News blog

Apr 112013
 

Official speeches give false impression drone attacks are mostly targeting al-Qaeda members.

from The Atlantic

"The Obama Administration is deliberately misleading Americans about the drone war it is waging in Pakistan.

"Can anyone read the McClatchy Newspapers summary of top-secret intelligence reports and continue to deny it? Set aside the morality and effectiveness of the CIA's targeted-killing program. Isn't it important for Congress and the people to know the truth about the War on Terrorism? Many Americans remain furious that the Bush Administration gave Iraq War speeches that elided inconvenient truths and implied facts that turned out to be fictions. Is the objection merely that the Iraq War turned out badly? Or is misleading Congress and the public itself problematic, especially when the subject is as serious as killing people in foreign countries?

 

"To justify frequent drone strikes that regularly kill innocent people, risk serving as a terrorist recruiting tool, and terrorize whole communities understandably averse to drones buzzing above their homes, Obama Administration officials give the impression that al-Qaeda terrorists are the main targets. As it turns out, they haven't just helped hide the fact that the Bush Administration kicked off America's drone campaign in Pakistan by killing someone at the request of Pakistan's government — as Jonathan S Landay explains, Obama officials have misled us about their own behavior. …"

 
Apr 112013
 

Company doesn't truly support sustainable agriculture.

from Mother Jones

"Genetically modified seed giant Monsanto likes to trumpet its "commitment to sustainable agriculture." The story goes like this: by generating novel, high-tech crop varieties, Monsanto will wean farmers off of synthetic chemical poisons. The company even markets its flagship product, seeds genetically engineered to survive its own Roundup weed killer, as a tool they can use to to 'decrease the overall use of herbicides.'

"But as I've shown before, herbicide use has actually dramatically ramped up as the Roundup Ready technology conquers vast swaths of US farmland. That's because weeds quickly developed resistance to it, forcing farmers to apply ever-larger doses and resort to older, more toxic herbicides to combat resistant weeds. And while the company has tried hard to leave behind its past as a purveyor of toxic chemicals and rebrand itself as a technology company, those toxic chemicals remain central to its growth and profitability, as its latest quarterly profit report shows. …"

Full story

Apr 112013
 

Balancing the books left today's Alberta poorer.

from Vue Weekly

"In the end, the real legacy of Klein's tenure as premier is not one of general prosperity, economic growth and general well-being. He was a premier who was fortunate to be leader during a period of increasing oil and gas prices and who did not have to face the consequences of his policies once the price of oil crashed in 2008. Klein's true legacy is today's growing deficit, our ridiculous over-dependence on oil and gas, an incredibly volatile government revenue stream, over-crowded classrooms and emergency rooms, crumbling infrastructure, a Heritage Fund that has not grown in over 20 years, and a rapidly growing gap between rich and poor in the province. …"

Full story

Apr 102013
 

from Yahoo! News

Former Lt TIm McLaughlin says he never intended for the flag to become a symbol of victory.

"The Marine whose flag was used to cover the face on the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad’s Firdos Square before it was toppled at the beginning of the war with Iraq, has refused to lend the memento to the Marines on the 10th anniversary—to the day—of that televised event.

"Former Lt Tim McLaughlin told the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., that he did not want the flag to be used in propaganda. …"

Full story

Apr 102013
 

Bill seen as biggest labour reform since WW II.

from the Toronto Star

"Hardline trade unions staged protests across France on Tuesday against an overhaul of labour rules expected to be passed by parliament later in the day, a show of force they hoped would mobilize public opinion for further labour action.

"The lower house of parliament, where President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government has a slim majority, is expected to pass his measures loosening firing and hiring rules, opening the way for a Senate vote on April 17. …"

Full story

 

Apr 102013
 

Unions challenge hiring of Chinese workers for BC coal mine.

from the CBC

"The fight by two labour unions against a company that hired more than 200 temporary workers from China for its coal mine in northeastern B.C. heads to Federal Court in Vancouver today.

"HD Mining International says the 201 Chinese workers it hired for the Tumbler Ridge coal mine in B.C. have expertise lacked by Canadian miners. The judicial review comes as the federal temporary foreign worker program has raised controversy following a CBC report this week that foreign workers were replacing some Royal Bank staff. …"

Full story

Apr 102013
 

Air quality, tanker traffic, potential for spills are major issues.

from the Vancouver Sun

"Coastal First Nations affected by Shell Canada’s proposed liquefied natural gas terminal at Kitimat say air quality and the number of vessels that will pass through their fishing grounds are emerging as the main issues they want to see addressed if the $12-billion-plus project is to go ahead.

"First Nations have not taken a stand against the plants, key to a $50-billion plan to link B.C. gas fields with markets in Asia. But the plants, pipelines and ships that will transport the LNG to Asia need to accommodate the environmental concerns being raised, said Art Sterritt, executive director of Coastal First Nations, an umbrella group representing eight First Nations. …"

Full story

Apr 092013
 

Senator Bernie Sanders and Bill Maher refute right-wingers' talking points.

from the Bill Maher Show

Wall Street Journal columnist Steve Moore and HuffPost editor Abby Huntsman trot out GOP party lines. Bam!

YouTube Preview Image
Apr 092013
 
MargaretThatcher

The dictate that one 'not speak ill of the dead' is (at best) appropriate for private individuals, not influential public figures

by

News of Margaret Thatcher's death this morning instantly and predictably gave rise to righteous sermons on the evils of speaking ill of her. British Labour MP Tom Watson decreed: "I hope that people on the left of politics respect a family in grief today." Following in the footsteps of Santa Claus, Steve Hynd quickly compiled a list of all the naughty boys and girls "on the left" who dared to express criticisms of the dearly departed Prime Minister, warning that he "will continue to add to this list throughout the day". Former Tory MP Louise Mensch, with no apparent sense of irony, invoked precepts of propriety to announce: "Pygmies of the left so predictably embarrassing yourselves, know this: not a one of your leaders will ever be globally mourned like her."

This demand for respectful silence in the wake of a public figure's death is not just misguided but dangerous. That one should not speak ill of the dead is arguably appropriate when a private person dies, but it is wildly inappropriate for the death of a controversial public figure, particularly one who wielded significant influence and political power. …

Full story

Apr 092013
 

All past and present paper mill workers asked to fill out questionnaires about their health.

from the CBC

"A new committee in Thunder Bay wants to know if mill workers are experiencing an unusually high rate of cancer.

"Last week, the group sent a letter to all past and present employees of the pulp and paper mill in Thunder Bay, asking them to fill out a questionnaire about their health. …"

Full story