yep

http://fwix.com/vancouver/share/0911b7d060/Are_some_of_those_Olympic_panhandlers_in_Vancouver_actually_cops

Policing the "Canadian Way"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvpZc2veKyk

Ohhhh

I do have children and I highly doubt I will ever be CAVE. I am really looking forward to the revolution. Any schedule for the event?

VANOC proudly annouces suppression of Canadian rights

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Olympic+protests+will+smaller+than+expected+Vanoc+tells/2537372/story.html

Do ya think

Do ya think he might know something http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wirestory?id=9740761&page=2

leftofcentre

is an apologist for police brutality.

In his world, Polish immigrants, illegally parked seniors, drunk kidss in northern BC and others deserve the torture and death they receive at the hands of the police.

KATRINA DEJA VU? OLYMPIC CLEAN UP TIME?

Is there anyone who might be able to research and find a list of those structures in Vancouver which are slated for demolition in the not too distant future? Just curious. Why? Well....
There was such a list on hand before Katrina and before 9/11.
It seems that the WTC towers were on it. That may be why owner Larry Silverstein, the guy who collected multi millions in insurance from the 9/11 event, slipped up when he said on that PBS show that "they" decided to "PULL" W7, a demo industry term, when they were talking about why tower W7 came down as well. And that must be why the demolition of W7 was announced as "news" by a BBC reporter while it still stood standing behind her, yet she stated this news as as fait accompli demolished tower, but bungled it when she announced 23 minutes before it even occurred, that it had been "destroyed".

Disaster Capitalism

.... is Naomi Klein's theory, not mine.

CAMERAS CAMERAS, EVERYWHERE:

SUSPECT NATION
Suspect Nation

How is information being collected? Could new identity technology actually put at risk the very people it seeks to protect? Since Tony Blair's New Labour government came to power in 1997, the UK civil liberties landscape has changed dramatically. ASBOs were introduced by Section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and first used in 1999. The right to remain silent is no longer universal. Our right to privacy, free from interception of communications has been severely curtailed. The ability to travel without surveillance (or those details of our journeys being retained) has disappeared. Indeed, as Henry Porter (the Observer journalist famous for his recent email clash with Tony Blair over the paring down of civil liberties) reveals in this unsettling film, our movements are being watched, and recorded, more than ever before.

Suspect Nation HQ (Part 1/5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gHsXZMWwVw

Suspect Nation HQ (Part 2/5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wybX5kWFgs

Suspect Nation HQ (Part 3/5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ts55FXwhXw

Suspect Nation HQ (Part 4/5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlQ7MB9LOuw

Suspect Nation HQ (Part 5/5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibCpDONbHmc

careful!

The rabbits are next...

IN THE USA

...war is not permitted to be preemptive, under the Constitution. Hence there has been a historically recurring creation of the appearance of being attacked from without, used politically in order to justify all manner of profitable aggression against the enemy, any so called outsider pr domestic "enemy", invariably a government identified "enemy", albeit only after the fact. Few Canadians seem to be asking how our rights have been so easily preemptively removed BEFORE the Olympics. Maybe that is because Canada is a country defined by common sense, not paranoia. The catch is that Canadians tend to not ask soon enough the same kinds of questions about their most basic civil liberties & rights. Sure Canadians tend to see themselves as more realistic & less fear based than many Americans when it comes to any political orchestration of panic for political gain. Harper, in this sense, is more Texan than Canadian. However, when Canadian people are too docile & complacent, they can sometimes comply too soon or too readily, or ask too few questions. When any citizen becomes afraid of whatever they are told by the government to fear, while not fearing the power of government itself, they soon lose their rights. Do Canadians KNOW they have the right to not have the US military in our harbours % on our streets? That we have the right to not have Parliament prorogued during this kind of "occupation" by foreign troops?

PROPAGANDA AS "ENTERTAINMENT"

Beyonce Grammy Performance 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=773spHLUAsE

interesting..,

judging by the manipulated presse's articles we have both VANOC and the Fiberals running scared.

The impetus of ignorance

is there anything more to say?

To the operator

This is not an entry into this blog, but I don't know where else to put it!

I just sat and wrote a letter to another blog, put a lot of thought and work into it, and found, when I was done, that it did not get posted, because the discussion had been ended while I was typing. I see this as a serious shortfall in the code. It should not be possible to get an open text field and then not get your letter posted. Gives a nasty feeling of being burned. I will not again trust enough to type into a text field and run the risk of losing my work, but will always cut and paste from word. You can put up with the weird code differences that will result. You asked for it.

dorothy, try Notepad

Try writing your comment in Notepad, and then pasting it in place. It works just fine, and you don't have to worry about bogus MS code fritzing up the works.

BC Boy

Beats the same drum over and over, too bad he's not willing to do himself what he thinks others should do.

After all, according to him it takes only a few dozen people of limited means to cure poverty in BC. Too bad he doesn't want to be one of them.

seig heil baby!

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Security+deal+with+Olympic+protesters/2538639/story.html

Well Frank..its the protestors that are complaining.

Well Frank, nice comments bud, but it is the protestors that are complaining and equating the Olypmics to homelessness. So, the protestors would win over alot more support if they put their energies where their complaining is. And just how many of these disruptive protestors actually do get out there to clean out the downtown east side of the drug dealers? Not many, because the drug dealers are still there.

If the protestors are complaining about homelessness and so forth, why not have them fix the problem themselves??

your own street theatre

...sounds great - nice idea to do Chaplin ;-)
What's the film where he waves his handkerchief (probably red) and a crowd of rabble rousers starts to form behind him?

hey Michael,

And Michael, speaking of security, I'd really like to know if you still don't think Caspian Sea oil and gas, and the TAPI pipeline, are why Canadian troops are involved in the Afghanistan debacle.

On Almanac, a few years ago, you dismissed this idea on the grounds that the region where Canadians were handing pencils to children is much too unstable for any such pipeline. So it was all about pencils?

Do you remember exactly what you said? And what's your take on this now?

BC Boy

"it is the protestors that are complaining and equating the Olypmics to homelessness."

You're confused, the protesters don't think the Olympics and homelessness is the same thing at all.

"So, the protestors would win over alot more support if they put their energies where their complaining is."

And YOU and Campbell would win over a lot more support if over the last 9 years you had put your energy into fixing real problems instead of blowing the excess wealth of the province on a party that most can't afford to even attend.

"And just how many of these disruptive protestors actually do get out there to clean out the downtown east side of the drug dealers? Not many, because the drug dealers are still there."

Are you demanding the protesters assault drug dealers? Calling for violent acts on the Tyee is verboten, check your commenting guidelines.

Anyway, fact is, its your side that has decided to spend a billion dollars on police so why is it all of those police can't do what you want protesters to do?

I mean seriously, think of how illogical that is. You just spent a billion dollars on police yet you don't have the money to do any policing in the downtown eastside and so instead you call for left-wing citizens to take the law into their own hands and attack people that have not been convicted or even accused of a crime. Gee, I wonder if the citizens being attacked might sue? You think?

"If the protestors are complaining about homelessness and so forth, why not have them fix the problem themselves??"

Because maybe the problem is far bigger than their meager resources could possibly fix? After all, your side does claim there's very few of them and that they should get a job.

Here's a thought, send all the police home and give the billion dollars to the protesters to give out to poor people in BC. I bet they'd be so busy helping people they wouldn't protest.

But I know you'd rather spend the money on police than the poor.

Still doesn;t get it.

"You're confused, the protesters don't think the Olympics and homelessness is the same thing at all. "

Intersting - so why all the whining and complaining that the Olympics are taking away from the homeless?? It's been a major issue on the protestor side. Read their positions, it's a basic
position of the ORN.

"And YOU and Campbell would win over a lot more support if over the last 9 years you had put your energy into fixing real problems instead of blowing the excess wealth of the province on a party that most can't afford to even attend"

Sure and where was the NDP for the 10 years of 1991 to 2001 where they had a much easier chance to
fix the problems and they did not? As a party for not afford to even attend, there are many events for free.

Are you demanding the protesters assault drug dealers? Calling for violent acts on the Tyee is verboten, check your commenting guidelines.

Well is it equally right to disrupt events? Calling for violent acts (disrupting events) is
verboten. Check your commenting guidelines.

"Anyway, fact is, its your side that has decided to spend a billion dollars on police so why is it all of those police can't do what you want protesters to do?"

and that is?

I mean seriously, think of how illogical that is. You just spent a billion dollars on police yet you don't have the money to do any policing in the downtown eastside and so instead you call for left-wing citizens to take the law into their own hands and attack people that have not been convicted or even accused of a crime. "

The last time anyone looked, drug dealing on the street is a crime. It's called trafficing.

BC Boy

Surely to god you can't be this bad at comprehending the written word?

I will "sesame-street" it for you :

For the fifth time, the NDP record on combating homelessness and poverty is better than the BC Liberal record. The BC Libs have led the country on child poverty for seven years in a row. There have been more homeless on the streets of BC in the last 9 years than there were under the NDP.

"and that is?"

You don't recall what you said in your last post? Since your memory is failing you could try going back to your last post and re-reading it. What you asked for was that protesters be used on drug dealers.

"The last time anyone looked, drug dealing on the street is a crime. It's called trafficing."

Then why do you need protesters? Why not use the billion dollars you just spent on police to arrest them? How much do you need to arrest drug dealers? Two billion? Three billion?

"Intersting - so why all the whining and complaining that the Olympics are taking away from the homeless??"

Because the money spent on security alone for the Games would have done a lot more good if spent on social priorities.

"As a party for not afford to even attend, there are many events for free."

(sigh) I have trouble believing your claim you're the head of a corporation when your grammar and spelling (not to mention your memory and reading comprehension) are this atrocious.

We need some very large mental hospitals

The Province
May 6, 2009

They are psychotic, they are drug-addicted and they are homeless.

Doctors, scientists, advocates and those working the streets and hotel rooms of the Downtown Eastside say those are the people falling through a large and widening crack in a mental-health system that is not able to serve the people who need the care the most.

Mark Smith, executive director of RainCity Housing and Support Society, figures almost the entire homeless population in the Downtown Eastside -- which he believes numbers between 600 and 1,100 -- have mental-health issues and use drugs.

"Those are the ones. Those are the ones gesticulating. Those are the ones that motorists slow down to look at. Those are the ones that wander into traffic. Those are the visible homeless," said Smith.

Where the blame really lies...

All the Rightist inferences here, oblique and otherwise, to the 911 world reality as justification for the security regime increasingly being installed in this country as well, by their ruling class masters, they are in largely to blame for as themselves. It is they who have sought, and continue, to place this country in harms way by standing as too close and intimately to the US militarism that has long been seeking world domination, particularly in the Middle East. They have by so doing, taken on Amerika's well deserved enemies as our own.

It is this same US militarism and its Empire ambitions that brought 9-11 down upon themselves in the first place. ( Of which there is growing recognition.) It was/is to be expected, no less than did the early "colonial Americans" against the British, that the Arab peoples would resist foreign attempts, by any means possible to them, to impose US imperialist controls and regimes upon them.

And then our own militarists and political/economic US Empire Loyalists, failing to understand this fundamental fly in the ointment of the modern world and its geopolitics, or not giving a rat's ass, picked this very moment to drop their drawers and take up the US inspired notion of an "economic union" with them. And as part of this Americanization vision for Canada's future, to join, serve and ingratiate themselves to the US Empire cause in the Middle East, especially Afghanistan.

This post 911 world of which they speak so much, in justifying this security regime's imposition on all of us, they are themselves to blame for. Just as they are as well, the decision of late capitalist provincial and national governments, Liberal and Conservative (fascist) to spend billions of dollars on a touristy sports extravaganza. over the needs of "the people" and the nation. Better they had chosen instead affordable housing construction jobs of more lasting benefit, (and stricter immigration controls) and recovering our natural resources from foreign control as part of a more rounded economic and truly "green" development of this country.

Did you not think that people would notice? And begin to hunt you down and harass you?

It is just beginning you wingnuts, and it is yourselves you have to thank/blame for this.

The end logic of its natural development...

"They are psychotic, they are drug-addicted and they are homeless.
Doctors, scientists, advocates and those working the streets and hotel rooms of the Downtown Eastside say those are the people falling through a large and widening crack in a mental-health system that is not able to serve the people who need the care the most." realisticman

And this as well, is the world these same Rightists and their Liberal-Conservative (fascist/corporatist) Regimes have brought down upon us, as a consequence of the "Restraint Budget Regimes" of the late 70s and since, with their closing of mental and other hospitals. It is they who have led the gutting of the medical system, which they now use as their justification for creating a new "privatized" care system, so-called. Which system is to be based on affordability, and/or instead of subsidizing a "publicly owned" medical system such as was, to now "subsidize", as in provide corporate welfare support to a "private owned" system instead.

They have found a way, again, around an enviable public owned and serviced system, to make it just another trough at which the pigs of the corporate establishment can feed further their fill, at the public's expense. It is another one of their many hands going through our collective wallet.

It's called capitalism kiddies, and is the end logic of its natural development.

"cold , aggressive and over-competitive"

and just wait to see what they are saying after a few visitors get beaten by out-of-control cops.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article7019797.ece

Dr. Alexander, I agree

I have been worried about a false flag incident, but I realized that the security apparatus that has already been installed will just be continued after everybody goes home. An incident would be unnecessary. Between 9/11 and the crotch bomber, they have all the justification needed to keep and enlarge police state measures already in place.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100125_6457.php

Coyote...capitalism is just one of the tools used by the gangsters who run the world.They are always playing both ends against the middle.

John Greg

Thanks for the tip!

Still beyond comprehension

"For the fifth time, the NDP record on combating homelessness and poverty is better than the BC Liberal record. The BC Libs have led the country on child poverty for seven years in a row. There have been more homeless on the streets of BC in the last 9 years than there were under the NDP. "

For the sixth time, the NDP despite having endless
resolutions in their convention books during the 1980's did not entirely eliminate poverty. Also consider it was the NDP that closed Essondale and
put mentally challenged people out on the strees.

The NDP was supposed to eliminate poverty and did not.

"What you asked for was that protesters be used on drug dealers."

and why not? Why not have the energies of the protest against The Games be used against the drug dealers in the downtown east side? Protest them out of the neighbourhood. The locals will thank you for it.

"The last time anyone looked, drug dealing on the street is a crime. It's called trafficing."

"Then why do you need protesters?"

Geezus -- To shame them out of the downtown east side and get them out of the neighbourhood down there so that the downtown east side can be made more livable. What's wrong with that??

"Why not use the billion dollars you just spent on police to arrest them?"

If there was protests against the drug dealers being there there wouldn't be any need to spend money on policing in a huge way.

How much do you need to arrest drug dealers? Two billion? Three billion?"

Don't need much if the protestors would focus their efforts to picket in front of them, and get them out of the neighbourhood by protesting them being there.

"Intersting - so why all the whining and complaining that the Olympics are taking away from the homeless??"
"As a party for not afford to even attend, there are many events for free."

(sigh) I have trouble believing your claim you're the head of a corporation when your grammar and spelling (not to mention your memory and reading comprehension) are this atrocious.

(sigh), and one has to wonder about occupation that respondent has. Must be tough working at the
bottle depot on Hastings Street for him.

BC Boy

"For the sixth time, the NDP despite having endless
resolutions in their convention books during the 1980's did not entirely eliminate poverty"

LOL! Whatever.

As for using protesters against drug dealers instead of the police force we're paying billions for... good lordy.

"and one has to wonder about occupation that respondent has."

If English isn't your first language let me know and I'll stop bugging you about your writing.

"Must be tough working at the
bottle depot on Hastings Street for him."

At least its honest work. And unlike being a CEO such as yourself, we Hastings Street bottle depot guys had to pass grade 12 English. Now show some initiative and start attending a night school.

Still doesn't get it after several attempts

For the sixth time, the NDP despite having endless
resolutions in their convention books during the 1980's did not entirely eliminate poverty"

LOL! Whatever.

El oh el.. The NDP had "eliminate poverty" on their resolution books during the 1980's at every
convention and there were a few so-called advocates
for poverty striken people that ran as NDP candidates and failed to achieve the goals, just
like the party.

The NDP was playing the eliminate poverty song over and over like a cheap cassette tape back then.

"As for using protesters against drug dealers instead of the police force we're paying billions for... good lordy."

Well, why not? Are they afraid to confront the drug dealers who are themselves causing the problem in the downtown east side with their pushing of the drugs they are selling? Shame them
out of the neigbourhood and there would be a change. The huge security effort is not just
the local yellers. It's also to prevent a repeat
of what happened at the 1972 Munich Games.

Also worth noting, the NDP didn't redirect the millions they spent on the 1994 Commonwealth Games and the Fastcats to eliminate poverty did they?

"and one has to wonder about occupation that respondent has."

If English isn't your first language let me know and I'll stop bugging you about your writing.

Well save it. I'll keep my formal writing for those who use it.

"Must be tough working at the
bottle depot on Hastings Street for him."

At least its honest work. And unlike being a CEO such as yourself,

CEO is honest work. As is president. I doubt you have ever run a small business and keep the books
balanced, keep the customers and employees happy.

"we Hastings Street bottle depot guys had to pass grade 12 English."

Probably meant you ended up putting the bottles
in the boxes, not doing the difficult task of
paying out the money to those who brought the bottles in, right.

Actually did better than that, Sherlock. Won a
B in Second year Business English at university.

"Now show some initiative and start attending a night school."

Sure. Whatever. LOL...

kind of dumb idea

"If there was protests against the drug dealers being there there wouldn't be any need to spend money on policing in a huge way."

Hard to believe vigilantism is being condoned, putting aside that silliness, suggesting citizens should put themselves at risk of death or injury by trying to run (probably) armed drug dealers out of their neighbourhood is a ludicrous suggestion. That's clearly an idea that needs its proponent to lead by example IMO, if they think it's a sensible reaction to criminal activity run and financed by organized crime syndicates.

Not so dumb

So according to CK, it's okay for protestors to physically disrupt events that are being enjoyed by others, and yet not protest against the heavy drug dealing that goes on in the Downtown Eastside.

Again to repeat the protestors do not have any rights amongst themselves to disrupt events. They can protest as long as it is peaceful and does not disrupt.

If the protestors want to lead by example and really mean what they say in regards to homelessness and the misery in the downtown east side then they should get busy and act to help in a big way to fix the problem if they are really all that concerned about it.

otherwise it jsut turns into a dog and phoney show for the media.

and guess what? After all those marches, and the signs are put away, the homelessness will still be there and the drug dealing will still take place,
and none of the protestors are really all that
concerned about fixing the problem.

So it makes the marches and disruptions nothing more than a show for the media.

and nothing really gets fixed, and the protestors
don't really care all that much about the downtown east side.

Nothing is ever going to get fixed in the downtown east side unless these protestors actually are true to their whining and complaining and actually get busy and do something about it, rather than bothering people who want to enjoy events and the Games.

Sorry, but that's bullshit

"So according to CK, it's okay for protestors to physically disrupt events that are being enjoyed by others, and yet not protest against the heavy drug dealing that goes on in the Downtown Eastside."

Nowhere did I suggest any such thing or make any such somparison. I just pointed out that your idea of confronting drug dealers was stupid. You might ask a policeman or 15,000 what they think of such a hare-brained scheme before you misrepresent my remarks in a feeble attempt to deflect attention from your nonsense. Frankly, you should apologize asap.

spelling error

"Nowhere did I suggest any such thing or make any such somparison." should be 'comparison'

More junk opinion

"Nothing is ever going to get fixed in the downtown east side unless these protestors actually are true to their whining and complaining and actually get busy and do something about it, rather than bothering people who want to enjoy events and the Games."

To generalize, most of the organization and individuals involved in Olympic criticism do exactly that. But, since it doesn't suit your narrative, you're ignoring reality. Since, I have a sneaking suspicion I've already discounted your fantasy-world in another forum, to no effect, I'll leave you to your misinformation campaign.

Again. don't get it. But go ahead anyway

Obviously don't get the idea to get going and reduce homelessness by actually getting out there and doing something about it rather than complain and whine all the time.

I doubt most of the ORN actually has done anything tangible (do they run a shelter? Assist in rehab of drug addicts? Proably not. Many are ignoring reality. In other words if the ORN was really all that hell bent about homelessness and poverty they would actually do something about it, perhaps something they could have started two or three years ago and showcased it to the world, rather than getting into the silly notion of supporting tactics to disrupt events and not really getting into civil peaceful protests.

A solid workable programme working with the social structure and the addicts themselves to get them off that junk would actually "get rid of the drug dealers". Cut off the market and the sellers will be out of there fast.

and CK - sorry pal. No apologies from me just yet.
I want to see absolutely no disruption of events, no disruption of the games, and no interference with the enjoyment of the games first.

and get goin' on actually doing something for the downtown east side if you really care about the issue that much.

If not, well then just take a hike.

BC Boy

"The NDP had "eliminate poverty" on their resolution books during the 1980's"

And although they didn't eliminate it they did a better job combating it than the BC Liberals. And that's in spite of Harcourt being there for half the time.

Regardless, I'm sure you won't bring up the litany of broken BC Liberal promises will you? BC Rail? Raid on the legislature? Most transparent government in history? 5 Great Goals for a Golden Decade? Literacy? The list is long...

"Well, why not? Are they afraid to confront the drug dealers who are themselves causing the problem in the downtown east side with their pushing of the drugs they are selling?"

Wouldn't you be? If not, why don't you go down there yourself and "shame the drug dealers"? No one is stopping you. Please go and be a hero.

And take your billion dollars worth of police with you, they're not doing anything else.

"The huge security effort is not just
the local yellers. It's also to prevent a repeat
of what happened at the 1972 Munich Games."

Really? A billion dollars in security to protect 3 Israeli athletes? You just never get tired of making things up do you?

"Also worth noting, the NDP didn't redirect the millions they spent on the 1994 Commonwealth Games and the Fastcats to eliminate poverty did they?"

I assume you were a big fan of the 1994 Commonwealth Games? The cost was $142 million. Although not a huge sum I believe the money could have been better spent.

As for the ferries. BC is not next to North Korea as you seem to believe, we're next to a large body of water. Ferries are required to cross that body of water now and then so as to link communities. Its a necessary cost.

"Well save it. I'll keep my formal writing for those who use it."

You can instantly switch between good writing and bad writing can you? Whatever.

"Actually did better than that, Sherlock. Won a
B in Second year Business English at university."

Either you're making things up again or our education system has truly fallen apart. I'm sure your teachers are hiding their heads in shame every time you post.

Winning B

"Won a B in Second year Business English at university."

Gosh - who knew you could win grades from Crackerjack boxes ?

Not really getting it.

"And although they didn't eliminate it they did a better job combating it than the BC Liberals."

Oh? Was there a massive reduction in poverty? Ask End Legislative Poverty. The concept was to eliminate poverty, something they did not do. It is interesting that the drug problem was still very much manifesting itself when the NDP
was in power. They did nothing to eliminate it.

"And that's in spite of Harcourt being there for half the time."

Sure. His Party was helping itself to charity funds which went to the provincial office and local ridings courtesy of David Stupich and his Commonwealth Holding Society.

and "shame the drug dealers"? No one is stopping you. Please go and be a hero.

and what's stopping you from doing the same thing?

Now you're talking Sherlock. Let's get the entire
ORN out there to do exactly that. Finally you've
rung the bell on what I am getting at. Congratulations. Take a chocolate bar out of the glass bowl as a prize.

Really? A billion dollars in security to protect 3 Israeli athletes? You just never get tired of making things up do you?

You never tire of twisting things around do you?
It's to prevent such situations from occuring.

I assume you were a big fan of the 1994 Commonwealth Games? The cost was $142 million. Although not a huge sum I believe the money could have been better spent.

Sure, and the close to a billion dollars in accrued costs for the Fastcats (not just the project cost, but the cost of the loans needed.

As for the ferries. BC is not next to North Korea as you seem to believe, we're next to a large body of water. Ferries are required to cross that body of water now and then so as to link communities. Its a necessary cost.

"Well save it. I'll keep my formal writing for those who use it."

You can instantly switch between good writing and bad writing can you? Whatever.
Either you're making things up again or our education system has truly fallen apart. I'm sure your teachers are hiding their heads in shame every time you post.

Guess you know all about that, don't you.

Enjoy your day, and try not to get too worked up over the games and the events.

Also try to think of how you're actually going to help the people in the downtown east side that your
friends are using (literally) in protest against the games.

Free B

Winning B
"Won a B in Second year Business English at university."

Gosh - who knew you could win grades from Crackerjack boxes ?

Makes a person wonder that how you could win grades simply because the teacher decided to just give an F level student a C+ because she felt sorry for you.

apology

"and CK - sorry pal. No apologies from me just yet."

I actually meant you should apologize for the way you misrepresented what I said. If you got a B in English, then one can assume you can read and comprehend what I wrote.

"A solid workable programme working with the social structure and the addicts themselves to get them off that junk would actually "get rid of the drug dealers". Cut off the market and the sellers will be out of there fast."

And will they be paying for these programmes with fairy dust? The gov't itself claims poverty w/r/t to these initiatives and you think a wave of a wand addresses drug addiction? Jeezus, the ignorance, mindless boosterism, and knee-jerk stupidity of your position on this is actually painful to read. I sincerely hope that you ARE volunteering for the Olympics given your love for the spectacle.

BC Boy

"They did nothing"

Actually they did. You were probably thinking of the Liberal record on poverty but even there you're wrong because they did do something, they increased it.

"Sure. His Party was helping itself to charity funds which went to the provincial office and local ridings courtesy of David Stupich and his Commonwealth Holding Society."

And your party is so corrupt that the police raided the legislature and arrested a few of your buddies. But of course unlike Harcourt, Campbell doesn't think corruption (or drunk driving) is a real crime.

"and what's stopping you from doing the same thing?"

I have never expressed a desire to whereas its the only thing you talk about. So by all means stand behind your words and go do it. I'll watch for you on the news.

"Sure, and the close to a billion dollars in accrued costs for the Fastcats (not just the project cost, but the cost of the loans needed."

Nice try, but no serious commenter has ever put the cost above even half of that. And of course its necessary to subtract all the economic benefits that came from spending that money in the province. I'm sure Germany was happy to have ferries built over there because doing so provides work and the money stays in their economy creating even more wealth. You can look up it in any first year economic text.

"Also try to think of how you're actually going to help the people in the downtown east side that your
friends are using (literally) in protest against the games."

Best thing I can do to help them is work to convince the 75% that didn't vote for Campbell to show up on election day.

Other than that, when government actively works to increase poverty there is little any individual or even group of charities can do to alleviate all the poverty in BC.

Appearance and Content...

"Coyote...capitalism is just one of the tools used by the gangsters who run the world.They are always playing both ends against the middle." Mopled

I certainly agree that, " They are always playing both ends against the middle." Which is one of the identifiable features of capitalism, of course.

From the time of its early victory over feudalism in the English Civil War and the subsequent Industrial Revolution, reacting to the threats of the attendant early class struggles and other threats to it existence that followed its early creation, capitalism has evolved to become the slippery, slimy, shape shifting entity it is today. Indeed, it has proved admirably capable of flying any flag to hide its one true face; be the flag National Socialism (Nazi), Communism (Stalinism to modern Capitalist China), and Free Enterprise etc. etc..

It is not the particular flag that it flies, and behind which it hides however, that determines its still, from the time of the Industrial Revolution "capitalism" critical character, but its always "elitist/vanguard" serving content, and oppression of the people, from the ruthless to the highly sophisticated forms of the advanced "capitalist" countries.

Judge not a thing by its appearance, or its claims of itself, but by its content... That is, what it does.

In the end, I have always said, the best antidote to all these various shape shifting forms is going to be a deeply rooted, manifold, and insistent "democratic practise" at all levels of socio-political and economic life. This, and a healthy and critical scepticism of all Alpha and Beta manifestations by the Omega masses. (Stalinism, Hitlerism, Maoism, Reganism, and Thatcherism etc. Beware all the "uncontrolled" manifestations of the Cult of the Personality, and claims of vanguardism etc..)

Of these however, a manifold "democracy" at all levels of, and throughout all the structures of society, including the economy, is the key element. For it is there, in the economy especially, that capitalism in all its many shape shifting forms really arises and roots itself.

So easy!

Whew! All we have to do is repudiate capitalism and "democracy"! Thanks man.

Hey I just thought of a good promo for the Tyee comments section -- post at the Tyee, get a free tinfoil hat.

Tinfoil hats and Brownshirts...

And here is your tinfoil hat. Ot would you rather it was a brown shirt?

To the degree one can tell the difference.

Tin foil hats and drag queens...

Hmmm, actually, the tinfoil hat and the brownshirt are but two parts of the same identifiable neoconazi uniform.

Here, ever shape shifting, they are a Liberal, there a Conservative, and yet there again a Wildrose Party goose stepper, there the gasping and dying Reform Party, snd then like a metamorphosing butterfly of many faces, here the Saskatchewan Party. They change many times, wearing different faces and makeup, over the course of playing their many Drag Queen roles, seeking to appeal to every fantasy.

Tinfoil hats, indeed. Real little Herman Gorings.

Just exactly what part of Amerika did I wake up in this morning?

I know that a lot of what is going on is a display to please our neighbors to the south who's paranoia knows no bounds.The increased security on seaplanes where the pilot and passengers have known each other for years is just another waste of money.The insane and overblown efforts that are now admittedly being aimed at locals who want to exercise their right to protest is despicable.I saw young people with backpacks who were playing with electronic devices and no one even noticed.If there is and riot in Vancouver it,like every riot this city has ever seen will be the result of agents provocateurs employed by either the RCMP(my bet)or the locals raising the bar on police misconduct with their riot gear.I have been on the receiving end of their clubs and have been arrested for assaulting a police officer.I guess I must have messed up the finish on the club he was whacking me with all the way up Davie street.Freedom of speech is dead when the police are speaking of illegal protests by protesters speaking during the torch run???I guess our streets are a no talking zone unless you have nice things to say about the Olympiks.People are so willing to lie down whenever they are told it is positively frightening.Canadians obviously believe in doing what they're told and shutting up without a whimper.No thought as to the where's and the why's.1984 has truly come and found a willing home here.