TDH Strategies - Solutions For Everyone

September 30, 2004 - British Columbia Tory MP Randy White is either a glutton for punishment, or just the stupidest sitting member of the House of Commons. And Stephen Harper?..well who knows. (click here to continue)

September 29, 2004 - By now, everyone should know about the extensive set of guidelines that the two US presidential campaigns have agreed to for 3 scheduled televised debates. With the Democrats armed with famed Washington D.C. lawyer and Clinton confidante Vernon Jordan, and the Republicans similarly stocked with political heavyweight and former secretary of state James Baker, the two sides in all their infinite wisdom came back with a format contained in...wait for this...32 PAGES of rules and regulations.

° The candidates may not ask each other direct questions, but may
ask rhetorical questions

° TV cameras will be locked into place during all debates. They may,
however, tilt or rotate as needed

     ° There will be no TV cut-aways to any candidate who is not
        responding to a question while another candidate is answering
        a question or to a candidate who is not giving a closing statement
        while another candidate is doing so.

     ° The podiums shall measure fifty (50) inches from the stage floor to
        the outside top of the podium facing the audience and shall
        measure forty-eight (48) inches from the stage floor to the top of
        the inside podium writing surface facing the respective
        candidates...

Mere days after the terms were set, however, CNN is reporting that the major networks are already complaining about the infringement these rules have on their journalistic integrity, and are vowing not to abide by them. Several of the selected moderators have not signed onto the agreement, and the Commission on Presidential Debates is stating that the agreement in regards to the networks is unenforceable.

If John Kerry and his campaign had any gumption, they would follow the lead of the media and throw caution to the wind. Namely, Kerry should use his opening statement to challenge George W. Bush to engage in a debate where the pre-packaged guidelines are mutually agreed to be disregarded. Kerry could come out and state that the only way that the American people would be able to make an educated decision about the candidates is for spontaneity, engagement and rebuttal to be included into the process.

But alas, these three televised programs will be "debates" in name only, and bland and unchallenged rhetoric will provide viewers with little more than sterilized impotency. Which should suit both candidates, each in their own way, perfectly.

September 28, 2004 - John Kerry`s words of the weak, and Bill Graham finally shows his true colour...yellow. (click here to continue)

September 27, 2004 - Defence Minister Bill Graham's foolish logic indicates that any doubts which still remained regarding Canada's participation in the U.S. ballistic missile defence shield have now been shot down, so to speak. (click here to continue)

September 24, 2004 - What happens when your indecisiveness allows for hundreds of thousands of dollars of the public purse to be abused, and ultimately, wasted? Well, first you get a plum job in the Prime Minister's Office, and then you become Ambassador in a warm, tropical place. (click here to continue)

Now while politicians and national figures such as Clarkson should be welcomed wholeheartedly to witness the desperation of the area, the protestors seemed to have some merit behind their objections.

First, with a massive clean-up of the the area by police the night before, Clarkson most definitely got a sanitized version of the streets that she paroled with her entourage. She also only decided to visit sites where interaction with residents were minimized. Why not enter some of the SRO hotels and conduct conversations with some of the affected patrons?

Secondly, in spite of her comments to the media, TDH Strategies' sources who were present on the tour clearly heard the pomposity often associated with Ms. Clarkson emerge in her walkabout. She looked bored and uninterested in her surroundings, was clearly anxious to get it over with, and most importantly, made negative comments as to how similar efforts in Toronto had no effect in combating the systemic problems of poverty and drug addiction.

Clarkson's visit was a positive one...it's just too bad that her unwillingness to get her hands dirty prevented her from seeing the truth of her surroundings.

September 21, 2004 - As far as TDH Strategies can determine, these are the REAL reasons that Christy Clark resigned last week.

Ms. Clark, since her days as a prominent young Liberal on the federal scene, has always had designs on running to become a Member of Parliament rather than a provincial MLA. However, when Gordon Campbell recruited her back 1996, the thought was that he was going to win government after the NDP's Bingogate affair. So, at the time, the opportunity seemed like an immediate path to sitting on the government benches, even if it wasn't in federal politics. That of course did not happen.

She eventually rose to Cabinet when the Liberals took power in 2001, and was generally acknowledged as one of the stars of the new government. It is well known within provincial and federal Liberal circles that Christy has had her eye on the leadership of the party for many years, and has been quietly organizing around that goal in conjunction with her husband Mark Marissen's efforts to put Paul Martin into the PMO.

After being demoted, however, to the thankless portfolio of Minister of Children and Family Development in January, 2004, Ms. Clark began to see the writing on the wall. Gordon Campbell was not going anywhere anytime soon, and was likely to win another term in office (regardless of how many seats were lost to the NDP). She had really reached the pinnacle of what she wanted to accomplish within the provincial realm (outside of the Premiership), and the fall before an election where the Liberals would be reduced in numbers and strength seemed like a perfect time to bow out.

This isn't to say that Clark didn't want to spend more time with her son, but only to suggest that Hamish provided an easy cover for her huge political ambitions (as evidenced by the sympathetic media coverage of her as a courageous mother over the past week).

Look for Christy to take a couple of years with her family, and then step triumphantly back into the political fold by running in Port Moody against young upstart James Moore, a fast rising star from the Conservative benches. Her win should be followed by an immediate injection into Paul Martin's Cabinet.

September 21, 2004 - As Paul Martin steps out onto the world stage, it is unfortunately the trade negotiations between Japan and the United States that provide the most accurate reflection of Canada's weakened international presence. (click here to continue)

September 20, 2004 - So he got the Premiers out of the way, but now he has to face up to the Mayors. And so far, Paul Martin's approach is based entirely on broken promises and deceit. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines? No. Government 3: Rise of the Municipalities. (click here to continue)

September 17, 2004 - One cannot criticize Prime Minister Paul Martin for Quebec's separate health deal with the federal government, especially when Premier Bernard Lord of New Brunswick and Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba lobbied hard to make it happen. But is this new brand of Martin federalism really in the best interests of the country's future? (click here to continue)

September 16, 2004 - BREAKING NEWS! BC Deputy Premier Christy Clark has just resigned, stating that her reasons are:

Ms. Clark has promoted to the press for many years now that her son has been able to accompany her to work, and that she has been able to carry out her duties as a Mother and still fulfill her responsibilities as a high-level Minister.

SO, do not be fooled by these explanations. On the day after a high-profile BC Liberal aide closely associated with Clark and her family gets arrested, this announcement becomes that much more suspicious.

September 15, 2004 - UPDATE: NHLPA Executive Director & General Counsel, Bob Goodenow, has just finished his press conference in response to the owners' decision to lock out the players. Without going into too much detail, Goodenow had no prepared statement, instead choosing to simply answer questions, was quite fuzzy as to what exactly the union's offer solved in terms of the the league's financial grievances, and hid behind the spectre of "non-disclosure" when asked about the union's efforts to examine the contents of the Levitt Report, which details the financial situation of every NHL team.

Overall, a weak performance that seemed to be premised on the assumption that the fans will side with their favourite players over the owners.

September 15, 2004 - One supposes that tendering judgement on Gary Bettman's opening salvo in the commencement of the NHL's labour dispute should be reserved until hearing a response from the NHL Player's Association. However, with acknowledgment of forming an opinion without a proper accounting of facts from the union's point of view, it is hard not to side with the league in this dispute.

After watching the press conference live, and re-reading excerpts from Bettman's speech, it is hard not to interpret the state of the NHL as anything but bleak. Over the past 10 years, player payrolls have increased 230% and player salaries have increase 221%, yet league revenues have only increased by 161%. From Bettman's portrayal (and granted, this is obviously spinned material), the players' union has been nothing but stubborn, belligerent and confrontational in their negotiations with the league.

It is nice to see Bettman put some passion into his job, which tends to be an aspect to serving in the commissioner's office that he often forgets about. The owner's may have been primarily responsible for creating the structure regarding player's salaries, but their current proposals to correct the problem are well within a set of parameters that could reasonably satisfy all interests.

The players need to come down out of their stratospheres of exorbitant incomes and start to understand the realities of basic economics. When the league can lose less money from a lockout then it can from continuing on under the outgoing agreement, something is disturbingly wrong with the status quo.

September 14, 2004 - Confusion and squabbling dominate the pilot edition of Canada's most expensive reality TV show. (click here to continue)

September 13, 2004 - The much anticipated health summit begins today, and the only appropriate response to all the bickering is "ENOUGH ALREADY." Instead, a look at one of the most exciting games in recent memory, and the future of the NHL. (click here to continue)

September 10, 2004 - Chantal Hébert of the Toronto Star provides an interesting look into the horse trading that will begin Monday with the commencement of the health care summit between the Prime Minister and the Premiers. Paul Martin is walking into a political minefield, and he better be armed with enough cash and political acumen to ensure his way across.

September 9, 2004 - PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is once again showing the smarmy side of activism.

But this campaign, which has exhibits that have just hit Canada for a cross-country tour, takes the cake for bad taste. Here is the rationale offered by Virginia-based Jewish PETA activist Matt Prescott, who created the exhibit and apparently had most of his mother's family killed in Nazi camps in Poland.

"Growing up hearing stories of those relatives of mine who died, what I took away from it was that we cannot turn our backs on victims of cruelty just because they're different from us. As a Jew and as somebody who has family who died in these camps, I think there's no better way to honour the memory of those who died and make sure they didn't die in vain."

Words cannot properly describe how utterly disgusting this is. His slain ancestors would really be proud.

September 9, 2004 - As a follow up to the story of a local Vancouver CTV news broadcast which put the face of a 4 year old homicide witness on television, here is an update.

TDH Strategies received a phone call yesterday from one Robert Hurst, the President of CTV News. And after a twenty minute discussion, Mr. Hurst acknowledged the point about respecting the little girl's right to privacy, although he still differed on whether from a newsroom's point of view, her image was necessary to the story at all.

By the end of the conversation, however, our inability to reach a consensus over the incident seemed secondary to the level of class and consideration demonstrated by Mr. Hurst. He was engaging and sympathetic in his follow-up to the original query, and quite extensive in explaining everything from similar moral dilemmas he has encountered to the composition of the CTV Vancouver news room (which he built from the ground up) to the rationale behind the coverage.

The bottom line is, Mr. Hurst went far beyond the call of duty in carrying out a level of accountability that is severely lacking in leadership on the whole, whether in news, politics or business. For this, TDH Strategies not only thanks him, but congratulates him as well.

September 9, 2004 - Here is an absolutely spectacular column from the Toronto Star's Haroon Siddiqui on how George W. Bush "says one thing, does another and often manages the exact opposite of what he intends." Get ready for four more years of this...may God help us all.

September 8, 2004 - There is a disconnect between City Hall and the business community on the retail pot industry in Vancouver, and somewhere between the brazen attitude of the Mayor and the alarmist tendencies of Howe St. et al, there must be a happy go-lucky medium. (click here to continue)

Question: Why then was the 2003-04 budget for for the portfolio of Western Economic Diversification (WED) capped at $351 million, in contrast to the allotment for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), which came in at $439 million? When examining the population discrepancy between the two regions, these numbers are absolutely incredible. Even worse...word is that more money is coming down the pipeline for ACOA. Stay tuned!

September 3, 2004 - 1) With last night's performance, the election is in the bag 2) John McCain is a breath of fresh air 3) The appalling conduct of a local CTV news broadcast (click here to continue)

September 2, 2004 - Note to the Premiers: Make up your damn minds! (click here to continue)

"Do you know Chretien is barely guarded? His police are a joke. I have been like two feet from him and I never had a gun. Lightning quick action and boom, he's a goner."

Looking at the amount of security that has paralyzed New York this week, it is quite a juxtaposition to see how Ministers and/or the Prime Minister move so freely in Canada. Here is hoping something terrible doesn't happen to make the freedom of interaction that we enjoy in this country a thing of the past.

September 1, 2004 - In response to yesterday's commentary, and in particular the paragraph:

"This is not to say that his assessment of how global security has been fostered by the actions of the Bush administration carries more weight than any other Republican - they are weak attempts to justify the great instability that has been caused by Bush's brand of American imperialism,"

here are a couple of excerpts from an interesting email from reader Tim S. Macneil:

"You may be right, of course. However, isn't it possible that President Bush's course of conduct, regardless of whether it was deliberate or merely bumbling, has not so much been a *cause* of the present instability, as it has been, rather, a revelation of that instability? I don't recall the attack on the USS Cole, or the bombings of the US embassies Kenya and Tanzania, or the nail-bomb attack on the Paris Metro, or the first bombing of the World Trade Centre (1993) occurring on President Dubya's watch ... this "crisis" doesn't even just go back to Clinton, as Papa Bush was in Kuwait/Iraq earlier."

"I hope it's clear that I'm not suggesting he's some sort of geopolitical genius whom you misapprehend - as a first sketch, I'd have thought geniuses would not go a-hiking in the geopolitical quicksand, for instance - but his efforts to drain the swamp and get rid of the quicksand (I think that's what he thinks he's doing), can't in any way be said to be "the cause of the quicksand."

To which TDH Strategies can only respond with admiration for the detail (not completely reprinted here) that Tim used to articulate the capricious history of "the arc from Dakar to the Khyber Pass" over the past 2000 years. That being said, the world was not necessarily in the state it currently sits before George W. Bush firmly took a hold of American foreign policy.

On a number of fronts, U.S. unilateralism has created an "US vs. THEM" type of mentality the world over, which has only fanned the flames of instability and global uncertainty. Bush might have been knee deep when the horrors of September 11 interrupted his reading of "My Pet Goat," but his uncontrollable movements since have only exascerbated his further descent into the circumstances that Tim refers to as quicksand.



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About TDH Archived Commentaries Past Projects FAQ Links Contact	September, 2004 Archives September 30, 2004 - British Columbia Tory MP Randy White is either a glutton for punishment, or just the stupidest sitting member of the House of Commons. And Stephen Harper?..well who knows. (click here to continue) September 29, 2004 - By now, everyone should know about the extensive set of guidelines that the two US presidential campaigns have agreed to for 3 scheduled televised debates. With the Democrats armed with famed Washington D.C. lawyer and Clinton confidante Vernon Jordan, and the Republicans similarly stocked with political heavyweight and former secretary of state James Baker, the two sides in all their infinite wisdom came back with a format contained in...wait for this...32 PAGES of rules and regulations. Some of the more ridiculous points from the document include: ° The candidates may not ask each other direct questions, but may ask rhetorical questions ° TV cameras will be locked into place during all debates. They may, however, tilt or rotate as needed ° The candidates shall not address each other with proposed pledges ° There will be no TV cut-aways to any candidate who is not responding to a question while another candidate is answering a question or to a candidate who is not giving a closing statement while another candidate is doing so. ° The podiums shall measure fifty (50) inches from the stage floor to the outside top of the podium facing the audience and shall measure forty-eight (48) inches from the stage floor to the top of the inside podium writing surface facing the respective candidates... Mere days after the terms were set, however, CNN is reporting that the major networks are already complaining about the infringement these rules have on their journalistic integrity, and are vowing not to abide by them. Several of the selected moderators have not signed onto the agreement, and the Commission on Presidential Debates is stating that the agreement in regards to the networks is unenforceable. If John Kerry and his campaign had any gumption, they would follow the lead of the media and throw caution to the wind. Namely, Kerry should use his opening statement to challenge George W. Bush to engage in a debate where the pre-packaged guidelines are mutually agreed to be disregarded. Kerry could come out and state that the only way that the American people would be able to make an educated decision about the candidates is for spontaneity, engagement and rebuttal to be included into the process. But alas, these three televised programs will be "debates" in name only, and bland and unchallenged rhetoric will provide viewers with little more than sterilized impotency. Which should suit both candidates, each in their own way, perfectly. September 28, 2004 - John Kerry`s words of the weak, and Bill Graham finally shows his true colour...yellow. (click here to continue) September 27, 2004 - Defence Minister Bill Graham's foolish logic indicates that any doubts which still remained regarding Canada's participation in the U.S. ballistic missile defence shield have now been shot down, so to speak. (click here to continue) September 24, 2004 - What happens when your indecisiveness allows for hundreds of thousands of dollars of the public purse to be abused, and ultimately, wasted? Well, first you get a plum job in the Prime Minister's Office, and then you become Ambassador in a warm, tropical place. (click here to continue) September 23, 2004 - Is the Liberal leadership race back on? (click here to continue) September 22, 2004 - Protestors greeted Governor General Adrienne Clarkson as she and her husband John Ralston Saul toured Vancouver's downtown eastside yesterday. Now while politicians and national figures such as Clarkson should be welcomed wholeheartedly to witness the desperation of the area, the protestors seemed to have some merit behind their objections. First, with a massive clean-up of the the area by police the night before, Clarkson most definitely got a sanitized version of the streets that she paroled with her entourage. She also only decided to visit sites where interaction with residents were minimized. Why not enter some of the SRO hotels and conduct conversations with some of the affected patrons? Secondly, in spite of her comments to the media, TDH Strategies' sources who were present on the tour clearly heard the pomposity often associated with Ms. Clarkson emerge in her walkabout. She looked bored and uninterested in her surroundings, was clearly anxious to get it over with, and most importantly, made negative comments as to how similar efforts in Toronto had no effect in combating the systemic problems of poverty and drug addiction. Clarkson's visit was a positive one...it's just too bad that her unwillingness to get her hands dirty prevented her from seeing the truth of her surroundings. September 21, 2004 - As far as TDH Strategies can determine, these are the REAL reasons that Christy Clark resigned last week. Ms. Clark, since her days as a prominent young Liberal on the federal scene, has always had designs on running to become a Member of Parliament rather than a provincial MLA. However, when Gordon Campbell recruited her back 1996, the thought was that he was going to win government after the NDP's Bingogate affair. So, at the time, the opportunity seemed like an immediate path to sitting on the government benches, even if it wasn't in federal politics. That of course did not happen. She eventually rose to Cabinet when the Liberals took power in 2001, and was generally acknowledged as one of the stars of the new government. It is well known within provincial and federal Liberal circles that Christy has had her eye on the leadership of the party for many years, and has been quietly organizing around that goal in conjunction with her husband Mark Marissen's efforts to put Paul Martin into the PMO. After being demoted, however, to the thankless portfolio of Minister of Children and Family Development in January, 2004, Ms. Clark began to see the writing on the wall. Gordon Campbell was not going anywhere anytime soon, and was likely to win another term in office (regardless of how many seats were lost to the NDP). She had really reached the pinnacle of what she wanted to accomplish within the provincial realm (outside of the Premiership), and the fall before an election where the Liberals would be reduced in numbers and strength seemed like a perfect time to bow out. This isn't to say that Clark didn't want to spend more time with her son, but only to suggest that Hamish provided an easy cover for her huge political ambitions (as evidenced by the sympathetic media coverage of her as a courageous mother over the past week). Look for Christy to take a couple of years with her family, and then step triumphantly back into the political fold by running in Port Moody against young upstart James Moore, a fast rising star from the Conservative benches. Her win should be followed by an immediate injection into Paul Martin's Cabinet. September 21, 2004 - As Paul Martin steps out onto the world stage, it is unfortunately the trade negotiations between Japan and the United States that provide the most accurate reflection of Canada's weakened international presence. (click here to continue) September 20, 2004 - So he got the Premiers out of the way, but now he has to face up to the Mayors. And so far, Paul Martin's approach is based entirely on broken promises and deceit. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines? No. Government 3: Rise of the Municipalities. (click here to continue) September 17, 2004 - One cannot criticize Prime Minister Paul Martin for Quebec's separate health deal with the federal government, especially when Premier Bernard Lord of New Brunswick and Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba lobbied hard to make it happen. But is this new brand of Martin federalism really in the best interests of the country's future? (click here to continue) September 16, 2004 - BREAKING NEWS! BC Deputy Premier Christy Clark has just resigned, stating that her reasons are: "deeply personal ones," most due to her son who: "changed my life so profoundly. My family needs more of me now." Ms. Clark has promoted to the press for many years now that her son has been able to accompany her to work, and that she has been able to carry out her duties as a Mother and still fulfill her responsibilities as a high-level Minister. SO, do not be fooled by these explanations. On the day after a high-profile BC Liberal aide closely associated with Clark and her family gets arrested, this announcement becomes that much more suspicious. More details as they become available. September 15, 2004 - UPDATE: NHLPA Executive Director & General Counsel, Bob Goodenow, has just finished his press conference in response to the owners' decision to lock out the players. Without going into too much detail, Goodenow had no prepared statement, instead choosing to simply answer questions, was quite fuzzy as to what exactly the union's offer solved in terms of the the league's financial grievances, and hid behind the spectre of "non-disclosure" when asked about the union's efforts to examine the contents of the Levitt Report, which details the financial situation of every NHL team. Overall, a weak performance that seemed to be premised on the assumption that the fans will side with their favourite players over the owners. September 15, 2004 - One supposes that tendering judgement on Gary Bettman's opening salvo in the commencement of the NHL's labour dispute should be reserved until hearing a response from the NHL Player's Association. However, with acknowledgment of forming an opinion without a proper accounting of facts from the union's point of view, it is hard not to side with the league in this dispute. After watching the press conference live, and re-reading excerpts from Bettman's speech, it is hard not to interpret the state of the NHL as anything but bleak. Over the past 10 years, player payrolls have increased 230% and player salaries have increase 221%, yet league revenues have only increased by 161%. From Bettman's portrayal (and granted, this is obviously spinned material), the players' union has been nothing but stubborn, belligerent and confrontational in their negotiations with the league. It is nice to see Bettman put some passion into his job, which tends to be an aspect to serving in the commissioner's office that he often forgets about. The owner's may have been primarily responsible for creating the structure regarding player's salaries, but their current proposals to correct the problem are well within a set of parameters that could reasonably satisfy all interests. The players need to come down out of their stratospheres of exorbitant incomes and start to understand the realities of basic economics. When the league can lose less money from a lockout then it can from continuing on under the outgoing agreement, something is disturbingly wrong with the status quo. September 14, 2004 - Confusion and squabbling dominate the pilot edition of Canada's most expensive reality TV show. (click here to continue) September 13, 2004 - The much anticipated health summit begins today, and the only appropriate response to all the bickering is "ENOUGH ALREADY." Instead, a look at one of the most exciting games in recent memory, and the future of the NHL. (click here to continue) September 10, 2004 - Chantal Hébert of the Toronto Star provides an interesting look into the horse trading that will begin Monday with the commencement of the health care summit between the Prime Minister and the Premiers. Paul Martin is walking into a political minefield, and he better be armed with enough cash and political acumen to ensure his way across. September 9, 2004 - PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is once again showing the smarmy side of activism. First, it was this ad, which alluded to the analogy of the Robert Pickton murders as a means to advance their cause. But this campaign, which has exhibits that have just hit Canada for a cross-country tour, takes the cake for bad taste. Here is the rationale offered by Virginia-based Jewish PETA activist Matt Prescott, who created the exhibit and apparently had most of his mother's family killed in Nazi camps in Poland. "Growing up hearing stories of those relatives of mine who died, what I took away from it was that we cannot turn our backs on victims of cruelty just because they're different from us. As a Jew and as somebody who has family who died in these camps, I think there's no better way to honour the memory of those who died and make sure they didn't die in vain." Words cannot properly describe how utterly disgusting this is. His slain ancestors would really be proud. September 9, 2004 - As a follow up to the story of a local Vancouver CTV news broadcast which put the face of a 4 year old homicide witness on television, here is an update. TDH Strategies received a phone call yesterday from one Robert Hurst, the President of CTV News. And after a twenty minute discussion, Mr. Hurst acknowledged the point about respecting the little girl's right to privacy, although he still differed on whether from a newsroom's point of view, her image was necessary to the story at all. By the end of the conversation, however, our inability to reach a consensus over the incident seemed secondary to the level of class and consideration demonstrated by Mr. Hurst. He was engaging and sympathetic in his follow-up to the original query, and quite extensive in explaining everything from similar moral dilemmas he has encountered to the composition of the CTV Vancouver news room (which he built from the ground up) to the rationale behind the coverage. The bottom line is, Mr. Hurst went far beyond the call of duty in carrying out a level of accountability that is severely lacking in leadership on the whole, whether in news, politics or business. For this, TDH Strategies not only thanks him, but congratulates him as well. September 9, 2004 - Here is an absolutely spectacular column from the Toronto Star's Haroon Siddiqui on how George W. Bush "says one thing, does another and often manages the exact opposite of what he intends." Get ready for four more years of this...may God help us all. September 8, 2004 - There is a disconnect between City Hall and the business community on the retail pot industry in Vancouver, and somewhere between the brazen attitude of the Mayor and the alarmist tendencies of Howe St. et al, there must be a happy go-lucky medium. (click here to continue) September 7, 2004 - So Paul Martin and his Cabinet ride into British Columbia, triumphantly trumpeting the next two days of meetings as a major sign that the West is now being considered on par with the rest of the country. Question: Why then was the 2003-04 budget for for the portfolio of Western Economic Diversification (WED) capped at $351 million, in contrast to the allotment for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), which came in at $439 million? When examining the population discrepancy between the two regions, these numbers are absolutely incredible. Even worse...word is that more money is coming down the pipeline for ACOA. Stay tuned! More on this story as further digging continues. September 3, 2004 - 1) With last night's performance, the election is in the bag 2) John McCain is a breath of fresh air 3) The appalling conduct of a local CTV news broadcast (click here to continue) September 2, 2004 - Note to the Premiers: Make up your damn minds! (click here to continue) September 1, 2004 - Anyone who has spent anytime around the Prime Minister, or as part of the Prime Minister's leader's tour, can back up this statement from a white supremacist, arising from testimony given as part of a human rights tribunal on hate websites: "Do you know Chretien is barely guarded? His police are a joke. I have been like two feet from him and I never had a gun. Lightning quick action and boom, he's a goner." Looking at the amount of security that has paralyzed New York this week, it is quite a juxtaposition to see how Ministers and/or the Prime Minister move so freely in Canada. Here is hoping something terrible doesn't happen to make the freedom of interaction that we enjoy in this country a thing of the past. September 1, 2004 - In response to yesterday's commentary, and in particular the paragraph: "This is not to say that his assessment of how global security has been fostered by the actions of the Bush administration carries more weight than any other Republican - they are weak attempts to justify the great instability that has been caused by Bush's brand of American imperialism," here are a couple of excerpts from an interesting email from reader Tim S. Macneil: "You may be right, of course. However, isn't it possible that President Bush's course of conduct, regardless of whether it was deliberate or merely bumbling, has not so much been a cause of the present instability, as it has been, rather, a revelation of that instability? I don't recall the attack on the USS Cole, or the bombings of the US embassies Kenya and Tanzania, or the nail-bomb attack on the Paris Metro, or the first bombing of the World Trade Centre (1993) occurring on President Dubya's watch ... this "crisis" doesn't even just go back to Clinton, as Papa Bush was in Kuwait/Iraq earlier." "I hope it's clear that I'm not suggesting he's some sort of geopolitical genius whom you misapprehend - as a first sketch, I'd have thought geniuses would not go a-hiking in the geopolitical quicksand, for instance - but his efforts to drain the swamp and get rid of the quicksand (I think that's what he thinks he's doing), can't in any way be said to be "the cause of the quicksand." To which TDH Strategies can only respond with admiration for the detail (not completely reprinted here) that Tim used to articulate the capricious history of "the arc from Dakar to the Khyber Pass" over the past 2000 years. That being said, the world was not necessarily in the state it currently sits before George W. Bush firmly took a hold of American foreign policy. On a number of fronts, U.S. unilateralism has created an "US vs. THEM" type of mentality the world over, which has only fanned the flames of instability and global uncertainty. Bush might have been knee deep when the horrors of September 11 interrupted his reading of "My Pet Goat," but his uncontrollable movements since have only exascerbated his further descent into the circumstances that Tim refers to as quicksand.