Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2024

Last post by grumbler - Today at 08:29:48 PM

I've always been baffled by the jury's refusal in that case to convict on first-degree murder charges.  How can they rule that the kidnappings and subsequent murders were not planned, when it happened in all of the six cases that they heard?

#2

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Habbaku - Today at 08:22:07 PM

"I have never supported him, but since the Democrats have decided to weaponize the courts against Trump, I have no choice but to vote for him a third time."

#3

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 08:21:04 PM

No one's crossing the artic ocean with an invasion force but missiles are a sure possibility and missile defense is already the USA responsability.

[would repeal the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act]

#4

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Jacob - Today at 07:50:52 PM

The NDP is the party of sensible government in BC.

The leader of the BC Conservatives wants to fight against vaccine mandates, censor books in schools, roll back policies to encourage building more housing, and claims there's no such thing as a climate crisis.

Here's what he is saying:

British Columbia's newly resurgent Conservative party envisions sweeping changes to schools, housing, climate and reconciliation with First Nations if it's elected to form government this fall for the first time in nearly a century.

The party, which has been climbing steadily in the polls and is now well ahead of the BC United, the current Opposition, would repeal the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in favour of pivoting to an approach of "economic reconciliation" by signing business deals with individual First Nations.

As well, the party would strike a committee to review all school textbooks and literature to ensure they are "neutral," party leader John Rustad said during a wide-ranging meeting with The Globe and Mail's editorial board in Vancouver earlier this month.

"It shouldn't be about indoctrination of anything, whether that's environmental or whether that's political or whether that's sexual," Mr. Rustad said, referencing his proposal to censor books deemed by his Conservative government to be inappropriate for students.

...

Mr. Rustad is a five-term MLA from the Nechako Lakes riding west of Prince George and, for four years, was the minister of Indigenous reconciliation in Christy Clark's Liberal government.

Mr. Rustad and Bruce Banman, of Abbotsford South, both sit as BC Conservatives in the legislature after being elected as members of BC United in 2020. Mr. Rustad was ejected from the BC United caucus in 2022 after his social-media posts cast doubt that people are directly responsible for the climate changing around the globe. Mr. Banman crossed the floor to join Mr. Rustad last September and has refused to say whether he agrees or disagrees with climate change.

...

At the meeting with The Globe, he said his party is not yet ready to unveil the planks of its election platform that will address these problems, but did say he wants to scrap most of the NDP's housing policies.

"It's more of the question 'Is there anything I'd like to keep?' Which is: probably not much," Mr. Rustad said.

He singled out the "authoritarian" way the province has selected 30 communities to produce a targeted number of new homes over the next five years, an effort the NDP says is spurring these cities to do more to confront their housing shortages.

"I don't believe that they should come in and override local government and local government decision-making," Mr. Rustad said.

Regarding health care, he said Conservatives would commit to maintaining the universal system paid for by the government, but would look to increase the number of private clinics providing services and procedures such as hip replacements. This privately provided care would be covered for patients by the public system, he said, an approach that Ontario and Alberta have embraced as a way to reduce wait times and one even B.C.'s NDP government is increasingly using as well.

Mr. Rustad said a group of medical professionals recently told him the closest analogue to B.C.'s healthcare system is that of a totalitarian dictatorship across the Pacific.

"I'm told that there's only one jurisdiction that even comes close to following what we do and that's North Korea – and it's not exactly a stellar model, from my perspective, of success in health care," said Mr. Rustad, who added that his government would immediately fire Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry over her support for COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Mr. Rustad refused to identify the group of medical professionals that provided this analysis.

On climate change, Mr. Rustad has been vocal about ending the province's carbon tax, which the BC Liberals created in 2008 as the first such levy in North America.

Mr. Rustad argues the science around human causes of climate change is "a theory and it's not proven," a position widely at odds with accepted science. But Mr. Rustad maintains there is no pressing need to legislate solutions.

"It's not even a crisis," he told The Globe.

These views prompted BC United Leader Kevin Falcon to kick Mr. Rustad out of caucus two summers ago on his birthday.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-bc-conservatives-envision-sweeping-changes-to-schools-housing-climate/

#5

Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2024

Last post by Jacob - Today at 07:05:27 PM

Apparently he'd been telling fellow inmates that he was writing a book. I've seen speculation that the murder was organized to stop him from implicating anyone else - like his brother and the various criminals who went to party at his farm. If so, we can hope that he managed to write enough down to make a difference.

#6

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 04:55:05 PM

He may be

#7

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Tamas - Today at 03:25:00 PM

All politics aside and purely looking at defence. I really don't see what good conscripts would do for the UK.
We aren't on the front line. We aren't going to be invaded.
If Russia pulls through Ukraine and then invades someone else Britain's resources should be put into providing support to these other nations who do have more of a case for conscription.
Missiles, air power, ramping up shell production, etc...
Even in terms of ground forces we'd be providing more the specialist pros for the counter attack than the meat shields to blunt the initial attack.

Exactly. Britain will be nuked into oblivion way before Russia would try to invade.

Canada has a substantially higher risk of having to fight Russia on its own territory.

#8

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 03:14:36 PM

All politics aside and purely looking at defence. I really don't see what good conscripts would do for the UK.
We aren't on the front line. We aren't going to be invaded.
If Russia pulls through Ukraine and then invades someone else Britain's resources should be put into providing support to these other nations who do have more of a case for conscription.
Missiles, air power, ramping up shell production, etc...
Even in terms of ground forces we'd be providing more the specialist pros for the counter attack than the meat shields to blunt the initial attack.

#9

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by Tonitrus - Today at 02:28:51 PM

Musk being sued by shareholders for insider trading

If the lawsuit has merit (not questing it one way or the other)...why isn't he also facing a criminal investigation?

#10

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 02:26:26 PM

Don't I recall in a similar time span other senior army figures saying they didnt want conscripts.

He was told off privately by the Chief of the Defence Staff, but the source on that was that it wasn't "helpful to have that discussion publicly". He later suggested that it was perhaps a bit "alarmist" as "Britain is secure" (personally - I am not reassured when the most senior military person in the country is saying "Britain is secure" but that may just be me ).

He also added, which is absolutely right, that it was a decision and a discussion for politicians. Which is totally correct and the issue I have with the general suggesting it is more that it's not for them to try to dictate policy.

The government rejected the idea then. Obviously part of their line was that the army didn't want it and there were retired generals who were opposed. And it would be a profound shift in the type of military we have and what it's for.

But, as I say, you've got the German defence minister saying Russia could invade a NATO country in 5-8 years, the (Dutch) chair of NATO military command saying that private citizens may need to be prepared for conflict in the next 20 years and the CGS here saying we may need to train and equip a "citizen army" capable of deployment on land. France has re-introduced it, as have the Swedes - Norway, Denmark and Finland never abolished it. Poland has also re-introduced some elements. Maybe Britain is exceptional and can just ignore the situation giving rise to that, or retreat behind the Channel - I'm not convinced.