gdp's Comments

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Lets ask good questions about what happened

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:03:20 +0000

update: Sarkozy, Merkel, Brown and friends are trying to spin their plan for the global economy as a 'New Deal', similar to what was set up after the Great Depression. Yet the EU/UK plan is neither new nor a deal. It simply sets up a bunch of their crony 'supervisors' to supposedly 'monitor' and act as an 'early warning system' to the financial sector. Feel reassured? Where is the 'deal' for labour ? Where is actual participatory/public space for accounting and verification? Do they think the public trusts them after allowing 30 years of free-fall of public funds into private pockets? Are we going to let them to continue to speculate behind their 'college of supervisors' on climate change, water depletion, food security, weapons, and any other thing they please?? This is the big question which people of all political stripes can find some unity on. We don't want another new higher crust of financiers dispensing more of their 'solutions' while the loaf implodes.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Lets ask good questions about what happened

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:26:50 +0000

(cont) This campaign has been based on; - intentionally instigating rural resentment toward city folks, and vice versa - using media and money to promote music and symbols in rural areas that resonate with many middle and lower income residents (along with the usual litany of messaging) - basically force-feeding vulnerable people (whose incomes they've stolen through the commodities casino), a shallow, false identity instead. So we have to find ways, perhaps the cultural folks have some good ideas, on how to bridge divides to get messaging through, particularly around alternatives to the current $ system. Keynesians, for example, might want to remind rural dwellers of the kinds of the interventionist policies were established after the Great Depression, which rural dwellers do remember quite vividly. This should be combined with careful critique of current so-called 'New Deal' proposals on offer from the UK/EU which may allow further financier self-regulation, and no public supports. (cont.) ps. We do not need to further entrench city/country divides. This approach will distract us from the core economic issues which unite us.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Lets ask good questions about what happened

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:23:08 +0000

sigh..there was a middle section to this point, it's disappeared twice now...hope it shows up

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Lets ask good questions about what happened

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:00:19 +0000

(cont.2) Others may want to highlight some of the very hopeful alternatives proposed in Morale's new constitution, the majority of rural dwellers are not vast landowners, and would see there some solid supports for their livelihoods, if they are allowed to see the specifics, without the trappings of ideology which will shut the door to further dialogue. Put that in a country music song, and..., well, you get the idea.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Lets ask good questions about what happened

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:58:19 +0000

The points gained by PC in the last couple days reflected the news of a G7 plan for the financial crisis. This was confirmed when stocks rose by 900 points on the Monday. PC's thus had it in the bag with a number swing ridings in the 905 and other areas where people might have voted differently. At the same time, the PCs also enjoy the support of a very different demographic, rural lower income people. These include the residents of close knit towns and communities where you know everyone in the grocery, where people still hold dances for their neighbours whose houses burn down from woodstove fires. On voting day PCs were out driving their neighbours to their polls, the elderly, young people, anyone who could vote. The PCS were entirely shut out of Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto. It's a rural/urban split, encompassing the suburban rich responding to the finance shock and 'relief' ,and the rural poor, responding to years of a multifactored campaign. (cont.)

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Morning After Points

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:52:10 +0000

Harper said, 'savings, earnings, and future opportunities' for all Canadians, quite distinct from others' call for protection of 'savings, homes, jobs' and we might add, 'lives'. The lives and self-determination of all peoples and species depends upon clear understanding and collective action in resistance to the current financier power grab. This means linking our analysis and efforts- peace demo coming up? make the links with money, power, environment, military squashing of indigenous Life. focus and hold onto what unites us, if it is eachother's hands, then lets use that circle to ring 'em round.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Get Out and (Strategic) Vote

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:01:12 +0000

Climate scientist Weaver asks Elizabeth May and Green voters to sacrifice the $1.89 votes for the sake of the planet. see the news item posted at voteforenvironment.ca .

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Putting humans in their place

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 12:11:28 +0000

Dear Dr. Suzuki, Yes, we need to put humanity back in perspective, in relation to other species. And the market, currently, runs our show. It is probably true that if policies are designed to make environmentally-friendly directions attractive to the market, then environment-friendly directions may result. Maybe. But what if the market is filled with crony corporatists who have too much invested in oil, gas, nukes, mining, and a given financial system, that they don't want to lose? Could we not demand that the reins of the market be given back to the majority who, according to statistics, do want a healthy planet? Should we not resist further financier self-regulation, marketed as 'regulation'? All of us need to demand strong, Publicly Verifiable regulation of finance, and economies geared to support the grassroots in every sense of that word. At this moment, if we don't together call for a truly democratic financial system, our policies and hoped-for outcomes around emissions will disappear into the expanding ocean of liquidity. Thanks for your consideration of these issues, and best wishes, Leigh Thomson

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Injecting NAFTA into the campaign

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 10:33:21 +0000

pieces of the timeline: 1) an April 11/08 press release from Paulson http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp919.htm outlines the G7 plan of more deregulation: Financier self-reporting disguised as 'regulation'. A 'college of supervisors' is proposed, unspecified, along with the rapid completion of the WTO Doha Round. 2) -4) see note above 5) Outrageous investment deals with Colombia and the EU are proceeding along under Harper's voluminous sweater, expanding the worst elements of NAFTA, and sneaking in more disastrous financial self-regulation proposals. 6) Self-regulated global finance would give financiers what they failed to get at the WTO, that is, full control of public pocketbooks around the world. 7) The EU financier self-regulation package embedded in Harper's EU deal is NAFTA on steroids. To pull the rug out from under these outrageous proposals, we can take up a call to re-open NAFTA, in the interests of the environment, workers, and all residents. www.polarisinstitute.org has a feature item on this call.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Injecting NAFTA into the campaign

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 08:45:49 +0000

it looks like the first and third parts of this missive are lost in cyberspace...maybe they'll show up later. the space limits on this board force commenters to chop up comments. i'll check back later, connecting the dots on these issues is critical, even more critical than my frosted veggies in fact...

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Injecting NAFTA into the campaign

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 08:28:02 +0000

5) Meanwhile, unfair trade deals with Colombia and the EU are proceeding with Harper's gang, replete with financier self-regulation. Listeria money anyone? 6) These speculator's deals, which will further destroy labour and the environment, are NAFTA on steroids, but if we the people succeed in changing NAFTA, we'll pull the rug out from under the casino, and give ourselves some space to develop better alternatives. Hence: http://www.polarisinstitute.org/a_message_to_cana...

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Injecting NAFTA into the campaign

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 08:27:34 +0000

2) The WTO Doha Round fails in the summer. Developing countries reached their limit of abuse, and proposals to liberalize finance further went over like a lead balloon. 3) Still intent on achieving 1), Paulson and his global banking cronies use politics and market rollercoasters to force through a tidy bailout that will cause more pain for people and planet, and make the finanical roller coaster worse. 4) The EU leaders 'step in' as saviours, as reported by the CBC yesterday, promoting same old 1) again, and "we agreed today that we will set up a college of regulators" http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/04/euro-mar...- sound familiar? can we guess who will be on this 'college of regulators?...

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Injecting NAFTA into the campaign

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 08:26:53 +0000

A Big Chance for Ecological and Human Justice: Here's a quick timeline; 1) April 11, Paulson and the G7 endorse a useless financial self-regulatory framework, spelled out here, including a key role for the IMF, and completion of the WTO's so-called Doha 'Development' Round. The fine print allows financiers to name the numbers on their own paper. And they want to appoint their own hand-picked 'supervisors' for the global financial system. "It is important that an "international college of supervisors" be established for each of the largest global financial institutions. " http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp919.htm . Paulson's plan has put the worst casino operators in place as the supervisory contractors in the US. Incidentally, the casino can use the tools of prices and currency trades to get around carbon taxes, because the casino is, now, and under the G7 plan, self-regulated.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Debate crisis could spread to Harper

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 10:41:31 +0000

in any case, i trust folks here and elsewhere will make good judgements. i'll also mention for the record here that i farm organically myself, and while i've 'stuck my oar in' probably rather too much on this blog last week while it was raining heavily, there is no more avoiding further harvest and cleanup now that frost has hit hard. over to you all, and thanks again, Leigh

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Debate crisis could spread to Harper

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 10:41:26 +0000

For the record, according to an earlier voteforenvironment-posted Nanos poll , in our riding the NDP candidate Russ Christensen was getting quite close to Liberal Paul Macklin. The most recent voteforenvironment-posted Nanos poll (from two days ago) shows Liberals pulling further ahead. No doubt more updated polling will be posted soon. Russ would be a fantastic MP, in any analysis. Area farmers are no longer in the thralls of Harper, having had a taste, though there will always be die-hards. I'm not saying at this point whether or not the NDP will, in a week or so, be the horse to shift to if the chips are down and we're facing a Harper majority, the liberals have traditionally been the alternative of choice in this riding, but for people to jump to conclusions right now doesn't seem quite helpful either...

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Debate crisis could spread to Harper

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 10:40:37 +0000

Thank you Ms. Klein, and others, for your comments. I think the discussion is helpful. The voteforenvironment site is particularly useful for the polling data, but unfortunately polling data can sometimes be a self-fulfilling prophesy, as, in fear, people do strategic voting for pollsters well ahead of the actual election. Ideally, of course, people would respond with their heart to pollsters, and we might get more accurate info, but unfortunately this doesn't happen often enough. You have correctly said in the comments for some ridings that people should check back closer to the election time, and this is probably true in many cases. I'm glad that voteforenvironment did clarify the postal code crossover issue, because for some time our riding in Northumberland/Quinte West was labelled via some postal codes as Prince Edward County. It has now been corrected. (cont. next comment...)

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Greenpeace and Sierra Club sign on to beat the Conservatives

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 14:12:41 +0000

With all due respect, Ms. Klein, we cannot take your continued posts/ads seriously until you respond specifically to some of the concerns that decent folk on this blog have raised, particularly the situations where strategic voting will be done badly or will actually be counter-productive. thanks, Leigh

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Handicapping the Debates

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 13:39:05 +0000

unfortunately not unbelievable, and while this criminal is an independent, we know some in Harper's crew probably agree with him on his abortion views. we'll be thrown back to the middle ages if Harper gets a majority.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Tumblr Video

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 09:56:39 +0000

yes, but if we don't get a functioning coalition, we'll need to save the sweaters, and the fires, for coming winters as our oil and gas flow south...

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Tumblr Video

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 07:27:11 +0000

you've made my day, and Mary Walsh is a treasure. i'll be chuckling every time i think of this...