Naked power wielding can be neither transactional nor transforming, only leadership can be. James MacGregor Burns, Leadership, p.20
At the time of this writing, the European Union's population is over 500 million people, spread through 28 member states. There has been a lot of talk of late of how it is not going to survive. How there are just too many different ethnic groups to get past their differences, not to mention the task of getting past the past. The Oracle of Ottawa has never put too much weight on that kind of defeatist talk. Due to its radical make up and brilliant framework, the European Union is probably the strongest group of nation states in the world today since the Roman Empire.
The European Union proves its 'metal'...
The Oracles early beliefs got an immeasurable lift this morning while watching his local cable news channel. The first reports that Germany had thrown open the doors to the influx of Syrian refugees greatly made the Oracles day. I even have a theory how it may have happened behind the scenes. Europe is a very old place. There exist within it many ancient and noble families of nearly unimaginable lineage. Many of them know that they have had many relatives that went on the N'th Crusade at some time in the Middle Ages, never to return. Then it dawned on someone, that the descendants of their long lost relatives were now at their very gates. Then the breaker tripped.
However it came to happen, the Oracle of Ottawa wishes to extend his most heartfelt congratulations to the parties involved. It is the middle of the Labour Day weekend here in Canada. We are in the middle of a very bitter and ugly Federal General Election. For the last ten years we have been suffering under a neo-con wack ball right wing revolution in the form of the 'Harper Government'. Since the opening of the gates in Europe this morning the polls and the opinion surveys have put the 'Harper Government' in deep third place from first place. The people are in the streets in Canada, from one end of it to another. And that is something that hardly ever happens.
Who ever made the decision to throw open the gates, must know that the decision will have far reaching positive consequences here in Canada and in turn, later on for the European Union. It is certainly going to help a nice young man by the name of Justin Trudeau become Prime Minister of Canada on October 19th, 2015. The EU will finally be able to deal with someone with more than half a brain when it comes to the weighty matters of Canada - EU affairs. Discourse and engagement will be returned, hopefully along with Canada's past reputation. And he promised to fast track the influx of Syrian refugees into Canada starting on day one, to the tune 25,000 in the first year, plus the fast tracking of the community private sponsorships which will probably add up to way more than 25,000.
Hell, one hundred thousand Syrians spread across Canada wouldn't even be noticed. Along with the infinite water, snow, rocks and trees, we have tons of open room. Then I figure that the British Commonwealth nation members will all get on the band wagon, in five ten years we will be wondering what all the fuss was originally about... As the Oracle of Ottawa wraps up this small missive he is listening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 on You-Tube, the Karajan recording of course, and he knows with complete certainty that their is nothing that Western Civilization cannot 'sort'.
As in other things, so in men, not the seller, but the buyer determines the Price. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, p. 63
Well it all went off as the spin doctors and the fart catchers scripted it. Another fatal attempt of the 'Harper Government' to change Canada forever. And of course the crafty Europeans did their homework and knew that ole Steve Harpers little micro dick is well and stuck in the proverbial pencil sharpener, and duly took full advantage of him at the last minute, by getting the 'Harper Government' to abandon certain visa restrictions on certain European Union member states. No doubt Roma the world over will be celebrating and packing at this very moment.
Canada awaits you Sweetheart!!
We all now know as common knowledge that the goal of the 'Harper Government' is to change Canada forever. The method deployed has been that of a large number of barely noticeable changes. But what exactly is the desired state of nature at the end of this process? Of course the Oracle of Ottawa has found the answer and as a public service, he will share the knowledge with his faithful and Dear Readers.
It was the great Thomas Hobbes who in1651 stated that man starts out in an elementary state of nature, where all war against all. Well the Oracle of Ottawa can assure you Dear Reader, that this is not the state of nature that the 'Harper Government wants at all. Rather, the 'Harper Government' wants a state of nature of Us and Them. The ruling one percent is the Us group. The remaining ninety nine percent is the Them group, better known as you and I. The end goal of the 'Harper Government' is to achieve a state of nature where by there remain no protections at all for the Them group for the abuses and exploitation that is rendered unto them by the Us group. But there will always just enough government to protect the ill gotten gains of the Us group from any uprising of the Them group. This is the 'Harper Government' ideal of the optimum size of government, got that?
(Brampton will never be the same after this! Thank You very much...)
But although the so called deal has been signed, it is a long way from in and done. It still has to be ratified by all ten provinces and three territories in Canada and all twenty eight nation states of the European Union!! That is ole Steve Harper of the 'Harper Government' has to call forty one correct coin tosses in a row! That is one chance in 2,199, 023, 000, 000 or one chance in 2.199 trillion. Good luck with that!
The Oracle of Ottawa has done many things in his long life so far, but one thing he has never done and never will do, is work for nothing. Even in the times of the basest and most unrestricted capitalism as it existed in the England of Dickens, Marx and Engels, even Scrooge paid Bob Cratchit the minimum sustainable wage. It appears to the Oracle of Ottawa that we have even sunk beneath that bench mark in present day Canada at the time of this writing.
Soon, Comrade, soon...
The issue of unpaid internships is one that the Oracle of Ottawa has been meaning to address for some time, but even thinking about it makes the Oracle so hot, that he is in fear of popping a blood vessel or slipping his clutch plates. But it welled to the surface again today as the Oracle was in transit up to the Ottawa Valley to see a great wise man. And as per usual the Oracle was listening to Cross Country Check Up on the CBC radio.
The lick spittle lackey of the Prime Ministers Office, Rex Murphy, was on the job again with today's assignment; What do you think of unpaid internships in Canada? You could tell right away, that today's mission was to sell working for nothing as a really good idea that will somehow benefit you and your way in the world! Oh, it was of course very subtle, every twist and turn of good and expert communications technique was employed. And the Oracle swears that the first several calls were placed shills. Someone should investigate this someday. The Oracle of Ottawa just cannot see any one that is in their right mind agreeing to this insane practice.
It seems to the Oracle of Ottawa that some investigation of students today would go a long way to stopping this insane practice. Much of the anguish could be prevented by good planning while still in high school. The Oracle of Ottawa wonders why any youngster would go into a profession or line of work that required any form of unpaid internship at the end of the program. There is information in the fact that after getting an honors commerce degree you will be expected to work for nothing contains the signal that perhaps working for a large financial institution is really not in your interest! Perhaps it would be better for the youngster to get into a journeyman trade.
All this insanity has started in the period of the 'Harper Government' time in power. Combined with the bullshit volunteer wave, the corporate whores will soon only have to pay themselves, and we all know how good they are at that, don't we? Why even to get out of high school now, a student has to rack up a certain amount of unpaid work to graduate! The Oracle of Ottawa only sees this as a ploy to precondition your little bastards to get used to working for nothing. And you gutless lackey play along - go along parents eat it up!
As the Oracle continued upon his way up the Valley he was struck with an epiphany. If this is the future for our youth what is the point of living in a capitalist society at all? What is in it for our youth to put up with this? If the worker is never going to see the fruit of his labour, what is the point of continuing with this capitalist lie? What is the point of continuing to support this dying society? If all the wealth of a nation is going to be only enjoyed by the 1% perhaps it is time to try something new, what the 'Harper Government' calls a reckless social experiment.
The Oracle of Ottawa hates to face the realization that perhaps it is time to again introduce the dictatorship of the proletariat. As time goes on we seem to have less and less to lose and certainly nothing to look forward to, do we? Perhaps we should bring down the whole stinking marketed mess and start over again, it is not like it has never been done before, right?
Attacks are rarely directed at true objectivity, but rather at pretenders who use it to mask their own dishonesty, or perhaps the falseness and injustice of the whole culture. Theodore M. Porter, Trust In Numbers, p. 3
It seems like only yesterday that the Oracle of Ottawa witnessed the western idiot Preston Manning declare just after the 'Harper Government' majority that Canada is now all but gone over to the Dark Side of the political right. The Oracle of Ottawa, as a public service, to his worldwide audience has decided that it is time to let all the members of the Global Village know how this has all been working out for us here in Canada.
African Rock Python - messenger of the Right...
It was a packed church somewhere in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick today as several hundred mourners gathered for the double funeral of two young brothers aged five and seven, who were constricted to death by an African Rock Python several days ago. No matter where in the world you are as you are reading this, you have no doubt heard about this event through your local vulgar media. CNN International just loved it. It is quite true as you have probably suspected, that it is illegal in Canada to own this animal privately. And yes, we have (had?) a Federal Law that contains a huge list of scummy animals from the Third and other worlds that are not allowed in Canada, my once nice clean country, under any circumstances. Things like an Indian mongoose for example. But Dear Reader, did you know where the owner of this snake got it from? Sitting down? It was given to him by the provincial government of New Brunswick! Along with twenty six other restricted animals that the government seized! The Oracle of Ottawa can only imagine that the local governments budget has been cut so down to the bone that they could no longer afford bullets to do their mandated job. And the Right bears it's fruit.
Preston Manning - God of the Right
Recently in the Province of Quebec, a huge train of tanker cars containing "crude oil" was left out side a small town called Lac-Megantic. The unattended 73 car freight train simply rolled down the hill into the center of a small town and of course derailed and blew up, killing at last count 43 people, and creating a fire storm that resembled a little Dresden. But the upside of all this is that everybody in Canada now knows for sure that there really is a God. The said fire bombed town was in the riding of the 'Harper Government' Minister of Industry and Development! You just can't make this stuff up! The Oracle of Ottawa remembers very well and clearly how the sock puppets of the 'Harper Government' stood up repeatedly in the House of Commons on many occasions and stated more than once that it was not the governments job to tell a capitalist pig how to run his / her company! And the Right bears it's fruit.
Prime Minister Harper - Lackey of the Right
Recently in the Province of Ontario, cancer patients in southern Ontario were informed that their chemo drugs have been discovered to be watered down by about 10%! The "honest mistake" was made by a private sector contractor, who's accountant must have figured that a one percent drop in concentration would result in a ten percent plus rise in profit. Who would ever know, right? And it certainly is not up to the Federal Government, or as it is now known, the 'Harper Government', to step into such situations and interfere with the divine workings of the Invisible Hand, is it? And the Right bears it's fruit.
In the northern reaches of the Province of Alberta, raw tar sand, otherwise known as bitumen, has started to mysteriously seep from the ground, and has been proven to be impossible to stop. It is now contaminating
the water table of a small band of Canadian Aboriginals, not to mention that lake and all its tributaries. Clean up costs are estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. The monster large oil company in question claims it is all news to them, or rather until the intrepid members of the local vulgar media found out that it is leak from a SAGD mining of tar sand in the immediate area, that has somehow found another route up to the surface of the Earth due to an unknown number of rock fractures. Now it is taken as Gospel out in the western Canadian oil patch that it is no business of the Federal Government to impose foolish and expensive restrictions on dollar seeking oil companies.(3-D sesmic is not that expensive, but it does cost money...) The market will take care of all that, along with the Invisible Hand. It is not the governments business to tell an oil company what to do. And the Right bears it's fruit.
Now we are out to Vancouver, British Columbia. Where upon this week it has been found that a local Chinese peasant has been running a dental practice out of a spare bedroom of his private home, in a very, well, somewhat nice street somewhere in Vancouver!! It hasn't been going on too long, only about twenty years! And the said buck-toothed peasant (irony?) didn't have too many patients, only about 1,500, well maybe a lot more than that, the police are still searching for his patient records, nothing yet. The said buck toothed Chinese peasant had very many dental tools, but from the video that the Oracle of Ottawa saw on the CBC newscast, it would probably be safer to get your dental work done at a GM dealership, at least my mechanics tools are bright and gleaming! Since there was no instrument sterilization equipment found as of yet, it has been recommended to all former patients to get tested for Hep A, Hep B, Hep C and while you are at it, get the AIDS test also. It seems that the Bucktoothed "dentist" was very popular with the high and low end downtown hookers of Vancouver Island. But certainly it is not for the Government of any level to interfere with an industrious person that just wants to make a buck for crying out loud And the Right bears it's fruit.
Things acquire the status of being good or evil only if someone - anyone - cares about them one way or the other. Richard Taylor, Good And Evil, p.31
It is deep into the dog days of summer. The Oracle of Ottawa has been on his usual baseball watching binge, and enjoying every moment of it. Why today the Oracle got in three complete games! As the last west coast game ended, the Oracle of Ottawa flipped to PBS Watertown in the hope of catching something interesting and was quiet surprised to find that Charlie Rose was on. The interview was with the creator of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan, on stage, live, at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
Vince Gilligan(left) - Aaron Paul(right) - who got it from Ep. 1
The Oracle of Ottawa was intrigued. At last, the man himself! And it being the last and final season of Breaking Bad, the Oracle of Ottawa was hoping for the sincere, so obvious, explanation of what Breaking Bad was really about. There was nothing to lose now, the last eight episodes are in the can, and there is nothing left to lose by explaining the truth to the complacent American audience what the whole epic was really about. To hear the words right out the mouth of the mind that created it all. Or so I thought. What the Oracle witnessed was bizarre, surreal and completely raving American Psycho!
Much to my amazement and shock, the Oracle of Ottawa had to come to the flooring realization that Vince Gilligan is in essence an idiot savant! Through the whole interview he stuck to his "awe shucks" marketing routine, choosing his words carefully, fully pondering there future possible impact on his further possible projects! He truly has not or ever had a clue to the impact of the prophetic epic that he has been allowed to tell, and its real meaning! At the time of this writing the Oracle of Ottawa is still reeling...
The first episode of Breaking Bad was one of the most powerful works of television that the Oracle has ever experienced. A brilliant chemist ends up teaching high school chemistry somewhere in a Southern US state. It is no doubt a "right to work" state, the money is lousy, there is no union, there is a handicapped child, and to add insult to injury, there is the insane American class burden of Walter having to portray to society that he is indeed middle class and is yet left by contemporary American society to some how pay for it all with nothing. Then there comes the cancer diagnosis! To this viewer in Canada, one could tell right away that Walter has no medical insurance to cover this catastrophic illness. Forced to the wall Walter abandons his morals and makes a monstrous conscious decision to survive long enough to provide for his family after his demise.
Contrast this with a Canadian high school chemistry teacher in Ontario, Canada with Walters credentials. This teacher makes $70,000 - $130,000 a year, minimum. He is a senior department head, he might even teach a class or two a week. If this man comes a downer with a cancer diagnosis, it is just another life hurdle, certainly not a death sentence. He will have government and private additional insurance. He will be given sick leave at full pay, or very nearly, for as long as it takes. His chance of a full remission and recovery is astoundingly high. Not like Walter...
What Breaking Bad is really about is the death of the American Dream. It is a prophetic epic of the future of America. It is a symbolic tale of the death of America. A republic and a dream built on an outmoded frontier mentality that peaked on a battle ship deck in a Japanese harbour sometime in 1945. Now the European Union is the biggest economy on Earth. The standard world currency is not the American dollar, it is the Euro. The grand cities that were once the arsenals of democracy rot in bankruptcy. We are told that it is all creative destruction. Everybody got the destruction, and it seems that the creative ability was also destroyed in the process also...
Ponder the carnage created by Walter White. Ponder the vast amount of state resources it takes to search him out and possibly stop him. Ponder the global social costs around the world. Walter White is (was?) just one ordinary man forced to abandon his society, the great Leviathan, and in turn it is more than just one life that becomes nasty, brutish and short. What will be our fate when the Walters start coming out of the woodwork in their thousands?
Postscript: The Oracle of Ottawa was shocked by Vince Gilligan when he could not explain Walter Smith's street name of Heisenberg, it is no doubt a tribute to Werner Heisenberg who unlike Walter Smith was able and allowed to make great contributions to the world as the father Quantum Mechanics.
Bryan Cranston in the character of Walter Smith always exudes the aura that he too could have done great things if something as mundane as an IPO had not gotten in the way. Werner Heisenberg was also the father of the Uncertainty Principle, do you get it now?
It was Thursday evening of the week recently passed that the Oracle of Ottawa caught the scorched talking heads, totally beside themselves, discussing the recent ideas on the summer stump, being presented by Canada's next Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, on the old vulgar media CTV television news channel. The golden boy was explaining the overall good sense of finally decriminalizing pot. The crowd was very receptive to his words, and to add horror to it all, this was deep in the 'Harper Government' ideological heartland somewhere out west in British Columbia! Ho Ho Ho!!
Conservative Buster...
The Oracle of Ottawa has informed the readers of this humble blog that the son has not fallen far from the tree of the father. And in the case of Justin Trudeau, he may be the rarity of the son that far exceeds the famous father. It seems that the son Justin, not only has a plan for the continuation of the construction of the Just Society, but he has already figured out how he is going to pay for it! The little snots in short pants of the present Prime Ministers Office are very nervous indeed.
The second cumming is coming soon...
It was at this point that it all dawned on the Oracle of Ottawa that if pot was legalized for the purpose of smoking it, it would then be very easy to legalize all the other practical uses of hemp. The Oracle of Ottawa thinks of hemp as the bamboo of the New World. It is renewable, sustainable, and is a great carbon sink in these stuffy green house times that we presently live in. And did you know Dear Reader, that the fibre structure of hemp is perfect for fine paper production? Not to mention a great bio-fuel stock. And since hemp grows in Canada damn near as fast as bamboo in the Philippines, Canada would no longer have to cut down other types of valuable trees that take centuries to grow. It is all very stupid to cut down a tree that has taken 60 to 100 years to grow just to make it into arse wipe! Hemp fibre would actually be cheaper and yet provide a superior quality of cushioned arse wipe. We would soon wipe the Americans asses in the market place. Ponder the possibilities...
At the longest, the golden boy will be Prime Minister of Canada in less than two years. But as the Oracle of Ottawa has predicted, don't be surprised if the writ hits the ground as it is dropped in say the very near future. It is very hard to lose a campaign that consists of ideas whose time has finally come. All the spin doctors and fart catchers of the Prime Ministers Office and / or the Conservative party of Canada cannot even hope to stop that...
All living language is in a condition of constant growth and change. William Dwight Whitney, The Life And Growth Of Language, p. 33
One thing about the Royal Opposition and the Third Party, they know where the weakest link is. And they have certainly been pounding at it in the House of Commons in the past week. Minister Diane Finley of Human Resources and Skills Development certainly has been taking a pounding, not only this past week, but since this Session has started. The members keep constantly asking for some cheese from the hapless Minister, only to find that the particular cheese they are asking for today is just fresh out. And then, like a real poor Eastern Block bouzouki band, the talking points are repeated over and over again. It so reminds the Oracle of Ottawa of the Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch.
Dogbert says: Sorry no cheese....
If you check out the Ministers article on Wikipedia there seem to be some "anomalies". What self respecting career woman keeps her maiden name a secret? Just asking. You always know the article is somewhat "cooked" when it is too brief, and too terse. Especially when a ton of things various are claimed. Doesn't any one look into these things? The Oracle of Ottawa strongly suspects a past that would not probably shine too brightly. And a parentage that more than likely originates from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.
From what the Oracle of Ottawa garnered from watching Question period last week is that there will be tens of thousands more young people unemployed again this summer. The 'Harper Government' has hundreds of millions of dollars to inform you of the Canadian Inaction Plan, but there is no chump change, for a little good old fashioned make work project. But the Minister kept mentioning that there were going to be several thousand more "internships" this summer! Notice that the exact words that she used were internships, not paid internships. And if possible, there will be a marketing press to get Johnny's parents to pay for little Johnny's internship!
It is hard a enough today to be a young lad. But there is nothing worse on a young mans development than to run into an old barren woman with no cheese.
It has only been three days since Justin Trudeau has been leader of the Liberal party of Canada. And already, as Justin predicted, the Conservatives have realized that the elite and truly gifted are back in town and coming for the 'Harper Government''s scalp and whole hide. The Oracle of Ottawa has never witnessed such outright hateful and lowlife ugliness. James Moore has shown his true colors and mark the Oracle of Ottawa, he will pay dearly in stature, now and for the rest of worthless life. What a pig.
Justin Trudeau - Causing panic...
What the western lowlife does not realize is that the uglier the 'Harper Government' gets, the more check books come out and the more money is being sent to the Liberal Party of Canada. Not only that, the Liberals are preparing for their day, which will be along way before 2015, and will last a Kingly long time. The people of the Laurentian Consensus are not done yet. If you thought the Energy Plan of the father was terrible, just wait what the west will be in for when Justin Trudeau is Prime Minister! The only thing that will stalk Alberta is sheep and tumble weeds. The billion dollar tar sand frac towers will be as Roman ruins. And it will never rise up again. Due to technological breakthroughs by the newly revamped National Research Commission. The demand for western beef can be destroyed forever with "free trade" deals with Brazil and New Zealand.
The rightful elite will rule forever more. Canada will quickly regain its true place in the world. The fiasco of the underhanded Temporary Foreign Worker plan, that was the tool of the 'Harper Government' to destroy trade unions and the middle class will be abolished. It must be terrible for the Harper Bund to have to witness their own slaughter in slow motion, as one seat by one seat, the "majority" slides away into oblivion.
The low life conservatives are so outclassed it is funny and yet pathetic to watch. Ministers making up their own science, and yes, it was that "piece of shit" Peter Kent again. I wonder if he must be getting pretty sick of having girls thrash him every day. And then there is the demented Joe Oliver quoting Chinese Communist slogans! You soon understand who is really the boss of the 'Harper Government'. Watch Question Period for yourself, you just can't make this shit up!
Justin Trudeau will be graceful for a while, then, when this guy swings! Look the fuck out... It will be very ugly, and nothing that the 'Harper Government' has ever witnessed before. Just ask that Native Canadian Senator....
A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water. Proverbs, 11:25, NRSV
Once a upon a time in Canada it was a really good roll to be a tradesman. This period was the best from about 1950 up to about 1980. The Oracle of Ottawa remembers, for example, how good it was to be a truck driver way back then. Just someone with a Teamsters card driving someone elses gear, was just outstandingly awesome. A lot of guys that the Oracle of Ottawa knew of made more than most lawyers at the time!
Someday soon Comrade!
Then starting around the 1980's it all took a shit and steep power dive. The big rig union drivers and a lot of other serious well paid trades came in for "Union discipline", and the Oracle of Ottawa has to admit now that it has all been a success. But it is not the success that the upcoming period of "Management discipline" that is soon going to happen, and will never again stop, will be.
The Oracle of Ottawa snorts in utter contempt, when he sees stories on the old vulgar media, going on about the worsening shortage of tradesman in Canada. Why it is all so bad, that some monster corporations my have to fold up and just go out of business! Well, bring it on! The Oracle of Ottawa will certainly enjoy watching that happen. If the whole god damned greed driven employee fucking edifice collapsed in front of my very eyes, the Oracle of Ottawa would come in his pants, and heartily enjoy it.
Now the Oracle of Ottawa keeps hearing a lot about the 50 billion dollar 'productivity gap'. The one that goes on the most about this is Amanda Lang, which left the Oracle of Ottawa in much distress. The back room Bilderberg Group bastards finally got to her. The strange thing is that if you enter the term 'productivity gap' at Wikipedia nothing comes up! It is not a recognized or notable idea in the field of economics! But what does come up is the well recognized and very cited concept of the Productivity paradox. This concept basically states that with all the bull shit technology, and networking, and interconectedness we should be producing our arses off! But the reality is that as more and more of this useless gadget "innovation" becomes available, the average productivity of the Canadian worker continues to fall! Now the Oracle of Ottawa loves such ignorant economics.
The reality is that no one will come out for trades because there is nothing in it for them. Save and except a crummy job that just might pay, someday, above minimum wage. When, and until, the situation returns to full union and worker power, it looks like the managers (manglers?) will soon be building all those tar sand structures and pipelines by themselves. You can't unblock a shitter with a laptop and C++, and you can't drive a big rig with an I-Phone. We don't need any more useless innovation, like a soccer ball that generates electricity(?), or the yappings of the likes of the eternally scummy Kevin O'Leary...the "entre-pren-whore".
If anyone had said to me then that the whole thing would be lost in my lifetime, I would have said that it is not possible to lose so much so quickly without an atomic catastrophe, at least. But lose it we have. Gore Vidal, At Home, Essays 1982-1988, The National Security State, p. 124
Well, it is all in and done. The nutters are all back in the box. President Obama has been returned for a second term. A competent, decent man provided to the world and the United States of America by a merciful and divine Providence. The victory was decisive and final. All the swing states and the popular vote. Upon scanning the less than brilliant moments of several Republican candidates on the miracle of You-Tube, the Oracle of Ottawa wonders at the ability of the great Republic to carry on.
Gore Vidal - So early and so correct...
The Oracle of Ottawas ongoing "Thinking About Thinking" project continues. And recent directions have brought the Oracle to the works of the great Gore Vidal. Described by many of lesser ability as the last American Imperialist. The Oracle of Ottawa is greatly enjoying the discovery of this great American man of belle letters. How can someone have been so consistently right so early is beyond the comprehension of the Oracle of Ottawa.
It was all brought home to the Oracle of Ottawa in the essay "The National Security State" written by Gore Vidal for the Nation, June 4, 1988. Where upon he describes, how at the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the assumption of the presidency by Harry Truman the permanent state of war was enabled in the United States with the introduction of the National Security Act of 1947, enacted in 1950. Known as NSC-68, it is still in force even at this very moment. It requires, as Gore Vidal so clearly describes, up to two thirds of all tax revenues to keep in place. And the described effects upon the social fabric of the Republic have continued in the same direction that Gore Vidal fist observed in the 1980's.
But relief may be at hand. President Obama has this interesting situation that he has inherited called in the media, the "fiscal cliff", the Oracle of Ottawa has provided a link to fill in the details. The right wing wack ball Republicans are hell bent on raising the defense budgets ever higher at the expense of what is left of the social safety net. It seems that the military industrial complex will be fed even if it means total financial and economic ruin.
It appears to the Oracle of Ottawa that a great opportunity has been inadvertently handed to President Obama in his second term, that if acted on will leave him a place in history as lofty as Lincoln freeing the slaves in the time of the Civil War. Why upon further dangerous reflection, the Oracle of Ottawa has come to realize that we are all slaves to the existing military industrial complex and its constant war readiness. President Lincoln freed the slaves, and President Obama could free the whole world of the slavery of fear and raw corporate, mindless, destructive unpredictable military power, and its constant search for new foes
All the President has to do is let that date come and pass. The excessive talk of another recession is to the Oracle of Ottawa somewhat premature, methinks. What the economists are predicting will probably not even come close to happening. Of course if there is a recession, it will certainly be the Republicans fault won't it? A perfect gift of God to the whole world. A chance to drive a wooden stake into the heart of the accursed conservatives, once and for all, forever.
The Oracle of Ottawa is certainly no expert on America, so I have included this clip where upon Gore Vidal himself explains all the details. It is of course most illuminating...
Whatever is the cause of taxes to a nation, becomes also the means of revenue to a government. Thomas Paine, Rights Of Man, p. 165
It was with great shock that the Oracle of Ottawa learned from his CBC supper hour news that the gutting of TV Ontario has commenced. The Oracle of Ottawa finds it riddling strange that the three most popular programs are to axed! The three shows are: Saturday Night At The Movies, Big Ideas, and Allan Gregg In Conversation! Why those are the only shows that the Oracle of Ottawa never misses! What the hell is going on here?
Save TV Ontario!!
The brass at TVO are out to save a crummy two million bucks. Didn't they raise more than that on last years membership drives? Haven't they just shut down 114 old analog transmitters? Why the scrap value there is worth over two million dollars. And do you think that TV Ontario was renting the land for all these transmitters? Hell no! So there is another twenty million at least! And how much was received in bequests and wills in the last ten years? Hmmm, do you dear reader smell a rat? Let the Oracle of Ottawa explain....
It appears to the Oracle of Ottawa that all the cut shows are the favorites of those of left political leanings. What is at work here? Have the corporate over-whores forced their hand through the marketing department or was it through the Prime Ministers Office? Yes sir, it certainly sounds and looks like the F9 monkeys in beanie hats and short pants are at it again.
The greatest brand that TV Ontario has is the interview archive that was assembled by Elwy Yost over his lifetime career at TVO! One hundred years from now people will still be watching those interviews! How much budget does it cost to run stuff you already own? Not much. Not even Hollywood has anything to match it! Yes Saturday Night at The Movies has to go! Cinema is the opiate of the political left, isn't it?
And that show called Big Ideas certainly has to go! We can't have people like Northrop Frye , Noam Chomsky, and Chris Hedges telling the masses the utter and absolute truth can we? It really clashes with the talking points, propaganda and Agenda of a certain middle eastern ethnic group that at present has an insane hold on the Prime Ministers Office. Is The Oracle of Ottawa right or is he right? And heh! Right after Big Ideas the Oracle of Ottawa always gives Allan Gregg his eyeballs most every Saturday night. These three shows are the Saturday nights of countless Ontarians! And have been for decades....
Fire and cut this piece of ____!!!
But the Oracle of Ottawa will not just bitch into the cloud. The Oracle of Ottawa is constructive and has thought of a much better solution of cuts totaling three shows presently on TV Ontario. First cut Mere Cat Manor. Then cut that sickening Time Team, that phony reality show crap trying to be connected to the science and art of archeology! God! The Oracle of Ottawa hates that limey low life bastard that hosts that show... Now for the real money saver! Why just cutting this one show will no doubt save TV Ontario more than two million dollars. Her goes.. Fire that piece of shit, closet neo-con, conservative Steve Paikin! And cancel his bullshit posing show called the Agenda! Public television is no place for "flagship" current affairs, that is the job of the mainline media outlets such as the "state broadcaster", the good old CBC!
So, with the absence of the Agenda, the blogs, the pretentious set and the bullshit guests, that somehow strangely seem to be mostly from one small micro-state in the middle east, TVO should have saved more than two million dollars a year. Then to fill in the time bring me something with real class and substance like Charlie Rose or the old style couch and interview show that we all enjoyed before the Agenda! Now the Oracle of Ottawa is not a vindictive blogger. Steve Paikin should receive a generous severance package and a presentation shot gun set, with matching shower stall, he will know what to do with it, won't he?
Cut this piece of ____ propagandist and his right wing entourage and save TV Ontario!!!
The feudal warranty is, doubtless derived from the ancient duty of the feudal lord to protect his liege man 'with fire and sword against all deadly'. It was of the essence of the feudal bond, that the vassal should be under his lord's protection. Edward Jenks, A Short History Of The English Law, p. 109
Another day, another Sunday. And, as is his want, the Oracle of Ottawa left the confines of his secure bunker to venture to somewhere in the Ottawa Valley, to visit a very distinguished "seasoned citizen". On the way of course, the automobile radio was tuned to Cross Country Checkup ,hosted by the tool of the 'Harper Government' Rex Murphy.Today's topic was about the student demonstrations that have been going on now for weeks in the Province of Quebec. Although the Oracle of Ottawa was trying to give old nervous Rex every benefit of the doubt, it was painfully obvious that Rex was trying to "shape" the message. No doubt at the behest of the Prime Ministers Office.On the next National broadcast that Rex appears on, someone from the vulgar media should ask him straight out; Rex, did you sign the Jimmy Moorepurity pledge?
It is all about the dis-mantling of the social contract...
It is very obvious to the Oracle of Ottawa that the so called "radical students" in Quebec have figured out the whole 'Harper Government' algorithm. Oh yes, they have indeed. To someone outside the province it appears to be such a small matter, and such a small amount of chump change. You see Quebec has free post secondary education. The Premiere of Quebec has decided to charge a small tuition fee. Now the key here is that the fee will make absolutely no difference to the cost of the provincial government. It is all right out of the Bilderberg Group / Illuminati playbook. You start with a small demand, the chumps, expecting reciprocation, agree, hoping to show their good will and a desire to restore peace and order. But the kids in Quebec know what will really happen. As soon as they cave on the first wedge demand, they know that the second bigger demand will soon be coming. They are playing it all perfectly, and the Oracle of Ottawa predicts a long hot summer...
Soon the Oracle of Ottawa reached his destination. Whereupon certain intelligence was related to the Oracle of Ottawa concerning the Conservative Party of Canada or more commonly known as the 'Harper Government'. It seems that there is a huge phone fund raising blitz continuing at a feverish pace. The pitch is that there are many nefarious agents at present saying all kinds of (true) things about the present 'Harper Government' that can simply not be tolerated. Is the 'Harper Government' going to run attack ads against economics? It seems that the NDP revelation, which is totally founded upon fact, that Canada is suffering from Dutch disease, is causing nothing less than total panic at the PMO. Well good luck with that Bubba!
Again, dear reader, it is all about choice, about the fact that you still have (for now) a choice. It seems that a few Canadians do care about these minor things. It appears that a few Canadians are not going to stand idly by, as the long standing social contracts of Canada are dismantled. This simple fact is causing sheer terror and panic in the government of the day. There is another young and hungry party that is ready take power. There is more than a few Canadians that do care.
It seems that the wee banty Jimmy, the all high financial leprechaun is at it again folks. All those deep details that the Opposition is not going to get a chance to debate in the recent "omnibus" budget are surfacing at the finance ministers ill timed and poorly executed press conferences. Today's revelation had to do with unemployment insurance, now known comedically as employment insurance, and they were scary indeed. And right in line with all the rumors that have been recently burning around Ottawa.
Wee Jimmy says; Hail victory...
It seems to the vertically challenged little man, that a poor job is much better than no job! Right out loud. The Oracle of Ottawa could hardly believe his own ears. So, if you are an unemployed temporary teacher say and you become seasonally unemployed, you are now a candidate for a new Canadian manufacturing job, at McDonalds, manufacturing burgers! Or perhaps the teacher could be deployed in the new Canadian high tech sector, as a call center operator!
Wee Jimmy ponders no job...
The Oracle of Ottawa was under the impression that the 'Harper Government' was all about free markets, the absolutely unquestionable choice and power of the decision making of unrestricted free market capitalism! You know the "marketplace" where you could take it or leave it. Well, apparently the Canadian people seem to be getting very good at it. They are simply leaving it! The wee boggy went on about the great pending labor shortages that are affecting all of Canada at present. This is of course an utter and bare faced lie! It is just simply a question of supply and demand. Most Canadian employers refuse to supply the wages demanded by the Canadian workers. So quite simply, many Canadian highly skilled workers are simply going to ground and refusing to apply for E.I. until better days come along.
If we did have a truly capitalistic economy the 'Harper Government' would stand aside and keep their hands off, wouldn't they? But the mask is off now dear readers. It seems that take it or leave it is now going to be reduced to take it or else. You don't need the Oracle of Ottawa to tell you dear reader that this smacks of straight up and base fascism. There is no other word for it. When it comes to push from shove how dare you leave it! In the words of the environment minister Peter Kent, take it or leave it is just a figure of speech like money laundering and is only used in election campaigns...
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. Revelation, 2:2, King James Version.
At the time of this writing the lights at the Preston Manning Center for Democracy are no doubt burning on late into the night. It seems that pissing Prestons Canadian march to the right has hit a little snag. What ever could have went wrong? Well, to the Oracle of Ottawa, it appears that the people of Alberta came to the fork in the road and they took it! History will show that this is the beginning of the end of the scummy 'Harper Government' and all of its scum sucking minions.
Alison Redford - Class beats trash
every time...
The press got it wrong, the Prime Ministers Office got it wrong, the vulgar media and its pollsters also got it wrong. Meanwhile the Oracle of Ottawa at the moment that Alison Redford won the PC leadership, wrote in this humble blog that it was a brilliant choice and the next election would be a doddle. As a matter of fact it was like watching a teaspoon following a steam shovel! That wack ball leader of the Wild Rose Party was so hopelessly outclassed it was great comedy to watch on the vulgar media news shows. And the robo-dialing pollster scum still has Satans cum dripping down their chins, the worthless scum.
What happened here? Simple. The people of Alberta quit answering the phone. The right wing wack balls cannot make up talking points for their leader if you don't tell them what you want to hear! Soon, and sooner than most of us think, there will soon be a full socialist government in Canada. I strongly suspect that it will be illegal to robo-call anyone in Canada for any reason. Wait for it.
The Oracle of Ottawa likes Alison Redford. The Oracle of Ottawa can just sense that royal political jelly of greatness. Plus the Oracle of Ottawa always had a weak spot for a good sturdy woman that scrubs up nice and looks good in pearls. The years ahead will be pretty easy. Danielle Smith will always be in the House for contrast, it will be too easy to look good no matter what....
The corruption of every government generally begins with that of its principles. Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws, Book VII, Chapter 1
Every long lasting social movement has it's standard reference work. Christians have the Bible, the Jews have the Talmud, you get the idea. Revolutions have their documents. If any of you out there thinks that the Occupy Movement that sprung up was just a one off fling of social angst, the Oracle of Ottawa would implore you to re-evaluate your conclusions. Sure as spring time, the Occupy Movement will be up and at it again.
Somewhere in upstate New York at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, the guide book of the Occupy Movement has already been written. I mean, who knew? Not only has the book been written but it is in its fifth edition! The author, Richard H. Robbins is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in of all things anthropology. The title is: Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. It is published by Prentice Hall, and is available in paper edition.
The Oracle of Ottawa happened to stumble upon the latest edition and jumped on it immediately! It starts with the origins of money and the historical roots of the never ending growth economy, its history through time to the present day and most importantly the various side effects of the ever growing economy. Very nicely printed and illustrated, it held the Oracle of Ottawa in a total grip for the whole time that I spent reading it from cover to cover. It is ironic that it takes an anthropology prof to write one of the best books on economics that the Oracle of Ottawa has read in quite a long time.
You will smile sardonically at the ending chapters when the author refers to the "one per cent" and the "ninety-nine per cent". And when you finish reading it you will clearly understand the whole mess of capitalism as it is now deployed, and you will understand that a compound growth economics cannot go on forever against our initial endowment, the planet Earth. You will realize that we are like the old 19th century industrial baron who has depleted his last raw material and is now just realizing that the whole game is up, and is slowly living on his remaining capital hoping that it won't run out before his debtors realize what is exactly going on....
It is important to realize that the market economy, though it is associated historically with the rise of modern private capitalism, is as a mechanism not necessarily limited to that system. Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, p. 223
The Oracle of Ottawa as per good form should not like to say "I told you so", but I do so much love it! All the people who during the last federal election reassured you that there was such thing as the Harper "hidden agenda" are all now firmly ensconed in the Senate, and other boards and tribunals where they are now free to achieve their highest levels of incompetence.
The pigeons of the 'Harper Government' come home to roost!
We have all learned in school that the main responsibility of the Government of Canada is to its citizens. Over the years we have refined that quite a lot, just to make sure that the government of the day stays on the rails. As per earlier posts, the Oracle of Ottawa has schooled his dear readers on the fact and reality that corporations cannot vote. They can no longer buy a government, like in the old days. So you have to wonder why the 'Harper Government' goes so far out of its way to ensure that an entity, that legally can in no way aid or support a government, gets everything it desires as a class! You should be asking yourself, what is in it for the minions of the 'Harper Government' to ensure such good service?
Now everyone that knows about such things of government, knows that to protect our social systems all we have to do is bring back the old corporate tax rates. Yes, some companies will leave Canada, but it will be the ones that we want gone anyway. When the old corporate tax rates are implemented there should be a clause that states; if you want to leave, you are gone forever. If you wish to re-enter and conduct business in Canada in the future you will have to pay a tax of 10% of total assets at the time of originally leaving Canada! It is all too easy!
Old woman wise to the 'Harper Government'...
In Canada we have a wonderful thing called OAS or old age security. It is above and beyond the Canada Pension Plan, but in Canada if you are well off and don't require a pension, you could end up with no government pension at all. It will be "clawed back" completely if your income is over $110,000. All in it is probably the fairest system in the world, next to some exceptions in the European Union.
But the Oracle of Ottawa got a peek into the Tory secret play book, that explains the real reason for the attack on OAS and eventually all other pensions, that will eventually be lowered and if possible, eliminated... In Canada the normal retirement age for a working man is 65 years. A man in Canada has a life expectancy of 78.3 years. The man can expect a retirement of 13.3 years. Now, and this is where it gets very interesting, your blessed Mother who stayed home as a homemaker, can start to get a small pension at the age of 60! Now, the life expectancy of a woman in Canada is 82.9 years! She can look out to a retirement of 22.9 years! Now simply divide 22.9 by 13.3 and you get an answer of 1.72. That is, it costs the 'Harper Government' 1.72 times more to pay a pension to a woman as it does for a man!
Now everyone knows that here in Canada, the greatest gender of poor senior citizens that receive OAS are women! Women do not vote for the Conservatives! So, as far as the 'Harper Government' is concerned, it is a "financial decision". Fuck'em!
Diane "The Fly" Finley learns that a nine man majority, is not really a majority at all...
The sociological truism is that a social order is shored up by its legitimations, which provide the defenses against it's despisers. Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, p. xxvii
It is not news to the Oracle of Ottawa that there is sex-selective abortion going on in Canada. Even out and about in Ottawa, the Oracle of Ottawa sees this all the time. Mostly as per news reports, it is those swarthy, swarmy, greasy East Indians with the peasant Chinese pulling a real close second. Now one living in Canada doesn't really give a rats fuck what goes on in India and China. But what goes on in Canada when this barbaric, feudalistic crap starts taking hold, does matter to me. First of all, we don't want to lose that big and rich European Union tourist dollar and all of our other high end European business! First things first. And if this barbaric shit continues, Canada will lose spots on the next Human Development Index!
Make the Woman valuable...
Every time the Oracle of Ottawa is out and about in his hood, and he chances to spy a banty strutting packie, that is pushing around his infant son, that gives me that look; "can you squeeze off a son like this sahib?" I feel like grabbing that packie piece of shit by the scruff of the neck, look him straight in the eyes and tell him the truth! Hey Ramjam my Navy bitch's aborted more boy childs then you will ever have in a wack of life times alive! Which is true. The Oracle of Ottawa is a real he-man... Ya right... But rather I say to myself; "Ya but, who is your brat going to marry?"...you macho piece of insect shit!
The Oracle of Ottawa is not just one to complain profanely, although, Lord knows, I truly do enjoy it! But as per usual and as per always, I have and will offer a solution! Now this solution can be implemented right away in Canada and in India and in China. Make the woman valuable. Tax the dowry as income! (to the husband...) And I mean at a very high rate, so high that it would just be better to act like the white people and forget all about it. Plus we could pay off the operating deficit and probably the national debt! Woo Hoo!
In Canada we could go a few more steps, since we have a Constitution and the Charter of Rights, I could see the Supreme Court of Canada outlawing dowry on the grounds of discrimination! See sections 7, 8, 12, 13, 26, and finally 28. Oh yes! It will fly! The Oracle of Ottawa has a real feel for these things. perhaps the Liberal Party of Canada could have included this as Liberal policy right up there with the legalization of cannabis? Geez, you guys just keep missing all the easy ones, don't ya?
It is the 21st century! Can you believe that this goes on in a democracy anywhere in the world? Can you believe that this goes on in Canada!??
Paradox is the sharpest scalpel in the satchel of science. Nothing concentrates the mind as effectively, regardless of whether it pits two competing theories against each other, or theory against observation, or a compelling mathematical deduction against ordinary common sense. Hans Christian von Baeyer, Information, The New Language of Science, p. 204
Some journalist I am! I couldn't even cover CPAC on television! Why the debate was so hypnotic that I just dropped the pen and closed the notebook and enjoyed. I will never be the Great Doctor. He could start the day with a six-pack, washed down with a 26 of Wild Turkey, three joints of hash, four amyls, six hits of acid, a full breakfast and somehow could remember every word he ever said and the full conversations of every interview he ever conducted! But alas, at the end he couldn't read his own work, when invited to by Charlie Rose...
What is the new factor Comrade?
Earlier this week when the Canadian Minister of Labour tabled bill C-6 and mentioned the words " final offer arbitration " I damn near puked! I had heard these words before. This was an American thing and you don't hear too many people lining up to have a go with it! And later in the week, during the Great Debate that lasted 58 hours(!), The New Democrat Party made sure that everyone in Canada knew the origin and history of this process of doom! The NDP back bench is very deep in labour law and trade union history!
There was no way that any civil servant advising Lisa Raitt would have suggested such an incendiary process to deal with a labour dispute! So where the hell did this disaster of a game plan originate? After much thought and a few calls the Oracle of Ottawa has discovered the answer! Why the brilliant mind of Steve Harper! The avid hockey fan! They have final arbitration in the National Hockey League here in Canada and the United States! Now that certainly sheds the light of a class I super-nova on the whole matter.
We need an industry salary cap!
There was a litany of hand wringing by the most seasoned and experienced labour lawyers and union officials throughout Canada, all concluding that a major and most dangerous precedent had been set! And they have no idea how correct they are in that conclusion! But, the precedent has been set in the favor of labour! Yes indeed Dear Reader! Every dark cloud does have a silver lining! If the precedent has been set of using sports law in the field of labour law, I would like to be the first in print to remind the Honorable Minister of Labour
that sports law set the precedent of the SALARY CAP!
Now consider each major industrial group in Canada as an individual league... We will start at the top and work down just like the Conservative Party does... You will have the Crown Corporation League, consisting of all the Crown Corporations. Then you will have the Rail and Transport League, Then the Federal Civil Service League, The Provincial Civil Service League, The Power Utility's League... Do you see where this is going? Yes even the Banking and Financial Services League, The Major Manufacturing League...With a little unofficial "final arbitration" union style, we will set THE FACTOR. or the salary cap for the whole industry! Just like a sports team! No problem! The precedent has been set! The greatest gift to labour since the 40 hour five day work week! Thank you Steve Harper and thank you Lisa Raitt!
Every country has its National Sport. In Canada we have ice hockey. The Americans have Major League Baseball. The United Kingdom has cricket... For example in Canada we will simply take the averaged difference of all the lowest paid NHL players and then divide that into the averaged difference of the highest paid NHL players! Ipso presto! You have your factor. We will do this at the end or beginning of each playing season! (Sure would make opening day more exciting wouldn't it?) Say the factor is twenty. That simply means from now on no CEO of any industry in Canada can make more than twenty times the salary of his/her lowest paid player! (i.e. worker...) Is this brilliant or what? Why the implementation of sports law into labour law will allow everyone to further enjoy their respective National Games.
Dear God; Please send the NDP and The Oracle of Ottawa!!
Now all the data already exists in government labour departments and in labour organizations. Along with NDP labour legislation when they form the next government, and the proverbial army of actuary's all the details will be quickly and finally ironed out. Why, we will wonder, didn't any one ever think of this before?
Look upon this as an analogy... The Canadian goalie is the NDP and the Canadian Worker... The other goalie represents the stupid Conservatives!!
