1000 women in Bangladesh buried alive. They had been locked into a ramshackle building to ensure they would stay for their full, long work hours to ensure they really earned their $38 a month. And it collapsed. That should not have suprised anybody.
Women have been abused, overworked, underpaid, crippled, killed in clothing factory fires, accidents and collapses for over a century.They don't report that in the news. They'd rather babble trivia about how sorry the buyers are (as if we're supposed to feel sorry for them. And how they are going to fix it all up - which is what they have said in every such disaster for over a hundred years.
Women and men over the past century or so have been abused, crippled, tortured, starved, beaten and murdered in their millions (yes, in fact tens of millions) in mines, oilfields, railway construction... all over the world - and most certainly including in Canada and the US.
The beautifull theory behind it was articulated only in recent decades, notably by President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. It's this.
The very wealthy are not just rich. The are wealth creators. Just as bees make honey for our enjoyment, Mr. Irving, by making himself rich, makes all of us rich. Isn't that nice of him?
But the wealthy have to be free to work their magic. Government restrictions cramp the style of our money bees, and prevent them from doing their good works. ( And government is incompetent and it's too big - just read Brunswick news any day to get the story.)
And unions pose impossible restrictions by demanding frivolous safety conditions, and exorbitant salaries - as if they were CEOs.
That's why big business tries to save us from government by buying it off, God bless them. And free trade helps business escape from fussy government ideas like paying taxes, and pampering workers with health care.
There is not the slightest evidence that any of this works. Without regulation, big business runs as wild as an adolescent moose in mating season. It abuses, impoverishes and kills. It corrupts governments, destroys democracy ( as it has destroyed democracy in New Brunswick); it starves and murders - as in Bangladesh and Haiti and Guatemala and Africa.
The story that the wealthy, by becoming wealthy, spread wealth to others is, or certainly should be, obvious bilge. If it were true, the people of Congo, and Guatemala and Haiti would now be among the richest in the world.
And, since our own wealthy are now making their biggest profits in history, we would now be wallowing in wealth, instead of suffereng the worst economic crisis we have known - all caused by the corrupt and illegal behaviour of our capitalists - corruption and illegality for which not one of them has suffered any penalty worse than a minor fine (that one for laundering tens of millions - at least - for the drug trade and for terrorists.)
The obvious reality is that greed and self-interest do not automatically create a prosperous society. Britain is back in depression conditions. Over half of Greece is unemployed. Spain pretty much closes shop this week as the European banks bleed it dry. There is so much poverty, so much desperate poverty, in the US, that some school districts are closing because they cannot meet their payrolls. There is no accurate figure on unemployment because, as in Canada, the figures are cooked. That kind of poverty has spinoffs in war, civil disorder, destruction of democracy, and even worse exploitation. (Great timing to borrow money for a civic centre).
Cutting our budgets now is the worst possible thing to do. That's been proven. But they're being cut because, in the short term at least, cutting budgets makes the very rich even richer - even as it condemns all the rest of us.
American government scientists have recorded the highest levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere in 3 million years. Our business leaders and their puppet governments refuse to recognize that because they wish to push fuel sales with no concern whatever for the consequences - and they have to do it fast before the disasters become obvious. That's why we're having shale gas rammed down our throats. That's why we'll probably get a pipeline carrying to the world's dirtiest oil. That's why Harper has removed almost all protection from our fresh water streams and lakes. That's why he wants to destroty native peoples. It will service his friends, like our own corporate bosses in NB.
God bless you, Mr. Irving. Wouldn't it be a thrill if we could hear you preach in your own Irving chapel?
I can't imagine what principals of any religion on the face of this earth he would preach from - because I can't see any religious principle in anything he and his friends have ever done. But I guess if you have your own chapel, you can make up your own religion as you go.
This takes us to why I dislike those bland and soggy sermonettes we get on the Faith Page every Saturday, and the endless streams of ladies' teas and church bazaars. And all those Christians whose only interest in religion is getting themselves into heaven : And to hell, literally, with all those who are not as self-absorbed, self-serving and self-righteous as they are.
The problem of the churches is not that attendance is going down. The problem is that those who do attend look at the real world from a sort of stupor - as though it were something entirely separate from their faith.
_______________________________________________________________________________
A reader sent an excellent site for report on what really happens with shale gas. You'll find it in the comments at the foot of the blog for May 11.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Our own bigotries and distortions:
1. Over three hundred times as many women died in a clothing factory in Bangladesh as died in the Boston Marathon bombing.
2. A hundred times as many innocent people died the US directed slaughter of Mayan peoples in Guatemala as died in the World Trade Centre attack.
3. Over 350 times as many innocent people died in the US/British invasion of Iraq as died at the World Trade Centre. (The invasion of Iraq, we now know, was based on a lie. there were no WMDs, and no connection to the Trade Centre.)
In each case, which incident drew the greatest attention from our news media? the greatest sympathy from both Canadians and Americans?
Saddam Hussein of Iran, who certainly was guilty of war crimes, was hanged. George Bush, who was guilty of even more war crimes, now gets up to $400,000 for a speech.
---then there's the big scandal in Afghanistan that Canada is up to its ears in. But that's for another day.....
Women have been abused, overworked, underpaid, crippled, killed in clothing factory fires, accidents and collapses for over a century.They don't report that in the news. They'd rather babble trivia about how sorry the buyers are (as if we're supposed to feel sorry for them. And how they are going to fix it all up - which is what they have said in every such disaster for over a hundred years.
Women and men over the past century or so have been abused, crippled, tortured, starved, beaten and murdered in their millions (yes, in fact tens of millions) in mines, oilfields, railway construction... all over the world - and most certainly including in Canada and the US.
The beautifull theory behind it was articulated only in recent decades, notably by President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. It's this.
The very wealthy are not just rich. The are wealth creators. Just as bees make honey for our enjoyment, Mr. Irving, by making himself rich, makes all of us rich. Isn't that nice of him?
But the wealthy have to be free to work their magic. Government restrictions cramp the style of our money bees, and prevent them from doing their good works. ( And government is incompetent and it's too big - just read Brunswick news any day to get the story.)
And unions pose impossible restrictions by demanding frivolous safety conditions, and exorbitant salaries - as if they were CEOs.
That's why big business tries to save us from government by buying it off, God bless them. And free trade helps business escape from fussy government ideas like paying taxes, and pampering workers with health care.
There is not the slightest evidence that any of this works. Without regulation, big business runs as wild as an adolescent moose in mating season. It abuses, impoverishes and kills. It corrupts governments, destroys democracy ( as it has destroyed democracy in New Brunswick); it starves and murders - as in Bangladesh and Haiti and Guatemala and Africa.
The story that the wealthy, by becoming wealthy, spread wealth to others is, or certainly should be, obvious bilge. If it were true, the people of Congo, and Guatemala and Haiti would now be among the richest in the world.
And, since our own wealthy are now making their biggest profits in history, we would now be wallowing in wealth, instead of suffereng the worst economic crisis we have known - all caused by the corrupt and illegal behaviour of our capitalists - corruption and illegality for which not one of them has suffered any penalty worse than a minor fine (that one for laundering tens of millions - at least - for the drug trade and for terrorists.)
The obvious reality is that greed and self-interest do not automatically create a prosperous society. Britain is back in depression conditions. Over half of Greece is unemployed. Spain pretty much closes shop this week as the European banks bleed it dry. There is so much poverty, so much desperate poverty, in the US, that some school districts are closing because they cannot meet their payrolls. There is no accurate figure on unemployment because, as in Canada, the figures are cooked. That kind of poverty has spinoffs in war, civil disorder, destruction of democracy, and even worse exploitation. (Great timing to borrow money for a civic centre).
Cutting our budgets now is the worst possible thing to do. That's been proven. But they're being cut because, in the short term at least, cutting budgets makes the very rich even richer - even as it condemns all the rest of us.
American government scientists have recorded the highest levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere in 3 million years. Our business leaders and their puppet governments refuse to recognize that because they wish to push fuel sales with no concern whatever for the consequences - and they have to do it fast before the disasters become obvious. That's why we're having shale gas rammed down our throats. That's why we'll probably get a pipeline carrying to the world's dirtiest oil. That's why Harper has removed almost all protection from our fresh water streams and lakes. That's why he wants to destroty native peoples. It will service his friends, like our own corporate bosses in NB.
God bless you, Mr. Irving. Wouldn't it be a thrill if we could hear you preach in your own Irving chapel?
I can't imagine what principals of any religion on the face of this earth he would preach from - because I can't see any religious principle in anything he and his friends have ever done. But I guess if you have your own chapel, you can make up your own religion as you go.
This takes us to why I dislike those bland and soggy sermonettes we get on the Faith Page every Saturday, and the endless streams of ladies' teas and church bazaars. And all those Christians whose only interest in religion is getting themselves into heaven : And to hell, literally, with all those who are not as self-absorbed, self-serving and self-righteous as they are.
The problem of the churches is not that attendance is going down. The problem is that those who do attend look at the real world from a sort of stupor - as though it were something entirely separate from their faith.
_______________________________________________________________________________
A reader sent an excellent site for report on what really happens with shale gas. You'll find it in the comments at the foot of the blog for May 11.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Our own bigotries and distortions:
1. Over three hundred times as many women died in a clothing factory in Bangladesh as died in the Boston Marathon bombing.
2. A hundred times as many innocent people died the US directed slaughter of Mayan peoples in Guatemala as died in the World Trade Centre attack.
3. Over 350 times as many innocent people died in the US/British invasion of Iraq as died at the World Trade Centre. (The invasion of Iraq, we now know, was based on a lie. there were no WMDs, and no connection to the Trade Centre.)
In each case, which incident drew the greatest attention from our news media? the greatest sympathy from both Canadians and Americans?
Saddam Hussein of Iran, who certainly was guilty of war crimes, was hanged. George Bush, who was guilty of even more war crimes, now gets up to $400,000 for a speech.
---then there's the big scandal in Afghanistan that Canada is up to its ears in. But that's for another day.....
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