Regardless of whether Anonymous was right or wrong in releasing personal data, I might suggest that Nazis lost any reasonable expectation of privacy somewhere between Kristalnacht and the invasion of Poland, although I'd lean more toward the Beer Hall Putsch.  Genocide and tens of millions dead will do that to a brand.The only concern I might have is that if any of these unfortunately-inked examples of societal failure actually mature out of the movement, they might have hard time starting over given the infinite memory of the internet. …
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For unfamiliar readers, the vast majority of published peer reviewed academic research appears in journals controlled by massive for-profit publishing houses. Academics do not see the monetary profit, the publishers do because they control distribution and access to their journals through expensive subscriptions. The lay public, independent researchers, and others must pay through the nose in order to access this research. The advent of the internet has challenged this middle-corporation driven model by allowing journals to flourish free of the need for massive publishing houses. All you need …
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Does it always take a lethal mill fire before the minister will leap into action to help displaced mill-workers? I only ask because between 2000 and 2010 the Canadian forest industry lost 144 900 direct jobs, hitting fully two-thirds of the forest-dependent communities in the country. I wonder where the leaping ministers were then? …
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Steph Harper. "To be sure, our government has no grand scheme to repeal or to unilaterally rewrite the Indian Act," Harper said in his opening speech."After 136 years, that tree has deep roots. Blowing up the stump would just leave a big hole."This, from a man who seems quite comfortable with subverting 500 years of parliamentary evolution and convention? …
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Revolting. …
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I'm all for not passing judgment until the facts are all in and examined, but it is becoming much harder to do that in light of what's coming out in the media now about the [in]actions of Costa Concordia's master and crew (and possibly further up the chain, the ship's owners). This could be one of those disasters that rewrites the book. You know, the 'what-not-to-do' section. …
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At the end of the day it won't matter what the JRP recommends or what the Cons and Enbridge do to negate or subvert the process.  Something is different about this pipeline proposal compared to others.The context is in so many ways changed from past proposals. The hearing process commences at a time when the world has seen the Deep Water Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Locally, people do not not need to be reminded of the destruction from the Exxon Valdez. And the black bleakness of the Tar Sands, for which this pipeline is proposed as servant, are infamous for their contribution …
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First, via thwap, a link to another Rabble piece by Tyler McCreary. In it he describes the appalling start by which Enbridge and even JRP chair Sheila Leggett stepped in it.  Second, The Regina Mom has a solid series of recent links to all things Enbridge and Northern Gateway. Go and read. …
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Marc Lee at the Progressive Economics Forum (and Rabble)has his Sherlock hat on sleuthing out the the math behind the employment numbers Enbridge is claiming for the Northern Gateway project. He explains how economic input-output models are manipulated to produce person-year employment numbers. Input-output models are fairly standard economic models used by government and industry predict the impact of an economic event on a region, such as the addition or loss of a major industry. I'm not an economist so I'm not the one to ask about the details of these things, but I can tell that as with all …
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...if all allegedly corrupt Toronto cops wear button-fastened brown or black leather jackets with step collars? Or is it just a drug squad thing?Do the homicide folks wear trench coats? Do they go shopping together and giggle over the racks in fine leather shops? Inquiring minds want to know. …
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Back here I deleted comments and left a note explaining that I did so because of the vicious ad hominem nature of some of these comments. I won't speak for my co-bloggers but I ask that commenters on my posts refrain from personal attacks. I don't particularly care if the thread veers off topic and you want to talk about  flower gardening instead of oil pipelines. But if you start screaming FUCK YOU in caps or calling another commenter nasty names, I'll delete your posts without a second thought, whether or not I agree with you. I won't ban you unless you persist and you're welcome to …
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Wow, what is it with spokesthingies called Marshall saying misleading things today?First we have BC Ferries' Deborah Marshall trotting out a line about a smoking clutch when in fact we learn it was an apparently serious crankcase problem that disabled the Queen of Oak Bay. Second, we've got Ethical Oil's Kathryn Marshall, well, watch for yourself: …
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Wow, Stephen Harper's had quite the week. First, one of his minion could keep his yap shut about Kitimat pipeline, pissing off the very people who, if not fully convinced of the benefits, must be persuaded to at least not hate the project. Then another one of his dungpumps gunged up the idea that same-sex marriages performed in Canada weren't valid if same-sex marriage was not allowed in the couple's home locale.  What these useless people don't quite understand is that some things, once out, cannot be put back again. There's no going back on the corruption of process in the Joint Review …
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The vile Harper is planning a mission to China to sell oil. Used to be that Canadian conversations with China at least had to think about mentioning human rights issues. Reuters points out that Harper has dropped the charade and human rights concerns are not even being paid the lip service they once were.In light of Oliver Oil's recent comments on the Northern Gateway JRP process, I'll go one step further and suggest that the Harper-cons think the Chinese government has the right idea when it comes to rights.These recent events are instructive in that they reveal a little more of the Harper's …
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Shortly after my recents posts in the Oliver and the Oil Pipeline, I tripped over this bit by Michael T Klare, where he surveys the shifting geostrategic picture around oil resources. In a nutshell, he talks about US bases in Australia, Chinese versus ASEAN posturing around contentious bits of water with potential reserves, the Caspian, and of course the latest sabre-rattling between Iran and the US over the Straight of Hormuz.A couple of things stand out about this apparent return to full-time Great Game posturing after the Bush-era clumsiness of invasions and occupations (they never …
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Given that I have a little experience around pipeline and megaproject issues, I thought I might provide readers with a bit of a rundown on how the JRP hearing process works and what's involved. Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, a project of the magnitude of Enbridge's Northern Gateway proposal triggers a Joint Panel Review. The Joint Panel is made up of individuals representing the federal National Energy Board (NEB) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). The process begins with the preparation and submission by the proponent (Enbridge) of a document sometimes …
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Be careful with them words. Environmental and other "radical groups" are trying to block trade and undermine Canada's economy, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Monday. Oliver's comments come one day before federal regulatory hearings begin on whether to approve Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline, which would deliver crude from Alberta's oilsands to Kitimat, B.C., for shipment to Asia. More than 4,300 people have signed up to address the proposed pipeline over the next 18 months. "Unfortunately, there are environmental and other radical groups that would seek to block this …
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This whole War of 1812 glorification schtick the Harper-toons are pushing is actually starting to amuse me - to a point. Most recently, the mucous ones have hired a firm to inject 1812 into this year's Canada Day celebrations.Nevermind that to include 1812 would logically mean renaming Canada Day British North America Day because that's what Canada was called in 1812, if only by the colonial power. However, one can understand the Conservatives thinking around this as many of their leaning also believe that life begins when the sperm meets the egg, and not nine months later when a living human …
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From The Guardian:Undercover police officers routinely adopted a tactic of "promiscuity" with the blessing of senior commanders, according to a former agent who worked in a secretive unit of the Metropolitan police for four years.The former undercover policeman claims that sexual relationships with activists were sanctioned for both men and women officers infiltrating anarchist, leftwing and environmental groups.Sex was a tool to help officers blend in, the officer claimed, and was widely used as a technique to glean intelligence. His comments contradict claims last week from the …
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This is only going to grow. At least 25 current and former female RCMP officers are seeking to join a possible class-action lawsuit against the force for alleged mistreatment on the job, a lawyer involved in the budding legal action says.Lawyer Alexander Zaitzeff, of Thunder Bay, Ont., who is building the case with six other lawyers in Ontario and B.C., said he's heard from Mounties in every province with stories to tell."Constant terrible bullying, a hateful work environment, a tough place to actually show up and do your job, all the way to sexual assaults," Zaitzeff said Tuesday. …
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The US Department of Justice has issued a report taking the bigot Sheriff Arapaio of Maricopa to the cleaners. The document makes really interesting reading in its descriptions of the systemic profiling and abuse of Latinos in Maricopa county. Hispanic residents are routinely and disproportionately targetted through random arrests and harassment by Joe Arapaio's deputies. It makes for interesting reading, and one does start to wonder how long the miserable little prick will remain outside of his own prison cells.But something else struck me when I read the following bit on pages 11 and 12. …
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"We're in the business of getting Conservatives elected and ending Liberal careers. We're good at it."- Nick Kouvalis, Principal Partner at Campaign ResearchCampaign Research is the polling firm 'hired' by the Conservatives that falsely told Montreal constituents that their MP, Liberal Irwin Cotler, may resign. Andrew Sheer is the Speaker of the House and Conservative MP who bought the services of Campaign Research during his election campaign. Andrew Sheer is the Speaker of the House who found no breach of privilege when Irwin Cotler formally complained to him about Campaign …
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Your sense of ethics appears to be lacking.House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer was a client of the firm linked to calls in Irwin Cotler's riding that falsely claimed he was about to step down, Elections Canada records show.Cotler asked Scheer to rule on whether the calls breached his parliamentary privilege, interfering in his ability to do his work as an MP. Cotler said his office was forced to deal with calls and emails from people in his Montreal riding wondering whether it was true. He also argued it made Parliament as a whole look bad, breaching privilege for all …
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Uh oh. RCAF Air Marshall Lieutenant General Andre Deschamps makes warning noises about problems meeting operational requirements if the government buys less than 65 F-35s. Julian Fantino, the ex-copnow holding a job with the Harper Government (tm) related to defence is saying, well, final numbers 'are uncertain blah blah, and blah, but we're buying the F-35!' Hmm, one wonders if there's not just a little friction between the politicians and the generals?And then, oh, what's this? Something about "Cracks of Doom" or "hotspots" in the air-frames? Production slowdowns? You know, the armed forces …
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Canada's formal withdrawal from Kyoto will have consequences for Canadian foreign policy and relationships with other nations. It places the Harper-led government at odds with nearly the entire rest of the world, which is desperately trying to find a solution to the commons problem and issues of fairness that are hamstringing climate talks. Canada is not withdrawing in good faith; we are withdrawing because a bunch of older angry white men high on functionally obsolete economics don't understand what's at stake.We may find other states punishing Canada through trade barriers, passport …
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That's twice now in as many weeks that I've spoken to a recent Canadian veteran or serving member in as many cities and they've mentioned homeless Canadian vets from recent wars. "It's an American problem and we're seeing it here," said one retired and very active senior NCM.Numbers seem to be elusive at this time, although it's been in the news. But if I've picked up the radio chatter, there's a good chance there's something very serious happening beyond media sensationalizing. So while the boy Airshow zooms and zips in Challengers and Cormorants, the Army's trucks rust out, the Navy's subs …
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I raised an eyebrow at this quote from the new RCMP commissioner, Bob Paulson:His other immediate priorities are restoring a strong sense of leadership and accountability, including a zero-tolerance policy on what he calls "dark-hearted behaviour" such as harassment.He recalls a conversation while sailing from Hawaii with his brother, then a navy ship captain. His brother said that if the ship ran aground in the night, he would be fired, not the helmsman."That's what I want to bring to how we practise leadership in the organization," Paulson said.Yes, I agree it would be lovely and …
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...from Edmonton to a not-frozen green place by the sea that is thick with friendly bloggers.  Gone Westerer, as they say. …
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I went to a Catholic high school that had a uniform policy. It wasn't all jacket, ties, and plaid skirts, but more of a dress casual with monogrammed Docker type trousers and an assortment of shirts and sweaters. All in all not a terrible uniform policy although one did get tired of it because the subdued white, navy, maroon, mustard yellow colour selections matched the paint on the lockers. Yeah, it was weird.It was the enforcement that sucked. You couldn't wear just any old pair of khakis, it had to be the one with 1x2cm school logo patch just above the rear pocket. If you didn't have this …
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CBCAboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan, who announced the measures in question period Wednesday, told the House of Commons that "urgent health and safety issues" in the northern Ontario community needed immediate action."The Government of Canada has informed the chief that we are placing the community in third-party management to ensure community needs are addressed," Duncan said. "Part of the manager's role will be to administer my department's funding which is normally managed by the First Nation directly."Attawapiskat has been in crisis for a very long time and very vocal about, …
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A good friend researches climate change policy and is presently at the COP 17 meeting in Durban, South Africa. She also attended COP 15 in Copenhagen a couple of years ago and started a blog about it, which she's now reactivated for Durban.Her impressions so far were summed up in a note to me today: desperate, tragictiredthe whole place feels tiredCopenhagen had some energythis place is just tiredAnyway, her blog is worth a look if you want a personal, nuanced sense of what goes on at these meetings and the general atmosphere of the place (and maybe some discussion of local flora for the …
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...justifying a billion dollar security budget and a thousand arbitrary arrests and beatings. …
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Posted in its entirety and without comment. **Please Forward Widely**GROUP STATEMENT BY 17 PEOPLE CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY DURING THE G20REGARDING A PLEA DEALhttp://conspiretoresist.wordpress.com/November 22, 2011 -- As people across Turtle Island look towards theglobal wave of protests against the austerity agenda, the memory of the2010 G20 protests in Toronto looms large as both inspiration and caution.We are seventeen people accused by the state of planning to disrupt theleaders summit – the prosecutors call us the G20 Main Conspiracy Group.This alleged conspiracy is absurd. We were never …
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My first thought upon reading this report from CBC about the massive surveillance program instituted by Canadian police around the G8/G20 was wow, what are you going to do now?Occupy didn't exist last year in Toronto and Huntsville. There wasn't a global movement with massive latent support transcending the usual activist circles the police are able to infiltrate and monitor. The police themselves, their numbers and tactics weren't on display near as often before the G8/G20 and Occupy. The entire world wasn't watching students sprayed with pain-agents, ex-Marines with fractured skulls from …
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Reading Harebell's excellent take on my post about Blake's Balaclava law, I thought I might juxtapose a few images. The top is a riot cop at the G20 last year in Toronto. The second one is an Ulster Defence Force gunman, and the last is his opposite number in the Irish Republican Army.What these three individuals have in common is a demonstrated willingness to hide their identities like cowards while committing acts of violence against unarmed civilians. Odd that we only label the last two thugs and terrorists. …
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"Trouble...mob...riot?" Judging by his language, Alberta MP Blake Richards seems to see any protest gathering as something that should be illegal, because it is clearly "trouble" starting. “When trouble starts, people intent on criminal activity depend on being able to 'mask up' to conceal their faces with bandanas, balaclavas or other means to avoid being identified and being held accountable for their actions,” Richards said in a statement last month when the bill was tabled. “Wearing a mask in these circumstances is an aggravating factor for their behaviour that should be …
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Chris Hedges. Even NattyPo. H/t Bob. …
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"...to write fuck on their airplanes because it's obscene."Go Pat. …
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This morning I'm reading deBeauxOs post on the Sandusky paedophile case at Penn State, which describes the mocking heaped on one alumni by defenders of athletic staff accused of covering up the problem. This tendency to defend and dismiss the indefensible is as an aspect of human nature that never ceases to disgust me, although it does not surprise me anymore. Years ago, there was instructor on a course I took who would force his troops to shower in front of him as "punishment". He would order them to repeatedly cover themselves in suds and rinse, gazing away to "make sure they washed …
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