Sheila Fraser has outdone herself today! And she managed not to laugh -- or even grin -- in her interview on CBC with Don Newman. Apparently, besides implicating Gagliano -- Via Rail and Canada Post are implicated. (Note: all mail from the East must go through Montreal's Canada Post). Now, on the news (Don Newman) I hear that there is a movement by our Liberals to initiate a Judicial Enquiry which will ELIMINATE all questions in Parliament on this scandal. How Liberal! They are running scared! And here is one who's been watching and reporting on them for a while. Do link to Paul Get's His Wish!
The Canukistanian -- is in utter glee tonight -- at what we've heard today -- and we know this is only the tip of the corruption iceberg. Link to this!
THEN "Question Period" began and it was a slaughter as Martin, who was Finance Minister through all this mess, tried desperately to beg off by insisting that he didn't know all this was going on.
"There are rules you know -- people are supposed to follow the rules!"
Right Paul -- sure thing!
Why he even went along with the purchase of two Challenger jets ($100,000,000.00) and never a peep out of him until today -- even though he knew -- and because he knew, it should have been obvious that the "rules" weren't being followed. Dammit -- the Canadian Forces have been trying to acquire new choppers for over ten years with no success -- and "Daffy" made that purchase IN NINE DAYS! Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.
Bud: Just Waiting for More! Sheila Fraser (not Tequila Sheila) 3 PM TV Today!
Quote to Note for today:
***"We are NOT here today to discuss comparisons between provinces" -- Judy Sgro, Canada's Immigration Minister.***
The Sky is Falling --Send in the Spin Doctors
This has been an exhausting weekend for the Liberals. They know that a sh**-storm of accusations is coming their way over the "sponsorship" programs in Quebec. It appears the main thing sponsored was the Liberals' re-election. Groupaction, the Quebec firm that was given so much advertising work for the Libs, not only charged for a $550,000 report that didn't exist, but they were also providing kickbacks to Liberal campaigns. However, there are now suggestions that that this scandal is small change. Word is leaking out that the real sum of the corruption might reach $125-million. First, Chretien's nemesis, Beaudoin, the former head of the Business Development Bank, was exonerated by a judge of all trumped-up charges against him -- charges that were spear-headed by Jean Carle, Chretien's old friend. Beaudoin always claimed that Chretien had him fired for exposing the Shawinigate mess. Interestingly enough, Chretien has chosen this time to go to China to visit another bunch of murky business friends. This is ironic, because his association with a bunch of dodgy Chinese businessmen is the next scandal waiting to explode in his face. [See yesterday's post below: Jean Chretien Travels in Powerful Circles There will be more to come on this. NJC ]
It will be instructive to see how Paul Martin handles this. He cannot simply pass it all off to his former boss; after all, he was the financial gatekeeper during the time period. Trying to make scapegoats out of his dismissed cabinet ministers could backfire as well. They have lots of power left in their muskets from years of similar skullduggery in the past. At least Martin's company receiving $161-million in soft loans and grants will make it to the back burner as a question period source of barrage. Have you noticed how Martin starts to stutter when the hard questions zero in on him? This week will turn him into a blithering idiot. I will even stoop to watching CBC/Pravda to catch that.
"We are NOT here today to discuss comparisons between provinces" -- Judy Sgro, Canada's Immigration Minister.
Of course not, Judy. Who wants to hear that the federal contribution to each Quebec immigrant is $3,000, while Ontario gets only $800 per immigrant? This little factoid slipped out while Sgro was announcing a new deal on immigration. This one would see imput from the municipal, provincial, and federal governments. As Dennis Miller, the major of Toronto pointed out, Ontario gets the lion's share of new immigrants to Canada, and of that, 80% of them move to the Greater Toronto area. It was he who brought up this huge disparity in funding. It was as big a shock to me as learning that 70% of all federal funding for amateur sports ends up in Quebec. Even though we mushroom Canadians get tidbits of information on the special treatment Quebec gets from the Feds, we really have no idea of the full extent of this favouritism. But when you consider the huge over-representation of francophones in the federal government, it is only to be expected.
While we fret about the Taliban in Afganistan or the mullahs in Iran our attention is diverted from a far more dangerous enemy. Pakistan is no less a fractured, failed state than Afganistan. Iran in comparison is almost a model of unity. Its fractures are more along ideological lines; while Pakistan is divided by class, ethnic and religious issues -- along with the ideological battle between the modernists and the fundamentalists. And Pakistan has nuclear weapons, which it shakes in India's face. Now we discover that the Father of the Muslim Bomb has been sharing that technology with Libya, Iran, and North Korea (the ultimate rogue state). General Mussharif, President until overthrown, has kindly absolved the traitor of any punishment. This is the same Mussharaf that President Bush has hailed as one of America's best friends in the Muslim world. Until he saw the light (of "shock and awe" in Iraq), he was an ardent supporter of the Taliban and Al-Queda. It is thought that the Pakistani intelligence sector still is -- for the most part.
The crackdown on the Muslim extremist elements has come to naught. The madrassas still pump out virulent hatred for the West and Israel. Considering that there are about 10,000 "ghost schools" that the government supposedly runs; but which are empty of teachers and supplies, the madrassas are the only educational hope for the vast number of peasants. Small wonder that those who can, flee the country. Perhaps we would be wise to pay attention to this country of 150 million people, which could topple into anarchy rather quickly.
While perusing a copy of The New York Times Magazine, I came across an advertisement for a luxury train trip from Bangkok to Chiengmai in the north of Thailand. It stopped in Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand, which is a real gas--old temples and huge reclining Buddhas out in a weed-strewn field. It went on to the River Kwai, which is historically interesting, then up to Lampang, which is a hick town of little interest. Finally, it ends in Chiengmai, which was a charming small city, when I was on the obligatory hippie trip around the world to find my inner self -- and now is a huge city plagued by congestion and the haze of pollution -- but I am sure it is still a treasure. The price of this trip--which used to run early evening to dawn--was pegged at $1,250 per person, return. (Surely, at that price, it takes longer now?)
I took this trip with an American travel buddy in 1977. It was the regular milk run train. But it afforded adventures that I am sure the luxury tourist will never see. Also, the price was something absurd like $35 for a sleeper. Outside Ayutthaya, we saw a peasant kid standing in a rice paddy. As our large window was down, we waved at him. He waved back with his left hand, just as his right hand whiffled a balled up snake at me. It hit me square in the chest. Luckily, the snake was as terrified as I was and slithered off into the corridor. The conductor assured me it was not a rice cobra and suggested a little Mekong rice whisky might be in order. A fine suggestion. Art, being a karate instructor, could not defend me against this insidious attack, but he sure as H*** slammed that window closed quickly. "So much for the smiling Thais," he remarked. Still, the rest of the trip was a great slow-mo window on a delightful country. Every stop featured a different contingent of vendors, many of them children, who would have been captains of commerce in another country. Everything from fried ants (curried) to shrimp puffs to exotic fruits were served up with McDonald's efficiency. The train covered various micro-climates and each stop allowed you to savour the unique costumes and archetechure of the region. As the darkness fell, it was time for more Mekong sundowners and a chitchat with fellow travellers (where language permitted).
Then a good sleep, before pulling into Chiengmai in the cool of the morning. While the luxury crowd probably stayed in the equivalent of the Hilton Hotel--motto: Travel around the world and never leave America; we stayed in the $2 a night Je t"aime bungalows. Set in a jungle area on the outskirts of Chiengmai, it featured howler monkeys that not only whooped at you, but sent coconuts hurling at your tin roof. Very authentic. The evening's climax came after sampling the local vegetable matter -- for its calming effect only, you understand. The monkeys had called it a night, but then we heard this ungodly bullhorn croaking outside our door. Art, assuming his slay-the-dragon stance, cautiously opened the door a crack, while I assumed the smash-it-on-the-head-with-a-whisky-bottle position. There, squatted on the top step, was a frog the size of a basketball. Art then performed the kick-the-door-in-its-ugly-face manouever. We checked out the next day to move into a $2.50 bungalow in the city's moated area. which was next to a secluded Buddhist temple retreat. I stumbled into it one day, and was treated to a warm Pepsi in exchange for a short English lesson. I suspect too that the deluxe tourists have never had the pleasure, while sitting in their expensive hotel bars, of being entertained by the most imaginative whores in the world. Girls who walk in with homemade Girl Scout uniforms and printed cards that say, "Buy one of my cookies--$10", or a cutie who can take your paper beer napkin and within a minute shape it into a copulating couple. Origami--Thai style. If you are more interested in the Thai kick boxing and don't buy--but at least get off on their gig--that is OK.
I cannot end this comparison without mentioning the food element of the rag's tour. Probably to insure the worthies' safety, the dalat nat market is off limits. This is the night market that stretches along the eastern klong side of the moat. Dozens of food vendors show up on bicycles loaded down with their food stuffs and cooking impliments. Rickety tables are set up with stools. Let the feasting begin. Wok-fried oyster omelettes, compete with chicken satay, which in turn must challenge gang gulli gai--literally, so I have been told, whore's chicken curry. None of these delicacies cost anything to a Westerner. Two dollars and you practically have to be wheeled away in a stretcher; you are so full. The plush hotels push the danger bit, so the dumb tourists will eat in their outrageously expensive dining rooms.
Forget the four day luxury tour. For $1,250 US, I will take you on my tour for three months -- well, perhaps not so long at today's prices -- but it will be authentic.
