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

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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Half of voters don't see Harper Conservatives as an option

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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

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As Britain's military shrinks, US concerns grow

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US quietly invites Iran to talks based on mutual respect

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New Tunisian protest movement takes cue from Egypt

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China And The Biggest Territory Grab Since World War II

China And The Biggest Territory Grab Since World War II

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For China, hacking may be all about Sun Tzu and World War III

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Chinese think tank warns of military clashes with Japan

China angry and nervous as Japan joins arms with India


After Scarborough, is Ayungin next? Chinese general boasts of takeover

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‪Chinese Kids Brainwashed into Killing Machines‬

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China moves against U.S. pivot to Asia with stepped up military, diplomatic economic ties to Americas

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America and China: The summit

As Beijing becomes more bellicose, Washington clings to the hope that military-to-military relations will somehow relieve tensions. They won't.

The India vs. China Border Standoff: Lessons Learned

With troops and techies, U.S. prepares for cyber warfare

Nuclear Weapons: How Few Is Too Few?

Best Case For Sequester Is Still Disaster, Top Experts Say

Tanks in Beirut as Syria protest leaves one dead

Hezbollah leader says terror org ready to wage war on Israel

As Syrian Fighting Nears Border, Israel Considers Its Options

Mideast War in Our Time?

Russia to keep a dozen ships in Mediterranean to protect its national security

Russia to send nuclear submarines to southern seas

Russia Is Upping The Ante By Sending Its Only Aircraft Carrier To The Mediterranean

Tens of thousands on streets, Turkish PM Erdogan defiant

Fears of "Ottoman revival" explode in Turkey

Egyptian draft law said to dash hopes of free civil society

From Arab Spring to Global Revolution, Age of Upheaval

Obama’s Covert Trade Deal

Unemployed workers march on U.S. Chamber headquarters after 150 mile

President to seek fast track authority to override congress, push through “trade” deals

Motorola's Moto X Phone Will Be Part Assembled in America

Illinois becomes 14th state to back constitutional amendment to allow limits on election

A message From Public Citizen:

" We must be heroes.
Corporate greed has infected every aspect of our lives.


Corporations are taking over our elections.



Emboldened by the Supreme Court’s dumbfounding Citizens United ruling, corporations are buying off politicians left and right. I really don’t know how we can expect democracy to survive if we allow dollars to trump votes.


 

Corporations are taking over the media.

Mainstream newspapers, radio stations and television networks are giving up on investigating corporate wrongdoing and, too often, devolving to be little more than plasterers of pro-corporate propaganda. The infamous billionaire Koch Brothers — who have spent hundreds of millions meddling with elections and who don’t believe in climate science — are now trying to buy venerable papers like the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.



Corporations are taking over national sovereignty.

Not content merely with record profits in the United States, corporations like Apple, Pfizer and Citgroup are offshoring profits to avoid their fair share of taxes while simultaneously backing absurd multinational “trade” pacts that pit countries against each other in a race to the bottom for food and product safety, labor standards, and environmental protections.



And we need to fight back with all the strength and passion we can summon.

This isn’t just about safeguarding consumers from unsafe products or corporate rip-offs.

This isn’t just about advancing progressive ideals like fairness, justice and the American Dream.



This is about standing up — together — to save our country, our fellow citizens spanning the globe, our planet itself from the contagion of corporate power. "

Controversy over temporary foreign miners prompts flood of angry letters

Another pipeline rupture in spill-prone Alberta

Alberta Tory MP Brent Rathgeber quits caucus
``I would submit that if the House does not jealously protect the rights of the members to bring forward matters of concern to their constituents ... the role of the private member, and Parliament and ultimately democracy have all equally been compromised.''

Neoliberal Attacks on the Idea of the Nation State

Human Rights Clause in EU Pact Gives Harper Gov't Pause

Candidates can lie about their finances or omit details thanks to MLAs who nixed penalty

Christy Clark Discloses Zero Assets

Province denies firings aimed to protect BC Liberal donors' profits

NDP tables second wave of legislation to protect lakes and rivers

Canada Defence Minister wants greater military exchange with  China

Raise Oil Sands Tax, Save Alberta (and Our Climate)

Three reasons BC's Northern Gateway rejection is 'good politics'

'What good is it to save the planet if humanity suffers?': Exxon CEO

Obama to Announce Major US Nuclear Force Cuts Soon

 
Obama to Announce Major US Nuclear Force Cuts Soon

Allies Disarm while Axis Powers Prepare for Nuclear War

China claims others territory, plans imperial expansion for living space justified by history and supremacist ideology 


More South Koreans support developing nuclear weapons

Japan must develop nuclear weapons, warns Tokyo governor

Will Riyadh Get the Bomb?

Report: Syria prepared to fire missiles at Tel Aviv

Brinkmanship in Mideast Crisis

Chris Hedges: Mass Movements


Harper government buying ads to promote job grant program that doesn't yet exist

Communist China wins BC election

After all polls predicted a major liberal loss, the Communist backed ruling Liberals win a solid majority victory. The battle over the infamous pipelines advances to the next stage as citizens prepare for a showdown with foreign imperialist forces.

Cyber Threats could overwhelm Canada within two years:  CSIS

Harper assailed for cutting Elections Canada budget despite rampant vote problems

Procedural errors rampant during 2011 federal vote: Elections Canada

BC's Labour Market Weaker than Worst of Recession

The Pipeline Plan that Rattled BC, Explained

Probability of Enbridge oil tanker spill as high as '99.9%': SFU study

Enbridge breaks safety rules at pump stations across Canada

No evidence BC gov't investigated recruiters charging temp foreign miners produced

BC's Fish Farm Falling out, Explained

Drug companies not involved in ministry purge, says minister

Five Reasons to Turf Christy Clark's Liberal Crew


Green party's Elizabeth May on Energy Security


Debate has been about how best to export raw, virtually unprocessed bitumen — as much as possible and as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, the eastern half of Canada depends on imports of foreign oil from Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, and Norway. As Gordon Laxer of the Parkland Institute tried to point out to a Parliamentary committee (before the Conservative chair ordered him to stop talking and stormed out of the room), Canada has no energy security.

I feel some responsibility for this shift in debate, as I was the first political leader to point out that there was something wrong with the picture.

Unlike the US, we have no Strategic Petroleum Reserves. If there was a blockade of foreign oil or an economic embargo, those in Eastern Canada would have to wait for tankers to bring them bitumen for processing through the Panama Canal and up the eastern seaboard. As bizarre as that sounds, it was the solution offered by a Suncor executive when asked in committee about the vulnerability of eastern Canada to embargos.
Oppositional Canada

The irony is that the dividing line of foreign oil to the east and Alberta oil for the west was the result of deliberate government policy—aimed at helping the Alberta oil and gas sector. Back in 1961, the National Oil Policy decreed that eastern Canadians (east of the Ottawa River) would only receive imported oil while those in the West had to purchase Alberta product. By deliberate policy, Eastern Canadians became dependent on foreign oil, while Alberta oil was consumed by those in western provinces and exported to the US. Now it is time to think like a country.
The Solution: Shipping East?

However, the current proposal also makes no sense. Former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna has proposed shipping unprocessed bitumen to St John, New Brunswick, to put it in tankers to export it from there. Others are proposing refining it in New Brunswick.

The first decision point is Enbridge’s application to reverse its Number 9 pipeline. This pipeline was built in the 1970s and had originally flowed west to east. It was reversed in the 1990s as the markets favoured cheaper foreign oil.

Now, Enbridge is applying to reverse it once again, running a different product, dilbit, from west to east. The request to the National Energy Board is being considered in two stand-alone applications; Line 9A (Sarnia to North Westover) and Line 9B to Montreal.

From there the bitumen would likely go south through New England. When I was in Washington DC, I heard from quite a few Congressmen and Senators that they do not want those pipelines over their territory.

Bitumen

The nature of bitumen and diluents in pipelines is a critical issue in why the Green Party oppose pipelines of unprocessed product to either coastline. So, before talking about the direction of pipelines, we need to talk about the product.

Even after the extensive and intensive process of extracting the viscous material known as bitumen from the soil in which it is found (generally about 10% by volume), it is still not processed to even the level of crude oil. Crude oil can flow. Bitumen cannot. It has the consistency of peanut butter, so needs to be mixed with something else to flow. That something else is called ‘diluent’—a mix of undisclosed chemicals. The most commonly used diluent is a natural gas condensate, similar to Naptha. The public does not know the make-up of any particular diluent. Some have more benzene than others—benzene is a well-documented carcinogen.

The resulting so-called dilbit product is about 30% diluents and 70% bitumen. We do know a lot more about dilbit than we used to. And we did a lot of that learning through the 2010 Enbridge dilbit spill in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. We know it both floats and sinks; that it is far harder and far more expensive to clean-up than unprocessed conventional crude. The Kalamazoo spill is still not cleaned up.

Meanwhile a debate rages about whether dilbit is more likely to cause pipeline failure. Cornell University found that between 2007 and 2010 pipelines carrying dilbit had a spill-rate three times higher than pipelines carrying conventional crude. Oil sands products have a higher sulfur and a higher acidic content than conventional crude and those properties could explain its increased corrosive nature.

This finding led to the Department of Natural Resources to commissioning a study by a group called Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (ATIF). That study compared dilbit and conventional crudes and concluded the types of corrosive compounds between the two products were comparable. So we have labwork versus the real life rate of spills in US pipelines. At the moment, despite what Harper’s Cabinet ministers claim, the science on the corrosive nature of dilbit is not settled.

Meanwhile, if local residents along the Number 9 pipeline wish to speak before the NEB hearings, or even submit a letter, they are required to fill out a 10-page form, and are also encouraged to submit references and a resume! This is an NEB effort to meet the new requirements imposed by the horrific overhaul of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act that took place last year in the Omnibus Budget Bill (C-38).

Unlike the previous CEAA, which was premised on a fundamental commitment to rights of public participation, the Harperized CEAA restricts access to only those ‘directly affected’. The NEB has made this restriction even worse by demanding that any citizens who want to make comments, fill out the forms and apply within a two-week period—which will close before this article will be in print.
Refineries In Alberta

So, what should be done? The best environmental, economic and climate outcome would be to slow down the boom-and-bust cycle of constant expansion in the oil sands. What the late Peter Lougheed used to describe as the ‘traffic jam’ of feverish expansion in the oilsands prevents the construction of ancillary infrastructure, like upgraders and refineries.

The hyper-inflationary bubble that sits on northern Alberta is what makes it cheaper for Big Oil to build a $7 billion pipeline to Texas, rather than build facilities in Alberta. Any reasonable carbon plan would set a level of managed growth for oil sands production—say 2 million barrels of oil a day (more than the current 1.7 million barrels, but less than Harper’s goal of 6 million barrels of oil a day). That level of production could cool down the capital and labour markets enough to build upgraders and refineries near the resource. Then, we could be talking about shipping—by pipeline, truck or train—a finished product whose properties are better understood. Shipping a product with a far lower risk of environmental impact in the event of spills.

If we are thinking like a country, we should get Alberta oil to Eastern Canada, but we should not ship bitumen + diluents.

Weaver wins first ever Green seat in BC: Globe

Elizabeth May Tables Bill Targeting Excessive Party Discipline


Conservatives boost resources ad spending to $16.5M, target U.S. audiences

Harper Government Media Monitoring: Opposition Accuses Tories Of Spying On MPs

Effort afoot in court to sue Canadians for illegal downloads

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Pentagon plans to share missile secrets with Russia

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Pentagon Paying Chinese for Satellite Bandwidth

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China Escalating Territorial Disputes with Neighbors

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AFP: China should ‘reconsider’ who owns Okinawa: academics

Medvedev Says Russian Rearmament On Level With WWII

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Russian military again flies strategic bombers near Alaska

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China’s rift with Japan is open challenge to U.S.

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Chinese government has U.S. auto industry in cross hairs

Chinese Hackers Raiding U.S. Military Tech Secrets

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China risks war as it pushes its territorial claims in Asia

Red Lines, Deadlines, and Thinking the Unthinkable: India, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and China | Center for Strategic and International Studies

China's Militant Nationalism

Xi's War Drums

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Chinese Troops Advance 20 Kilometers into Indian Territory

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Chinese troops continue mobilization along N. Korean border

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Sweden's Defense Minister sees shift in Russia's military behavior

Xinjiang Violence Leaves 21 Dead

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In the next 24 hours, a vote in Parliament could stop FIPA

Breaking news from Ottawa:
 In the next 24 hours, a vote in Parliament could stop the secretive and extreme Canada-China investor deal, FIPA, for good.

http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-fipa-vote

If the Canada-China FIPA is ratified, this extreme and secretive deal would pave the way for a massive natural resource buyout, and allow China’s companies to sue Canadian governments in secret tribunals for unlimited damages, restricting Canadians from making democratic decisions about our economy, environment and energy.1

FIPA is the most sweeping trade deal in a generation, and experts thought Prime Minister Harper would sneak it through Parliament without a vote last November.2,3

Nobody expected your campaign to unite Canadians against FIPA. But, together, we put overwhelming pressure on Conservative MPs, divided their caucus, and the government had to shelve the deal while they try to repair the damage.4

Now, the NDP are holding a vote in Parliament that could stop FIPA. There are deep divisions inside the Conservative benches, and if we create a massive public outcry right now we have a chance to stop this terrible trade deal for good.

We only have 24 hours -- tell your MP and all the party leaders to VOTE TO STOP FIPA, then share this with everyone!

http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-fipa-vote

Background
Canadians have a right to determine our future, but this investor deal will undermine our democratic rights and lock us into an inescapable path of foreign-ownership and resource extraction until at least 2040.

In December, Prime Minister Harper approved the takeover of Canadian oil company Nexen by China's state-owned giant, CNOOC. If FIPA passes, companies like CNOOC can take over Canadian resources and then sue Canadian governments in secret, if the government does anything that threatens the company’s profits.

Any Canadian law or government decision – even ones that protect Canada’s environment, create jobs and stop dangerous projects – could be fought in secret tribunals outside of our legal system. Arbitrators unaccountable to the Canadian public would have the power to award billions in damages to foreign corporations if we do anything that hurts corporate profits, like improve environmental standards or slow down the export of cheap, unprocessed resources.1,5,6
We need to act now. Tell your MP and party leaders: VOTE TO STOP the secretive and extreme Canada-China FIPA.

Additional Information
Our government has not been transparent and accountable to the public.
There has been no real debate in Parliament, no binding vote, and no reports on the risks. The government’s talking points about this FIPA have been dismantled for misleading the public by a Canadian international legal expert.7 China is just as important as the US, and there was a whole election fought over NAFTA. If this is such a good deal, why don’t they want us to hear about it?
Investor-state lawsuits undermine our democratic control.

The ability for corporations to sue foreign governments in private courts, called “investor-state arbitration,” is a controversial practice built into many trade deals like NAFTA that has cost Canada millions and over-ruled democratic decisions, but none impose the level of secrecy in the Canada-China FIPA.

These private courts have a track record of systematically ruling against the interests of Canadians.8 Under this system, Canada has already been sued more than any industrialized country in the world.9,10

Right now, an American company called Lone Pine Resources is using a similar measure in NAFTA to sue Canada for $250 million dollars. Why? They are suing because Quebec placed a temporary hold on gas fracking to study the controversial practice’s impacts on health and environment.11
Incredibly, if BC tries to regulate or block Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline, Sinopec, another Chinese state-owned oil company with investments in Canada’s natural resource infrastructure, may be able to sue for damages, and we may never even hear about it the case or the details of the results.5,6

Other countries are moving away from this runaway global system.
Other countries like India, South Africa and Australia are moving away from this kind of trade deal. Last year Australia rejected investor-state arbitration due to concerns that it would “constrain the ability of Australian governments to make laws on social, environmental and economic matters”.12,13

This deal threatens provincial and indigenous rights.
By allowing foreign corporations to sue Canadians governments for decisions made by any government - federal, provincial, or First Nation - this FIPA threatens the constitutional rights of provinces and First Nations.

In the 1990s, many provinces spoke out against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), which had similar investor-state tribunals, joining a global groundswell that stopped the MAI in its tracks.14

The BC Union of Indian Chiefs has written an open letter to Prime Minister Harper condemning the Canada-China FIPA. They begin their letter: "On behalf the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, we are writing to firmly express, advise and direct the Government of Canada to reject the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with China as the Government of Canada has breached its fiduciary duty to consult First Nations on our respective constitutionally-enshrined and judicially-recognized Aboriginal Title, Rights and Treaty Rights."15

The Chiefs of Ontario have also written to both Prime Minister Harper and China's Ambassador to Canada advising that the Canada-China FIPA investment deal violates First Nation Treaty rights and international law, and should be postponed indefinitely, pending nation-to-nation discussions between Canada and First Nations.16,17

Sources:
1. Canada-China Investment Deal Allows for Confidential Lawsuits Against Canada (Toronto Star)
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1264290--canada-china-investment-deal-allows-for-confidential-lawsuits-against-canada

2. Tories quietly table Canada-China investment treaty (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-quietly-table-canada-china-investment-treaty/article4573635/

3. Battle over CNOOC’s proposed Nexen Takeover Heats Up In Ottawa (Financial Post)
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/09/17/battle-over-cnoocs-proposed-nexen-takeover-heats-up-in-ottawa/

4. Opposition, activists in last minute push for more scrutiny of Canada-China treaty (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/opposition-activists-in-last-minute-push-for-more-scrutiny-of-canada-china-treaty/article4762814/

5. Chinese Companies Can Sue BC for Changing Course on Northern Gateway, says Policy Expert
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainability/chinese-companies-can-sue-bc-changing-course-northern-gateway-says-policy-expert

6. Chairman Harper and the Chinese Sell-Out (The Tyee)
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/10/11/Chairman-Harper/print.html

7. Taking apart Tories' Party Line on China-Canada Treaty (The Tyee)
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/11/05/Van-Harten-FIPA/

8. China Investment Treaty: Expert Sounds Alarms in Letter to Harper Toronto-based authority urges PM to halt ratification, laying out numerous 'deep' concerns. The Tyee, October 16, 2012.
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/10/16/China-Investment-Treaty/

9. Canada has the 6th most investor-state cases against it in the world -- 17 cases against it to the end of 2011. UNCTAD publishes its annual review of investor-State dispute settlement cases, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. February 2012.
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/webdiaeia2012d10_en.pdf

10. If you include all notices of claims on the Government of Canada, Canada would have 34 cases against and be second in the world (US would rise to 16 cases). NAFTA - Chapter 11 - Investment. Cases Filed Against the Government of Canada: Notices of Intent Received and Current Arbitration, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/disp-diff/gov.aspx?lang=en&view=d

11. Quebec’s St. Lawrence fracking ban challenged under NAFTA. The Globe and Mail, November 22, 2012.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/quebecs-st-lawrence-fracking-ban-challenged-under-nafta/article5577331/

12. Trading our way to more jobs and prosperity (Government of Australia)
http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/trade/trading-our-way-to-more-jobs-and-prosperity.html#investor-state

13. Multiple Countries Rejecting Investor State Dispute Settlement (Janet M Eaton, PhD)
http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/main-page/multiple-countries-rejecting-investor-state-dispute-settlement

14. Special Committee on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, First Report. Third Session, Thirty-sixth Parliament. December 29, 1998
http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/36thParl/mai/1998/1report/part_iv.htm

15. Open Letter: Canada – China Agreement Abrogates Rights of Indigenous People (Union of BC Indian Chiefs)
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/News_Releases/UBCICNews10311201.html

16. China Canada FIPA - Chiefs of Ontario Letter to PM Harper
http://www.scribd.com/doc/112459570/

17. China Canada FIPA - Chiefs of Ontario Letter to China's Ambassador
http://www.scribd.com/doc/112459565/

Help raise the alarm
Thousands of us are urgently calling on our MPs to vote to stop the Canada-China investor deal and its unprecedented giveaway of natural resources to foreign control - but we urgently need to reach thousands more before the vote on Thursday, and to do that we need your help to spread the word far and wide.

http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-fipa-vote

NAFTA investor lawsuit against shale gas moratorium adds reason to fear FIPA.

RBC and the Harper government's double message on 'guest workers'

Capitalism as usual: Why RBC's outsourcing isn't really a surprise

RBC replaces Canadian staff with foreign workers

RBC takes heat for Ottawa’s flawed outsourcing policy: CD Howe expert

He said RBC executives told managers, “You can only hire a Canadian if you can show that iGATE can’t supply the worker for you.”

RBC outsourcing jobs

Outsourcing bank jobs is common practice, say employees

Labour Shortage in Canada? Evidence Is Skimpy

George Carlin – Business Globalist Elite Don't Care about You

Oil Sands 'Money Left on the Table' and More Myths

Bitumen Bottleneck and Pipelines Fix a Myth: Economist

Decision looms in case of Chinese workers at B.C. coal mine

China’s Military Issues Implied Threat of War Directed at Japan

The global business elite flocked to China's Boao forum last week


Earlier this month China introduced of a more effective weapon system to assert its territorial claims—a cruise ship with thousands of tourists.

A Chinese show of force to remember in the South China Sea

How China enables North Korea’s mischief

China confirms military exercises near N. Korean border

Russian strategic bomber conducts practice strikes on U.S. missile defenses in Asia

ART CASHIN: It's During Times Like These I Think About How World War I Started


A Gang Of Racist Chinese Kicked a Little UYGHUR Boy in the Head, street crowd laughs 


This is what happens when a gang of thugs rules a country, they teach the people to be thugs, and compassion becomes a lost concept. Imagine if a violent totalitarian regime ruled your country for decades, people lived in fear, people accept the violence and oppression of the authorities. After living through the cultural revolution, standards and norms of acceptable behavior must have changed. To us it may seem strange, but to people who grow up under a such a regime, the culture of violence and racism is normal. Many Chinese people accept the Communist party because they believe the Communist party makes their country strong. For them human rights don't matter, they want power, expansion of the empire, they are doing it all for the so called "race". With an ultra nationalist school curriculum, increasing economic and military capabilities and claims to neighboring country's territory, this does not bode well for world peace.

“China dream.”
“renaissance of the Chinese race:”

Centralized Power Key to Realizing Xi’s “China Dream”

'Pipeline Company Bullies'

Apple attacked by Chinese hackers, Mac software tool coming to protect consumers

Chinese State Media Continue Attack on Apple

China exporting massive amounts of Date rape drug

Why'd the Feds Push to Ratify Four Treaties Without Debate?

Tory MPs rebel against Prime Minister's Office control

We asked: Should all MPs have the right to speak their minds in the House?

Another Conservative MP comes to defence of muzzled backbencher

Congressional momentum on SEC political spending

Ecuador auctions off Amazon to Chinese oil firms

Teeing Off at Edge of the Arctic? A Chinese Plan Baffles Iceland

China stepping up drone deployment

China confirms nuclear deal with Pakistan

A Chinese amphibious task force sparks jitters around the region by reaching the southernmost waters of its claimed domain

China and Vietnam row over South China Sea clash

The dangerous drift towards world war in Asia

Putin foe Berezovsky dead, circumstances "unexplained"

New Report Spotlights Trade Rules' Conflict with Sound Financial Regulation

First SOPA then ACTA, now TAFTA- here we go again

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

‪Nazi Germany vs Communist China‬

Chinese rampage in South Korea hotel against Tibetan for Speaking out

‪納粹德國 vs 共產中國 Nazi Germany vs Communist China‬

Recent cyberattacks part of Chinese military strategy started more than 20 years ago
“Unrestricted Warfare,” detailing a concept they describe as “warfare which transcends all boundaries and limits.”

"We believe that some morning people will awake to discover with surprise that quite a few gentle and kind things have begun to have offensive and lethal characteristics."

"Here are some examples (among many) of the sorts of “unrestricted warfare”: resources warfare (grabbing riches by plundering stores of resources); cultural warfare (leading cultural trends along in order to assimilate those with different views); and international law warfare (seizing the earliest opportunity to set up regulations)…."

By the Chinese definition of "Unrestricted Warfare" it's clear they are waging war on us.

China Hacks India’s Defense Ministry
"Thousands of confidential government files were compromised, such as Indian state security intelligence, and information on surface-to-air missile and radar programs from the Defense Research and Development Laboratory."

Strategic commander worried about cyber attacks on nuclear command and control
"Alexander said he is also worried about the commercial electric power and communications grids as a “source of concern” by foreign powers seeking to conduct cyber attacks against U.S. nuclear forces."

Cyber and nuclear attack greater threat than terrorism ever was
"Asked to imagine a worst-case scenario cyber-attack on the US, General Alexander said a software failure across the US could knock out power networks for an extended period throughout the country, and cause more damage and disruption than the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York."

Chaos from the Sky: Why the EMP Threat Is Real

China plans to send a land survey team to disputed Senkaku Islands

Japan eyes defense ties with Southeast Asia amid Chinese Expansionism

Mainland China military buildup targets Taiwan
"For the past few years, the PLA has been conducting military exercises which focus on the scenario of taking an island should possible military conflict occur, the QDR also said."

Chinese Banks Hide Slush Funds for North Korea’s Kim Jong-un
"Dozens of Chinese bank accounts holding hundreds of millions of dollars have been linked with Kim Jong-un, leader of the communist regime in North Korea."

DNI says new N. Korean missile being fielded

Russian government says N. Korean nuclear test used plutonium and was larger than earlier blasts

China's Drone Swarms Rise

Human rights group names almost 20,000 involved in persecuting Falun Gong
"Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It became a target for persecution in 1999, after former regime leader Jiang Zemin became afraid of how attractive the teachings of Falun Gong were to the Chinese people. Jiang Zemin saw Falun Gong as a challenge to the Party’s attempt to control how people in China think. "

Police and Villagers Clash in Guangdong Land Dispute

Iran and Hezbollah 'have built 50,000-strong force to help Syrian regime', Assad reported to be preparing chemical weapons

China's relentless push to reduce US influence in the Asia-Pacific region

 
China's relentless push to reduce US influence in the Asia-Pacific region

Chinese military leaders calls for war-readiness in Parliament

China's biggest problem? Too many men

China's nuclear arsenal 'many times larger'


Russians Conduct Huge Nuke Drill

North Korea ends peace pacts with South, Threatens Pre-emptive Nuclear War

India: ‘Be prepared for irrational nuclear war’ – The New Indian Express

U.S. nuclear commander: Sequester may affect readiness in 6 months

The antiquation of America’s nuclear weapons

LYONS: Obama’s dangerous anti-nuclear obsession

Obama rejected tough options for countering Chinese cyber attacks two years ago

Inside the Ring: Asia pivot threatened

China navy seeks to "wear out" Japanese ships in disputed waters

Iran and North Korea Deal to Work Together Includes Nukes

Chinese Missiles Bound for Terrorists Raise Concerns on China

China exports much stronger than expected, imports weak

 
Obama pushes ahead with export control changes, makes it easier to export sensitive military items to adversaries

The Obama Administration Wants to Sell You a Used Trade Policy

Did Navy make Pearl Harbor mistake again?

Facing the Threat of the Trans-Pacific Treaty

Concerns Grow As Local Police Look More And More Like The Military

Study shows Super PACs made mockery of campaign law

New Treasury Secretary Jack Lew potential Citibank Operative

'Pay-to-Play' Corruption: Chevron, Campaign Contributions and Government Contracts

Police fire teargas on China village after land grab protest

Escape from a Chinese Propaganda Mill!

Canada's Reckless Banks Inflate House Price Bubble

Feds spent $21M of taxpayer money on Economic Action Plan ads in 2011-12: annual report

Oil in Eden: The Battle to Protect Canada's Pacific Coast


Following The 'Foreign Money Trail' on Northern Gateway


Manning to Re-brand Conservatives as Green

Lack of Scientific freedom in Canada

Rule changes threaten Roma refugee claimants, Conservatives discriminate against Roma

News Release — Canada Welcomes Record Number of Immigrants, Visitors and Students from Communist China in 2012

 
How the Communists plan to absorb Canada

Richmond filling schools with brainwashed mainlanders student exchange program, effort to influence perceptions, feelings, place future operatives on path to influence

No room for Vancouver kids in downtown schools

Departments ignore House of Commons committee's request for documents

Job search shows feds want discreet, consensus-seeking PBO to replace Kevin Page

Why won’t Prime Minister Harper remove Arthur Porter from the Privy Council?

Justin understands you want proportional representation, but you don’t get it.

A short video about our first past the post voting system

What will it take to make a Liberal-NDP deal happen?

Probe Details How Clark, Aides Erased Communications Trail

The Elements of BC Liberal Style

Coal Opponents Forging Cross-border Ties

South of Border, Hot Debate Involves BC Coal Port Plans

Mining worries raised amid celebration of Sacred Headwaters deal

Vancouver resource company defends controversial Greek gold mine project

Greenland warns EU may miss out on its mineral wealth

Space mining could eventually surpass Earth mining, conference hears

Falklands votes in sovereignty referendum rejected by Argentina

A decade after US-led invasion, Kurds look to Turkey, the West, mull future without Iraq