Just a Transient Thought…

George W. Bush and WMD

Google ‘George Bush assassination’ and compare it to ‘Obama assassination’ and notice the dramatic difference. It occurred to me that ever since Obama was considered a serious contender for the Democratic Party there was always in the background possibilities of assassination attempts. How serious can you take the media's hot selling “skinhead” attempt, and what attempts do we not hear about? After three pages of hits on Bush, about five hits make any serious reference to Bush attempts, three of which is hard to take too seriously and most refer to a movie. Check out Obama attempts and six pages and counting are all serious references.

Who could be surprised? Well what surprises me that over an eight year period that this is all that comes to light on the internet. This is a moment of unprecedented change. Change is scary and drives some people to do some scary things. Bush, for a man so despised, and the neo-cons that he is the icon for, virtually nothing is heard. Probably suppressed by the media but even so during that time there would be leaks, but certainly suppressed by some group.

Now consider this. What if there haven’t been any attempts worth mentioning. Seriously! What enemy of the US could do more damage to America, and bring down the Capitalist-based Western Civilization than Bush himself? He has been the walking, talking Weapon of Mass Destruction! They have used America’s most powerful weapon against themselves, the Economic Weapon, and have ‘bankrupted’ the world’s most powerful economies in one fell swoop. America may have brought down the Berlin Wall, but Bush has brought down the First World (and Second).

And why could they never impeach him?

Acts of his fundamentalist God? One could argue that it was an act of a fundamentalist Allah.

Margaret Wente: "What Dick Pound said was really dumb – and also true".

LLetter to the Editor:

Controversy is healthy but I can only see very shallow sourcing by Ms. Wente. She needs to clarify her assertions and position in another column to salvage her intelligence (and the Globe's), other than her apparent ignorant, biased, Eurocentric attitude. I hope this is soon forthcoming as I would rather read the leave the Globe off my daily read. Until I hear from the Globe & Mail with reference to this article I sadly not visit the site and if nothing by mid-November I will remove you from my bookmarks.

John Warren

Jay Silverheels (Tonto) to The Lone Ranger - "What? We Whiteman?"

I am debating some of the opinions of the Globe & Mails', Margaret Wente in her article "What Dick Pound said was really dumb – and also true".

"The kinship groups in which they lived were very small, simply organized and not very productive."

Wente's rantings are still stuck in a recently discredited and imploded economic system - GDP. Western 'Civilization' is about to hit the wall, possibly not neolithic, of being not very productive as a result of the savagery of the Global Mergers and Acquisition mentality, privatization, de-regulation, willing white governmental blindness.


"in a world where native spirituality and "traditional knowledge" are held to be just as valid as Western science."

Has Wente not heard of "Western Science's" progress in search of the "God Particle"? Quantum and Particle physics have many parallels to Eastern Philosophy and Buddhism. Einstein is quoted from Wikipedia as "In his book "The World as I See It", he wrote: "A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which are only accessible to our reason in their most elementary forms—it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude; in this sense, and in this alone, I am a deeply religious man."

I don't think I would be far wrong by seeing Native Spirituality in this.

"Did the Iroquois Confederacy really influence the Declaration of Independence? Sorry, no"

From Wikipedia one reads that to one degree or another the Confederacy did have some influence not as Wente says "no". Here is an interesting and suggestive quote, "In 2004 the U.S. Government acknowledged the influence of the Iroquois Constitution on the U.S. Framers.The Smithsonian Institution also noted the similarities between the two documents, as well as the differences. One significant difference noted was the inclusion of women in the Iroquois Constitution, one group among many that the framers of the U.S. Constitution did not include."

Strikes me as more democratic.


"They deserve to interact with the modern world like everyone else."

The Modern World is going to Hell in a handbasket and it will be inevitable that if we don't make a massive cutback in our lifestyles we will be worse than neolithic.


Oh Canada
Our home on native land
We lost our way
For India was our plan

With fire sticks
And quill pens
The treaties we did make.
As the years passed by
We changed our minds
The treaties we did break.

Don’t whine to me.
The ride is never free.
Just keep in mind
We’ve done this thing before.
Just keep in mind
We’ll do this once more.

Happy Halloween

Interview with Greener Toronto & RCO Awards!!

Alter Eco (darthcricket's alter ego) has much to celebrate this past week! And many to thank for your interest and support throughout the year. So we are going to treat you, finally, to the long-awaited video interview we did, Episode one of season two of A GREENER TORONTO, host Candice Batista, , where we reveal the secret of our success!

And as much as we like to be modest and humble, the past week was highlighted by the Recycling Council of Ontario’s 2008 Ontario Waste Minimization Awards. Just a little bragging here as we were again honoured in front of the Industry and Minister with the Gold award in the Arts category.



Fortunately our bragging was tolerable as it was slightly offset with a little humility in that the Platinum award went to an amazing group of sculptors who have been contributing to Canada’s International image for 40 years, Hosleton Aluminum Sculptures. It was our pleasure to have spent a very interesting evening with them.

I would like to take this opportunity to especially thank Diane Blackburn of the RCO for all her encouragement and Rhonda Nolan for connecting Alter Eco with the RCO several years ago and Marie Van Schie for her jewellery and display help And Candace Batista producer of A Greener Toronto, for bringing out the best in me.

Future Events

CBC Craft Sale-2008:
Please join us at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre (Front & John Streets) for this year’s sale on Wed December 3rd 2008 10am-5pm
Christmas in the Heart of the Entertainment District
Hope to see you there!
http://cbccraftsale.googlepages.com

Happy Halloween to you all!
John

A Green Star is Hatched

Oct 13 - 17/08: A wonderful episode of A Greener Toronto on Rogers Toronto TV!:
- Behind the scenes with Planet in Focus. Toronto premiere environmental film festival.
Candice talks to Tonya Surman about the Centre for Social Innovation.
- We're cooking up organic pizza at Magic Oven
- Greenpeace answer questions on: The arctic ice melt.
- In ECO TIPS, picking the right wrap, whats the better option, Plastic or paper? Tune in to find out.
- And finally, a look at Alter-Eco environmental folk art.

This episode is a piece of art in itself. Well thought out and presented, amazing resources of clips to illuminate the subject. I was extremely happy with the take on Alter Eco. It is a strange experience to see one's self from the outside, old home movies and near-death experiences excepted. As much as it was pretty intense the editor managed to catch one smile! lol. Just kidding it was a trip. Soon as we getan online link I will post it.

Vote for the Environment

The Environment needs some strategic support in the Oct. 14th Election.

Vote for the Environment has an interesting website that can help you decide where your VOTE MATTERS.

A renewed Harper government for 4 years will be a major setback for several major global issues. The Environment is one that is here to stay whether Harper likes it or not. Economics come and go, they work in short-term cycles but NOT Environmental issues.

An even better process to vote your conscience is to "Vote Pair". If you are in a solid non-Harper riding sign up to pair your vote with a riding that can defeat the Harper candidate.

A vote for the future is NOT A VOTE for Harper.

Vote Strategic! Vote for the Future!

The Great Canadian Merger & Acquisition Election

From Mulroney's NAFTA in 1992 until Harper's Super NAFTA in 2008 Canada is quietly being merged and acquired by the U.S. and their global corporate supporters. This is not to excuse Chretien and Martin Liberals for opening the door with the SPP.

For years most Canadians were unaware of the regulations being “harmonized” with the U.S. and Mexico and any stories being done on it were debunked as conspiratory theories and even then they were relatively unacknowledged by the mainstream media.

But for the attention of vigilant and determined alternative media journalists facts emerged of the changes being secretly agreed to and picked up on the leaks. Our governments could no longer deny the meetings, the 'selected' stakeholders and negotiations but the topics were downplayed.

A pro-America and pro-corporate Harper is accelerating the process and if he succeeds in being voted a majority, or even a minority, he will let nothing stop his legislation. (“My concern is that obviously, going forward, that we have a government that's going to be sabotaged by a bunch of parties who don't want our economy to be successful.”)

Canada became a Nation in 1867 with one of its major purposes to fend off American takeover under similar circumstances (between 1854 and 1865 the United States followed a policy of free trade, the Canadian-American Reciprocity Treaty). The Americans have always had a continental ambition from the founding of the first colonies and comprehensively in the “Manifest Destiny”.

In business terms, these takeovers have always been hostile, overtly or covertly. Harper is facilitating a covert 'M&A'.

For the first time in Canadian and Pre-Confederation history, Harper has agreed to allow American troops on our soil to aid any “civil emergency” – to help shovel snow or maybe control civil disturbances – anything “civil” at this point because it has been left undefined for now.

What will the “civil” definition be after Harper gets elected?

What will Canada be 4 years (?) from now on the next election?

Can you possibly imagine?

Solution?

Vote strategically! Vote for the candidate most likely to defeat the Harper candidate. Swallow your principals or get swallowed by the 'Big Boys'. A vote for Canada is a vote against Harper.

Harper and Leadership

Harper is running his campaign on leadership. We have seen 2 ½ years of his leadership. He has controlled the direction of Canada based on advice from very few elected elite Conservative members and a number of unelected advisers in and outside the PMO.

The main part of the CPC have little or no input and little or no output other than a controlled Harper script. It would seem that Harper can't trust the majority of his party with his agenda. How much do they even know the workings of the PMO except for what he dictates?

--”Harper said he always held "strong opinions about how the government should be run."

"I enjoy running government. It's sometimes stressful but I enjoy making decisions. That's the essence of it for me. It's not the celebrity thing which, when this is all over, I assure you I will not miss for one minute," he said.”

What really can we make of his agenda so far as he appears to exhibit a smug confidence despite the unease of mainstream Canadians?

As for the rank and file of the CPC they should be embarrassed or ashamed to represent their constituency. It is also an insult to their constituency and all Canadians that this is allowed to happen. Besides, the CPC constituency comprises a minority of Canadians.

Harper is ruthless, deceiving, brutal and sadistic and operates just short of the principle, “the ends justify the means” and courting power at any cost to reform Canada to a country that was brought together in Confederation to prevent our assimilation by the US after the American Civil War. It has always been the intention even long before American Independence to govern all Continental North America.

Mulroney violated Canada's confederation and allowed America to penetrate our sovereignty while singing “When Irish Eyes are Smiling”. This was furthered by Chretien and Martin. Harper is accelerating the original Liberal SPP with the US with the pedal to the floorboards in the most inconspicuous way possible by quietly legislating as much as he possibly can and rarely surfacing intentions in the public view only when called out.

For all Harper's efforts he still can't shake the suspicion of a “hidden agenda”. A Harper majority will at best put the suspicion to rest and at worst dissolve Canada and be assimilated 'lock, stock and barrel' by the US.

What we can see from the pattern of his leadership is that he is aligning himself with American far-right and Corporate interests at the astonishment and disappointment of the rest of the world.

Green Enterprise Toronto

We are really excited to find a group that represents our 'journey' for many years now. GET, Green Enterprise Toronto. Green Enterprise Toronto is a local network of BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies). To find out more about the principles and benefits of a local living economy visit the BALLE web site. This growing movement is part of a philosophy that to avoid immanent global destruction, democracy and human aspirations operate from the ground up, community, rather than from the top down, hierarchy, as has been the disastrous case for the last 5000 years with very few exceptions.

I have just finished reading "The Great Turning, From Empire to Earth Community" by David C. Korten; a perspective that is positive, doable by everyone now and infuriatingly irrefutable!! I can't recommend this book highly enough. To order a copy go to our bookstore and and the Amazon links will take you to it - and yes I do make a few sustainable dollars. ;-) Check out some of our other books as well.

Bloodletting - Kill or Cure?

At times power politics seem to render the whole electoral process fruitless. At times as well the disturbing spectre of pseudo-democracy is only too apparent that its participants are only too desperate to protect their long-standing turf and prerogatives that they no longer appreciate what the voters gave them and take it as their due.



I refer once again to the Liberal Party in Saskatchewan and the Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill blood-letting nomination process. Preference is been given to Joan Beatty’s nomination over David Orchard. The last nomination incident, to use a very mild word, resulted in a Harper outcome! As much as the party bosses wanted to put an Aboriginal face on it, Orchard represents the Aboriginal plurality with a white face as opposed to an Aboriginal ‘face’, to be blunt and meaning no disrespect, with the blessings of Goodale.

“While Joan Beatty's campaign mostly signed up members on her own home reserve, Peter Ballantyne First Nation, on the east side of the riding, and has a mere sprinkling elsewhere in the riding, David, on the other hand, campaigned all around the riding and has members and supporters in the east, west, south and north, in preparation for an actual election campaign. Interestingly enough, the Liberal Party in Saskatchewan was prepared to offer Beatty not one, but TWO voting locations on her reserve — and none on the 24 other reserves! This would have meant that 95% of her supporters would be able to walk to the polling stations in their two communities, whereas less than 30% of David's would have the same opportunity — and the rest of his supporters would have to drive from 1/2 hour to 3 hours, ONE WAY, to wherever the location was, a real deterrent to people's participation, as distances are great and the cost of gas is prohibitive.”
(David Orchard Campaign newsletter)

“After weeks of (exhausting) negotiating we got ten locations, but were denied one very important one, previously promised, of Ile a la Crosse in the north western part of the riding and a centre for the Metis population. (Local leaders immediately started to mobilize to get that location which they are fully entitled to.) With ten polling locations, the percentages of "easy access" are now still 95% for Beatty and less than 50% for David's supporters, "progress" of sorts, but definitely not fair. (When at one point we were offered nine locations, we presented a counter proposal of 17 which would have accommodated a large majority of Liberal members in the riding. This would have been eminently doable, as almost all communities could have provided facilities free or at low cost, and election officials, DROs, were available for all polling stations, we believe.)”
(David Orchard Campaign newsletter)


Blood-letting this is not. Self destruction this is and coming at the most crucial point in the existence of Homo Sapiens and more shamefully, all nature as we know it. Trudeau was a watershed in some semblance of a democracy and all after was downhill with the rise of Corporate, Military/Industrial power. Our governments beginning with Mulroney in Canada sacrificed on the alter of Milton Freidman their unwilling or unknowing voters. Liberals followed a more graceful path with Turner’s Bay Street, Chretien’s Power Corporation, Paul Martin’s ingratiating and dithering demise to out-and-out self-annihilation. And now we have Canadian suicidal Harper potential if you let him off his minority leash, and even still he is undermining the word of Democracy.

True democratic, egalitarian diversity is alive and well in hundreds and thousands of communities. Find them, listen to them, connect them. The only other avenue of change that’s really needed is from the ground up as the top down structure has proved itself a total failure after 5000 years.

Empire is over one way or the other.

Today is a Good Day to Die - June 21/08

In the words of Crazy Horse, a holy man of the Lakota, he often rode into battle unafraid of the bullets whizzing past his horse. His words, "Today is a good day to die". His courage was his acceptance that all life is a cycle, or circle. Such was today, National Aboriginal Day, at Wells Hill Park. We all who were there had an opportunity to share in this experience watching as the dancers spun in their worlds knowing they were part of a larger world and perpetuating the cycle as the drums resonated the rhythm the earth.

This was actually my first Pow Wow and for a while I sat on the side of the hill and eventually began to feel the rhythm of the drums and dancers' footsteps through my hands on the earth - "it was a good day to die".

In these days of Truth and Reconciliation I found it of particular importance to hear Prime Minister Harper deliver that day of June 11, 2008, 10 days previous, the historic and powerful "Apology" to all the first nations peoples in the residential schools, dead and alive, of the abuses they received in the 19th and 20th century to erase their culture, languages and history. I was much impressed at the words and the semblance of sincerity but as with Paul Martin's impressive promise to Bono I would give it a little time. As I hold government leaders in high skepticism when they make powerful pronouncements, my head was flooded with these words that convey one of the ‘inconvenient truths’ of Canadian history. It can even be sung to the tune of “Oh Canada”.

As the descendant of Canada's National Dreaming Whitemen and ignorant exploiters of natural resources and indigenous life, I have penned on behalf of my ancestors' and me a personal truth and reconciliation anthem (if anyone hears it) to the tune of “Oh Canada”.

Hopefully there is nothing yet in Harper's State that would consider this seditious in any criminal sense. So as I summon my courage to face the truth and exorcise the demons of my ancestors and my own soul, kindled by the first cracks in his “Apology” at Toronto’s largest outdoor Pow Wow, I felt this was a good day to die.

I observed no presence or any congratulatory reference in the program any member of Harper's government that paid any acknowledgment to this particular and significant event. Perhaps as the closest member, Mr. Van Loan was elsewhere or perhaps it would make little difference to him, or, giving them all the benefit of the doubt, they were stung by the arrows of vicious typos and never made it into the program. Also during the several hours I was at the event, I had the honour of meeting Jack Layton, leader of the NDP and the Hon. Dr. Carolyn Bennett, Liberal member of that riding who gave an opening address, and yet no Conservatives.

I bear my breast…

Oh Canada
Our home on native land.
We lost our way
For India was our plan.

With fire sticks
And quill pens
The treaties we did make.
As the years passed by
We changed our minds
The treaties we did break.

Don’t whine to me.
The ride is never free.
Just keep in mind
We’ve done this thing before.
So it’s nothing personal
We’ve done this before.

Harper's Jelly Beans and Flaherty's Peanuts

Harper is brilliant to the point of being an evil genius. He is a master of distraction and has the devious nerve to offer us "jelly beans" with regard to the SSP 2007 Leaders’ Summit in Montebello, Quebec.

“Is the sovereignty of Canada going to fall apart if we standardize the jelly bean?” asked our Prime Minister with a smirk. “You know, I don’t think so.”

And now Harper's guardian of the Mother Hubbard ministry, Jim Flaherty, is saying the cupboard is bare yet less than a week ago he was looking at an unexpected billion or so from The Canadian Tar Pits.

Please Mr. Harper can I have the standard black jelly beans?



Flaherty has been 'hollowing out' the piggybank since his budget last fall which trumpeted a slashing of 1% off the GST and cutting taxes to Canada's 'hollowed out' corporations by $60 Billion in order to show us the cupboard is really bare - proof! And all I can see as a citizen is peanuts in my pocket which I might as well feed the corporate elephant too.

And the military too is getting a big raise.

And the Tax Free Savings Account? Unless I was moderately wealthy I am scrambling to pay my ever increasing energy bills and gassing up old betsy. And how come the subway fell apart when I was trying to get to work this morning?

There was something I saw on the news the other night, five, or maybe six, of the highest bank towers in the heart of the financial district have been exempted from paying property tax as they claim to have overpaid their share for a number of years totalling an amout of $6 million! No wonder they complain that their obscene profits are not obscene enough to them. Well the citizens will have to cover their obscene butts 'til they deem justice is served.

Call it what it is, the Harper is selling us a crock of peanuts and before you buy into this crack one open to see if they haven't hollowed them out too.

Transparently Opportunistic

John Dorion's letter to the StarPhoenix, " Appointment best serves northerners" Thursday, January 31, 2008 is a poorly calculated risk to align himself with Ralph Goodale and those who believe they hold the reigns of Power in the Liberal Party. As much as Ms. Beatty's achievements are to be praised, Mr. Dorion's acheivements can be lauded as well. But what more and more Canadian people are looking for in their representatives is consistency.

We are sick of strategists. We feel we are being used as fodder in their meaningless political wars. We are tired of 'jumpers' and 'drop-in's'. The Liberals should have learned a lesson when Ignatieff was dropped into Lakeshore/Etobikoke South. Such was another monkey on the back of a Martin government that was falling apart from all directions. You never learn.

They had better take seriously the local backlash. Goodale and Dion and Dorion have miscalculated the "tempest in a tea pot" that is being read on everyone's computer from coast to coast to coast. To yourself this may only have originally have been an out-of-the-way affair. It's not the size that matters here, it's the principal, democracy. It's not surprising that you are nervous weighing your inconsistent values.

We all know David Orchard. Canadians all across the country have known him for years because, above all, he has been consistent. Whether consevative or liberal, he more than most represents what Canadians dream of being as a country. He is the type of person who has proved to have made a difference.

See below...

Appointment best serves northerners

The StarPhoenix, Thursday, January 31, 2008

Appointment best serves northerners
by John K. Dorion

The recent uproar over Joan Beatty's appointment as the Liberal candidate in the Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River byelection is really nothing more than a tempest in a teapot.

After our MP resigned last summer, I threw my hat in the nomination ring, and toiled for months – meeting people, raising funds and selling memberships as I criss-crossed the vast expanse of northern Saskatchewan. Had there actually been a nomination meeting in November, I have no doubt that I would have trounced my opponent – political gadfly David Orchard.

Of course I was disappointed when Stéphane Dion pre-emptorily appointed Beatty, but I understand that a leader sometimes must make tough decisions in the best interests of the party. As a longtime loyal Liberal, I fully support his choice.

Like myself, Ms. Beatty is an aboriginal person from the riding and has my full and unequivocal backing. That she was a cabinet minister in the Saskatchewan government shows that she has developed certain skills that can benefit the people of northern Saskatchewan. Her election can address a gender inequality in Parliament today.

However, I am profoundly dismayed over the antics of Orchard. Whatever his agenda, it's not one that has the interests of the people of northern Saskatchewan foremost. Nor does it help the Liberal party.

It's true that he helped Dion win the leadership of the Liberal party. But a few short years earlier, he also played king-maker at the Conservative convention and was pivotal in Peter MacKay becoming leader.

Orchard does well when it comes to picking leaders (in whatever party he happens to be in at the time), but his subsequent actions prove that he has enormous difficulty in abiding by the rules (of whatever party he happens to be in at the time). Orchard now should join the next party on his list, or failing that, start his own to keep himself at the center of attention.

During the last election, farmers at the southern fringe of this riding voted Conservative. The rest of the riding is predominantly aboriginal – Dene, Cree and Métis. We pulled together as Liberals and won by 67 votes.

It is important that we stay united and work hard to get an aboriginal person elected as our representative in Ottawa. We don’t need Orchard coming here to tell us what is best for us.

From such ground breaking policy initiatives as the Residential School Settlement and the Kelowna Accord, to strong action on the international scene in support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal Peoples, the Liberals have shown us time and again that they are the best way for us to advance.

Withdraw Canadian Troops from Afghanistan

Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan

Harper's "blue ribbon panel" is an apt choice of colours such that blue is
the traditional colour for the Conservative Party. So it is not surprising
that Harper choose its members to reflect this colour.

The report is no more than a murky spin on Harper's agenda to extend the
mission indefinitely. I cannot trust the government to tell the truth and
if Mr. Dion chooses to support this travesty of democracy he will add
another millstone around his neck. I will join the Bloc and NDP and not
support it.

How difficult would it be to convince a few countries to send 1000 troops
to the Southern Afghanistan. Should he succeed how long would these
countries commit their troops to combat in this violent zone? Is there a
stipulation? There will have to be negotiations with what results? We have
no answer to these questions before Harper calls a vote to recommend that
Canadian troops continue the undefined role of combat in a war that is not
supported by the Canadian people.

As to more military equipment I'm sure that more reticent democracies can
use this as a commitment substituting sending people in to battle and
would be acceptable to the terms of Harper's Manley Report.

Canadians are being insulted if this is how Harper thinks he can sucker
us. We have been suckered by better Liberals and turfed them when we
could.

In these uncertain environmental and economic times we have a legitimate
cause to spend $100 million a month rather than maintaining Canada's
unlimited extension of the Afghan Campaign.

That would get my definite support.

Jan 14/08: The Border – CBC TV Episode 2

For some reason my comments on The Border's Blog bring it to a halt. Here's the second review and if you can tell me why I have a terminating effect please let me know.

My first comment on another post was submitted following the first episode and can be read here, "http://www.cbc.ca/theborder/blog/2007/12/longtime_documentarian_peter_r.html#comment-682423"

As I said on my original post, I would watch this several times to decide if I will continue to watch it or not.

I have always enjoyed CBC programs as they had writing that reflected a 'Canadian style' as opposed to copying non-Canadian productions. Unfortunately these are fewer and far between as programming has to compete for market share and advertising dollars. Such is the original American way and as such popular programming has to compete with American programs flowing across "The Border".

Two minutes into the second episode the situation was absurd. Canada was being invaded by Homeland Security but how could it be Canada when it was on First Nations Mohawk land? Try to suspend my incredulity? Sorry, not only is it just plain dumb, it's an insult to all First Nations.

The plots are predictable such as when I knew the second the prisoner being led out into the parking lot was going to be shot. or unpredictable, yet again dumb, when they were able to track the US Agent to the island when her secret GPS device was chucked at the casino dock.

Maybe you think I'm being unfairly picky after all it's just TV. But this is stuffing CBC into a new envelope complete with gore in its most graphic.

I will spare you with further observations but I doubt I will catch the third episode as I get a negative reaction when I feel I'm being dumbed down. I'll leave Global, CITY and CTV to Americanize Canada.

Posted by: John Warren | January 16, 2008 05:16 AM

Good Cop Bad Cop - The Border – CBC TV Premiere

"The Border"

Is the CBC really sticking its political neck out again with this one?

The first episode’s major plot is decidedly in he left zone of the spectrum and will undoubtedly be voraciously attacked by the Harper Zone. The last fifteen minutes said it all, CSIS, Foreign Affairs, The Attorney General, the PMO for heaven’s sake, the CIA and Homeland Security are, full caps, BAD! Not only is Immigration and Customs, full caps, GOOD they are all great looking so they are, full caps, COOL! But then, as Harper would be quick to point out, it was the Liberals under Chretien that provided the theme for this episode, the ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ of Maher Arar.

Sensationalistic production and dialogue using familiar mainstream media soundbites familiar to most Canadians has been packaged into one hour of hyper-entertainment. From the adrenaline pumping first few minutes to the first commercial after ten minutes we are subjected to guns, human-bombs and hack lines, chase scenes, crowd panic, confusion. CBC is looking for a ratings hit

After the first half hour I am left with the inescapable impression that The Border is totally unrealistic; characters, plots, sub-plots, dialogue – Thank God its just TV! In any other context I think I would be living in Bush’s America, turning truth into fiction.

But one achievement, to me anyway, is that the geek on junk food, Hieronymous, has me loopy! What the Hell does Maggie put in those brownies? Speed?

Well somehow, unlike the CBC’s subtle and far more believable, TV series, “Intelligence”, they are looking for the magic quarter mill (that’s half a million eyeballs) and have thrown at us as many hooks in the book as any American show can get into one hour. Where did I read that this was “slick”? Well it is and maybe because it’s done in Toronto whereas “Intelligence” was filmed in Vancouver.

Boiling down the issues to Good vs. Bad sounds all too familiar as we watch Fox news, rendering us incapable of using our imaginations much will surely dumb us down. Funny, propaganda can do this too but I can only hope not.

Defend the Border: Why CBC's new show can only help "the bad guys"
Submitted by Justin Podur on Sat, 01/05/2008 - 19:01.
Published on ZNet Jan 5/08


Border between thought and action
Jan 07, 2008 04:30 AM
Vinay Menon

Good cop/Bad cop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Rabble/Babble

Good Cop Bad Cop - The Border – CBC TV Premiere

"The Border"

Is the CBC really sticking its political neck out again with this one?

The first episode’s major plot is decidedly in he left zone of the spectrum and will undoubtedly be voraciously attacked by the Harper Zone. The last fifteen minutes said it all, CSIS, Foreign Affairs, The Attorney General, the PMO for heaven’s sake, the CIA and Homeland Security are, full caps, BAD! Not only is Immigration and Customs, full caps, GOOD they are all great looking so they are, full caps, COOL! But then, as Harper would be quick to point out, it was the Liberals under Chretien that provided the theme for this episode, the ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ of Maher Arar.

Sensationalistic production and dialogue using familiar mainstream media soundbites familiar to most Canadians has been packaged into one hour of hyper-entertainment. From the adrenaline pumping first few minutes to the first commercial after ten minutes we are subjected to guns, human-bombs and hack lines, chase scenes, crowd panic, confusion. CBC is looking for a ratings hit

After the first half hour I am left with the inescapable impression that The Border is totally unrealistic; characters, plots, sub-plots, dialogue – Thank God its just TV! In any other context I think I would be living in Bush’s America, turning truth into fiction.

But one achievement, to me anyway, is that the geek on junk food, Hieronymous, has me loopy! What the Hell does Maggie put in those brownies? Speed?

Well somehow, unlike the CBC’s subtle and far more believable, TV series, “Intelligence”, they are looking for the magic quarter mill (that’s half a million eyeballs) and have thrown at us as many hooks in the book as any American show can get into one hour. Where did I read that this was “slick”? Well it is and maybe because it’s done in Toronto whereas “Intelligence” was filmed in Vancouver.

Boiling down the issues to Good vs. Bad sounds all too familiar as we watch Fox news, rendering us incapable of using our imaginations much will surely dumb us down. Funny, propaganda can do this to but I can only hope not.

Defend the Border: Why CBC's new show can only help "the bad guys"

Border between thought and action
Jan 07, 2008 04:30 AM
Vinay Menon

Good cop/Bad cop
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Rabble/Babble