Much Ado About Truckers and Building a Canadian White Supremacist Fascist Movement

So what is going on with the truckers. They are calling it a protest. But it is not like any protest I have ever been involved in.

Protests are designed to attempt to make change. While they may be aimed at getting governments to change their policies, gaining public support to pressure government is always an aim of legitimate protests. To get the public’s attention of course you need to get he media’s attention and that usually is done by means of a large protest or some form of disruption.

The truckers are in an excellent position to do that. Large transport trucks take up a lot of space, one truck can taker the space of 100 marching protesters, so they can easily make a protest appear to be larger than it actually is. And trucks can be disruptive. You want attention, block the streets and clog traffic. So do that for a day or weekend and you have the media’s attention and you can get your point across.

Of course the truckers argument against the government protecting the health of it’s citizens is a hard sell to the general public.

So while you might need some disruption to get peoples attention you do not want to alienate the public whose support you are trying to gain.

So blasting neighbourhoods with noise, shitting on peoples lawns, attacking them as they go about their daily business and otherwise harassing and terrorizing them is not what a protest is about. Neither is openly displaying signs and symbols of hate a tactic used to gain the general public’s support. That is aimed at a much smaller target audience.

So what is going on. This is clearly not aimed at gaining public support. Nobody thinks they are that stupid. Something else is going on here.

We have bullies using tactics that appeal to other bullies. I believe it is clear that this is a recruiting move aimed at the worst elements of our society, bringing them together to form some sort of comradeship and solidarity. And one cannot discount the usefulness of this as a dry run for something even more nefarious than terrorizing citizens, but a rehearsal for actual insurrection.

Any actual truckers involved are just being duped and used as pawns in something very dangerous. What we are seeing is just one component of the building of a white supremacist fascist movement in Canada aimed at destroying the very fabric of our society.

Who Speaks For The Forest - Beaver Pond Song

Rough Cut: Beaver Pond Song
By Julie Comber

So much noise out there
Can be hard to hear your own voice
So much power used against us
make ya feel you have no choice
We may each feel small
But together we stand tall

So wake up and raise your voice
Go on and make your choice
Who’s gonna fix this
If we back down
Who’s gonna save
Our sacred ground

Its an old story
We don’t have much time
To stop the chainsaws
To stop this crime
A beautiful forest
Home to many species
Bit by bit
Cut into tiny pieces
No one paid
To take the long view
Except developers
Makin’ profits for the few
The rich play golf
While the forest crashes down
Basements get flooded
Can we turn this around?
Where is Ottawa City Hall?
Where is NCC?
Where is the province?
Why is it just you & me?

Why do humans use our power against life
Against life
Against life
And that is our fight
for life
that is our fight
for life
that is our fight
for life

Beaver Pond Forest
took centuries to grow
A week to destroy
This is our chance to show
That we’ve become wiser
That we fix mistakes
That we value life
That we’ve got what it takes
Will we listen to our Elders?
Which path will we choose
This is a key time
Not a moment to lose
So stand up and raise your voice
Go on and make your choice
Who’s gonna fix this
If we back down
Who’s gonna save
Our sacred ground

Vote with your dollar
picket Urbandale
prove this is the wrong way
to make a sale
Cut through the busy
You know its right
Save Beaver Pond Forest
Please join our fight!

So stand up and raise your voice
Go on and make your choice
Who’s gonna fix this
If we back down
Who’s gonna save
Our sacred ground

Light your candle for hope
Don’t give in
The truth will rise,
we can all still win
Light that candle
Don’t give in
Truth will rise,
we can all still win.

Protest Urbandale Plans to Needlessly and Mercilessly Kill Beaver Pond Forest Wildlife

Demand Destructive Clear Cutting Be Put Off Till Spring

Save Beaver Pond Rally - At Urbandale Sales Office

Where: Urbandale Kanata Sales Office (They are the lead developer)
When: Saturday, January 8 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Meet at All Saints High School Parking Lot & we will walk across the street to Urbandale Sales Office

Implications of Destruction (courtesy of Evelyn Abell)

Are we a society that has become desensitized to violence en masse but overwhelmed at the thought of physical harm to a specific individual or pet. We are mortified to learn of a puppy thrown from a truck window and seek due punishment for the perpetrator. Why then do we yawn in the face of mass destruction? Or do we? Are we changing our paradigm from “It’s not my problem” and “They should do something” to “I truly am connected and I must take some action. Moreover, if I just do nothing, it will still affect me.”

Martha Webber, a well known Ottawa botanist shares this perspective: “The more I think of the wildlife massacre, the angrier I get. Many animals and birds shelter against the winter weather in tree cavities, even those in dens in the ground, are warm. insulated with dry leaves, The and others in deep hibernation,may be lucky enough to die of shock and fright when their tree is cut. If they survive the tree fall, with or without broken bones and bodies, confused by noise of the machinery, loss of shelter and food, few will make it to the nearest garbage can. If a dog is mistreated the owner is penalized. It makes news in the Citizen. But the half tamed birds and animals of the forest who have shared it so long with so many of us, have no concept of what man can do if the price is right.”

How do we 21st century humans protect wildlife? Marianne Wilkinson, our councillor who generally weighs in on the side of ecology reports: “The City of Ottawas wildlife protocol … directs construction be phased to avoid trapping wildlife”. and construction will occur… such that at the end of each phase the outer edge of development will extend further north , allowing the wildlife to respond by moving north towards the core of the South March Highlands.

This is truly a war zone, but the ammunition is all fired from one side. Do we really expect hibernating animals to march ahead of the chainsaws? And what of the food stores the squirrels and chipmunks sequestered through the fall? Is mass animal starvation of no consequence to humans?

Julie Comber speaks well for the future home buyers – the current “younger” generation: "I'm glad the plight of the wildlife is moving you. The problem is our society treats animals arbitrarily, based on their relationship to humans, not based on their ability to suffer or their cognitive development, so laws only protect owned animals (pets) and are very lax on farm animals. Wildlife are not covered by animal welfare legislation. This is why legally, Urbandale can do this, while morally, clearly they shouldn't. I think this is another great example of how this Beaver Pond issue that seemed so local and contained at first really is interconnected with so many other issues, and forces us to ask questions about our society and the path we are on."

Let’s not forget economic implications. According to Earth Economics, Forest and watershed-filtered water utilities contribute billions of dollars to local and regional economies by providing ecosystem services such as fresh water filtration and storage, flood protection, habitat and recreation. This contribution is currently not generally recognized or valued and therefore the acquisition and management of these natural systems is difficult and burdensome.

Further resources on the South March Highlands
South March Highlands Overview

Save Ottawa's South March Highlands

Ottawa's Great Forest

I want to save the land North of Beaver Pond Park in Kanata Ontario Facebook Group

The Fifth Column SMH posts

The Fifth Column SMH Management Plan posts

Virtual Nonsense (Paul Renaud) SMH posts

South March Highlands Advocacy

South March Highlands Stewardship Plan

Generation Inspired - Let Capitalism Fail

No comment required.

However, I cannot help but comment as I watch this and think about how we are supposed to react to the international response to the economic crisis and the measures being taken to save capitalism from collapse. What is happening is exactly what Karl Marx predicted except that he did nor foresee the use of a form of socialism for the rich to save capitalism. As governments world wide use austerity measures against workers to bail out the banks and corporations that have exploited them for years we are supposed to sit back and take it because there is no alternative.

But, there is an alternative. Let history happen. Let capitalism fail and build a new society from the ashes of the old.

Who Is To Blame For The Olympics

So is it all just fun and games and are we all just blind to what is wrong with the Olympics.

I don't think so. I think many people have problems with what the Olympics have become with more emphasis on profit than sport and more emphasis on sponsors than athletes, not to mention the impact on the communities the Olympics are held in, which is more often positive for the wealthy and negative for the poor. On the other hand, many have been sucked into the spectacle that the Olympics have become, a spectacle that is dependent on, and supportive of, corporate money and sponsors. Sponsors money feeds the spectacle and the spectacle feeds corporate profits and somewhere in there is IOC empire building.

But we support the Olympics anyway because we still believe in the ideal, and more importantly because it is the only Olympics that the athletes have.

As for the Olympic sponsors, some seem to be really bizarre.

I do find it ironic that the company that has been exploiting Canadians longer than any other company is an official sponsor, especially since their Canadian Olympic clothing is "Made in China", but they do have the protection of the Fashion Police.

I also find it really strange to watch world class athletes promoting McJunk food and I have to wonder how many IOC or VANOC dinner meetings have been held at the Official Restaurant of the Olympics. And then there are the official Olympic drugs, not to mention official beer and wine suppliers. And what is a sporting event without an official gambling provider.

And I am offended by the fact that the Olympic organizers are forcing Canadians, and visitors, who want to use a credit card at the Olympics (and do not have the right card) to get a new one.

And then there is this.

There have been protests raising serious concerns about the Olympics, although protesting at an international sports/cultural event obviously does not receive the same amount of public acceptance as protesting at international political/economic events. The protests have included some damage to the property of corporate sponsors by masked "protesters". They state their case here.

While I can certainly agree that the minimal physical damage done by these masked "protesters" is nowhere near the damage done to the poor and disadvantaged by the holding of the games I cannot condone it, primarily because it does more harm than good to the cause.

I am one who believes people should stand up for what they believe in and not hide behind masks. I am even uncomfortable with the concept of anonymous blogging, but I can understand the reason for it and it does no harm to anyone. If these "protesters" want to make a point about damage done to the poor by doing damage to the property of those they consider to be causing it, then do it out in the open, surrender to the police, and then argue your case in the courts of law and public opinion.

But what I would suggest, as an alternative to protests that alienate the public, is that in the future the emphasis be put on the People’s Summit aspect of the protests and that the protesters propose to the Olympic organizers that they will not take to the streets in exchange for the Olympic organizers sanctioning and publicizing a People’s Summit that examines all aspects of the Olympics. The media should pledge to give the People’s Summit reasonable coverage, especially the host broadcaster. The People’s Summit should be completely independent, possibly university based, and include full criticism of the Olympics. It should provide for some participation by Olympic organizers, which would allow them to state their case and, more importantly, allow them to be held accountable by the public for their actions.

This will be to both sides advantage - the serious protesters will be better able to make their case and reach the public without a public backlash and they will not be tainted by the actions of so-called anarchists, who will be marginalized and easier for the organizers to deal with.

This is not to say that the problems are not serious enough to justify taking to the streets but that the alternative can be more effective in reaching, rather than alienating, the public.

Of course if Olympic organizers are not prepared to be subjected to public scrutiny and public criticism they can always reject the idea and suffer the consequences of continuing, and probably escalating protests at future Olympics.

In closing, I want to say, as a Canadian, that I am proud of all our Bronze Medal Winners and others in the world can make as many jokes about that as they want. I do not believe that you're a loser if you don't win a gold medal. Indeed, if you've worked hard enough to actually be good enough to participate in the Olympics you're already a Winner and I am proud of all of our Olympic athletes.

Banned In China Ottawa

Apparently, if you belong to a persecuted group you are assumed to be protesting, so you are not allowed to participate in Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival “Where Ideas Bloom”.

The Ottawa Citizen reported “Organizers of the Canadian Tulip Festival faced accusations of censorship yesterday for the last-minute cancellation of a performance by a marching band of Falun Gong practitioners during one of the festival's opening ceremonies.” The Citizen article further stated “Organizers claim that had festival staff known the Tian Guo Marching Band were all Falun Gong members, they never would have been booked at the festival.” The article also stated “"We came here to celebrate a cultural event, and our religion should not stop us from participating," band spokeswoman Grace Wollensak said”

One can only wonder if the organizers would have said the same thing about a group of Catholics or Jews or even Muslims.

The only justification given was an assumption that the group was going to protest because they are known to be persecuted by the Chinese government, and the Chinese Embassy is a sponsor of the Festival and had a representative at the event.

I would like to draw readers to the following summary of facts posted on the CBC website by “GraceW”.

I feel obliged to clarify some facts:

1. We just applied to perform at Dow’s lake, not at the opening ceremony.

2. We send the link of the band in the application so the Tulip officer had chance to know everything about the band. http://tianguoband.org/, where the past performances (70 parades in community/cultural events in two years), as well as Falun Gong connection and uniforms are all clearly presented.

3. After the review of our materials, the program coordinator invited the band to play at the opening ceremony: O Canada and Maple Leaf Forever

4. The band accepted the invitation as an honor, not intent to ‘hijack’ the event as organizer claimed.

5. The appearance of the band at the Tulip Festival has no difference from the photos in the link that we sent to the Tulip Festival program coordinator. In another words, the band dressed up exactly the same as they did in the St. Patrick parade in Ottawa earlier this year and won the award of ‘Best Band’. Nobody accused of the band as ‘political’ or ‘protest’. http://tianguoband.org/News/2008/2008-03-15-St.Patrick-Ottawa.html

6. The fact is that we were removed on the basis of our name being shown. What political messages could be carried by playing O Canada and Maple Leaf Forever.

7. The band represents a cultural group that wants to participate in Canadian activities as ordinary members of this multi-cultural society. The identify of the band members should not be judged or discriminated.

8. Falun Gong is not a protest word. It is the name of our group. The fact that we are persecuted, and protest the persecution, it is not our fault and does not mean our name must be hidden from public view. If that were true, then no one should be allowed to use the words "African-American," "Jewish," etc., in a community event. In fact, suggesting such is already siding with the persecutor, accepting that there is something wrong with this group.

9. The band has performed in over 70 community events and has won numerous awards. To say the band's effort to join this community event was a "stunt" is insulting.

I think all governments, federal, provincial, and municipal should rethink their funding of this event in relation to the organizers disregard of Canada’s constitutionally entrenched policies of freedom of religion and multiculturalism.

And the organizers should be ashamed to call themselves Canadians.