Sandra Finley

2016-07-10 Water Alert: South Saskatchewan River. Government threatening to cut funding of Meewasin.

 Water  No Responses »
Jul 112016
 

Our network started with a battle to protect the South Saskatchewan River.   We won.

(2006-04-27 Water. Wrap-up statement, Proposed Meridian Dam. Battle won.)

 

The Meewasin Valley Authority is the Mother to that River, the most endangered in Canada.

 

Many thanks to  Susan Lamb:

Hi Sandra,

. . .    The province is threatening to cut its funding which would end the Meewasin Valley Authority as we know it.

There is a grassroots group starting a social media campaign.

I have attached their info plus how to get involved on Facebook, twitter, and change.org.

If there is anything you can do by signing on these sites and passing this information along to your contacts, please do.  . . .

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =  = = = = =

For sure, Susan!

 

NEWS RELEASE

KEEP MEEWASIN VITAL

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2016

Meewasin is favoured by users – walkers, runners, cyclists, bird watchers, tourists, environmentalists, families and people of varied backgrounds and interests. Reader’s Digest Magazine recently named the Meewasin flagship – the Meewasin Trail – one of the top 10 trails in Canada. Visitors to the Meewasin Valley have said that in addition to healthy lifestyles, the top impacts are tourism, marketing/publicity, and economic. Meewasin has received numerous international awards for conservation, and remains a leader on the world stage for the work it does in our community.

This stellar reputation is now under threat and any decrease in provincial level funding will undoubtedly lead to erosion levels that will be difficult at best to rebuild from. In fact provincial funding at higher levels is required to maintain, sustain and enhance this prized asset.

Meewasin’s support from citizens is unparalleled:

  • 88% of residents believe that Meewasin is key to their quality of life.
  • 87% of residents believe Meewasin is a good investment.
  • Meewasin is among the most popular and well-used metropolitan trails in North America.
  • Meewasin gets more than one million visits each year.
  • Meewasin doubles (through private fundraising) every dollar granted by the provincial government.

The goal of the KEEP MEEWASIN VITAL campaign is three fold:

  • Engage citizens in demonstrating openly their value of and support for Meewasin.
  • Encourage our provincial government to sustain and in fact increase funding levels to Meewasin.
  • Motivate Meewasin enthusiasts to get involved by spreading the word, adding your voice and making donations.

Todd Brandt, CEO of Tourism Saskatoon says “Our river, its valley and the associated land resources of the three Meewasin Partners form the critical basis of our destination’s brand. We attract 2.8 million people annually to share and celebrate at our many festivals, events and attractions. Meewasin is a provincial, national and international treasure and needs to be treated as such. Our cultural and economic future is dependent upon it.”

“The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce supports the community effort to sustain the educational programming and riverbank trail support services currently delivered by the Meewasin Valley Authority.” stated Kent Smith-Windsor, Executive Director of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce.

Meewasin is a major contributor to tourism, education, economic development; and the health and vibrancy of our community and citizens and we encourage you to help us keep it intact.

-30-

Media for more information

contact Lorna Shaw Lennox   306-380-5447

keepmeewasinvital@gmail.com

 

 

Get on board with the KEEP MEEWAIN VITAL campaign:

    1. Contact your MLA and tell them how important Meewasin is to you. Visit the KeepMeewasinVital Facebook page if you need information on how to contact your MLA.
    2. Sign the Letter of Support at https://www.change.org/p/show-your-support-for-continued-provincial-funding-for-meewasin
    3. Upload photos, thoughts and ideas about Meewasin to the “Keep Meewasin Vital” Facebook page. Tell us what you do on the Meewasin Trail, in the Meewasin Valley parks, the Meewasin Rink and the South Saskatchewan River.
    4. Join the movement on Twitter @KeepMeewasin
    5. Spread the word to friends, colleagues and neighbours about how important it is to show support for Meewasin by connecting online, signing the letter of support and contacting your MLA.
    6. Organize events – walks on the Meewasin Trail, picnics in Meewasin Valley parks, festivals along the riverbank, canoe treks and more. Tell us what you are doing through Facebook or twitter and we’ll share that information throughout social media.
    7. Contact the chair of the Meewasin Board of Directors and tell her what you think. Contact details below:

Toddi Steelman

Executive Director and Professor

School of Environment and Sustainability

(306) 966-1499

toddi.steelman@usask.ca

 

2016-07-08 Democracy overtaken by Corporatocracy = coup d’état. Citizens fight to regain democracy = Revolution (insurgency) . Corporatocracy fights to hold on = counter insurgency.

 Empowerment, Freedom of Speech. (Remove some wrong postings from category)  13 Responses »
Jul 102016
 

Many of us have concluded that big business is running the show.   We have  corporatocracy,  not democracy.

If that is the case,  by definition,  there has been a coup d’état by stealth in Canada (and in the U.S.).

From  2010-09-13   RCMP identify coup d’etat as threat to Canada, Ottawa Citizen.

“Military historian Edward Luttwak says, “A coup consists of the infiltration of a small, but critical, segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder”, thus, armed force (either military or paramilitary) is not a defining feature of a coup d’état.”

 

Yes – that is what we have.   You know it more intimately if you have been in the trenches fighting

  • to protect your local water supply from pollution or “bottling”,
  • to figure out why we even have to fight against the introduction of GMO wheat when consumers nor farmers want it,
  • or against GMO salmon,
  • or, name your area.

Most Canadians know it – – all you have to do is start a conversation on the subject and the other person will chime in with their concurring observation.

Leonard Cohen sings it , “Everybody knows . . .”

So now we have that on the table,

In Canada today, a “developed” country, we have the communications and means to empower ourselves.

The corporatist situation exists and continues because we accept it:   Simplisticly stated, rulers cannot rule unless we agree to let them rule.  We are much more numerous than they. 

What is the difference between a coup and a revolution? 
With thanks to Nikolay Matyushev

Coup changes government without changing social system i.e. replacing Yanukovich with Poroshenko in Ukraine just substituted one oligarch with another without changing oligarchical Capitalist society.

Revolutions change social systems. Examples are numerous

  • French and English bourgeois revolutions abolished Feudalism / Absolute Monarchy and established Capitalism / bourgeois democracy.
  • Russian revolutions:
    • 1905 – Absolute Monarchy to Parliamentary Monarchy,
    • February 1917 – Monarchy to Republic / bourgeoise Democracy,
    • October 1917 – bourgeoise Democracy to Socialism,
    • 1993 – Socialism to bourgeoise Democracy.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

ELABORATION  (originally a response to Yeoshi).

 

. . . However,  I think you are talking about RESISTANCE  (not The Law).

(I have been twice to the Museum of Non-Violent Resistance in Berlin, and once to Robben Island in South Africa where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.  I think we need to know Resistance better.  There are a number of postings on this blog, for example related to Mahatma Ghandi.  “Empowerment” is a related category.)

What you call the New World Order, I call the Corporatocracy.  We know who the worst offenders in the Corporatocracy are.  The RESISTANCE, the intention to move us onto a different path, to develop better ways, is in response to them.   (Maybe we should be thankful to the Corporatocracy for setting us in motion?!  Ha ha!)

Once we decide we don’t like to be governed by a system that is concentrating all the wealth in the hands of the already-wealthy, that we are absorbing the costs while they offshore their money to avoid kicking in their fair share, – – – the list goes on and on – – – governments that govern on behalf of corporate interests, failure to problem-solve because it might affect “returns on investment”, the huge amounts of money taken from the public purse to benefit these corporations who are corrupt and without scruples, actions that undermine democracy, set citizen against citizen according to race or religion or bank account, destroy the environment . . . Once we decide “no more”, once we no longer agree to be ruled by “them”, the game SHOULD/COULD be over;  we are numerous, they are not.  (Alas!  there are other factors.)

In the world it is not usually one thing or the other, but a combination of factors.  A “both and” situation.  It seems to me that when people understand the role of governance (the transition from more democratic to more corporatist governance and values),  they know that the solutions lie in working together (the many millions of us).

I am reminded – –  Tom Flanagan from the University of Calgary who was closely aligned with the Harper Conservatives was interviewed about the threats to their agenda.   I understood his response to basically say that the forces fighting to stop the poisoning of the water and air, to work aggressively to ameliorate climate change – – the Indians and Environmentalists – –  were weak.   His written analysis:   no danger they would start working together, hence they posed no threat.  I was kind of shocked that he was so far off the mark.  Everything I was witnessing was of the First Nations, Environmentalists, Conservationists and “Survivalists” forming close bonds working together.

We’ve made progress in giving the usurpers the boot.  But first,

LINGUSITICS  (Language is important!):

As discussed in  RCMP identify coup d’etat as threat to Canada, we would be said to be in revolution against the corporatocracy that took away our democracy.

To the usurpers, the ones now ruling (“corporate globalization” is another term used) – –  to them we would be “insurgents”  . . .  or “insurrectionists”.

Those are the names applied by Western media to people who resist in countries outside western democracies.   (People in countries that have been colonized – – they are insurgents against the Colonizers.  But really they are only people trying to take back their countries.)  Yesterday I heard the word “rebels” used.   What are the nuances?   Insurrection – –  insurgency – – revolution  – – .

Insurrection is  an act or instance of rising in revolt,  rebellion or resistance against  civil authority or an established government.    (Is that what is happening in the U.S. today?  the killing of 5 police officers in Dallas, Texas after the long string of black men shot and killed by police? with the recent live-streaming of the killing of Philando Castile)

Insurrectionist – a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions) freedom fighter, insurgent, rebel.    I guess you’d have to say it sure meets the criteria of “armed” if it’s in the U.S.   They are awash in weapons of all kinds, and with lots of people trained and experienced in using them (killing) – – the veterans of year after year, of war after war, going back to Viet Nam and beyond and continuing forward.  

About Insurgency:  When insurgency is used to describe a movement’s unlawfulness by virtue of not being authorized by or in accordance with the law of the land, its use is neutral. However, when it is used by a state or another authority under threat, “insurgency” often also carries an implication that the rebels’ cause is illegitimate, whereas those rising up will see the authority itself as being illegitimate.   …  No kidding!   But moving on,

Yes,  the Corporatocracy is going to fight back because they don’t like to lose their power and control, status and wealth.   The fight-back by the usurpers would be called “counter-insurgency”  – – military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionaries.

See how the language makes the ones who are fighting for democracy into “the bad guys“?   It comes from a history of colonialism, whether European, American or Canadian.   A partial list of excellent leaders, democratically-elected who wished to stop the exploitation by corporate interests backed by a foreign government  is at   2016-03-22  There are two sides to the story. Why do we hear only one?   (Terrorists & Context: CIA – examples Mossadegh, Lumumba, Arbenz, Guevera, Allende).

What was at stake?  (What IS at stake – – it hasn’t changed):

  • people (cheap, impoverished  labour)
  • resources (oil, land for growing mountains of cheap (canned) pineapple to market in first world countries, …)   and
  • environment (poisoning of land, air and water)

Mossadegh, Lumumba, Allende, democratically-elected leaders who fought for the interests of their people,  became dangerous revolutionaries in the eyes of the people in the U.S and their allies.   (Simply through propaganda, through collaborative media.)

The same propaganda tool was attempted by former prime minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives when “environmentalists” became enemies of Canada financed by foreign interests,  as they claimed.   I should be locked up, same as my fellow activists and others by association.

Citizens who challenged the exploitation and poisoning, who stood to defend democracy, became “terrorists” as when the anti-terrorist squad of the RCMP was deployed over the incidents on the EnCana pipeline, Dawson Creek (story on this blog).

Fight for civil rights – – you are threatening the power, control and wealth of a ruling elite and their minions who are very comfortable where they are.

The imperialists use the same tool the Nazis used:  language that creates enemies and bad guys.  Polish people were “vermin”, the justification for Nazi invasion.   Mossadegh, Lumumba, Allende – – –  revolutionaries who had to be eliminated or removed.    “Environmentalists”, people who protest trade deals designed to suit the corporatocracy – –  jail them.

Summary

Spread over a number of years,

  • coup d’état  –  corporatocray infiltrates democracy, takes over the reins of government by stealth using money, revolving doors, quislings and other means  (think SPP)
  • revolution or insurgency  –  (the word carries innuendo of “bad guys”)   Citizens resist, they do not agree that business interests and values should be running the show
  • counter insurgency  –   corporatocracy wants to hold onto power and control.   They mobilize  “a counterinsurgency force” against the forces fighting to restore democracy.

In Canada the counter insurgency includes  (some of you will add your own examples – there are lots more to choose from):

2008-11-28   Follow-up on Montebello, Police provoke Violence at SPP protest (2007)

2012-06-10   G-20 Summit, Toronto. And kettling, a tactic of police.    ALSO   2010-06-24  G20: Canada’s billion-dollar summit mystery, Toronto Star

The Police tactics at Montebello and the G-20 Summit in Toronto were extensions of the counter insurgency against citizen mobilizations over the  World Trade Organization (WTO) which is the Corporatocracy,  the SPP,  in different garb.       Battle in Seattle, WTO, SPP.

It is easier for me,  propagandized as I am to view “the West” as the “good guys”, to use the “insurgency” language for conflict in developing countries (over “There” where the bad guys live, not “Here” in the land of “the Good”) .

When I try to see what is happening in my own country,  it is more difficult.   But after working with our network for more than 15 years, battle after battle, what becomes obvious is the corporate power behind-the-scenes with the accompanying corruption of governance and values.    Corporatocracy’s coup d’état over democracy, insurgency and counter insurgency, are indeed the right words to describe the Canadian (and American) situation.

We need to use the proper LANGUAGE.   The right words bring clarity and the ability to have productive discussion.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 

PROGRESS IN GIVING THE USURPERS THE BOOT:

 

There is more than one way to skin the cat.  As I see it, the Corporatocracy is slowly crumbling under the varied guerilla attacks against them.

1. Many of the UKers who voted to exit the European Union did so because they objected to . . (what?)  ..   they didn’t have a word for it.   The symptoms they gave were those of a Corporatocracy (or New World Order (NWO) as Yeoshi calls it).   The UKers had an opportunity to give the boot to unaccountable, undemocratic corporate governance and they used it.  See  2016-06-29 Post-Brexit results: Is governing by referendum democratic?   Reply to CBC The Current. (Corporatocracy, Linguistics.)     and    2016-07-07 Maude Barlow: Brexit, CETA and the right way to create trade agreements. Corporatocracy.

2.    A non-violent, Rule-of-Law way to take down some of the leadership of the NWO Corporatocracy:   In the wake of the recent UK Iraq War Report, Tony Blair AND the people with whom he launched an illegal War will be again shaking in their boots. They are drawing ever closer to being prosecuted. Roots Action has already launched a petition calling for the prosecution of Blair. Roots is American-based; they see that if we can together push hard so that Blair DOES get prosecuted, then Bush, Cheney and the others will not be far behind. It is worth it for all of us to sign the petition and encourage others to do the same. The link to the RootsAction Petition is on http://sandrafinley.ca/?p=16915.   Take down the leadership.

3. Lockheed Martin Corp plays a central leadership role in the Corporatocracy.  And the lead role in Surveillance and war. As I read it, you (Yeoshi) don’t agree to let them play their leadership role, and I don’t, and hundreds of thousands of others don’t either.   We will not allow the building of detailed files on individual citizens.

4.  The March Against Monsanto is another arm of the rebellion.

5.  All the multiple groups working on the transformation  (from larvae to butterfly) are the health of the new world we are creating.

We have Occupy, Idle No More, Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, the determination not to re-elect the Conservatives under Stephen Harper (a component of the Corporatocracy),  HaveNoFear, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Glen Greenwald, as I say hundreds of thousands, no millions . . . all skinning the cat in their own way. Alongside us, in our way.   The cat won’t survive the insurgency  (the guerilla warfare).

You do not need killing weapons to fight a war.   

Rulers cannot rule unless we agree to let them rule. 

Events tell me We have reached the point where we are no longer willing to be ruled by the corporatocracy.  

The insurgency and counter insurgency in North America have been underway, started decades ago.

We will to have our democracy back.  There are too many of us compared to them,  not to castrate them.

P.S.   Arising from Comments posted below, please see also   2016-07-13 Corporatocracy, Democracy: Be careful what you ask for. … Or, no time for timidity?

2014-03-04 U.S. pushes Canada to loosen privacy laws, Huffington Post

 Privacy of Personal Information; Charter Right; Surveillance; StatsCan Censuses & Surveys  No Responses »
Jul 102016
 

By Daniel Tencer

The U.S. government is prodding Ottawa and some provinces to overhaul their privacy laws and allow Canadians’ personal data to be hosted on U.S. servers.

PAUL J. RICHARDS via Getty Images PAUL J. RICHARDS via Getty Images

In its latest report on international trade barriers, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR) criticized federal and provincial regulations preventing public bodies from storing Canadians’ personal data outside Canada.

The OUSTR took aim at Ottawa’s plan, launched in 2011, to build a unified email system for the entire federal government that would require data to be stored within Canada. That privacy regulation essentially ruled out U.S.-based companies from bidding on the contract. Bell Canada won the $400-million contract last year.

Many data services are moving to cloud-based storage, the U.S. report notes, but Ottawa’s rule “hinders U.S. exports of a wide array of products and services.”

The issue has been a point of contention between the U.S. and Canada for some years, and this is not the first time the OUSTR highlighted its concerns; the previous year’s report contained many of the same criticisms.  As the agency responsible for recommending trade policy to the White House, the OUSTR’s reports are a good barometer of what the U.S. wants from its trade relationships.

Plenary Group

The OUSTR singled out two provinces, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, for their privacy laws that prohibit the export of personal data by government agencies.

But while governments can avoid sensitive data moving through U.S. servers, most Canadians don’t have the same luxury. Some 90 per cent of Canadian internet traffic is routed through the U.S.

The head of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which administers the .ca domain, has suggested Canada build its own internet exchange points to avoid U.S. surveillance.

The issue of cloud-based storage of personal data has raised concerns for years among some Canadian privacy experts. Many point to the controversial USA Patriot Act, the 2001 law passed in the wake of 9/11 that greatly expanded the U.S. government’s ability to monitor communications.

According to OUSTR documents recently obtained by the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, major U.S. corporations have complained to trade representatives about Canadian privacy laws.

Canadian officials were reportedly reluctant to allow data storage in the U.S. due to “privacy concerns stemming from the Patriot Act.”

However, recent revelations about Canada’s cooperation with U.S. electronic surveillance (see here, here and here) have made some privacy experts question whether Canadians’ data is safe from prying U.S. eyes even in Canada.

The European Parliament issued a report earlier this year calling for a review of data-sharing with Canada, which it said was “involved on a large scale in mass surveillance of electronic communications” and may have co-operated with the U.S. on surveillance of EU citizens.

 

2016-07- 07 I Travelled Across Syria And Saw For Myself What Blair’s Actions Caused, R Fisk. & Where Did the American Century Go?, Tom Engelhardt

 George Bush war criminal  No Responses »
Jul 092016
 

In response to:

2016-07-06 Significant development in international efforts to bring GEo Bush & cronies before the ICC: UK Iraq War Report. Former PM Tony Blair disregarded warnings of risks as he built case for military action.

Dianne sent the following.   Many thanks to her.

These are not articles written by Muslim or Russian “enemies”.  They are yet more voices from within the empire itself,  attacking the falsities.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – –

Great post and might add to it with the below.

I Travelled Across Syria And Saw For Myself What Blair’s Actions Caused By Robert Fisk
We brought about the deaths of up to half a million people, most of them Muslims who were as innocent as Blair was guilty.  – http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45056.htm

And somehow I keep getting into more articles that get in the way of my rational thinking.  Actually they make sense and the rest of the world looks crazy.

Where Did the American Century Go? By Tom Engelhardt
Are we still in the American Century?  And if not, whose (or what) century are we in?   – http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45061.htm

 

 

2016-07-07 Maude Barlow: Brexit, CETA and the right way to create trade agreements. Corporatocracy.

 Freedom of Speech. (Remove some wrong postings from category), Trade Deals, PPPs, Integration Canada-U.S.  No Responses »
Jul 092016
 

Maude Barlow explains things so well:

http://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/the-next-ontario/maude-barlow-brexit-ceta-and-the-right-way-to-create-trade-agreements

by  Daniel Kitts

One would expect anti-free-trade activists to cheer the decision of British voters to leave the world’s largest trading bloc. But how do those activists, often on the progressive end of the political spectrum, feel about  how the victorious Leave campaign gained support by stoking anti-immigrant fears?

To discuss this, and how groups opposed to economic globalization see Brexit, I talked to Council of Canadians national chairperson Maude Barlow.

Barlow has been a vocal critic of free trade deals since the 1980s. Today, she and her organization are campaigning against two major trade deals Canada is trying to finalize: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Europe, and the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership.

What was your reaction to Britons voting to leave the EU?

Well, I wasn’t surprised. I knew people who have my sort of politics on both sides, people who said Britain and progressive thinking is better in the EU, and those who said it’s not. But I think something was coming for a shakeup. I could feel the anger building. I do a lot of work in Europe, particularly on CETA and on water privatization issues. And there was a growing feeling coming not just in Great Britain but across Europe that decisions being made by the European Commission, by the European Union and the sort of lobby interests there don’t represent the will of the people.

(INSERT:   Maude describes what I was saying;   but she says it Better!  and from a better perch, right inside Europe.   2016-06-29  P ost-Brexit results: Is governing by referendum democratic? Reply to CBC The Current. (Corporatocracy, Linguistics.)

If I’d have had to bet, I would have said that it would be Remain by a tiny three or four per cent margin, but I’m not surprised that the country is split in two. I think it’s a shakeup that’s going to have huge repercussions.

How do you see it affecting Ontario, if at all?

It’s going to affect CETA, and that’s going to affect Ontario. With Brexit, if it somehow either delays or actually causes the end of CETA, or if it speeds it up, which [federal Minister of International Trade Chrystia] Freeland wants, it’s going to have implications.

All of the [province’s spending] and all of the spending of the municipalities in Ontario will be impacted and challengeable [under CETA]. Over a certain level of spending, [government contracts] all have to be opened up to competition from European companies. So this is new, and this is going to have an impact that we have done very little thinking about. There have been no studies in Canada and no studies in Ontario about the implications for local economies when we’re no longer able to make decisions around protecting local food, protecting local economic development.

Brexit shakes everything up. I think what happened with the U.K. making this decision is that people said: “Love it or hate it, left or right, I want to make these decisions closer to home.”

 Every time Donald Trump speaks against NAFTA, I cringe.

Are you bothered by the fact that in the case of the British referendum rejecting EU membership, victory was achieved mostly by stoking anti-immigrant sentiment?

I think it was mixed. Because I know many, many people on the left, if you will, or so-called progressive movement who voted [to Leave]. I have a friend who spoiled his ballot by saying “I refuse to choose between Westminster and Brussels. I hate them both.”

So yes, you’re absolutely right, there was a lot of racism. It’s just like the split in the United States with the people concerned about trade who support [Donald] Trump and the people concerned about trade who support [Bernie] Sanders. There’s the right-wing, populist, xenophobic , hunker-down-and-get-under-the-covers kind of concern, and there’s the much more, I would say, thoughtful, analytical understanding. But in both cases, we have to admit that economic globalization, these policies of unfettered trade and allowing corporations to write the rules and moving jobs by the millions offshore, and the deregulation and privatization of social security have hollowed out the middle class. And they’re angry.

When the decision is made by bureaucrats far away, the feeling is democracy doesn’t matter. And I think it’s the democracy-doesn’t-matter theme that united people across the political spectrum in the Brexit decision.

There’s a very detailed, progressive economic critique of free trade and globalization. But it seems in this case the xenophobic critique was the more persuasive one to a lot of British voters. Does that give you any concern about the ability of a progressive economic argument against globalization to actually persuade voters?

Absolutely. We’re totally, completely aware of this and this is exactly as it’s unfolding in the United States. Every time Donald Trump speaks against NAFTA, I cringe. Because do I want him on my side? No, I don’t. He’s awful. And he speaks to the worst in people. But we need to fight for that space, and that’s what Bernie Sanders did. He said there’s a critique against what Donald Trump says, but also the kind of globalization that has led some people to support Donald Trump.

When I see people say “You’re either protectionist and xenophobic or you’re for open markets,” I say “No, no, no, no, no. Sorry.” There’s a whole third analysis here that says that we can build trade, and nobody that I know is against trade. We can create trade agreements, but they have to be built on a different set of principles and those principles have to protect the right of governments to regulate. It’s a huge challenge for us to put out that alternative third way. It’s not open markets and globalization versus pull the cover up over your head and hate everybody that doesn’t look like you. There’s a third way.

But is that third way persuasive enough? That’s what I’m wondering. What worked in this instance was the fear.

I’m not sure. I know that got a lot of play, but I have a lot of colleagues and friends in Great Britain and Scotland and Ireland and they tell me the xenophobia of Brexit got more media and there were horrible, racist incidents right after, but that there was much more of a thoughtful analysis among many people who just wanted to bring democracy home.

And there’s a reason there’s a difference between the vote in London and the vote out in the communities. [Smaller communities have] been hollowed out. They don’t have jobs. There’s going to be an anger. And some of that anger is going to go nasty and right-wing and divisive and some of it already [putting forward] a third analysis, a very thoughtful analysis. I can only hope that the better side of our nature will be the side that wins.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Sujata Dey, BJ MBA

Profil

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jul 082016
 

NOTE:  information is from Prabook.org   Who are they?  See   http://catanova.blogspot.ca/2015/05/prabookorg-identity-theft-r-us.html

 

http://prabook.org/web/person-view.html?profileId=837182

Ashu Screen Cap Profile

Click on the Screen Capture above.

TEXT

Ashu M. G. Solo

engineer, mathematician, researcher
Ashu M. G. Solo, Canadian engineer, mathematician, researcher. Achievements include research in creating multidimensional matrix mathematics including multidimensional matrix algebra and multidimensional matrix calculus; research in methods for maintaining power flow to customers during reconfiguration of radial power distribution systems; research in methods for multiobjective optimization of radial power distribution system operations.

Background

  • Solo, Ashu M. G. was born on September 19, 1971 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. United States of America.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University Waterloo, Ontario Canada.

Career

  • Student research assistant Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory University Saskatchewan, 1985—1987. Intern engineer Bell-Northern Research Limited, Ottawa, 1989, Northern Telecom Electronics Limited, Nepean, 1991. Undergraduate research assistant, Very-large-scale integration Group University Waterloo, 1990, hardware design lab, math faculty computing facility, 1992.

Undergraduate research assistant Computer Architecture Laboratory, 1990. Intern engineer Northern Telecommunications Electronics, Nepean, 1991, Allied Signal Aerospace Canada, Etobicoke, 1992, Automation Engineering Associates Limited, Toronto, 1993. Principal Maverick Technologies America Incorporated, since 1994, principal, Research and Development engineer, since 1994.

Principal, instructor Trailblazer Intelligent Systems, Incorporated, since 2007. Information Technology partner Labour Market Opinions, since 2007. Officer cadet Reserve Infantry Canada Army, 1995-1996, Brampton, Ontario.

Major achievements

  • Achievements include research in creating multidimensional matrix mathematics including multidimensional matrix algebra and multidimensional matrix calculus. Research in methods for maintaining power flow to customers during reconfiguration of radial power distribution systems. Research in methods for multiobjective optimization of radial power distribution system operations.

Works

  • Contributor chapters to books, articles to professional journals.

Membership

Fellow: British Computer Society.

Personality

Interests

Kickboxing, martial arts, motorcycling, sports, exercise.

Connections

  • Son of Madan M. and Suman Gupta.
  • mother: Suman Gupta. 
  • father: Madan M.

= = = = = = = = = =

https://thestarphoenix.remembering.ca/obituary/madan-gupta-1083867189

Dr. Madan M. Gupta passed away on November 8, 2021 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from gastrointestinal tract complications.

Condensed Professional Biography of Dr. Madan M. Gupta

At the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Gupta was a distinguished research chair, engineering professor, and founder and director of the Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory. In 2021, Stanford University recognized Dr. Gupta as being within the top 1% of researchers in the world based on his publications.

Dr. Gupta authored or coauthored over 1000 reviewed and published research papers. He coauthored the seminal book Static and Dynamic Neural Networks: From Fundamentals to Advanced Theory. Dr. Gupta previously coauthored Introduction to Fuzzy Arithmetic: Theory and Applications (the first book on fuzzy mathematics) and Fuzzy Mathematical Models in Engineering and Management Science. Both of these books have Japanese translations. Also, Dr. Gupta edited or coedited approximately 20 other research books as well as many conference proceeding books and journal special issues in the fields of his research interests such as adaptive control systems, fuzzy computing, neuro-computing, neuro-vision systems, and neuro-control systems.

In 1990, Dr. Gupta was elected fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his contributions to the theory of fuzzy sets and adaptive control systems and for the advancement of the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. In 1993, he was elected fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) for his contributions to the field of neuro-control and neuro-fuzzy systems. In 2001, he was also elected fellow of the International Fuzzy Systems Association (IFSA) for his contributions to fuzzy-neural computing systems.

In 2014, Dr. Gupta won the Bharat Gaurav Award (translates to Pride of India Award) in recognition of contributions and dedication to worthy causes and achievements. This award was conferred annually by the India International Friendship Society to people who have made outstanding contributions. Also, in 2014, Dr. Gupta won the Hind Rattan Award (translates to Jewel of India Award) in recognition of outstanding services, achievements, and contributions in his field. This award is conferred annually by the NRI Welfare Society of India to selected members of the worldwide Indian diaspora.

In 2018, Dr. Gupta was awarded a Token of Honour award from the IEEE PELS-IES Delhi Chapter. In 2003, Dr. Gupta won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fifth Biannual World Automation Congress as well as an Exceptional Service Award at the International Symposium on Uncertainty Modeling and Analysis (ISUMA).

In 1998, Dr. Gupta was awarded the second Kaufmann Prize Gold Medal for his research in the field of fuzzy logic. This was presented in Reus, Spain by the Fundació per a l’Estudi de la Gestió en la Incertesa (FEGI), which is also known as the Foundation for the Study of Fuzzy Management, and the Sociedad Internacional de Gestión y Economia Fuzzy (SIGEF), which is also known as the International Association for Fuzzy Set Management and Economy. In 1991, Dr. Gupta was the co-recipient of the Institution of Electrical Engineers Kelvin Premium.

Dr. Gupta was elected as a visiting professor and a special advisor in the area of high technology to the European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD), University for Peace, which was established by the United Nations. In 1991, he was invited by the ECPD to visit and lecture at about five industrial and research centers in India.

Dr. Gupta was on the editorial boards of over 15 journals in the field of fuzzy-neural and intelligent systems. Also, he participated in the initiation of some of these journals. He served as a founding member of some international societies such as the International Fuzzy Systems Association (IFSA), North American Fuzzy Information Processing Society (NAFIPS), and Canadian Fuzzy Information and Neural Society (CAN-FINS). He was on numerous research conference committees.

Dr. Gupta’s recent research interests were in the areas of nonlinear control, neuro-vision systems, neuro-control systems, integration of fuzzy-neural systems, neuronal morphology of biological vision systems, intelligent and cognitive robotic systems, cognitive information, new paradigms in information processing, chaos in neural systems, and fuzzy-neural logic in law. He was also developing some new architectures of computational neural networks and computational fuzzy neural networks for application to advanced robotics, aerospace, medical, industrial, and business systems and law. His interest also lay in signal and image processing with applications to medical systems.

Dr. Gupta was born in Lansdowne, India on April 10, 1936. He studied science at University of Allahabad and received his B.E. (Hons.) and M.E. degrees in electronics-communications engineering from the Birla Engineering College (now the Birla Institute of Technology and Science), Pilani, India in 1961 and 1962, respectively. He was awarded the university’s gold medal for being the top graduate. He got married on February 10, 1964. Shortly thereafter, he was awarded a prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship to continue his education in the United Kingdom. As a commonwealth scholar, he received his Ph.D. degree with a specialization in adaptive control systems from the University of Warwick in 1967. Then Dr. Gupta was recruited to be an engineering professor at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada starting in November 1967.

Over the next 54 years, Dr. Gupta was a prolific full-time researcher at the University of Saskatchewan. In the fall of 1998, for his extensive contributions in neuro-control, neuro-vision, and fuzzy-neural systems, Dr. Gupta was awarded an earned doctor of science (D.Sc.) degree by the University of Saskatchewan. In 2010, he was one of only four professors at the University of Saskatchewan who were honored with newly created appointments as distinguished research chairs (now distinguished professors) for “those whose research has contributed significantly to the enhancement of knowledge, whose scholarly activity and accomplishments have enriched selected areas of research, who are recognized nationally and internationally for their impact and leadership, and who set a high standard of research excellence and have demonstrated an outstanding and sustained distinction in research.” Furthermore, Dr. Gupta won a University of Saskatchewan Prime of Life Achievement Award and NSERC Outstanding Merit Award.

Dr. Gupta’s full-time research at the University of Saskatchewan started in November 1967, and he continued doing full-time research as the director of the Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory at the University of Saskatchewan until being hospitalized on October 5, 2021. The University of Saskatchewan previously stopped paying professors when they reached the age of 67. After that, they could pursue leisure activities or keep doing research without pay as professors emeritus. When Dr. Gupta turned 67 in 2003, despite having worked as a researcher and professor at the University of Saskatchewan for 36 years already in 2003, he decided to continue doing research without pay as a professor emeritus because he didn’t believe in retirement and was interested in continuing his research. Dr. Gupta continued doing full-time research without pay as a professor emeritus for another over 18 years at the University of Saskatchewan until he was hospitalized on October 5, 2021. During the over 54 years that Dr. Gupta was a prolific researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, he continuously supervised countless graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Principal Research Contributions of Dr. Madan M. Gupta

1. Contributions to the General Field of Dynamic Sensitivity and Adaptivity in Feedback Control Systems:

1.1 Theory of dynamic sensitivity in adaptive control systems
(dynamics of the parameter perturbation processes);

1.2 Systems modelling and identification, and adaptive state observers;

1.3 Studies on some dynamic properties of nonlinear systems and hierarchical optimization methods;

1.4 Design and stability analysis of adaptive control systems using Liapunov signal synthesis approach and some other related approaches;

1.5 Applications of system identification and adaptive control methods to aircraft and robotics systems.

2. Contributions to the Field of Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy logic Controllers and Fuzzy Neural Networks:

2.1 Fuzzy arithmetic and fuzzy mathematical modelling in engineering and management sciences;

2.2 Mathematical formulation of cognitive uncertainty, mathematics of fuzzy logic, fuzzy- neural morphology, and fuzzy optimization methods;

2.3 Fuzzy logic in the modelling and control of dynamic systems.

3. Contributions to the Field of Dynamic Neural Networks with Applications to Functional Approximations, Fuzzy-Neural Systems, Neuro-Control Systems and Neuro-Vision System with Applications to Robotics Systems:

3.1 Development of dynamic neural networks (DNN)
(new neural architectures, stability analysis, study of chaotic behaviours, and formulation of associative memory);

3.2 Modelling and functional approximation using dynamical neural networks;

3.3 Fuzzy-neural networks with applications to control and vision systems;

3.4 Neuro-control systems with applications to flexible space structures, robotics systems , and tracking problems;

3.5 Neuro-vision systems: theory, motion detection, and processing of dynamic images.

4. Contributions to the Field of Framed Cyclic- Random Processes with Its Applications to the Detection and Diagnosis of Incipient Failures in Cyclic Machines (TISA METHOD):

4.1 Study of framed cyclic random processes;

4.2 Detection and diagnosis of incipient failures in cyclic machines such as turbines, feed water pumps, etc.;

4.3 Development of the TISA (Theta-Invariant Signature Algorithm) for the detection, diagnosis, localization, and quantification of incipient failures in cyclic machines (such as turbines, generators, feed water pumps, etc.).

5. Contribution to the Field of Detection Diagnosis and Prognosis of Early as well as Advanced Ischemic Heart Disease:

5.1 Study of electrocardiac signals under normal and early as well as advanced ischemic cardiac abnormalities;

5.2 Development of the Phase-Invariant Signature Algorithm (PISA) for the detection and diagnosis of Ischemic heart diseases;

5.3 Study of Phonocardiac signals under normal and early as well as advanced i cardiac valvular abnormalities;

5.4 Development of the Phase-Invariant Signature Algorithm (PISA) for the detection and diagnosis of valvular heart problems.

6. Development of Novel Neural Methods for the Analysis of Stability and Design of Robust Controller for Nonlinear Systems:

6.1 The dynamic root-motion approach (DRMA), a novel approach for studying the dynamic characteristic and stability of nonlinear and time varying systems (for both continuous and discrete systems);

6.2 DRMA approach in the design of robust stable neuro-controller with self- learning and adaptive capabilities and for linear and nonlinear systems (both continuous and discrete systems);

6.3 Studying the frequency characteristics, such as bandwidth and damping ratio.

7. Fuzzy-Neural Approach in the Field of Law:

7.1 Mathematical formulation of linguistic description of human perception and cognitive processes using fuzzy arithmetic and fuzzy logic approach;

7.2 Design of fuzzy-neural algorithm (FNA) for individual or group decision making processes;

7.3 Application of fuzzy-neural algorithms (FNAs) in juror’s decision making in the Court of Law and other decision making processes.

General Explanation for People Who Aren’t Engineers of Research of Dr. Madan M. Gupta

Some fields that Dr. Madan M. Gupta did extensive research in are control systems, intelligent systems, computer vision, and biomedical engineering.

A control system uses control loops to manage, direct, command, or regulate the behaviour of other devices or systems. Control systems are used in all kinds of systems including thermostats, industrial automation systems, cars, trucks, airplanes, helicopters, ships, spacecraft, satellites, robots, hard drives, power systems, washing machines, dryers, etc.

Dr. Gupta made many advancements to the theory of control systems, particularly intelligent control systems, adaptive control systems, and nonlinear control systems. These advancements can be used wherever control systems are used.

Intelligent systems theory (also known as artificial intelligence) emulates human or animal intelligence in computers and robots. Intelligent systems are used in all kinds of applications including disease detection, disease diagnosis, drug discovery, other medical applications, data analysis, fake news detection, robot vacuums, robotic lawn mowers, other robots, pattern recognition, image processing, signal processing, voice recognition, self-driving cars, automated flight control, power system optimization, etc. Intelligent systems theory includes branches such as fuzzy logic and neural networks.

Dr. Gupta made many advancements to the theory of intelligent systems, particularly fuzzy logic, fuzzy mathematics, type-two fuzzy logic, neural networks, and higher order neural networks. These advancements can be used in all of the preceding intelligent systems applications. Also, Dr. Gupta made many advancements in applying intelligent systems theory to control systems, pattern recognition, image processing, computer vision, robotics, law, etc.

Image processing and computer vision have applications in self-driving cars, automated parking, collision avoidance, robotics, astronomy, cancer detection from medical imaging, equipment inspection, animal monitoring, other agriculture applications, etc. Dr. Gupta made many advancements to the theory of image processing and computer vision. These advancements can be used in all of the preceding image processing and computer vision applications.

Biomedical engineering involves the development of biological and medical systems and products. Dr. Gupta did extensive research in conjunction with a medical researcher on the detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of early as well as advanced ischemic heart disease using engineering methods including signal processing and a new algorithm.

Other Activities of Dr. Madan M. Gupta

In addition to an accomplished career, Dr. Gupta was a founding member of the Hindu Society of Saskatchewan. While serving as the president of the society from 1983 to 1985, he worked with the Saskatoon community to have the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple built. Dr. Gupta was an avid nonfiction reader, puzzle solver, and gardener. He grew a variety of vegetables and fruits every summer and shared them with his friends. Throughout his life, he was a strict vegetarian and never consumed a recreational substance. He enjoyed attending research conferences and traveling with his family to visit more family in India and explore other destinations around the world. Dr. Gupta was fluent in Hindi, Marwari, and English.

Published on November 25, 2021

2016-07-06 Significant development in international efforts to bring GEo Bush & cronies before the ICC: UK Iraq War Report. Former PM Tony Blair disregarded warnings of risks as he built case for military action.

 Freedom of Speech. (Remove some wrong postings from category), George Bush war criminal  3 Responses »
Jul 062016
 

Finally!  the  UK IRAQ WAR REPORT  (the “Chilcot” Report)  is released.

BACKGROUND  on the 8 – year investigation is at 2015-10-28 I smell gooses cookin’.   Tony Blair, George Bush.     Tony Blair sorry for Iraq war ‘mistakes’ and admits conflict played role in rise of Isis

 

Today’s  Guardian report:   https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/06/tony-blair-deliberately-exaggerated-threat-from-iraq-chilcot-report-war-inquiry    

Note:   you can access the voluminous pages that went into the making of the Report on the Guardian posting.   There is a request asking people to let them know if there are important things they have missed (a crowd-sourcing of work on the reporting of the Report).

 

CHRONOLOGY,  a list of actions in the decades-long international effort to bring these war criminals before the International Criminal Court (ICC),  See  Arrest George Bush. Rule of Law essential to democracy.

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ROOTS ACTION PETITION,  Impeach and Prosecute Tony Blair Now

Click on  http://act.rootsaction.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12370

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LETTERS TO ICC

Have been written in the past.  See the CHRONOLOGY of past actions, link above.

I expect there will be a renewed round of letters to the ICC following the release of this UK IRAQ WAR (CHILCOT) REPORT.

 

2016-07-03 . . . can’t call in an air strike on a warming climate…no military solutions to the most profound problems that are imperilling the planet. … International Crane Foundation in North Korea.

 Climate, Empowerment, Peace or Violence, Sustainability  2 Responses »
Jul 032016
 

“You can’t call in an air strike on a warming climate…There are no military solutions to the most profound problems that are imperilling the planet.

It’s got to be diplomacy,” says former diplomat Daryl Copeland

The interview.   CBC, Sunday Edition,  Michael Enright and Daryl Copeland.   URL below.

Near the end, Enright challenges the idea of working with all nations using North Korea as a case in point;  Copeland defended.

I wanted to reinforce what Daryl Copeland is saying and what Michael Enright was challenging.   The International Crane Foundation has been working in North Korea for 8 years now.   (UPDATE:  See Comments below.)

Why is that relationship with North Korea very successful and what is the value?   The text of my email to The Sunday Edition follows info about the interview.

At bottom is Comment I sent to Daryl Copeland.   He is new to me, I will read his work.  I certainly liked what he said on The Sunday Edition  (I caught the last part).

The solutions to the problems we face are not military and bombing.

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http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/getting-it-wrong-steve-martin-art-curator-in-praise-of-the-donkey-the-biological-clock-canadian-diplomacy-1.3655850/rebuilding-canada-s-foreign-service-after-its-decade-of-darkness-1.3658120 

Rebuilding Canada’s foreign service after its “decade of darkness”. 

Canada’s international reputation used to be as a middle power with a proud history of peacekeeping, and as a leader in environmental causes.

But according to former Canadian diplomat Daryl Copeland, the damage done to Canada’s global presence and influence under Stephen Harper’s Conservative government was profound — and it won’t be healed quickly.

We were always…seen as a helpful fixer, a provider of good offices, and a purveyor of fairly progressive ideas….[We] pretty much cemented for ourselves a place in the world as someone that others liked to have at the table. It was thought that we added value. Even if we couldn’t bring a great pile of guns or money to the game, we certainly brought a lot of talent. And that was widely appreciated, and under Mr. Harper, widely missed. – Former Canadian diplomat Daryl Copeland

Copeland spent 30 years as a diplomat, posted to Thailand, Ethiopia, New Zealand and Malaysia. He’s currently a senior fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and a visiting professor at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the author of Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking International Relations.

101021-daryl-copeland

“You can’t call in an air strike on a warming climate…There are no military solutions to the most profound problems that are imperilling the planet. It’s got to be diplomacy,” says former diplomat Daryl Copeland. (Emily Chung/CBC)

 

Copeland says that while he’s encouraged by the steps the Trudeau government has taken, the “jury’s still out” on whether Canada will truly return to its traditional role as a peacekeeper.

He spoke to Michael Enright about foreign policy, what it will take to restore Canada’s global reputation and why today’s problems require diplomatic, not military, solutions.

Click the button above to hear Michael’s interview with Daryl Copeland. 

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THE EXAMPLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION,  SENT TO THE SUNDAY EDITION

 

Hi Michael,

In response to the discussion about ties with North Korea, a specific example of the value of connection:

The International Crane Foundation’s presence on the Anbyon Plains of southeastern North Korea.

This posting by George Archibald nicely describes how programs that are mutually beneficial can flourish, even in countries under despotic leadership:

https://www.savingcranes.org/travels-with-george-north-korea-2013/      

George is the co-founder of the Int’l Crane Foundation, a Nova Scotian by birth and American through work place (Bariboo, Wisconsin, habitat for whooping cranes).   George mentions that entry to North Korea is through his Canadian passport.

You may know his story, one of determination that the whooping cranes would not become extinct when their population was down to 25 individuals. Between whoopers in the wild and in captivity, the still-tenuous population now has more than 500 individuals, thanks to George’s drive and wisdom in working with people.

The Foundation’s mission later extended to include cranes on other continents – – incredibly beautiful birds might I add, most under danger of extinction. He works “on the ground” empowering local people to live, feed themselves, and in some cases re-learn cultural heritage in which cranes have a focal role.

Nesting grounds, migration routes, habitat – – the requisites that must be in place if the cranes are to survive extinction – – demand that people from various countries work together.   North Korea is included in that list. Red-crowned cranes need the wintering grounds provided by the Anbyon Plains, and in a condition that doesn’t poison them.

George’s description of the Foundation’s work in North Korea (began in 2008) (https://www.savingcranes.org/travels-with-george-north-korea-2013/ ) is testament to the strength in human will power, when it is intelligently, intuitively exercised.  Further, George’s great respect and love for people, whoever they are and wherever they live, is apparent in the description of the work in North Korea.

The particular “scientific” endeavor to save cranes is not “humanitarian” in the form of giving “aid” in the usual understanding of that word.

The particular endeavor serves science, it serves cranes and the environment, while simultaneously being highly humanitarian. The empowerment of individuals, even in North Korea, is desirable and possible.   It can happen through people who are not afraid to go there.

I believe it is through George’s great love of people (and cranes!) that he has been successful in convincing the leadership of North Korea to work with him and the Foundation, that the relationship would be mutually beneficial.   The relationship is in its 8th successful year – – proof enough.   (UPDATE:  see George’s input below in Comments.)

NOTE 1: The Foundation has a modest budget; George is a modest man.   He is 69 years old. Rich Beilfuss recently assumed the role of President and CEO. George remains extremely active in the work.

NOTE 2: I met George when he came to my hometown of Luseland, Saskatchewan. The area is a possibility for re-introduction of whoopers into the wild, into former nesting grounds. I subsequently travelled with a small group under George’s guidance to Bhutan where the Foundation has been active since 1996 to protect the wintering grounds of the black-necked crane.  I was indeed fortunate; it is a high-light in my life.

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SENT  TO DARYL COPELAND, AUTHOR OF “GUERILLA DIPLOMACY”,  HEARD ON THE SUNDAY EDITION

Posted as a Comment on Daryl’s website at:

Science Diplomacy for the Age of Globalization

Hi Daryl,

 

I heard the end of your interview on CBC Sunday Edition, July 3.

 

“You can’t call in an air strike on a warming climate…There are no military solutions to the most profound problems that are imperilling the planet. It’s got to be diplomacy,” says former diplomat Daryl Copeland.

 

I am new to your work, look forward to reading it.

 

Michael Enright questioned the idea of working with countries like North Korea.

 

I emailed the Sunday Edition and posted on my blog to effect YES! Daryl Copeland is right and here’s an example to illustrate,   http://sandrafinley.ca/?p=16884

 

You may or may not know about the International Crane Foundation’s (ICF’s) very successful project in North Korea, began in 2008. Without diplomacy and a wise appreciation of the lives of people, it would not have been possible. It obviously contributes to solutions for environmental, species-extinction problems. It less-obviously contributes to the empowerment and fulfillment of North Koreans, the building of relationships between countries.

 

It is the story of George Archibald, the Canadian behind the ICF, the amazing story of the rescue-from-extinction of the whooping cranes, which became an international effort on behalf of other species of cranes, the environment, and humans.

 

There was not room in the message to The Sunday Edition, to elaborate on a similar story from Bhutan.   Through serendipity I was able to travel there with a group led by George. I stayed a couple extra days, had pre-arranged to meet with The Bhutan-Canada Foundation. That Foundation had been helping to bring education to people in remote and almost inaccessible villages in mountain valleys. You may know how welcome I was as a Canadian – – the people were so grateful for the help Canadians had been bringing, since the 1970s.   On a shoestring budget.   The bit of assistance provided by the Govt of Canada through the years was abruptly ended by the Conservatives under Harper.

 

It was senseless strategy, especially when those cuts are offset a billion times over by increases in the purchases of weapons of war like the F-35 stealth or other bombers at a price tag upwards of $30 billion. Not to mention the money that will go into ships that are equipped for and with killer technology. We have been sucked into the American military-industrial-government-university complex. Overtaken by corporate values and really stupid economic indicators (I am a graduate of a College of Commerce.)

 

While in Bhutan I was incredibly fortunate to also make a small foray into my motivating interest to get to Bhutan: work initiated by former King Jigme at the national and U.N. level, to replace faulty economic indicators used by the West with indicators based on outcomes like the health and happiness of the population and the environment – – identification and measurement of the factors that contribute to the outcomes they want as a society.

 

Canada has played a role: people from the Vancouver Island Health District went to Bhutan some years ago, to help them establish the baseline data for the project.

 

I was invited to a meal.   Among the guests were two deputy ministers (Economy and Education) and a Government employee in Environment. George’s “from the beginning” relationship with Bhutan is through a brother of these officials.

 

Hishey invited us to a family dinner. In my case, so I could pursue conversations about what are very destructive economic indicators in the West (in our ignorance).   I wanted to hear a bit about the experience of the Bhutanese in changing course.

 

Anyhow, there it is. Bless you for your work, your wisdom, and for speaking out.

 

Best wishes,

Sandra

 

2016-07-01 StatsCan Website: Surveys are Mandatory, then Voluntary, then Mandatory. Timeline with Reddit info. Includes consolidated information: surveys are voluntary.

 Rule of Law  3 Responses »
Jul 012016
 

Many thanks to Steve.

His Comment  posted on   2016-06-29   Democracy, the Rule of Law. Victory over StatsCan surveys?

makes it possible to construct the TIMELINE for  StatsCan’s

  • mandatory,
  • then voluntary,
  • then back to mandatory,

status of certain surveys.

The question Victory over StatsCan surveys?   is premised on the Reddit posting that reports the letter received from StatsCan by the citizen who told them he was suing them for harassment over a Survey.

Two weeks later StatsCan sent a letter to the citizen, saying that surveys are voluntary.   The legal action against StatsCan was thereby brought to a halt.

 

As it turns out, the StatsCan letter is not the end of the story.

Steve writes:

Please visit this Stats Can webpage   http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/survey/faq#a3

It outlines their view of legality of various surveys. Along with the Census of Population and the Agricultural census, it still says we are “required” to participate in the Labour Force Survey, Business surveys, Agricultural Surveys………..”pursuant to the Statistics Act.”

Then it says “For other Stats Canada surveys, participation is voluntary.”

Within the last 6 months or less, Stats Canada has reformatted their website. There was a section in the former format that clearly stated “All surveys are voluntary.”

 

First, the TIMELINE.   And then the response to mandatory (or voluntary) to participate “pursuant to the Statistics Act.”

In the following response to the question of  “Citizens have to participate pursuant to the Statistics Act”   I rolled everything into one:   

I think I have covered all the bases now, and in one document (below).

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TIMELINE,  STATSCAN ON SURVEYS:  MANDATORY, then VOLUNTARY, then MANDATORY

 

Re Steve’s statement: Within the last 6 months or less, Stats Canada has reformatted their website. There was a section in the former format that clearly stated “All surveys are voluntary.”

SO the TIMELINE looks something like this:

 

In the Time leading up to March 2016, which includes Oct 2015:

StatsCan website says the Labour Force Survey is mandatory.

OCT 28, 2015. (“8 months ago”)   Reddit:

A frustrated Canadian asks: Has anyone successfully sued Stats Can for harassment?

Statistics Canada has been harassing us to fill out a survey, calling several times per day and refusing to stop even though we have requested them to stop calling several times now.   This is not a census  . . .

MARCH 2016 (“4 months ago”)  Reddit:

The frustrated Canadian updates.

I ended up contacting a lawyer and advised Stats Can that we were seeking legal action and Stats Can sent us a letter a couple of weeks later confirming that the Labour Force Survey is voluntary and have since stopped harassing us on the phone. Which seems to have resolved the problem for us, at least.

MARCH 2016, approximately:

consistent with their letter to the frustrated Canadian, StatsCan changed their website.

Steve read the

section . . . that clearly stated “All surveys are voluntary.”

JUNE 2, 2016

Steve’s information source:  Please visit this Stats Can webpage http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/survey/faq#a3

I (Sandra) did.  When was it last changed?   From the bottom left of page:

Date modified:  2016-06-02

Steve records:

it still says we are “required” to participate in (specified surveys)

 

See   Are StatsCan “surveys” mandatory?   The answer is still No,  Statscan Surveys are voluntary.

StatsCan threatens Canadians with prosecution for acts that are completely legal.

One explanation of their actions:  When threatened with the prospect of explaining their actions to a judge, they changed their tune, Surveys became Voluntary (The Reddit posting about the letter from StatsCan and Steve’s observation of the statement on the StatsCan website).

The consequence is that the Court action is wiped out.  The citizen who started legal action against them for harassment has no claim against them, because they replied:  the survey is voluntary.

StatsCan then, intentionally or not, waits a few months,  before changing their decree back to:  specified Surveys are Mandatory.

It seems to me the story is this:

StatsCan blew it when they got in bed with the wrong people.

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RESPONSE TO SPECIFIED SURVEYS ARE MANDATORY,  “PURSUANT TO THE STATISTICS ACT”?   (NO, THEY AREN’T)

StatsCan does not explain, it just asserts.

JoAnne recorded the explanation she was given.  It is consistent with what I’ve heard from others.    From   2014-05-26 Census, Surveys & Lockheed Martin. More concise argument? (conversation with JoAnne)

StatsCan offers 3 points:

  1. Statistics Canada must collect and compile statistics on various subjects.  These subjects are identified in Section 22 of the Act.  The Labour Force Survey is authorized by paragraph 22 (h) – Labour and Employment.
  2. Section 8 permits the minister responsible for Statistics Canada to order that participation in a survey be on a voluntary basis.  No such order has been signed for the Labour Force Survey, therefore, participation is mandatory.
  3. Section 31 sets out penalties for providing false answers or for refusing to participate in a mandatory survey.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

However,  their points do not make the case:

RE  StatsCan Point 1:

Statistics Canada must collect and compile statistics on various subjects.  These subjects are identified in Section 22 of the Act.   The Labour Force Survey is authorized by paragraph 22 (h) – Labour and Employment.

Agreed – – yes,  the Act gives them the authority.   Section 22 says:  the Chief Statistician shall, under the direction of the Minister, collect, compile, analyse, abstract and publish statistics in relation to  . . .   (labour and employment).

No problem there.   But note that the granting of authority does not give them the right to override Laws.  They still have to do their work WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW.

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RE:  StatsCan Point 2:   (repetition of argument made earlier)

Section 8 permits the minister to order that participation in a survey be on a voluntary basis.  

That is a very contentious interpretation of Section 8.

  • It has not been subject to interpretation by a Court of Law   AND
  • it does not stand up to scrutiny.

Section 8 says:

where such information (i.e. a survey) is requested section 31 (the penalties for non-compliance with a census)  does not apply in respect of a refusal or neglect to furnish the information.

StatsCan says that Section 8 makes all Surveys mandatory but the Minister has the option of making some surveys voluntary through an order-in-council.

Section 8 says the opposite.  

StatsCan says the words mean:  Mandatory:   you have to fill in the survey and if you don’t, you can be prosecuted, fined and sent to jail  (the penalties for not filling in a census).

Which is a ludicrous interpretation of the words.

The precise words are:   section 31 does not apply in respect of a refusal.   Which makes surveys voluntary.   Which also happens to be the title of Section 8,  “Voluntary Surveys”.

The process prescribed by Law for making a Survey mandatory is through an Order-In-Council.

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RE  StatsCan Point 3:

Section 31 sets out penalties for providing false answers or for refusing to participate in a mandatory survey.

Section 31 of the Statistics Act does not say that   (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/s-19/fulltext.html).

We have Section 8 which defines that penalties do not apply in the case of surveys.  They are voluntary.

Section 31 says:     Every person who, without lawful excuse,  

First Point:  If StatsCan has not applied to the Courts and successfully argued for an over-ride of every person’s Charter Right to Privacy of Personal Information – – which it has not – – –  that Charter Right is active.   Plus, that Charter Right (a Constitutional Law), has precedence over the Statistics Act.  So, we have lawful excuse not to fill in a survey if it infringes on our Charter Right.

There is an (a) and (b) to Section 31, following the “Every person who, without lawful excuse”.  In reverse order:

Section 31  (b)   refuses or neglects to furnish any information or to fill in to the best of his knowledge and belief any schedule or form that the person has been required to fill in,

        Second Point:  Am I “required” to fill in a Survey?   Section 8 says that penalties do not apply in the case of Surveys.  They are voluntary.   Which means I am not “required” to fill them in.   Also,  am I “required” to fill in a Survey if it infringes on my and others’ Charter Right to Privacy?    Section 31 says if I have lawful excuse,  I don’t have to fill in the Survey.  Which again means I am not “required” to fill in a Survey that demands personal information.

Which leaves

Section 31 (a)   refuses or neglects to answer, or wilfully answers falsely, any question requisite for obtaining any information sought in respect of the objects of this Act or pertinent thereto that has been asked of him by any person employed or deemed to be employed under this Act

Two thoughts re 31 (a).

  • The first kills it:  the Statistics Act is a lower law.   It is unconstitutional if it infringes on a Charter Right.
  • A principle of Law:  higher Courts strike down Laws that are too general or too broad.  They give Governments too wide a swath, enabling them to make almost any citizen’s actions illegal.  Seems to me that Section 31 (a) fits the bill.   Citizens would have zero privacy rights under this wording, they would have to anwer:   .. any question … (provide) any information … asked by any person employed or deemed to be employed  by StatsCan . . .     I don’t think  31(a)  would stand up to a Court challenge.  .

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INSERT ADDITIONAL,  Feb 2016:  From posting   http://sandrafinley.ca/?p=16207

RE:    former Chief Statistician agrees with the premise of your second reason (Charter Right to Privacy). He states that while the mandatory collection of personal information is in violation of the charter right, however it is a ‘legitimate violation of the right’ (the idea that rights may be rescinded for a social good) because it is a recognized necessity as outlined in the statistics act.

MY REPLY:

Yes, the Government may rescind the rights of an individual.  However,

  1. The Statistics Act does not give the Government the authority to do that.  StatsCan cannot just declare that this is so.
  2. In order to override the Charter Right of an individual, the Government has to pass the “Oakes Test“.

If StatsCan wishes to take away Canadians’ Charter Right to Privacy of Personal Information, it would have to make an application to the Court to do so, supplying the Court with the arguments to satisfy the Oakes Test, and win the Court’s approval.   It has not done that.   So the Charter Right stands.

REFERENCE:

Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 8 Privacy – Case Law: The Queen Vs Plant protects a “biographical core of personal information” from the state. Oakes Test to override.

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FOR PEOPLE NEW TO THE ISSUE:

We have a Charter Right to Privacy of personal information. Anyone who believes that their personal information is secure in the StatsCan data base is extremely gullible  – – –  reference Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald disclosures regarding American surveillance and “back-door” access to data bases, plus the articulated statements that Americans (the NSA, FBI, DofD) want access to ALL the data on Canadians.

We have Lockheed Martin Corp (American surveillance) involved.   See the Travel Expense Claims from the Assistant Chief Statistician:

EXPENSE CLAIMS TELL A STORY

From  http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/about/expense/petermorrison/2010

Morrison, Peter, Assistant Chief Statistician

Travel expenses – 2010

Date Purpose Cost
January 28, 2010 ARCHIVED – Lockheed Martin Steering Committee Meeting $909.88
October 11, 2010 ARCHIVED – Participate at the 2010 Meeting of the International Census Forum and Lockheed Martin Senior Management Steering Committee Meeting $2,062.94

From  http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/about/expense/petermorrison/2009

Morrison, Peter, Assistant Chief Statistician

Travel expenses – 2009

Date Purpose Cost
June 22, 2009 ARCHIVED – To attend the Steering Committee Meeting with Lockheed Martin and visit the United States Data Processing Centre (DPC) site $1,262.61
$684.78
September 7, 2009 ARCHIVED – International Census Forum 2009

 

Democracy: Significance of the Rule of Law

 Rule of Law  No Responses »
Jun 302016
 

Significance of the Rule of Law applies to, for example:

  • the visits of war criminals to Canada
  • the fight to insist that Statistics Canada upholds the Rule of Law in its relationships with citizens
  • the awarding of Government contracts to corporations that act outside the Rule of our Laws
  • fixed election dates
  • vaccine passports

Excerpted from    2009-10-08   Arrest Bush:   Letters to RCMP and Chief of Police.  COMPREHENSIVE argument.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RULE OF LAW

 

 

We are in big trouble if the laws do not apply to those who govern.

Many of us do not appreciate the significance of  The Rule of Law.  We take it for granted.

We don’t stop to think what it would be like if we DO NOT HAVE the rule of law.

We don’t stop to think about WHAT UNDERMINES the rule of law? . . .  If people see that the law applies to them, but not to rich people, they grow to hold the law in disdain.

Unequal application of the law breaks down the rule of law.  The response then, of those who govern, is to invoke martial law, a police state, because people become unruly.

People comply with the law if they see that it is fair and equally applied.  You can have a measure of PEACE in the community if the Rule of Law is upheld.

Many of us do not appreciate that it is the CITIZENS in a democracy who have responsibility for ensuring that the rule of law is upheld.

We don’t bother to understand that World War Two happened because the PEOPLE in Germany, the influential, the educated, the police, the lawyers, and judges DID NOT stand up and speak up when they saw things that were wrong in the application of the laws.

Citizens have to stop things BEFORE they get out of hand. The German people did not do that.  After a certain point, bad actors cannot be stopped, except through the extreme measures of (World) war.

IF YOU BELIEVE that young lives were expended for a good cause in World War Two, then get the hell off your butts and do something to preserve what they fought and died for.

In pre-war Germany, people did not stand up and insist that law-breakers be arrested and tried in courts of true justice.

As bad actors amassed power, they were allowed to break the laws with no fear of prosecution.

“All persons, regardless of wealth, social status, or the political power wielded by them, are to be treated the same before the law.

“The rule of law means that the law is above everyone and it applies to everyone. Whether governors or governed, rulers or ruled, no one is above the law, no one is exempted from the law, and no one can grant exemption to the application of the law.

“The rules must apply to those who lay them down and those who apply them – that is, to the government as well as the governed.  Nobody has the power to grant exceptions.”

People must, of course, KNOW WHAT THE LAW IS, if the rule of law is to be upheld.

We are in big trouble if we are ignorant, because then we are disempowered and at the mercy of bad actors.

The laws as they apply to George Bush for crimes against humanity are spelt out in the letter to the Chief of Police.

We do not have the luxury of being ignorant, and we do not have the luxury of being complacent.

/Sandra

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