(CTV booth, NDP Leadership Convention, Toronto, March 2012)

Korea Moments, episode 3: Trevor

In which Trevor discusses his educational initiative in South Jeolla province-

(abandoned movie theater, city of Kampot, Cambodia, August 2011)

Korea Moments, episode 2: Ben and Jonna

In which two fine folks discuss creating a DIY artspace and eating and cooking vegetarian in Korea.

(Yours (Lauren Walker, Chance Dorland, Jason Tarnowski and David Brown) with Kim Hana, International World Music Festival, Democracy Square, Gwangju, Korea, August 2011)

(Taichung, Taiwan, September 2011)

(outside of Kampot, Cambodia, August 2011)

(Angkor Wat, outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia, August 2011)

(Cambodians protesting in front of the Peace Tower, Ottawa, October 2011)

(the Maccabees Building, Moira, Midtown Detroit, December 2011)

North Korea, early April

With a new rocket primed for the stars, the Kim Jong-un regime flaunts it for the West.
(photo from outside of Andong, South Korea, April 2010)

Korea Moments, episode 1: Julio and Francesco

In which two old friends tell all about some very special memories.

(Old Market, City of Battambang, Cambodia, August 2011)

a series of online comments about Alberta's Wildrose Party

From the comment thread of a Globe and Mail article about Alberta's Wildrose Party.

Commenter Redd Rayne appears to be Kiwi. Here is post 1, in which she offers some historical analysis of the Libertarian hard right in Alberta and Canada:

There is a mountain of research evidence that poll results tend to be biased in favor of the interests of the clients who are funding these polls. This is the dirty little secret that all pollsters share. The corporate media and various radio talk shows are willing accomplices in this sham.

A pollster learns very quickly that the most important factor in polling is the relationship between the pollster and client. The pollster realizes that the client has to be satisfied with the results of the poll. Otherwise, no more business. Human nature being what it is, a pollster understands the client isn't looking for negativity from the poll. So the most critical part of this process is the pollster trying to figure out in advance of the poll, what would make the client happy. The pollsters job is often described as getting paid by clients "to ask a question in a way that you get the right answer."

Those reporting on the poll results never spend a minute telling the audience about the bias of the group releasing the poll, their experience or track record or how they are being used. Polls have become an incredibly effective weapon in the hands of spin doctors. If they can show that a big majority supports their position, the media need only report that the verdict is in, the results are clear and there is no need to examine the underlying premise.

The outcomes themselves become the result of self-perpetuating, self-fulfilling prophecies. Is there anyone out there who still believes that the mainstream media and pollsters are not in active support of the establishment and its candidates in some crooked game of musical oligarchs?


The art of manipulating the herd into doing what is wanted is very old and has become very refined:


"Propaganda must always address itself to the broad masses of the people. All propaganda must be presented in a popular form and must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed. The art of propaganda consists precisely in being able to awaken the imagination of the public through an appeal to their feelings, in finding the appropriate psychological form that will arrest the attention and appeal to the hearts of the national masses."

"Propaganda must not investigate the truth objectively and…must present only that aspect of the truth which is favourable to its own side. The receptive powers of the masses are very restricted, and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand, they quickly forget. Such being the case, all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials and those must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas. These slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea that has been put forward."

An unconscious public is about to be manipulated once more.



Post 2-

Just some of the names associated with this Harper-Wildrose alliance range from Tom Flanagan, once the PM's right-hand ideological advisor and now the Wildrose Party's campaign chairman, to a whole raft a smaller fry, among them, in no particular order:

Vitor Marciano, former federal party chair and Wildrose executive director, now Wildrose candidate in Alberta's so-called Senate election and apparently something like the Wildrose campaign's chief cook and bottle washer.

Ryan Hastman, federal Conservative candidate in the Edmonton-Strathcona riding last year and now Wildrose candidate coach – an appropriate position for the only Alberta Conservative candidate to be beaten by a New Democrat in 2011.

Andrew Constantinidis, former riding president for Rob Anders, the sleepy Calgary West MP and Harper loyalist, now nominated as the Wildrose candidate in the provincial Calgary West riding.

Tim Dyck, another member of Mr. Anders's constituency brain trust, now the Wildrose candidate in Calgary Bow.

Danny Hozak, once the federal Tory constituency association president for the Vegreville-Lloydminster riding, now the Wildrose candidate for Vermilion-Lloydminster.

William McBeath, former operations director for Tory minister Diane Finley in Ottawa, now Wildrose communications director.

Candice Malcolm, once executive assistant to Ms. Smith, later communications aide to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, and now back as some kind of Wildrose operative.

James Johnson, former Alberta regional organizer for the Harper Conservatives, now chief researcher for the Wildrose Legislative caucus.

Hamish Marshall, a former pollster for the federal Conservatives who is now Chief Research Officer of Abingdon Research, creator of a controversial Wildrose push poll.

Through people like Mr. Marshall, Mr. Harper's Conservatives and Ms. Smith's Wildrosers also rely on many of the same political contractors to do their work – specifically Abingdon Research, but also such companies as Go Newclear Productions, the Vancouver digital communications agency associated with the "Ethical Oil" echo chamber, and Rack9, the Edmonton demon-dialling company tied in news reports to the federal robo-calls scandal.

Indeed, a case can be made that at the strategic and technical levels, the federal and provincial neo-Con parties are virtually interchangeable.



Post 3-

"There can be little doubt about why the Harper Conservatives are working so hard for a Wildrose victory: They see Ms. Smith's party as the key to the "reforms," especially in commercialization of public health care, they need a province to enact in order to force privatization onto health systems across the country. In this strategy, a Wildrose government would open the door to privatization, the trade deal with the United States would force the same thing on other provinces, and the Harper Tories could stand aside and say "there was nothing we could do!"

The top zinger is from David Yager, a Wildrose candidate in Calgary.

"We've got to butcher the sacred cow of public health care," says Yager, dubbing the next election "a referendum on the IQ of Albertans."

On any ideas the party approves this weekend Smith says there's nothing she will not be able to defend.]]--Rick Bell, June 25, 2011.


Post 4-

Hamish Marshall is the President and COO of GoNewClear Productions. He is a well-known strategist and activist trainer within Conservative circles, and also served as one of two British Columbia representatives on the federal Conservatives' national council between 2008 and 2010.

He started his political career working for Canadian Alliance MP Joe Peschisolido from 2001-2002, and for the Conservative Party doing outreach for the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition from 2002-2003. He then left his position at the Conservative-Party connected NaiKun Energy in 2006 to work in the Prime Minister's Office as Harper's Manager of Strategic Planning until September 2007. In 2008, he managed polling for the Conservative re-election campaign.

The Ethical Oil-Harper government revolving door doesn't end there. Hamish Marshall is married to EthicalOil spokeswoman Kathryn Marshall, who took over last fall when her predecessor Alykhan Velshi moved into the Prime Minister's Office as the director of planning.

Hamish Marshall, through strategicimperativesonline, has registered 32 websites. Nearly all are connected to EthicalOil.org, the Conservative Party of Canada, and the right wing Alberta Wildrose Alliance Party.]]

"For the pro-tarsands Wildrose Alliance Party, Hamish Marshall hosts both the official party websites, wildroseallancecaucus.ca and wildrosecaucus.ca, as well as numerous Wildrose Party candidate websites. This includes former leader Paul Hinman, and candidates Doug Cooper, Corrie Adolph, Dave Yager, Heather Forsyth, and Richard Dur. Dur is also the Chairman of Policy for Jason Kenney's Conservative Party constituency association."--Emma Pullman, January 16, 2012.

When you vote, you are voting for the whole package, all that is seen and all that is unseen. Complete transparency and full accountability is not even mentioned. Whereas, providing insufficient or deliberately misleading information would be considered illegal in other areas of civil society, in the political arena it is seen as clever and as a virtue.

All of these political bunco artists know full well that accounting for their efforts directly increases their vulnerability. Therefore, it is well known in political circles that:

1. If the citizenry know what they are up to, they may try to stop it.

2. If the public is fully and completely aware of all the alternatives available, they may rationally want to go in another direction.

3. If the people are provided with the fully transparent measurements of the results, the results may seem to be completely inadequate.

Secrecy and a demonstrable lack of any accountability is the shield against all of this. Be extremely wary of those individuals who seek power over you and yet are not fully transparent and accountable. If a full, true, and plain disclosure is not forthcoming you are in the process of being swindled.


Post 5-

No one ever hears anymore, the proud clucking from the neo-liberal shills concerning the New Zealand 'miracle'. Why is that?

Neo-Liberalism is a failure; not just in human terms, but by its own measures. Since the concepts of neo-liberalism were wholeheartedly taken up by Roger & Ruth 26 years ago, up until our current government as the heirs to Rogernomics and Ruthenasia, neo-liberalism has driven down wages as a share of GDP (56% down to 46%), it has massively increased inequality (NZs Gini score gone from 0.27, 13th in world to 0.34, 23rd) and it has stripped workers rights (Employment Contracts, reducing rights to strike etc). But it set out to do that, so those could almost be termed its "successes".

Where it has failed is in growing the pie to make up for the vast majority of us getting a noticeably smaller piece of the pie. Nobody embraced neo-liberalism like New Zealand – we are its ultimate guinea pigs. But what has happened to our GDP per capita? In 1987 we were 22nd in the world. 2007? 32nd. Back in the 1980s, when Nact would have you believe all those workers' rights and industrial unrest were doing terrible things to productivity, it was increasing by 1.3% per year (19th in world). The last 2 decades? 0.9% (22nd).

How about investment? In the G71 in the 70s 14-16% of GDP was invested in production. Under neo-liberalism's business friendly environment, business would naturally invest, right? By 2006 it was down to 6% – and will no doubt have dropped in 2009′s recession. New Zealand has a chronic and acute shortage of productive investment, so its figures probably look even worse. If there's no extra investment, what about R&D spending? We've dropped from 20th to 22nd there, and that's with most of New Zealand's R&D being from the public sector.

It's often thought that neo-liberalism is anti-government. It's not: it wants (and has got) a small strong government that stands up for businesses rights (giving them former state assets, keeping inflation low to keep wealth protected, building them roads and infrastructure for them to use for free etc), to the detriment of the worker (institutionalising unemployment to keep workers hungry, removing their rights with individual employment contracts etc). We still want a strong government – just one that's on the side of the worker (that's over 85% of us after all), creating jobs and investing in our health and happiness, not businesses' profits. Indeed it is a lot about concentrating wealth, in a reaction to the great equalising of wealth that took place in the 50s, 60s and 70s that saw average peoples standard of living more than double.]]--BUNJI, July 06, 2010.

Your Canadian 'miracle' is on its way brought to you by elite academics and corporate think tanks.



Post 6-

"I don't know much about honesty in politics, but I have a lot of close friends who own dishonest politicians."


The puppet and the puppeteers. Same as it ever was. The public, sleep walking as usual, will be manipulated once again in one more sham election that further entrenches the power of the corporate state, the oil lobby, and their very own 'invisible government'. Once again, the political bunco artists end up fooling and fleecing the suckers who just never seem to learn.


"Behind the visible government there is an invisible government upon the throne that owes the people no loyalty and recognizes no responsibility. To destroy this invisible government, to undo the ungodly union between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the task of a statesman." --Teddy Roosevelt

While both parties support industry growth and plan to vigorously defend the oil sands against outside criticism, the Wildrose Alliance is one-upping the Tories on the energy front by fielding 13 candidates (out of a full slate of 87) with oil and gas backgrounds — a deliberate attempt to place more industry experience at the wheel of the province.

In a Wildrose-approved website sponsored by the group, protectthepatch.ca, Ms. Smith pledges to "never again" change the fiscal regime for Alberta's oil and gas industry without consulting with all stakeholders.

The website lists among its oil and gas candidates Chris Challis, former president and CEO of Phoenix Oilfield Hauling Ltd., Andrew Constantinidis, acting CFO of Alberta Oilsands Inc. and David Yager, former president and CEO of HSE Integrated Ltd., an oil services company. Mr. Yager now co-chairs the party's energy policy task force.

"This is one of the problems we have in this province. It's the largest industry in the province, but there is no one from the industry in the legislature."

"From an oil and gas perspective, two pro-energy industry parties would be a good thing for Alberta," said Gary Leach, executive director of the Small Explorers & Producers Association of Canada.]]--Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, March 23, 2012



Post 7-

Harper is merely the first plank in the platform, others are soon to follow. The neo-liberal utopian vision for human cattle and sheep is created from very high above relying on the pay-offs from over a century of psychological and P.R. insights and demonstrates how easily the public is manipulated and managed.

"We know from a century of history a time comes when we Albertans suddenly erupt, and sweep the old group out and bring a new one in."--Danielle Smith, March 02 2011.

More nonsense and sleight of hand for an overly hypnotized and uncritical public. The Fraser Institute/Calgary School useful idiot and corporate proxy is already utilizing both federal and provincial 'conservative' operatives in this cynical shell game to further implement and entrench the neo-liberal agenda that has been at least three decades in the making. The sheep never tire of being sheared and in this case beg for it.

Danielle Smith has long ago aligned her party with the so-called 'big society' ideal, that is:

"To its varied and vocal detractors, the Big Society is an ideological exercise in dismantling the welfare state, a return to Victorian disequilibrium where the many disadvantaged rely on the goodwill of the obliging few."

What we are currently seeing is the top down installation and coronation of the political leadership in this country along with a sham endorsement in a circus style election. Sooner or later, most of the usual suspects make themselves visible; although, some are content to remain invisible so that strings may be pulled without the necessary transparency and accountability that is made available by public oversight.

Some of Danielle Smith's Wildrose leadership endorsements include:

--Betty Unger, Alberta senator-elect, Edmonton

--Link Byfield, Alberta senator-elect and Joanne Byfield, pro-life organizer and activist.

--Candis McLean, Calgary, investigative journalist and documentary producer.

--Tom Flanagan, former federal Conservative campaign manager and author.

--Rainer Knopff, U of C professor and author.

--Gordon Butler, Past President of the Western Stock Growers' Association and Property Rights Advocate.

--Ezra Levant, Western Standard Publisher.

--Barry Cooper, Professor of Political Science, U of C.

--David Chatters Reform Party/Conservative MP for Athabasca and Westlock-St. Paul, 1993 -2006

--Phil Klein, Edmonton, (Ralph's father)


Ah yes, politics in the Alberta backwater, same as it ever was:

Rule by the oil lobby, Calgary School academics and their prodigy, along with the Fraser Institute, various other corporate lobby/think tanks, and the corporate media, with the electorate, once more, led around by the nose.

I mean, is it that hard to understand?



Post 8-

This has been the plan all along has it not? Danielle Smith, a relatively unknown creature formed in the Calgary School/Fraser Institute nursery and presented in the corporate media as the premier in waiting.

The sham is a little much. In order to further push through the corporate centered neo-liberal agenda, the game board needs to be rearranged slightly. Anyone who has been paying attention knew this was coming 30 years ago. Continual venting on the corporate sponsored talk shows and propaganda organs such as Sun media have long propagated the evils of government and the virtues of the unfettered business enterprise, all the while carefully avoiding to mention the disasters that have unfolded. New Zealand was once touted as a great free market miracle and as an example for Alberta to follow. The example is studiously and most carefully avoided these days.

Much money, time, and effort has been invested in individuals such as Harper, Smith, and others, the pay-offs for the lucky few will be enormous. It represents a case study in the manipulation of a clueless public by elite academics using modern propaganda and P.R. tools.

Much noise is often made by the people fronting and financing individuals such as Smith about the virtues of full accountability and complete transparency and yet none will be forthcoming.

Canada is about to become a great laboratory for the followers of Strauss and Hayek. The responsibility for the ensuing disaster will , of course, fall on the shoulders of the electorate. Those who are ultimately responsible will quietly slink away, back to the cozy tax payer funded world of academia.


(all photos from Bangkok, August 2011)