Drug Dealers Protection Law

If you've ever wondered how absolutely naive some politicians can be, listen to this, beginning at 7:00. You're hear Guardian Angels founder, Curtis Sliwa, playing a secret recording of two convicted drug dealers laughing about an absolutely moronic change to drug laws in New York State.

Why do I think the cousins of some of these NY politicians live in British Columbia?!

Jack Bauer vs. Nancy Pelosi

Is Political Correctness Now Firmly in Control of BC Politics?

First Ray Lam withdraws because the Liberals found some so-called "racy" photos on his Facebook page. I publicly stated on here and elsewhere that this was ridiculous for him to leave the race. Let the voters in his constituency decide if they want him as their MLA.

Then the NDP digs up something that Marc Dalton said 13 years ago. More to the point, nothing he said was hateful, he was just expressing his views of homosexuality at the time. Whether or not you or I agree with him is not the point. What is key is how many people in our province have so completely dismissed the concept of Free Speech. I can't decide whether to view them as more Pathetic or just Downright Scary.

Now there are cries for John van Dongen to withdraw because he has too many speeding tickets. It would be most interesting to look into the personal histories of those making such demands to see how incredibly perfect they are!

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And lest we forget, all the while this is going on, very little of substance is being discussed in the actual campaign. Is it any wonder why so many British Columbians have become incredibly cynical towards all politicians? Two words to leave you with: Go Canucks!

What I'm Reading

Lorrie Goldstein: Climate Porn - It's All About the Money

Have you noticed that when politicians, United Nations diplomats, environmental activists, radical scientists, journalists and even, lately, multinational corporations, talk about "going green" to save the planet, the only "green" they're talking about is the colour of our money? And about how to separate us from it?

As things stand, even if the handful of nations required to reduce emissions under Kyoto were doing it -- and many aren't, including us, because it's impossible without devastating our economies and resorting to shell games like "carbon credits" -- Kyoto is only about one-thirteenth of what the high priests of global warming insist must be done. So-called "green" schemes, aren't green. Their real purpose is to make it so expensive to use fossil-fuel energy that we're forced to use less, not because we don't need it but because we can't afford it.

Margaret Wente: No matter what Alberta's Oil Companies do, they're guilty

For environmental groups, the dead ducks [at Syncrude] were a godsend. They cemented in the public mind the idea that oil sands mean dirty oil, which means the rape and pillage of the environment. For the industry, it was a public relations catastrophe - especially since Alberta was waging an all-out campaign to convince the world that oil sands development is environmentally sustainable.


Thomas Sowell: A Rookie President

We now have a rookie President of the United States and, in the dangerous world we live in, with terrorist nations going nuclear, just one rookie mistake can bring disaster down on this generation and generations yet to come.

What is even worse than making mistakes is having sycophants telling you that you are doing fine when you are not. In addition to all the usual hangers-on and supplicants for government favors that every President has, Barack Obama has a media that will see no evil, hear no evil and certainly speak no evil. They will cheer him on, no matter what he does, short of first-degree murder-- and they would make excuses for that.

Ujjal Dosanjh: Dope of the Day

Today, near 54th & Fraser an attempted execution went awry and then one of the two assailants was shot dead. This all occurred in the middle of the federal Vancouver South riding.

Its MP, Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh, who just squeaked by in the recent election, was on CBC Radio 1 demonstrating for all the citizens what a complete & utter fool he is. During his Kumbaya refrain, Dosanjh admitted that "some dangerous people do need to go to jail" but that this recent streak of terror throughout Metro Vancouver "is a complicated issue". When pressed by the interviewer for what he would do to resolve things, Dosanjh cited "better daycare" and "English lessons for New Immigrants".

What an ultra left-wing, head in the clouds, out of touch M-O-R-O-N! What else can be said about someone like this?!? I only hope that the citizens of Vancouver South pay attention to his words when they go vote in the next election.

Is it too much to ask to NOT have our society turn into that of Mexico or Colombia anytime soon. I lived in Mexico City for a year and very much know what it's like to live in a place where everyone is on edge because violent crime frequently occurs in any neighbourhood, anytime.

With "eminent" crime fighters like Dosanjh vs. the gangsters, we are certainly heading in the same direction. :-(

Scandal Before the Inauguration

THE bullish, foul-mouthed but effective Chicago arm-twister Rahm Emanuel has come under pressure to resign as Barack Obama’s chief of staff after it was revealed that he had been captured on court-approved wire-taps discussing the names of candidates for Obama’s Senate seat.

What can one say other than it's going to be an interesting 4 years!

An Important PSA for Both Americans and Canadians

It's important for all voters to pay close attention to how much all spending promises of politicians will cost. Remember, they won't be using their own money!

The Failure of Mainstream Journalists

I generally don't find Jon Stewart very funny but here's one time when he tried to be deadly serious with two of the (thousands of) talking heads on U.S. and Canadian mainstream news programs:

Stewart's appearance directly lead to the cancellation of this show a few months later.

Jonathan Kay of the National Post reminded me of this famous episode. He referenced it while discussing the recent "controversy" involving Chris Matthews' Hardball program.

If you double-click on the video above you'll be taken right to YouTube. Read a few of the comments therein and you'll see that most of the people are clearly missing the entire point of what Stewart was trying to say.

His point was this: Most everyone involved with politics on every side is part of the problem and the reason why we don't have any real debate anymore. This includes those on the left, those on the right, and worst of all, the media that are supposed to be the ones holding the politicians accountable for their misdeeds, empty promises, and half-truths. The politicians and their handlers spin, spin, spin and the journalists just gobble it all up and then interview each other on their respective shows.

The U.S. cable news shows are the absolute worst but the lack of journalistic integrity has also become ingrained with the major networks too, both in the U.S. and in Canada. Here's a little test you can perform after watching, listening, or reading something related to news and politics. Simply ask yourself one question: "What new thing of importance did I learn from that?"

My continual answer to that question is why I gave up owning a TV over a decade ago, stopped subscribing to newspapers a few years ago, and gave up entirely on what used to be my favourite local Vancouver station, CKNW, in March. News flash: No regrets whatsoever!

Without question, members of the news media should not be socializing with anyone connected to politics. Yet politicians, the media, PR reps, and countless special interest groups are all infested together in a little elitist social group of their own. I've met some of these people personally and you'd be shocked to see the personal numbers they each have in their Blackberries!

This group of people purport to be on different sides of the political spectrum. While some with integrity are, most are essentially just wearing different jerseys in the same league called "Power, Inc." Much like highly paid athletes, they've convinced many to cheer for one team and boo another but at the end of the day, they all party together and you, who pay their salaries, are left out in the cold.

How many people, in whatever country, wouldn't love to have a "None of the Above" choice on every ballot? With rare exception, most every election I vote in (and I strongly believe in voting in all of them) I vote for the person who will do the least harm to me and my society. I have to wonder if others adopt a similar strategy.

Is there hope for the future? Maybe. The Internet provides a leveling of sorts though to date it's just an illusion in terms of a real tectonic shift. Sadly, the Internet seems to be creating more of a polarizing effect than anything. While I'll never say that too much information is a bad thing, I can't see how it's a positive thing that historical facts are now more a matter of opinion than a reflection of what actually happened.

Coming full circle to Kay's piece, it seems there are some who are now trying to reinvent Neville Chamberlain. He was probably a good-hearted man but was also one of the most naive leaders of the 20th Century. Clearly one can't blame him for World War 2 but one has to wonder if as many people would have been slaughtered if a tougher leader had been in place in England from the get go.

Fast forward to today. There's a debate of sorts about the best course of action to deal with Iran. Some are suggesting that the Americans talk with the Iranian leadership. If so, it has to be done through a position of strength, not weakness. Jimmy Carter chose the latter route and look what that did to the morale and lives of Americans until Ronald Reagan helped them restore faith in themselves. But Carter's complete denial of what was actually going on in Iran has directly lead to many of the problems we've been experiencing in this New Millennium.

I realize that many in the West have convinced themselves that the U.S. is indeed the "Great Satan" and that Israel is its little pitched-fork amigo. Whereas they reason, the leaders of Iran are just "misunderstood". Will these people have the same views if Iran lights Israel on fire with multiple nuclear warheads? Does me even suggesting this near future possibility make me an "insane right-wing fear monger"?! Or perhaps more akin to Churchill than Chamberlain?

Only the future can be the final arbiter of such truth.

"Green" Hypocrisy Is Alive & Well in B.C.

Let me join Pete McMartin in raising a white flag of concern (or is that surrender?) to the seemingly never ending bevy of new "green" initiatives coming at us from every corner of the public sector. Let's not kid ourselves, with this bevy comes a whole lot of new levies. And for poorer families struggling to get by, a lot more money going toward taxes means less available for rent. Let's hope that none of them have to start living in a tent!

In principle, I support the idea of us going more green, but let's ensure that the cost is less than obscene. And for goodness sake, can we finally be rid of this silly notion of personal carbon offsets (PCOs). It's nothing but a phoney excuse by the liberal-minded wealthy to do whatever they please and not feel guilty about it. Contrast PCOs with the diet plan of an overweight tycoon. Do you think he will stay "weight neutral" if he keeps on overeating but pays others to eat less?

A poor person can't afford to fly to Mexico every Christmas and then buy PCOs to relieve their guilt. No politician or media personality should try to convince us of their "green-ness" while continuing to live their multi-home lifestyles. To be specific, this means means no more yearly Hawaii vacations for Gordon Campbell, no more weekend cottage visits for Carole James, no more Sunshine Coast breaks for Bill Good, and Christy Clark and her hubby should put their Gulf Island home up for sale immediately. If they're not prepared to do this then they should all stop preaching to us about our lifestyles.

Typical Hillary Clinton

Today on the radio I heard Mark Steyn talking about the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary. He explained how on May 29, 1953 he and Sherpa mountaineer, Tenzing Norgay, climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest.

Later in the discussion he told the infamous story of when Hillary Rodham Clinton first met Edmund Hillary in person. She told him that her parents named her after him.

Interesting, except for one thing: She was born on October 26, 1947, over 5 years before he became famous! Prior to that he was an obscure beekeeper in New Zealand, with absolutely no notoriety whatsoever.

Sleepwalking Into A Nightmare

English blogger, Melanie Phillips, has an interesting take on a recent speech by U.S. political figure, Newt Gingrich. Read it and ask yourself this: "Do any American politicians have the willpower to make such a dramatic change away from their country's dependence on foreign oil?" This seems like the perfect rallying cry for the Democrat party but I don't see one of their candidates adopting it anytime soon.

Our Addiction to Oil isn't so simple to stop

A geophysicist friend in Calgary directed me to this recent talk by business analyst, Peter Tertzakian. He's also the author of 1,000 Barrels A Second, a fascinating book that further delves into our deep dependence on oil.

The talk is lengthy - about an hour - but if you can listen to the first 15 minutes, you will gain a much better understanding of the facts behind our predicament and why much of the talk by environmentalists and politicians is nothing more than hot air.

John Les: Top Cop-Out

Vaughn Palmer has just written a subtle, but telling article about another Peter Principle candidate, BC's Solicitor General, John Les. I heard him on the radio today and it was nothing short of embarrassing.

One thing is crystal clear: We have Major League Organized Crime vs. Disorganized Double-A Politicians. It's no surprise who's winning, no surprise at all. :-(

Serene Langley or The Wild, Wild West?

After today's gang shooting in rural Langley I sent the following to CKNW, which was read on-air around 6:55pm:

I was out in Langley last weekend, delivering computers as part of my computer donation program. I later commented to a longtime friend of mine in Mexico that Langley would be a wonderful, safe, and quiet community for her and her son to relocate to.

Now we have a bunch of gangster wannabes re-enacting something they've seen in a violent video game.

There's trouble in town and the first thought is that we need a new sheriff. But let's face it, the problem isn't with the police. Rather, we're cursed with a horde of weak-kneed judges and politicians who are afraid to resolve this matter. A minimum sentence of 5 years with no parole for any illegal gun possession would be a good start! But you and I know that they'll never make such changes.

One frustrated citizen!!!

A Little Political Incorrectness

I deeply appreciate the National Post recently publishing assorted excerpts from Mark Steyn's new book, "America Alone". Though many Canadians will undoubtedly close their minds to what he has to say, it's important that they listen. For history has repeatedly shown us that any nation that is not willing to stand up and defend its values will most surely lose them.

There's an old joke: "How do you tell an American from a Canadian? Answer: The Canadian apologizes when HIS own foot is stepped on." Perhaps it's long overdue for us to stop apologizing for our traditions, our beliefs, and our values? Note to the new Liberal leader: You don't need a focus group to answer this question.

These are very serious times for the world, possibly similar in nature to what our ancestors faced 70 years ago. 1936 - 39 wasn't a very long period of time but look at how quickly things changed in those 3 years. Today though, the rampant political correctness that has successfully wrestled free speech to the ground has made it nearly impossible for any serious debate (on any issue) to occur.

It seems nowadays that the intelligence and clarity of arguments don't matter so much as who uttered them. In some sort of guilt ridden attempt to rectify the wrongs of the past, more credence is given to:

1. Non-males
2. Non-Caucasians
3. Non-heterosexuals
4. Non-Christians
5. Non-English speakers
   

In fact, the more hyphenated descriptors you can add before "Canadian", the better the chance you have of getting anything and everything you want!

Thus, for example, if you don't want Christmas carols sung at your kid's school, don't go directly to the principal. No, instead just find a transgendered, homosexual, atheist, welfare supported guardian of one of the other kids at the school; preferably one who only speaks some rare language found in Africa or Asia or Nunavut. Through their interpreter, encourage them to make liberal use of the following words at a press conference arranged by you: racist, sexist, prejudice, religious insensitivity, and of course the new catch-all get-whatever-you-want phrase "human rights violation".

The national media will be all over the story like seals offered a bucketful of fish. Within 24 hours a school board media relations person will be cowering on TV, apologizing profusely for the thoughtless atrocities of past Christmas carols at all schools throughout your community. They will mention that grief counselors had been sent to the school to help the children cope and that all staff and students will start sensitivity training after the Christmas ... errr Holiday Season.

In the past few decades many grievous wrongs of the past have been corrected. And the proverbial pendulum has swung to the center in terms of equality for all. In fact, one could well argue that it has swung beyond the center when it comes to affirmative action programs that deliberately exclude members of majority groups. In cities like mine we have countless groups of immigrants who generally get along in a harmonious way. That's wonderful and I support this "New Canada" wholeheartedly

But now what we're seeing is the drip-drip-drip of a small number of agenda-driven people who are deliberately trying to push the changes even further. Some are self-imposed permanent victims, others are just selfish and greedy. They would love nothing more than to see all Canadian traditions removed from our lives and replaced by some sort of faceless, humourless, soulless socialist society. Their weapons of choice are easy to spot: unprincipled politicians & judicial bodies and the all-to-willing media looking for the next controversy.

I sincerely believe that it's up to the likes of you & me to speak out against them lest we wake up one day in a country that is completely unrecognizable from that which exists today.

Good to Great: Leadership

On the recommendation of my friend, Sarah, I've started reading a very interesting book called "Good to Great", by Jim Collins. In it he & his team analyzed the performance of 1,435 companies over 40 years - no small feat.

It's late but I was so inspired by what I read that I just had to put my thoughts down to paper ... albeit of the electronic kind!

Some intriguing results came out of their research. One is that there's a consistency in personalities of the CEOs that were at the helm when the [relatively small number of] companies made the leap from just good to truly great. What may be surprising to you is that all of the following would not end up on that list:

• Donald Trump
• Lee Iacocca (Chrysler)
• Jack Welch (GE)
• Carly Fiorina (HP)

This group of four would have the following in common:

• Bigger egos than perhaps anyone within a square mile of them
• Much larger paycheques than any of them deserve
  
• Sub-par performance records in the long term and after they left

Collins would most likely use the term "Level 4" to describe their leadership skills. But by their very nature (success of themselves over top of success of the company), they're incapable of achieving "Level 5" leadership status, which is necessary to make a company truly great.

In my own life, I've been sucked in by the allure of charming egotistical leaders. I've worked for some and done business with others. Much like top athletes or movie stars, they're very interesting people to be around. But, in reading Collins' book, it's clear why these supposed "superstars" are the ones to walk quickly away from if you ever encounter them in business.

It's telling and somewhat sad that everyone in the business world has top-of-mind knowledge of the 4 CEOs listed above. Yet the CEOs who are the true superstars - the ones with the most profitable winning teams - are rarely ever mentioned in the mainstream press. We shouldn't be surprised though because this same media does exactly the same thing with the glitterati of Hollywood. For example, why exactly is Paris Hilton famous?

I've thought for some time now that we, as a society, have gone down the wrong path, starting perhaps 25 years ago:

• With business leaders making scandalously large amounts of money, approved by incompetent or complicit boards of directors. I'm a capitalist but what is going on in some of these companies is just pure theft from the shareholders.
  
• Ditto re professional athletes, plus the issue of rampant steroid use in many sports.
• Sub-standard Hollywood "stars" churning out sub-standard TV shows & movies. What exactly is the minimum requirement for being a "star" these days, anyhow?
  
• Greedy politicians who are more interested in padding their own coffers than actually looking out for the longterm good of the citizens they represent. Might not a 3-term lifetime limit be a good thing for ALL politicians?
• The media. Not all, but most. It sickens me to see that so many of them don't focus on reporting the news but much prefer to manufacture the news instead. Artificially created controversy is a prime tool of these folks. With their mindless 10-second sound bites, agenda-driven slanted polls, and tremendous power to shape public opinion, I'm absolutely convinced that the mainstream media are more responsible than any other group for damaging society and the average person's faith in the goodness of their fellow man.