Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Roundup of Opinion on Atleo and His New Turf

New First Nations Chief Shawn Atleo of B.C. is calling for unity
"Newly-elected Assembly of First Nations Chief Shawn Atleo called for unity among Canada's First Nations people and said this week's hard-fought election shouldn't create division..."It's about how it is we can work together and ensure we have unity across the entire country, not allow an exercise like an election to become another divisive mechanism among our people," Atleo told reporters."
Good luck with that, Mr. Atleo.

"The first challenge Atleo will face is in becoming sensitive to the concerns of treaty First Nations. Hailing from British Columbia, where the majority of territory is not under historic treaty, he will have to come to know the treaty divisions and challenges of Manitoba. British Columbia is in the midst of negotiating comprehensive modern treaties and is undergoing a debate about re-constituting the hundreds of First Nation communities into a few dozen historic nations. Manitoba is nowhere near that debate, so Atleo would have to understand the challenges of treaty-divided, Indian Act territories like Manitoba.

The second item to consider is many First Nations in Manitoba are isolated from the rest of the population. The presence of fly-in communities with significant challenges should be of concern to the new national chief when he deals with Manitoba. It would make sense for the new chief to push for meaningful ways to connect these communities to the outside world, including increased highway networks to the north."
Indeed, this unity thing is a bit tiresome.
"Many of the smaller First Nations tend to stick together rather than be governed by us "Northerners." As a consequence, the FSIN has often been called the Federation of Southern Indian Nations."
There never has been unity and it's ludicrous to expect there would be. You might has well expect the Sudanese to be united with the Scots or the Turks with the Thais, the Mongols with the Moroccans.

AFN election brings hope, questions
“One of the problems that the national office has is the diversity of its constituents,” he explained. “You have the treaty and the non-treaty (peoples).

“One of the difficulties of the national office has always been, ‘Which comes first, treaty rights or aboriginal rights?’”
No place on the agenda for human rights, I guess.

Pride and elation
"The Stz’uminus First Nation chief has given a thumbs up to the new head of the Assembly of First Nations.
---

"Other election watchers from Vancouver Island also congratulated Atleo.

He received praise from officials at Vancouver Island University, where he became chancellor in September 2008.

“We are very proud of Chief Atleo and the work he is doing to advance opportunities for First Nations communities in B.C. and across the country,” VIU president Ralph Nilson said in a release.

Nanaimo-Cowichan MP Jean Crowder, the NDP’s aboriginal affairs critic, also had kind words.

“National Chief Atleo is a strong voice for addressing the serious issues facing many First Nations and he will bring a positive voice in building on the strengths of communities,” Crowder said in a release."

versus sour grapes
"The chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Lawrence Joseph, also attended Sunday's pow wow and took a swipe at the voting process that elected Atleo.

The national chief is selected by the chiefs, or his or her representative, of the 633 First Nations that are members of the AFN. More than 87 per cent of the bands took part in last week's election.

"I had a lot of calls from chiefs who said that we need to find a better formula to make it more representative of the populations," Joseph told reporters.

"That means the bands that are 7,000, 8,000 [people] are questioning how … a chief with a 100 members could have the same vote."

Joseph said it was also unfortunate that voting for the national chief took so long — more than 23 hours. Almost 100 bands dropped out by the eighth ballot.

"It petered out to become just who can endure the lack-of-sleep the longest," said Joseph."
Mr. Joseph should be careful what he asks for. If the voting process changes, and I hope it does, we may see a significant shift in the direction of Indian politics in Saskatchewan and whiners like him will be left behind in the dust. Take a look at the comments following the CBC article. And read this article in the Montreal Gazette.

And BTW, I'm very curious why Atleo ended up visiting Carry the Kettle First Nation, of all the First Nations in Saskatchewan that he could have chosen. I suppose it could be that they had already a standing invitation to the winner, regardless of who it turned out to be, to visit their community, however, this article from the Regina Leader vaguely suggests otherwise.

In any case, Carry the Kettle is a Nakoda band, not Cree like Bellegarde's people. The Plains Cree have dominated Saskatchewan Indian politics for decades, and for that matter, the politics of the AFN as well, having led that organization for fifteen of the past forty years and that doesn't include Matthew Coon Come or Ovide Mercredi, who are also Cree, but not of Plains Cree ethnicity.

In any case, Carry the Kettle First Nation has quietly moved its people forward and many have achieved recognition for their contributions, and IMHO are far less invested in perpetuating the Industry than folks like Mr. Belligerence himself, Perry Bellegarde. I could speculate on a number of reasons, but I'll keep them to myself.

In any case, right out of the gate, Mr. Atleo is using AFN/FSIN treaty speak, no doubt as a nod to his prairie brothers:
"“(It’s) the plight of our communities, the inherent rights that we’re all born to,” he said. “It’s the treaty rights that the ancestors signed that have been passed on as sacred treaties. It’s the plight of the youth in our communities. It’s the health of our people exposed to issues like the H1N1 flu virus. It’s the unsafe housing conditions that our people face, the unsafe drinking water.”"
Okay. Just when did treaties between peoples become "sacred". This invocation of the sacrosanct is a platform that the Indian Industry has carefully nurtured over the past thirty five to forty years and if this isn't a money making cult, I don't know what is. And as long as the cult exists, there ain't gonna be no improvement in any of those other issues. Squeezing blood out of stones is a ritual that requires cultish devotion, zealous maintenance of historical ignorance -- and the waste of piles of money thrown into the bottomless pit known as the Indian Industry. It will be a long, long time before that sacred cow is slaughtered, even if Atleo makes gains in the area of education, as he promised in his campaign.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Universities: Searching for Knowledge and Truth

This is what passes for sociology.

The guy was arrested and charged way back in November in connection with an act of terror in Paris, yet the university admin just today decides he won't be teaching the summer course that he was hired to teach at Carlton. He had taught a similar course before at the university.

Just what sort of accountability do universities have for the tax dollars they receive to pay these sorts of "professors" to poison young minds?

Iran's Nukes

NIE report revisited

Anybody remember the National Intelligence Estimate report from a couple of years ago? The one that said Iran was not developing nukes? The one that Saskatchewan's useful idiot (owner of the now defunct Sean in Saskatchewan blog and died in the wool dipper) took as gospel truth?

Well think again, Sean. It would seem German intelligence sources would disagree.
"Simply put, while our (the US) country's intelligence service believed that Iran had abandoned its nuclear bomb program in 2003, Germany's intelligence service was amassing evidence that the Iranian bomb program was ongoing."
This begs the question: Why did the US Intelligence community not know or at least not admit to knowing about Germany's findings?
"It is inconceivable to me that senior officials of our intelligence service were unaware of the BND's evidence and conclusions about Iran's nuclear bomb program. Indeed, if the BND's officials withheld what they knew from our officials that constitutes an act of allied betrayal whose implications for US-German relations are, well, staggering.

On the other hand, if our intelligence officials were aware of the BND's evidence and conclusions, why did we reach the opposite conclusion? Did our analysts judge the BND's evidence to be invalid? Or did they just ignore the BND's evidence because they didn't like it and because our intelligence officials wanted to throw a banana peel under President Bush's feet?"
Will Israel have allies in its quest to destroy Iran's nuclear bomb making capability? I sure hope so.

Friday, July 24, 2009

AtleObama

Good God. The dust hasn't even settled yet but the MSM has anointed messiah status to Shawn Atleo.
"You might even say there's a bit of Obama to Atleo's political style."
---
"But like Obama, Atleo weaves in a sense of hope that society is moving forward, something that changes the timbre of the debate."
The media is expecting you to walk on water, Mr. Atleo. Good luck with that.

More later. I'm on the road for the next several days.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Solar Eclipse Over Asia

Tres cool.

Did You Hear the Rumble?

I didn't, but sure enough the gods have been at work.

A massive earthquake last week picked up New Zealand and moved it 30 centimetres closer to Australia! Howdy Neighbour!

Must be that global warming.

Iran Unrelenting

Arrests and deaths continue in Iran as authorities tighten grip

Iranian protesters arrested in fresh clashes

Large rallies planned around the world for July 25th

Fissures widen in Iran's power struggle

Ahmadinejad's vice president choice rejected by Khamenei!!
"Iran's supreme leader handed a humiliation to the president, ordering him to dismiss his choice for top deputy after the appointment drew sharp condemnation from their hard-line base, media reported Wednesday.

The move by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to show his need to keep hard-liners' support even at the cost of angering the president, a close ally — at a time when Khamenei is facing unprecedented opposition after the disputed June 12 election.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appointment for his top vice president sparked a rare split within the hard-line camp to which he belongs. A chorus of ultra-conservative clerics and politicians denounced his choice, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, while Ahmadinejad had strongly defended the appointment"
and so far refuses to back down!

The Mullah's are scared shitless and their little pipsqueak freak Ahmadinejad is too stupid to recognize what he's doing to them. Cracks, cracks, everywhere cracks. May they soon all be lying on the floor like so much shattered, useless pottery.

And to hasten the process:

Iran opposition leader plans large-scale social movement

Confronting Iran's vicious misogyny - and women will lead the charge!

Reza Pahlavi talks about the future:

First Nation City Dweller Sums It Up

Choosing a new national chief: I have some concerns
"...the majority of us live off-reserve. In the main, we are urban dwellers more concerned with employment, education, daycare costs and securing adequate housing than treaty rights or land claims.

Most of us never get to speak to a chief. It's taken a horrific amount of wrangling even to allow us a vote in band elections.

And given the often huge geographic distances involved, few of us ever cast that vote.

So the charade that is First Nations representation continues at the national level."
---
"I can only see this as a big show being put on for public consumption and I don't want any part of it."
Although I cannot agree with his choice, the whole thing is well worth a read.

Yup

The AFN needs fresh thinking
"Mr. Fontaine may have been a charmer and possessed modern media savvy. Still, these skills masked a same-old, same-old philosophy on aboriginal-Ottawa affairs.

He blocked every attempt to increase accountability and transparency in First Nations government. He frowned on the establishment of personal property rights on reserves that would have encouraged home ownership and business start-ups. He even helped convince federal opposition parties to block legislation giving on-reserve women full legal and human rights, arguing that such changes -- if they came at all -- had to come slowly, so as not to upset aboriginal traditions.

...unless the winner means to break the cycle of dependence both individual aboriginals and their bands have on federal handouts (nearly $8-billion a year divided among fewer than one million aboriginals), abandon collective ownership of reserve property, implement strict rules for on-reserve accounting and end cronyism and nepotism, then four or eight years from now, when the next national chief is elected, nothing tangible will have changed."

Ludicrous Donkey Posturing

Pretty much par for the course. The braying of a bunch of asses.

Because, Dingbat....

...we'd rather wallow in misery and whine than take responsibility for ourselves. Besides, how would the Indian Industry make it's living?

This says it all. Rising above history is a personal choice

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Maliki to Visit Arlington Cemetery

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki will visit the graves of American troops to offer a personal 'thank you' to those who gave their lives for the sake of a new Iraq.

The leftards must be having a Linda Blair exorcist moment right about now.

A Picture is Worth.....


..a mighty good laugh.

Kurdistan Elections in Iraq

Election fever hits Kurdistan with a double whammy showing accomplishments of Barzani's leadership and well deserved dig at the Arab regions of Iraq which are mired in stagnation and corruption. Very professionally done. I like.





AFN Elections: A Round Up of Issues and Candidates

Leader straddles cultural divide

Role of chief important to all Canadians

Five Modest Proposals for a New AFN Chief

Native Nirvana

Canada's Aboriginals have a chance to switch direction

As far as I'm concerned, I agree with Quesnel and Jacobs. It is high time the election of the AFN chief became the responsibility of all First Nations people, not just band councils, many of which are corrupt beyond belief. And by far, the worst case scenario would be the election of Perry Bellegarde. With some fresh vision, perhaps that organization can begin to actually achieve something for the rank and file aboriginal person living on reserve. A comprehensive overhaul of the Indian Act is long overdue and has been prevented repeatedly by previous leaders of the AFN. At the band council level, the Act ensures that accountability is not to the people who live on reserve, which is one of the reasons dysfunction prevails, while Chiefs get to hand out favours to their relatives and backers and the Indian Industry thrives. They like it that way, so no wonder they stonewall amendments and/or repeal of the Act.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Torture: Islamic Republic Style

Referendum for Iran's Political Future

This idea has been in the news for a couple of days now.

Khatami calls for referendum on Iranian government

Of course, Khatami's idea is to have the masses vote on the legitimacy of the results of the recent election and, if it is the will of the people to reject the supposed results, then hold new elections. However, there is no reason why "the people" couldn't spoil each and every one of the ballots by simply writing on them some short carefully chosen slogan that clearly implies a top to bottom rejection of the entire theocratic regime. How could any of the clerics then think their role in politics has the support of "the people"? The old farts should go back to the mosques and attend to "the people's" souls and let the people create a new constitution.

Not that that's going to happen, of course. Khamenei holds the decision making power and such a move would require his consent and he is obviously knows what the result would be.

Animals

Mumbai attacks gunman pleads guilty and confesses in court

And I thought is was brutal enough even before I read this:
"His eight-minute confession, in which he described how the ten terrorist commandos had left Karachi by boat, hijacked a ship and murdered its crew, and how he and his leader had shot dead the head of Mumbai's anti-terrorist squad, will intensify pressure on Pakistan to bring the masterminds behind the attack to court.

Most alarming for Pakistan is Qasab's allegation that he and nine other terrorist commandos were waved off on their boat from Karachi by Zaki ur Rahman Lakhvi, the head of the al-Qaeda-allied Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, who is believed to have links to elements within Pakistan's ISI intelligence service."
Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan. (Emphasis mine.)

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Demonstrations in Iran Continue

Iran opposition candidate blasts 'clear lies'
"An opposition candidate in Iran's disputed presidential election blasted what he called the "thoughtless and clear lies" of the country's security forces Sunday, while students mounted new demonstrations at a university in Shiraz.

Former parliament speaker Mehdi Karrubi, who ran last in the June 12 election, compared government claims that it had not attacked his supporters to the statements that came out of the Iranian monarchy in the days before the 1979 revolution that established the Islamic republic, according to Iran's Aftab news agency.

"How do they try to say that they do not confront people violently or to blame others? All of this took place in front of people's eyes," Karrubi told supporters, according to Aftab. "They kill the youth in front of people's eyes and then say that they didn't have firearms. As a member of this system, I am embarrassed of these thoughtless and clear lies.""

Thirty-six army officers arrested in Tehran over protest plan
"The Iranian army has arrested 36 officers who planned to attend last week's Friday prayer sermon by former president Hashemi Rafsanjani in their military uniforms as an act of political defiance, according to Farsi-language websites.

The officers intended the gesture to show solidarity with the demonstrations against last month's presidential election result..."
Although those 36 officers didn't succeed in their plan, the fact that they were planning to do so is a good sign. Signs that both the police and the army are with the people and the fact that the clergy is badly divided can only inspire the revolution forward.

Soon, let's hope. Very soon.

Iran Elections Unrest Shook Iraqis

confidence in clerics.
"A poll by a research institute in Najaf shows that secular powers have better chances than Islamic parties to win the next general elections. Salih Murtada, president of the Zahraa Institute which conducted the poll, explained that “Shiite Islamists who mixed religion with politics since the Iranian revolution in 1979 caused painful blows to be dealt to Shiite Islam”.

According to Murtada. “The poll which surveyed 1,000 individuals from all social classes in Najaf showed that dismay from the influence of clerics has increased since after the provincial elections. Clerics have failed to manage the state in both Iraq and Iran…The resent unrest in Iran after the elections had a direct impact in shaking the Iraqi public’s confidence in clerics”."
If Iran succeeds in overthrowing the theocracy and establishing a genuine democracy, Iraq's future will be brighter than it is now and not just because it will completely destroy the network of funding and support for terrorist attacks within Iraq that the Iranian regime now supplies. I think Iran's potential to reach civilizational excellence far exceeds that of Iraq because of their different histories. The influence will no doubt rub off on Iraq.

For the sake of Iraq - GO IRAN!!

"Swarms of Carnivorous Giant Flying Squid..."

....Got your attention? Alright. We'll continue then....

"...terrorize Southern California coast."

Might be a good day to lay on the beach and sunbathe instead.

Tim Ball on the AGW Farce

Animals

I married Iranian girls before their execution

Obama and the animals
"...so many in America would just rather not know; not know about a place in the great global community at this time of our feigned sheltered existence that disrespects human rights to this horrific degree. It is as if asserting shields of denial emblazoned with: “the U.S. cannot risk meddling; the revolution should not be tainted with U.S. intervention; there is nothing we can do; or, I can’t force myself to watch a film about stoning.” Any and all of these excuses fail to justify our refusal to share the plight of those who risk everything for freedom while we enjoy the luxury of being born to that privileged state.

First, Iran is not at all inhibited about meddling. Iran meddles for the destruction and manipulation of others. What our troops have suffered from direct Iranian meddling in Iraq is irrefutable. What Israel endures from Iran’s meddling through Hamas and Hezbollah is undeniable. Iran spreads terror and fear. Why would we not meddle to incite freedom? Why would we not take a chance at supporting those who challenge clerical rule; those that have actually begun to drive a wedge between the mullahs? Besides, how much easier is it to meddle by assisting an internal revolt than to directly confront this irascible almost-nuclear rogue state?

Second...."
RTWT

Back to the Czech Visa Thing

I see the Roma have their own excuse generating machine hard at work on their behalf - not, the mirror image of the Indian Industry in Canada.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Walter Cronkite and a Bygone Era

The passing of Walter Cronkite at a ripe old age brings back memories of my youth. During my teens and early twenties, his newscasts were staples among the few channels available to country hicks living in Saskatchewan. His broadcasts of the three big assassinations in the 1960s were to be remembered. But...these two articles about him are good reminders of the tawdry state of MSM broadcasting today, by comparison, but which started those many years ago at his news desk.

From the first:
"May he rest in peace, and may those who miss him find solace in the worshipful media coverage. He appeared to be a very nice man, someone whose avuncular presence on the screen seemed to reflect a personality that combined warmth and strength.

That said, I am disturbed by the tone and volume of coverage afforded his passing, particularly by his own colleagues appearing on television news outlets. Perhaps mourning him, they are also mourning the decline and fall of television news. The reverence with which the words "Americas most trusted man" are repeatedly invoked suggest a nagging comprehension that almost nobody trusts TV news any more."
RTWT

From the second, in reference to his expression of an opinion about the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War:
"At the time, Cronkite's pronouncement added credibility and importance to all the network anchors. His was a stunning exercise of media power. But, in the perspective of history, the outcome of his pronouncement is not universally recognized as having been positive. He overtly and figuratively stepped out from behind the microphone to add his personal commentary to the news. We had not seen this before."
RTWT

Another good one on the Cronkite legacy
.

And another
.

69% of Canadians Agree With Me!!

Further to my blog entry about Jason Kenney's decision to toughen entry requirements to Mexican and Czech visitors, it seems he's hit a chord with Canadian sentiment on this. Notwithstanding the usual obligatory howls of bigotry and racism - we're excluding "brown" people, you know - from the lunatic left, it seems that most people recognize that showing up at our doors and claiming refugee status under false pretenses is not only a drain on our public purse, but is an abuse of our hospitality. Furthermore, it's no way to start off the road to citizenship in a new country. If you lie in order to get in, what other unethical behavior are you going to offer your new country?

The survey, conducted by Angus Reid, also revealed "64 per cent of respondents believe the federal government is doing a poor job of handling Canada's immigration programs". It would be interesting to have a discussion and debater just about that point. Do I detect the beginning of a backlash against the longstanding policy of multiculturalism?

More here.

A bit of information from the Czech Republic:
"An influx of asylum seekers prompted Canada to impose the visa requirements on the Czech Republic in October 1997. It cancelled the measure ten years later. However, the influx later resumed.

Since the visa requirement was lifted from the Czech Republic in October 2007, nearly 3,000 claims have been filed by Czech nationals, compared with a mere five in 2006, Canada's department of immigration (CIC) said earlier this week."

Flag Burning in Iran

But, but, but....

Okay. It's the right colours but where are the 50 stars? The thirteen stripes?

And what's this chant "marg bar russeieh" instead of "marg bar amrica"?

This is the Iggy I Liked



...and then he became leader of the Liberal Party.

Hitch on the Axis of Evil - Iran Included

Friday, July 17, 2009

Zinger!!!

See what you get when you make Timothy Birdnow steaming mad? The finest rebuttal to the global warming hysteria yet published. (sizzle, sizzle, sizzle)

Past-Disgrace on Global Warming

h/t Sleepy Old Bear

Now for Something Closer to Home

Here's an interesting article from David Warren on Sarah Palin and the liberal left Democrat segment of the American population. I especially like this new terminology:
"Perhaps better terms for the two sides, to replace left and right, might be "martians" and "earthlings.""
h/t Hot Air

UPDATE IV

Ongoing bits from Twitter #iranelection (Exactly as posted in the original. No verification possible.):
"We are unafraid and charging to WIN. The day is getting closer by the minute"
Video: "Honking for freedom on the streets of Tehran"



"Iran Women are being targetted by Basiij, attacked / abducted. Brothers! Protect your sisters!"


Azarmehr has videos and into about the widespread "Down with Russia" chant and the reasons for it.

"IF you have any brother/sister/son at Basij, police or military: Go talk to them, let them choose of the people!"

"why was it not possble to take the IRIB State TV Today ?"

"If ppl turn out in these numbers and more on August 2nd we can stop Ahmadinejad inauguration."

UPDATES III

Ongoing bits from Twitter #iranelection (Exactly as posted in the original. No verification possible.):
"down with Evin and thousands of prisons in Iran, we keep one for ah-ne and his murderers!"
(I absolutely love this next one! God bless the strong, courageous and sneaky women of Iran!!)
"They searched us at the gate and took away all green clothing. But we had hidden small pieces of green cloth in our bras!"
"lets get this backward religion out of the ruling of our country"
Video:
"Caller "death 2 US, Death 2 Isreal, Death 2infidels, Death 2 UK" crowd answers "death 2Russia"EVERY time"



"Protests continuous in many places in central, west, east and north of Tehran"

"We will close Evin Forever, so that never again abrave Iranian can be tortured under mountains of Koroush"

"God I love the sound of freedom of information in the morning, smells like, like, victory."

"RT GOVT VERY AFRAID! FIGHT BACK! STAY IN STREETS! BASIJ CAN'T FIND MILLIONS! ARMY WILL SUPPORT PPL!"

""The crowd, was so thick and compact that security forces could do nothing but stand by passively on the sidelines.""

"Do not let women walk on their own, keep them surrounded. Block Basiij vans if see them grab people."

"over 2 million protesters basij in many area cant do any thing"

"Evin prison is the symbol of this regime. It must fall! All suffering there must stop today. May God help us with this."

"The sea of green is crashing on the shores of liberty!"

"an eyewitness said: Tehran City Police Force not following orders to charge the people." (emphasis mine)

Video of protests before Friday prayers. This thing was underway already:



"People are protesting in different places, including Tabriz & different parts of Tehran."

"Reports: Gunshoots infront of Evin Prison, ppl trying to enter the priosn."

And please, please, please let this one be true: "Shootings & attacked on people in front of IRIB HQ. Min. of Interior under control of people!"

"2day proves the ppl of #iran are determined 2 get justice for the #iranelection, strength of feeling has grown, can B only 1 outcome - GREEN"

"Both airports of Tehran are occupied by demonstrator's! 3 minutes ago"

"They cannot let you win because Hamas would lose money. Hired Thugs beating demonstrators ARE HAMAS"

Iran Update II

Former president Rafsanjani made his anticipated speech at Friday prayers. According to reports earlier in the week, people were waiting with bated breath to hear the content of the speech, which many hoped would be a rallying call for change. Read this report of the event and Winston's analysis of the speech, then consider the news and rumours of the aftermath posted on Twitter as portrayed in this random selection from a rapidly growing avalanche of thousands of tweets posted on #iran election:

"There needs to be a tremendous push into the night, we need take radio & media outlets to bring all of Iran into the Streets!"

"thousands of Protesters in Enghelab St."

"Czar Putin must be very unpopular among Iranians chanting DEATH 2 Russia +Putin"

"Karoubi's son: The plain cloths who attacked my father were congratulated by their commander on their radio!"

"There are more than 1 million ppl on the streets of tehran right now"

"govt,basji sound so desperate.Stench smell of their fear days are numbered. Torture and killing the innocent"

INTERPOL!! Check for Ahmadi's fingerprints in bombing attack in Jakarta! His government sponsors terrorists!!!

To "police and army personnel...beware that receiving orders will not excuse them before god." --Montazeri

"PROTESTERS: DON'T WAIT FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO GIVE YOU FREEDOM LATER, GIVE YOUR CHILDREN FREEDOM TODAY!!"

"I wish my daughter will grow to be a great woman.. a free woman..that is all i want now"

"FOX NEWS WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THIS IS BIG! YOU WERE THE LEADER LAST TIME! SHOW YOUR STUFF! THIS COULD BE THE BIG ONE!"

"Iranian showing the world that we die on our feet and we don't want to live on our knees"

"Just got call from reliable source: interior ministry SURROUNDED! ppl are fighting the basijis back"

"All of a sudden, people know the game is up: they simply cease 2 b afraid."
Well folks. I think this regime is going to fall sooner than I thought. In fact, today may be the day. I just hope Russia will not pull a Georgia on the long suffering Iranian people. If Russia does, there is no telling where this will lead.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Iran Update

UPDATED AGAIN:

Even more interesting!

Iran names new head of atomic energy body
"Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's former representative to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, was named to replace Gholamreza Aghazadeh as head of the Atomic Energy Organization... Ali Akbar Salehi ... was named the new head of the Atomic Energy Organization," the ISNA news agency said.

The mild-mannered politician is in favor of resolving Iran's nuclear row with the West through talks, an analyst said.

"Salehi's appointment is a positive signal to the West. Salehi is a logical and soft spoken person who is trusted by the IAEA," said the analyst, who asked not to be named."

Hmmmm. Is the beleaguered regime looking for a way out of the corner they've painted themselves into? Good news in and of itself but is it just a bargaining chip? It's not enough to make me forget about the Iranian people's desire for freedom, but if this assessment of his character is any indication of what he will do in his new job, at least the Iranian people have one less thing to worry about, as so does Israel.

I wonder what Gholamreza Aghazadeh will do with the insider knowledge that he has? Are they afraid of what he might tell the West or the IAEA? But then again, what do I know.

UPDATED:

Iran's nuclear chief resigns

Interesting in its own right, but this article contains some other nuggets at well, such as this one about the death toll at the hands of the regime:
"The human cost of the post-election protest may have been far higher than was previously thought. About 20 people were believed to have died when the regime's security forces suppressed the demonstrations on the orders of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader and Mr Ahmadinejad's crucial ally.

But eyewitness testimony on a website linked to Iran's reformists suggests the real toll might have reached hundreds. One women seeking the body of her child described being shown into a makeshift mortuary filled with bodies. "Although I didn't find my child's body, on seeing all those corpses dumped on top of each other, I passed out," she said.

Thousands of people were arrested after the elections and many are still missing."

There's also reference to a recent speech made by Ahmadinejad which shows how utterly whacko he is.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Israeli navy prepares for potential attack on Iran
"The exercises come at a time when Western diplomats are offering support for an Israeli strike on Iran in return for Israeli concessions on the formation of a Palestinian state."
---
"“Israel has chosen to place the Iranian threat over its settlements,” said a senior European diplomat."

Six more journalists detained in Iran
"The arrests make Iran "the world's worst jailer of journalists," according to the group, which publicized news of the arrests earlier this week."
Slain protester's mother speaks out...
"...appears to be gearing up for a full-fledged publicity war against the regime. ...Fahimi, an active member of Mothers for Peace, reportedly told the reformist news website Norooznews.org that she would seek justice in domestic and, if need be, international courts."
Hunger strike by a Coalition of Leading Iranian Intellectuals, Pro-Democracy Activists and Scholars
"In solidarity with the Iranian people's Green Movement and condemning the widespread electoral fraud, the merciless repression of the popular protests, and the illegal arrest of hundreds of citizens and activists in Iran, we the undersigned are going on hunger strike between 22 to 24 July in front of the UN building in New York. We intend to have the voice of the long-suffering Iranian people to be heard. We ask the responsible members of the world community to demand the release of all political prisoners. Considering the alarming condition of the recent detainees, with their health and even lives in jeopardy, we demand they be visited by representatives of the General Secretary of the UN and immediately freed.

In addition, we the undersigned call on all our compatriots living in the United States and people of conscience to join this protest, meeting on the above-mentioned dates in front of the UN to declare their solidarity with Iranian people's Green Movement during these dangerous and crucial days..."
It might not be as dramatic or visual as the massive rallies in Iran's cities over the past month, but the revolution is well and truly alive and ongoing.

KEEP. GOING. IRAN.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Yes Siree!!

Jason Kenney just keeps taking the right positions and making the right decisions.

Minister calls for overhaul of Canada's refugee system
"Canada needs a refugee-claims system that will quickly turn away those who falsely claim persecution to take advantage of the country's generosity, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says."
---
"Although he would not say precisely what reforms he has in mind, the government is studying changes made by Britain in 2004.

It is considering borrowing ideas like giving immigration officers the first decision on refugee claims rather than a tribunal, reducing layers of appeals, and fast-tracking claims from countries that are generally considered safe in an effort to send home rejected claimants sooner."
Exactly. There is no reason why anyone from The Czech Republic should be considered a refugee. Case closed.

This is What the Nails Look Like

Ian Plimer's lecture about the AGW hoax, in five parts:









The AGW Coffin Now Mostly Nails

It's about time to admit the wood in the AGW coffin is now just a pile of sawdust. Having been splintered by a plethora of real scientific and historical research, it sits waiting for the next warm wind to simply blow it away and become fertilizer, like so much other BS.

Tim Birdnow traces the rise of empires during the Medieval Warm Period and their subsequent fall with the return of a colder climate, and the AGW scam artists' attempts to quash the facts.

A Moment in the Sun
"A major person working in the area of climate change and global warming sent me an astonishing e-mail that said, ‘We have to get rid of the Medieval Warm Period’ [a well-documented and widely recognized period during the Middle Ages warmer than any period in the 20th century] (Tom Bethell, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science, courtesy of The Global Warming Hoax 3)."
---
"A new study "Putting the Rise of the Inca within a Climatic and Land Management Context" drives just one more stake through the heart of this nonsensical attack on the Medieval Warming Period and subsequent Little Ice Age."
---"
People and empires were on the move during the years of the MWP, and they stopped moving-or moved out-afterward. SOMETHING was certainly happening at this time, and something destroyed many of these great empires. When the Maunder Minimum struck in 1645, the Earth appears to have cooled globally, and the moment in the sun for many great peoples and kingdoms ended in the darkness of a cold, hungry world."
---
"Their day in the sun is past, and the coming of the cold wrecked their once proud kingdoms. A warm world is hardly a bad thing."
Check it out. It reminds me of the critically acclaimed book Plagues and Peoples by the late great historian William H. McNeill which describes in meticulous detail the decisive impact of communicable diseases on the course of history - determining who won, who lost and why, factors beyond the understanding of the actors on the stage.

At the end of the day, real academic research, subjected to the rigors of genuine scholarly critique rather than politically correct bullshit always wins the day.

h/t Sleepy Old Bear

Hope It's True

Sunday, July 12, 2009

No Longer Just Cracks

A full month following the fraudulent elections, the spirit of determination in Iran continues. Despite ongoing efforts on the part of the regime to quash communications and mass gatherings, beating and imprisoning hundreds and killing many, holding journalists hostage, and so on, developments from the last few days have included:
  • One more successful day of peaceful protest in commemoration of the student uprising in 1999 (successful meaning it was both well attended by protesters and, on their part at least, peaceful)
  • police showing reluctance to use force (they are going to break ranks, sooner or later)
  • planned labour strikes in Kurdish areas
  • Ahmed Batebi lambasting Obama
  • rallies in support of Iran held throughout the free world
And now, we have this, the most significant event thus far, if you ask me:

Grand Ayatollah Montazeri issued a fatwa against Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, followed by this statement issued by a leading resistance movement organization, The National Council of Resistance of Iran.

This isn't just cracks in the regime. It's a bloody chasm. But it ain't over yet. The question is, will we have a secular Iran or will it remain a theocracy in which leaders are selected rather than elected. I think you know what I want and I think that is what the Iranian people want, too.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran is an interesting organization. Basically a "government in exile" which has been pushing for reform since shortly after the Khomenei revolution of 1979. They must sense they are closer to achieving their goals than ever before.

Always the Opportunist

Taliban Jack, sensing an opportunity to turn a tense international crisis into a cause for bashing Stephen Harper's government, betrays the Canadian Islamists-Leftist alliance.
"Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon lodged a protest with the Iranian Embassy two weeks after Bahari was detained - a delay Layton is calling "unconscionable.""
Let me see now. How many times has Jackoff condemned Iran's seizure of Bahari? Only once, it seems. On the same day that Cannon did. But Cannon's statement is the second one issued by the Harper government. The first came out June 22nd, the day after Bahari was detained. Aw, Jack. You betrayed your friends just to make a stupid, erroneous statement. Not only that, but you waited eighteen days. That's more than two weeks, Jacko, in case you can't count.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Sarah Palin on Twitter

More on Galloway

Azarmehr has YouTube videos. The last one in particular (clickable, but not embedded) shows him kowtowing to Uday, the monstrous son of Saddam Hussein. In the comments:
"One's reaction to such images is the clearest line of demarcation between those, like us, who believe that human beings are naturally endowed with inalienable rights and those, like the despicable Mr. Galloway, Hanif-e-jakesh, et al, who do not.

Watching these also reminded me of why the world owes an immense debt of gratitude to the US and Coalition troops who deposed this monster."
Some day, when Iran is free, and when Iraq is fully on its own feet, perhaps this man will be indicted, arrested and brought to justice. I can only hope I live to see it.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Nail Biter in Iran

Read Michael Ledeen's updates on the demonstrations that took place today in Iran. Some horrific accounts as well as some encouraging ones.

Report from Times Online (London):
"As darkness fell on baking, dust-shrouded Tehran tonight an army of riot police and hardline basiji militiamen used batons, gun butts and tear gas to beat back thousands of Iranians converging on the city centre.

"The security presence was massive. It was like a military occupation," one witness told The Times. "They were clubbing the hell out of people."

The greater victory belonged to the demonstrators, however. Male and female, some quite old, they came armed with nothing more than a burning sense of injustice. They defied the risk of serious physical injury, and the very real possibility of arrest, incarceration and torture. They did this to show the world that their resistance to Iran's brutal and illegitimate government has not been extinguished."

---

"The regime did its best to prevent fresh manifestions of public anger today. It took advantage of the dust storms that have smothered the capital this week to close universities, offices and businesses, and to encourage people to leave the city. It shut down the text messaging system, and Morteza Tamadon, Tehran's governor, warned that demonstrations inspired by "anti-revolutionary networks" would be "trampled under the feet" of the security forces.

The demonstrators came anyway — not in the massive numbers of the earlier protests, and not with the banners or camera phones that would make them instant targets, but with even greater courage."

An absolutely must read.

Azarmehr has videos.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Obama!!!

Well lookie here! Every once in a while Obama does something that I agree with.

Barack Obama tells Africa to stop blaming colonialism for problems
""I think part of what's hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance, that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism – I'm not a big – I'm not a believer in excuses."
And while we're on that topic, here's something I wanted to post and comment on a few weeks ago, but never got around to it. An interview with Dambisa Moyo, author of Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa. If you've never heard of her, she kicks ass!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Enjoy.

Condell on the Burqa:

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Cyberstealth: the 21st Century's Warfare

Great interview of Nonie Darwish.

More On Omar "F**K Canada" Shaban

Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington writes an interesting column about this fool. Quoting extensively from Shaban's own words, it's very apparent that poor boy hasn't got a clue about the history of Canada's treatment of its first peoples. Look at this line of bullshit in particular:
"I apologize to the indigenous people of Canada because their feelings are not taken into consideration at Canada Day celebrations ... and because they had to be slaughtered, killed, massacred, diseased (sic) and dispossessed to establish Canada."
Say what??!!! Exactly where and when did Canada slaughter, kill, massacre or "diseased" any First Nations people?? Some of those things may be said of American treatment of Native Americans, but so what? Find me a place in the world where the record of mans inhumanity to man isn't full of this stuff. For the most part, whatever slaughtering and killing took place was in the context of wars in which various Indian tribes allied themselves with one or the other of the completing European powers. Shit happens in wars. Indians killed Indians. Whites killed whites and they both killed each other.

The "diseased" bit is especially ridiculous. The one and only instance of germ warfare on record (ie. documentary evidence actually exists), and it is somewhat debatable if you care to read reputable historical research, was the infamous smallpox infested blanket incident and it was the Brits, Jeffery Amherst, to be exact, that did that during the French and Indian Wars of 1763. Speculation exists of other incidents of similar tactics occurring during the American Revolutionary War, again by the Brits. (See Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775 - 1882 by Elizabeth A. Fenn) There was no country called Canada then. No one could have foreseen 100 years into the future. Canada can hardly be blamed for actions taken on the battlefield a full century before the country was created.

Kinda of have to wonder what he was being taught in the Kwantlen Polytechnic University in BC, where he is a student. I've never heard of this institution. Must be a stalwart edifice of political correctness.

You'll notice he neglects to mention the valiant efforts of medical professionals in both Canada and the US to inoculate Indians against deadly diseases in more recent times. Does he know about the Hudson's Bay Company's efforts over the many years to provide medical services to the Indians with which they traded? Does he know about the medicine chest clause in Treaty 6 and how, whether accurately or not, that has been interpreted? Apparently, no. These sorts of documented historical facts are deliberately excluded from so many Native Studies curricula, it's little wonder.

Oh. And what about this line of BS "because their feelings are not taken into consideration at Canada Day celebrations"? "Feelings"? Typical Arab cult-of-perpetual-victimhood-poor-me-speak. This guy is a disciple of Edward Said, lock, stock and barrel.

As the saying goes, it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Great Catch at Ace of Spades



And here's a great analysis of the wisdom of her decision.

British Colonel Tells Truth About Hamas

Monday, July 06, 2009

A Message to Mr. F**K Canada

Over at Jay Currie's blog the other day there was a discussion of the "fuck Canada" comments made by Canadian Arab Federation tool Omar Shaban. Mr. Shaban referenced the treatment of Canada's aboriginal peoples in support of his contempt for the country in which he lives. By way of comparison, I think his own people, the Arabs, have a record with respect to indigenous peoples that should also be laid on the table. Consequently, I offer this one is for his edification:

A Must Read By Michael Ledeen

The storm ahead
"The Iranian tyrant, Ali Khamenei, told his cluster of top advisers two days ago that it was time to totally shut down the protests, and he ordered that any and all demonstrators, regardless of their status, be arrested (although there is no longer room for new prisoners in Tehran’s jails; they are now using sports arenas as holding areas). He further ordered that all satellite dishes be taken down (good luck with that one; there are probably millions of them in Tehran alone). He ordered that the crackdown be done at night, to avoid all those annoying videos. By Sunday night, hundreds of new arrests had been made, including the regime’s favorite targets: students, intellectuals, and journalists."
---
"So Khamenei is under pressure, and he is not well equipped to deal with it. He has a serious cancer, and takes opiates to mitigate the pain. People around him are whispering that his decisions are poorly reasoned and often impulsive, and some of those close to him, including his son, are apparently issuing orders in his name. This sort of rumor is devastating for the sort of personal rule upon which the Islamic Republic rests. We’ll see in the coming days if the Mousavi forces are able to maintain and increase the pressure, and how Khamenei and his henchmen respond.
---
"At the moment, there is evidence of some panic, as Iranian leaders are exporting their wealth."
---
"UPDATE II: The 3-day strike. Apparently the regime was so worried about the strike that they shut down most factories, businesses and offices. This is another sign of regime insecurity. And Mousavi today (Monday) received several distinguished visitors, including Khomeini’s grandson."
Yup. This is looking more and more like the end of the regime. And from one of the comments following Ledeen's article:

Mars Por Gohar
"Roozbeh Farahanipour, one of the leaders of the 1999 student uprising in Iran and other members and leaders of the Marze-Por-Gohar (MPG) Party are back in Iran in preparation of demonstrations for the July 9th anniversary; they have joined with thousands of other Iranian democracy activists and are already planning for rallies and demonstrations in spite of the ongoing crackdown of IRI forces and the statements of some IRI factions who are trying to confine the present movement within the tight Islamic and Constitutional limits, preventing cries for free elections and a democratic Iran being heard."
In the meantime Sarkozy stands firm with Britain while there is news of a French woman taken hostage.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Qom Clerics Speak Out

Qom clerics defy Khamenei
"Perhaps more threatening to the supreme leader, the committee called on other clerics to join the fight against the government’s refusal to adequately reconsider the charges of voter fraud. The committee invoked powerful imagery, comparing the 20 protesters killed during demonstrations with the martyrs who died in the early days of the revolution and the war with Iraq, asking other clerics to save what it called “the dignity that was earned with the blood of tens of thousands of martyrs.”"
---
"The statement was issued after a meeting Mr. Moussavi had with the committee 10 days ago and a decision by the Guardian Council to certify the election and declare that all matters concerning the vote were closed.

But the defiance has not ended.

With heavy security on the streets, there is a forced calm. But each day, slowly, another link falls from the chain of government control. Last week, in what appeared a coordinated thrust, Mr. Moussavi, Mr. Karroubi and Mr. Khatami all called the new government illegitimate. On Saturday, Mr. Milani of Stanford said, former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani met with families of those who had been arrested, another sign that he was working behind the scenes to keep the issue alive."

Top Iran Religious Body Criticizes Election Results
"Late Saturday, Mousavi's Ghalamnews website posted a 25-page report, exposing a laundry list of "fraud and irregularities," during the election, including intervention by the Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia in favor of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

It also charged the Interior Ministry with printing 14-million ballots more than the number of registered voters. The Guardian council spokesman admitted, at one point, that the number of votes counted in one region exceeded the number of voters by three million.
"
---
"Former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani Sadr, who was overthrown in 1981 and lives in exile in Paris, says that he thinks Rafsanjani and the other clerics are putting up a timid resistance to the government, but the Iranian people have been bolder:

He says that Hashemi Rafsanjani is not able to stand up to Ayatollah Khamenei directly, but is trying to oppose him in a sly and surreptitious manner, using other people as covers. The other religious leaders who came out against the government, he says, are also being cautious, questioning the legitimacy of President Ahmedinejad and the repression he is waging, and electoral fraud. The people, he argues, have gone beyond that point, crying "down with the dictator ... down with Khamenei" and questioning the legitimacy of the entire regime."
I believe this is the beginning of the end. Sooner or later, even the reformist clerics will be swept from power and forced to return to the mosque.

Echo of Zahra Kazemi



Now we have Canadian-Iranian journalist, Maziar Bahari, recently captured by the regime, forced to "confess" on television and now facing trial.

Will Canada's government skirt around this issue they way they did with Zahra Kazemi?

There's News and Then There's Big News!!

h/t Spirit of Man

Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran

"John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations who recently visited the Gulf, said it was “entirely logical” for the Israelis to use Saudi airspace.

Bolton, who has talked to several Arab leaders, added: “None of them would say anything about it publicly but they would certainly acquiesce in an overflight if the Israelis didn’t trumpet it as a big success.”

Arab states would condemn a raid when they spoke at the UN but would be privately relieved to see the threat of an Iranian bomb removed, he said."

WOW!! What does this say about the shifting dynamic in the Middle East? The House of Saud, birth place of Osama bin Laden and of Salafism, gives clearance to the Joooooos to bomb the piss out of the only Islamist state on the planet!!