PM "Santa" Carney gift-wraps another $2.5 billion for the grifters in Kyiv

That brings Canada's commitments to Ukraine to somewhere north of 25 billions, every penny of it borrowed. Since Ukraine will never repay any of it, that leaves the Canadian taxpayer holding the bag. As a taxpayer, I object to this reckless squandering of Canadian resources. There was a time when promises of solidarity with Ukraine might have made a difference, but it should be obvious to everone by now that time is long past. "Keeping Ukraine in the fight" makes no sense when Ukraine is losing more every day. The one decent thing the otherwise despicable Zelly has done is allow 18-24 year-olds to leave the country while keeping the draft age at 25. That's really pissed off "friends of Ukraine" like the warmongering douchebags John Bolton and Lindsey Graham. This war is lost. NATO are the losers. Ukrainians are paying the price. Prolonging the conflict just dooms more Ukrainians to die.

Two weeks after new NSS promises focus on Western hemisphere, Trump bombs Nigeria

Bombing Nigeria on Christmas day in order to protect Christians probably won't end well for the Christians. There have been tensions between Christian and Muslim tribes for centuries. In essence, Trump is jumping into a Nigerian civil war. But maybe he doesn't realize Nigeria isn't part of the Western Hemisphere? Meanwhile, the showdown with Maduro continues. It must cost a bundle to keep the greatest armada in history idling in the Caribbean for months on end. And to what purpose? A land invasion? Shock and awe and a quick decapitation strike? Installing the recent Nobel Peace Prize winner in the presidential palace? Bringing back Random Guaido from his adjunct professorship in Florida to assume his rightful place as unelected leader of the nation? So many great options, but nothing's happening. Why? I don't want to rain on Trump's parade of retarded policy initiatives, but here's a thought. Why not scrap all sanctions on Venezuela, and prove to the Venezuelan people that America can actually be a force for good. Strike some legit nation-to-nation accords on letting American multinationals participate in the oil industry. Stop interfering in their politics. Why piss away billions in futile attempts to coherce Venezuela when you could be making billions playing nice? What a bunch of hubris-blinded zealots.

Seven Syrians and a Ukrainian

That's the make up of the "Multi-Language Learner" class at the local high school. Seven Syrian teens, all refugees from the Syrian civil war. Six are Muslim. One is Christian. All are Arabic speakers. Plus, the solitary Ukrainian kid, who arrived just after that war began. On the last day before Christmas break, they held their class Christmas party, orchestrated by the Christian teacher and the Jewish Ed Assistant. They snacked on sweets sent in by parents, over a soundtrack of prerecorded Arabic music and Christmas carols. Everybody had a good time. These kids have experienced many indignities, and much worse, in their lives. Being able to share and make friends across what could be sectarian divides in their home countries is a beautiful thing, and I don't begrudge a single tax dollar that helps facilitate it. Along with helping refugees fleeing foreign wars, we Canadians should take a step back and ask ourselves how our own policies and political alliances contribute to creating the very refugees we are helping. Both Syrian and Ukrainian refugees are victims of a deluded Western perspective committed to preserving US hegemony. It's time Canada stopped marching to Uncle Sam's tune. The Western Bandwagon isn't going anywhere good. Let's de-couple before it's too late. Let's invest in peace, not F-35s and warships. Canada can do better! Wishing you a peaceful winter solstice, no matter who or where you are, or what you call it. Merry Christmas!

Canada-Ukraine spy scandal smells extra fishy

I've been following the story of the Canadian Armed Forces "intelligence officer" who has been accused of espionage for passing Canadian secrets to a foreign entity. The Globe & Mail has its senior troika of truth tellers on the file, Chase, Fife, and Senior Internet Correspondent Mark Mackinnon. This team has been working overtime spinning anti-Russian propaganda for the past four years, and are spinning this particular security breach as a nothingburger. Turns out the foreign entity in question is Ukraine. As every patriotic Canadian well knows, thanks to being reminded daily by CBC and the Globe, Canada is Ukraine's absolute bestie in the global playground. Nobody, but nobody, has made more (empty) promises to Ukraine than we have. No one has vowed more often or more loudly to "stand with Ukraine" until victory. Needless to say, Ottawa is crawling with Ukraine firsters who don't consider sharing state secrets with Ukraine to be treason. That's why this episode is downplayed. Today's update seems nothing more than a gratuitous smear of journalist David Pugliese by recycling Ukrainian claims that he could be a Russian agent. For my money, Pugliese is by far the best informed and most professional journo covering Canada's military affairs in the mainstream. His forthrightness has often marked him for retaliation, especially when Big Steve's Alliance Church Mafia was running the joint. My read of the Ukraine war is that since the failed counter-offensive of 2023, things have only gone from disaster to worse disaster for Ukraine. We've been treated to the non-stop refrain; "A few more billions and a few more months and Putin will be vanquished." The EU has just found 90billion euros under the sofa cushions that will supposedly do the trick. It won't. At most, it will delay Ukraine's collapse for a few months. Then what?

Could it happen in Canada?

That's a question you've seen splashed across Canadian media since the murder of fifteen people in Australia on Saturday. I'll answer that for you. Not only could it, but thanks to decades of foolish policies, it's practically guaranteed to happen. Consider these four examples. 1) Somalia. Thirty years ago several Canadian Forces soldiers were found guilty of torturing a Somali teen to death. Since then, we have invited tens of thousands of Somalis to Canada. Some have long memories. Not all of them love Canada. 2) Syria. The same week that a Canadian from Edmonton was handed a stiff prison term for trying to join ISIS, a former ISIS commander was handed the Presidency of Syria by the very same coalition of stinking hypocrytes who pretended for the last fifteen years to be fighting ISIS. In the course of our secret support for ISIS, we brought tens of thousands of Syrians to Canada. We've got over 100,000 now. Not all of them feel gratitude in their hearts for Canada's role in destroying their country. Not all of them are happy to see the Israeli flag flying in southern Syria. 3) Libya. Canada's political leadership was thrilled to play a role in the destruction of the most succesful country in Africa. The most politically and economically stable, Canada proudly led the bombing campaign that destroyed civil society and the place is now an anarchic shithole, thanks in part to Canada. Arabs and Muslims generally remember. 4) Afghanistan. We were happy enough to send Canadian Forces into harm's way. General Rick Hillier promised we'd put the murdering Taliban scumbags to the run, so Afghan women could vote and go to school, and children could fly kites! We know how that ended. We left thousands of collaborators at risk when we skedaddled, and we've been doing our best to welch on our promises to them, to say nothing of our moral obligations, ever since. What are the odds that among the 100,000+ Afghans now in Canada, at least a handful could hold grudges? I rest my case. It goes without saying that the murder of innocents must, without exception, be condemned, in Gaza as at Bondi. In the meantime, we need to change policies that cause people to hate us.

Retirement? I'd advise against it

I'm writing this as someone retired for five years, retired with a luxury most retirees don't have; a pension that affords a reasonably comfortable retirement. It therefore seems near-blasphemous to declare against retirement. But here's the thing. Once you're retired, you gain an appreciation for all the good stuff you got from working, far beyond the paycheque that paid your bills. As regular readers will know, the Farm Manager keeps her day job at the school board. She spent three hours this evening telling me about her day at work. As an Ed Assistant in a good-sized high school, her day involved multiple dozens of interactions with staff, students, and admin. It's really hard to hold up my end of this conversation, because spending eight hours on the computer ain't quite the same! Work forces a degree of collegiality on social misfits that you won't find in the virtual world, and that seems to be where everything is heading. When those nerds retire, where will the next generation find its North Star? So, even if you're fortunate enough to afford retirement, remember all the daily interactions on the shop floor, or the sales floor, or in the staff lounge. They are the routine interactions that together weave the social fabric. Make sure you have a plan before you walk away from that.

How cold is cold?

How cold is cold? I got to thinking about this today, because we just hit our record low for the season. It was minus 20C this morning, and that's frigid cold. Once you get real cold like that, the snow glistens like diamonds in the moonlight. Problem is, just around when all that wonderful shit happens, the same cold that makes your snow glisten also busts the bead on your tires. So there you are, thirty below and flats all round. Canadians who live in the really cold zones are well acquainted with these realities. Nobody in the prairies imagines minus 20 to be a "cold spell." It's more like a heat wave! I took a trip out there fifty years ago with my old pal Terry, my Chev Impala towing a trailer with his Harley stowed aboard. Somewhere in northern Manitoba, or maybe it was the next province over, the Impala lost a wheel bearing. On the Trans Canada Highway. At 3 A.M... when it's minus 40 Celsius outside. That was my introduction to extreme cold. We had to do some diagnostic work outside the warm cocoon of the Impala. After 90 seconds I was shaking so violently I couldn't turn a wrench. Terry didn't last much longer. I bring this up only because I'm warm and cosy in front of my propane fireplace. I have the good fortune of a pension that pays my bills. Cold is a helluva lot colder for the folks living in tents down by the river.