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Jason Kenney is on a roll

al-Qa'bong
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Joined: Feb 27 2003

Along with banning pro-Arab British MP George Galloway from entering Canada today, the Gauleiter of Calgary Southeast has committed another outrage against Arab Canadians:

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney made no apologies yesterday for ending the flow of funds to the Canadian Arab Federation, which he says has expressed support for terror groups.

Quote:

CAF president Khaled Mouammar believes Canada should regard Hamas and Hezbollah as "legitimate organizations," Kenney said.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are on the Canadian government's list of groups "associated with terrorism," according to the public safety department's [AKA The Committee of Public Safety] website.

In response to the CAF's press releases during the Israeli massacre in Gaza, which had the Incorruptible Kenney's full support, his Ministerialdirektor, Alykhan Velshi, speaking on Kenney's behalf, said:

Quote:

“There is no need for you to send me your press releases. I am not interested in

reading them. Thank you for your cooperation.” “Actually, on second thoughts, keep writing me. Your emails are hilarious

MINISTER JASON KENNEY’s HISTORY WITH THE CAF

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Frustrated Mess
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Joined: Feb 23 2005
He is a small little man who will be remembered in history for being a petty and chauvinistic creep catapulted into authority by a system so flawed only the mediocre and shamefully weak may rise to power.

Unbiased
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Joined: May 2 2007

I am so choked.

I just left the "pithiest" of comments on the G&M and though it says there are 315 comments posted, not one has appeared.

Is the Globe afraid of this one ?

Perhaps they ought to be. I have to say I was stunned at this. 

I haven't read the Star yet but apparently Kenney was quoted by his spokesman as describing Mr Galloway as a popinjay. I had to laugh.

Popinjay.."A vain or conceited person, one given to pretentious displays."

Does anyone think that any of the morons in the Harper crowd would use this word ?

I need a break.. time to google Kenney.

What a jackass. 


Jingles
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The wisdom of Alykhan Velshi:
Quote:
You’re either with us,” said President George W. Bush, in a much-maligned speech delivered after 9/11, “or you’re with the terrorists.” At the time, our thoughts turned to whether the United States of America and her allies would have the steel to fight the war on terrorism to a victorious conclusion. Since then, a goodly number of America’s allies have wobbled, especially over Iraq, but even they realize that the United States is not the bad guy. One cannot say the same for the many Muslims living in the West who have yet to pick a side in the war on terrorism.

 

Quote:
the war on terror can never be won unless Muslims who have the privilege of living in the West stand up for civilization against the forces of barbarism and nihilism.

Quote:
I support the Bush doctrine, have a favorable disposition towards Israel, and supported the right to publish the Danish cartoons.

Quote:
The Geneva Conventions were drafted by civilized countries for the treatment of civilized soldiers. The terrorists we fight today, by contrast, are not dutiful conscripts or professional soldiers; they are would-be martyrs motivated by a fanatical and uncompromising ideology. Granting them the panoply of rights under the Geneva Conventions is inconsistent with the history and underlying assumptions of those treaties.

This guy is a real piece of work. Why is he in my country? 

 


M. Spector
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Unbiased wrote:

I haven't read the Star yet but apparently Kenney was quoted by his spokesman as describing Mr Galloway as a popinjay. I had to laugh.

Popinjay.."A vain or conceited person, one given to pretentious displays."

Does anyone think that any of the morons in the Harper crowd would use this word ?

Actually, that was a word that Galloway himself once famously used to describe Christopher Hitchens. 


Unbiased
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Joined: May 2 2007

Ahhhh.

Thank you M. Spector !

Interesting background on that. However did you manage to dredge that out of your memory ? :-)

It clears up what was a bit of a mystery for me. I was baffled at the use of the word by a Canadian in what I presume was somewhat of a press release..

I entered this discussion from reading the Globe article and did not mention that as the basis for my post.

http://tiny.cc/lQrjL

 

I since have started looking into the Kenney phenomenom. What a piece of work this guy and his mouthpiece are !

 

I hope his views are soon given more prominence. I think Canadians need more exposure to this minister.

 

 edited to apologize for re-using Jingle's phrase. Although immitation is ,.. etc ..:-)


sgm
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I ran across the same Velshi piece Jingles quotes above, but I think this one he co-authored may actually be more relevant to the current decision by Kenney.

In it, Velshi and his co-author take issue with a judge's decision that the Bush administration was unconstitutionally proscribing charitable donations to "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" groups, or SDGTs.

Note these two paragraphs, in which the now-famous Cromwell allusion had an early run:

There is, however, a compelling basis for a government ban on any assistance — even self-described humanitarian aid — to terrorists. Because terrorist organizations are not known as models of corporate transparency, there is no way of knowing whether a terrorist entity’s humanitarian arm is funneling money to its militant one. What is more, the fungible nature of money means that donations to the peaceful arm free up money to be spent by the militant arm.

It is similarly absurd to believe that a terrorist organization’s political and humanitarian services can excuse its terrorist activities. Hezbollah is the exemplar of this strategy. Although it holds itself out as a legitimate political party, because its political demands are backed by the threat of force, its political wing has a symbiotic relationship with its military one. Without their heavies in the hills, Hezbollah politicians would be street-corner Cromwells, guilty of their country’s blood but powerless to spread their poison inside the Lebanese government.

In an interview with British media, Velshi seemed to imply that Galloway's recent delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza counted as support for terrorism, not surprisingly given this earlier essay.

Another theme stressed by Velshi in this piece is the need for broad discretion by the executive authority to fight terrorists (hence his unhappiness with the judge's ruling that the discretion to define SDGTs was unconstitutionally broad).

Canada doesn't have the same three-branch structure as the US of course, but the recent action of the CBSA under the Conservatives could be seen as a similar broadening of the government's power.

Perhaps Velshi and Keney are importing US-style attitudes and views of government into Canada:

Palpably, the government must not let a flawed judicial decision that relaxes restrictions on terrorists stand unchallenged. Nor can it afford to be passive in defense of our foreign policy while the cold, lacertian [lizard-like] eyes of our enemies watch for any flicker of hesitance.


Frustrated Mess
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Joined: Feb 23 2005
He's a fucking fascist.

Unbiased
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Joined: May 2 2007

The firestorm is growing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAm7rfHKSyY

where we can watch Galloway in a televised debate with Meir Weinstein, director of the JDL Canada.

Weinstein is nasty. Its funny, out of the blue he brings Iran into the mix. He also rants on about children being influenced by terrorism.

(The British government is resuming talks with Hezbollah shortly and Tony Blair spoke with Hezbollah yesterday)

 More shameful words from the "spokesman" Alykhan Velshi, ..."We're going to uphold the law, not give special treatment to this infamous street-corner Cromwell who actually brags about giving 'financial support' to Hamas, a terrorist organisation banned in Canada," he said. "I'm sure Galloway has a large Rolodex of friends in regimes elsewhere in the world willing to roll out the red carpet for him. Canada, however, won't be one of them."

 

 


contrarianna
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Joined: Aug 15 2006

It might have been posted already but this comment piece in the Toronto Star (I don't what page it ended up on) is the best, so far, I've seen in the mainstream media...though I don't believe Kenny is some abberation in the micromanaged Harper government :
====
Mar 21, 2009 04:30 AM
Banning British MP a clumsy, dangerous move

Jason Kenney has gone over the edge. The increasingly erratic immigration minister made headlines last week when, in a fit of pique, he cut off funding to an Arab organization that helps newcomers learn English. Now, Kenney has banned British MP George Galloway from entering Canada, on the spurious grounds that he supports Middle East terrorism.

It's a clumsy move, designed presumably to bolster the Conservative government's support among voters who ardently back Israel.

But in a roundabout way it does illustrate how absurdly broad Canada's new anti-terror laws are and how dangerous they can be in the wrong hands...."

http://www.thestar.com/article/606073
=====
See, as a corrective, to the "it's mainly Kenny" slant, this piece in the Pacific Free Press

"Little Jason Kenney Roars for Likud Lobby in Galloway Ban
Written by Chris Cook   
Saturday, 21 March 2009 10:07

".....
Though I agree with the tone of Walkom's piece, which correctly depicts Kenney and the Conservatives as the idiotic provincials they are, there is nothing "erratic" about the direction Canada has moved under Stephen Harper's leadership. Canada's border police consistently bar anti-war voices from being heard in this country, and their antipathy to any that would criticise the Harper world view, a world view now entirely in disrepute, is unswerving.

Over the last few years, Harper's new government has barred rap singers, folk singers, activists, writers, educators, and now a prominent politician entry into Canada. The one common denominator in these barrings, all made to protect the sensitive Canadian populace from odious and possibly infectious bad ideas emanating from said miscreants, is the anti-militarist, anti-war views these people hold and promulgate publicly.... "

http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/3894-little-jason-kenney-roars-fo...


banned
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Who told him to bar George? Think!

Cueball
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Michelle?

al-Qa'bong
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Bernie?

Boom Boom
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Jack Layton condemned Kenny's banning of Galloway today on CTV's Question Period, as well as Kenny's English/French requirements for new immigrants - explaining that his wife's mother spoke very little English when she came over and worked in hotels for 30 years.

Frustrated Mess
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Good for him. Of course, on-line, there is no mention of it.

Cueball
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Boom Boom wrote:
Jack Layton condemned Kenny's banning of Galloway today on CTV's Question Period, as well as Kenny's English/French requirements for new immigrants - explaining that his wife's mother spoke very little English when she came over and worked in hotels for 30 years.

Good.


Will Hiscock
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Joined: Aug 13 2003
This is one of the most blatent pro-empire moves this government has made.  I really hope they have stepped over the line of what Canadians find acceptable.  I hope Canada has a line.

al-Qa'bong
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Joined: Feb 27 2003
Cueball wrote:

Boom Boom wrote:
Jack Layton condemned Kenny's banning of Galloway today on CTV's Question Period, as well as Kenny's English/French requirements for new immigrants - explaining that his wife's mother spoke very little English when she came over and worked in hotels for 30 years.

Good.

 

Yes, it is good that Layton spoke up about l'affaire Galloway and Reformatory immigration policies.  Did he say anything about the government's cutting of funds to the Canadian Arab Federation's language training for immigrants program?

 

Does anyone else find it disturbing that this régime, which is backed by the corporate class and other monied interests, is attacking a small, defenseless ethnic and religious minority, claiming it is a threat to national security?

 

Where have we seen this before?


Sarann
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Joined: Dec 23 2006
Many westerners, including me, had grandparents who couldn't speak  English when they came to this country.  Think about this ignorant little man and his little ideas all you productive,  hard working descendents of those brave people.

remind
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Funny thing eh, how embolden the Harpo Cons are after Iggy took control of the Liberals?

RevolutionPlease
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Joined: Oct 15 2007
Whole new playbook this week.

Slumberjack
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Joined: Aug 8 2005

Boom Boom wrote:
Jack Layton condemned Kenny's banning of Galloway today on CTV's Question Period, as well as Kenny's English/French requirements for new immigrants....

I applaud Jack Layton for taking a principled stand.


Unionist
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Joined: Dec 11 2005

Yes, bravo Jack! Well done. 


al-Qa'bong
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Joined: Feb 27 2003

I went on a tirade about all this on my radio programme tonight.  Then I played a song that I dedicated to the guy I called " a tinpot little brownshirt."  The song was Die Fahne Hoch.

Then I sat back and waited for the hostile phone calls.  None came, but one guy phoned in and said he was in the Hitler Youth for six years and had to sing that song every day.  I didn't see that one coming. He agreed with what I said about Kenney, too.


Boom Boom
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al-Qa'bong wrote:
  Did he say anything about the government's cutting of funds to the Canadian Arab Federation's language training for immigrants program?

Jane Tabor was controlling the flow of questions, and she didn't ask this particular one.


saga
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Joined: Aug 5 2006
Organizers plan confronation for banned Brit MP

Updated Sun. Mar. 22 2009 9:47 PM ET

The Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Organizers of the four-city speaking tour of British anti-war MP George Galloway are going to challenge the decision to bar him from Canada in court.

The organizers also say if that fails, they've already prepared plan B.

Organizers are to announce Monday they will file an emergency injunction in Ontario federal court on Tuesday seeking to overturn Citizenship and Immigration Canada's entry ban on the outspoken politician.

Should that fail, a delegation of Canadian MPs, lawyers and activists is assembling to escort Galloway from the U.S., where he is on tour, across the Canadian border.

"Our hope is the decision will be overturned by the courts when it actually looks at the merits of the decision of the government," said organizer Laith Marouf, national branches co-ordinator of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights.

"But also ... we're not going to stop at that. We will mount our physical confrontation.

"On Monday the 30th in the morning, Mr. Galloway will attempt to cross the border. It has not been decided yet which land crossing -- most probably in Quebec," he said.

"He will be met by throngs of supporters on the other side."

 more ...

YES!!!


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004
Wow!

thanks
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Joined: Mar 21 2009
thanks for that piece of news, saga!

Maysie
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Joined: Apr 21 2005

Quote:
Jason Kenney is on a Roll

Kaiser or onion and can we get him TO GO? 


Cueball
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Joined: Dec 23 2003
Excelent. Are there busses planned for this possible confrontation?

Michelle
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Joined: May 10 2001

Fabulous news!  Thanks for posting!

And, welcome to babble, "thanks". :)


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