"What have you gotten me into now Mommy?" -Jacob on his first ride at K-days

"...forever always seems to be around when things begin but forever never seems to be around when things end" - Ben Harper

I flipped over my calendar today to find a picture of the Saddledome staring back at me...ugh. So I promtly ripped it out. Can't have that on my wall....Jesus.
So here it is August. I have been writing a paper about the Potato famine in Ireland for my history course and cursing the beautiful weather. I only have another 12 days of school..yup, then I'll have another 12 credits for this summer but, it is supposed to be +30 today. How unfair is it that I am stuck at my computer? I went for a walk this morning totally forgetting that there is the mayhem of Heritage Days in 'my' park. I've become accustomed to having Hawrelak all to myself. Frick, it is festical city this weekend (Festical...ahahaha! I'd correct that spelling error, but it has such a nice ring to it). On the LRT last night we were packed in like sardines, what with K-days, Taste of Edmonton, Heritage Days, The Eskimos game...all happening at the same time.

Last night I got a bit sunburned at the football game. It was a glorious evening and I am super excited for the Smos to play BC on Friday. I go on vacation until September so I will not see another home game until the Labour Day classic. Next weekend I will also get to see one of the first games of the NFL pre-season as the Millenuim Falcons take on the Titans in Tokyo. I can't tell you how excited I am for the NFL and NHL. It's a bit sad really.
Alright...enough procrastinating...back to the potato famine.

Song Du Jour: Forever ~ Ben Harper

"El Rotten"

"That must be hard to do on the back of a camel" Dr. Kerr commenting on the pop up book she brought to class for our entertainment

Summer school is keeping me super busy but this week I will be finished writing midterms. Woo hoo! The constant flow of friends visiting is also keeping me busy...and drunk.

Last weekend El Rotten went stomping down the Ave to the good ole Thirsty Turtle. Good times...but I was drinking double vodka's and Red Bull and I must say I was the most alert drunk girl ever. All I know is when I got home I was soaking wet and the next day(s) I suffered from the worst hangover EVAR!

This weekend I have big plans for Friday night...yes, a council administration committee (CAC) meeting...oooohhhh...ahhhh! Then Saturday night we will be heading out to see the Eskimos play against Hamilton. Good times. Cherie-pie and Stiner are here visiting and Kirny finally got back from his wee Scottish Holiday. He has his man voice on so he must have had a great time. I look forward to hearing about his adventures!! Stiner, my life partner, and I went to see The Interpreter on Monday with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn...its a pretty good movie, I would recommend it... especially if you're into the UN and African Politics.

Only two more weeks of summer school and then I am off on vacation to Kelowna!! School should fly by...I have a wicked history prof, highly recommended by the Indian, Dr. Kerr brought in her Kama Sutra pop-up book today....she had to smuggle it into the country...she keeps me laughing and in a history class at 9 a.m. that really is quite a feat. I'm no Miss Mary Sunshine in the morning.

The Oil play against the Av's on October 5th...who wants to get seats together?
Song Du Jour: Fix You ~ Coldplay

Happy First Birthday Caiden!

Cripes they grow fast! I remember when he was sooo wee...

"Oklahoma!"

What a crazy weekend. My friend LAB is 8 months pregnant with twins and they were evacuated to Georgia because Hurricane Emily was bearing down on the Cayman Islands!
She's a tough lady to withstand the stress of this weekend.

It was also Danny's Birthday this weekend which was super fun. Isn't it amazing that you plan a huge event one night and it never fails that the party the night before is always a 1000 times better? That's pretty much the way it went this weekend. The double kegger (with keg stands and all) out in Stalbert was the exact opposite of a sausage party (I was calling it the taco party). It was *all* ladies until my guy friends showed up. It got pretty emotional towards the end...as all chick parties tend to, and at one point the tears started flowing and all the boys looked a little more uncomfortable.

The partying made up for the bloody ridiculous spectacle that was the Smos football game on Friday night. CRIPES! It was excrutiating to watch. Ricky Ray fumbling, lost his confidence, and seemed reluctant to throw in the second half which makes it awfully hard to mount much of an offense. Why they didn't pull him and put Maas in I'll never understand. Jon Ryan was pretty impressive because his punts were about the only offense Winnipeg could muster. The dirty Sanchez was hurt...and I didn't see Ed Hervey after the half..so he must have been injured.
Mike Maurer cost us big time in this game...He's got some 'splaining to do.

Song Du Jour: One Way or Another ~ Blondie

"When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it" - Sam Spade

I'm taking Film Studies and we have been watching the Maltese Falcon from 1941. The dialogue is fall down funny and has us all laughing at parts that I am sure John Huston put in to add to the drama and not for comic relief. It really shows that a lot has changed since then and how, without context, a movie can really lose a lot of its impact. Also...I really don't understand what women saw in Humphrey Bogart...


Song Du Jour: Kemp - Millencolin

"Sim City at the Dollar Store...."

The Communist party of Canada sent me a response to my inguiry about the source of the allegation they made against NATO....Here it is and it is rather interesting (and long) I plan on looking into it more...it would make a cool history paper topic.
ahhh...the more you know....Tories, Fascists and Hidden Agendas, Oh MY! Isn't history/rhetoric fun?

Dear Heather,

This is a response to an email from you forwarded to us regarding NATO's terror network.

There are numerous references and detailed accounts of the terrorist activities committed under NATO command. Operation Gladio spanned from 1957 through to the 1980s, also known as NATO's "Staying Behind" armies or NATO's secret armies. Revelations to that effect were made in 1990 by former commander in chief of NATO General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley. Below are a selection of three items on this topic. But numerous others can be found by googling "anthony Farrar-Hockley"+Operation Gladio Or "Staying Behind"armies.

We hope this is useful.

Best wishes,

National Office
Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)

=====================

1) NATO’s secret armies linked to terrorism? by Daniele Ganser
ISN Security Watch, 15 December 2004
www.globalresearch.ca 17 December 2004
The URL of this article is: http://globalresearch.ca/articles/GAN412A.html


* Dr Daniele Ganser is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at the ETH in Zurich. For more information on the topic, compare the research of the Center of Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich.

2) Operation Gladio, a document by Statewatch available at:
http://www.thejohnfleming.com/gladio.html

3) "Staying Behind"
NATO's Terror Network

As the 50th anniversary of the end of the war is celebrated, some unpleasant truths will become further buried beneath the myth of the "triumph of freedom and democracy" over fascism. For if fascism itself was the great evil that had to be stopped at any cost, how are we to explain the total failure of the British,
French and American governments to do anything about the war in Spain from 1936 to 1939, when Franco's fascist forces, openly supported with arms and troops by Hitler and Mussolini, destroyed the "democratically elected" republican government? The answer is not hard to find. For Western capitalism the real enemy was not
fascism but the popular revolution inaugurated by the Spanish working class.
Whilst a great many of those actively engaged in the war against Hitler genuinely fought under an anti-fascist banner, whether in the various official armed forces or the guerilla networks, the war was essentially a diversion from the ongoing concern of the European and American elites. German expansion had to be stopped because it challenged the economic and political interests of those elites. Having been defeated, business as usual could be resumed, specifically the business of preventing any internal threat to the ruling classes in the form of popular
revolution.
This may sound far fetched and, if it does, the reason is that following 1945 the so-called Cold War assumed a dominant position. The Soviet threat to Western "freedom" was to provide the necessary external focus whereby post-war governments could re-consolidate their position as part of the European Alliance.
An essential requirement of this consolidation was that the "left" should not come to power in Western Europe as a result of internal developments.
The reversion to business as usual began even before May 1945. Between 1943 and 1947 Britain and America were involved in a war against those who had fought the Nazi occupation in Greece. By 1943 the Greek National Liberation Front (EAM), the main resistance grouping, and its armed wing ELAS were effectively in control of liberated zones in the country. This organization was certainly dominated by communists, but it had wide support from a populace that did not want a return to the pre-war days of monarchy and dictatorship. However, Churchill was determined that the left should not come to power and that monarchy should be reinstated, despite it being clear that this would lead to civil war.
From 1943, the British and Americans began infiltrating special units into Greece specifically in order to prevent a communist/republican government being established. They worked alongside a right wing resistance group known as EDES which
collaborated with the Nazis. As the Germans withdrew from October 1944, EAM controlled 90% of the country. But the British set about establishing an "interim government", in which EAM were given only 1/3 representation and some insignificant ministerial positions. Meanwhile the Greek king (and his fascist-inclined
wife) showed no intention of renouncing any claim to rule. In November 1944 the Allied forces ordered ELAS to disarm. On December 3rd the gloves came off: police fired on a mass demonstration in Athens and fighting broke out between British
troops and ELAS.
Under the "interim government" the army, police and civil service stayed firmly in right wing hands, with former collaborators often allowed to remain in position whilst left wingers were excluded. The British and Americans did everything
they could to support the right wing and ensure its success in elections held in 1946. British interference subsided, but only because the Americans took virtual control of the country from 1947, pumping in massive economic and military aid. The extent of American control was such that the Greek prime minister's documents had to be counter-signed by the American mission in order to become valid. Meanwhile, in the mountains, US "military advisors" supervised campaigns against ELAS, involving mass arrests; court martials; imprisonments and executions. All leftist activity was banned, and activists who were not killed sent into political "re-education" camps or exiled.
This policy kept the Right in power until the 60s, when there was a resurgence of popular dissent and industrial unrest. The response of the establishment was the military coup of April 21, 1967, leading to seven years of right-wing military
dictatorship. This coup was organised by the CIA, and is believed to have involved members of an armed and trained paramilitary unit, run by the CIA from some time in the 50s and only "officially" disbanded in 1988. This long-term operation was codenamed "Operation Sheepskin". It has been suggested that the period immediately prior to the coup they were involved in applying the tactics of "state of emergency creation": black propaganda, terrorist bombings and other provocations to be
blamed on the Left.
The British and Americans learnt much from the Greek experience about effective ways to combat popular anti-capitalist movements and preserve the free market interests of business in their own backyard. This involved bankrolling the right wing parties, particularly the Christian Democrats; smearing Left candidates and other more unpleasant tactics. Whilst the Christian Democrat governments might have been lukewarm about American domination of Europe, they were desperate to prevent the Left coming to power.
"As part of this effort the Americans and British helped recreate the internal security machines of most European countries. The most willing and experienced people they found were ex-Nazis, Fascists and collaborators. Highly-trained and
fervent anti-communists, these were the people who would use the brutality it was necessary to deploy against the Left ... The Americans in effect planted an intelligence network into the heart of the European countries to ensure the "deal" (the anti- Left / pro-American and pro-capitalist deal) was kept. These forces would ensure that attempts to renege on the deal would be militarily challenged". (Open Eye)
In fact the Greek based "Operation Sheepskin" mentioned in relation to the 1967 coup was but one part of a European wide "Stay Behind" network, established by the British and Americans. Ostensibly this network existed to provide the nucleus of a
guerilla army to fight on after any Soviet invasion, using arms and explosives which had already been planted. However, the evidence leaves little doubt that this network also had the intention of resisting "internal subversion".
The Stay Behind network was conceived by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and put into operation in 1948 by the National Security Council which set up the Office of Policy Co-ordination to run it, staffed and funded by the CIA. Ultimately, coordination of the network took place under the auspices of NATO. It involved
personnel from the "official" security services in each country and received covert funding from industry and the state. Indeed funding and support of such groups was one of the main tasks of the newly-formed CIA. However, members of the network were mainly recruited from the civilian population, notably "ex-fascists" and
others whose "anti-communist" credentials were unimpeachable, no matter what they'd been up to during the war years.
The existence of the Stay Behind network was not a matter for public knowledge. However, the activities of the Italian branch - codenamed Operation Gladio - was exposed in a series of judicial investigations, particularly between 1990 and 1992.
Operation Gladio was set up in 1958 with help from British Intelligence and the CIA, with funding from the latter. This assistance continued, with Gladio units being trained in Britain in the early 1970s and by US instructors at a military base in the Canary Islands from 1966 to the mid-70s. Gladio was controlled by the Italian secret services from "Office R". It had strong links with P2, a fascist Masonic Lodge composed of most of the top military officers, political leaders, industrialists, bankers and diplomats in Italy. P2 has been described as effectively constituting a right wing parallel government in Italy. In addition, Gladio became a focal point for fascist members of "Marine Star" a veteran's group set up after the
Second World War, and was to make use of other fascist groups in
the 70s and 80s.
From the outset, Gladio's concern was wider than the official anti-Soviet justification. A briefing minute of June 1st, 1959 reveals Gladio's concern with "internal subversion and that it was to play a determining role ... not only in the general policy levels of warfare, but also in the politics of emergency". The "emergency" as far as they were concerned was to come with the growth during the 60s and 70s of the popular anti- capitalist movement, industrial unrest and an apparent shift from centre to left by the ruling Christian Democratic Party.
Those involved in Gladio / P2 began planning a coup 1964, drawing up lists of thousands of politicians, trade unionists and activists to be rounded up. An actual coup attempt was made in 1970 led by the navy commander Prince Valerio Borghese, a
supporter of the main Italian fascist party MSI. The plot came to nothing and Borghese was tried.
In fact Gladio was deeply involved in the so-called "strategy of tension" in the late 60s and 70s. The aim of the strategy, of which the principle tactic was "terrorist outrages" carried out by fascists, was to spread panic and unrest and to directly attack the Left and provoke them into an armed response, which would both justify increased state power under the pretext of a "national emergency" and isolate the Left from popular support. General Gerardo Serravalle, head of "Office R" from 1971-1974, revealed that at a Gladio meeting in 1972 at least half of the upper echelons "had the idea of attacking the communists before an invasion. They were preparing for civil war".
In an early but well known incident, a bomb was exploded in December 1969 in the Banca Nazionale dell' Agricoltura in Milan. Police immediately blamed and arrested anarchists, but the real perpetrators were the fascists Franco Freda and Giovanni Ventura. Ventura was in close contact with Colonel Guido Giannettinni of the SID (part of the secret services), who was a fervent supporter of the MSI. The subsequent trial of the two fascists was obstructed and delayed until 1981, when they were given life sentences, only to be cleared on appeal.
As the fascists embarked on a wave of bombings and shootings, civil rights in Italy began to be severely curtailed, with a 1975 law restricting popular campaigning and radical political discussion. Many people were locked up under "anti-
terrorist" legislation or expelled from the country. As expected, the Left, in the shape of the Red Brigades, resorted to armed struggle to defend themselves against this assault. This simply strengthened Gladio / P2's hand - the Red Brigades were blamed for fascist outrages, systematically infiltrated by the secret services and used to carry out actions which supported the hidden agenda.
The Italian far right claimed responsibility for many of its actions and its members were actively pursued by the Italian police. Some fled to Britain in the aftermath of the August 1980 bomb at the Bologna railway station and were provided with safe- housing by British fascists in the League of St. George.
However, it was the Bologna bomb that led to the unravelling of the link between Italian fascist paramilitaries; P2; the secret services and Gladio. The 1982 testimony of a P2 member in prison in Switzerland, revealed that the outrage was instigated by that organization and involved elements of the secret services. Subsequent investigators revealed that the explosive used probably came from Gladio arsenals.
In effect Gladio had both "official" and "unofficial" wings, with the latter initiating its own "anti-communist" operations but receiving both sanction and funding from the "official" wing. General Pietro Corona head of "Office R" in 1969/70 told a Venice enquiry into a bombing in Peteano that there was an "alternative clandestine network, parallel to Gladio, which knew about the
arms and explosives dumps and had access to them". General Nino Lugarese, head of SIMSI (a branch of the Italian secret service) from 1981-1984, revealed the existence of a "Super Gladio" of 800 members responsible for internal intervention against domestic political targets.
Gladio was "officially disbanded" by the Italian government in December 1990 after the story broke. On January 29th, 1992 it was officially declared to have been a clandestine and illegal "armed band" involved in subversion, by an Italian parliamentary commission on terrorism.
The 1990 revelations in Italy had a wider impact. After all, Gladio was simply the Italian branch of a European wide network. The Belgian, French, Dutch, Greek and German governments all officially acknowledged that they took part in the covert NATO network, with the Belgian prime minister revealing that a Europe wide meeting of the network had been held as recently as October 1990. Of course the respective governments were at pains to deny that the network had been intended for anything other than to enable post-invasion guerilla warfare. Intervention in domestic
politics could only be the work of "uncontrollables" following their own agenda.
The British authorities have refused to comment officially on any similar network in this country. However, General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley revealed in November 1990 that a secret arms network had in fact been set up. In the same article other(anonymous) sources also claimed that the organization had a further aim - "combatting the takeover of civil government by militant left wing groups". Yet is there any evidence of destabilisation activities similar to those carried out on the continent?
During the 70s, the same time as the Italian "strategy of tension" was escalating, elements of the right wing establishment in this country perceived a genuine threat to their vested interests. In the midst of economic collapse trade unions seemed to be unstoppable, indeed the miners had effectively destroyed
the Tory government, and Labour under Wilson came to power in 1974. Edward Heath was seen as having betrayed the Tory party, not just by the upper echelons but by the thousands of ordinary supporters defecting to the far right.
Thanks to the testimony of Colin Wallace, an army officer engaged in black propaganda in Northern Ireland, we now know that elements in the security services (specifically MI5) deliberately set out to destabilise the Wilson government. Moreover, leading figures in the military, industrial and political sphere began to
talk in terms of a state emergency and the desirability or need to establish a civilian volunteer force or patriotic groups to help the "maintenance of public order". Thus in 1972-1973 the Tory MPs Winston Churchill; John Biggs Davison and Patrick Wall were all calling for increased military involvement in the growing industrial conflict and even for the creation of a "special anti-terrorist force and mobile squad of motorised troops to counter the forces of red fascism" (Davison). All three were Monday Club members and on the extreme right of the Tory Party.
At the same time George K. Young, deputy head of MI6 until 1961, was working in conjunction with General George Walker to set up a network "to meet the contingency of a total political break down". This network, called the Unison Committee for Action (Unison), was set up in early 1973 and its existence announced to the press in July 1974. This seems to have dissolved into another organization fronted by Walker, known as Civil Assistance. Ross McWhirter was very involved in Walker's activities, and subsequently went on to play a key role in the National Association for Freedom (or Freedom Association as it is now known). At around the same time (May 1974), SAS founder David Stirling, who described Unison as "apparently highly militaristic and very right wing nature", was proposing a broadly similar
group to be called GB75 and was consulting with contacts in the armed forces, industry and the Tory Party.
Colin Wallace says British Intelligence provided covert assistance to Unison; Civil Assistance and GB75. However, the extent and even existence of such "patriotic groups", other than on paper, is a matter of debate. Wallace and others have
described them as psychological operations. By this we understand that talk of such measures channelled through the media was intended to heighten the sense of social breakdown and of the "red" threat, particularly in 1974.
The full story of such concerns in the British establishment during this period has probably yet to emerge. Whether the use of overtly fascist groups in a "strategy of tension" was contemplated is unknown. But clearly, in a period when the Tory
Party was in disarray, under a "weak" leader; with mass industrial unrest and a so-called socialist party coming to power, the extreme right of the Tory Party, together with elements in industry, the military and the secret services, were looking to a non-parliamentary solution to preserve their interests. In the end, however, the election of Mrs. Thatcher to leadership of the Tory Party and the 1979 election victory ensured the success of their aims, probably beyond their expectations, by a different and "legitimate" route.
The most important lesson to be learnt from the Gladio story; the whole Stay Behind network and the situation in Britain during the 70s is that the right-wing establishment will, quite literally, stop at nothing to prevent a popular anti-capitalist movement (or one perceived as such) displacing it from power. In such a context the establishment will happily make use of fascist groups, whether as unwitting dupes (via the secret services), or as direct allies - after all, if the choice is stark enough, classical fascist ideology has more than enough in common with that of the right-wing establishment.

(Source: Fighting Talk - Issue 11 - May 1995)

"....priceless"

To read the fine print click on the photo to enlarge

"Wheeeeeeeee....."

Things I don't understand Part 44:

1. The curious attraction drunks have to a shopping cart or a paper box.

On Friday and Saturday nights I regularly hear the antics of some crazy bunch of boys convincing chicks (that are going home with them) to climb into a Safeway shopping cart so they can push them down my alley at full sprint. What makes me laugh is that at least once you can hear, "Wheeee, wooo Hooooooo!Crash!! ahahahahahaha!"

See the drunky pushing the cart thinks the pavement in the alley is as even as it is in the safeway parking lot, but it is not, so usually drunky ends up launching his special lady from the cart onto the ground when he hits a particularly rough patch of pavement. Last night was particularly bad because said launched special lady clearly wasn't drunk enough because she wailed and wailed whilst drunky tried to console her with his repeated drunken apologies. I bet he didn't get any last night, poor bastard.

These same hooligans often jubilantly knock over the Sun or Journal Box on their way home. Don't get me wrong, I have been witness to many a Sun Box being launched during drunken funtimes (cough...PJ...cough) so I can't say it comes at any surprise but, now that I listen to it twice a weekend, it has become waaaaayyy less entertaining.
I wonder if the 'Steve Smith cart collector dude' who collects the carts on Saturday and Sunday mornings has "rescue toppled paper boxes" actually outlined in his job description?

Song Du Jour: Collide ~ Howie Day

"A love which dangles free, lets watch it swim against the waters flow, in doubt the courage grows with no guarantee" -Badly Drawn Boy

You know sometimes I wish I could swallow whole doctrines in full and not question at least some of the principles and beliefs contained within them. For instance, last night I was watching a CBC show about Muslim fundamentalists and one gentleman believes Islam is the perfect faith and it struck me that I don't fit into a perfect paradigm.

How easy it would be to swallow whole doctrines complete like that! I don't think anything is perfect...and I hate labels. I can't just be labelled socialist, Catholic, activist, etc. Those labels are just too easy. I like to pull the values and beliefs that resonate with me from different sides of the spectrum. I just don't think it can be as simple as; I am an "insert label here" and I think all the things associated with the beliefs outlined by the dude who set up that particular label.

Then today I found this from Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) and I find that I agree with some of it and totally disagree with other bits (warning: I know it is long but I wanted to copy it in whole):

Statement of Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)on the London Bombings, July 7, 2005 - www.cpcml.ca

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)condemns the wanton acts of violence in London, England today in which, once again, it is the innocent who are injured and killed. What is the reason for targeting innocent civilians on their way to work? Who perpetrates such wanton crimes and whose interests do they serve?

The leaders of the main imperialist countries meeting at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, especially the war criminals George W. Bush and Tony Blair along with all major imperialist media outlets, were quick to blame "Al Qaeda," "Muslim extremists," "sleeper cells" and the like. Bush and Blair pledged to step up their "war on terror." Far from believing these simplistic accounts, CPC(M-L) holds the imperialist states and their agencies responsible.
CPC(M-L) condemns the imperialists and their news agencies for using the occasion to detract attention from the peoples' united opposition to the imperialist agenda and international state terrorism against the peoples of the world.

Such acts of wanton violence are and alway have been the preferred method used by the imperialists to sabotage the peoples' struggles. At a time the peoples are politically expressing their determination to deal with the serious problems which face their societies and the entire world, the imperialists are creating a climate of anarchy and using state terrorism to cover up their refusal to deal with these problems as the peoples are demanding. The first object is to have people draw the conclusion that whosoever is capable of ending this state of anarchy and confusion should be supported. According to this logic, any measure, including the outright massacre of people, is justified.

Another aim is to create an atmosphere in which every uncalled for act of violence, including cold-blooded killings and mass murder, can take place so that people who exercise no control over their lives become indifferent. Another aim is to create a climate in which it is permissible to target entire communities and under certain circumstances incite people to kill one another on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender or ideological differences.

Such methods were developed during the 19th century to sabotage the peoples' struggles, especially in France and Czarist Russia. During the 20th century these methods were perfected in the fight against communism and the national liberation struggles. After the Great October Revolution and prior to the Second World War, they were used by the British, French and others in their attempt to egg on Hitler to attack Soviet Russia. These methods were used by Hitler and Mussolini to set up the communists, people of Jewish origin and oppressed peoples and on this basis justify committing atrocities against them.

In Canada, it is proven that violence targeting the people has the hand of the state and its agencies behind it. So too in Ireland; the battle between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants was the policy of the British imperialists to divert the people and obstruct their unity against British rule and the establishment of a united Ireland under their own rule. In Europe, the political wing of NATO confessed to setting up terrorist groups throughout Europe to carry out bombings, kidnappings and create a general climate of terror against the population. Such events were then used to justify the persecution of progressive forces, as well as the policy of state terror on the part of individual governments and the imperialist powers as a whole. The same is the case in India and all other countries where the state and its agencies act with impunity against the people's forces. The crimes against the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean through the dirty wars, Plan Condor, the blockade against Cuba, etc. are all exercised in the name of high ideals.

This being the case, why do the media and "experts" remain silent about humanity's experience with the use of such methods? Recalling this experience would assist people to shed light on what is taking place at this time. It clearly shows that the people must pay utmost attention to drawing the warranted conclusions. They must provide themselves with a guide to action which consolidates their political unity in action against the growing fascism and danger of imperialist war.

CPC(M-L) calls on the Canadian working class and people and the peoples of all countries to take their own stands and persist in their opposition to the narrow interests of the imperialists for which the peoples are paying a terrible price. CPC(M-L) hails the successful actions carried out in Scotland against the G8 Summit and its nefarious agenda to increase the plunder of the long suffering African continent and divert attention from the deeds of the imperialists and their henchmen in Iraq, Palestine and other countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the fascist measures they are taking in their own countries.

CPC(M-L) also opposes all attempts to divert attention from the serious issues facing humankind. We condemn the hypocrisy of the likes of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Paul Martin and other so-called leaders whose pathetic attempts to promote "pop diplomacy" seek to fool the gullible into believing that their sole aim is to solve the problems of the African peoples for which they and they alone are responsible.

Imperialist Marauders,
Get Out of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean!
Do Not Permit Wanton Killings to Disrupt the People's Political Unity in Action Against Imperialist Plunder and State Terror!

I like the rhetoric of that last bit about "pop diplomacy"...

There are some pretty strong allegations in there too: "the political
wing of NATO confessed to setting up terrorist groups throughout Europe to carry out bombings, kidnappings and create a general climate of terror against the population"

Really? I'd like the source on that. Ummm...I have a question...who the hell makes up the political wing of NATO? Wouldn't that be the member states?? The State itself? It would be impressive if they could actually prove it. Maybe they can. I'll email them to find out and let you know.

I guess what I am trying to say is the more I learn the more I realize life will never be as simple as all the ridiculous labels we've created for ourselves. And here I thought I would one day figure out exactly what label I am. But so far, no such luck.

Song Du Jour: Pissing in the Wind ~ Badly Drawn Boy

"I'm not surprised, we were told it wasn't a matter of if but only a matter of when..." A witness to the bombings in London on the BBC

Wow, Londoners seem to be coping rather well with this attack on their city. It seems like most people on the news simply expected this. Have attacks like these just become part of our lives now?
Wow.

My friend Bryony, who works at the Old Bailey in London, was fine but shaken, she had just come off the Tube at 8:45. She had a long walk home but at least she is okay. Whew!

Song Du Jour: Calling All Angels~ Jane Siberry

"calling all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone
calling all angels
calling all angels
we're cryin' and we're hurtin'
and we're not sure why...

and every day you gaze upon the sunset
with such love and intensity
it's almost...it's almost as if
if you could only crack the code
then you'd finally understand what this all means"

"African countries should no longer go begging to the West" -Muammar Qaddafi

The Economist has an interesting article on one of the topics we have discussed here. The link to the article is in the title (above):

"So documents like the recent report of the Commission for Africa, set up last year by Britain's Tony Blair to 'take a fresh look at Africa' and how to develop it, burst with enthusiasm for the AU and Nepad. In turn, these two bodies have explicitly promised to uphold human rights and democracy, to fight corruption and promote good governance. And both outfits promise to hold their members to account, to prod them to meet these stringent criteria.

The most explicit mechanism for doing so is Nepad's African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The 23 countries who have so far joined this voluntary scheme all offer themselves up for scrutiny by a panel of outside experts. Confidential reports are then handed to the subject governments, and a programme of action for improvements in such things as transparency and democratic accountability is agreed on and made public. At least, that is the plan. Last week, the experts handed their verdicts to the first two guinea pigs, Ghana and Rwanda; final reports and action plans are due out next month.

The implicit deal with rich countries is that if the AU and Nepad can start to enforce western standards of financial transparency and democracy in African countries, then more aid will flow their way to foster the good work."

"And it's a smart way because it's the governments that can alleviate the debts a lot quicker than we can buy, collecting our nickels and dimes."

Randy Winter, one of the older fans in the crowd (At Live 8 in Barrie, Ont.) at 50, said it was refreshing to see a global campaign based on awareness rather than fundraising.

"I think people are probably burned out after Live Aid and Farm Aid and . . . tsunami relief, and this is another way of doing it," he said while relaxing under the shade of a tree.

"And it's a smart way because it's the governments that can alleviate the debts a lot quicker than we can buy, collecting our nickels and dimes."

You rock Randy. See...some people get it.
Oh and the Minister for International Affairs announced there will be no additional aid money this year. I wonder if Paul Martin will make promises he can't keep? This is something that Goodale always hides behind: That Canada can't afford it right now, but we are doing our part and we don't want to make promises we can't keep. They've been promising to contribute more for what...40 years? and now they've found a conscience and they want to stop making promises they can't keep? I think Lester B. Pearson just rolled over in his grave.

If nothing else comes of the G8 meeting I am looking forward to the WTO meeting in China.

Song Du Jour: Mr. Brightside ~ The Killers

"Oh Joanne, there's Dr. Fraser... that Rod Fraser is such a wonderful fellow, he's done so much for the University and you kids..."~Auntie Maris

"Uhhh... I am so glad I decided to wear something under this gown....." My Cousin Danielle noticing the gown only buttons at the top.

"For AIDS in Afghanistan, is it?" - Marty Gradwell

yup..Live 8...It was fricking awesome eh?

So Marty thinks he went to go see a rockin' concert...and that's all he cares about. Good Times. And of course that is who the media shows us: those eejits who have no idea that the continent of Africa is on fire while we stand about admiring the glow.

I have my friends asking me if I think Live 8 will actually help Africa? Did it actually raise awareness to the many Marty's out there who are blissfully ignorant? Yes.

Did Live 8 *directly* effect change in Africa ? No. But that is not what Live 8 was about. Many have said they should have raised money too but Live 8 was a huge publicity rally aimed at applying pressure on the leaders of 8 nations. It's all about earned media. (like a big old tuiton rally) Will it work? Well I'll tell you this....if the G8 summit results in anything less than a bloody miracle there will be a lot of people watching.

Geldolf has managed to get the issues of Debt, trade, and Aids in Africa on the top of the agenda at the G8! That is not an easy feat and I think that is a huge step forward. Leaders won't do a thing if they don't have the will of the people behind them. Now we have to see if the economists will win out...or if these so called leaders can look ahead, be bold, and create a 'marshall plan' for Africa. We need leaders who are ahead of their time...we need new solutions to old problems.I watched some of the coverage and was impressed by the way the event went down in London. With Annie Lennox on message with her song "Why" complete with images of African children with bloated tummies playing on the big screen behind her. Heart wrenching yes....but have we become de-sensitized to these issues? and those images?

Now I await the summit and I hope that we don't get more excuses. I want results.
If you do too then join me and let's Make Poverty History.

Song Du Jour: Waiting for a Miracle ~ Bruce Cockburn

"You pretend you're strong
In the hope that you can be
Like the ones who've cried
Like the ones who've died
Trying to set the angel in us free
While they're waiting for a miracle"

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, center, meets with singers Bob Geldof, left, and U2's Bono in Genoa Italy Saturday July 21, 2001

Their private meeting came as police and protesters again battled in the streets of Genoa, marking a summit that may be remembered most for Friday's police shooting death of a young protester". (AP Photo/Prime Minister's Office, Diana Murphy)