Daily Garth

As you know, earlier this year the Conservative Party Leadership booted MP Garth Turner from cabinet, then banded him from standing for nomination in his local Halton Conservative Party, kicking him out of the party - without kicking him out of the party. They've never said anything about why, but the corperate media has surmised the Prime Ministers Office didn't like the independant ideas he was writing in his blog.

In an effort to create 'transparency, openness and accountability' in the Parliment of Canada, the now Independant MP Garth Turner held a press conference at the Ottawa press club on Tuesday November 14th.

In that press conference he TRIED to launch a new Web site, but he gave the domain name of an Evangelical web site by accident (because he's 'old' and he doesn't understand the KEY importance of that single line "Go To...").

I think what he's up to is a New Canadian Virtual Political Movement, a Canadian Daily Kos, called 'Promiseskept.ca'.

Daily Kos is a Web movement that almost got Howard Dean nominated as the Democratic Presidential Candidate in 2004 and in the two years since the sites influence is political book in the U.S.. Since the revolution in congress on November 7th that turfed the Republicans from the House and the Senate, political organizers know they ignore the new model only at great risk to their political careers.

If I'm right a site like Promiseskept.ca could develop something like this:

A web site would act as a chat room on national political issues; a critical mass of e-mailers and bloggers would then create public pressure on individual MP's thus making the Party Whips job of browbeating members into voting Always with the Party difficult, hopefully impossible. This could easily lead to defections from the Parties and create a critical mass of independant MPs who could dominate the political agenda with-in this minority government, in the short term, as in NOW!

The next step in the years ahead would be to support candidates with campaign workers organization and money all pulled togeather Online, to Win Ridings in the next election. Quickly the Old Parties would begin to adapt to the new reality (hopefully), democratizing themselves from the inside in order to save their political lives. If this didn't happen, a new Political party would coalesce out of the ferment.

Garth writes in his announcement today:

" ... my Conservative party believes in free speech, diversity of opinion, co-operation, equality of all people, progressive social values, true environmental protection and stands firm against intolerance, bigotry exclusion. "

This new beginning could be a Very Broad Coalition from 'Red Tories' or small 'c' conservatives to unfearful lefties - people who are able to put aside some less important issues and including all those who see the Corporatization of government as the important thread that is the Great Challenge to democracy today. A way to bring that 50% of people 'too smart' to waste their time voting, back into the political process.

Thats my take on it, at any rate. As always, the Comments section is OPEN.

PERMALINK




mh

Hill 145 & The Pimple

General Arthur Currie

After 3 years of carnage, where the life-blood of entire generations from four continents was left in the soil of Europe, someone on the front lines was given real power to realize a plan that hopefuly would see the Allies out of four years of senceless death. That person was Canadian General Arthur Currie.

Curries plan was the logical progression of the ever increasing complexity of modern war. In order to take the 'The Pimple', the high ground that enables German artillary to dominant the great plain around Passchendaele just beyond Ypres - Hill 145 just to south and in range of the Pimple must be taken at the same time.

On Hill 145 the north and south parts of the division do well, but the center is annialated by artillary from the Pimple. By the end of the day however special forces using tactics designed specifically to take the Pimple are successful and the Canadians hold both hills. The advance through the centre is secured. Now the giant machine, ney a city swings into action to exploit the new reality.

Currie had an understanding of the bureaucratic systems and probably the logistics of the great German General Field Marshal Alfred Graf von Schlieffen; but more importantly I think, a first hand knowlege of the devastating effects of the more accurate, powerful and abundant artillary.

Currie created a mammoth information gathering and disemination system, and supply infrastructure that looked like a modern government bureaucracy. Planners ingrated real-time statistical information into battle plan. Like a coiled steel snake about to strike, it was designed to move quickly and powerfully in a synchronised fashion. It was designed not only to win battles but exploit them with powerful, rapid advances. This was one of the first successful examples of what later became known as Combined Operations.

The intricate planning that resulted in the taking of one of the flanks we all know as Flanders Fields. It's where the beautiful peom comes from, from where the Rememberance Day Poppies come from. It was the first battle in the First World War where the Lines moved Miles rather than Yards. It was the beginning of Blitzkieg, Asymmetric warfare or Combined Operations.

No credit to the Canadian Military hierarcrhy, they buried Currie after the war. Thankfully we learned his lessons again in time to contribute to the victory over Fascist Germany in the second go around, 22 years later.

If your a soldier in the Canadian Forces now, this should be compulsory reading, check it out.

Links: For King And Empire -a Great documentary, great web site, great maps!

Canadian Government Archives: War Diaries -gotta read those original sources!

The Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation - West Points leading edge theory


mh

America In The World- A Review Of The Maltese Falcon, 1941

This film is about a new consciousness that America has gleaned from it's collective experience in the First and now the impending reality of the Second World War.

Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade plays the American, the democrat, the great hope in the midst of two great wars; who through Conscience finds the Truth amongst the power plays and greed of Empires and powerful interests, played in their various characters.

Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy as the love interest, but in the larger sence the British Empire; Kasper Gutman as the German Imperialist, logical yet not evil but focusing on his ends, justifing his means; and Peter Lorre playing the Fench Interest as Joel Cairo the man "capable of Anything" in Gutman opinion, including co-operation and capitulation to the Nazi machine.


Sam Spade returns to Gutmans Apartments for a discussion of the price to deliver the Falcon, there Gutman promises a World in riches - he talks of the myth of the Knights Templar - perhaps contained with-in the shell of the Maltes Falcon. He's tempting Sam as a metaphor for American Democracy, with the powers of World Empire. Drugged, something in his drink, Spade(America?) passes out; the tables have been turned, Gutman has milked Spade for information - rather than the other way around.

In the next scene at Spades Detective Offices, Sam has covered all his bases, what ever happens - he's going to come out the winner. In the end his play wins, he can have the Falcon, the girl, anything he wants. Yet he knows, through his experience of real freedom, the there's only one option. He chooses the Democratic path, The Rule of Law and calls the cops.

As always in Hollywood, a happy ending... .



mh

Abramoff: The House That Jack Built

Originally posted at Think Progress.com reprinted here because its not availiable through the Think Progress search engine (Web-f**king?).

I don't mean to step on any copy rights just trying to even up the Karma; this is Web-f**king in reverse, printing something someone doesn't want you to see.

michaelholloway


Abramoff: The House That Jack Built

A comprehensive look at the potential scope of the “biggest scandal in Congress in over a century“:

Jack Abramoff *

SunCruz

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. Bob Ney *
Adam Kidan *
Neil Volz

Tigua Casino

Sen. John Cornyn
Rep. Bob Ney * +
Rep. Don Young
Ralph Reed
Michael Scanlon *
Neil Volz
Mariana Islands

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Rep. Don Young
President Bush +

Saginaw Funding

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Sen. Byron Dorgan +
Rep. J.D. Hayworth +
Choctaws

Grover Norquist
Ralph Reed

Capital Athletic Foundation

Julie Doolittle *
Coushatta Campaign

Rep. Roy Blunt +
Rep. Eric Cantor +
Sen. Thad Cochran +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Sen. John Ensign
Sen. Charles Grassley
Rep. J. Dennis Hastert +
Rep. Ernie Istook +
Sen. Trent Lott
Sen. Harry Reid
Rep. Pete Sessions
Rep. David Vitter +
Rep. Roger Wicker
Grover Norquist

Cronyism

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Rep. Bob Ney * +
Grover Norquist
Tony Rudy
Neil Volz
J. Steven Griles
Susan Ralston
Favors

Rep. Bob Ney * +
Rep. Richard Pombo +
Rep. David Vitter +
Rep. Don Young
Doug Bandow
Italia Federici
Timothy Flanigan
J. Steven Griles
Gale A. Norton
Susan Ralston

Trips

Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Rep. Tom Feeney +
Rep. Bob Ney *
Ed Buckham
Susan Hirschmann
Ralph Reed
David Safavian
Mashpee

Rep. Richard Pombo +

Gifts

Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Sen. Tom Harkin +
Rep. J.D. Hayworth +
Rep. Bob Ney * +
Rep. Don Young

* denotes individuals who have been subponaed, indicted, or found guilty in the Abramoff investigation.

+ denotes individuals who have returned donations from Abramoff, his clients, or his partners.

Methodology: Members of Congress were included if they received over $10,000 from Abramoff, his clients or his partners and have allegedly done favors for Abramoff, his clients or his partners. Members who were acting on behalf of a constituent in their state were excluded, even if those constituents were Abramoff clients. Certain members who received less than $10,000 in Abramoff were included because of extensive allegations of favors done for Abramoff.
Jack Abramoff

© 2005-2006 Center for American Progress




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