Your middle-of-the-week shot of espresso ...
Amalgamating North America into a Chinese vassal state one stupid photo op at a time:
Trudeau thanked Biden for "stepping up in such a big way" in tackling
climate change. Trudeau had previously expressed approval over Biden's
day-one decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, something the Trump
administration vehemently opposed, saying the agreement would
"undermine" the US economy, and put the US "at a permanent
disadvantage."
"US leadership has been sorely missed over the past
years, and I have to say, as we're preparing the joint rollout and
communique from this one, it's nice the Americans are not pulling out
all references to climate change and instead adding them in. So we're
really excited to be working with you on that," said Trudeau.
Trudeau's approval of Biden's rejoining of the climate accord came at the
same time as the president's announcement that the Keystone XL
project—which would have created 60,000 well-paying jobs across the United States and Canada—would be cancelled.
If Trump was such a failure, do explain yourself, Justin:
When the Trump administration restricted shipments of N95 masks and ventilators last spring, Canadian officials pushed back and drafted a
list of pressure points Canada could use, even pointing out some U.S.
hospitals depended on Canadian electricity.
An email released to
the House of Commons Health committee shows Canada’s ambassador to the
U.S., Kirsten Hillman, drew up a long list of levers Canada could pull,
including Canadians who work in hospitals in Detroit, medical equipment
suppliers in Canada, and even the electrical supply for northern Maine,
which is dependent on electricity from New Brunswick.
(Sidebar: leave Texas and Sarnia out of this! It's not their fault that an ostensibly First-World country like Canada won't provide for its citizens.)
I'll just leave these right here:
Conservative Shadow Minister for Jobs and Industry Pierre Poilievre
picked apart the Trudeau Liberals' handling of the economy on Tuesday,
providing insight into where Canada's economy ranked during the COVID
crisis.
Poilievre drew comparison to the economic crisis of 2008,
where Poilievre said that Canada "had an unemployment lower than in the
United States" under the Harper Conservative government. "Now," he said
"Canada's jobless rate is a third higher."
"Today, the prime minster has the humiliating job of meeting with the US
president while Canada's unemployment is a third higher than in the
United States, higher than in Germany, Japan, the UK, and all of the G7
countries combined, in fact," said Poilievre.
**
Internal emails disclose federal agencies shipped expired medical
supplies to provinces within days of the pandemic’s outbreak, but
fretted it “undermines our messaging about being able to get what we
need.” Political aides feared angry premiers would pressure cabinet over
failures to stockpile goods: “I don’t think we can hold them back with
the shortage.”
**
Federal agencies were so embarrassed by pandemic mask rationing they
downplayed donations from South Korea, internal emails show. Seoul
diplomats donated 35,000 masks to aged Canadian combat veterans of the
Korean War but were asked to keep it quiet: “We don’t want to have
unnecessary controversy.”
(Sidebar: Korea, kamsahamnida.I'm sorry that Justin can't tell you or your Japanese neighbours apart from his Chinese bosses.)
**
After Taiwan made a huge donation of personal protective equipment – a big contrast to how China is making us pay for it
– many people in Canada, including Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer
and top NDP government leaders in B.C. have thanked Taiwan for helping
Canada in our time of need.
Yet, among those refusing to thank Taiwan is the Liberal government.
**
The Public Health Agency in a January 29 briefing note advised Canadians
traveling in pandemic quarantine zones in China not to wear a mask
despite local mandatory mask orders. Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public
health officer, for weeks told the public masks were pointless and
risky: “You have to be careful you’re not putting your finger in your
eye.”
**
The Public Health Agency in an internal memo recommended nurses wear
aprons due to a shortage of medical gowns. The Agency shipped
date-expired gowns to provinces after failing to stock up: “Health care
workers could consider wearing an apron.”
**
Canada’s federal government failed to organize quickly enough,
failed to set ambitious deadlines, and failed to invest the necessary
billions in Canadian vaccine developers and manufacturers.
Essentially, we counted on the ambition, hard work, brilliance and goodwill of strangers. Now we’re paying the price.
**
Let’s go back to April of 2020. The world is still very much in the
first wave of COVID-19, and governments around the world are scrambling
to find some way to get back to normal. On May 6, the Government of
Canada announces a deal with CanSino, a Chinese company that was
developing what was then one of the world’s most promising vaccine
candidates.
The arrangement was that Canada would conduct human
trials for the CanSino vaccine and then, once it was approved, we’d
manufacture it within our own borders.
But there’s just one problem. When CanSino tried to send Canada its first shipments of the vaccine, it was arbitrarily blocked at the border by Chinese authorities. Why? Probably retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou for extradition to the United States.
As a result it wasn’t until Aug. 5
that Canada could finally announce a contract with Pfizer and Moderna,
makers of the two most widely used vaccines. The Canadian government has
weirdly refused to publicize their contracts with these companies, but
what’s emerging is that we are definitely not at the front of the line
for these shots.
But wait, there’s more. Evidence
is continuing to emerge that Ottawa repeatedly turned down domestic
offers for vaccine production. PnuVax approached the federal government
in mid-2020, promising that they could be cranking 1 million doses out
of their Montreal facility by December. The feds ignored them, and decided to instead centre all of Canada’s vaccine production at an under-construction government facility that won’t be completed until next year.
Gee, Trump sure is STOOOOOPID!
But this is not the only thing Justin and his merry band of morons have messed up.
They make the electorate proud with their incompetence, greed and mismanagement.
Not to forget immense moral failings:
A $216,000-a year federal corporate ethics ombudsman last night said two
years after her appointment her office has yet to answer any complaint
or conduct any investigation. Ombudsman Sheri Meyerhoffer in testimony
before a Commons subcommittee appeared confused by questions: “Did you
not hear the question?”
**
Canadian taxpayers will be covering the costs associated with mandatory quarantine for refugees, CTV News reports.
Under
new travel rules instituted by the Canadian government, all new
arrivals in the country must quarantine in hotels near airports for
three days before they can go to wherever they are planning on staying.
The
measure has been controversial for a number of reasons, with some
critics comparing the restrictions to arbitrary detention, as those who
arrive in the country are forcefully detained without being charged with
a crime.
The measure also attained controversy due to the
government's refusal to cover the cost of setting up travelers in
hotels. Under the regulations, travelers arriving in Canada are required
to pay out-of-pocket for their forced hotel stay. The measures apply to
both Canadians and foreigners.
**
Taxpayers need to brace for impact as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gets ready to hammer Canadians with his second carbon tax.
Trudeau
announced that he’s increasing the current carbon tax from $30 per
tonne to $170 per tonne by 2030. That’s a 467% increase.
But he’s not stopping there.
One week before Christmas,
Trudeau stuffed his plans for a second carbon tax within so-called clean
fuel regulations. The regulations will require producers to reduce the
carbon content of their fuels and if they can’t meet those requirements,
then they’ll have to pay the second carbon tax.
Trudeau’s second carbon tax will make life more expensive for those who can least afford it.
The
second carbon tax is expected to add up to 11 cents per litre to the
price of gasoline. That could cost Canadian families nearly $40 bucks in
carbon taxes every time they fill up their minivan in 2030.
**
Trudeau has made much of his sensitivity on cultural and human rights
issues — it’s part of the Liberal code. Also the prime minister, having
shown no hesitation in pronouncing on the word “genocide” in the
Canadian context, the country’s historical record with Aboriginal
peoples, was facing some challenge as to why he would not pronounce on a
present-day persecution — some say involving a million members of a
minority — by a Communist-ruled country.
The backbencher vote
gave some cover to the Liberals’ — shall we call it ambiguity — on a
pure human rights issue. The backbencher vote also gave them cover for
the next election campaign, whenever it comes. The Liberals will be free
to claim, and they will, that “We allowed the vote, and most of us said
Yes it was a genocide, and we told China so.”
But then there’s
this other matter. The cabinet and Mr. Trudeau, even on Zoom, didn’t
show up for the vote at all. I find this quite strange. This was a rare
vote on a most significant issue. I’d go so far as to say it’s the
government’s most significant international moment to date. It wasn’t
some UN speech on general matters, or marking some international “day.”
Real people in their hundreds of thousands are in camps enduring all
kinds of terrible treatment at this very moment, and the Canadian
government was stating what it thinks of the matter.
(Sidebar: because f--- human rights. Canada and its leaders have spoken, after a fashion, on the matter in tones loud and clear and they clearly don't give a damn what China does.)
You voted for it, Canada!
Also - in case you were asking:
Even as Canada’s vaccination campaign finally ramps up, the federal government says it has no intention to set an “official date” for when all pandemic-related restrictions could be lifted.
It was never about keeping anyone safe.
In legal matters, Canada needs some coattails to ride on:
Under the bilateral agreement, which took effect in 2004, Canada and the
U.S. recognize each other as safe places to seek protection.
It means Canada can turn back potential refugees who arrive at land
ports of entry along the Canada-U. S. border on the basis they must
pursue their claims in the U.S., the country where they first arrived.
Canadian
refugee advocates have vigorously fought the asylum agreement, arguing
the U.S. is not always a safe country for people fleeing persecution
.
(Sidebar: it allegedly is now. So, toute suite ...)
**
Canada and Australia will coordinate their respective efforts to force
Big Tech to compensate news outlets for content and take action on
online hate speech, the Prime Minister’s Office said Tuesday.
Rather, Justin has no idea what he is doing but needs Australian cover so that he can quash any criticism about his crappy performance in office.
Also - remember these when one cannot go to the hospital for a non-COVID complaint (of which they are many) or you sit agape at the fact that drunk driver and killer of three children walked away scott-free:
The federal government has reduced the Canada Health Transfer to New Brunswick by approximately $140,000, saying the province has failed in its obligation to fund out-of-hospital abortions.
**
In its full decision, the Parole Board of Canada described the “devastating impact” of drunk driver Marco Muzzo‘s offences on the four victims.
“It
is clear from the victim statements that any contact with you,
unintended or otherwise, would significantly enhance the trauma already
inflicted on them by your criminal behaviour,” noted the decision by
board members.
Muzzo, who killed three children and their grandfather in a September 2015 crash in Vaughan, was granted full parole on Feb. 9.
We actually pay for this:
Canadians listen to commercial AM and FM stations over CBC Radio by more
than two to one, says federal research. A CRTC survey found fewer than a
third of Canadians rate the CBC as important: “I think they are
irrelevant.”
**
Waiting times at Canada Revenue Agency call centres now average almost
half an hour, the worst ever, the Commons human resources committee was
told yesterday. Some callers can wait hours to speak to a live agent:
“It is absolutely true there are some people waiting a very long time.”
Like son, like father. Both @$$holes:
A once-secret U.S. State Department document suggests that former Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau may have asked one of Quebec's top business leaders to "make it
as tough as possible" for the newly elected Parti Québécois government
in 1976 and to quietly move jobs out of the province.
In a telegram dated Dec. 22, 1976 —
little more than a month after René Lévesque's sovereignist Parti
Québécois stunned the rest of Canada by sweeping into power — U.S.
Ambassador Thomas Enders updated the State Department on the debate
behind the scenes within Pierre Trudeau's government. He said Trudeau
might be considering a more aggressive approach to dealing with the
fledgling PQ government.
"Despite
what cabinet ministers say, Trudeau may still be emitting punitive
signals on the Quebec economy," Enders wrote in a telegram that was
classified "secret" and restricted to "exdis" or exclusive distribution.
(Sidebar: Interesting ...)
What a petty little creature.
He also screwed things up for the Canada Caper, too, because, you know, @$$hole.
Also:
President Trump in 2019 sought to open a back channel of communication with top Iranian officials and saw the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September as a potential opportunity to defuse escalating tension with Tehran, but the effort failed.
Two months earlier, however, a different back channel was thriving in New York. Iran’s smooth, English-speaking foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, met with Robert Malley,
who was President Obama’s Middle East adviser, in an apparent bid to
undermine the Trump team and lay the groundwork for post-Trump
relations.
The attempt at counterdiplomacy offers a window into the deep relationships Mr. Zarif
forged with influential U.S. liberals over the past decade. These
relationships blossomed into what high-level national security and
intelligence sources say allowed the Iranian regime to bypass Mr. Trump
and work directly with Obama administration veterans that Tehran hoped would soon return to power in Washington.
What I have to say is racist: 2 + 2 = 4.
I am so sorry:
A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction is a five-stage lesson
plan that prioritizes Black, Latinx, and Multilingual middle school
students and the barriers in education they might face. By that the
group defines it as being “white supremacy culture.”
While the
website acknowledges the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in their
partner acknowledgements section, it was unclear what was meant by
“generous financial support.” Now we know it was the sum of a million
dollar grant. Campus Reform confirmed the Gates Foundation’s donation to the group, via their senior communications officer Josie Duckett McSpadden.
The first of these antiracist lesson plans lists off a monthly exercise for teachers to complete:
- “Engage with the ways that white supremacy culture shows up in math classrooms.”
- “Reflect on your current classroom practices to identify the ways in which they perpetuate white supremacy culture.”
- “Plan to dismantle white supremacy culture by creating a goal that incorporates specific antiracist practices.”
- “Act with accountability by carrying out the plan.”
- “Reflect on the ways in which your practices align with antiracist math education.”
Alongside
that are targeted areas of classroom reflection that attempt to break
down the profession of teaching through what they claim to be a
multicultural lens.
By the fourth
lesson, these manuals dive into what they see as the effects of
systemic racism in the classroom. The authors do that by introducing the
English language and the student’s development in understanding it as a
means in which biases and stereotypes fester.
It's that damn integer crap!
