AIR STRIKE: The Niqab

Here a story that was recently posted on the Canadian Press:

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper has told the C-B-C that a Conservative government would consider banning public servants from wearing the niqab.

Speaking with “Power and Politics” host Rosemary Barton, Harper said the “vast majority of Canadians” understand his government’s decision to try to ban face coverings at citizenship ceremonies.

The Federal Court of Canada found the rule unlawful in February, a ruling since upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal.”

I agree 100% with the Prime Minister.

Smiling women standing together at party

Niqab-group-of-womenI just have a few questions for the left-wingers who defend the niqab (for reasons that I don’t understand). Would the same respect be shown to a woman originally from Canada living in Saudi Arabia working for the government as a public servant, even if she cited the reasons for her wearing a sundress as religious? I guess that’s a stupid question, because women aren’t allowed to work with men in that country. Ignoring that fact, the answer is still no.

Look at the above images.

Which group of women are free? Which group of women could go home, sit on the coach, crack open bottle of wine, eat chips and watch TV all night? Which women believe in Sharia Law and the horrible treatment of women that it justifies?

Liberals need to stick up for liberal values. Enough of the politically correct crap.

Penned by Jack Madelyn.

AIR STRIKE: The Niqab

We’re All Literally Dead In 30 Years Because Of Global Warming

It’s over. I’m sorry, I have to tell you guys that it’s over. We’re completely finished. No where to go. After witnessing the statistics I’ve just seen while on the NASA website, I think I have been converted. I’m going green. With records that span the LONG history of our earth, starting in 1880… It’s difficult to even say, but we’ve warmed up a whopping 0.67° C, or 1.4° F. That’s shocking to say the least. I had no idea that the problem was…………… this bad. I’m sorry……… I-uhhh- I just need a second…..climate

I saved the most shocking graph off the website so you can witness the terrible damage that we’re committing to Mother Earth on a day-to-day basis yourself. I think as a species, being able to live on this planet, not even taking into account plant and animal life, who obviously couldn’t adapt, we maybe have but 30 years. I think at that point, we might have already reached 0.97° C. The devastation….

Penned by Jack Madelyn

We’re All Literally Dead In 30 Years Because Of Global Warming

The Pursuit of Racism: A Useless Inquiry That Already Happened

aboriginal womenThis is particular issues, to me, is extremely important and highlights one of the most fundamental problems in our country.

I am “technically” classified as a First Nations person. I am Metis. While, I don’t have my card just yet, it’s something that I want to obtain in the future. I love my heritage. I cherish it. There’s a piece of me that is tied to this land before any European immigrant even set foot here. That’s something that will never ever be taken away from me. It’s also the reason that this particular issue really bothers me.

The exploitation of victims and their families in this story is not only wrong, it’s abhorrent. It’s irresponsible. It seems like these people pushing for the (useless) National Inquiry are ignoring evidence that has strictly proven that race has nothing to do with murdered and missing aboriginal women and the rate that it occurs at. They seem to want to confirm their misplaced assessment that police forces and the government are the real villains in this, not the murderers, not the rapists, but the establishment.

Here is all the information that the pro-Inquiry crowd are screaming for. It’s been around since 2014. If you look around, you’ll also find that information has constantly been updated, the last being in June of 2015.

I guess if they changed the name of the report from “A National Operational Overview” to “A National Inquiry” it would make everything okay? All the information that these pushers are calling for has already been released. It’s already available to every Canadian with 20 simple strokes of the keyboard. I don’t get it. Are these people just ignorant or are they trying to get the facts and information to fit their bias viewpoint that “non-aboriginal” (white people, basically) are racist and in some way this is their fault?

The National Operational Overview **cough — National Inquiry — cough** compiled by the RCMP… across the country…. Nationally…. kind of like a sort of Inquiry…. under the Conservative government, outlines, I believe, 3 really key pieces of data:

  1. The total indicates that Aboriginal women are over-represented among Canada’s murdered and missing women.
  2. There are similarities across all female homicides. Most homicides were committed by men and most of the perpetrators knew their victims — whether as an acquaintance or a spouse.
  3. The majority of all female homicides are solved and there is little difference in solve rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal victims. (81% compared to 83%)

Aboriginal women are being killed by their brothers, husbands, boyfriends, uncles, fathers, grandfathers, cousins, friends and co-workers, largely made up of aboriginal men. Indigenous women are being killed or go missing at an alarming rate, this is true. These crimes, whether aboriginal or non-aboriginal, are solved a vast majority of the time. That, to me right there, disproves all “race-based” motives. Everything else is just race-baiting, aided by politicians like Justin Trudeau and Tom Mulcair. They just want to push the narrative that the Harper government is racist and doesn’t care about First Nations people. What the hell, eh? Anything for a vote.

Now, because all the pro-Inquiry crowd is neglecting the actual facts… I guess I’ll have to present them. I read the entire “overview” and have collected some of the most pertinent data, which seems to circle consistently back to a strong nexus to family violence, criminality and substance abuse. Those factor’s are common in most murders, but this is just happening much more frequently.

Offenders accused in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal female homicides are mostly male (89%) as opposed to female (11%). Female homicide victims generally know the person who kills them offender-to-victim– more than 90% had a previous relationship with them. Only 8% of Aboriginal women were murdered by strangers.

Looking at the status of the Aboriginal homicide victims versus non-Aboriginal, according to the facts, they are less likely to be employed (40% versus 16%). They are more likely to support themselves through illegal means (18% versus 8%) or be on some form of social assistance or disability insurance (23% versus 9%).

Another vulnerability factor that is more prevalent in the cases of murdered Aboriginal females is the consumption of drugs, alcohol or other intoxicants by the victim prior to the incident (63% versus 20%)

Those are staggering statistics. Switching over to the murderer..offender motive.

Those accused of killing Aboriginal females are more likely to have consumed an intoxicating substance (71% compared to 31%). They are less frequently employed (41% compared to 26%) or on some form of social assistance or disability insurance (24% compared to 10%).

Offenders accused of killing Aboriginal females are more likely to have a criminal record (71% compared to 45%). 53% had been convicted before of a violent crime; 62% had a history of violence with the specific murder victim herself. I think these stats really accentuates the point that the criminal justice system needs to stop allowing criminals back out into the public, simply because they’re perceived as “social victims.” More often then not, these brute return to their already embattled communities to cause more violence. It’s called the Gladue discount.<–(I don’t agree with the final analysis at all, but it includes the history, an explanation, as well as it’s backwards rules) It gives Aboriginal offenders weaker sentences, or something nothing at all, based on their ethnicity and, what I call, “white guilt.” These white leftist judges (probably the same ones who gave Omar Khadr a two week vacation in Toronto recently to visit his “sick” grandparents) feel so bad about their own ethnic backgrounds that they shoot these violent criminals right back into impoverished neighbourhoods to victimize the exact same people, again and again and again, a lot of the times in an isolated or somewhat isolated reserve. When is enough, enough?

Now, the RCMP is taking this information very serious. They have dedicated resources to develop a National Missing Persons Strategy. The strategy, they say, will guide the RCMP’s approach to missing persons cases and increase the quality of the investigations. Here’s how they’ll do that:

• Ensuring the necessary level of supervision and guidance is provided on all missing persons investigations;

• Ensuring available victim services are provided to support the families;

• Providing ongoing and timely communication to the family or reporting party;

• Conducting interviews with located individuals to determine possible risk factors for prevention and early intervention;

• Updating the RCMP National Missing Persons policy to incorporate best practices;

• Initiating the mandatory use and completion of a national missing persons intake form; and,

• Implementing a mandatory national risk assessment tool as an investigative aid.

Those are all good things and will lead to more solved cases and more closure brought to mourning families, but it does next to nothing to deal with the real problem here. I’m going to say this as respectfully as possible. In most cases, these First Nations people who are unfortunately lacking a general purpose, are unemployed, getting drunk or taking drugs, fighting and killing each other. 9 times out of 10, the woman gets killed, because men are GENERALLY (not universally) stronger and more prone to mad fits of blind rage, then women. I’m sorry if that disturbs you or tugs at your politically correct side, but it’s reality regardless if you want to acknowledge it or not.

The numbers for murdered and missing aboriginal women, categorically, have nothing to do with the colour of a person’s skin. The fact that this is how this story has been spun is outrageous. What aggravates me the most, is the left’s immediate impulse to side with the minority group no matter what, regardless of cold hard facts and based on racist finger-pointing. I can hear that pretentious tone…

“Are you seriously blaming a minority group for the large amount of murderers and victims in their community?! Is your name Donald Trump?! The only victims that are there, are the victims of colonialism. Don’t you know that systemic racism and residential schools has taken away any small amount of responsibility that they hold over their own actions?!”

This has much more to do with poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse and unemployment, then racism. It is such a weak argument that it holds no water. Let’s get real. How do we fix poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse and unemployment? We can’t, simply. Some people don’t want to work, some people are entitled, some people are lazy, some people are addiction prone, some people are self-destructive and some people are just straight up a**holes. We can set up as much social services as we want to deal with those issues, but preventative measures and education are the only way, and that takes a long time. Even then, will we really ever be rid of these kinds of social issues? I don’t think so.

I find it completely thoughtless that the information compiled by the RCMP is not being circulate, at all. Everyday in the media we see a demonstration, or a rally for a National Inquiry, while no one is saying “Hey, look here! All the information that this rally is trying to uncover is all right here in a detailed RCMP report. WE ALREADY KNOW!” It makes me want to pull my freakin’ hair!pulling hair

There’s no secrets. There’s no government conspiracy. This, bluntly, in my opinion, is due to racism, but not white-on-native racism, but the other way around. That, coupled with a monumental army of white-guilt suffers. This subject is rooted in history. There were bad things done by both sides. I think a great idea for a future blog post is to create a sort of time-line in Canada to count the number of atrocities committed by both sides during the early formations of the country. I could go off on this right now, but I want to wrap up this article. About 10 instances immediately come to mind, but I digress. There are First Nations people and leaders who have not let go of the past. They do not like white people and don’t trust any information or service that is supplied by our government, bad or good. They see themselves as the victims of a, at one time, colonial government that stole everything away from them. I can’t argue that, to some extent. It’s factual and apart of our history. But, anyone from that time is dead, on either side. The days of First Nations warriors slaughtering entire villages of European settlers, mutilating their bodies and taking their scalps, are over. The days of foreign European armies getting rip roaring drunk and returning the favour by ruthlessly massacring hundreds, including women and child, are also over. I’m not saying that white-on-First Nation racism doesn’t exist, it does for sure. I’ve seen it. But, I’ve also been called a “stupid white man” several times on the bus or on the street, by, usually, an inebriated gentlemen of First Nation ancestry. It goes both ways.  Pro-Inquiry people don’t like the facts. They want different facts, their own “facts,” that point the finger away from the obvious problems within the aboriginal communities in Canada. The things that most Chiefs ignore or are unwilling to fix. They want complete control over the inquiry to spin it, so that the information in the RCMP National Operational Overview (overview, by the way, is a synonym for inquiry, believe it or not) is discredited. They want the last word. Simple as that.

Penned by Jack Madelyn.

The Pursuit of Racism: A Useless Inquiry That Already Happened

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Up, up and away!

supermanIs the Trans-Pacific Partnership another secret government deal that’s meant to steal your rights and finally take away your privacy? Well… you could listen to the paranoid shills or listen to the experts.harper rally

Here’s what actual stakeholders are saying about this new deal…. sorry… no fear mongering:

Canadian Vintners Association

TPP members are already responsible for 98% of Canada’s current wine exports and as such, the proposed Agreement will offer immediate and tangible benefits to the Canadian wine industry, reducing costly tariffs on wine, providing greater protection for authentic Icewine, streamlining complex technical and administrative barriers and tackling other barriers to wine exports that unfairly limit access to markets. Without Canada’s inclusion in the TPP, the sole benefit of these negotiations would have gone to some of the world’s most ambitious wine exporting countries – Australia, Chile, New Zealand and the United States – leaving Canadian vintners significantly disadvantaged.

http://www.canadianvintners.com/2015/10/05/trans-pacif%C2%ADic-partnership-canadian-vintners-value-trade/

Cereals Canada

“Many of the countries in the TPP are growing rapidly in income and population.  Being part of this agreement means that Canadian farmers and companies will be at the front of the line to meet this surging demand”.

http://www.cerealscanada.ca/news-policies/

Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance

“This is an historic moment for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are employed by Canada’s export-based agriculture and agri-food sector,” said CAFTA president Brian Innes. “Whether you are a farm family who depends on world markets, a processor, exporter, or live in a community supported by agriculture or food processing, improved access to TPP markets bodes well for a stable and prosperous future.”

http://cafta.org/pages/tpp-agreement-will-increase-agri-food-exports/

 

Aerospace Industry Association of Canada

“Lowering trade barriers and creating equal or preferential access to key markets is essential to our industry’s ability to grow, innovate, and employ Canadians. We applaud the government for securing Canada’s place in the TPP,”

http://www.aiac.ca/en/news.aspx?id=3762

BC Chamber of Commerce

“With this monumental, ground-breaking TPP agreement, Canada has the opportunity to see long-term economic benefits, in a time of on-going global economic uncertainty.” –

http://www.bcchamber.org/node/907

 

Scotiabank

“These were not easy negotiations, but being part of the TPP will have a lasting, and positive, impact on Canadian job creation and economic growth.”

http://scotiabank.mwnewsroom.com/press-releases/scotiabank-statement-on-the-trans-pacific-partners–11g066312-001

Coast Forest Products Association

“The completion of the new agreement between Canada and eleven other partner countries will eliminate tariffs on a range of forest products from newsprint to lumber to panels in TPP countries.  This will provide further opportunities for British Columbian companies – including those on the coast.”

http://www.coastforest.org/coast-forest-products-association-applaud-signing-of-the-trans-pacific-partnership/

Grain Growers of Canada

“We are excited that the Trans-Pacific Partnership has been completed,” said Gary Stanford, President of Grain Growers of Canada. “This agreement promises to provide substantial gains for Canada’s grain sector and the agricultural industry as a whole.”

http://www.ggc-pgc.ca/docs/GGC_TPP_Release.pdf

Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ)

« Ce partenariat offre une vitrine unique à nos entreprises de transformation alimentaire québécoises et canadiennes en facilitant l’accès à un marché de quelque 800 millions de personnes, soit près de 40% de l’économie mondiale. Cette nouvelle entente commerciale sans précédents généra des débouchés pour les exportations de l’ensemble de nos produits alimentaires transformés. » Sylvie Cloutier, présidente-directrice générale du Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ)

http://www.conseiltac.com/ctaq/nouvelles/ptp.html

Alberta Wheat Commission

“Canada could not afford to remain on the sidelines and risk losing ground in key markets”

“TPP will also provide significant benefits for other export-oriented agriculture sectors including barley, canola, beef and pork and give Canadian producers an advantage over competitors outside of the agreement.”

http://www.albertawheat.com/alberta-wheat-commission-welcomes-conclusion-of-trans-pacific-partnership-2/

 

Association of Seafood Producers

““We’re an export industry, pure and simple, and eliminating tariffs and ensuring fair market access is a trading imperative for us,” said Butler. “This deal gets us into some of the fastest growing markets in Asia, and keeps us in markets in this hemisphere.”

Food and Consumer Products Association (FPAC)

“For companies in Canada, the TPP is expected to open doors and provide opportunity to grow beyond our borders, with increased and privileged market access for Canadian goods, services and investments in one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions”

 

Soy Canada

“The TPP is a very good agreement for Canada’s soybean sector,”

http://soycanada.ca/canadian-soybean-industry-to-benefit-from-trans-pacific-partnership/

 

Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC)

“On behalf of the Canadian egg industry, Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) appreciates the work of the Government for its part in reaching a 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership deal… Canada’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership brings many benefits to the sector and the Canadian economy.”

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/egg-farmers-cautiously-optimistic-about-the-trans-pacific-partnership-trade-deal-530752671.html

 

 

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

“This is an exciting moment for Canada… we’re looking at huge gains for Canadian farmers, food processors, and companies in forestry, mining, aerospace, financial services and information technology, among other industries.”

http://www.chamber.ca/media/blog/151005-todays-tpp-deal-helps-secure-canadas-economic-future/

Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME)

“TPP will give better access to a market of more than 800 million consumers to Canada’s small and medium sized companies, will benefit Canada’s manufacturing and exporting companies and the Canadian economy as a whole.”

http://www.cme-mec.ca/?action=show&lid=JCKNC-E742G-1W6JA&cid=6JDHJ-GP38X-5WGMN&comaction=show

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)

“The TPP can only help us further sharpen our edge and be more competitive in these emerging markets for the benefit of jobs and prosperity in Canada.”

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/trans-pacific-partnership-an-important-boost-for-canadas-forest-industry-530663781.html

Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE)

For the first time, Canadians will have preferred access to countries such as Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.  This dramatically expands Canada’s network of trade partnerships around the globe, ensuring new customers for Canadian manufacturers, service suppliers, seafood producers and farmers.

http://www.ceocouncil.ca/news-item/business-leaders-welcome-conclusion-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement

 

Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA)

“Canadians have a lot to gain from a TPP that encourages increased investment and strengthens Canada’s global competitiveness.”

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/life-and-health-insurance-industry-welcomes-the-announcement-on-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-530655041.html

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA)

CCA President Dave Solverson called the agreement a game-changer for Canada’s beef industry — and Canadian agriculture as a whole. “This is really fantastic news for Canada’s beef producers,” he said.

http://www.cattle.ca/news-events/news/view/beef-producers-applaud-tpp-agreement-/

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)

“…we recognize that our government fought hard against other countries’ demands, and have lessened the burden by announcing mitigation measures and what seems to be a fair compensation package, to minimize the impact on Canadian dairy farmers…”

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/trans-pacific-partnership-to-impact-canadian-dairy-farmers-530664661.html

 

Western Canadian Wheat Growers

“This deal will significantly strengthen the agricultural economy in western Canada.”

http://www.wheatgrowers.ca/news/media/tpp-deal-is-terrific-news-for-western-agriculture

Canadian Pork Council

“The TPP agreement provides important export growth potential which will encourage Canada’s 7,000 pork farmers to invest in their production facilities and to create new job opportunities for Canadians both on and off the farm.”

http://www.cpc-ccp.com/press_releases/en/Oct_TPP_deal_E.pdf

Canola Council of Canada

“Leadership shown by the Government of Canada to make sure that Canada benefits from this landmark agreement will help the canola industry to continue growing and supporting communities,”

http://www.canolacouncil.org/news/tpp-agreement-will-increase-canola-exports-and-support-communities/

Vancouver Board of Trade

“The TPP will further strengthen B.C.’s role in the global economy by reducing regulatory barriers on B.C. exports such as wood and forestry products, metals and minerals, and B.C. fruit and seafood,”

https://www.boardoftrade.com/news/30-news/2015/529-news-release-tpp-increases-trade-opportunities-for-b-c-businesses

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Up, up and away!

Dodging Bullets: Navigating the Gibberish of America’s Gun Problem.

… and for the 89th time this year, we’re dealing with the exact same questions and talking points from the pro-gun and anti-gun crowd. A maniac in Roseberg, Oregon on Thursday, Octobroseberger 1st, 2015, walking into a community college and killed at least 10 people, wounding at least 20 others. A monster in all sense of the word.

How do American politics hold the country together in yet another difficult time. Simple. Each side closes their ears to any sort of compromise and locks into their battle stations ready for the “righteous” fight ahead. The anti-gun extremists on one side and the 2nd amendment trumpeters on the other. The Great US Gun Debate, Round 142.

Now, I live in Canada. I love the USA, but I am happy that we don’t share the same gun laws and culture. It’s no question that while these instances do happen in Canada, they’re far less prevalent. Far less. The fact that someone can pretty much just walk into a Walmart or sporting goods store in the USA and walk out with a rifle, a handgun and tonnes of ammunition, I believe, is fundamentally wrong. The loopholes, such as the one surrounding gun shows, needs to be closed. Most of the weapons available at those shows are not for “self-defense,” … anyone who believes that is either insane or so mentally diluted you probably couldn’t have a proper conversation with them, anyways. These people buy those guns because they’re gun enthusiasts. They think they’re cool and I have to agree with them. I love guns. LOVE THEM. Are you kidding me? You don’t like to hold one of those thunder sticks between your mitts? Are you telling me it’s not an absolute blast to go out into the woods and shoot cans/bottles or trees with that wonderful piece of human ingenuity cocked against your shoulder with a couple of buddies? You’re telling me that you’ve never held a gun at your waist and screamed something like “FREEDOM!” doing your best impression of Mel Gibson in Braveheart while you squeezing the trigger emptying the clip? If you’re answer is no to any of those questions, go out and start shooting. I promise, you won’t turn into a redneck. It really is a lot of fun.

The battle braveheartstations mentality is what stops this problem from being fixed or logical steps from being taken towards prevention. The Republicans believe that nothing is really wrong and the status quo is just fine. That’s ridiculous and I think speaks for itself. It’s lunacy and frankly irresponsible. The Democrats, however, act like this problem would just go away overnight if stricter gun laws were planted on the general public. Firstly, putting down stricter gun laws doesn’t stop criminals from obtaining guns. Since when has increased government interference, bureaucracy and tougher laws fixed a systemic problem in society in terms of trafficking illegal goods? What about the War of Drugs? That has been an utter failure and in a lot of respects, drugs are more plentiful on our streets then ever before. I mean, people are able to find things like heroine, marijuana and cocaine quite easily, despite it being considered illegal by the state. Aren’t the same anti-gun crowds the same calling for the end to the War on Drugs? Isn’t that left-wing hypocrisy? That’s the biggest problem here, I think. Criminals, or people preparing to commit crimes of mass-murder, will not get their guns threw the right process. They’re the bad guys. They don’t follow the rules. That’s why they’re the bad guys. I don’t live in the states, so I’m not complete sure, but in a country with that many guns, I don’t believe it would be that difficult to obtain one off the street.

Stricter gun laws are not a panacea for this issue, nothing really changes. Sure, it would make gun harder to obtain, but does nothing to solve the underlining issue. How do you stop the deranged and the mentally ill from obtaining these weapons to carry out these heinous attacks. Can you stop it? The checks and balances system has to improve, no question, and it’s complete garbage for President Obama, while I can understand his obamaobvious and visible frustration, to politicize this while nothing has changed at all since he has taken office. The problem, in fact, seems like it continues to only get worse. He hasn’t given any of these “common sense laws” any teeth. He’s failed just as bad as anyone else. Another thing that has to change is the immediate jump to action in a mass-killing like this, while ignoring the day-to-day single or double murders not in the public spotlight, usually surrounding drugs, gangs and domestic abuse in American cities every single day.

This is a very complicated issue and stricter access to guns is not a guarantee to work, let alone slow down the killings. In Chicago (in Obama’s home state of Illinois), there have been 374 murders despite there being extremely stringent gun laws, so far this year. 327 of those, due to gun violence. Many cities with the highest homicide rates have the strictest gun laws in the United States. That to me, proves, that this isn’t an issue that can be fixed by nailing the 99.9% of law abiding respectful gun owners.

Here’s the scariest thing in this, for me. It’s a fact that schools are a target – lots of unarmed, mostly young people with limited protection. They’re sitting ducks for animals that seek mass-murder. Is it crazy to suggest that weapons be placed inside these schools so these beasts can be pumped full of lead by trained teachers/school staffers before they can turn on innocent students and faculty? I don’t know. I don’t know exactly how I feel about that. It’s something I’m on the fence about, but it’s time we looked at something actually constructive to be able to cut down this problem.

One thing is for sure… This issue is a lot more complicated then people let on and all the buzzwords, talking points and political grandstanding from either side of the political spectrum won’t do anything to fix this. This issue needs to be looked at with “common sense,” something that the US President has ignored for years while the problem has grown right under his nose. He, like a typical left-winger, passes the buckRepublicansDemocrats and the blame onto the NRA or pro-gun lobbyists. Sure, they hold a piece of the blame for nothing being done, but they’re not the ones pulling the trigger. The butchers are. They should shoulder the blame.

The Great Divider, he’s called by the American right-wingers.

I’d have to agree.

Penned by Jack Madelyn.

Dodging Bullets: Navigating the Gibberish of America’s Gun Problem.

AIR STRIKE: Taxing the 1%

**Just some house keeping first off. The AIR STRIKE format will be quick one hitter. A few paragraphs or phrases when there is just a small point that I want to make. Pretty simple. I hope to be able to pound these out quickly**

.air striek

I was listening to Justin Trudeau today and him, like the NDP and Mulcair, are tied to his idea that taxing the 1% of the country will just fix all of our problems. It’s ludicrous. This seems to be the entire conversation:

Q: How will we pay for all these wild things we’ve promised?  A: Tax the wealthy.

Q: What about increased spending in social programs? A: Tax the wealthy.

Q: What about the—? A: Tax the wealthy.

It’s a nice idea, but does it actually work? Sure, it will bring in more tax dollars at first, but these people are rich and remain rich for a reason. Because they’re smarter then the government. They’ll hire good accountants and tax lawyers to find some way to hiding this money in the country or in a tax haven that our federal government has next to no jurisdiction in.

Listen, I’m 100% behind slamming these people who avoid paying their fair share. I find it reprehensible for a wealthy individual to avoid paying his taxes, instead leaving it for someone else to pick up the cheque. However, I’m realistic that it’s something that will never change, like drug use and prostitution.

I want this whole notion to just go away. The idea that “taxing the wealthiest” will finally turn this into the socialist utopia that we’ve all been dreaming of is nonsense. I believe all it will do is force investment and businesses to move to other places with better tax regimes. I don’t know the exact numbers, but I would love to know how many people are actually employed directly or indirectly by the 1%. I’m sure the number is astounding.

Penned by Jack Madelyn.

AIR STRIKE: Taxing the 1%

In Defense of Capitalism

We have all been there before.

Politics, as it sometimes does, comes up while you’re at the office. It’s impossible for a topic like politics to not eventually arise when you’re dealing with and working with the same people week after week. I don’t mind political talk. I’m not one of those people who thinks it’s taboo to discuss some of your more deep seeded opinions on various topics. I believe a glut of diverse opinions is the best way to strengthen your own views, or even change your mind completely by forcing yourself to examine someone else’s outlook. It can really be eye-opening. I think discussion should always be open on anything, no matter what it is. This, however, is sometimes difficult with certain people, who, when debating contrasting opinions, completely lose their minds, go flush with anger and shut down any opposition immediately as DEAD WRONG. Either that, or they just push themselves from the conversation and walk away.

That’s one thing that I just can’t stand. The assumption that you already know everything there is to know about a subject and if your don’t agree with me, you’re wrong, is wrong. It’s attitudes like that that lead me to the point of this latest blog post.

I’m sure in your minds-eye you can picture this person perfectly. In my experiences, they’re either an aging baby boomer claiming that capitalism is the reason why they haven’t had a “successful” life or a young mid-twenties hipster looking to change the culture of hate and segregation that Canadian life apparently allows to blossom. Apparently.cartoon 1

Thankfully, my latest struggle was with an aging baby boomer, not the mid-twenties hipster. You can at least hold a conversation with the baby-boomer without being reminded how much conservatives hate gays, women, first nations… etc. etc.

This co-worker of mine, who I actually like, yesterday starting going off on capitalism and how it doesn’t work for the middle class. He explained how it held him back from accomplishing his goals, how it stopped him from moving up in the company, how I wouldn’t succeed because of it, how it didn’t allow him to be able to purchase home… blah blah blah. Basically, everything bad that has ever happened to him in his entire life is the fault of capitalism. I’m sorry, but that is a crock of crap, if I can quote Wayne Gretzky all the way back in Salt Lake City during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Firstly, my biggest problem with that ideology is it’s flat out defeatist. It’s an excuse. It’s passing the buck. It’s a viewpoint that takes zero responsibility for your own actions. It’s looking in the mirror and pointing your finger at… that guy… you see him in the back? He’s rich. He takes pleasure in my poverty. It’s his fault. Pretty much how you would expect a toddler to deal with being in trouble after causing a disturbance of some sort.

When you consider yourself a “have-not,” it’s easy to look around at everyone else and be envious. I’m guilty of the same thing, but I use it to drive myself to be better. I want what those people have and I’m going to get it. Period. End of story. I don’t sit at my desk and sourly rip on the current economic system (which has provided us with by far the best and highest standard of living in the history of man-kind) as the main factor in why I barely make it month-to-month. These people seem to refuse to take any personal responsibility. I can just read their minds:

“I couldn’t be the reason that I’m 60+ years old and still live paycheck-to-paycheck. It couldn’t possible have anything to do with bad fiscal decisions or poor savings and retirement planning. My current position at my company and my abject financial position as not my doing. Capitalism is the underlining cause! I’m the victim of a government institution catering to greed!”

How can you blame ones poverty on the wealth of another? I feel like these people directly lie to themselves, so much, that they actually eventually believe it. Otherwise, I don’t understand how someone can be so self-unaware and diluted. Why is it so difficult for these people to look at themselves before looking outward. In this country, at this time in history, there is no justification for blaming other. Of course there are exceptions, but lets not get all bogged down with semantics. For 95% of the population, you, and only you, are to blame of your ongoing position in life.

Also, I think that it’s ridiculously selfish to think that capitalism and the prosperity of corporations are reasons enough for you to be pulling in +300K a year. So, you’re entitled to all of the most wonderful things in our country just because you… showed up? Generally speaking, since when has the world, at any point in history, rewarded those who just showed up?

anti-capitalism12People who blame the system for keeping their heads underwater, I believe, are ignorant to history and present day conditions. Honestly, I feel like most complex issues are due to historical disregard. Capitalism keeps the peace between the world powers. So much money is passing between countries like the US, Canada, Russia, Germany, the UK, France, Japan and China because of trade agreements and consumerism (also triggered by capitalism) that they simply can’t turn off the taps. Countries before would go to war over trivial things, but the richness of these countries and the world economy has kept them off the battlefield going head-to-head for over 70 years.

Capitalism freed the poor of Europe and the world from the nobles and elites of society. Finally, something other then blood and birth status gave people power. It was capitalism that gave the little guy a say. It was capitalism that turned an individual who was born a peasant into a politician to create necessary and needed change. It allowed the farmer, working like a slave for the crown, to find another job with someone from the same class. It allowed those individual to grow within that business and develop new fields and operations. Capitalism expanded the arts. It allowed actors, artists, writers, play-writes and creative minds to be able to charge, sell and profit from their works, granting them more money and more time to focus on their craft. Capitalism spurred on ingenuity, giving the inventor an incentive to invent, sell and provide jobs. Capitalism opened up several new ways to collect taxes, instead of just putting everything on the poor. Capitalism allowed ships and its captains to ferry immigrants from Europe to the Americas in search of a better life. The conditions and some of the steep unfair fees for the journey were no doubt terrible, but how else would those people have made the crossing? I can say with certainty that the countries the settlers were leaving wouldn’t have forked up.

A television series by James Burke, I think, does an amazing job of following the trail of inventions threw history and how everything is profoundly connected. Capitalism was, and remains, one of the most important developments in the history of our civilization.

I could keep going on and on about how capitalism actually effectively changed the world for by and large the greater good, such as in education, agriculture, and the economy, but I feel like my point is getting superfluous. Don’t get me wrong, however, even though I am a supporter of capitalism, the economic system is far from perfect. Evil has been done in the name of money. That cannot be denied outside of a mental institution. The question remains, how do you perfect capitalism and eliminate that undesired byproduct? That is an impossibility, because on this bright blue aqua covered planet that we call home, not one person on it’s surface is perfect…… not even me. I know. You’re shocked.

Evolution over the many millions of years gave us something that helped us survive, greed. Now, that might sound like one of the seven deadly sins (which it of course is), but it has been essential to our survival. How many wolf packs give meat to other starving packs? Does one of your house cats enjoy sharing it’s food with another? It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Always has been and always will be. There will always and forever be winners and loser. So, unless we can remove greed and competition (traits embedded deep into our past for thousands and thousands of years) from homo sapiens we aren’t going anywhere. Good luck with that. There will never be a system that takes the human out of the human. We are what we are and nothing, not even a structure that pretends to care for all it’s citizens, promising them all their desired riches, can change human nature. I prefer to live in a reality that takes those traits and turns them into something that everyone can benefit from. A reality that turns aside philosophical theories pulled out of thin air stemming from a fantastical desire that everyone shares everything and money is not needed. Instead, I prefer a practical system that in all respects is human nature in a nut shell.

To crack it all you need is a little bit elbow grease and the right tool for the job.nut cracker

Penned by Jack Madelyn.

In Defense of Capitalism

My Opening Statement

Alkeep calmright. Here goes nothing.

This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time,

but for whatever reason, I haven’t gotten around to doing it. Is it laziness? Fear to put my opinions out there? Probably a little from column A and a little from column B. My mind recently has been changed, however, and I feel like my voice needs to be heard. I feel that most people in the country and on this continent think somewhere along the same lines as I do, but are afraid to voice their opinion. Whether it be in the office, at the playground, talking to a parent, at school, with family, it doesn’t matter. The opinions and views of everyday Canadians are being boxed out by the politically-correct enforcers, bullying anyone who may present a valid or diverse opinion on a subject. Heaven forbid someone doesn’t share your same perception of the world. They must be some kind of gay-hating anti-science racist.

If you listen hard enough, you can hear it;

“What?! This person doesn’t support women wearing niqabs and burkas during Canadian citizenship swearing-in ceremonies?! Bigot. Islamophobe. Knuckle-dragger.”

More of that here.

You know the person. That left-wing extremist still clinging onto the notion that in the right framework, with the proper checks and balances, communism (or some sort of “share the wealth” economy) could actually work.

This is an interesting article that I recently came across while browsing through the internet. This one I found on Reddit. I think is sums up the dangers of an over-socialized system taking over.

Here it is.

Now, before I move forward, Boris Yeltsin was no saint. His era was marked by widespread corruption and he left office (handing things off to then Prime-Minister Vladimir Putin in 1999) widely unpopular with the Russian population.

YELTSIN HOUSTON VISIT 1989

However, It doesn’t change the fact that his trip to a Texas supermarket changed his mind about the economic policies of his country, which eventually lead to real change and the end of the Soviet Union. I would say that’s a big victory.

Anyways, this is just an introductory piece. Getting my feet wet, as they say. But if you happen to stumble across this blog and take the time to read this (thank you, by the way) I wanted to sort of make a debut post to give you, the reader, an understanding of where I will be taking things. Now, the topics discussed above will definitely be a part of this blog, no question about it. I think they’re questions that could eventually shake our nation all the way down to our foundations, but it’s in no way exclusive. I also plan on touching on other important issues that make me stop, look and listen. Such as, the war on drugs, the role of religion and churches in our communities, sports, entertainment, bureaucracy, environmental protection, the hypocrisy and (frankly embarrassingly obvious) bias of certain members of the media. As events happen, I will be on top of them.

Let’s get started.

Penned by Jack Madelyn.

My Opening Statement