Monday, June 6, 2011

Looking for Some New Torch Bearers(Where are the new heros)

I watched a new show on Discovery channel(New for Discovery channel) this Sunday night, it was called Whale Wars, I find it amazing that these sea battles and cultural clashes get such little exposure from the main stream media, then I watched CNN overseas business news,.......

Portugal has a new Government but the austerity measures remain in place, as you know Portugal received a bail-out of $110 billion Euros,.....Portugal in order to receive the bail-out has agreed to privatize services and reduce that burden by 3% of GDP within 3 years and also to tax the public by 2% of the gdp more then they are paying now over the same time frame.......Austerity measures, austerity measures, man do I hate that word, it`s like calling a root canal a dental procedure, we know how a root canal feels, austerity measures, such a mellow phrase, why don`t they just call it what it is, were gonna reduce services, break promises and slash pensions and deny new pensions for the next generations.....With Portugal`s unemployment rate at 16% the chances that the new Government fulfills any of those commitments is pie in the sky dreaming, expect even more cuts being unleashed on the masses.......The IMF(International monetary fund) and the woman who reported the story from Portugal stated...."The Portugese Government definitely was on public spending spree".....Yes, they reported that too much Government spending on the public caused their demise, I find that very interesting...

 100,000 people this Sunday protested in Greece in their main square over even more austerity measures, Greece is trying to arrange another bail out, they are asking for $47 billion Euros more, they already received more than that the first time, apparently that money didn`t stick,......Can you imagine, the Greek Government like Portugal was on a "public spending spree" too....But the reports and howls from a down-trodden public blame the Greek Government for squandering and wasting money like it grew on trees, .......Ha, I don`t think I have ever written that phrase before on our site, Mom and Dad always told me that growing up, don`t waste your money it doesn`t grow on trees, ...Where was I....Anyway, the Greeks are ready to explode with anger, maybe even extreme violence.....

So the Greek Government is gonna play hardball, who will blink first, this won`t sit well with those fiery Greeks, but who is right, surely that ancient culture knew how to handle money and budgets, they have an HST in Greece, and Portugal, only they call it a VAT tax, same thing and coincidently their VAT tax started very low,  when the money rolled in the Greek Government spent it and over time they kept raising the VAT until.....Until huge swaths of the economy went underground.....But Greece, they were on top of the world just 7 years ago when they hosted the summer Olympic games.......I`m surprised none of our local media or Michael Campbell/Michael Levy  or any of the other "economists" who discuss how better off we are than Europe or any other jurisdiction in the world haven`t mentioned that.......We were lied too so many times about the Olympic windfall coming our way, there there, don`t worry about the thefts and cost over-runs, don`t fret the taking of your rights, your freedoms, don`t mind BC ceding your freedom and human rights over to the IOC...We were told it will all be worth it, Remember the Montreal Olympic games, they finally paid off their Olympic debt a couple of years ago, ....The Montreal games were in 1976!..What`s 30 years.

Let me remind you of the "Public spending spree" Greek was on....Here`s a little cut n paste..

___________________________________________________________________________________________

They are undoubtedly spectacular, but Greece's determination to stage the Olympic Games has also come at a spectacular cost.
Official government figures show that the initial £3 billion budget has increased by half as much again. But government economists admit in private that the end figure may be nearly £7 billion.
This year alone the amounts have spiralled out of control. "The budget for various Olympic projects this year was 1.4 billion euros [£933 million]" said Petros Doukas, the deputy finance minister, this week, blaming the government's socialist predecessors, voted out of office in March, for the mess.
But Mr Doukas, like everyone else in Greece, is betting on the Olympics paying the country back. "The games are about putting Greece in the mind of the world," he said.
While global attention is guaranteed, many are asking whether it is for the right reasons. After building delays, threats by the International Olympic Committee to withdraw the Games and concern over security measures, the Athens Olympics have received such a worldwide public relations battering that surely only Hitler's Berlin Games have a worse reputation. As a public relations exercise, even the government's Olympic co-ordinator, Fanny Palli-Petralia, admits that the Games so far have been a costly failure.
"We failed to exploit the pre-Olympic period," she admitted, as figures showed that the number of foreigners visiting to Greece has fallen by 12 per cent in the past year.
Commentators agree that in the seven years since Greece won the right to host the Olympics, it has squandered the opportunity to "brand" the country positively.

You can read the whole story here (Courtesy of The Telegraph)

___________________________________________________________________________________________

All those tall tales from the Greek Government about a financial windfall from hosting the games, $ billions on security, an Olympic village fiasco, cost over runs and rampant corruption throughout the Government contracts, $billions and billions seemed too just vanish....The stories of increased tourism, putting Greece on the map, ....Like no one knew where Greece was,......Could the story of Greece be the story of British Columbia, the similarities are scary, ....Have we not been on a "public spending spree"....A $billion dollars for security, in fact we payed a very heavy price for having Stephen Harper agree to pay for most of the security, Gordon Campbell in a panic over the security budget, he and Colin Hansen claimed that.....

"Total security would cost $175 million dollars" 

We were told that lie for a year, and it`s my belief that at that time.....Gordon Campbell in order to secure Harper picked up the bulk of the security cost agreed to sell us out on the HST....That`s why Gordon Campbell was a red mitten giant Canadian flag waving buffoon, Campbell was screaming and shouting look at me, I`m a proud Canadian, you love me, I am Canadian,......

Yes indeed, it all makes sense now, Campbell sold us out because he went on a Greek style "Public spending spree" where shady contracts and criminal wrong doing lurked everywhere, the secret $1 billion dollars over budget Canada line, the $2.4 billion dollar 25 year maintenance contract on the sea to sky highway...Yes we knew that someone was going to pay for the Olympics, now you know who, YOU....All the bonuses, the cushy jobs, the secrets deals, the Millennium athletes village theft, yes it was theft...And were we not promised future prosperity, promised record future tourism, were we not also told that the Olympic games would put BC on the map.

"Public spending spree"....Like $700 million dollars on a ugly retractable roof....

Who will ultimately pay the price, the Greek people, the Portugese, you and me, you bet....Government squanders and spends and fill their own pockets with gold plated indexed pensions with double dipping gravy train jobs for keeping quiet and more...Like breaking the law, ignoring ethics and destroying Democracy....

Yes indeed, I did enjoy watching Whale Wars tonight and the massive protest in Greece that`s on the verge of going violent,....I remember Greenpeace when it was in its infancy, it started right here in British Columbia, without those warriors chasing the whalers nearly 40 years ago there wouldn`t be a whale left alive today...And it still angers me that they are still needed, warriors or terrorists, how many of the early Greenpeace were arrested and ridiculed by the corporate mafia, how many of them DIED for the cause......

British Columbia has always been unique that way, the home of Greenpeace warriors, the home place of a once young vibrant David Suzuki, its unfortunate that David Suzuki surrendered some of his ethics for the sake of money, yes Suzuki cares about the big picture but he also knows where his bread is buttered, what else could explain his silence on Enbridge pipeline and Fish lake, ....I guess a useless carbon tax with associated tax cuts is more important....

I also remember a young cute Tzeporah Berman who ventured into Clayoquot Sound and chained herself too a ancient tree and dared the fallers to cut it down,....Tzeporah has been quiet too, did she not go to Copenhagen  with Campbell to collect an award for the carbon tax, I wonder what Tzeporah Berman And David Suzuki think of BC hospitals and schools being forced by the BC Liberals to give money to Lafarge cement and Encana gas for Co2 emissions, less surgeries, less care, shuttered schools, over crowding nightmare in Surrey and school boards are giving away $millions for offsets, and not just once, this will happen every year,...I wonder what Tzeporah thinks about that, Encana gas made $billions of dollars last year, and the year before that, and before that and on and on.....Meanwhile the Queen Charlotte hospital is using an Atco trailer for a morgue, a greenhouse for therapy and a smokehouse for mixing chemo drugs, or is it the smokehouse for the morgue, it`s all so confusing, meanwhile the Queen Charlotte hospital has to give Encana gas money because they aren`t carbon neutral.....

Carbon neutral, all the efforts to fight global climate change, 2011 was the coldest BC spring in 55 years, our useless carbon tax, cap n trade, all the wasted money on climate summits, the big question is, have we made any progress or have we only succeeded in ripping off Mom and Pops around the world....Lay a guilt trip on a gullible public and pick their pocket.....The answer is no, world emissions are on the rise and are forecast to continue to rise for the next decade. Meanwhile the little Province of BC that has almost zero manufacturing and is covered in trees is forced by a corrupt Government to pay an extra 5cents a liter on fuels and our hospitals and schools are forced by BC Liberal legislation to give Encana gas money.....All that money for what?..So the BC Government can ship record tonnage of coal into China....The hypocrisy reeks...Only BC Liberals would steal money from students and patients for Encana gas!

The young female page in parliament is a hero, "STOP HARPER"....Yes we had our heros years ago, who will be the next Tzeporah Berman, the next Paul Watson, who will stand up for Democracy, who will stand against Enbridge, against Tsesako mines, where have all the heros gone, ....I`m reminded of an old commercial

"I shoot the puck in the net".....Rocket Richard, that`s what he did, not complicated, was he a hero, no he was a hockey player.....I wonder who the next hero will be and when will they show up....

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts...........And the curse of the Olympics....Make sure to read all  three pages of that last link, the good stuff is on page 3


VOTE YES TO KILL THE HST


The Straight Goods

Cheers Eyes Wide Open

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

What are you doing up at this time of nite, couldn't sleep?

I was just going to go to bed but now I have to read your post first!!!

ZZZZZZZZ! Half asleep as I sit here...

Don't work so hard and go back to bed!

Have a good day, sun is gonna shine...

Gary E said...

Grant

The situation in Greece can only get worse, as it will in BC and Ontario as well as the Maritimes. There is a point in taxation in which the people get fed up with all the monies going out and no benefits coming in (except to corporations. That point is 20% taxation. Greece is well over 40% and BC is steadily going above 20%. Last I checked we were over 23% and that was about the time they starting ripping us off and handing out even higher corporate welfare. And when the people get fed up they hit the underground economy. (I'm not talking about Marijuana here) I'm talking about trading goods, paying cash, no receipts, trading, claiming less money paid on goods, and NOT PAYING TAXES.
That's what is happening in Greece and beginning to happen in BC and Ontario. Sure, it's been going on in a small scale(as in buying a used car privately) but now it's happening in a big way.
In Greece the people are living in huge homes and driving Limos, while the country is going broke. And the government seems to think that raising taxes, and austerity will fix things. It won't. Things will only get worse and the country will go under. There will be no more bailouts.
I have already seen the increase in this underground economy in BC and it is rising very fast. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on. Corporations are taking our money and when they have it all they will run. The bleeding has started in a big way and Clarks band aides won't fix anything.
I will be doing more on this on my blog next week as soon as I fix some problems here.

VOTE YES TO EXTINGUISH THE HST

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately both the NDP and the Lib scum have yet to understand that there is no such thing as governments borrowing their way into prosperity.
I am concerned that our province is leading the way into adouble dip of worldwide inflation. This is quite unfortunate in that it could all have been prevented. We are broke and it's getting worse every day. Sound fiscal management my ass, Clark!

Anonymous said...

The huge company's hoard all of the money. This stops the flow of cash around the globe. So, then we have a recession. Same with gasoline, the big gas corporations, hoard the gas, to drive the price up.

Gas and oil corporations, thrive on wars. There is always a war somewhere. And, now Canada is a war mongering country too. The more wars there are, the better the petroleum outfits like it.

It is the giant corporations, that will run the N.W.O. They are always to blame for recessions and price gouging. Get rid of the huge greedy outfits and everything will get much better. The economy will thrive, instead of the wealthy corporations.

Like Hitler blamed the Jews, for their failing economy. I blame the giant corporations. They are also to blame for the HST. They all lined up at the trough and squealed for that too. Every time there is a recession, the huge corporations are behind them. Recessions don't just happen, they are caused.

Wikileaks has said, the N.A.U. is on the way. That has been Harper's evil agenda, all along.

The HST was just another scam, to thieve from the people, to give to big business. Harper, Campbell and Hansen, all colluded on the HST, long before the BC election. We know how corrupt the BC Liberals are. I will be totally shocked, if we win the referendum. The BC Liberals always lie and cheat.

Anonymous said...

Throughout history the greedy class always have some excuse as to why they need many paupers to make due with a little less. Kings and Queens have never had enough wealth or power and eagerly entered into wars to protect what is theirs. Today our capitalist system is giving us the same symptoms. The financiers and captains of industry making millions every year, but that is not enough because they deserve it for being so talented. No one else can do what they do so we must keep on giving more tax breaks and break down more regulations. This time more people are involved in this fevered speculation, namely shareholders. For this collective wealth has made it possible to create monster corporations causing havoc on our environment along the way.

Will we see any fixes? Nope. The whole house of cards will have to collapse first creating mass suffering before we begin to rebuild to something better.

Ego and greed always seems to get in the way of collective good.

Grant G said...

Thanks for that 11:31 am...

Everything you said was true, but time and history don`t always exactly repeat..

The fall of the Roman Empire and others...What would have happened if the Romans had a huge nuclear arsenal?

I`m not sure how the Americans go down without a fight, their debt, it will never be paid and when China finally unloads most of their US held treasuries the US buck will get devalued...

I wonder how a gun toting American public will feel about haqving their standard of living reduced too third world status.

The global economy will soon be the North American prosperity zone and fences and walls in a last ditch effort to save the Americans..

Can you say protectionism on steroids?

Cheers

Anonymous said...

Eventually the twisted propaganda logic of morons like Levy and Michael Campbell had to cave in on itself. These so called economists rag on about a strong economy being the only way to pay for social programs, therefore lower corporate taxes.
What they conveniently ignore is that a strong economy is impossible with no value added industry. Has anyone else noticed how these phony mutts never complain about the wholesale sellout of Canada's raw resources, such as raw crude, logs or power? Pricks.

Anonymous said...

Hi Grant

Their are lots of heroes out there,going about their work quietly, just look at your`e blog roll,fighting injustice and getting the truth out there and nothing is easy , even though we don`t get reconized for it.

You can look at the big picture, plus figure out how it applies locally and read between lines sort out the b.s.

As for whale wars I can`t watch it,it makes my blood boil and is an easy fix if we ever had federal political will and told the Japanese government that any products from their country will carry a 25% import tax until whaling stops, it would only take a couple of countries to get it done. Screw free trade.

As for all the crap that goes on in this province their day is coming their are moments when my head wants to explode and the only thing keeping me sane are my responsibilities in my life and to others.In the mean time I try to stay out of the dark side that dwells inside me .

Keep up the good work for you too are hero to many of us.

Walter v E.

Anonymous said...

I live in the country and went into Prince George yesterday for my weekly shop. I was happy to notice the FightHST posters along the side of the main roads. "Vote yes to extinguish the HST" in blue and white.

I think this advertizing will pay dividends for the anti HST campaign. Instead of throwing millions of dollars at already fat, advertizing companies - the method used will get everyone noticing the message.

I do hope that the government loses out - though we all know that this BC Liberal government cannot be trusted.

If the government declares that the referendum has failed - how do we view the situation ?? Fraud is a given on the part of the government. There is no one to check the number of printed forms against the number of signed fprm - to see if the numbers tally !!!

My opinion (for what it is worth) is that the people of the province should start civil disobediance with a general strike. The government just plain cannot be trusted one iota - with corrupted Craig James at the helm of Elections BC and of course, Christy Clark and the BC Liberal party troupe of Circus Clowns in tow !

What do we want for British Columbia - corruption to run rife or some resemblance of democracy where the needs of the people of the province are catered for ??

My money is for Democracy - not the crime ridden BC Liberal government.

Thank you.

Evil Eye said...

The Roman Empire fell and almost over night, because it could not afford to pay the army to keep it safe. The social structure of the Empire collapsed, with devastating results.

We almost saw this two years ago when the worlds economy collapsed due to fraudulent banking by the worlds great money lenders.

if the USA did not print trillions of almost worthless dollars to prop up the American regime, it would have imploded. The US social structure is an anarchy of almost fascist law kept in check by strict laws.

In Canada we have a strongman rules mentality where the PM or provincial premier rules by decree and is supreme. In BC, the ruling party is above the law and there are few checks.

The next financial bump by corrupt banking and financial practices may bring the whole house of cards down. Then What?

The true nature of our dictatorial governments will surface and the terms freedom and democracy will become Orwellian unwords, erased from the pages of history.

We live in evil times and there is no white knight to save us from the abyss.

Grant G said...

Dr.Evil...I`m glad you are remaining so cheery, perhaps there is a corporate star chamber...

No matter who is elected anywhere, no matter what they campaigned on, once elected they are taken to the Star Chamber and TOLD the CORPORATE LAW of the LAND....There was a new Socialist Government elected yesterday in Peru...

Big business and rigged investors deliberately sold off stocks in an effort too change the already recorded election results..

The ploy won`t work...Hugo Chavez has a new ally in Peru, change is happening in the corporate exploited South America...The people have had enough of corporate rape and pillage.

Dear Walter...Yes you are right, the power of words and insight, just imagine where we would be WITHOUT the internet, without blogs and citizen journalists...

As for me being either, a journalist or hero..

I still struggle with my TO and TOOs and my editing is at times late.

Journalist, no, I`m a story teller and narrator.

As for being a hero....

My blood still flows in my veins, it hasn`t been spilt, yet.

But thanks anyway.

Hugh said...

The Vancouver Sun has an article about the IPP ripoff:

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Clean+Energy+what+needs+renewing/4904532/story.html