Deconstructing Harper

[CP] OTTAWA -- Text of the televised address Monday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to mark the five-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Prime Minister’s edited speech is in italics. My comments are in parentheses.

Good evening. Today is the fifth anniversary of the terrible events of Sept. 11, 2001.
With me are some Canadians whose lives have been touched by 9-11 in ways that most of us can't even begin to imagine. As we pay tribute to the 24 Canadians who lost their lives on that infamous day five years ago, their family members remind us that they were real people with real lives. [As opposed to fictional people with fictional lives?]

Lives that were cut short -- deliberately so -- by a murderous act of terrorism. [The case that 19 hijackers flew planes into American buildings led by a guy in a cave in Afghanistan has never been proven]

Like most Canadians, I have a vivid memory of that morning.
As my wife, Laureen, and I watched the second tower collapse on television, as the enormity of the events began to sink in, I turned to her and said: "This will change the course of history.'' [Interesting how quick you were to come up with that comment, considering you knew as much about it as we did.]

And so it has. [Oh really? Tell us.]

In the years that followed, terror struck Bali in Indonesia, Madrid in Spain, London in Great Britain. And security forces in many countries -- including Canada -- have foiled alleged terrorist plots before they could be executed. [Wait a minute; based on that logic the so-called terrorists are ahead 3 to 1]

And because of this war of terror, people around the world have come together to offer a better vision of the future for all humanity. [That’s probably true only you’re not listening to them.] For this vision to take hold, the menace of terror must be confronted. [Wrong! The people want peace, equality and economic equity. Not confrontation which has done nothing for us all these years.]

And that is why the countries of the United Nations, with unprecedented unity and determination, launched their mission to Afghanistan to deal with the source of the 9-11 terror and to end, once and for all, the brutal regime that horribly mistreated its own people while coddling terrorists. [That’s misleading, sir. The Afghanistan war was started by the United States in what they called, a pre-emptive strike against another attack. Tell that to the hundreds of warlords, drug barons and extremists that are fighting with us over Opium crops.]

It is the desire to make a better and safer world which compels our soldiers to put their lives on the line. There are Canadian heroes being made every day in the desert and the mountains of southern Afghanistan.These are the stories we don't hear -- the countless acts of courage and sacrifice that occur every day on the battlefield.
[Actually, Canadian media have been doing a good job with a balanced approach to so-called acts of heroism and the reporting of flag-draped coffins. War is hell and you can’t spin it any other way.]

Because of their efforts, the Taliban is on the run, not the charge. [Bush thinks if we run they will follow us.]

I would ask that, tonight, you keep in your thoughts and prayers the victims and families of 9-11 and all those ordinary people who have died or lost loved ones in related acts of terror. [Or wrongfully convicted and tortured. Let me introduce you to Maher Arar.]

I would ask as well, that you keep in your thoughts and prayers the personnel and families of the extraordinary people in Afghanistan and elsewhere who have put themselves on the line so that the world is a better and safer place for all of us. [You know one of these days they’ll get the government they deserve instead of US backed puppet regimes, such as the one in Afghanistan]

Good night. [and Good Luck]

That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Deconstructing Bush

With the 9/11 anniversary passing, we take you now to the commentary track of the latest DVD of George W. Bush and his speech from September 11, 2006. Bush’s speech is in italics with the comments of yours truly, LeonT in parentheses.

If we do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our
children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and
radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. [Holy Shiite Batman, we’re in for the fight of our lives. Start the Batmobile!]

We are in a war that will set the course for this new century and
determine the destiny of millions across the world. [ The war is already costing hundreds of billions of dollars only to control the last remaining oil reserves in the world. We are all going to be affected, one way or another]

Whatever mistakes have been made in Iraq, the worst mistake
would be to think that if we pulled out, the terrorists would leave
us alone, they will not leave us alone. They will follow us. [So let’s kill as many ants as we can over there and make sure we pick up our blankets and picnic basket.] The safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle in the streets of Baghdad. [What about the safety of Iraqis?...just asking]

I am often asked why we are in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was
not responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The answer is
that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat. [a clear threat to the interests of Exxon/Mobil, BP and Haliburton]

America did not ask for this war, and every American wishes it
were over. [America usually invades and asks later if they can stay. Every man, woman and child around the world wishes it were over. ]

So do I, but the war is not over, and it will not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious. [With all due respect, Mr. President, everybody loses!]

If we yield Iraq to men like bin Laden, our enemies will be emboldened, they will gain a new safe haven, and they will use Iraq's resources to fuel their extremist movement. We will not allow this to happen. [interesting choice of words: Iraq’s resources fueling extremist movement. I guess they all drive SUVs.]

Re: bin Laden, No matter how long it takes, America will find you, and we will bring you to justice. [Yea, right. You had him in July of 2001 in Dubai, in a hospital meeting with a CIA Op; yet the CIA did nothing. See: Le Figaro (Paris), 10/31/2001; Agence France-Presse, 11/1/2001; London Times, 11/1/2001]

God bless America.

That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Next week: Deconstructing Harper [Stephen that is]

9/11 plus 5

Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001?
 
I slept in because I was working the night shift. I got up after 0830 or so and started my day. My girlfriend at the time, called me and told me the news. I turned on my TV and flipped to watch the coverage. The rest, as they say, is history.
 
What I knew then and what I know now about the events of 9/11 has improved over the past five years. I've read books, websites, magazines. I've screened documentaries from independent producers and I've seen and heard a ton of mainstream media coverage. I’ve talked to people from different backgrounds because I wanted to learn more. I believe that we all must do our civic duty and get involved in the political process and part of that process is staying informed. I figure that if I stay informed then I know I can make a better choice or decision about a particular event. When it came to 9/11, a most significant criminal act, I not only wanted to know who committed the crime but also its meaning in the context of history. And history is extremely important when you consider 9/11.
 
But who can I trust?
 
Mainstream media isn't reliable as it used to be, because it's now under profit driven ownership. And they’ve been very soft on the official story. Public broadcasting, CBC and PBS for instance, is often self conscious about its coverage particularly if it comes close to offending someone or some institution. Their work has been good, but short of critical thought.
 
So I've tried to gather information from as many different sources as I can over the past 5 years about 9/11, be it mainstream or alternative media [of which there is plenty]. From there, I weigh the pros and cons of legitimate discussion. Some sources are better than others for their references and logic.
 
Barrie Zwicker has just released a well written book called, Towers of Deception: The Media Cover-up of 9/11. [New Society Publishers] It is an excellent discussion about the crime of 9/11. It's assertive without being caustic and logical without being academic. It's a personal story of one journalist's crusade to find the truth about 9/11 and to test his own notions of movements on both sides of the political spectrum. Chapter 5, for example, is a critical evaluation of the work of Noam Chomsky. It is a well-reasoned examination of one of the most popular thinkers on the Left and how he has failed to acknowledge the holes in the "official story" about 9/11. This chapter stands apart from the rest of the 360 page book [plus notes] and could easily be expanded into a full-fledged tome on its own. I strongly recommend this book and the sources Zwicker cites in it.
 
I used to feel that the 9/11 story was too big to understand; too complicated to grasp for us mere mortals. It's a complicated story;  a mystery inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Consequently, to argue that 9/11 was an "inside job" is never easy. [Based on my research, I can only conclude that it was a false flag operation designed to control the last oil reserves in the world] But rather than preach from the pulpit, I think you must draw your own conclusions. Zwicker's book is a very good place to start because he puts 9/11 into its proper historical place. And History is the best teacher of all.
 
That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Poverty In Action

They say that the litmus test of any society is how it treats its weakest members. The release of a report by the National Council on Welfare on August 24, indicates that Canada is not doing a very good job of providing for its weakest members.

According to the report, welfare incomes have fallen steadily since 1994 while inflation and more importantly the cost of housing, has increased. So it's true: the poor are getting poorer. Yet huge surpluses are being recorded by the provinces who administer welfare payments in Canada.

Case in point: Alberta. We learned that the province is expecting a budget surplus of $4.3 billion by the end of the fiscal year. This is better than most countries. Yet the poor get a raw deal on everything, simply because they don't have enough of the one tool that will help them: money.

What is money?

It's a tool that allows the user to purchase commodities and services and to pay for the basic needs of life, such as housing.

If we can't take care of our poorest civilians, then why can we afford armaments to Afghanistan? Why is it easier to arm Customs agents along the border than to help the poor?

Priorities.

Whenever I listen to government leaders discuss their positions on the political issues of the day, I measure their comments based on their priorities. It's remarkable how little we hear the words "support for the poor", and how much we hear about "tax cuts". The elected leaders of our nation don't have much imagination it seems or at least their priorities are skewed differently. And if they come from a rich background or have never been "poor", they fail to include support for our impoverished citizens in their list of priorities.

So, how about a guaranteed annual income? It's an idea that's been discussed for over 40 years in this country, with little to show for it. After all, it's only money.

That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.