World War Z, Hollywood Latest Sell Out to China

Taiwan Rehearses for Communist Chinese Invasion

Hong Kong Residents Defend Falun Gong From Harassment

People think this through,
What if a member of your family or someone you knew was a falun gong practitioner?
What if a member of your family or someone you knew was an anti-corruption activist?
Making it your policy to arrest members of the community for their beliefs is an unacceptable policy for any party wishing to present themselves as a legitimate ruling party. The persecution of peaceful members of the community who are simply trying to contribute to a better world is unacceptable.
When a political culture becomes so partisan to the point where pragmatic relaxed good governance turns to a wasteful struggle over "power", then the community should expect undesirable results.
Obviously, no one in their right mind would want the communist party to rule their community because no one in their right mind would want to be abused by a totalitarian regime.
Even if you don't care about politics, you probably would care if a regime came after members of the community. What the world needs is virtue, people virtuous enough not to abuse power, to only use it to inspire people to achieve good things. People must abandon partisanship if we are to confront the monumental challenges of our time, the situation demands it. Extremism is a mental illness.
I'm asking you, all of you, to put aside the selfish quest for power and focus on accomplishing what needs to be done. This is not about any one of us, this is not even about our era and how it unfolds. This is about a long term change in consciousness achieved through deep thought and meditation that will bring an end to political violence.           

The struggle for the human soul is greater than any of us.

Chinese Anti-Corruption Rights Activist Detained

The methods and patterns of behavior employed by the communist party are immoral and should not be enabled in any way.

Glaxo and the peril of doing business in China

Inside the Ring: New naval harassment in Asia

Trident downgrade would leave Britain vulnerable to nuclear attack

Indefensible Policies: Our Commander-in-Chief Retreats As Putin's Missile Programs Advance

Global threat to food supply as water wells dry up

Brian Stewart: Egypt's other existential crisis — the Nile

Syrian Unrest Could Have Broad Geopolitical Impact

Military Cooperation Between Cuba, North Korea Revealed

Russia jails top opposition leader; Putin denounced as dictator

Chinese Hackers Dropbox Their Viruses

Body Worlds Challenged to Provide DNA

PMO asked staff to supply 'enemy' lists to new ministers

Plot to bribe unhappy aide involved in ethnic vote scandal

Report on BC Rail legal bills delayed

God and Democracy

God and Democracy

Philosophy is the anti-thesis of ideology. The true philosopher has no pride, no sense of self. The philosopher is king and always will be, as the conceptual limits of our world are often set by men who have been dead for hundreds or thousands of years. The mighty emperor is governed by his ability to perceive the world around him, and his perception is informed by the will and words of the philosopher.

In Egypt, the birthplace of civilization, we witness an illustration of contrast that hopefully will give birth to new understanding. We must first suspend judgement if we are to understand.

There are two opposing forces vying for control of Egypt. Backers of the establishment of an Islamic state believe that man should be governed by Gods will as interpreted by the Koran. Backers of the establishment of a constitutional democracy believe that it is gods will that man should be governed by reason.

This distinction is crucial to understanding what democracy is. Democracy is not about the imposition of Karl Marx, Milton Friedman, or any other version of God. Democracy is rule by reason, rule by philosophy. Democracy is not a dictatorship of the proletariat. Democracy is not a dictatorship of the market. Democracy is not a dictatorship of the Koran. Democracy is not about self it is about truth.

The two faces of ego are ideology and greed. These are manifested when men seek control of the state to impose what they believe without the support of reason, and when men seek control of the state to accumulate wealth and power as an end in and of itself. A cynic would say that the two faces of ego are the only paths history will take, but there is a third way out and its democracy.

Democracy is when people come together and solve issues based on reason. The central word here is reason. Decision making is not allocated based on social status, money, or party monopoly. The objective of democracy is not to “win” what you want or to crush your “opponent”. In a pure democracy you have no opposition and there are no winners or losers. In a pure democracy all you have is people working together. That doesn't mean they will always agree on everything it just means that they will approach governance from the perspective that it is not about them.

The fundamental misunderstanding of the Chinese Communists is the perception that reason is just a tool of power. In their mind everything is war, a political struggle for ideological dominance. They will spend considerable resources constructing ideological arguments in order to manufacture perceptions that advance their interests. Truth can not be manufactured, only perceptions. True reason will stand alone apart from interest.

How ought we as human souls reconcile the truth of our connection? Democracy is the answer to this question. It conceptually nurtures compassion and starves ego. Our duty is to recognize the others as we would ourselves and pursue the public interest based on informed and well reasoned dialogue. The failure of modern liberal states in a global context is not a failure of democracy, it is an example of what happens when people forget what democracy is.

If we are to look to God for answers we should look to him as the original financial advisor. When Jesus Christ said love one another, he implicitly said that if we do not follow that commandment than we will all end up poor, dead or both. Without people there is no wealth, it is a concept within us. If people do not follow the financial advise of God there will be poverty and social problems. Loyalty to your wife and family, respect for others, forgiveness and compassion are the recipe for a better society. God should be a cultural compass that leads to comprehensive wealth, not a system of governance.

As a rejection of ego, democracy is the only option we have that respects people and principal above ideology and greed.

Democracy is the next evolutionary step in human awareness, but there is no guarantee that human society will progress. Democracy is a seedling threatened from all sides by the weeds of selfishness. Totalitarianism lives, and so long as it does it plots to stamp out any alternative to it's authority.

We must defend democracy from the well organized infiltration of communist totalitarian forces enabled by a corrupt and incompetent capitalist class. Our freedom will only be preserved by the actions of brave souls who take it upon themselves to carry the legacy of our forefathers. The people will be preserved and strengthened within the house of the lord. Amen.

A Prescription for what ails Democracy

What I Would Change About Politics in Canada
Elizabeth May


Democracy is, as Winston Churchill once quipped, the worst system of government, except all the others that have been tried.

He also, less famously said, “The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter,” but I don’t think the average voter is our problem in Canada. And I do think we’ve got a problem.

The symptoms of the problem are easy to spot — low voter turnout, with worryingly low levels among young people with no sign they will start voting once they are over 30, a less than vital Fourth Estate, undermined by an alarming level of concentration of media ownership in very few hands, public apathy, indifference bordering on antipathy toward the whole process, excessive power in the hands of the few (or the one, since I refer to PMO), a loss of respect for the fundamental principle of the supremacy of Parliament, misuse of the talents of Members of Parliament of the large parties as MPs are expected to toe the party line on every issue, big and small, and its flip-side, excessive control by the un-elected top party brass in all three main parties.

Add to this, that the average voter in Canada — if anyone can be called “average” — is incensed by the goings on related to the excessive claims of certain Senators and the outrageous accommodation for Senator Duffy by the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff cutting him a cheque for $90,000 so he could make it seem he had personally paid back what he took through inappropriate means. The fact of a $90,000 cheque from the Prime Minister’s top ranking staff member and closest confidante remains just simply stunning. It was, on its face, illegal. It makes no sense and no sensible explanation has been offered.

So, what could we change to restore the kind of healthy democracy that would re-engage voters, stop the growth in public cynicism and give Canadians a system — and individual politicians –they could believe in?

Here’s a short prescription for what ails our democracy:

1. Get rid of “first past the post” and elect MPs, as is done in most modern democracies, by some form of proportional representation. Make sure every vote counts so voters feel the impact of their vote. Thanks to first past the post, in 2011, a minority of voters elected a majority government. Such “false majorities,” as University of Toronto Prof. Emeritus Peter Russell has dubbed them, have occurred for Liberals as well as Progressive Conservative and now Conservative governments. Such results are only possible due to First past the post.
2. Reduce the powers of the Prime Minister’s Office — regardless of who is the occupant. It is an invention, not mentioned in our Constitution. Its powers and budget are unchecked and unaccountable. It is now at $10 million/year. Cut it in half to $5 million…or cut it more. Its total power in times of majority Parliament is anti-democratic, especially in a situation of a “false majority.” Cut the power of PMO. Restore a healthier Cabinet system of government.
3. Restore a respected, professional civil service. Return to evidence-based decision making. Rebuild the wall between the PMO and the PCO (Privy Council Office). Only under PM Harper have the political operatives in PMO run roughshod over the civil service, contaminating government information with partisan spin. This must be stopped.
4. Pass legislation that deals with concentration of media ownership to encourage the rebirth of local journalism and reduce the powers of a handful of owners (our current legislation dealing with competition in the news media fails to deal with this issue and only addresses issues of the price of media products.)
5. Restore respect for the supremacy of Parliament. Ensure that the control of the public purse is restored to Parliament, where it belongs.
6. Remove the power of leaders of federal parties to sign the nomination forms for their party’s candidates. Allow the caucus members of parties the right to trigger leadership reviews.
7. Senate reform — open conversations and negotiations with provinces. Is abolition possible? Could a council of the federation with more effective representation from municipalities, provinces and territories bring something useful to Parliament?
8. And perhaps most important of all — re-assert the constitutional requirement that MPs are elected to represent their constituents, not to be mere ciphers of the back-room hyper-partisan spin doctors who call the shots.

Bring back Westminster parliamentary democracy. All our rules say we have one; only our political habits tell us we are moving toward an elected dictatorship. This prescription to restore and heal democracy can only be filled when the citizens of Canada demand it.
Canada Day 2013 is a good time to start.

Originally published in the Huffington Post.
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Half of voters don't see Harper Conservatives as an option

Activists, indigenous people plan healing walk in 'sick' tar sands landscape

BC government bodies spent $18.8 million on carbon offset scam in 2012



'No more beards!' Egypt celebrates arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader as army hunts THREE HUNDRED followers of deposed president Morsi
^The military in this instance has acted in defense of democracy. No corrupt political party should be allowed to wield too much power over the people. Political parties are anti-democratic in that they are small groups of organized conspirators who seek to impose their absolute power. Democracy is not about going out to vote for a new dictator every few years, it is a process that is meant to happen all the time. The military and associated security apparatus has a role, it must protect a nation from the corruption of weak "leaders". Take the rise of Hitler as a prime example of how politicians can cause real damage to democratic societies. Hitler was democratically elected but after election he proceeded to dismantle German democracy and violate the human rights of German citizens. The German military should have intervened in the 1930's to protect German democracy. There were plans among the officers to do just that but unfortunately none succeeded. The point is that democracy is not just about elections, it is a process, a state of existence that respects people. My concern is that people from countries without cultural knowledge of what democracy is must have many misconceptions about what it looks like. Even in countries with strong democratic traditions much of the population is unaware of the philosophical origins of the modern world. If you set up a system where a radical segment of the population imposes their agenda on everyone else, that is not democracy. Even if you hold a vote every few years, the winners of the vote still must respect everyone's rights. Democracy is not meant to be about winning power over others, it is about bringing everyone together and finding solutions. I am disgusted that the competing mainstream parties take every opportunity to spout off spin and talking points every time they are granted access to the media. They are all fighting over the opportunity to form a "majority" so they can impose the agendas of their backers. The constant partisan messaging is an exhibition the profound immaturity and ignorance of our politicians. This is in sharp contrast to our brave members of the military who volunteer to risk their lives in service to god and country. I trust our generals more than I do our emperors. Men of honour in the tradition of Roméo Antonius Dallaire and Maximus Decimus Meridius are more trustworthy than most politicians. Just because someone "wins" an "election" it does not mean they are acting democratically or that democracy is healthy and on the right track. Some states have ruling political parties that control the media and arrest dissenters. Some states have ruling corporations and business elites who dominate the political process with money. Just because a vote occurs, it does not necessarily mean that democracy is happening. Democracy is more like a goal on the horizon that we continually chart a course for through reform and reconciliation. Don't get me wrong, we have a lot to be grateful for, our politicians are much better that the thugs of the completely corrupt and evil Chinese Communist party, but there are systemic and cultural issues that need to be resolved if we are to have any hope of dealing with the deteriorating economic and security conditions. We need leaders to put aside themselves, to put aside all sense of self. We must transcend crisis, history, and division to accomplish the preservation of our ideals. Hear me, I am speaking to you. You must make the dream a reality. You, in whatever capacity you serve, must do everything within your power to build our future. You must transcend your"self", and make "us" possible.                       

Obama Poking Holes in America’s Nuclear Umbrella

Why Countries Build Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century

Sequester Effect: Army Undergoing Massive Restructuring, Includes Cutting Brigades

As Britain's military shrinks, US concerns grow

Iran conducts test of new rocket motor with ICBM capability

US quietly invites Iran to talks based on mutual respect

The Expendables: How the Temps Who Power Corporate Giants Are Getting Crushed

Russia deploying new missile defense radar while seeking curbs on U.S. Defenses

SCHNEIDER: Russia’s arms-control violations

Chinese general warns India

China media warns Philippines of 'counterstrike' in South China Sea

Four Chinese ships in disputed waters: Japan

Japan has 'serious concern' about China drilling rig

Chinese military in S.China Sea threatens peace

Both the Philippines and Japan are conducting military drills with the US

Revealed: Iran’s secret nuke deal with China, N. Korea

Missouri vetoes raise questions for Smithfield-China deal

Thousands March For Democracy and Autonomy In Hong Kong

Case of Tang Hui, A Petitioning Chinese Mother, Highlights Labor Camp System

Chinese Police Are Regime’s Violence Machine, Says Official in Viral Video

China’s West Erupts in Violence 2nd Time in 3 Days

New Tunisian protest movement takes cue from Egypt

Blue Helmets hurt in Darfur ambush: top peacekeeper

Social Media in China Is ‘War,’ Says Communist Official

Social Media in China Is ‘War,’ Says Communist Official

" Li gives a sobering response: “Psychological warfare, legal warfare, and public opinion warfare are all important tools for modern warfighting. Doing battle on microblogs is also within the ‘three warfares’ category.” "

" The Chinese Communist Party is known to carry out an intensive and intricate policy of Internet surveillance and censorship; as well as deleting posts, the regime also hires an untold number of online commentators, called the “50 cent party,” (for the amount they’re putatively paid per post) whose job it is to steer public opinion. "

Communist Party members seem to be suffering a mental illness. Why do communist party members insist on trying to impose totalitarianism on the globe? So much effort to load every comment board with communist propaganda all because they are so determined to try and control public opinion, all so they can impose a system of dictatorship that will only lead to more human suffering.

Message to communist party thugs, nothing good will come of being an extremist, nothing good will come of trying to eliminate your "opposition". If you were enlightened you would understand that the members of the community that disagree with you are not your enemy. Constitutionally protected human rights and democratic governance are social innovations that create tremendous value for society. When you abandon totalitarianism you allow intellectuals to contribute to the betterment of us all.

If people like Hitler, Stalin and Mao had not embraced such madness, think of how much better we would all be better off today. What is the point of all this? What do these madmen hope to accomplish? Where do we want to be as a world? I'm willing to bet most of us, down at the peasant level, want to love one another. How can that be accomplished if the communist party policy is to put so many resources into stamping out dissent? Why resist constitutionally protected human rights for all citizens? If you want to serve the people then you must end the violence against the people, and this can only be accomplished if they have human rights protected by the constitution? This is not a "Western idea", its just an idea. An idea can not be assigned an identity. To deny an idea based upon the "identity" of the creator is the definition of insanity.

If you want to serve the people, you must become a better human being.
End political repression now. Tear down this wall.
The cost of lost human potential is the price of political repression.          

Compassion is Sanity.

In China, When Police Brutality Is So Common An Off-Duty Officer Gets A Taste

Edward Snowden-the Spy Who Loved Me


Snowden’s Disclosures Tar US With Beijing’s Brush
Accusations suggest false moral equivalence

I don't like this brave new world any more than you do, but the reality is if America would disarm its Signals Intelligence it would not make a dam difference for your privacy since China would still be running its own versions of "PRISM". This capability is a lot like nuclear weapons, if one party unilaterally disarms it only creates incentive for conflict to occur.
If Edward Snowden really wanted to protect us from an architecture of oppression why would he defect to Communist China? This looks like a carefully orchestrated phy-op.
Why defect to a completely controlled police state so you can lecture the world on police states?
Of course the privacy issues raised by Snowden are fair comment in a democratic society, but this entire scenario looks completely staged.
Signals intelligence, with proper checks and balances, is a tool that could be used for good or evil.
These are strange times, the world needs good people, so do all you can to make it good.
While America badly needs reform, Americans still have a lot of freedom that people in China don't have. It just doesn't seem to promote the cause of freedom for Snowden to become a propaganda instrument of the Chinese regime. The Snowden case looks like a highly successful and well thought out/carefully planned "public opinion warfare" operation.     

Chen Guangcheng says China Pressured NYU to Kick Him Out


Beijing’s Aggressive New Foreign Policy and Implications for the South China Sea

Second Thomas Shoal Likely the Next Flashpoint in the South China Sea

China’s Great Uprooting: Moving 250 Million Into Cities

Syrian civil war 'dress rehearsal' for world war?

Russia says it will fulfill Syria missile system contract

Treason: Obama wants to cut US nuclear weapons by a third


Defense cuts 'hollowing out' European armies: U.S. envoy

Pressure Pays Off: Obama Administration Finally Lets Congress See Secretive TPP Text (But Still Not the Rest of Us)

The surprising answer from Google on its membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Brazil’s Leftist Ruling Party, Born of Protests, Is Perplexed by Revolt

How Harper's Office Is Playing News Editor

A look inside the BC government's PR department

The Name Is ‘Power’ and It Fits

VIEW: Coal, bringing you fish too toxic to eat

Its Top Regulator a Petro Insider, Alberta Faces New Major Spill

The Gender-Bending Chemicals in Our Water

How Liberal Staffers Tried to Skirt FOI Laws

Clark admits mistake as BC government reverses pay increase

Big investors call on retailers to support factory safety pact in Bangladesh

Never Forget June 4 1989

Canadian Government Officials On Chinese Payroll

‪
Officials Hired to work at Communist controlled Mining Company, conflict of interest.
 
Chinagate: Aftermath‬

Court dismisses union challenge of temporary foreign worker permits

Court dismisses union challenge of temporary foreign worker permits 

If there is one thing that this entire incident has proven, it is that Unions are the only political force left that will protect the people. It was the Unions that stood up for us, not business, not government. I was raised to hate unions, anti-union propaganda everywhere, but when the chips fell and everything was on the line the only thing that stood up for us was the Unions. The Unions make every effort to protect our jobs, our communities, to stop unfair trade treaties, to protect workers health and safety, to protect our national sovereignty, to defend the middle class from the 1%. Unions are the reason we have weekends, property, savings, education. Unions prevent slavery and the temporary foreign worker program is the evidence. Unions have proven to be almost as important as the military as a mechanism for national defense. God bless Tommy Douglas and his Big Government National Health Care. God bless Big Government for winning World War II.

Everything political is a matter of organization, just look at how we the people have suffered national humiliation under big business and foreign powers. The answer to this is that we unite and organize into a political entity that sets objectives based on the interests of the people.

Big Government wins wars.

It is the only force capable of this, and we must gain power over it.

God bless the Unions.
God bless the Military.
God bless the Police.
God bless National Health Care.
God bless any Public institution that Defends the People.

We are public citizens, it is our duty to uphold our society.
Trust must be re-build between Government and Citizenry.
Individualism will not save us from this decline, collectivism will.

We must establish a new social contract, one where we take on greater responsibility for society in return for a government that backs us up when we need it too. What we have now is an arrangement where everyone looks out for themselves, big business attacks our countries, while citizens behave with extreme irresponsibility. This does not work. We need to look out for each other, work as a team. Whether you believe in god or not is irrelevant to the fact that Christianity was a code of conduct that provided a cohesive and functional social order. This is now gone and we are seeing the result.

Government should protect our people from both military and economic attacks. Government should protect our people from the conspiracies of the elite. Government should be a part of our family, our community. We should be the government, our interests should be represented in government.
Our government should be concerned with providing us with jobs, affordable housing, and education. Not catering to a foreign elite who stifle citizen opportunity, inflate housing prices, and destroy the cultural cohesiveness and values of our once prosperous communities.  

It is your responsibility to take care of yourself and your community. Eat right, exercise, don't use drugs or alcohol, educate yourself, work hard, pay your taxes, commit everything to building up the society around you. Live below your means and invest the excess wisely. Become a kinder, more patient person and be ethical. When you speak to people, say what you mean, be genuine. The biggest problem the world faces is one of communication, be genuine and don't judge. Have a heart. Commit to being a better person, commit your life and time to achieving a better world around you. Chose your spouse carefully and stick with them. Take care of them and your children for the rest of your life. Stop this endless cycle of broken homes and social problems. Learn to love, then learn to love the whole of society as it where your own family, because it is.

Time is something that people don't understand. That is why lives are wasted. That is why civilizations fall. When people only experience the now they lose context of where they have come from and where they are going. When the links of communication through time have been broken, knowledge and purpose are lost. Do not fall to distraction. Imagine where you will be when you are old and what you have accomplished. Realize that all those short term meaningless distractions did not contribute one bit to you getting to where you want to be. Stop making excuses and do it. Stop complaining about things and change them. Figure out what you want and then get the skills and knowledge required for you to be in a position to contribute to the vision you have.

We need to create of society of no excuses and no judgement, one where we are all focused on solving problems. A society that has a government that cares for the people and a people that cares for the government. A seamless, symbiotic culture of achievement.

Failure is a result of the actions of both the citizen and the administrator, but so is success.

Yes government has failed us in many ways, but don't fall for the anti-government propaganda preached by big business and foreign powers. We need a cultural new deal.              

Bill Gertz On Obama's US Nuclear Force Cuts



China’s nuclear program still shrouded in secrecy

Old School Chinese Espionage Behind Alleged NYU Theft

Ai Weiwei rages against state abuses in song

Syrians reported attacking the Israelis on daily basis along Golan Heights

Israeli air force chief says military needs to be ready for 'surprise war' from Syria

Moscow warns Jerusalem about attacking Syria

Hezbollah forces mass on Israel’s northern border

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister: Iran is Positioning Itself to Become a Nuclear Superpower

The World is Entering a Pre-Collapse State

Immigrants riot in Stockholm

Man dead in suspected London terror attack

Major anti-worker trade legislation appears increasingly likely to clear Congress

Loblaws Only Canadian Firm to Endorse Worker Safety Accord in Bangladesh

Difficult Truths about 'Difficult Oil', Must transition to Nuclear Power

Hundreds of Chinese Nationals To Access Sensitive NASA Facility

Hundreds of Chinese Nationals To Access Sensitive NASA Facility

Chinese Flag Raising By The White House - Red China Flag Over Washington

‪State of the Union -- Betrayal‬

Former NASA Langley Research Center contractor arrested by FBI in Va. on plane bound for China

Obama’s Nuclear Weapons Draw-down Could Run Afoul of the Law

Man accused of espionage worked on deterrence, handed over Nuclear Secrets

“Corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. ... [T]hey are not themselves members of ‘We the People’ by whom and for whom our Constitution was established.”

John Paul Stevens, the retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice who authored the words above as part of his dissenting opinion in the infamous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.

Democracy Is For People Amendment
Constitutional amendment proposal to end unlimited and undisclosed corporate financing of
American elections.

How the Megabanks Just Played the SEC and Shut Out Their Shareholders

Chamber of Commerce = Communist lobby

Chinese military threat rising: report

DoD: U.S. vulnerable to EMP event

National Security Letters Are Unconstitutional, Federal Judge Rules

For America, Decline is a Choice
“In reality, decline is not a foregone conclusion but a deliberate political choice that builds from a failure to define what matters most to the nation.”

Better Colleges Failing to Lure Talented Poor

China admits to locking radar on Japanese destroyer

Chinese Broadcaster Replays Chinese Military Hacking Clip in Documentary

Chinese leader bolsters Russian ties on first foreign trip

Xi tells China’s military to improve ability to ‘win battles’

'The China Dream' = Worlds Nightmare
" In February’s official journal of the Communist Party Central Committee, an article from the People’s Liberation Army’s General Staff stated: [W]hat determines the political and economic pattern of the world . . . ultimately depends on force.”

That proclamation takes Mao Zedong’s approach to domestic governance and extends it to international relations: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”  What we are seeing is the militarization of China’s much-touted “peaceful rise” and the end of Deng Xiaoping’s approach: “Hide your capabilities; bide your time.” "

China, Pakistan reach secret nuclear reactor deal for Pakistan

Chinese Lawyer in Exile Denounces ‘Gangsters’ Back Home
"If we only protect property rights, but not human rights, then in the end even the right to private property will have no protections.”

“Your concern is not only helpful to victims in China, but it’s about us rallying together and safeguarding the values of mankind. When these values are recognized by all, only then is it a society in which everyone can live at ease.”

Jailed Chinese Democracy Activist’s Health Worsening

New Zealander Describes Ordeals in Chinese Prison

China Probes House Churches in Intelligence Sweep

Monk Who Wrote on Self-immolations Detained

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights


92% of Hong Kongers Vote for Return to British Rule

North Korea Threatens Japan with Attack

North Korea threatens nuclear attack on US bases in Asia

Canada Should Take Note of India’s Freeze on All Investment Protection Agreements

“Canada Should Take Good Note of India’s Freeze on All Investment Protection Agreements”

OTTAWA – With ratification of the Canada-China Investment Treaty still pending, the Green Party of Canada underscores India’s decision to move away from bilateral investment protection agreements and their investor/state dispute system.

After facing the threat of international arbitration from foreign companies, India has ordered in January 2013 a freeze of all bilateral investment protection agreements negotiations until a governmental review is carried out and completed. Although news of India's decision has not been mentioned in the Canadian media, the decision is clearly relevant.

“In November 2012, Prime Minister Harper told me in the House of Commons that the Indian Prime Minister was committed to signing a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement with Canada. I think Canada should take good note of India’s freeze on all investment protection agreements,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

“The investor/state dispute system contained in investment agreements allows foreign companies to sue Canada outside of Canadian courts. Special arbitrators would take the decisions; their decision cannot be subject to judicial review. And the arbitrations are to be secret. Even the fact they are happening is to be secret,” said May.

“India is joining nations such as Australia and South Africa in saying ‘no’ to investor/state provisions. It’s time for Canada to also turn the page on this out-of-date and undemocratic international trade model,” said May.

Tightening the grip: muzzling of scientists ramps up in Canada

Elizabeth May

Back in October 2011, I wrote in Island Tides about the muzzling of DFO scientists. The scientist in question, Dr Kristi Miller, had achieved levels of scientific respect as her work on viruses linked to salmon aquaculture operations had been published in the internationally prestigious journal Science. When Science attempted to arrange media interviews with Dr Miller, the Privy Council Office ordered her to refuse.


It seems that the public outcry over that event, and others including ozone scientists at Environment Canada, led the Prime Minister’s Office to decide the contractual arrangements with scientists were too lax. As of February 1 this year, new rules were put in place requiring all scientists working on projects in conjunction with DFO in the Central and Arctic Region to treat all information as proprietary to DFO, and—worse—await departmental approval before submitting research to any scientific journals.


The story was broken by veteran journalist Michael Harris, in the online journal iPolitics. Harris has been one of the few journalists willing to dig into the pervasive repression, slashing of science and rejection of evidence based decision-making in Harper’s Ottawa.


The reaction from DFO was swift. It posted this attack on its website:

‘The iPolitics story by Michael Harris published on February 7th, 2013 is untrue. There have been no changes to the Department’s publication policy.’


Harris recounts that he was stunned. He had verified the change with several scientists, external to DFO. He called Dr Jeff Hutchings at Dalhousie University who re-confirmed the changes. Then Harris received support from an unexpected source—an anonymous DFO scientist posted the email from Michelle Wheatley, the Central and Arctic science director, sent out to detail the new publication policy.


The anonymous scientist wrote, ‘Here is the e-mail I got from my division manager on January 29, 2013: ‘Subject: New Publication Review Committee (PRC) Procedures for C&A Science …’. The email was reproduced in full, and began, ‘This message is regarding the new Publication Review Committee procedures for C&A Science…’


The email noted that the new policy was to take effect on February 1, 2013.
The anonymous scientist concluded: ‘You decide who’s being untruthful.’


A few days after DFO tried to deny that there were any changes, the Vancouver Sun broke the story of a US scientist, doing collaborative work with DFO, who is refusing to sign the new conditions. Calling it a ‘potential muzzle,’ Dr Andreas Muenchow, of the University of Delaware told the Sun, ‘I’m not signing it.’ Muenchow has been working on a project with DFO scientists in the Eastern Arctic since 2003.


In 2003, when the collaborative research project began, there were quite different rules about sharing data: ‘Data and any other project-related information shall be freely available to all Parties to this Agreement and may be used, disseminated or published, at any time.’


Within days of February 1st’s new publication policy, on February 7, came another DFO email to scientists: now they must obtain prior consent before applying for research grants.


You can see where this is going. It is not enough to muzzle scientists like Dr Miller when their research is published. The tightening of control over science must be established far earlier in the process. Stop the research from being submitted to journals. Stop the scientists from collaborating with others. Stop scientists from applying for research grants. Stop science from happening at all.


The elimination of whole branches of scientific work within the federal government, the slashing of governmental funds for science, and now a departmental veto on applying for research grants or submitting results to peer reviewed journals fits in the larger systemic dismantling of any aspect of governmental activities that could throw doubt on the wisdom of pressing for rapid expansion of fossil fuel exploitation.


‘Chilling’ is one word, but it does not seem adequate to this development. This is the 21st Century equivalent of the Dark Ages. This is book burning and superstition run rampant. This is the administration of a steady, slow drip of poison to a weakening democracy.

Canada no longer one of top 10 most developed countries: United Nations

What Really Killed Soviet Union? Oil Shock?

Oil Sands Cleanup Opportunity: Pay As You Go

Ask Your Senators and Representative to Support the Democracy Is For People Constitutional Amendment

"U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) have introduced a powerful constitutional amendment that would prevent corporations from spending to influence elections and would enable to government to regulate campaign spending from individuals."

New ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ Gives Monsanto Power Over US Government
"Monsanto is at war once again against health conscious consumers with the latest ‘Monsanto Protection Act‘, managing to sneak wording into the latest Senate legislation that would give them blanket immunity from any USDA action regarding the potential dangers of their genetically modified creations while under review."

Vaughn Palmer: How did a $6-million loan to two ex-government aides magically vanish?

Six fired, two lawsuits, one dead — but still no answers

Report details misuse of government resources

CBC balked at running taxpayer funded ads promoting (ruling party) BC budget

Government backs down on controversial forestry bill

The Caravan - What Up Steve?

Industrial Apartheid – How to Stop the New World Order Part 2

Wealth, Nations, and the New World Order 

To become wealthy one must consume less than they produce and invest the excess savings wisely. I'm sure we all know people who just can't seem to figure this out. They spend everything they earn as soon as the cash flows in. Some people even go into debt to finance their irresponsible consumption. Debt is only good if it is used as a tool to finance investments that produce a return, and even then caution should be used to keep debt at a manageable level.

The same principles that apply to individuals apply to nations. A nation can not consume more than it produces and expect to remain a wealthy nation. Nations engage in trade with one another just as individuals do. Goods can be exchanged for three things:

Other Goods (I trade my lumber for your smartphone)

Debt (I promise to pay in the future plus interest for your smartphone)

Assets (I sell my business to you for your smartphone)

If a nation is consuming more than it is producing it must pay through the creation of debts or through the sale of assets. No nation can issue debt forever, as eventually the country will not be able to afford the interest payments. No nation can sell assets forever as every nation only has a limited amount of assets. Our capacity to trade is finite, it is limited to our ability to pay. Therefore the strategy of a leader should be to increase the wealth of the nation, by maintaining stewardship over the balance of trade.

A nations consumption should be regulated, that it not exceed a nations production, unless in times of legitimate crises such as war, where the survival of the nation is at stake. The objective of national wealth is met by the maximization of national ownership over advanced productive assets, and the minimization of national obligations to deliver future payment to foreign creditors. In short, it is the responsibility of our representatives in government to increase our ownership of assets and decrease our debts to foreigners.

We are now living in a New World Order. The Globalists have moved our national productive capacities outside of our boarders. Our economy is made in China, and all the wealth generated that once would have gone to balance our books is now in the hands of a racist Totalitarian Regime. Our corporations are no longer national but “multinational”. They have no loyalty to our national objectives. In fact many times the interests of corporations are in direct conflict with our national interest.

When corporations were first permitted to exist, there was effort taken to ensure that they served the public interest. In exchange for limited liability, a protection to limit the liability of investors to what they invested, investors were meant to serve the public interest. It was an exchange, a transaction between the state and the private investor, legal protection for public service.

This is in sharp contrast to the role of corporations in today's society. Today the corporations have concentrated so much wealth, so much power, that it is often the corporations who now regulate the behaviour of the government.

Multinational corporations will act to maximize corporate wealth regardless of the consequences to our national wealth. Therefore we must bring the corporate interest back into line with the national interest through policy and regulatory instruments.

To become capable, one must be engaged in activities that build capability. One must read write and think to become learned. One must exercise to become strong. Those who do not commit to engaging in these activities will not become learned or strong. Capability is a manifestation of the will to become capable.

The same principles that apply to individuals also apply to nations. National Capability is the aggregate capability of the people of the nation. To create national wealth it is not enough to simply balance the dollar value of trade. The steward must also act to ensure that the people of the nation are employed in advanced activities that improve capability. It is not good for any country to be trapped as a resource colony of another.

The service sector alone does not provide sufficient opportunity for a nations people to reach their fullest capability. Furthermore, economies that are now overly dependant on the non-tradable service sector are not producing value added tradable goods. This leaves two options for a nation, run trade deficits, or massively increase exports of raw materials to pay for all the finished products entering the country.

Both options are bad. Trade deficits mean more debt and asset sell offs. Raw resource exports combined with lack of manufacturing capability mean the nation will become dependent on imports of finished goods. Finished goods that will cost more to the nation than was earned through initial export, forcing an increased extraction of the nations resources just to pay the spiraling cost of value added imports.

Industrial Apartheid is a form of Economic Imperialism where one nation monopolizes manufacturing and captures other nations, making them supply raw resources to the aggressor while prying open the captive nations markets to be flooded with manufactured goods of the aggressor nation. The aggressor nation becomes wealthy off of the captured nations and make every effort to make sure that the captured nations do not gain their Industrial Independence. This is done through the corruption of the ruling class in the captured nation using a cut of the loot taken by the aggressor. The New World Order is Industrial Apartheid.

To stop the New World Order and the Globalists we must rise up as the worlds people and assert our Industrial Independence. We must spawn a new political movement that will bring manufacturing capability back under the control of the people. Every nation has a right to produce. No nation, no people should suffer under the chains of eternal debt slavery.

Our future should be one where democracy and human rights are the property of all human beings. Where every local region has the capacity to offer its people opportunity, because the old NWO manufacturing monopolies were broken. Our future is one where the unholy axis between multinational corporations and the communist party of China is broken, and the will of the people is no longer beholden to the dictates of international trade and investment deals crafted and administered in secret.

These are more than words, these are ideas. These are the dreams and the aspirations of the worlds people. No one really wants to kill or die for the corrupt and powerful. No one wants to live in a world where the people are threatened with violence all to maintain the power of a psychopathic minority. No one wants Industrial Apartheid, so now let us unite in our declaration of Industrial Independence.

This endeavour will require us to elect representatives that will operate according to the principals of Industrial Independence and Democratic Sovereignty. Industrial Independence being the notion that every nation has a right to manufacturing capacity, and Democratic Sovereignty being the right of a nations people to decide their own trade and industrial policies regardless of the dictates of the World Trade Organization or any other international trade and investment deal.

The policies to be adopted will vary from nation to nation but the underlying idea will be the same. Nations should produce at least as much as they consume. Nations have a right to have their own manufacturing industries. Nations have a right to produce their own food and set strict food safety regulations. Nations have a right to refuse foreign takeovers of their productive assets. Ultimate authority rests in the hands of the people of the nation through the process of democracy and not in the corporate boardroom. CEOs must balance the needs of the country with the need for efficiency.

Whenever possible the act of consumption should be taxed over the act of production. We want to create an incentive for people to act responsibly. Nations should have the right to set tariffs, impose non-tariff barriers and even ban imports. Nations should be able to build their grids using components domestically produced or produced in friendly democratic countries. Nations should be able to feed themselves and provide for their defense.

Strategic Industrial policy’s can be crafted by a vetted team of technocratic business strategists, futurists, engineers and scientists whose mandate is to create a long term national strategy to achieve National Capability. A central agency can be created to co-ordinate all branches of government to be in line with the national economic interest. An industry portfolio management division should be created with the mandate of maximizing the number of star and cash cow industries.

We must provide incentives for industries to localize operations. Local start ups should be nurtured in exchange for their long term commitment to localized production, employment and the national interest. Supply chains should be localized. Research and development should at least be 3% of GDP, preferably more.

Education must include courses on how to handle money, business, critical thinking, philosophy, ethics and how to take responsibility for your family and your country. We must commit to building character in our people as they are the strongest tower of our defense.

We should create a National Manufacturing Research and Development Agency whose mandate is to research advanced production techniques to improve the efficiency of our producers. The innovations can be licensed to domestic producers. The objective will be to find advances in areas like new processes, information systems, robotics, advanced materials, energy efficiency, mass customization, waste water management, 3D printing, modularization, continuous flow.

We should consider establishing special economic manufacturing zones in depressed areas with tax advantages and a ready supply of unemployed labour. We should Co-ordinate to activities of our nationally controlled multinationals so they do not cannibalize each others strategic moves.

Core industries must be kept under domestic control including defense, agriculture, energy, health, infrastructure construction, education. The strategic goal of a nation should be to retain National Capability, the ability of a nation to take actions and create its own future free form foreign aggression and manipulation of the democratic process.

Our objectives should include a commitment to keep growth industries in within our jurisdiction, and to not surrender our capacity them to the evils of outsourcing. We invest a lot of resources in developing new projects, only for production of those projects, and thus return on investment, to leave our jurisdiction. This waste must end.

We must put provisions in place to prevent trade deficits from occurring. We must limit foreign ownership of our debts and require retirement plans to invest a percentage in public dept, sweetening the deal by making the required contributions interest tax free.

We should create a national development bank to provide funding for national projects and provide below market rates to patriotic domestic companies acting in the national interest.

Our goal should be to make our nations into leading technological innovators. If all nations are directing resources to this we can tap the human talent pool, and prevent authoritarian regimes from monopolizing technological capability. We should provide organizational assistance to underdeveloped democracies of the world to build relationships with the mutual goal of undermining Industrial Apartheid, and advancing the cause of human rights. We should create an Alliance of Democracies.

Me should maintain focus on the strategic industries of the future, clean energy, next generation information technology, biotechnology, high tech manufacturing, new energy sources, new materials, new energy cars/ transportation methods. We should plan cities to require less transportation infrastructure, mixing living, working, shopping and recreation centers.

Government procurement should be purchased from domestic industries, increasing output, spreading fixed costs over more units and thus lowering cost per unit. We must strategically guard against foreign direct investment by hostile nations.

In order to deal with imbalances there are a number of non-tariff barriers that can be utilized including, import bans, country of origin requirements, protection of sanitary and phytosanitary conditions, product specific quotas, quality condition regulations, packaging and labeling requirements, product standards, trade documents, certificates of origin or certificate of authenticity, health safety regulations, employment laws, import licenses, rules about subsidies or state ownership, rules against export subsidies, minimum import price requirements, import quotas, lengthy customer procedures.

We should regulate the practice of transfer pricing.

Instead of the government going into debt every time they feel they need economic stimulus, government owned limited liability corporations should go into debt and spend on the domestic economy, this way the public has limited liability, debt obligations are compartmentalized and funds are directed in a more targeted manner to undertake specific industrial objectives.

An international media campaign should take the message of Industrial Independence, opportunity, and prosperity directly to the worlds people. Once the electorate is organized and aware the politicians will have a hard time ignoring the will of the people if they want to be elected. No one wants to be a resource colony to a violent totalitarian regime. Preserving our democracy is preserving our prosperity. With every act of oppression directed towards us, the movement will grow.

Money must be taken out of politics. Donations should be limited to citizens only, not organizations, and a limit of some small amount, say $20 max donation per person per year should be put in place. Tax breaks for political donations should be eliminated. Limits should be put on the amount an individual can use of their own money to finance a political campaign. Politicians should not be allowed to hire strategists, communications directors, or campaign managers. This will promote more open dialogue about the issues and remove a lot of spin.

Lobbying should be illegal. If you are a corporation with infinite funds you should not get special access to write the nations laws. Political parties should be less powerful and candidates should not be pressured to vote the same way as their party. The debates should be moderated with clearly set rules stating that the candidates must stick to the issues.

Our political systems must be reformed. As they stand they do not represent the broad will of the people. There are too many barriers to participation, and entire election cycles can pass without any real issues being addressed. People are disengaged because they are sick of this never ending circus. Reforms must be made to ensure we are never led down this path of debt, asset sales and outsourcing ever again. Capitalism in it's current form is at odds with national prosperity.

Our dream is one where people can live and love one another, free from political violence, in functioning democracies that protect the human rights of the people. A world where nations do not consume more than they produce, where industrial production is localized, and the efforts of the worlds nations are focused on innovation funded by localized opportunity centres in every region, fed by the talent and aspirations of the worlds free thinkers.

The way of localized manufacturing is the way we must go for two reasons:

1. Our current trade imbalances are unsustainable both financially and environmentally.

2. If we allow advanced manufacturing production and innovation to be concentrated in the hands of the communist party of China, they will being death and destruction to the worlds people. We must not allow a totalitarian regime who rules by the barrel of the gun to achieve global dominance. The lives of all those who think freely, and the value dialogue brings to society will be lost if power is left to those who have made it their goal to kill everyone who gets in their way of global domination.

Please put away your hatred and realize you are human. Your future is in learning to love those who disagree with you. Your future is in democracy.

Together we will stand for something.
We will make this all mean something.
Together we will end Industrial Apartheid.


Joel McLellan
Pray for us.

Spouses of Canadian Cabinet Ministers hold portfolios of publicly-traded securities

Spouses of ministers hold portfolios of publicly-traded securities

Ottawa Citizen

“The spouses of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and seven other Conservative cabinet ministers are holding portfolios of publicly-traded securities without having to put the assets into blind trusts.

Harper himself lists no stock holdings, suggesting that the couple’s financial investments are made in her name. In August, they took out a joint loan from the Bank of Nova Scotia. Its value or purpose were not publicly disclosed.

Harper’s office refused to say which stocks his wife’s portfolio contains, or whether any of them are among the Alberta energy companies whose future performance could depend on upcoming cabinet decisions about pipeline policy and Chinese investment in the oilsands.”

So politicians get to buy and sell stocks, and make decisions that affect the value of those stalks. Nexen stockholders got a 65% premium on the deal. If the politicians know ahead of time the outcome of company announcements there is really very little risk matched to a very high return.

The conflict of interest is clear. Sell Canada off and make millions as a "commission" on every transaction. We need to regulate this.

It is psychopathic to make money off of handing the world over to a totalitarian dictatorship.

ChineseFirms Bringing Own Workers a Global Pattern: Expert

“But he said usually the countries that allow Chinese firms to import their own labour or other questionable business practices are underdeveloped dictatorships, adding it's "bizarre" Canada has allowed it.

Navarro added the controversial Nexen deal also showcases ineptitude in dealing with China by Canada's leaders.

"I saw a young Trudeau supporting this and, my god, somebody needs to take him over to Africa and watch how the Chinese do business there and see what it's like," he said.
"That man is out of his depth."

The Federal Ministry of Human Resources and Development Canada has not answered three recent requests by the Tyee to clarify how many Chinese miners are already working in Hudson's Hope, B.C., a separate project than the Tumbler Ridge mine.

Meanwhile the federal government has dedicated resources to effectively argue on the side of HD Mining in its court case with two unions trying to keep information about how the miners ended up in Canada confidential, offering a deal to release some of the information as long as it wasn't made public.”

 

HumanRights Day in Beijing Smothered by Police

“Hundreds of Chinese activists were arrested in Beijing on Dec. 10 after they protested against human rights abuses near the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership compound and elsewhere in the capital.”

FIPA puts Canadian Parliament, Courts under Chinese Influence

NAFTA lawsuit should be an eye-opener for Harper

By Elizabeth May

On November 15th, 2012, US-incorporated firm Lone Pine Resources announced its intentions of suing the Government of Canada under the North American Free-Trade Agreement’s infamous Chapter 11.  Over what? Quebec’s decision to impose a moratorium on all oil and gas exploration activities in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

By announcing the moratorium, Quebec not only made the right decision (the GPC is the only federal party calling for a moratorium on any oil and gas exploration and/or development in the Gulf of St. Lawrence), but it set the standard for every other province. The decision was made by elected officials and with overwhelming support in the population. Every Quebecer still had the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in mind. Lone Pine argues the decision was “arbitrary”. I say it was not.

This case should be an eye-opener for Harper’s Conservatives in their zealous promotion of the Canada-China Investment Treaty.Thanks to citizens like you, the Treaty has not yet been ratified. If it were, it would allow Chinese companies (including state-owned enterprises) to sue Canada over decisions that can limit or reduce their expectation of profits. China could claim damages against Canada for decisions at the municipal, provincial, territorial or federal level.  Even decisions of our courts can give rise to damages. 

This is not theoretical. This is happening now with private US corporations. We don’t want to know what would happen if Harper allowed Chinese Communist Party-controlled enterprises this kind of power over our democracy.

I know you already took part in our campaign against the Canada-China Investment Treaty. I invite you to maintain the pressure on Stephen Harper. You can do so by using our new Email Your Friend button on our Action page.

The Net Benefit of Liberty

The economics of foreign policy is the ultimate example of the conflict between static and dynamic efficiency. The choice between maximizing short term gain or creating a world where everyone is better off in the long term.

           Foreign Policy is the engagement of the state with the world beyond it's boarders. It's objective is to maximize public good through the cultivation of a habitable international environment. Security is the basis of a habitable environment.

       There is a net benefit resulting from international security. A peace that is based on the principles of human rights and democracy. Political repression is a cost on human society. It deprives us of innovative and capable people. It creates a climate of fear and a culture of apathy. We as a species must end political violence. Intellectuals must be free to devote their energies, time and talents to solving the problems our species faces. The elimination of repression increases public wealth.

       Our democracy, our rights and freedoms must be preserved. They are the foundation of our security. Without these things, our lives can be taken from us at any time for any reason. Our individual security depends on our collective security. Our collective security depends on our collective liberty. Therefore, the strength of democracy is the foundation of our security. Public welfare is maximized in the long term through the reduction of repression and violence, by means of the guarantees to liberty, provided by democratic values.                

J

Request for Emergency Debate: The Canada-China Investment Treaty

Sign the petition:
http://leadnow.ca/canada-not-for-sale

Chinese companies can NOW sue BC for changing course on Northern Gateway

Stop the Sellout to China - What has Harper Done

What Has Harper Done?

 http://www.greenparty.ca/stop-the-sellout

On September 9^th, Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed an agreement with China, the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement. The agreement was kept from the Canadian public and Parliament until September 26th, 2012, when it was quietly made public by the Harper Conservatives.

Red Carpet for China

So what is the Canada-China investment agreement? Simply put, it is the most significant trade agreement signed by Canada since NAFTA. Only this time our “partner” is the communist government in Beijing, an authoritarian regime with an appalling record on human rights.
We at the Green Party of Canada believe there are many flaws in that agreement. And we think Canadians should know about them:

1. Open bar for Chinese state-owned enterprises

The Canada-China investment agreement means easier takeovers of Canadian assets, especially in the resource sector. In the context of the possible takeover of Nexen by the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), it is crucial that we collectively pause to consider the wisdom of granting Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) such an easy access to our natural resources.

2. Canadian laws vs. Chinese profits

The Canada-China investment agreement would allow Chinese companies (including state-owned enterprises) to sue federal or provincial governments over decisions that can limit their profits. Favorable rulings in favor of Chinese companies mean we collectively have to financially compensate the Chinese investor. It also means Canadian laws can be cancelled.

3. Back room deals

The Canada-China investment agreement would allow Chinese investors to sue Canada outside of Canadian courts. Special arbitrators would take the decisions. These arbitrators, unlike judges, do not have secure tenures or set salaries. Their decision cannot be subject to judicial review.

4. Right to be heard

Only the federal government is allowed to take part in the arbitration process. Provincial governments or Canadian companies, even if their interest are affected, do not gave the right to voice their concerns during the arbitration process.

5. China’s obsession for secrecy

The Canada-China investment agreement allows Chinese lawsuits to be kept secret. At any time, we will not know if we are being sued and who will decide the case. We will not know what our government is saying on our behalf. We will not know if Canada has been ordered to change government decisions. This is a complete U-turn for Canada who has always insisted on complete openness in investor-state arbitration, for example when signing the Canada-US-Mexico free trade deal.

What the Greens have done

The day after the Canada-China investment agreement was made public on September 26^th by the Conservatives, Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May held a press conference to warn Canadians on the dangers of the agreement. The following day, Elizabeth wrote to the Speaker of the House of Commons demanding an emergency debate about the deal. Speaker Andrew Scheer, Conservative MP for for Regina-Qu'Appelle, turned down May’s request.
So far we are the only party raising the issue, demanding debate and alerting Canadians to the threat -- reduced sovereignty, reduced democracy, all for more Chinese ownership of Canada's resources.
We now call on Canadian citizens to also demand a democratic process for Canada’s ratification of FIPA while we still have time.

To take action, spread the word on social media and check the link at the top of this posting.

Rise of Communist China - Why "Its not fine"

Why I think we are absolute idiots if we approve CNOOC take-over of Nexen

By Elizabeth May on 18 September 2012 - 9:35pm

 http://www.greenparty.ca/blogs/7/2012-09-18/why-i-think-we-are-absolute-idiots-if-we-approve-cnooc-take-over-nexen

It is hard to know how else to put it. I don’t want to get anyone freaked out or overly alarmed, but are we paying any attention?
Attention should be paid to the fact that the Prime Minister has signed a deal with President Hu of China that promises investor protection. The text of said deal is not yet before the House of Commons, but everything I read about it (including from business analysts at Heenan Blaikie and Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt) anticipates the deal will include investor-state provisions similar to those in Chapter 11 of NAFTA.
Chapter 11 of NAFTA allows corporations from Mexico or the USA to claim damages against Canada if any level of Canadian government (municipal, provincial or federal) causes them to experience less profits than they had anticipated. Canada has actually repealed a law limiting a toxic gasoline additive when the US-based manufacturer sued under Chapter 11 — and we paid $10 million plus in damages. This outrage only gets more outrageous if the claims for multiple millions in damages come from a non-democratic enormous economy to which we have hitched our wagon as a compliant resource colony.
When will Mr. Harper share the text of this investor agreement with Parliamentarians? When will it be shared with Canadians? It was signed on September 8th when both Harper and Hu were in Russia. It must now be ratified. Assuming all the Conservative MPs who are worried about selling out our country to China do what they always do and submit to the will of the Boss, it will become a trade obligation. China will, if offended by any new health, labour, or environmental law, be able to make a claim for damages. I have already witnessed the chilling effect of Canada knowing a US based corporation can sue under Chapter 11. It was rumoured that former Liberal Health Minister Allan Rock refused to ban cosmetic use of pesticides for fear of Chapter 11 claims by US pesticide manufacturers.
What happens when Canadian laws, passed democratically, are struck down in hotel room arbitrations launched by the Communist Party of China?
I pay attention to things that CNOOC’s CEO says in public. In the August 29, 2012, Wall Street Journal, CNOOC CEO Wang Yilin said, “Large-scale deep-water rigs are our mobile national territory and a strategic weapon.” OK, so the bitumen isn’t mobile – until you mix it with diluents and stick it in a pipeline. But the oil sands do become Chinese territory. What did he mean about “strategic weapon?”
Are there national security implications?
I would love to trust in a national security review under the 2009 amendments to the Investment Canada Act, except that Stephen Harper specifically rejected the advice of the blue ribbon panel (struck after the Minmetal attempt to buy Noranda) that Canada needed a clear, objective definition of “national security.” The experts thought we should have a definition and use it to assess any takeovers of Canadian companies by foreign interests — particularly state-owned enterprises. Our PM rejected the advice. Instead the Canada Gazette for the 2009 amendments says that “national security” cannot be defined. It is, apparently, a fluid term.
Smart people I respect, like Andrew Coyne, say “don’t worry — there’s no national security threat when you cannot take the resource out of the country.” But then I run into stories like this:

Beijing hints at bond attack on Japan

Jin Baisong from the Chinese Academy of International Trade – a branch of the commerce ministry – said China should use its power as Japan’s biggest creditor with $230bn (£141bn) of bonds to “impose sanctions on Japan in the most effective manner” and bring Tokyo’s festering fiscal crisis to a head.

Writing in the Communist Party newspaper China Daily, Mr. Jin called on China to invoke the “security exception” rule under the World Trade Organisation to punish Japan, rejecting arguments that a trade war between the two Pacific giants would be mutually destructive.

Separately, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported that China is drawing up plans to cut off Japan’s supplies of rare earth metals needed for hi-tech industry.

- The Telegraph, September 19, 2012

OK, maybe he’s just threatening to destroy Japan’s economy. Maybe he doesn’t mean it. Maybe the WTO wouldn’t let him do it…. but then there was the Sino-Forest fraud, busted by the Ontario Securities Commission:

OSC puts the spotlight on Sino-Forest gatekeepers

In its allegations Tuesday, the OSC noted that auditors Ernst & Young “were not made aware” of Sino-Forest’s “systemic practice of creating deceitful purchase contracts and sales contracts.” The commission makes no further comment on the audit firm’s work. A spokeswoman for Ernst & Young could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The OSC issued a report in March calling on boards, underwriters, auditors and stock exchanges to improve the practices for listing foreign companies on Canadian stock exchanges, saying there has been a broad lack of “skepticism” about business practices in emerging companies like China.

- Globe and Mail, May 22, 2012

There’s a beautiful term: “broad lack of skepticism.”
It makes me nervous that Chinese companies are merely branches of the Chinese government. The Communist Party hierarchy appoints the boards of directors of CNOOC, Sinopec and Petro-China.
When I read in the business pages that Petro-China wants to bid on construction of the Enbridge pipeline, and read in the same story that Chinese companies are very competitive in their bids because of low labour costs, I picture the labourers who built the national dream of Pierre Berton’s imaginings… with a brutal and nasty history. We have a temporary foreign workers programme. It could happen. And the bitumen going through the proposed pipeline is to go to Chinese supertankers to Chinese refineries.
Losing sovereignty to China makes me nervous. I don’t want to be intolerant. But I want us to trade items made in Canada, by Canadians, to China. I don’t like the idea of China owning Canada. It makes it hard for us to point out to the Chinese government that it must start respecting human rights. We need to be really forceful in advocating for religious and political freedom in China. How do we do that when they have veto power over Canadian laws? And then there are issues of global tensions. Mr. Harper and John Baird are talking tough to Iran. But what about the fact that, while we claim we are exerting sanctions on anyone doing business with Iran, Sinopec, now a major stake-holder in Syncrude, is Iran’s number one customer for oil? Or, that Chinese oil money helps prop up Bashar al-Assad?
So, bottom-line, the Nexen-CNOOC deal doesn’t have me nearly as freaked out as the investor deal Stephen Harper signed in Russia. But when I think about the idea of “net benefit” I just don’t see any answer but “no.”