The "Harper government"

The "Harper government" works at the 4th grader intelligence level of its leader.

According to them, what this country really needs are more "foreign investors", who bring back the money stolen from the pockets of Canadians, surviving on minimum wage part time jobs with the "outsourcing" and "free trade" rackets, that have nothing to do with trade, to buy up the country from under their feet.

But, according to our highly educated PM, this is the way to real "competitiveness" and efficiency.

In any case, if there was any real help given to the billion starving people of the world, it would seriously hurt the stock and money markets and that wouldn't be fiscally efficient at all.

As one of our former PC MPs wrote about it in our papers, even back in the 80s: "Children are starving in Africa, because their parents are not productive".

And who could argue with such brilliant, "conservative" thinking, now encompassing the world with its "competitive efficiency".

These "conservative" jerks should try what it is like to be a starving, homeless refugee,running around in rags, not wanted anywhere, without a decent meal for years.

Of course, the parents of those starving children should have invested their savings in some highly profitable stocks, like in the News Corp.,or in some condos in Vancouver, so they could sell them at high profits to "investors from Mainland China", and then they wouldn't have to starve.

Perhaps Mr. Kenney could give them some hints on how to become economically efficient?

Ed Deak.

Awesome Article

Thank you Mr. Sylvester for telling it like it is. You are right on! This racist, secretive Harper government is a scourge upon Canada. Don't know how to get rid of them.

Not a word from the CONS

Not a word from the CONS about the refugee problem from North Africa into Europe. There are thousands per week from Libya and Tunsia alone, never mind the flood of peoples from other parts of the world into Europe. The mass-media is partly to blame cuz they should be asking Harper/Toews/Kenny/Baird questions about the refugee problem in the rest of the world.

Let's send Kenney to Africa

First - thank you for this article. Sadness grips my heart when I see these images and I am angry that in the 21st century we are still seeing mass number of people - especially children! - starving while people in the affluent countries (like Canada and the US) 'struggle' with obesity. Absolutely crazy!

And yet I am not surprised a bit.

"Wealth creation" is well and alive in the neo-corporate world.

I'm just wondering if many of these sickenigly rich people around the world feel any guilt. And will they do anything to open up their vallet and help. After all they can afford it as many have stolen the money from taxpayers and from organizations whose mandate is to help the less fortunate.

Secondly, please let's send Mr. Kenney to Africa. He looks like a big fat guy who needs to slim down. Let's make him work in those refugee camps and let's make him work for his food as most of these poor people do. Nothing else will ever teach these bastard politicians to become compassionate citizens of the world.

Failed States

It's ironic that Canada is an environmental delinquent that is the biggest per-capita contributor to climate change in the world and climate change refugees from Somalia are arriving in Canada. The countries that are the big polluters should compensate the poor countries that are being disproportionately affected by climate change, like Somalia.

Somalia is a lawless state and will continue to fail as a state. There is no way to determine which Somali refugees are likely to disregard the laws of the countries they emigrate to. My guess is that opposition to Somali refugees is coming from Alberta, where there is a concentration of Somali refugees in Edmonton. An inordinately high percentage of those refugees have no concept of law and Edmonton now has the highest murder rate in Canada. It's daily news in Edmonton and I'm sure Jason Kenny is hearing about it in his e-mail from Edmonton.

Road Lice

Actually although Canadians are one of the largest per-capita producers of greenhouse gases Canada, as a country, is way down the global list as an actual contributor to climate change.

If we continue to absorb refugees from countries in crises we will lose that position and further reduce any net benefits from changes we do make.

Well, Let's See

Can we afford to somehow take responsibility for the world refugee "problem" ?? We contribute to the UN and all it's agencies, THEY don't do much. Shall we now provide rusty ships to transport refugees to Canada, like the Tamil organization in Toronto?
And people still want us to pay up for all their other "issues" like "the environment", social services, social housing, yada, yada.
Better hurry up and plant a "Money Tree", I've made my "contributions" for as long as I could.

Al-Shabaab is to blame

Although the author has no way to confirm that Somalia is having the worst drought in 60 years, with no records, nor that droughts are increasing in frequency and severity, again since records are missing. But beside the hyperbole, the starvation in Somalia is mainly due to the conflict furthered by Al-Shabaab who is funded by Islamic groups. Kenny has no control over what is and has happened.

However, Canada cannot accept all refugees and I would rather see Canada accept the refugees that escaped from Burma first, perhaps those escaping from Venezuela, Iran and Syria next. These people don't have the luxury of starving, they are shot by their governments or just disappear.

snert

I suppose it dulls the pain a bit to think of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions, as opposed to per capita. How lucky for the entire planet that there are only 35 million of us!

Sarcasm aside, my thanks to Cam Sylvester for a great article, and for shining a much-needed light on Mr. Kenney.

Who wants Somalia refugees?

Canada wants refugees with money. How else could the developers increase their wealth? Poor uneducated persons need not apply to immigrate to this country and quite obviously the theme us Canadians embrace.
It should be easy for the Global Warming crowd to realize that for every immigrant we accept in this country is to accentuate our per capita carbon out put not reduce it.
The global warming rhetoric has worked wonderfully to keep the populace entertained while avoiding the real issue of over population on this planet. We people can argue the crumbs of carbon foot prints while keeping the heat off those much more interested in greed.
Somalia is in the firm grip of religious indoctrination and therefore remains to be a cesspool of ignorance and has become a country accustom to see it’s citizens die and we have been watching all along or rather trying not to.
Enough of this depressing subject. Time to plan the next exotic vacation, professional sporting event and I hear there are some new great movies to be had and surely that will keep me distracted from the grief of others.

11.3 million are in need of aid

I never agreed with Harper's decision to not provide foreign aid for birth control or maternal health. It was illogical. You would think the Prime Minister would be all for social welfare and race improvement for the African people. The science is there to back it but Harper choices to against it and was adamant the money was not to be used for population control.

This article missed the boat

The problem with the Sun Sea and Ocean Lady situation is that the boats were organized by human traffickers affiliated with the Tamil Tigers, an internationally-certified terrorist organization, who charged extortionist rates of roughly $20,000 per passenger.

Moreover, a refugee and asylum system that is to function properly, fairly, equitably, and that is capable of determining who genuinely needs help or not (or who is a war criminal on the run, for that matter) has to operate in an orderly fashion.

According to world fertility

According to world fertility rates, Somali women have 6 children. The situation will NEVER change without an aggressive birth control program. We can send all the money on the planet their way and nothing will ever change. EVER.

Guns and Religion

Fii has a point about the aggressive overpopulation in Somalia. Somali men are not behaving responsibly, nor are they likely to, ever. The mixture of excessive religion and excessive population has doomed Somalia. There is no solution. War, murder, rape, piracy and starvation are the future of Somalia. Somalia is the definition of a failed state.

Climate change, religious mass-murder and foreign arms manufacturers will intensify the perpetual disaster in Somalia. Wealthy countries can give Kenya money to support Somali refugees who manage to escape. Somalia itself could be assigned Special War Zone status by the United Nations, as a monument to human stupidity. War and religion would be allowed to proceed unabated in Somalia without the intervention of foreign governments and that area of the world could be written off as a lost cause (along with a few other areas). Somalia and the other write-offs could even be used to conduct future wars, instead of having wars in random locations like they happen now.

The main causes for

The main causes for overpopulation are religion, to take over the world, according to the plans of the Muslim Brotherhood, and poverty in areas without any social services and pensions, where people are hoping to survive in their old age with help from their children.

The Indian government had a policy of paying men to get vasectomy, when their population was about 400 million, or one third of the present one.

There was hue and cry all over the world with complaints and charges that those "poor men" were being paid for getting "emasculated".

In China the Maoists were paying people to have more and more children. One of our friends is the youngest of 7 daughters. Her parents were rewarded with a hole in the wall apartment with concrete floor and walls.

The same was, basically happening in Europe, and now their continental population is 50% higher than 60 years ago, with no room, no resources and no futures. That's why they want the CETA, with our brainless politicians going for it. .

Ed Deak.

No oil in Somalia

I guess if Somalia would have oil, Canada along with the US would be there already to 'help' to stabilize the situation and 'help' the Somalis to build a government.

Or perhaps we would be looking for weapons of mass destruction and invade anyway.

Or if Somalia would have any mining resources like Afghanistan does, or trees like Brazil have, the rich nations - Canada, US, Germany, France, England etc. would be there to 'help' and exploit whatever they can.

This is what basically happening in other parts of the third world countries. They work for us. China makes all the goods, the Indians and the Philippines are taking care of our phone/cable subscriptions. And we are living pretty much in abundance and total ignorance at times.

Be grateful that you worn born to this part of the World. It could have been very different.

Somalia is killing its people but no nation is going to go there and help under the name of humanitarianism. I guess it is too hot there.

Everyone is outraged in what is happening in Libya - Gaddafi is killing its own people. So NATO is there to 'help' the people. Oh that precious oil.

Yes, I agree, we can't take all the refugees of the World. We need to teach them to fish instead of giving them fish all the time.

Many African nations are among the poorest in the World. Why? They have no oil and no meaningful resources so - we ignore them and say - oh, it's too bad, people are dying there of hunger. Many of you really have no idea what hunger feels like and what it does to your soul. You should try it just as a convenience as someone said in a post.

If I can help in anyway - be it $20 as a donation or a can of beans that I can get for a $1.50 in the store - I will help.

If 34 million of Canadians give just 1 (ONE) item that is 34 million can of beans for example. It isn't that difficult.

But I would like to see the 10 richest Canadians to open up their valet and send immediate relief to these people:

David Thomson $23.36 billion
Galen Weston $8.50 billion
Arthur Irving $7.46 billion
Edward Rogers y $6.02 billion
Jim Pattison $5.53 billion
Paul Desmarais $4.28 billion
Bernard Sherman $3.94 billion
Jeffrey Skoll $3.56 billion
Lino Saputo $3.52 billion
Fred and Ron Mannix $3.18 billion
(I had to stop here as the list in the billions just goes on and on - at 59 I thought I quit).

I guess if someone is making this much money he/she should be giving back to the World without expecting anything in return. After all the fortune of these people came on the expense of others!

Eye of the perfect storm is on its way.

The Cairo conference on population decades ago warned the world of the overpopulation problem, but most action plans were sidetracked by religious forces; Catholic, Evangelical and Islamic.

Solving overpopulation was debated throughout the 90s, but many family planning efforts were hogtied by lack of funding (P.M. Lester Pearson proposed 0.8% of GDP to go to foreign aid, this accomplished by a number of European nations, while Canada only reached 0.25% and the U.S. 0.1%, this including military and tied aid), this often linked to the abortion issue and even the AIDS prevention ABC program (abstain, be faithful, use condoms) that was changed to AB because some religious donors thought condom use would only make people more promiscuous.

Examining UN population projections through and since the 90s for various nations, such as Egypt or Algeria made little sense as the projections exceeded the carrying capacities of these countries, especially when it came to usable water.

Today's famine in the horn of Africa is exactly that, catalyzed by political and economic problems. Unfortunately this is just the start.

Then there is rising food costs. Some years ago Lester Brown provided graphs of national food imports and exports over time.

Even with a relatively stable population, Japan's growing affluence over 50 years changed it from an exporter to a huge food importer. Now the same thing is happening to China, India, Brazil and many other rapidly developing nations.

Affluent people eat higher on the food chain, but feeding maize and grains to people rather than livestock is far more energy and water efficient. Crop based biofuels only exasperate the problem.

Tack on climate change, degraded ocean food availability and this famine is only the beginning.

We all, including our leaders, need to change our ways big time to reduce our eco footprints.

Yes, I would like to drop Jason K. and his cronies along with 3 litres of water and a slice of bread into southern Somalia, about 30 klicks from the Kenyan border. Maybe then...

Here is how to help

Canadian Feed the Children
http://www.canadianfeedthechildren.ca/our-hearts-are-in-southern-somalia/

Children are the victims and their only fault is that they were born in the wrong country. They suffer and their lives are a life that no human should have!

In the 21st century we still have the same problem in Africa we had in the 19th century. And rich nations are to be blamed for many of the problems!

Can someone please explain to me how do Somalis get weapons? Or do they fight with bows and arrows?

How the hell do these people get weapons when they hardly have anything to eat? wtf?

Which country is feeding them with bullets and all that? Oh, I forgot, there is money in weapons isn't it? It must be a good business then.

Most of the humans are really a disgrace.

OwlRol

Sadly, but I agree with you on your analysis.

Don't need to teach them how to fish...

Oh Canada, Somalis are very proficient fishermen and could probably teach you a thing or two about fishing their nation's coastline.

The problems that caused them to turn to piracy were the international factory fish fleets vacuuming up their coastal fish and the illegal dumping of radioactive waste in their waters.

"Many African nations are among the poorest in the World. Why? They have no oil and no meaningful resources so - we ignore them and say - oh, it's too bad, people are dying there of hunger."

Such a western paternalistic rationale and nearly completely wrong.

Most African nations are wealthy in resources, but these have been stolen by western nations, first through colonialism, then by propping up dictators who pocketed the aid during the cold war, then the excessive interest rates on loans during the 80s and 90s (most people never saw a penny of that money but were expected to somehow pay it back with huge interest), then the IMF structural adjustment plans, that forced the privatization of education and health care and prioritizing growth of crops for export over feeding their own people.

Congo is incredibly rich in mineral resources such as gold and diamonds. Despite this, the country is incredibly poor and millions have recently died in the east over control of these minerals. Mining companies, including those from Canada are reaping huge profits there, paying a pittance to militias for "protection". This is not just a tribal story like the Tutsi and Hutu conflict spilled over from Rwanda next door.

The mineral Coltan surely has an interesting story, as this mineral is used in cell phones, computers and other electronic equipment.

When the UN wanted to investigate and possibly bring to justice the high tech companies that were involved in propagating the war over control of the mineral, it got vetoed by a permanent member of the security council. Meanwhile, a Coltan mine in Australia shut down due to high labour costs.

or how to do forestry and grow food

Most African nations know how to manage things very well and many would like westerners to stop meddling and leave. They've asked for Fair Trade rather than aid. But that doesn't suit the big transnational corporations.

Northern Kenya is experiencing this drought and is accepting Somali refugees. Not so long ago it was a dictatorship propped up by western nations. Corruption is still rife but has massively improved, in spite of western coercion.

They defied the IMF and made primary school free. Over a million kids who could not previously afford to go to school, showed up.

That wonderful Kenyan women, Dr. Wangari Maathai, against huge odds, including western "advisors", began the "Green Belt Movement" in which today millions of African women plant billions of trees for food, fuelwood and to stop and try to reverse the expanding desert. She was appointed as a deputy environment minister in the Kenyan government.

Must be doing something right over there, just not sexy enough for our mainstream media.

plebe

My point exactly.

No pain to require dulling. There are more than a few people that are over sensitive though.

religion

Ed Deak is right. Religion is playing a huge role in problems Somalis face today. Belief keeps them backwards with problem solving hampered at every corner.

Read the Infidel by Mayan Hirsi Ali for a huge awakening into this culture.

Religion should not be a big stick.

OwlRol

Thank you for the education.
Again I agree with you. I need to correct my comment then where I would say that "most African countries are poor because western countries are robbing them blind".

Long time ago I read a book - now that you shook up my mind - about poverty. Jeffrey Sachs: The end of poverty. In it the author stated that poverty in African nationas are a result of western countries bullying.

It is hard to fight against the bullies when you are hungry and have no proper shelter.

I hope that one day the table will turn and those who did wrong will get back what they deserve.

Until then we can blame religion and whatever, but the bottom line is everything is made by men - even religion. When men change everything else will change.

Not just Somalia, focus on the region

Somalia is a failed state, a basket case, somewhat resembling Haiti. Please consider the previous and ongoing western interventions, in some cases, with good intentions, but equally some with questionable geopolitical and economic aims. (eg. Aristede in Haiti, access to Suez, etc.)

Also consider that this ongoing and devastating drought is creating a major emergency in the region to nations that don't have the political instability of Somalia. The root problem is a combination of demographic and climatological processes, with economic causes a little behind.

Yes, its extremely difficult to provide assistance to the most needy in that miserable country, but the media hardly mentions very nearly as critical situations to the people in other parts of the region. The UN food supply is running short and prices have skyrocketed on available food for these people too.

Cultural/religious behaviours are difficult to ameliorate, and when times are tough, the worst in "Us and Them" tribal thinking emerges.

Religion is just one justification for some of the worst atrocities, as is nationality, colour, class, gender, etc.

Not my tribe, not my problem, why should I care? Just keep them away.

This sort of intolerance is common to many cultures.

Despite the caring and generosity of many Canadians, there are a number of, mostly conservative, people who think that way, although it is often well disguised. Minister Kenney surely appeals to these, but they would also reduce legitimate immigration.

Just imagine the heat wave now engulfing most of our continent, with no rainfall except along the fringes, and extend that, not for weeks, but over three years. Such is the case in the horn of Africa.

In a not so distant possible future, will we be taking large numbers of environmental refugees from Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sun City, while drought affects some parts of our prairies?

'Infidel'

An amazing book, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. An amazing woman- yes, read it. Learn about the Somali culture and how girls and women are treated. Heart-breaking. I'd like to ship every child out of that country right now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayaan_Hirsi_Ali

Sickening to see

That neighbouring African nations, UNAFFECTED by the drought and famine have NOT got off their collective asses to do anything. Waiting for "anyone else" to fix it, right?

Sickening

I see that our International Co-Operation Minister is in Kenya today assessing just this situation written about above. I also see that we are sending millions of dollars.

The article reminds us that there is a decades long civil war going on too. We must build up our military and go over there and stop this war. Send in the troops!

I'm not sure how these people will react to living in our northern climate but I suppose we could take in a few million, we do have lots of land. We are a rich country. I suppose that's what the writer is calling for.

We should also ban the use of bio-fuels, this is clearly raising the price of food. A crazy idea just so we can fill our vehicles without using oil, which there is still plenty of right next door in Alberta.

As for the drought. Lake Turkana has a surface area of over 6,000 sq km, perhaps Canada should look into diverting some of this massive source of water, it straddles Kenya and Ethiopia and Somalia is close by. A new canal could be built. It would only cost a few billion.

Funding Famine Relief

I wonder what infinitessimal fraction of the mega-pile amassed by too-big-to-fail bankers and multinational corporations since the global meltdown and reputed to be in the trillions, would be hardly missed if it were put to the service of seeing this crisis through to its resolution? At what point do the people(aformentioned zillionaires) who profit most handsomely from perpetuating the system which exacerbates global warming(drought, famine)get held responsible and made to pay damages.

Sorry

Where is all the support calling for the doors to be opened to a million, or more, Somalis.

I thought this article was initially soliciting complaints about our federal conservative government not doing enough for these starving people 15,000 kilometers away and with around forty countries between us. Are commentators not ready to give money to these poor people to come here? Are commentators not ready to encourage our government to send these people more millions of our dollars? What's the point? In a drought there's nothing to buy even if you have money. Are commentators not ready to welcome millions of these people into our workplaces and into our communities? Are we not ready to build homes in our country for these people? Are we not ready to share our food with these people? Do we not want our military forces over there in Somalia and acting in a peace-keeping role and stopping these people fighting with each other?

Is practicality creeping into realism?

Global Warming

will solve Jason Kenney's illegal immigration problems soon enough. It won't be long until the refugees will just start walking north, then taking (literally) the first boat they find to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, and then around the world. Borders don't mean a damn when you're hungry.

The latest

"Somali militants block foreign aid from famine-hit south "

And give them some flogging and stoning as well!

I don't understand the tone in many of these postings, nor in the article itself. What makes a life of someone in Somalia more precious than that of Jason Kenney? Why do people wish all the evils of starvation and tribulation on him and his cohorts? After all, he is only voicing and executing what 80% of Canadians think and prefer. Do you (who speak for this vindictive outlook) hate everybody in North America? Peculiar view. If so, why do you not live in Somalia, or is that an impertinent question? In Denmark, one of the beleaguered nations that have bit off more than it can chew in the way of immigration, 'legitimate' or otherwise, and where I grew up, we would say, don't spit into the soup you are going to spoon up, or, don't foul your own nest. We would also say, follow custom or leave the land.

Yes, there is legitimate criticism that one could make, such as Harper not understanding, and acting on that understanding, the importance of population control, but these hateful outpourings in terms of 'they'll get theirs' are beyond my ken. Could someone please explain them to me?

Also, I fail to see why the billionaires should pay 'back' to the Somalians, on whose backs their profit were not made. I doubt any of them ever bought an overpriced car from Jimmy Pattison, Would it not make more sense to pay some of the surplus back to those who did? I have always had a problem with corporate donations out of a surplus, as I see it as illegitimate tax collection and distribution of the collected funds without any mandate. It is a pox on our society and should be banned, just like the lobbying system, in order for us to move towards democracy in the place of our present weird hybrid, where the state is half owned and run by corporations.