice-cream stop for a press stop and began hurling questions at the Leader of the Free World. Between licks on his cone, the President revealed that he expects a ceasefire in a week. Boy, does Netanyahu have a surprise for him!

Trudeau makes surprise visit to Kyiv to blow more smoke up Zelensky's ass

PM Fluffy made a surprise visit to Ukraine to mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale, brutal, unprovoked, barbaric, and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Did we mention it was a full-scale invasion? As we all know, Putin grew increasingly deranged at the prospect of seeing a thriving liberal democracy flowering next door. He knew once his long-suffering people noticed the pluralist paradise flourishing in the former Soviet satellite state, his days would be numbered. The Russian people would rise up and demand human rights and Pride parades just like they have in Ukraine. Luckily for the Democratic World, the plucky Ukrainians have been putting the run to the Putinist hordes (remember - it was a full-scale invasion) ever since, thanks largely to Canada and our allies providing hundreds of billions in money and materiel, or in Canada's case, billions in promises. Canada has been more than a little light in the materiel department since long before the full-scale invasion, but we do what we can to show our allies that we're a reliable partner in the global struggle between Democracy(good guys) and Authoritarianism(bad guys). To that end, Fluffy and Zelly signed a ten year mutual defence agreement at the weekend. The Canadian side promised aid worth 3 billions in the first year, but did not specify if that was in Canadian dollars or Ukrainian hryvnia. No amounts were committed beyond the first year, just in case. And due to the prudent nature of the Canadian side, our assistance comes as a loan, not a donation. Ukraine should have no trouble repaying once Putin is defeated. Once again Canada proves it has what it takes; a leader who will make empty promises for as long as it takes, and isn't afraid to call Putin names!

Canada "investigating possibility" of aid airdrop to starving Gaza

That’s supposed to be a good news story at CBC. It is intended to reassure readers that Canada is not ignoring the humanitarian catastrophe that has been unfolding in Gaza for almost five months. Alas, we Canadians know there is a vast gulf between our government “investigating possibilities” and actually doing something. After investigating possibilities (2-3 months), a committee will be struck to commence a feasibility study (6-12 months). Then another committee of experts will convene to determine the most viable option(s). No doubt this will require hearings (another 3-6 months,) but before that there will be several months of discussions over whether the hearings should be in camera or public. Following the hearings, our preferred course of action must be sent to parliament for approval. That could easily take another month or more, depending on what other urgent matters are before parliament at that time. Finally, when we get all our humanitarian ducks in a row, possibly in two years time, comes the tough part; getting Israel’s permission to feed the people they are deliberately starving. It’s safe to say anyone in Gaza waiting for Canada’s help will be long dead before it arrives.

Royal Canadian Navy drowns in morass of bureaucratic inertia - zero ships delivered after 13 years

If you follow the comings and goings of our utterly inept and incompetent political class, you’ll be well acquainted with our brand-spankin’ new fleet of warships that have been “in the pipeline” for quite some time now… oh wait… doesn’t seem to be any sign of those ships. In fact, other than Irving wangling another half billion out of the feds recently for “shipyard improvements,” we don’t hear much about the pipeline, let alone the ships. Here’s a story from the archives. Saturday, October 29, 2011 Canada commits 25 billion for new combat ships Minister of National Deference Peter MacKay announced last week that the Irving shipyard in Halifax would be contracted to build the next generation of warships for Canada's navy. As Minister of Deference Mr. Mackay sees his job as being mainly about deferring to the big dogs in Brussels and Washington, and no doubt the big dogs will be pleased with this announcement. After all, it seals our commitment to being able to punch above our weight etc. whenever some dictator in some shithole foreign country who we've supported for forty years gets too big for his britches. And you know how we Canadians like to punch above our weight. It's almost an obsession. But politics aside, it's good news for the lads in the shipyard. I worked on the last generation of warships, at the Irving shipyard in Saint John, and I have to say it's a good gig, in spite of my pacifist leanings. It's good news for the Irvings too. As big-time capitalists go the Irvings are pretty cool. James Irving was the big gun at the Saint John yard back in the day. Used to come in unannounced at the oddest of hours just to see how things were going. One night he shows up on our late shift. One of the boys who'd had a few was a bit irate over having had to install the same set of bulkhead doors three times because the specs kept changing. Got right in Irving's face and gave him a whiskey laced piece of his mind. I thought, well, Buddy's toast. Not so. James Irving was able to overlook the booze-breath because Buddy had some serious concerns about efficiency. That made him Irving's kind of guy. If I was just a bit younger I'd be tempted to head east again.

Lying Jens Stoltenberg claims Ukraine getting F-16s "as early as possible"

Really? We’re at the two year anniversary of this war. The country formerly known as Ukraine is bleeding out in front of the eyes of anyone who cares to look. Mind you, looking ain’t easy if you rely on the typical Western propaganda cartel: CBC/CNN/BBC/Fox, for your news. They're still predicting a Ukrainian victory, if such delusion can be imagined. While I’m no fan of the Bandera-oriented factions put in power by the Washington-organized coup in 2014, I find it outrageous how they’ve been goaded into war with Russia by their American masters, and then left to twist in the wind. What happened to “whatever it takes for as long as it takes?” Did America and her NATO vassals not have what it takes? Or did they deliberately hold back what it takes? The F-16s are a case in point. I recall Ukrainians demonstrating in the streets during the first days of the war, with placards demanding “close the skies!” Two years and half a million dead Ukrainians later, Jens reassures Ukraine we’re working on it… If I were a Ukrainian I’d be pissed off at more than Putin.

Genocide shlemocide; how Bibi owns Biden

It’s dark days for the doomed American Empire. Uncle Sam is in a two-front hot war intended to show the world that the USA remains the “indispensable nation,” “city on the hill,” “mightiest military in history,” and so forth. In Ukraine, the combined resources of USA/NATO/EU have failed to secure victory. In fact, Uncle Sam’s team is being humiliated. “Whatever it takes for as long as it takes” turned out to be nothing more than a PR slogan. What’s even more humiliating is watching the most powerful man on earth, the Leader of the Free World, Joe Biden, grovel before Bibirius of Judea, Greatest Leader since Moses, pleading for a brief pause in the genocide in Gaza. Biden’s got an election to win. This Gaza thing has already cost the Dems the Arab vote, a good slice of the black vote, and the youth vote. Please, Netanyahu, tone it down! Get your snipers to stop shooting children for a few days… please! Watch Al Jazeera news from inside Gaza for an update on how Israel has responded to Biden’s entreaties. Genocide shlemocide… go fuck yourself, Joe! And yet Uncle Sam keeps shoveling money and bombs to Israel to sustain the carnage. What message does that give to the rest of the world?

Let's help the homeless by sending them on Caribbean vacations

I stepped out on the stoop for a breath of fresh air. We're in the second day of a fierce blizzard. My thoughts turned to the plight of the homeless, or if you prefer, those unhoused, housing deficient, or living in a flimsy tent in a storm like this. The unhoused keep a lot of people busy. Cops. Social workers. Paramedics. City employees who clean up after them. And don't forget all the academics interogating the manifold intersections of race, class, and gender that can be studied in your typical homeless encampment. On any given day there are dozens of such studies underway, and every research project got grant money from somewhere. Obviously, there's a lot of investment in the unhoused. Too bad none of it goes into building housing! I came back inside and snuggled up with Bruno in front of the fire. I did a little research of my own. Did you know you can get an all-in caribbean holiday for under a thousand bucks? Our town has several dozen hard-core unhoused. If you add up all those expenses above, I'm guessing those folks eat up half a million of the town budget, easy. So here's the plan. We round up that hard-core crowd, preferably during a blizzard, and hand them their tickets to a warm caribbean resort! And wtf does a weeklong holiday have to do with alleviating homelessness, you ask? Think it through. You sent them south in the dead of winter. One week is long enough for them to realize they're in a place where living year-round in a tent is not only feasible and sustainable, it's considered a middle-class lifestyle. They ain't never coming back!

Democracy icon Alexey Navalny compared Muslims to cockroaches and recommended their extermination

There’s a ludicrous degree of Navalny overkill in the news today. Apparently now that he’s gone, there is no more hope whatsoever for democracy in Russia. Canadian politicians across the spectrum are outdoing one another to sing his praises, and more importantly, to blame Putin for his death. This is highly ironic, given Navalny’s roots as an ultra-nationalist Russian who has compared Muslims to cockroaches and suggested they be exterminated. Needless to say, that sort of commentary would be instant career suicide for any politician in Canada. And not just politicians. But hey, the man hates Putin, and that washes away a lot of sins in the eyes of our virtuous democracy-loving political class. Here’s another angle; maybe that just proves there’s more freedom of speech in Russia than in Canada!

The Heart of Darkness

As the astute reader will have realized long ago, the Farm Manager manages much more than the farm around here. She micro-manages virtually every aspect of my existence. Not that I'm complaining. In fact, I've never been happier! And sometimes her managing manages to birth a great concept for a business venture. Hence the Hearts of Darkness Chocolate Company. That's a concept that has "home run" written all over it. It'll join our stable of start-ups that include the Stinkfoot Cheese Company and the BigAss Chair Company. Yessirree, this commie is embracing capitalism big time! It all started with a story she read me about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Due to considerations of age and lifestyle I'm a proud member of that cohort that can be reasonably expected to drop dead at any moment from a catastrophic cardiac event. Ya, who knows, this could be the last blog post I ever wr... aarrrgggghhh.............. oh shit I can't breathe... call 911!.. Just kidding. Anyway, she says guys my age can benefit big time from regular doses of dark chocolate. I don't have a problem with that. In fact I don't mind dark chocolate one bit. All things considered I'm more partial to white chocolate, but WTF, I like life, and I've never heard anything about the power of white chocolate stretching out my time in this mortal coil. The problem, I think, is getting guys my age into the typical chocolates emporium to buy their life-saving dark chocolates. While we occasionally darken the doorways of such establishments when we have the good fortune of remembering a birthday or an anniversary or the fact that Feb 14 is more than just another day in February, we're otherwise disinclined to frequent these places. It's just not that cool, and what guy goes to a fancy chocolate shop to buy himself chocolates? That's where a bit of marketing savvy comes in, and after "Stinkfoot" and "BigAss" you'll have to admit that I'm up there with the heavy hitters of marketing. Welding was absolutely the wrong career choice for me, a decision that should haunt my grade 9 guidance counsellor to this day. So Heart of Darkness Chocolate Company is going to partner up with the Snap-On folks. Yup, you can buy your life-saving dark chocolates right off the Snap-On truck when Buddy rolls round to sell you your next $150 screwdriver. We're thinking of a NASCAR sponsorship too, especially if we can convince Mark Martin to hang around another year or two. Our people are talking to his people even as I write this. I think we got us a winner! Look out Mill Creek!

Trudeau: "a truly repugnant level of moral cowardice"

That's according to Robyn Urback in a Globe op-ed today. Robyn has her knickers in a twist because of Fluffy's sit-on-the-fence attitude about the Gaza genocide-in-progress. She claims Dear Leader's refusal to unambiguously come down on one side or the other leaves him alienating both sides. Both Muslims and Jews are allowed to vote in Canada, and therefore Fluffy doesn't want to lose votes on one side by speaking out for the other. While I agree with Urbacks evaluation of Justin's moral standards, the moral cowardice goes far beyond the PMO and the war on Gaza. Laurentian Consensus types, still more or less our "ruling class," are American Empire Loyalists one and all. Their policies are not evaluated on any criteria other than; will Uncle Sam give us a pat on the head? Lloyd Axworthy, godfather of the "responsibiity to protect" doctrine, is silent on who's responsible for protecting the children of Gaza. He's opined often about Russia's genocidal war on Ukraine, which has taken the lives of an estimated 600 children in two years. The genocidal war on Gaza has taken the lives of 12,000 children in four months. Not a peep out of Lloyd. That's moral cowardice. Yesterday our PM stated that waving a Palestinian flag in downtown Toronto is "antisemitism." He has yet to speak out against the bombing of hospitals in Gaza. That's not the sort of "pricipled stand" that would get him a pat on the back in DC. And Robyn Urback, in her op-ed, clearly wants PM Fluffy to get off the fence and become a cheerleader for genocide. That too is morally repugnant.

How media manipulation turns fantasy into facts

Have you noticed that our legacy media feels obliged to remind you that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a “full-scale” invasion? It wasn’t always so. In the early days of the war, the most popular descriptors of the war were “brutal,” “illegal", and, my personal favorite, “unprovoked.” Nobody called it “full-scale” because everybody knew it wasn’t. In January 2022, the Russian Army had about one million under arms. 150,000 at most went into Ukraine. It didn’t take long for the Russians to realize that was a mistake. They’d made the mistake the Americans made in their invasion of Iraq; thinking they’d be welcomed with flowers and parades. Hence the subsequent retreat and regrouping. The retreat was portrayed as Ukraine driving out the invader. Not really. For the most part, the Ukrainian forces were just moving into areas the Russians had vacated. But that summer of 2022 unleashed a great eruption of euphoric celebration of Ukraine’s savvy on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Russia regrouped. Putin ordered a doubling of his armed forces. Within months, they were back with 300,000 troops. Nothing has gone Ukraine’s way since. I’m not sure even that number would constitute “all-out invasion,” but oddly enough, that’s when you started seeing “full scale” as the main descriptor of the initial invasion. Not that it wasn’t still “brutal,” “illegal,” or “unprovoked,” but now the number one descriptor is “full-scale.” Why? Because the people in Washington who orchestrated this war realize it’s over. Reminding us at every turn that this was a full-scale invasion gives their excuses an aura of plausibility. We only lost because it was a full-scale invasion. If it had been merely a half-hearted and half-assed invasion, we would have triumphed! Sure. Why not just admit Ukraine and their NATO/US/EU backers have lost the war.

While America celebrates Super Bowl LVIII, Iran celebrates 45th anniversary of Islamic Revolution

Coincidence? February 11, the day God-fearing Americans celebrate the great game of American football, the Towelheads 'o Terror are celebrating putting the run to our democracy-loving pal, the Shah of Iran. That's a travesty that still rankles the American Empire to this day. There's a hardcore bi-partisan anti-Iran bloc in Washington who have been itching for all-out war with Iran for 45 years. As a general rule, the more campaign money a US politician gets fron Israel, the more hardcore they are. On the Iranian side, they've never avenged Trump's assassination of their numero uno terror boss Qasem Solemani. They said at the time that vengeace would come at the time and place of their choosing. They've been waiting four years and the time of their choosing has not yet materialized. Not that I think they're about to target the Super Bowl, but it sure would be a great opportunity for a false-flag attack on the part of some third party who would dearly love to bring America into a direct war with Iran.

What Putin doesn't understand about Americans

According to the latest stats, almost 200 million people have clicked on Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin. That sounds super impressive, but the stat I’d like to see is how many were still watching five minutes later. I’d wager not one in a hundred Americans would have watched that far. That’s what Putin doesn’t get about Americans and their politics. In Russia, he has a captive audience who don’t mind an hour-and-a-half preamble to the main course. In America, by contrast, if you can’t make your point in a thirty second sound bite, you don’t have a career in politics. So I’m pretty sure Carlson’s much ballyhooed one-on-one made no difference whatsoever in how Americans view Russia. It may however have caused at least some of them to marvel at the contrast between Biden and Putin. Ironically, the Putin interview came out the same day the Special Counsel report came out absolving Sleepy Joe of culpability for illegal handling of classified documents on the grounds that, to put it politely, Joe’s elevator can no longer be reliably counted on to reach the top floor. That charge woke Sleepy Joe up just long enough to call a presser where he offered a outraged soundbite condemning the Special Counsel. He should have left it there. Unfortunately, in the next breath he got Egypt confused with Mexico. Could it be any more obvious that the President does not rule the country?

Getting wasted at the Waste Management Open

For years the people in charge of the golfing business have bemoaned the fact not enough kids are getting into the sport. A lot of folks thought golf had an image problem. It does. It’s friggin’ boring! They haven’t had a character player since John Daly, although Tiger had his moments. Then they came up with an idea. Let’s make it a piss-up! That's why your seeing golf hooligans run wild at the Phoenix Open this weekend. I’m guessing that’s the Irish contingent in the photo above. Judging by the caps and blazers, they’re certainly a cut or two above your typical football (soccer) hooligans. Here’s a young crowd obviously enjoying themselves! So now that they’ve got some traction amongst the younger set, what do the stuffed shirts at the PGA do? Ban alcohol sales at the Phoenix Open! For years the people in charge of the golfing business have bemoaned the fact not enough kids are getting into the sport. A lot of folks thought golf had an image problem. It does. It’s friggin’ boring! They haven’t had a character player since John Daly, although Tiger had his moments. Then they came up with an idea. Let’s make it a piss-up! I’m guessing that’s the Irish contingent in the photo above. Judging by the caps and blazers, they’re certainly a cut or two above your typical football (soccer) hooligans. Here’s a young crowd obviously enjoying themselves! So now that they’ve got some traction amongst the younger set, what do the stuffed shirts at the PGA do? Ban alcohol sales at the Phoenix Open! What a bunch of losers!

Stuck in the middle of the International Bridge with a suitcase of Coors

The St. Croix river separates Saint Stephen New Brunswick from Calais Maine. One Sunday in '91 my buddy Fudge from the shipyard had a bit of a thirst on, and since the beer stores in NB didn't have Sunday hours at the time, he decides to make a run to the border to quench his craving. The St. Croix isn't much of a river. You can walk across it in hip waders and keep your socks dry. In fact, on any given day you'll see a couple dozen guys fishing in the river, God knows what's in their hip waders. Could be stuffed full of dope for all I know. I've heard you can cram ten pounds of bud into a pair of chest-highs with no problem. So Fudgie drives down to Saint Stephen, parks his car, walks across the bridge to the duty-free on the US side, picks up a suitcase of Coors, and heads back. Gets to the Canada Customs shack, they ask if he's got anything to declare. Well I got this two-four here but I been over for a couple days so that should be ok. You watch these guys fishing in the St. Croix. Fishing is one boring pastime. You can only watch them so long. Sooner or later you lose interest. The fishermen can stand in that damn river all day. Eventually they get out. The customs guy says to Fudge, couple of days my ass, I saw you walk over ten minutes ago. No way pal. Off you go. So Fudgie traipses back to the US side. A guy stands in the river for six or eight hours. Does he get out the same side he went in? Well, you'd have to be watching for six or eight hours to know for sure, and even then, how sure would you be? A fat middle-age white guy in a lumberjack shirt and hip-waders standing in the middle of a river could be from anywhere. Even the Homeland Security types lose interest after awhile. Fudge gets back to the US side. You can't bring the beer in. Why not? You owe us the tax. Well, Fudge knew the price of a suitcase but he didn't bring tax money. Fudge is fucked. Border crossings. Back in the day we had a flood of guys head up here because they didn't want to go and kill the yellow people. Good for them. Unfortunately, almost all of them ended up in the bowels of the Canadian university system, where they totally constipated the tenure tract for the next several generations of aspiring academics. Hell of a price to pay, but I suppose it saved some lives on both sides. Fudge decides he's done screwing around with the bureaucrats. He takes his suitcase to the middle of the bridge, right where the flags are, and pops open a Coors. He's gonna show 'em they don't mess with the Fudge. Fudge was an old-timer at the shipyard. He once told me a story about when things were slow in the Saint John drydock, how the US Navy came up and recruited the laid-off lads to go and work in the yards down in Bath. Ya, I was drunk when they hired me, I was drunk for the two months I was there. I was drunk when I quit. Never did a lick of work. All I remember is riding around the yards on a bicycle. After about six beers Fudge has to take a leak. So he does. From the middle of the bridge. Two guys come running out from the Canadian side. Fudgie steps a couple of feet to the south. You can't touch me. You don't have any authority here. You're infringing on American sovereignty. Fudge knew his rights. The Canadians are on their radios trying to get the US guys to come and sort this out. Fudge sits down on his suitcase, two feet over the line, and cracks another beer. In every war you hear the stories about the regular guys who would rather sing Christmas carols or play soccer or drink beer or smoke a joint with the guys on the other side. It happened in the Great War. It happened in the next war. It happened in Viet Nam. There are soldiers in the IDF today smoking hash that came from their enemies in Lebanon. The Americans never did come to the aid of their Canadian colleagues. Even in those distant pre 9/11 days they had bigger fish to fry. While old Fudgie was spending the day watching the fishermen and taking an occasional whiz off the bridge, they busted a young black guy driving a brand new Jaguar across the border with three white women in it. That pretty much kept them tied up for the rest of the day. Fudge tired of the game about four in the afternoon. Still had a couple of cans left in the case. The border guys turned him over to the RCMP, who kept him in the Saint Stephen lock-up overnight. By then the New Brunswick beer stores were open. All's well that ends well.

Trudeau's handlers take page out of Trump's PR handbook

This headline at CBC News caught my eye; Trudeau 'pissed off' by Bell Media's 'garbage decision' to lay off journalists . Looks to me like the publicly funded pro-Trudeau network is working on a bit of a PR makeover for the former drama teacher. We’re not at Trumpian levels of boorishness by any means, but this is a start. After all, he wasn’t even ‘pissed off’ when that terrorist heckler tossed a handful of gravel in his direction a few years ago, at least not on the record. No, he’s a guy known and loved for his natty stockings and poofy haircut, not for calling a spade a spade. Team Trudeau is working to reset their boy’s image into a rough-and-tumble kinda guy who tells it like it is and could spend a couple of hours in a working class bar without getting punched out.

Brace yourself for the tsunami of crazy people about to overrun your city

And it is more of a city thing, isn’t it? We don’t see a lot of crazy people out here in the sticks… well, now that I think about it… But it’s a different kind of crazy. In the city, crazy’s got a whole different vibe. It’s a dangerous sort of crazy. And it gets more dangerous every day as the toxic stew of addiction, homelessness, and mental illness defies our too-little too-late fixes. Here’s why you need to brace yourself. My sources deep inside the K-12 education system tell me there’s a wave of feral children making their way towards graduation and into the streets. These children missed two years of socialization that they normally would have gotten in school. Schools were closed for covid. Kids went to “on-line learning.” I’m sure some learning went on, but all reports indicate that these students are overwhelmingly lacking in basic academic skills, and more importantly, lacking even more in social skills. They are the Children of the Screen. They are easily wounded. They have no attention spans to speak of. They respond well to short bursts of emotionally gratifying praise, but have zero resilience. They know they are special individuals and they know the world owes them way more than they’re getting. The kids who were already mid-teens when the covid hit will be the least damaged. Their personalities were largely formed before the experts told Doug Ford to make them stay home for two years. It’s the younger ones who are working their way through now that will explode the caseloads of social workers all across the land. They’re in the high schools now, and more of them will hit the streets every year going forward. Many of them are woefully unprepared to cope in what we used to call “the real world.” That was the world where you took on some responsibilities and took some pride in paying your bills. The “real world” for all too many of these feral children will be the world of addiction, homelessness, and mental illness.

The Gods of Coincidence demand you stay skeptical

I'm recycling this story from the 10th anniversary of 9/11 as a reminder. Giuliani and George W, the two politicians who most effectively milked the disaster to revive flagging careers, are all over the television, taking their place among the galaxy of heroes. Christ, who wasn't a hero on 9/11? Today I learned that even the regular folks who did nothing more heroic than go to their office jobs that Tuesday morning are heroes. The politicians can stand there and laud the heroism of the first responders, even as several levels of government and the private insurance industry connive to deny them proper health care for terminal illnesses that are the direct result of their heroism at ground zero. And on it goes with the by now tiresome recitation of the names of the victims. Just the 9/11 victims, mind you. The good guys. The heroes. The office worker or the waitress or the prep chef or the janitor who just happened to call the twin towers their workplace. Well over 6,000 American servicemen and women have given their lives in the wars of vengeance that followed 9/11. When do we read their names? Six thousand Americans dead to avenge the deaths of three thousand Americans. The math doesn't really add up in my book. But at least we've laid some serious hurtin' on the towel-heads. They've been sent to heaven by the hundreds of thousands. That'll teach them to fuck with the big dog. Too bad the big dog had to go broke to teach them that lesson. So on this day-long celebration of heroism lets not forget to raise a toast to the Gods of Coincidence, who after all, had a very busy day on 9/11. Possibly their busiest day ever. How nineteen Muslim terrorists overcame the combined defences of dozens of security agencies is surely a coincidence of the highest order, especially when all of them had been on the radar of an alphabet soup of Western intelligence agencies for years. How indestructible flight recorders can be vaporized while Mohamed Atta's passport floats safely to earth. How hi-jacked aircraft can mosey through the most highly defended air-space in the world without being challenged. How massive steel columns hundreds of feet away from any impact or fire could spontaneously and simultaneously fail. Coincidence, coincidence, coincidence. A busy day indeed for the Gods of Coincidence. Stay skeptical, my friends

Why can't America figure out how to kill Death Row inmates?

I vaguely followed that shit-show in Alabama, where the state felt compelled to experiment with nitrogen gas as a mode of execution. By all reports, this experiment did not show the way forward in humane executions. Here’s a thought. There’s a “toxic drug” epidemic raging across America. People are dropping dead from coast to coast due to the fentanyl crisis. This shit is 100x more potent than heroin. Back in the day we had a heroin epidemic. Addicts had to steal a hundred bucks worth of stuff to get their next fix. Today a hit of fentanyl can be had for a dollar or less, from what I’ve seen on the news. No wonder people get wasted and stay there. They can afford it! But that’s another issue. My point is this. If humane execution is the goal, just leave a jug of Jack Daniel and a bag of fentanyl pills with death row dude at the last supper. He’ll be gone by morning.

Ukraine was set up to lose this war

From the beginning, which for the purposes of this brief rant we’ll consider what is variously known as “the Revolution of Dignity,” “The American coup”, or the “Triumph of the Banderites,” it was obvious to all with eyes to see that Uncle Sam was the producer and director of the show. Vicky Nuland and John McCain handing out sweets in Maidan Square was the tip-off. What a bold bipartisan show of support! Our own John Baird was doing the same thing the next day! Little John jumped on every opportunity to ingratiate himself with the Big Dogs. There must have been some good stuff in those cookies, because in no time at all the Ukrainian People were rising up en mass in a democratic fervor to overthrow their democratically-elected President! Vicky later let it slip that nurturing that democratic fervor had cost the US some $5B. These are people who whine about foreign interference in our elections. I can’t even imagine Wang Li handing out cookies at the Ottawa Trucker’s Insurrection. But back to Ukraine. America installed a new government, as revealed in the Nuland-Pyatt tapes. Every fledgling democracy that just overthrew their democratically elected government, needs a little help from the Mecca of Democracy in DC. The “West,” ie Uncle Sam and his NATO/EU camp followers, spent the next eight years goading their Ukrainian patsies into open conflict with Russia. EU membership was within reach! NATO membership was just around the corner! Finally, on 24 February, 2022, Putin took the bait. No more encroachment by NATO. He’d been saying that for twenty years. Western leaders were euphoric! Here we are, finally ready to push Putin into the dustbin of history… Fast forward two years. Putin’s economy, like his military, is thriving. Russia produces more artillery shells than all NATO combined. Ukraine has been begging for air support since the first week of the war. “Close the skies!” they pleaded. We’re working on it. We’ve corralled a few F-16s and they’ll be along as soon as we’ve trained up the pilots and put air in the tires. Should be there late this year or by mid 2025 at the latest… Some of the most despicable politicians in America are openly bragging what a great deal this war has been. They’ve hurt Russia without a single American casualty! Meanwhile, Zelensky is looking to add 500,000 new soldiers to replace the 500,00 he’s lost. And all along the way, our politicians kept whispering sweet nothings into Zelensky’s ear… “whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”

After Ukraine's army overthrows Zelensky, will it still be a democracy?

If Zaluzhnyi overthrows Zelensky, will Ukraine still be a democracy? And if not, where will we stand then? Zelensky’s been making noises about firing his Chief of Defense Forces. I’m sure Valerii Zaluzhnyi has heard those noises too, and to him they probably sound a lot like the boss is preparing to through him under the bus. For two years we’ve heard over and over that we have a moral duty to support Ukraine. Those plucky Ukrainians have been selflessly sacrificing their lives to keep the flickering light of democracy from going dark. They are fighting Russia so we don’t have to. That’s why the mere thought of a coup to remove the greatest democratic leader of our time is a sacrilege. But, in case you haven’t noticed, in the global war of democracy against authoritarianism, our champions aren’t doing that great. A lot of the donor nations in the “free world” are starting to ask questions. Like what happened to the last two years of “help?” They’re wondering, and rightfully so, if they’re just throwing good money after bad. That’s why the blame game in Kyiv is off and running. The front-line defenders of democracy are out of money, ordnance, and running out of Ukrainians willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of democracy. If and when Zaluzhnyi pulls the trigger on a coup and overthrows the elected president, Ukraine will be a democracy no more. Hence, the rationale for our support will be gone. Ukraine will be at peace, for without our grandiose promises of “whatever it takes for as long as it takes,” there would have been no war to begin with.

Ottawa should be ashamed of the empty promises it keeps making to Ukraine.

FM Joly flew to Kyiv for photo-ops this week. She used the occasion to once again reiterate the official policy that we’re 100% with Ukraine for as long as it takes, as we’ve all heard many times before. What exactly does “standing with Ukraine” look like after two years of war? The military cupboard has long been stripped bare. Our ten billions in financial support was enough to keep the country afloat for two or three months. What do we now do to stand with Ukraine? FM Joly had the answer! We tap into Canada’s vast international influence network to put pressure on Putin to release those 20,000 children he abducted! Brilliant! Maximum virtue signaling at minimal cost!

Netanyahu shows Biden who's the Boss

For many weeks now, the Leader of the Free World has been pleading with his supposed vassal, Bibirius of Judea, to tone down the hospital bombings and baby killings in Gaza. The indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians must stop! It’s not that we give a shit about Palestinian civilians, but dammit, it’s just a bad look when you’re trying to convince the world you’re the Good Guys! And how has The Greatest Leader Since Moses responded to Mr. Biden’s entreaties? By doubling down on murder, mayhem, and massacre! You’d think the Leader of the Free World would have yanked Bibi’s chain by now. Instead, it looks like it’s Genocide Joe getting yanked around. He’s now committed America to defending global shipping by keeping the Red Sea and Suez canal open. This has required visiting several hundred millions worth of Hellfire and Tomahawk missiles at cave-dwelling sheep herders in Yemen, who have the audacity to stand up for the Gazans being genocided by our besties in the Middle East. If the Leader of the Free World, Commander-in Chief of the mightiest military force in the history of inhumanity, isn’t calling the shots, who is?

Genocide Joe doubles down on digging deeper

Ten months out from the election, trailing Trump in the polls, Team Biden has come up with a plan; more war! Yessiree! We hit 85 targets in Towelistan today… USA!!! USA!!! USA!!! BOOYA!!! We gonna teach them Toweler’s ‘o Terror a lesson they won’t soon forget! You know… just like we done in Afghanistan. And Iraq. And Libya. And Somalia before that… Meanwhile, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which Joe could end with a phone call, is undermining US support for Israel. The latest polls show even the stupefied American public turning their backs on the only democracy in the Middle East. We live in interesting times.

RIP Tante Marie

Tante Marie was special. Here's why. When my clan washed up on these Canadian shores in the middle fifties, every single aunt and uncle was hooked up with a fellow German, except my Dad's younger brother Horst, who remained unhooked till well into the 60s. Then one year, he shows up at a family get-together with this French-Canadian firecracker! Her name was Marie Richard. Tante Marie was perhaps a little more precocious than I was accustomed to. None of the other aunties were into Kino or Tanzen. Through my childhood eyes that made her rather exotic. At the same time, her core values allowed her to blend right in with the extended family from the get-go. Turns out small-town French-Canadian values meshed pretty well with the values of these German immigrants. You work hard and do your best and you care about the people around you. Tante Marie was a much-loved Auntie who we're going to miss. Condolences to Carmen and Joe, and to my Uncle Horst.