How a Nation Should Use A Surplus

Anytime you start to compare Canada and the United States, you always get those guys wrapped in the flag who denounce Canada as weak and proclaim their health system as falling apart and hated. And then you might hear a Canadian defend his/her health system and their extremely positive international image. As much as I hate to attract those dam people, I have to talk about the Canadian government’s budget surplus and how I believe they are acting as a prime example of how a stable, mature, and future oriented government SHOULD use their budget surplus. 13.4 billion canadian clams per year is roughly what we’re talking aboot, by the way.

So let’s see, how is the prime minister’s government planning to use it’s surplus:

  1. Personal Taxcuts, specifically including a cut for the lowest income brackets.
  2. Investment in education (brilliant idea not often followed by some!), for research and student funding (39 billion over 6 years)
  3. And for all ye maple syrup producers, a reduction in the corporate tax rate

And actually, before any of those, the biggest reason the Canadian government deserves a bit of respect is that they are one of the very few nations in the world that can balance a budget. Take note EU with your broken budgets, and US with your drunken spending on weapons of mass destruction distraction.

Update and Terrible News from Afghanistan

Brief update from yesterday; the Summit ended in a cloud of shame, disagreement, and protest. I give full credit to the people on the streets of Tunis, especially considering that could be kidnapped and beaten to death by local police.

And then there’s Afghanistan, where people keep dying amidst the typical chaos of post-western-invasion conditions. Earlier this week I noticed the German troop deaths. Tonight I read about the Portuguese deaths. Obviously I believe neither army should even BE THERE to begin with. The Portuguese and German governments should be held accountable as both countries are overwhelmingly against this farse of a war on terrorism, and yet they ignore the will of their citizens while stationing their young people in a war zone with no sign of resolution in sight.

Meh… its friday night and I wanted to write about non war related stuff. But with all the death and destruction orchestrated by national armies all over the world, there’s simply too much to talk about.

Oh and read me on Americunt today as well…

Little Green Laptops for the Poor

I was recently talking with a new friend, in Brussels, who was a frequent visitor to this here blog. And at some point in the discussion she said something that I’ve heard others mention to me as well. – While being critical and pointing out problems is good, coming up with solutions or suggestions will also be good. I felt it was a good point, though I fancy myself a critic above all, and let readers and better minds find solutions… something like that. I digress; I shall strive to pay more attention to solutions and at least glimmers of hope in my blogging.

But it is so hard to find the silver lining when I look at this World Summit on the Information Society. How bright and free can the future for information and society be, when you host the grand event in a one-party dictatorship? And of course, they decided before the meeting even took place, that in fact the regulation of internet domains will continue to be controlled by the American ICANN. You know, so the internet stays American and out of the hands of say – the world. But i guess I should expect nothing more from an event hosted by president Ben Ali who specializes in making journalists disappear and keeping European tourists nice and tan.

But wait— a ray of hope! Yes… if we forget just for a second about world poverty, hunger, injustice, lack of access to clean water, sanitation, shelter, health care, education.. oh the list goes on and on. – If we put all of that aside, the conference has shed light on a wonderful new invention that will bring laptops to the poor! The green machine, as they call it, will be rechargable with a crank, have wi-fi, and run on linux! There ya go little starving, traumatized, war-ravaged congelese youth… now run along and surf the net.

OK I’m using sarcasm, but I do love the idea of the anyone and everyone having computers. I just think there are, oh, a few basic needs that should get the same priority as laptops. But maybe if the summit tried to address those problems the Tunisian secret police would rush in and break all their computers and legs.

Disgust and Shame for the US and the World

I’m feverish and sneezing and soon to pass out from the pill my dear roomate convinced me to take in order to fight this here sickness of mine. But before I collapse, I had to point out one of the most gut wrenching and startling reports about what is going on in Iraq, which was on DemocracyNow today.

History teachers, parents, average citizens… not only in the US but worldwide, should listen to this testimony and tell everyone about it. This cannot go intold. These crimes must not be buried, they must be exposed. This soldier, among all the soldiers who have slowly and bravely come forward, about the crimes they committed and observed in Iraq, their messages must be heard and must make us realize that as citizens, we too are responsible and blood is on OUR hands.

You owe it to yourself and every one of the thousands upon thousands who have died in Iraq over the past 3 years. Listen to this army interrogator tell about how his task was to rifle through the pockets of dead bodies in a warehouse in fallujah. Listen to him talk about how the government expected him to take their finger prints and retnal scan but they had no fingers or eyeballs to be recorded. They had been burned, rotted or eaten away by dogs. Listen to him talk about how they would freeze and starve detainees. How they would break their limbs or induce hypothermia, all in their quest to bring freedom to the middle east.

It reminds me, on the one hand, why I’m ashamed and always will be ashamed to be american. And it also reminds me of how all nations worldwide, including the one I reside in , have blood on their hands. They keep doing business with the US. They love the money and the power and they stand by or participate during attrocity after attrocity. I for one will work my whole life to remind everyone, regardless of nationality, what a terrible distaster every war in history was, especially the one they claimed would bring freedom to the middle east.

After listening to this terrible account, and so many others over the past year about all the destruction and torture, I can only say, I HATE YOUR FREEDOM.

bicyclemark82: The Right of Podcast and Mashup

World Famous dj, mashup artist, and podcaster Tim of Radio Clash joins me to discuss our right to podcast what we want and the conflicts with money, commercials, and laws.

AudioCommunique #82(mp3)
42min+, 80kbps, 24Mb+

Discussed:

Radio Clash’s 1-year anniversary
Adam Curry and EU laws
Mashups Aren’t Selling Anything
Commercial Podcasts Should Pay
Advertizements on the AudioCommunique?
The Future at risk for podcasting
Self-Censorship and the excessive fear of podcasters
Tim and I will podcast til we have long-er beards or we get arrested (beards preferrably)

Music Includes:

Leonard Cohen with Noir Desir – The Partisan
Boards of Canada – Satellite Anthem Icarus
Stereo Total – Joe le Taxi
Dave Mathews – Out of my hands
Vinicius Cantuaria – bootleg I proudly made at Bimhuis last week (and yes I buy his CD’s and go to every show I can ! )