So today we have Education or Health Care… Health Care or Education… ok… Health Care it is . . .

This little gem – Budget Cuts are Health Care Cuts, Professionals Warn – really starts the year off right by letting our health-care “experts” warn us of what we should be fighting for.  However there is a fundamental problem underlying this blue-bin literary piece.

We have been raised and repeatedly conditioned to believe only the government can deliver the many “benefits” of health care and education.  Face it – it’s a monopoly and we are paying for it whether you want it, agree with it or neither.  Health care professionals rarely represent the citizenry, and are as dependent on the system, including big pharma, as we are conditioned to be.

Dr. Male counsels patients to exercise and indicates those people will be affected by the cuts at community centres.  I can only assume that people who he counsels are not in need enough to only be able to afford the scantly-nutritious, discount meals we are bombarded with in ads daily.  That’s key to combating obesity and sickness – not a community centre with exercise equipment.  Where are the health care professionals combating junk food, poor choices, food advertising?  Hmmm.. not bombarded with that unfortunately.

Something to consider – everything that you demand that cannot be satisfied under your government, and you get it anyway (guaranteeing your dependence or at least a vote) – is paid for by your children and grandchildren.

Ask them if they want to pay for it and see what they say, then act surprised at the answer.

The rest of the time, as Elizabeth May of the Green Party pointed out in her attack ad against attack ads, the parties spend a great deal of time, money and energy  illuminating Canada on the shortcomings of their opposition.  Or when not doing that, and they are actually in parliament, they yell and stammer at each other about the shortcomings of the opposition. But I digress.

At first wash, the only parties (with seats) that actually seem to be *close* in philosophy are the Liberals and the NDP – albeit Brian has to study the Liberal platform more closely as Iggy has been largely AWOL since last fall, and Jackie-L  comes across as a little-picture thinker.

Brian feels Iggy may have false-started in his adamant disclosure that a coalition is out of the question back on March 26.  Iggy’s problem is that if Harper says “Up”, Iggy says “Down”, Harper says “Right”, Iggy says “Left” and so on.  It’s a reflex and Stevie played Iggy’s ego perfectly – effectively denying Iggy the option of suggesting any intent of a coaltion during the campaign.

We cannot have a Conservative majority.  We won’t have a Liberal majority.  But a majority based on a like-minded coalition – it is possible.  The old saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” applies here.

Yes, a coalition may imply a movement towards a dual-party system – a move that even Brian finds somewhat disconcerting as it sets up “continuity-of-agenda” scenarios that plague US politics.

However, Canadians need to understand that if things aren’t to their liking – get on the phone, get out there and tell their MP that it ain’t working.  This is how things are meant to happen outside of the 4-year terms we typically feel obligated to live with.  After all, if your neighbour’s dog keeps shitting on your lawn, do you wait for them to move?

So if the ruling party ain’t working out - keep chucking out the chaff until we get the wheat.  The media and (typically) the ruling party do a great job of telling us that the people “don’t need an election” (what people?), or that it cost taxpayers money (what doesn’t?).

No one said democracy comes on the cheap, however elections are the less-violent form of revolution.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has come to be known for his personal drive, strong decision-making and dominant control over his party. 

Brian has started to see a clearer picture of Canada emerging under the “Harper Government”.  Suffice to say our homeland may soon become known simply as the “True North and Strong”.

Canada has become increasingly heavy-handed.  Look no further than our increased activity in (questionable) NATO operations, impending purchase of (not-for-defence) combat jet fighters, consistently-passed  legislation against (decreasing) crime, big-money security operations (against the public) and frequent (bogus) warnings that we are at risk of terror attacks. 

This “build-up” reflects a planned response to the possibility that the federal agenda (of privatization, deregulation, free trade, tax breaks, and cuts in social spending) generates some major blowback from the populous.

Remember the G20 debacle?  A budget-less plan that spent almost $1B on security that brutalized demonstrators, arrested 1,000 people and forced hundreds into armed security corrals. 

This is the criminalization of the freedom to disagree.

Unlike the civil uprisings that happen from the obvious (and sometimes violent or lengthy) wrongdoings of a ruling government, our main problem is that the methodical erosion of our freedoms and sovereignty is akin to frogs in water being slowly brought to a boil.  You watch the frog, the frog watches you, and then the frog dies.

So Canada, do your homework, decide, and get out there and vote.

Of the twenty-six (26) monitoring locations – twelve (12) have shown an upward trend in radiation since March 10.  Of those twelve tracking an increasing trend - five (5) were dropped from the list on March 31 as evidently increases in radiation levels were deemed “negligible”.

Brian thinks that trends are significant – especially the upward ones, and especially in light of the tragic situation in Japan (for those who may have forgotten, you know – with the Libya “kinetic military action” stealing the headlines.  But I digress).

Specifically, two of the dropped monitoring locations are in Eastern Ontario near the Quebec border.  Two more are further north in Quebec, about 130kms NE of Montreal.

Ironically these locations are typically in the jetstream that winds its way from Western to Eastern Canada and the United States.  A nice little conduit to irradiate our fine land and people.

While it may be fun to watch the pre-election antics errr campaign of our caring leaders, Brian thinks this whole issue has been given far too little attention.  But I could be wrong.

However, old Jack-o-Layton chimed in with some eloquent explanation as to why May should take part -  “I think it worked out fine last time. That’s my criteria.”

Um, Jack, the Green party received over 1,000,000 votes in the last election.  Of course for Jack to say that would actually draw attention to May’s platform.

Good for Jack speaking up however – if the result is the same and May gets a seat at the “big-boy” table – Brian is all for it.

After the classic mid-east destabilization activities were unsuccessful (i.e., back a rebel uprising, spread disinformation, etc.), well it’s time for the UN to step up to bat.  And the UN has enough military backing to get the job done.

But Brian still doesn’t know what the job is.  Neither do Canadian politicians.  And trigger-happy Peter Mackay isn’t letting on.  Even the Arab League is perplexed.

Wonderfully our parliamentary (mis)reprsesentatives pressed for details as to how long the mission would last, what it would cost, and how it would meet the war’s objectives.  All very thought-provoking questions if you hadn’t already handed out a blank cheque.

Brian thinks he knows why it’s called a bombing “campaign” – a campaign is all about political and economical gain, and it almost always ends in a election heralding democracy at work.  But I digress.

The mission claims not to be mandated with providing support to the opposition forces.  However Brian can’t see how anyone can hold a gun steady with missiles falling all around you.  Maybe it’s classified as an “collateral benefit” or some other military jargon.

Back in 2008 Obama did speak at length about transparency.  Well, as head of the UN Security Council I would say he has kept his word.

If only the Japanese nuclear disaster was this transparent.

Even before Monday March 17 – when Fukushima 3 sent what appears to be depleted radioactive fuel rods thousands of feet into the air – the world has been relying on TEPCO and the Japanese government for information on what’s happening.  Ironically, regardless of the reported low-level of radiation released, even the U.S. Seventh Fleet high-tailed it out of there after the March 17 fireworks.

As the danger to the Japanese population is obvious, our government and media has done sweet-fanny-apples in advising their western populations of the dangers of radiation, and how the jetstream and ocean currents can carry this to North American shores.  Trusting TEPCO for completely accurate information is probably not the best choice either given their track record of not being completely honest.

Irrespective of Canada’s comparatively meagre defence budget, trillion-dollar U.S. defence spending should be able to afford a few drones with radiation detectors to fly all around Japan and the Pacific Ocean to take measurements.  Why wait until detectors are going off in U.S. airports? (which they already are).  Brian wonders if those irradiated planes are making a few more legs also. 

It’s so frustrating you could just die.  The unfortunate part is that for you and your children it may just happen earlier than you want. 

Skeptical?  Do a little Chernobyl reading and you’ll see the millions of collateral casualties in Europe, and the lies and disinformation surrounding it.

Brian just perverbially shat himself as he realized that poor Kevvie may have highlighted the latest backroom Fed dealings around the North American Union (NAU).  Recall the first being the slick, almost silent signing of the “troop-share” arrangement back in February of this year.

Hidden in plain view as they say, but back to Let’s Make a Deal . . .

Defence frontman Peter MacKay proudly parades around the “$9B plus $250-$300M service costs [per plane] over 20 years” sticker price like the DND procurement people really worked this one over.

Page disputes the ongoing service costs by about $200M per plane or about $12B difference.  Twelve billion! (or about 1/6th, and growing, of our bank “bailout”, but I digress).

We don’t need this particular jet fighter.  Why?

Our current CF-18s perform two major roles:  Surveillance of Canadian Airspace in cooperation with NORAD; and Air Support in expendiary operations.

With the implications of 9/11 – the need is to have the right aircraft in the right place and the right time, that can fly long distances at high speeds and lower speeds for intercept when needed.  The F-35 is not suited to this (being a premiere dog-fighting, cloaking interceptor), and mind you neither is the CF-18.

As for supporting our expendiary operations – Brian doesn’t see Canada playing military antagonist, and even with the F-35s, we’ll still lack the range of air capability to be one.  We’re the back-up guy, in true coalition fashion.

What is needed is a sensible analysis of options and decision-making process.

The Liberals are vowing to cancel the deal if they get into office.  Sounds like voter blackmail, but what other choice is there?

How about flooding the PM’s office indicating your displeasure — Rabble.ca’s F-35 article includes an electronic petition.

This whole boondoggle-in-the-making is unnecessary, insulting and, if shared-airspace is next – further erosion of our sovereignty.

Harper needs to flip this bird (for a change).

Professional hockey, like football, dances between mass adjulation and “idolation”, humanity and insanity.  It’s pseudo-blue collar run by white collar — it’s a billion-dollar business of owners, marketers and professional players earning millions.

Brian has recently read of yet another outcry of, oh my goodness, violence in a contact sport (in this case the National Hockey League – NHL).  Apparently Gladiator 1 (Zdeno Chara) had an incident with Gladiator 2 (Max Pacioretty) whereby Gladiator 2 is now in the hospital with back and head injuries.  Media and fans alike are aghast that Gladiator 1 was not suspended or fined for this atrocity.

However remember Chara is just a gladiator, a $7.5M/year gladiator that pulled a textbook Rollerball move (iIronically at 6’9″ maybe “goliath” might be the more appropriate term, but I digress)

Professional contact sports will continue to try to find the lowest-cost sweet spot between ramping up the bloodlust and tribal frenzy; penalizing a player that ramps it up just a little to high (usually a comparatively mild suspension and forfeit of a percentage of a salary that the Average Joe will never see); and making the paying customers feel that justice was served (and we’ll see you next week!).

It’s all about control and distraction.  Tickets.. get your tickets here.

Read them on the first of each month here.