The Eco - Senior

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

30,000 PIGS

Thanks Sylvia

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Tuesday's Vehicle - Man takes on tank in Tiananmen Square

Canada-Europe trade deal not really about trade

The benefits of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s new trade deal are vastly overblown. And, yes, there will be costs.

The devilish details of the just signed Canada-Europe trade pact remain mysterious. Ottawa has released fulsomely enthusiastic briefing notes that don’t tell much. The European Union has been slightly more forthcoming.

But here’s what we do know:

First, as with all modern trade agreements, this one is not really about trade. Yes, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement does remove tariffs on most goods traded between Canada and the European Union. But, with key exceptions — particularly in agriculture — most of those tariffs were low to begin with.

Rather, CETA — like the North American Free Trade Agreement before it — is really concerned with investment, regulation and standards.

With some exceptions, it would give investors on either side the right to demand compensation from any government action that interferes with private profit.

How this would work in practice remains unclear. But it should be noted that a similar provision in NAFTA has been used successfully by U.S. companies to strike down Canadian laws.

Oddly enough, similar attempts by Canadian companies operating in the U.S. have never been successful.

Second, as with NAFTA, there will be unambiguous losers from this deal. The Canada-U.S. free trade arrangement wiped out entire industries in this country, ranging from furniture-making to light manufacturing — all in the midst of a gruelling recession.

The negative effects of CETA promise to be far less sweeping, since there is not much of Canadian manufacturing industry left to destroy.

We know that the new pact will hurt Canadian cheesemakers and, through them, Canadian dairy farmers. Ottawa predicts the new deal will help Ontario carmakers by eliminating tariffs on autos with at least 20 per cent Canadian content.

But it’s equally plausible that the concurrent elimination of Canadian tariffs on European autos could hurt carmakers and their workers here.

Third, the only unambiguous winners on the Canadian side appear to be beef and pork producers. They will get considerably more access to European markets. In most areas of agriculture, however, the EU will be able to continue its current practice of protecting farmers through generous subsidies.

Incidentally, Ottawa’s prediction that the pact will create 80,000 new net jobs throughout the entire economy is entirely bogus, since it is based on the absurd assumption that no one can ever be unemployed.

The truth is that the net job effects of this deal won’t be known for years. But, in the short run, it’s a near certainty that some Canadians will lose their jobs.

http://westcoastnativenews.com/canada-europe-trade-deal-not-really-about-trade/

Showdown Mi'kmaq on Highway 124 - the real story

#IdleNoMore .. The RCMP action was a failure ; they were not prepared for the response of the community to support the warriors after the first predawn raid on the camp; the RCMP abandoned their vehicles then allowed them to burn .. Oct 21st 2013

'Some of the only video from behind police lines, subMedia.tv witnessed the brutal raid by the Royal 'Colonial' Mounted Police on the Mi'kmaq blockade of fracking equipment.'

But the fierce response of the community in defense of the warriors was also captured on camera. The real story about what really went down on Highway 134 and Hannah Rd on un-ceded land.

The story that the corporate mainstream media doesn't want you to see.

The Fracking Song

Feds dragging feet on election fraud legislation, still no sign of bill

Democratic Reform Minister of State Pierre Poilievre has no comment on Elections Canada’s new high-powered advisory board to clean up elections.

Canada’s federal election system is unhealthy and Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand appears determined to fix it, but more than a-year-and-a-half after voting unanimously to create a law to address the robocalls scandal and prevent election fraud, the federal government has yet to table a bill and opposition MPs say they have “absolutely no confidence” one will be implemented in time for the next election campaign.

“We know that that the government is now well over a year overdue for getting legislation before the House. What can possibly excuse them for not having a bill now on the Order Paper and be ready to table it now, given that supposedly it was ready last May before some kind of caucus pushback caused the former minister to pull it back? Why can’t another five months be enough for them to be ready as soon as parliament returns which is now to table its bill? I have absolutely no confidence in this government and there’s nothing the minister has done to suggest he’s worthy of confidence either,” said NDP MP Craig Scott (Toronto-Danforth, Ont.), his party’s democratic reform critic.

http://www.hilltimes.com/news/legislation/2013/10/21/feds-dragging-feet-on-election-fraud-legislation-still-no-sign-of-bill/36354?page_requested=1

Beware voters "The Conservatives are Coming"

Elliott Smith - Miss Misery - Oscar 1998

The 4th marriage

A woman who had been married three times walked into a bridal shop one day and told the sales clerk that she was looking for a wedding gown for her fourth wedding.

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"Of course, madam," replied the sales clerk, "exactly what type and color dress are you looking for?"

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The bride to be said, "A long frilly white dress with a veil."

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The sales clerk hesitated a bit, then said, "Please don...'t take this the wrong way, but gowns of that nature are considered more appropriate for brides who are being married the first time - for those who are a bit more innocent, if you know what I mean? Perhaps ivory or sky blue would be nice?"

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"Well," replied the customer, a little peeved at the clerk's directness, "I can assure you that a white gown would be quite appropriate. Believe it or not, despite all my marriages, I remain as innocent as a first-time bride. You see, my first husband was so excited about our wedding, he died as we were checking into our honey moon hotel. My second husband and I got into such a terrible fight in the limo on our way to our honeymoon hotel that we had that wedding annulled immediately and never spoke to each other again."

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"What about your third husband?" asked the sales clerk.

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"That one was a Conservative," said the woman, "and every night for four years, he just sat on the edge of the bed and told me how good it was going to be, but nothing ever happened."

Thanks Murray P

Immigrants

Thanks Kerry

How true....

Thanks Ellen

Thought for the day

We are always hearing about how Social Security is going to run out of money.

How come we never hear about welfare running out of money?

What's interesting, the first group "worked for" their money... the second didn’t!!?

Thanks Ellen

THE NEVER ENDING SOAP OPERA OF MARGARET & BERT . . . . .

Bert always wanted a pair of authentic cowboy boots, so, seeing
some on sale, he bought them and wore them home.

Walking proudly, he sauntered into the kitchen and said to his wife, "Notice anything different

about me?"

Margaret looked him over. "Nope."

Frustrated, Bert stormed off into the bathroom, undressed and walked back into the kitchen

completely naked except for the boots.

Again he asked Margaret, a little louder this time, "Notice anything different NOW?"

Margaret looked up and said in her best deadpan, "Bert, what's different? It's hanging down today, it was hanging down yesterday, it'll be hanging down again tomorrow."

Furious, Bert yelled, "AND DO YOU KNOW WHY IT'S HANGING DOWN, MARGARET?"

"Nope. Not a clue", she replied.

"IT'S HANGING DOWN, BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING AT MY NEW BOOTS!!!!"

Without missing a beat Margaret replied, "Shoulda bought a hat, Bert.
Shoulda bought a hat."