Dems: They Keep on Slandering, But Can't Take It Themselves

Michael Moore. John Kerry. Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton. Mary Mapes. Dan Rathers. Oliver Stone. Willie Nelson. Dixie Chicks. Maureen Dowd. Thomas Friedman. Daily Kos. New York Times. Los Angeles Times. Reuters. Associated Press. Toronto Star. Globe and Mail. All have slandered the Bush administration over the past 6 years.

vs.


One little miniseries on ABC.


Outrageous.

Canada: Machine of Capitalism?

There are some (all too rare) moments that make me really proud of Canada. This is one of them. Bank of Montreal is helping to create IPOs for Chinese banks, so that those banks can become publicly traded companies. It's a giant step forward for communist China's economy, and will help an already exploding free-market movement expand further. Pierre Trudeau must be rolling in his grave.

A Few More Brazil Pics...

Brazil

2 impressions of 1 experience.

Brazil was amazing. I learned some things, I think. I saw natural beauty. I saw human beauty. I experienced human beauty. There were beautiful products of humanity's efforts.

Brazil was appalling. I saw fear. I saw hatred. I saw envy. I saw misogyny. I saw filth.

I don't mean to sound grandiose, it just fits to say that. It doesn't sound terribly original to me either. I expect that it's typical to have that experience wherever you go in this world. It seemed like a completely human experience to me altogether. These things, aesthetics, are all human. They're all ugly or beautiful, and all because of a human judgement; a comparison of sense data with values held.

"A Society With Nothing To Die For Is Already Dead"

I still can't imagine how this man came to be a product of Canada, but I'm glad he is. Mark Steyn lays the truth bare in his latest column. He covers a lot of ground, but the main point is that the western Multi-Cult tries so hard to understand and tolerate other cultures that it becomes completely blind to the way other cultures see it; and some cultures hate it for it's secularism, individual freedom, decadence, etc. etc. As a case in point, he theorizes that the kidnappers of the FOX News reporters didn't force their captives to convert to Islam for the sake of Islam (because it was clearly a sham), but to show the rest of the Islamic Jihadi world how easy it is to corrupt a culture with no identifying values. It was a show of force against a 'culture' that is perceived as weak.

Justice as a Cultural Value

Four American soldiers are facing the death penalty for murder, by military tribunal. The case against them is a little strange, as they were participating in an official raid, but it sounds like the soldiers were supposed to take prisoners, as opposed to killing their captives - even though the captives were clearly identified as enemies. Regardless, if they are found guilty and punished accordingly, could anyone come up with a story of Al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Hamas, or other religious Jihadis prosecuting their own this way to make sure they do not compromise their own rules of engagement? I think not. I think that the Jihadis don't discriminate.

Changing The World With Lightbulbs

These certainly aren't new, but their proliferation is gaining momentum. Walmart has decided to heavily promote Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFL), aiming for annual sales of 100 million lightbulbs (only one bulb per customer that they have). Apparently, the annual electricity savings, should 100 million Americans buy one bulb each and replace one old incandescent bulb, would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people!

It just got a little harder to hate Walmart.

Meanwhile, Back In Chavezistan....Part 2

Hugo the Hospitable welcomes Syria into his circle of friends... My favourite line he had regarding counter-weighting 'American Imperialism' was "We want to cooperate to build a new world where states' and people's self-determination are respected." This coming from a man who wants to rule Venezuela until 2031! His reason for the prolonged tenure is his opposition's refusal to run against him in a fixed election, where the people's vote is compromised. So I'm not sure where he suddenly found respect for 'people's self-determination'. Never mind the fact that his best friends are all tyrant dictators.

A Little Balance With My Biases?

Ok, I must admit, there are religious fanatics in the West as well.

HOWEVER, does anyone think Katherine Harris is gonna strap some plastic exposives to herself and blow up airplane-loads of people to further her cause?

Now This is Interesting...

The Canadian Auto Workers Union, for the first time, is wading into the competition game, proposing a deal to Ford that is designed to attract a product line to facilities in it's operating region, southern Ontario. It actually seems fairly attractive for Ford. I just developed a soft spot for unions. :)

If only they'd make membership optional....

The Dilemma

Do regressing women's rights bother you? Have you heard about the real Imperialism? Ever wonder if there's any enemy of yours that's distorting the truth?

What would you do if you were kidnapped or beaten or forced to convert? Would you blame your aggressors, or blame yourself?

What if this sort of thing happened in Canada? Would we be duty-bound to try to understand the motives of the perpetrator? Would it be just to ignore the link between his culture's doctinal values and his motivation, in the name of multiculturalism?

What should we do?

Terrorist Theatre

Via Powerline, an excellent column by Caroline Glick detailing the psy-ops that terrorist groups are using as successful tactics against the west. Mainly corruption of large media organizations and NGOs.

The Values That Are Shared, But Not Universal

I asked before, do you believe there are any universal values? I hope that I've shown that there are some; innate values. All humans value survival and reproduction; it's what makes us alive, in the same way that other animals are alive. But apart from that, there isn't any set of universal values. Most people have (at least) four value systems that are developed to some degree, but the content of those systems varies widely. Especially aesthetics. Doctrine and ethics are much more culturally distributed, and that's usually why there are nation-states; groups of people who share cultural values living together and hopefully having the desire to protect their values.

But there is a doctrine that has been metastisizing in the west, and it is called moral relativism. It is a firm belief that no doctrinal or ethical value is an objective value; no value is greater or worse than any other. Well, I shouldn't say that too quickly, it is a cannibalistic doctrine, only capable of seeing faults in the doctrine that gave it birth - Liberty.

In fact, indulge me while I skate on thin ice, but I'd venture to guess that the self-loathing that the west currently languishes in is no less an enemy than any silly terrorist running around with crude weaponry.

Consider how a culture like Canada's with it's majority Christian population cannot bring itself to allow Christmas celebrations at many of its schools anymore, because it's afraid of offending someone, but at the same time raises almost no protest over a plan to bring oppressive Sharia law to Ontario! Or, don't blame the criminal, he's a product of society! It's our fault! Or, oh those poor inmates in Guantanamo, they are being detained without charge! We're such terrible people! Never mind that their compatriots like to lop off the heads of the people trying to help build Iraq! Or, oh Britain got bombed because they're allies with the terrible Americans, it serves them right - the 'resistance fighters' are just lashing out at 'western imperialism'!

And that brings us back to the silly terrorists with antique guns... The 'isolated incidents' that are actual terrorist attacks are not worth being afraid of - their means aren't terribly sophisticated, and the attacks should be easily subdued - it's our own self-loathing that I'm worried about.

Values in Ethics

Ethics: Moral/Immoral, Right/Wrong, Permissable/Prohibited, Virtue/Vice.

Positive or Negative. What should I do, and what shouldn't I do.

When you are poor, you have little care for ethics. If you and your family are starving, you will not care to consider whether what you are doing to provide sustenance is moral or immoral. You'll do whatever it takes to survive.

When you meet your survival needs, you consider aesthetics next. When you study aesthetics through your experiences, you gradually begin to find some things appealing, and some things repulsive. Some things good, some things bad.

When you realize that some things are good, and some things are bad, you wonder why that is the case. You search for answers in doctrine.

Doctrine guides you to act in ways to maximize the good through ethics.

Ouch...

Ms. Ann Coulter delivers some pretty scalding comments....

Global Warming: Cause of EVERYTHING!!!

Ok, this is starting to get just a tad silly. Apparently, global warming is now responsible for the increased size of glaciers! First, it caused polar ice cap shrinkage. Then it caused hurricanes, typhoons, tornados, a bunch of terrible hollywood flicks, and most horrendously, Al Gore!! But this, this is too much.

Ethanol

Something that I´ve noticed while in Brazil is the interesting products sold at gas stations. Anyone surprised? :)

Mainly, they´re the same as in Canada, they sell smokes, chips, drinks, chocolate bars, etc., and of course, gas. But one thing that almost every station sells is alcohol. Of the drinking variety sure, but also of the kind that you put in your fuel tank! It´s a product called E85, which means it´s 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and it´s actually cheaper than regular gas. Most of the new cars sold here are equipped with a flex-fuel system, which means they can run on either product, so drivers can opt for the cheaper product. There are even some totalflex cars that can also run on natural gas, but can switch to gasoline or E85 when required!

It´s a little unusual for a country like Brazil to be an environmental leader of the world, but it certainly is! But soon, North America will follow its lead: GM will be producing 400,000 cars a year starting this year which are flex fuel, and in fact, certain models starting from 2000 are already compatible. Because E85 behaves very similarly to gasoline, it will quickly become available at gas stations everywhere, because the oil companies won´t have to change any pump systems, they´ll just switch a tank from gasoline to E85, and voila! Instant supply. Ethanol plants are also springing up in Canada, by year´s end Husky Oil will be producing over 250,000 million litres of the stuff, with plans for incremental production over the next several years.

I wonder who will still attend the Critical Mass rallies....

Hezbollah: Terrorists or Misunderstood Youth?

This just in, certain Liberal, NDP, and Bloc MPs want Hezbollah taken off of Canada´s terrorist organization list. Can you hear the sound of my jaw dropping to the floor all the way from Porto de Golhina, Brazil? Peggy Nash, NDP MP, says "that it is just not helpful to label them a terrorist organization.` No Peggy, I guess it´s not. But it´s also not helpful that Hezbollah undertakes terrorist acts on Israeli civilians, or are committed to the destruction of ´The Zionist Entity´.

Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal MP from Etobicoke, likens Hezbollah to the IRA, and says ´´if there wasn't the possibility for London to negotiate with the IRA, you'd still have bombings."´ Well Borys, I think that the IRA had a reasonable struggle and they were not intent upon destroying the state of Britain. They also did not hide behind women and children, hoping that the British would kill the moms and kids in order to create public relations problems for them. Hezbollah is not interested in negotiation, and I think that people have to realize this.

"This is Canada's shame," Ms. Maria Mourani, Bloc MP said. What´s Hezbollah´s shame Maria?

Have no sympathy for the devil.

Doctrine

Doctrine, the main topic of most of my blogs, is derived from the latin doctrina, which essentially means code of beliefs. Catholicism´s Immaculate Conception is a good example of a religious doctrine, and communism is an example of ideological or political doctrine. You might say that this blog details some of my doctrinal values, albeit not necessarily in a structured or progressive way. A doctrine is something that is used to understand the way the world works, and usually also detail how humans should interact with each other in an organizational sense.

It might seem provocative, or maybe not, to say that doctrinal values only develop in an incremental sense relative to the realization of innate and aesthetic values. That is to say, doctrine becomes more complex with the security of having realized some level of satisfactory survival, and some appreciation of aesthetics. I´d wager that the more secure a person is in meeting survival needs, and the more a person understands things to be either ugly or beautiful, the more likely that person will be to start exploring a doctrine of some kind which can explain how things are, or how things should be.

So given that to be true, innate values are still the keystone to the foundation of all other values, and the development of them. At this point I would like to express a belief that I have, and that is that humans universally value survival, and that this is not a subjective expression; I believe it to be objective fact.

Breaking the Radio Silence

Well, back in Manaus for a few hours, after a three-day trip through part of the Amazon basin. All I can say is wow! We had a great time there, the accomodations were really basic, but the forest is incredible! We saw so many different animals; pink dolphins, alligators, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, tarantulas, sloths, iguanas, a million kinds of birds, etc... We went piranha fishing (they´re delicious but boney), alligator hunting (pictures to follow), saw trees that smelled like peppermint and rosewood, contained milk of magnesia, treat malaria, etc. Man, that´s one dense, diverse place. The temperature got as high as 40 degrees celcius, with enough humidity to make it feel like 60. We´re going to hop on a plane in a few hours, which will eventually get us to Recife for the last few days of the trip, where hopefully there will be an opportunity to relax on the beach and sip on Caperheinas and possibly do some surfing.

Aesthetics

My current favourite. I´d have to say that an innate value system is something that all humans share, as we all have to possess one in order to continue living. Survival is not automatic, people must have the ´drive to survive´in order to do so. I´d also like to think that the other value systems don´t get developed unless that one is realized. That is to say, it´s hard to think about beauty when your body is starving.

But once innate values are realized, then suddenly a human has the leisure to think about aesthetics. People spend a lot of time thinking about aesthetics, I think, whether they are considering the beauty of a landscape, a building, an art piece, another human, music, poetry, prose, etc. Of course, although there are many things that many people consider beautiful, each person has some set of values that must apply to an object in order for him/her to call it beautiful.

I don´t think that there is any universal aesthetic value system, nor do I think that all people have a very developed aesthetic value system; but I do think that all people have some sense of aesthetics. Because again, one man´s junk is another man´s gold. But each man has an opinion on the object in question.

Innate Values

It's hard to argue that humans don't have the survival instinct. Of course, during their lifetimes, some people decide that it is too hard to live, and decide to end their lives . Others still decide that the doctrinal values they hold are more important than their will to live, and become suicide bombers for their cause. But of course, up until the point that their lives end, they find ways to sustain themselves to whatever degree they are capable.

Further, this value system overwhelms any other value system, because it contains the necessities of life, without which no other value system is relevant. So before seriously considering different doctrines, aesthetics, or morals, a person must consider how to obtain water, food, and shelter.

And it could be said that even suicidal people have the innate value of survival, but that they don't possess the integrity to uphold even that basic value until the natural ends of their lives.

Hello from Lencois

Good day. Well, here we are in Lencois. Victoria made it here safe and sound, and we took a 7 hour bus ride to Lencois, in a national park, the name of which I can´t remember right now...Something to do with diamonds...It´s a pretty chill place, a small town of about 9000. It´s our first place away from the coast, but there are apparently alot of fresh-water lakes and springs etc. to go swimming in, which is good because it´s reeeeeally warm here. We´ve got a couple of hikes organized for the next three days, including some caves and waterfalls, multicoloured springs, etc. Should be a good time, hopefully I get some sweet pictures...Ciao

Four Value Systems

There are four systems of values which are, in my opinion, worth discussing within the context of universality; those are: Innate values (intrinsic values of survival and reproduction), doctrinal values (political/ideological/religious), aesthetic values (beauty/ugliness), and ethical values (moral/immoral, right/wrong). There are two others, which are too abstract to be relevant ever, those are passive values (those which apply to things that don´t exist), and potential values (those which would apply to something that could potentially exist).

It´s easy to say that aesthetics are not necessarily universal among people and cultures - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, etc. One man´s junk is another man´s gold, or whatever.

Innate values are of course the easiest ones to defend as being universal. Humans are biologically all the same, we have a natural need to prolong our experience, whether during life or through to the after-life. We will do anything that it takes to protect ourselves, and our own interests. Onlywhen self-preservation is assured, do we become altruistic in our actions.

The tough ones are ethical values and doctrinal values. The postmodern ethos would have an easy way to answer my previous question, because it would deny objective qualities to either ethics or doctrine, allowing the most horrible perversions of both, and because these perversions have been committed to historical record, it would seem that postmodernism would answer that no, there are no universal values.

I know that there are some objections. To innate values for example: Homosexual couples may not have a desire to reproduce...But is that only because of present logistical issues? Perhaps there are ways to circumvent those issues. To ethical values for another example: A man may believe that it is wrong to kill another man under all circumstances save war or other self-defence, but in a fit of jealous rage might kill his wife´s lover....But is that because he truly lacks value, or because he has not enough integrity to uphold his values? Or perhaps, in both cases, perhaps the individuals in question have these values, but have other, stronger values that override the others. In any case, I may be digressing by raising these objections....

Values

Before I make any posts explaining my own views, let me ask my loyal readers something:

Do you believe there are any universal values?

I ask that knowing that most of my open-minded friends will believe that value differences can be explained by cultural differences.

Morro do Sao Paulo II

Friends

The first is of, in order left to right, Colin, Ana, Me, Nates, and Sophie. The second is Ana, Me, and Colin. These are friends I met in Rio, and the scene is of a boat (booze) cruise we took off the coast. It was a day of all you can eat, drink, and swim, and it was one of my favourite days in Rio, if not Brazil. These people are awesome!!

Ilha Grande

The first photo is of a group of Capoeiristas demonstrating their art/fighting on the dock in front of our pousada in Ilha Grande. It´s a form of self-defense that african slaves came up with to defend themselves against their masters, and they were able to develop it only because they disguised it as dance! The second is the same dock in daylight, the third is a view of a street in town, the fourth is of Ana and Greg on our balcony, watching the Capoeira.

Chester

This is my dog Chester, whom I miss terribly! He´s looking at me with an expression that means, ´why are you leaving me´! See how his left lip is slightly curled?

Salvador

Assorted photos from Salvador: The first is a colonialist-era building which is slowly decaying - the roof is missing, yet the lower levels still house people, the second is a lighthouse near where we stayed in Barra, Salvador, the last is of a cross made of steel that memorializes a church that was destroyed in the name of ´progress´,.

Photos of Morro do Sao Paulo

These photos are of the beach near Gamboa, a small fishing village about a 45 minute hike from the main town of Morro. You have to walk along the coast, but at high tide, which is when I did it, there is no coast. You must walk in water sometimes chest high with your belongings above your head to get there. But it´s worth the walk, the beach is virtually deserted, the water is calm, and there are two really good restaurants there for when you get hungry. It´s also stunningly beautiful. The walk back is easier, as the tide recedes it leaves behind a small strip of beach that you can walk on.

via the absurd report, todays cartoon...

I´ve finally found a place where I can upload a few pics, so here´s a couple. Hopefully there will be more to follow in the next few days...The first is a picture of Foz du Iguassu, a really nice one. Sadly, we´re not here during the rainy season, so there´s not as much water going over the falls right now, but it´s still quite a spectacular sight. The second is a pic of Copacabana beach at sunset, with a game of American-style football going on in the foreground.

Brazil - The Land of Surprises

I try not to talk politics too much at home, because an argument usually ensues; one which neither side can hope to win, but with both sides usually ending up frustrated and upset. But travelling is different, because it´s somehow easier to avoid actual debate, and simply learn other points of view while getting to know people a little...

And just like anywhere else, there are many anti-americans, socialists, or non-political people. I´ve even met people that think that George W. Bush is to blame for the favelas here in Brazil; I almost cracked up when I heard that one...

But last night, I had a bit a shock. Greg and I went out with a group of French guys, and a couple of British girls. There were 4 French guys, and I kid you not, they were to a man pro-capitalist, pro-Bush, pro-American, business students. I almost fell out of my chair! Heck, one more Cerveja and I would have!!! I expected to have a slightly altered world-view after this trip, but my God, I did NOT expect to be impressed by the politics of the people of France!! Don´t get me wrong, I have much respect for the culture and history of France, but I must admit I had generalized their politics in a most disrespectful way.

And for that, my French friends, I must apologize. Vivé la France!!

Morro Sao Paulo

Ola from Morro Sao Paulo! Suddenly travel plans change... We were in Salvador, wondering what was next, and several fellow travellers recommended this island which is a 2 hour catamaran ride from Salvador. It is truly paradise! There are several white sandy beaches, a lively night life, day-long party-boat rides, scuba diving, surfing, waterfalls, friendly people, and trust me, fantastic food!

Crazy Small World

Funny how small this world actually is. When I was in Rio, a group of us went to the Brazil Cup Football Final, which was the most incredible sporting event I´ve ever witnessed in person. The fans were truly delirious, there were smoke bombs, fireworks, a little tear gas in one trouble section, on-going chants, a over-filled stadium, etc. The right team won, so the crowds were ecstatic, and largely peaceful after the game, although that might have to do with the police helicopters monitoring the exiting crowds with searchlights, etc.

Anyway, my seat at the game was right beside an ex-pat Brit who now lives in Ecuador where he runs an English pub, and the weird thing about this pousada in Salvador, 1500-plus kms away from Rio, is that the same guy walks in here with a pizza last night as we were arriving back from an amazing street festival!! Like what are the odds eh?

Cuban Crisis

I haven´t been posting anything political during this trip, but I can´t help but make note of this news item. I personally think that Castro is already dead, and that ´his´ written statements were carefully prepared by strategists who hope to make a smooth transition of power to his brother. Ask the hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles living in Miami what they think of that potential development...

It´s also probably comforting for them to know that his brother Raul is 75, and could kick the bucket at any time as well.

Salvador

We arrived in Salvador yesterday, after a fantastic weekend on Ilha Grande. Part of me is still there, trying to work out how I can buy my own pousada on that island, where I can live during high season :) It´s an amazing place, filled with beaches, forest, waterfalls, beautiful friendly people, and lots and lots of partying.

The other part of me got to Salvador exhausted after a day of travel that included taxis, boats, buses, and airplanes, at around midnight. We needed a place to stay, and our first choice was booked for the night. We ended up at a reeeeeeeally sketchy place in Barra, a neighbourhood in Salvador. It cost 30 reals for the night for the both of us, which is about 12 dollars Canadian. It was pretty disgusting, after having stayed in such a nice pousada on Ilha Grande. There was a patio on the street where we unwound a little after arriving. We were propositioned by prostitutes, panhandled, etc. But otherwise, after an uneasy sleep, we are ok. We found a super nice pousada today called Ambar, in a better, trendy part of Barra, just down the street from the beach. We´ll stay here for two days or so, and then set out for the countryside around Salvador. Victoria is coming here on the ninth of august, and then we go to the Amazon shortly after.

Down Time

The last two days have been relatively quiet here on Ilha Grande, as it's been rainy and cool. No problem for me though, it's nice just to chill and have coffees under the awnings of the cafes here. Met a couple new friends here, Mariana from Argentina, and a guy from New Jersey who's name escapes me at the moment. We're going for dinner later tonight. Yesterday there was a dance party on the main street of this town of 3000 (which must have swelled to at least 6000 for this festival), and even though it was raining, people were dancing and laughing and partying anyway. That was cool. After checking that out for a while, we retired to the Pousada for drinks and cards. Tommorrow we go to Salvador, which I''m really excited about.

Ilha Grande

We've just arrived in Ilha Grande, an island off the coast of Brazil near Rio. It's an island with 102 beaches! Quite the idyllic spot. We've got a room right on a beach with a beautiful view, hopefully I can upload a few pictures later today. The pousada that we're staying at is run by an ex-pat German guy and his Brazilian wife. Quite a colourful character, and as it turns out, he still owns a touring van which he stores in Winnipeg, for when he's touring North America.

We're here because there's a weekend-long music festival going on, which promises to be amazing! A friend that we made at the hostel in Rio, Ana from New Zealand, will be joining us here today to help us make sure we party appropriately. She is an engineer professionally, so her and I have alot of common interests - lots to talk about. A bit of socialist though....sigh.

On monday, we'll go back to Rio to catch a flight to Salvador, where we'll likely meet up with this guy named Colin that we also met in Rio. He's from Singapore, but he teaches in Taiwan, and is here for his vacation. He's a great guy, and he's also got pretty good english and portuguese, so he's been immensely helpful, in addition to being fun to hang out with.

Anyway, it's almost 10 am here, so I guess I should go...Time to go seek out a good beach or two for surfing!

Favela Funk

There´s these things called favelas in Rio. They are essentially slums, populated mainly by the descendants of African slaves who were eventually ´freed´ from bondage by their portugese owners. Freed is not really the right word. They´re completely segregated from the regular population, they have very minimal access to electricity, there´s open sewage everywhere, they can´t get jobs, the Brazilians don´t consider them humans.

They offer tours through the slums, half of which supposedly goes towards humanitarian aid, the other half to the tour operators. They also have favela funk parties where you can go to this giant hall where the favelians party. but you are in a VIP area, looking down on the scene from above. I haven´t been able to bring myself to go to either.

The other travellers here at the hostel all say it´s a great experience, but I can´t help thinking that it wouldn´t feel right. Making this poverty a spectacle, the socialists here revel in their elitism, and it makes me ill.

I´ll definitely be ruminating more on this situation at a later date.

Life´s a Beach

We´re in Rio now, staying at a nice hostel in Copacabana, about 4 blocks from Copacabana beach. Went to the beach today, or rather beaches - Copacabana and Ipanema, which are right next to each other. Beautiful day, about 27 degrees, sunny, a bit of a breeze. Cervejas are about 3 reals, which is around 1.25. Coffee is strong, black, and delicious. Women are beautiful. Jeremy is very content. This city is huge, and incredibly busy. We´ll stay for around 4 days, and then set out for the beach towns outside of Rio. Ciao for now.

P.S. I should be posting some really nice pictures sometime soon...stay posted.

I Made It!!

6000 plus kilometres, two days later, I´m blogging from Foz du Iguassu, Brazil. We've already played a round of golf, I shot a 103. Ugh. Many, many cervajas have been consumed, the food is great, the people are very friendly, and accomodating. We played golf with a Taiwanese businessman who was really nice. We're gonna go see the falls here, and then we fly to Rio. We'll be there for 9 days, and then to Salvador. I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunity to blog from there. Bye for now.

Quote of The Day

I'm ripping this off from the Free Will blog, so please check him out some time:

"How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin." - Ronald Reagan

No Compromise

It should seem so simple to Hamas and Hezbollah. Simply release and return the 3 soldiers that are being held hostage, and the fighting stops. Instead, Hamas is foolishly demanding that Israel release 1000 Hamas prisoners in exchange for one soldier, and I don't even know what Hezbollah has asked for in exchange this time. Cox and Forkum, the site where this cartoon is published, notes that Israel has capitulated to these sorts of ridiculous demands before, but isn't in any mood to right now.

Israel's Response:

Israel will stop the offensive in Lebanon once Hezbollah disarms.

What Should The World Do?

Is a UN Security Council resolution the right move at this juncture? I would suggest not, given the toothlessness of its resolutions of the past oh, decade or so. The only thing that they've done that's been quasi-effective has been to sanction Saddam. And actually, all that did was starve his people and perpetuate his tyranny.

Should world leaders continue to tut-tut and issue soundbites to try and influence domestic polls? Not if they have learned a lesson from Canada's own Mssr. Martin.

An interesting idea has been floating around for a while, involving admitting Israel to NATO. This organization has a policy that, if you attack one member, you're attacking all of them, so there would be less disharmony from member nations when thinking about how to proceed. NATO used to be an instrument to contain the Soviet Union. Since the Commie threat has dissipated in no small part due to NATO, perhaps using it to contain the Islamic fundamentalist threat would be ideal!

What Should Israel Do?

There are a lot of condemnations of Israel coming in from around the world right now (although remarkably, they still have some allies other than America), and very few of Hezbollah. Nobody seems to be mentioning the hundreds of Hezbollah rockets raining down on Israeli cities and towns, having been launched across the border in Lebanon. Or that the Lebanese government seems unwilling or unable to stop them.

Funny thing about these rockets. They are difficult to aim. You sort of point them at the city you want to hit, and hope that they'll hit something of high value.

Funny thing about Israeli warfare. It's targeted. Highly lethal to actual military targets, less dangerous to civilians. It's designed to avoid 'collateral damage', to put it crudely.

Assuming that Israel is entitled to their own self-defence, they are acting within their rights as a sovereign nation when they are attacking Hezbollah targets. And if Lebanon can't stop Hezbollah, because Israel can, Israel should.

It Took Longer Than I Expected....

....but some moonbat has finally blamed George W. Bush for Israel's developing war with Hezbollah. It's funny how people can simultaneously ridicule him for being a moron who can't talk properly, and demonize him for being this evil genious who is the cause of every bad thing that happens in this world!

Let's see....have you blamed GWB for :

1. Global Warming?
2. Poverty?
3. War?
4. Tsunamis?
5. Hurricanes?
6. Business Bankruptcies (Think Enron)?
7. Unemployment?
8. Illiteracy?
9. The Tech Bubble Burst?
10. Last, but not least, 9/11?

Because he's just as responsible for these things as today's catastrophe. That is to say, not at all.

Shizzam!!

A lightning storm in Arkansas, no photoshopping involved.

Calendar of Cowardice

9/11, 10/12, 3/11, 7/7, 7/11.

'Head'-line of the Day!!

Via seriously guys, the 'head'-line of the day is: "Piece of Man's Skull Falls Off, Draws Crowds".

Dial-up Is Dead

When AOL decides to abandon dial-up, you know the show's over.

A Eulogy to Tata

Tata, arguably the world's oldest crow at 59 years old, has died.

I have one question for those who would question the existence of God:

Why would a crow need to live so long if not for God?

The 24 Hour Relay Fast

Various A-list Hollywood celebs are participating in a 24 hour 'rolling' fast, where they fast for 24 hours, and then hand off to somebody else, who does the same, to protest the Iraq war. Mark Steyn dissects.

Among my favourite quotes:

***"Personally, if celebrities have to 'put their bodies on the line for peace,' I'd much rather see them bulk up. How about if Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow promise to put on 20 pounds for every month Bush refuses to end his illegal war?"

***"So Sean Penn is starving himself to death, but just for a day? Brilliant! If Gandhi had been that smart, he'd still have a movie career. Willie Nelson and Michael Moore are also among those participating in the ''rolling fast,'' which in Michael's case will involve going without the roll. Greater love hath no man than to lay down his lunch for his friends."

***"The problem for the 'activists' is that the entire anti-war movement is undernourished. Indeed, in all their contempt for America as an effete narcissistic ninny too soft and self-absorbed to stand any pain, even al-Qaida couldn't have come up with as withering a parody of the Great Satan's decadence as a celebrity pseudo-fast. As the great Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean said on his deathbed: 'Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.' Not for Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon."

Mobilize For The Liberation of the Gnome!

There are gnomes all over the world who need your help!

By The Way, Did You Know How Rich You Are?

There's often some heated rhetoric being casually thrown around by middle-class folks about the awful gap between the rich and the poor. It's neat to hear rich people talk about how terrible it is that they're materially better than someone else. I mean, did you know that 85% of Canadians live above the poverty line? Did you know that being below our 'poverty line' generally means that you still eat once in a while, have access to safe, clean drinking water, and almost certainly have a roof over your head? I bet you even get vaccinations against many deadly diseases! So I wonder how many really poor people this country actually holds...Because you know what? Really poor people do exist in this world. It's true! And they're so poor they can't even afford that stupid fair trade coffee! I know that's hard to believe.

How about we start trading in some of those luxuries we take for granted, so that others may receive them? Stop taking flu shots. I mean, who are you to deserve one, when so many people can't afford it? Stop drinking lattes, maybe give up your winter jacket, get rid of your addiction to wearing shoes (even in January),, and so on. I mean, these would be small steps toward equality, but you would be perceived as pious and altruistic by your judgemental peers.

Or maybe we could stop feeling guilty about our material wealth, and show others how we've gone and accumulated it, so that they can too.

The Conspiracy Theory That Dare Not Speak Its Name

Hey! Did you hear? Apparently, AIDS is a mythical disease concocted by Bush/Cheney/Halliburton/Industrial/Military/Capitalist/Crony Conspiracy Incorporated to prevent people from having casual sex, and to keep the population addicted to products made by big pharma!

Okay, just kidding, some of the people that work for Halliburton vote Democrat, so they're not reeeally Capitalists....or at least they feel guilty about their dirty capitalist ways.

Aaaaaaaaany way, what's really true, and super neat, is that big pharma has come up with a single pill, to be taken once a day, that will treat AIDS. According to this article, the AIDS patients who used to take cocktails of up to 36 pills per day will now get better, more effective treatment from one pill. It'll be a breakthrough for patients in poor countries, because logistically speaking it'll be easier to supply. And no more expensive. Actually, over the long run, it'll probably be cheaper.

By the way, I don't know for sure, but I bet none of Bill Gates' money was necessary for this breakthrough.

Additionally, and more importantly, no taxpayer money was either.

Head-Scratcher Headline of the Day

"IN these violent times, Um Ahmed takes steps to ensure her safety, strapping on a suicide belt before going to bed at night." Huh? I'm frankly at a loss for words....

Capitalism and Unemployment

The only economic system so far to allow citizens the freedom to accumulate new wealth is Capitalism. It is the economic form of Liberty. What other system allows you to keep what you make? What other system enshrines property rights? What other system puts value into so many types of task that in a country like Canada or the US, there's only a 5-7% unemployment rate, versus the 20-30% rates you'll find in basket-case nanny states like France or Germany?

What I mean with that last bit is that, in any given city in Canada or the US, young people work jobs filled with menial, unskilled labour, which without allowing their employers the right to accumulate capital in the form of workplace technology (which is what adds value to the tasks that the employee is doing), would seem as funny as a kid flipping imaginary burgers on an empty lot for 8 bucks an hour. But they're not. They're crappy jobs, yes, but they are opportunities for these people to accumulate their own personal capital to go to school, buy houses, learn a bit about workplace processes and interactions, and grow from there.

In the nanny states, where welfare and safety net programs take wealth away from the capitalists to give to the 20-30% of people who aren't working, capital accumulation slows (because of taxation), people start making more money to stay home and do nothing (with welfare) than they would with that entry level job. But the worst thing is they never accumulate. They never get into jobs that require experienced people. They never get to pursue business opportunities that require investment. They stay poor, unemployed, and unemployable.

Four Bombs That Must Have Been America's Fault

Click here to see the obituaries of the 52 people who died during Al-Qaida's multiple bombing of London's 'tube' system, one year ago today.

The U.N.'s Claim to Legitimacy is Tenuous

As the BBC reports, "The UN human rights watchdog deplored Israel's campaign in Gaza as a breach of international law in an emergency resolution passed in Geneva.", referring to the military incursions Israel is making into Gaza, in response to both 1. The kidnapping (and probable torture) of an Israeli soldier, and 2. as reported in the same article, Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli city Ashkelon.

Let us now remember who the U.N. Human Rights Commission consists of:

15 islamic nations, all of which are dictatorships/monarchies; Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, and Tunisia. All of which voted for the resolution.

8 borderline dictatorships; Argentina, Ecuador, Ghana, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Cameroon, and Nigeria, 5 of which voted for the resolution,

and China, and Cuba, both of which are real dictatorships/prison states, both of which voted for the resolution,

leaving only India, South Africa, and Phillipines as democracies voting for the resolution.

Abstentions and votes against were as follows: Cameroon, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, South Korea, Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

The Americans aren't allowed at the table here, having been voted out of the Council in 2001.


So what can we conclude from this, and the resolution of a few days ago making Israel's 'human rights abuses' a permanent feature of the council's meetings?

1. The majority of nations on the 'Human Rights Commission' are dictatorships, which should theoretically disqualify them from positions on this commission, and

2. The majority of nations which voted against Israel (and sponsored the resolution) are Islamic, thus natural enemies of Israel, which should be a conflict of interest in this vote, and

3. The resolution seems unfair anyway, as Hamas seems to have initiated the violence.


Well hey, at least all those dictatorships are 'united nations' in their jew-hatred.

Bushitler is Dictator of the World!!

An interesting piece in the Boston Globe by Jeff Jacoby pointing out how wrong Bush's hysterical enemies are about his alleged 'dictatorship of the world'. He uses Bush's acquiescence to the Supreme Court on the Guantanamo/Military Tribunal issue as his example. Fairly strong argument I'd say.

Living Poetry, Enduring Justice

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Bye bye Roomies!

Well, a next step in a series of changes in my life has now occurred; my room-mates are gone. I've been looking forward to this for a few months now. You know, while I'm sure humans need to cohabitate in order to solve both emotional and logistical problems, I sure don't feel like I need to have that kind of living arrangement again. It's hard when your roomies don't care about your house. They don't clean, they don't fix things that they break or find broken, they take your stuff, listen to music that you can't stand, have friends that you can't stand, etc.

Of course, having said that they don't clean, take care of the place, etc., I do have to admit that I will have no one to blame if this place is a mess anymore. :)

So, now that I'm unemployed, and before I take off to Brazil, my number one task is getting this place in order, and cleaned up. Ken's room is now my room, while my old room is now the office/spare bedroom. Andy's room is now my music room - I've got a drum set, guitars, bass, etc., time to rock! - , and I've now got plenty of cupboard space to take over. I might even get some matching glass tumblers and new towels since I will be the only one to blame if they break or get musty.

Happy Independence Day!

Seeing as the majority of the political blogging I do is a defence or promotion of the American way, I'll keep this post brief.

Today is a celebration of the birth of a country and the embodiment of an ideal. For some, this is a black day, as the country born today represents everything that they are against. However, it truly is the living triumph of the individual over the collective, and the beacon that lights the way forward for Liberty-loving folks.

When I think about how America is the only country of its kind in the world; that is, born of an ideal, I can't help but correlate its remarkable success compared to the rest of the world with its political uniqueness. Can it be a coincidence that the richest, most powerful, most innovative and progressive country in the world is also the most free?

Why would I celebrate America's day? Because its progress pulls us all along - we all get the benefit of their success. I would suggest that they are responsible for the national security of virtually every country in 'the west', they are responsible for the economic growth of many, and they are responsible for many of the technological, pharmaceutical, and medical advances that we all enjoy the consequences of.

So, just as I am grateful for Canada, and celebrated its birthday a few days ago, so I am grateful for America, and all of her glorious achievements.

Why Do We Need the U.N.....

.....To make sure those crazy jews pay!

The U.N.'s new 'Human Rights' Commission has just voted to make a review of Israel's alleged 'human rights violations' a regular and permanent feature of every council session.

Do you think that Palestinian suicide bombings targeting busloads of innocent people will ever be a feature of these sessions? Not likely...

Canada Day...Is Canada Aging Gracefully, or Trying to Hang on to Her Youth?

Our great and majestic country turned 139 today, if she was born in 1867. While I do spend a fair bit of time criticizing our government, and though I do detest the fact that we have a monarchy, I do love living in this country and I'm optimistic that I'll live here until I die.

For me, the things that make this country great are as follows: We've got a relatively low population density. There is tremendous natural beauty everywhere you look. Despite a late tax-freedom day, we are a relatively free citizenry. Finally, Canada is home to the greatest game in the world!

The Future is Here!

Hey you! You like the earth, eh? Think it's pretty cool that we still have enough clean air to breath, and that we haven't all drowned yet due to global warming?

Then trade in your crappy car, and get one that runs on alternative fuels. Everybody's doing it....

Pumpin' it up for the People!

This is definitely the headline of the day, via seriously guys.

A Fair Trial

The Supreme Court of the US has ruled that it's unconstitutional to have a military tribunal for the detainees at Guantanamo, affording them the same due process that an American would enjoy. While I personally don't think that's necessary, kudos to the US for granting those prisoners the same right that Al-Qaida denies its hostages. In my mind it certainly clarifies the moral superiority of the American position.

Can You Say Bender?

Via Seriously Guys, Germany is on the verge of running out of beer! Apparently, it's all the fault of the drunken English fans who have flooded the country.

I Did It!

I just got a letter from the U of M accepting me into the faculty of architecture! Wow. I've never been so relieved in my life! It just so happens that tommorrow's my last day as a gas man, and up til now it's kinda felt like I was jumping off the diving board with my eyes closed; with no idea whether there was water in the pool.... Now summer can really begin.

Evil Capitalists!!

To the chagrin of communists everywhere, who undoubtedly wish they were the benefactors of his wealth, Warren Buffet, in partnership with Bill Gates, is giving his fortune away! Together, the two of them will give away more money than the GDP of over 150 countries! (Not 150 countries combined, mind you)

And to think, these two men were completely driven by profit during their working lives.

Hey guess how many Microsoft Millionaires there are! (Answer: over 10,000) And by Microsoft millionaires, I mean employees of Microsoft who are millionaires. I wonder if any of those people ever give money away...

One more thing...

....about moral relativism, before I have no friends left.... lol...

As you probably know, 4 russian hostages have been executed by Al-Qaida forces in Iraq, and the video of the execution has been distributed for propaghanda purposes by the same. All believers in moral relativity, watch the video at peril of altering your worldview.

If you can watch that video without appreciating the difference between it, and the photos that have come out of Abu Ghraib, for example, then there is nothing that I can say to you that will change your mind. But I'll try to remember to thank those that I meet who fight for liberty on your behalf.

Moral Relativism

The Americans use smart bombs, designed to avoid 'collateral damage'. The Jihadis blow themselves up in public places to purposefully kill innocent lives.

The Americans hold inquiries and serve court marshals when mistakes are made. The Jihadis lop off the heads of any hostages they can find.

Where's the moral equivalence?

Post Number 100

For this special occasion (my 100th post), I would like to share a cartoon that takes a little poke at the concept of Moral Relativism. Consider the 'torture' of detainees at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. Now think of the real torture of those two American troops by members of Al-Qaida. Isn't there a moral difference between the borderline torture at one and the real, brutal torture by the other?

What about the difference between women's rights in our culture, and women's rights in Islamic culture? Are they morally equivalent?

What about the freedom of religion, association, and speech that we've got, compared to the states of fear in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, etc.?

How about our social safety net, where even welfare recipients can have cable TV and refrigerators, as compared to the crushing famine engulfing North Korea's 'people's republic'?

I could go on....

Hey Saddam, Pass The Mustard, Please!

Chemical weapons have been found in Iraq. Over 500 shells containing sarin and mustard gas have been found so far in Iraq, and officials believe that that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Sheila Copps Gone Mad

Sheila Copps has completely missed the point in an Op-Ed in today's Toronto Star. It's titled "Taxes Will Set Us Free", and in it she derides the Fraser Institute, and anyone else who thinks along their lines, for complaining that tax freedom day comes too late in the year. She's implicitly arguing that it doesn't come late enough, and that as a result, government is having trouble providing the services that we have come to expect. She doesn't seem to understand that the outrage is more about how little we're actually getting for our massive tax burden!!! I mean, seriously. Tax Freedom Day was June 19th this year, which is half-way through the year. This means that half of your income is going to the government! How come we still have health care problems? Shitty roads? Rising crime rates? No military? Tainted water?

Her answer is always: Pour more money into the problems. This way to Utopia, folks! Bleed the people dry, and then spend their money with no accountability!

But look, if there are all these problems already, and no amount of taxes so far have fixed any of them, then why would more taxes do the trick?

Sure. Throw a few more billion into the gun registry. Spend another bil on advertising to Quebecers! The people won't mind, eh? Hey, don't complain, didn't you know that we've got the best health-care system in the world?

But you know what, Sheila? People are repelled by high taxes and bloated bureaucracy. That's why they move away. That's why Alberta is so appealing, or even -gasp- the United States. They are repulsed by your fiscal black hole. So keep on screaming about raising taxes to fund your lifestyle. You probably won't even notice when you're the only one left.

Political Correctness Gone Mad

Brittany McComb, a high-school valedictorian in Nevada, had her microphone cut off because she mentioned God in her address. Wow.

Has Iraq Turned a Corner?

I follow Iraq The Model pretty closely, and given Mohammed and Omar's track record at being brutally honest about how things are going in Bagdad and surrounding areas, I'd say their posts in the days since Zarqawi's death speak volumes about the change in momentum that has just occurred. I wouldn't say a reversal of momentum by any means; as I've always considered there to be consistent movement towards a free and peaceful Iraq, but I'd say there has been a quickening of momentum for the Coalition and the Iraqi government's causes.

Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.

Via Vogtee, Kabalarians.com is a website that purports to analyse your name to find out key character traits that you possess. Here's what they say about Jeremy:


"The name Jeremy creates the urge to be creative and original, but we point out that it limits your versatility and scope, tuning you to technical details.

This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses centring in the head, and in the stomach and intestinal organs.

Your first name of Jeremy has given you a very practical, hard-working, systematic nature.
Your interests are focused on technical, mechanical, and scientific things, rather than interests of an artistic, musical, or social nature.

You have a rather skeptical outlook on life and rather materialistic standards.

In reaching your goals, you are very independent and resourceful, patient and determined.

You can be so very positive and definite in your own ideas and opinions that others sense a lack of tact and friendliness in your manner of expression."

What does your name "mean"?

Brazil Bound

Oh boy oh boy, Jeremy's going on vacation! In the past 7 years, the longest stretch of time off I've had has been one week. I've done that 3 times. However, as a direct consequence of my divesture of the Petro-Can, I'm taking 8 weeks off, 5 of which I will be in Brazil! It sounds like all the travel arrangements have been made, all that's left to do is fly, surf, suntan, and party!

Woo Hoo!

The Empire of The Pursuit of Happiness

Jack Wakeland, a contributor to The Intellectual Activist, waxes eloquent in an essay about the globalization of Liberty, brilliantly titled The Empire of The Pursuit of Happiness. This is a must-read!

The Globalization of Terror

Mark Steyn, Canada's most improbable product, has a piece about the globalization that isn't accompanied by protest, and should be.

I've always found it ironic that people will gladly protest the 'evils' of globalized free markets, etc., but when it comes to the spreading jihad, those same people are silent, and have their eyes closed to reality.

"She is a no-b.s. - so to speak - kind of person."

The aforementioned crazy dem who dropped the dog doo doo off at the republican congresswoman's office turns out to be a professor emeritus at North Colorado University. Wow. That's what you get with $100,000 a year worth of tax dollars, eh?

The title to this post was my favorite quote from the story, given by one of her democratic colleagues.

Is Canada Awakening From Its Delusions?

Jonah Goldberg writes that we better be.


I've been checking out The Absurd Report lately, which is a good place to sift through media spin.

Daniel Libeskind's Vision

Architect Daniel Libeskind won the commission for rebuilding the World Trade Center Site, back in 2003. His master plan is stunning, to say the least. Unfortunately, it may be many years before it is materially realized because it has it's opponents. A few neat features: The tallest tower is exactly 1776 feet high. The year 1776 of course is when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Secondly, the shape of the rooflines itself is a tribute to Liberty, because it evokes the shape of the flame burning on the torch held by Lady Liberty. Lastly, the buildings are arranged so that, on September 11th of each year, between the hours of 8:46am (The time the first plane hit) and 10:28am (The time the second building collapsed), the sun will shine without shadow in a wedge across a public space set aside for a memorial.

The Greatest Generation

Wretchard at The Belmont Club lays the truth about war bare, and it ain't pretty. The Greatest Generation had to do some seriously terrible things in Hiroshima, Dresden, etc. to secure victory. It makes one wonder if all the pains that this generation has undertaken to avoid collateral damage in war will be in vain.

Hehehehehe

A posthumous interview with Abu Zarqawi. He does interview well.

The Nutbags Strike Once More

Some crazy dem in Colorado is so sick of losing that she's started to stuff envelopes full of dog shit into the mail slot of a Republican Congresswoman.

The Nutbags Strike Again

Some Democrats are calling the death of Zarqawi a 'stunt' to shore up support for the war in Iraq. I am frankly at a loss for words....

Keith "Excuse me, I fell off my perch" Richards is back!!

The Rolling Stones are happy to report that, after a bad fall out of a palm tree and subsequent brain surgery, the show will go on! Their delayed world tour is about to begin...

Mind Boggler

NateDawg has uncovered something here. The Ontario chapter of CUPE has decided to boycott Israel in favour of the Palestinian cause. Now don't get me wrong, everybody's entitled to their own opinions, but there are some serious problems with this public position:

1. CUPE is a union of public employees. That fact alone is preposterous, given that every time they strike or demand concessions, they're doing it on the backs of taxpayers. But more importantly, they are a group of government workers, who should not present ANY positions on international affairs, because even though they're not elected, as government workers they represent Canada. And Canadians do not necessarily support their positions.

2. Where then, does CUPE stand on other pressing issues? Do they support the right of Palestinians to blow themselves up on public transit vessels, killing innocent Israeli men, women, and children?

3. With respect to my first point, I suppose that CUPE has never pretended to have Canadian interests at heart. I mean really, they continually file grievances with the Canadian government, which is the true representative of the Canadian public, and they are against Canada's official stance on terrorism.

Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage is coming to a vote this year, in a parliament near you. (Or not, if you live outside of Ottawa).

Ahhhhhhhh. Time to lean back, relax, and pound out a good rant......

I wish this topic was that of the morality of homosexuality, rather than the State’s benign and magnificent blessing of it through the redefinition of a word. What’s the difference between a ‘marriage’ and a ‘union’? Who cares, but the Statists, and more importantly, God’s people? At any rate, the answer to the ‘riddle’ of same-sex marriage is found in the realm of semantics; and God and God’s children have ownership of the meaning of the word marriage, and across cultures, religions, and classes, the word ‘marriage’ means a spiritual connection between a man, a woman, and God. And God (otherwise known as Allah, or Yahweh), like his children, isn’t interested in having non-believers change His word. Therefore, the State should not have the power to recognize ‘marriages’ between two homosexual people. It’s sad that this topic is worthy of public debate in a handful of societies. After all, those that want a redefinition of the word are homosexual, or atheist, or possibly both, but more importantly, they are devout ‘Statists’. You don’t see the Christians(except maybe the United Church), Jews, and Muslims lining up at the public pulpit advocating gay marriage, and this group, in Canada at least, represents over 70% of the population (StatsCan, 2001); so I’d suggest that the people whom this issue affects are not interested in the redefinition of their Lord’s terminology. Further, if this large portion of the population can claim to know God’s will, who amongst the remaining 30% which are atheists, gay, or members of the United Church, can hope to claim otherwise? Lastly, why would that 30% (or less) really care about taking down the pan-religious, anti-gay-marriage crowd anyway? Really, the majority of Canadians, Americans, or any other civilized nation’s citizens want gays to hook up if that’s their desire. It doesn’t seem all that scandalous to them, as long as the newlyweds don’t come asking God to accept them, either as unrepentant followers, or as a married couple, which is why a gay civil unions are not unreasonable, and the redefinition of marriage is.

‘Marriage’ is a religious term found in the Bible. ‘Ketubah’ is the Hebrew translation found in the Tanakh, and ‘Nikah’ is the Arabic as found in the Quran. It is a symbolic joining of a man, woman, and God. When a man and a woman are symbolically joined outside of religion by a Justice of the Peace in Canada, the procedure is called a ‘civil union’. The followers of God seemingly have no quarrel with the State over its practice of civil union. Further, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all agree that humans ‘sin’, even though they shouldn’t. The relative ‘immorality’ of a sin in the eyes of a follower is crucial to this argument, and it’s important to note that God seems to regard homosexuality as a sin, regardless of the Christian/Jewish/Muslim perspective. Modern Christians, Jews, and Muslims, mindful that their religion is their own moral guide, have to allow their co-worshippers to find their own way through the guide, even occasionally contradict it (by sinning), but they are vigilant against the subversion of this guide, particularly by others who are not followers of God or his moral guidance. Their (correct) view is that allowing the term ‘marriage’ to be redefined as a union between either opposite sexes or same sexes is a subversion of the moral guide provided by God to his followers.

The previously mentioned ‘Statists’ believe that they have a moral guide that should supersede the one provided by God. Good for them. However, the troubling, insinuation-laced hyperbole spewing forth from some prominent figures in this ‘debate’ ( ie. That all those who oppose same-sex marriage are neo-conservative homophobes) seems to indicate that they believe that theirs is the final and all-authoritative moral guide, and that not only do they believe it should supersede God’s word, they believe they’ve got the moral authority to forcibly impose this guide upon their God-worshipping opponents.

If social mores dictate the content and perspective of our laws regarding morality, then this argument is already settled. It seems as though, as long as the vast majority of a society’s members believe in the ‘word(s) of God’, the moral ‘law of the land’ must support opposite-sex marriage, and limit the term used to describe the union of two (or heck, three or four) homosexuals to a ‘civil union’. However, if some Hedonistic, Utilitarian, Kantian, or other contrived theory of morality must be used to determine the morality of same sex marriage, then the debate is open, but at least the debate can then be reframed to be one about the extent of liberty to be enjoyed by the religious majority, and not the liberty of homosexuals, if you’re a Utilitarian. Or if you’re a Kantian, perhaps you’d debate whether a law legalizing homosexual union was the right kind of rule for people who want to freely choose how they are governed. In other words, can there be social justice for religious people who want to be free to be happy, and worship a God who condemns homosexual marriage?

The answer is clear. The meaning of a word can belong to a group. It may end up being subverted in the popular, common vernacular of the day by other groups, but as the word ‘Kleenex’ can only ever really mean a Kleenex-brand tissue - yet is commonly used to name any tissue, so ‘marriage’ remains a religious concept that is subverted by non-religious people. That said, it seems a little improper for the State to absurdly decree that officially, Kleenex must be the term that is used to describe Sneezy brand’s competing product. In fact, the absurdity of the State dictating semantics to the populace at all with reference to religious moral code is staggering, given I’m writing this essay while living in a country that (so far) allows freedom of religious belief. Making same-sex marriage a legal definition would open a door for making certain religious beliefs legally immoral, and in Canada’s case could make preaching the Christian belief that homosexuality is immoral a hate crime. Further, in Canada it has already happened that marriage commissioners (who are public employees) have been told they must be willing to perform same-sex marriages or resign. Clearly a Christian marriage commissioner must have the same right to that job as any one else, regardless of his religious convictions. Particularly because a marriage commissioner is a public employee, his or her employer must not be able to infringe upon that commissioner’s Charter right to freedom of religion.

Cough, cough. Ahem.

UPDATE: It's already happened. The Saskatchewan thought police have charged a couple priests with hate crimes for upholding the Catholic Church's view on homosexuality. And found them guilty.

Memetic Weaponry

Armed and Dangerous has an excellent essay on the same theme that I expounded in my three part rant. Memes such as multiculturalism, relativism, and exploitation are nothing new.

Actually for that matter, neither is this essay. It appears to be dated February 11, 2006.

Is Iraq a Disaster?

Apparently, there are more violence-caused civilian deaths in a year in Washington D.C. than there are in Iraq.

Time to Heal Some Wounds

I am soon to be a former gas man. That is, I've sold my Petro Canada franchise, and the handover occurs in less than a month. Once that's done, I hope that I'm moving on to something bigger and better. This change is actually just one of a few that are occuring in my life. My living arrangement is changing, my family life is changing (my sister and several cousins have started their own families, my parents are getting ready to retire, etc.)

As I transition from one chapter in my life to another, I've decided to take stock of my outlook on life; my attitudes towards other people, institutions, situations, spirituality, and vice, in particular. It's a good thing to do sometimes. When you run a business, you've got to continuously take stock of your situation, ie. product levels, cash and working capital levels, etc., in order to know what direction the business is going in, and to periodically give yourself an honesty/reality check with respect to that direction. Sometimes, you have to adjust your stock. In the case of a convenience store like the one I owned, that meant writing off old stock, or theft, for example. You know, you have to shed some of the things that are not helping you move in the direction that you want to be going in.

Today I want to write off resentments that I've accumulated over the seven years that I've owned this business. Resentment is like old stock, it goes sour like past due milk, or stale like old chocolate bars, and you can never sell it, and you'll never get anything out of it but a bad taste in your mouth. You may as well face the fact that the old stock should just be thrown away, and you move on.

I need to give up the resentments that I have towards:

1. People who complain about high gas prices
2. People who yell at gas jockeys
3. Thieves
4. Dishonest employees
5. Petro Canada for their endless manipulations
6. And finally, the government for making me their tax collector.

I forgive this list of people for hurting me over the years. I want to also seek forgiveness from those close to me who've suffered my anger during this time. It is my intention to release my resentments in a more timely and constructive manner, because it is resentment that is the root of much destructive behaviour. It's not as though the acts of people listed above are not destructive themselves, but I can not control any of them, only my own acts.

By the way, resentment also makes one self-absorbed. Maybe my ceaseless ranting will finally cease, if I can successfully release all my resentments :)

Stay tuned, for some more stock taking....