Mulcair will become Canada's next prime minister (thread #9)

Sounds more like like the poor Globe is moaning over the loss of 1 of the 2 right-wing parties in Canada.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/sad-and-pat...

I suggest that NDP members stop nosing through the offal produced by the MSM and talk to real people. Why bother reading all that drivel.  It merely clouds ones sense of what should be important.

Come to think of it we need a Prime Minister. Canada is supposed to have one.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1175824--rcmp-spied-...

Whats with reading a Toronto newspaper to find out about the West?

The RCMP is spying on every effective activist in this country.  Didn't you get the memo?

Interesting'

http://m.torontosun.com/2012/05/08/its-time-to-listen-up-on-the-liberal-...

He's doing as I predicted he would: now that he is Leader, his personal support of Israel takes a back seat to the de facto positioning of the NDP on the issue.

Previously, Mulcair stretched the limits of heavily tilting towards Israel in practice, while staying within the bounds of the NDPs formal position. That's easy, since the 'literal position' is so vague. But in practice, the NDP is as critical of Israel as elected Canadian politicians generally get, and Mulcair as leader is now re-positioning himself to be there.

Of course he says that this was always his position- and I'm not really questioning him on that. But the intent of that old quote often kicked around was to express all but uncritical support of Israel, and he is as predicted pedaling away from it now. He was wise to just leave it alone during the race, even knowing this was where he would be going.

Jack generally left others to speak about Israel and Palestine issues. Mulcair will probably do that even more.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/04/23/on-the-existence-of-an-ndp-base/

Is the two state solution the NDP's official policy?

I want to like Tom but he needs to show more of an unbiased approach than just saying he supports a two state solution.

Where are the comments from Mulcair regarding the almost 1,600 political prisoners on a hunger strike in the Israeli gulag. They are supporting a smaller number of prisoners who have been jailed for months and years without being charged or convicted of any crime. That might be a good place to show the NDP stands for something not just support for Israel. Although since Canada also has laws now that allow for imprisonment without the benefit of due process he would first have to call for overturning the terrorism laws here.

Personally I think that one secular state is the answer most likely to bring lasting peace. But I am neither Israeli or Palestinian so my views are irrelevant as are the NDP's on the "solution." 

I am still waiting for him to apologize to the people of Turkey, our NATO ally and the people of Lebanon.  This "Israel is the only democracy" is bullshit.  Israel is a racist state that denies basic freedoms based on religion.

I was objecting to his dismissal of the other democracies in the region. That sticks in my craw.  I hope you are right and at least he will not repeat that bullshit anti-Arab racism.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/2035/world/6599556/story.html

More than two-thirds of all oilsands production in Canada is owned by foreign entities, sending a majority of the industry's profits out of the country, says a new analysis released Thursday by a British Columbia-based conservation group.

The research by Forest Ethics Advocacy was based on an analysis of shareholder information in January 2012 from Bloomberg Professional of more than a dozen companies, including nine with headquarters in Canada, and six with their head offices in other countries. It found 71 per cent of the ownership of oilsands production was foreign, while the foreign-based companies controlled 24.2 per cent of the sector's production.

"Some notably Canadian oil companies, such as Suncor, Canadian Oil Sands and Husky, are predominantly owned by non-Canadians," said the report. "The data also shows us that more than half of Canada's oil and gas revenue goes to foreign entities."

The analysis, which also used production data in January from Oilsands Review, a publication that focuses on unconventional oil issues, found $11.7 billion of investments in oilsands production between 2007 and 2011 were coming from China, making up about 16 per cent of the total investments of $73.6 billion in that time period.

Alberta's oilsands sector has become a target of many well-organized environmental campaigns because it requires huge amounts of land, water and energy to extract heavy oil from the natural bitumen deposits in the ground that are considered to make up one of the largest oil reserves in the world.

But Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government responded by launching an international lobbying and marketing campaign, in partnership with industry and the Alberta government, to promote the oilsands industry abroad and counter foreign environmental policies that target the sector's footprint on the atmosphere.

Internal federal documents have concluded oilsands production is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

Scientists and governments from around the world say all sources of the heat-trapping emissions must be dramatically reduced to avoid potentially irreversible changes to the planet's ecosystems, atmosphere and the global economy from climate change.

Meantime, the Canadian Energy Research Institute, a government-funded think-tank, has estimated that the oilsands sector is responsible for more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada, and will contribute more than $1.7-trillion to the country's economy over the next 25 years. But the institute's research has been challenged by some economists, including former Insurance Corporation of British Columbia president Robyn Allan, who have argued this analysis doesn't adequately consider the impact of fluctuations of the Canadian dollar or oil prices, among other factors.

Forest Ethics Advocacy said that its own analysis on ownership demonstrates that recent efforts by Harper's government to weaken Canada's environmental protection laws and speed up approval of industrial projects are not in the national interest.

Um, no. Turkey on one side of the straits is in Europe, and on the other, in Asia. It's not a matter of politics. It's geography.

Turkey is primarily in Asia. There is a little bit in Europe.  Turkish people do NOT think they are European they see themselves as Turkish.  Bulgaria is its only European neighbour but it borders the Asian countries of Georgia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Istanbul hasn't been Constantinople since 1453.  Much of Istanbul is technically in Europe since the city straddles the Bosphorus.  So it is one of the largest cities in Europe.  Just because Victoria and the southern tip of Vancouver Island are below the 49th parallel does not mean they are American. Despite the geography that should make them part of the US I can assure you Victoria is Canadian. 

For the purpose of democracies I note that the capital Ankara is completely in Asia.

What about Lebanon or Palestine?  Are their democracies more tainted than Greece or the USA?  Hopefully he will not repeat such rude slights of other countries voters.

Turkey also grew tired of being blocked by Cyprus which indicated that it will block Turkey's EU application until Turkey withdraws from the occupied part of Cyprus.