My scores, determined yesterday, are as follows:

Economic Left/Right: -5.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.46

To my surprise I am just as libertarian as ever before, but have edged significantly closer to centre since my last test (which put me at about -7.50 to the left as I recall). This classifies me as politically compatible with the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, though I’m even further southwest than those radical luminaries.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Political Compass test. Every time I take the test I become more aware of how ambiguously phrased the questions are, and find a new excuse to answer a question in a completely new way based on an unspecified exception. This is quite brilliant because, I suppose, the means classify your political slant more than the ends do.

For example, one question is phrased “mothers may have careers, but their first duty is to be homemakers.” I answered this question with “Agree”, and my wife answered it “Strongly Disagree”. We both disagree with the phrasing assuming it is exhaustive – we both disagree that a woman’s place is in the home, barefoot and pregnant. However, I don’t see the phrasing as exhaustive and I believe a husband’s first duty is to his home and family which is why I answered the way I did. We’re both correct, yes?

I urge one and all to take this test to see a summary of your political position based on your opinions of specific scenarios and morals. You might be surprised with the outcome.

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

demodulated pinpointed

Apologies in advance for the title of that post. It stinks more than the southbound end of a northbound bronco.

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

Blog exchange program

I accept the fact that Canada desired new government in the House of Commons, and I accept that this government may reallocate my tax dollars to more closely suit their own agenda. That’s why we vote.

But why am I paying for political ads? There’s no election going on now. There’s seemingly no reason for the Conservative party to attempt to curry favour from the populace at the moment. Regardless of which party I voted for I shouldn’t be forced to pay for slanderous, self-serving tripe. It’s inappropriate, irresponsible, and unethical of any government to do so.

I find this practise particularly slimy because, if the ads were showed during election time, they would be out of accordance with CRTC political advertising rules.

For example, “all candidates and parties are entitled to some coverage that will give them the opportunity to expose their ideas to the public.” I’ve thankfully been exempt from paying for Liberal rebuttal ads, though, according to the CRTC, such an opportunity is due:

“…if paid advertising time is sold to any party or candidate, advertising time must be made available on an equitable basis to rival parties and candidates. “

Furthermore, during elections, one-sided inflammatory advertisements have been all but unheard-of as far as I’ve observed. There’s a reason for this – the CRTC holds itself and television and radio stations responsible for the equitable presentation of issues by political parties.

“Section 3 of the Act requires that ‘the programming originated by broadcast undertakings should be of high standard’ and ‘the programming provided by the Canadian broadcasting system should provide a reasonable opportunity for the public to be exposed to the expression of differing views on matters of public concern’”

These cheap-shot ads are the least of my worries, disgusting though they may be.

It’s generally agreed that the Conservatives stole the Liberal’s minority government by bombarding the public with ads bringing to light an embarassing and illegal Liberal sponsorship scandal. Fair game. However, it’s perplexingly infuriating that the Conservatives have yet failed to punish their own Minister of Heritage for doing the same thing very shortly after the election, and later took measures to justify its illegal sponsorship funds by means of a loophole in their own Accountability Act.

The Liberals’ term ended with former Right Honourable Prime Minister Paul Martin denying America’s request to set up a defensive missile shield on Canadian soil. The simply Right current Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s term began by sending Canadians to combat in Afghanistan.

The Liberals, interpreting Canada’s Charter of Rights, deemed same-sex marriage legal and in the spirit of the country. The Conservatives, ignoring the Canadian majority’s votes and morals, vowed to re-open the issue. This ended in embarassment for Harper when his discriminatory motion was defeated by a large majority.

Since taking power the Conservatives have inexplicably lowered the GST while ballooning military spending, eliminated government-sponsored child care and ended women’s support services in a double-whammy assault on women’s rights, stepped up efforts to deport even well accepted and loved illegal immigrants, and preceded children’s movies with army recruitment ads.

I urge all Canadians, whether in support or in contempt of our Conservative government, to voice their concerns to the Prime Minister. Do so by way of your local MP, your provincial premier, or email Harper himself at pm@pm.gc.ca.

I’ve never before been so motivated to vote.

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

Is it time to vote again yet?

In the way of pre-movie commercials the 25 minute double-dip hadn’t subsided much at all since we saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last year. What had changed, however, was what passes for a commercial:

Above is a compilation of the Canadian Army recruiting propaganda currently propagating on Canadian television. Despite Canada’s traditional role and image as peacekeepers, these ads unabashedly show individuals carrying and firing assault weapons, tactfully surveying ruins and homes, deploying in hot zones in helicopters, and carting away wounded civilians.

One such advertisement played, in all its big screen and surround sound glory, before a gaggle of kindergartners. And then the penguins started tap dancing.

What does the army have to do with a children’s (rated PG) movie? What indeed.

The purpose behind these ads is that Canada’s Conservative government wishes to transform our military from support and humanitarian troops to a front-line aggressor. The goal: to fill our newly desert-coloured camouflage fatigues (our fighting force was green in more than experience in the early 90′s gulf war) with temporarily warm Canadian bodies.

To glamorize war to children is unnerving and irresponsible. Highlighting action-packed yet safe clips of wartime deployment forcefeeds an unrealistic soft-lensed idealism upon our impressionable youth.

But really, to sell anything to naive children, MUCH less war, is immoral. On this topic, the Canadian Marketing Association has this to say in their Code of Ethics and Standards of Practise:

Marketing to children must not exploit children’s credulity, lack of experience or sense of loyalty.

And what is marketing if not the exploitation of these human traits?

Our Conservatives largely won our vote for putting a megaphone in front of the Liberal party’s floundering following a sponsorship scandal in which corporate and individual political sponsors were overly compensated monetarily for their assistance. They completed this one-two punch with a smear campaign showing Canadian citizens shaking their heads in disapproval while listening to the promises of the Liberal party. In my opinion the Conservatives won the vote by capitalizing on the now active Federal Accountability Act which was claimed, or perhaps just implied, to help enforce policies on campaign sponsorship.

It is therefore confusing to see the same Conservatives, mere months after enacting the policies, propose a loophole amendment to exempt them from having to rationalize millions of dollars in unaccounted lobbyist donations.

Steven Harper and the gang are simply bait-and-switch artists who dangle a carrot in front of the populace and don’t tell them about the maggots within and pesticides without until after they convince us to enjoy a good crunchy bite. The Conservative party is poisoning our government with its lies and sabotaging our youth with its half truths.

After many years of disillusionment I was convinced to cast my vote in the last federal election. By researching the issues and choosing the party that matched my ideals I hoped to assist the increase of mass transit service, preservation of environmental resources, reduction of gun violence in urban centres, assistance to the underprivileged, continuation of social programs, continued abstinence from war, increased unity with Quebec, and strengthening of Canadian identity. The Conservatives were elected and they have worked tirelessly to ensure the opposite of each of my wishes occurs.

Remind me please, why am I voting again?

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

Enlisting Mouskateers

This really pissed me off. I called them racists and they defended their slander with “It’s just a joke. Dave Chapelle jokes like this all the time.” I asked them where they were from and they both said America. I proceeded to berate them with reasons why America was an intolerant country and how much better Canada was. I inflated my ego a bit and felt good about myself for giving these idiots the business, but I feel a little empty today. I fought fire with fire and now everything’s torched.

So I’ve been thinking about this situation a little bit and will now fulfill my resolution.

I challeneged racists with my own brand of stereotypical profiling which is basically the pot calling the hash narcotic. I chewed out these brainwashed children for being ignorant, all the while proving myself guilty of the same. My penance is to rectify this wrongdoing appropriately and evenly.

My post today is in response to 2 things – to these misguided American kids who have been bred to fear others, and to the alleged words of Osama bin Laden that the “west” is waging a war on Islam. I have dedicated a very short part of my day – maybe 8 minutes total – reading something nice about these dissimilar but, in this case, opposing sides – America and Islam. These tiny insights speak majestic volumes about the whole of these peoples, and I believe that if we all took the time to research as I have just once per month, we would find much in common with the things we fear.

A short tale from the Qu’ran:

1600 years ago before the widespread acceptance of Islam, the Arabian people were pagans and idol worshippers. When the prophet Muhammed, the embodiment of all that is good and merciful in Islamic principle, arrived in Arabia, more and more people became impressed and appreciative of his peaceful and polite demeanour and adopted his way of life. This angered the more devout idol worshippers because their deities lost power as they lost believers.

One such woman lived in a house that Mohammed passed each day on the way to to mosque. She hated him for wordlessly ridiculing her deepest beliefs and for infecting her people with his virus. Whenever he would pass beneath her bedroom window, each day without fail, she would throw her smelly refuse on him to shame and discredit him in his place of worship. Each time, Mohammed would look up at her but would not call our or frown. He remained peaceful and polite and would continue on his way, day after day.

One day, on his way to mosque, the woman did not throw refuse on Muhammed. He looked up at her window and did not see her standing there at all. He knocked on the woman’s door and a man answered. He asked where the woman was, and the man told Muhammed that she was sick in bed. Muhammed asked if he might visit the woman and the man agreed.

Recognizing Muhammed immediately, the woman frowned and prepared herself for his revenge now that she cold not defend herself. Muhammed knelt beside her and told her not to be afraid. He explained that he was the messenger of Allah who had instructed him to show no malice, and to defend and tend to the needs of the sick. The woman broke down and cried, admitting her embarassment and shame, and pledged to serve Allah and Islam for the rest of her life.

A short American tale:

Hurricaine Katrina caused massive damage and dozens of deaths in the southern United States. As horrible as the event was, the aftermath was equally as daunting for families suddenly finding themselves without homes, supplies, and jobs. Thousands of people were forced to live in overcrowded shelters with complete strangers, deprived of privacy, hygeine, and in the case of a Forrest County, Mississippi town, water.

Sherriff Bobby McGee, resident and peacekeeper in Forrest County, had been tirelessly fending for his populace for days on end. Upon hearing of the shortage of clean water, Sherriff McGee, following procedure, called the FEMA information line incessantly for 6 hours in an attempt to track down delayed resources that should already have arrived. Not content to leave babies without formula and lifesaving medications unrefridgerated, McGee decided to forgo FEMA procedures and pay a visit to the nearby staging site at Camp Shelby where supplies were stored and distributed.

Upon arrival at Camp Shelby, McGee was informed that his town’s supplies had been delayed by damaged roadways. When he asked about some nearby 18-wheelers loaded with ice, he was told that these trucks had no set destination but were ordered not to be moved. Incredulous, the sherriff instructed his officers to commandeer 2 of the trucks and bring them to the shelters immediately. The national guard, posted at the site, attempted to stop the Sherriff and his men verbally, and finally by force. One guardsman climbed onto McGee’s truck and attempting to remove the keys from the ignition. McGee stopped his vehicle, climbed out, wrestled the guardsman to the ground, cuffed his hands behind his back, placed him in a patrol car for interfering with an officer of the law, and got right back into his truck.

The people of Forrest County hale McGee for his decisiveness and empathy and wish to nominate him for governer. His eligibility is in limbo, however. Shortly after distributing ice to his thankful jurisdiction (and releasing the National Guardsman), McGee was placed under arrest and thrown into a federal holding area, awaiting trial. And that’s where he sits today.

For taking action as the much maligned FEMA failed him, Bobby McGee is a hero to his state and a criminal to his country. Behind bars, McGee stated “I regret where I am today but I don’t regret my actions.”

And ever a man of faith and charity, McGee told the press, “All the prayers that have gone up on my behalf, and all that’s been done on my behalf only strengthens my resolve to continue to serve the people of Forrest County and do the best I can do. And with your prayers and support, we’ll get there.â€�

Have you written interesting research articles or stories about other nations, cultures, or religions? Please leave a comment below or email me at briandamage@hyppy.zapto.org and I will be honoured to link to you!

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

Fighting fire with marshmallows

Osama bin PERL Script

I’m no conspiracy theorist, but this seems exceptionally suspicious to me. War is an expensive and, for some, profitable venture. Like the vaccination industry, war makes money with treatment, not cures or prevention.

A hell of a lot of money is spent by any government on manpower whose collective work is stored on computer networks. This work contains information about the operation of the country, its populace, its triumphs and shortcomings. Government databases essentially contain blueprints on constructing – or disassembling – a country, step by step.

Any hacker will tell you that the most easily exploited factor in a computer network is people. No matter how tight your security, no matter how obscured your resources, all it takes is a slick talker to convince some corporate lackey that they have the right to important data. “Any hacker” should talk to the US government because they are the one organization ANYWHERE that makes it easy enough for hackers that they don’t even need to talk to a person to gain illegal entry.

There is an ongoing debate over whether accessing private, unsecured wireless networks should be illegal. The internet is an open protocol for any and all to access, and wireless access points provide a means of connection to the internet via the owner’s private network. An unsecured, unencrypted WAP is like putting a cable TV on your front lawn for anyone to watch – a service provided to the community.

The US government provides a very, very, VERY generous service to the community – they allow anyone to log into their networks without a password to do as they wish. They allow you to connect to their networks, log in, access data, convince IT administrators of your authorization through an anonymous text chat, disconnect, and reconnect as often as you like for a year. All for the low, low price of Americans’ right to privacy and national dignity! Act now! … or much later!

“But the internet is a quickly evolving place with dangerous hackers evolving even quicker,” you tighty righties tell me (in my imagination). You’re right, you brilliant beasts, you. However, the government is not evolving with them, despite the fact that the EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED almost 10 years ago. You’d think a military-employed IT security specialist would think to password protect network computers. Connected to the internet. Over the course of 10 years. No.

9/11 has been the grease on the wheels of oppression for the Bush administration for a term and a half now. As a result, the airline industry, already hanging on by a thread, is forced to rectally probe Americans that walk through any doorway in a terminal, and to really toss the salad of any medium-skinned visible minority. It’s all justified. After all, 9/11 was the result of some commercial airliners being hijacked, right? Right? It looks like it from some angles – like the 24-hour-a-day hysterical yammering on CNN. But from the other end of the spectrum, the end with NEWS and FACTS from CITIZENS, a very different story is told. If a supposed plane crashes into the Pentagon, why conceal the wreckage under a tarp?!? etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

But you Yanks eat this shit up, don’t you? You love being spied on, lied to, and restricted, don’t you? Yes, you do. You’re in good hands, after all. You’ve re-elected a well-loved leader with a respectable family. A president who respects the separation of church and state. A wartime president with a celebrated military record.

It is my opinion that America is addicted to terror. They love it. It’s their raison d’etre. Decade after decade, war after war, always “America, fuck yeah!” And why shouldn’t they love it? It’s a profitable venture. Bush has no qualms trading boys for bucks, and boys are free! It’s the perfect crime!

Your tired and your poor were delish. Pass your huddled masses.

So why spend oodles of bucks defending your country? Preventing war is no way to make a buck. Fortify the pillars of Americanism – Smith and Wesson, CNN, and coffin makers – or you’re a communist!

And hell, while we’ve got a Bush-blowing sock puppet for a prime minister, let’s have Canada secretly fund a war that its citizens unanimously disapprove of. So sneaky, Mr. Harper. “Me love you long time, Mr. Bush! Call me! Please? Me so horny!”

Being born in Montreal, the Quebec referendum upset me greatly. Even though it failed to pass a vote of 51% to 49%, it still troubled me to see how many Canadians felt incongruent with the country’s ideals. Having read the words of a similar-minded American I have newfound sympathy for Quebec separatists. At the time I thought it was just a pantload, but maybe the biggest countries really aren’t big enough for their own populations. After all, I would hate to live in a country full of closed-minded, racist neanderthals like this George W. Douchebag.

I love you, America. I cry for you. I empathise with you. But I will never bleed for you. I cannot respect the republic for which you stand. I don’t know why you do.

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

O beautiful for spacious lies

A concerned young woman said on CBC last night that if Harper was Prime Minister less than 2 years ago, Canada would be at war right now. This rang very true for me. As far left as our right wing may be, the Conservatives are going to bring about some serious changes that will challenge the definition of what it means to be Canadian.

For instance, Harper wants to revisit the previously closed issue of gay marriage. Canada called for a vote on the issue. Canada voted on the issue. Harper doesn’t like the outcome so he’s undermining the country to revisit the issue. Also, Harper was in favour of an American missile defence shield in Canada. Canada stands strongly against war and fears the implications of defending a country with such antagonistic leadership. I have a bad feeling Mr. Harper and Mr. Bush will find much in common.

There are other liberties, other shining points of Canadian freedom and individuality, at stake all of a sudden. Music sharing, medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, rehabilitation of troubled youth, environmental responsibility, and so much more are jeopardized by the Conservative administration. These pillars of the Canadian way of life will be placed on the shelf as new agendas are brought to light – identity verification, activity logging, military might, and legal punishment.

That’s right, Canada. You’ve basically voted yourselves unfit to govern yourselves. You’ve begged authoritarians to tighten the leash. Fear not, for you’ll get your wish. We will soon discover that more of us are criminals than we realized, and those criminals will be severely punished. We don’t want social issues to be addressed. We don’t want preventive maintenance. We only want revenge on those who have wronged us. Don’t worry. We’ll get it. Those of you who voted to “stand up for Canada,” prepare to bend over.

p.s., A very hearty congratulations to the NDP who increased its parliament presence by 10 seats, and to the Green Party for capturing the hearts of over a million Canadians. An extra special congratulations to Thornhill NDP candidate Simon Strelchik and Green candidate Lloyd Helferty for speaking so well in the local debate and for swaying more than 10% of our predominantly Liberal community.

—

Addendum:

Thanks to Mycroft who mentions Harper’s “firewall article” as suggested reading. Here is a link to the article.

I’d heard that Harper wanted to reallocate some power from the federal level to the provinces, but it sounds like he wants to impose something of a full-scale separatist movement to decentralize allocation of funds and services altogether. Perhaps some provinces are not recieving sufficient support, perhaps not. It is particularly suspicious that his proposed “Alberta Agenda” exempts a wealthy province with no provincial sales tax from supporting the rest of the country. Harper most certainly has a point when he says “If Quebec can do it, why not Alberta?” This should not be acceptable in any province. United we stand, divided we fall.

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

Canada Gets Revenge on Itself

On boxing day at one of the city’s largest shopping malls, a 15 year old white girl was shot and killed by a black youth – an event that sparked nearly unprecedented outrage from Torontonian citizens and from various religious, political, and ethnic groups.

It’s been argued that Toronto didn’t truly care about gun violence until a black boy killed a white girl. It’s been argued that we didn’t make a fuss until it happened on Boxing Day. It’s been argued that the uproar was incited by political candidates in order to curry favour.

In a city where white is the minority, is it possible that race is the catalyst? Is it simply a coincidence? Was this shooting the last straw?

Regardless of cause, I surmise the spike in Conservative support is the direct result of this unpleasant incident – Toronto wants revenge. Bad. And they’re ready to elect whichever politician can put this 17 year old boy in a world of pain.

Which politician is that? Well, let’s take a look at the top 3 parties’ platform on gun violence.

Conservative Party: Increase police funding and presence, impose tougher minimum sentences, arm border officers, but allow citizens to own licensed handguns.

Liberal Party: Ban the ownership of handguns by all but police and border guards, impose tougher minimum sentences, increase police funding and presence.

New Democratic Party: Ban the ownership of handguns by all but police and border guards, increase school and job education funding, increase low income housing funding.

Is federal mandate even the correct course of action in this matter? Judges have traditionally decried direct government involvement in law enforcement – they feel the law should be determined by lawyers. How close is Canada to adopting some states’ nonsensical “3 strikes” policy?

The most disturbing factor in this fiasco is not the crimes themselves, but the reason for them. In all the media’s hubbub and all the police’s investigations, it seems that no one has asked the perpetrators WHY they have illegal guns. Surely, not simply because they know they can get away with it due to lax laws. There is a motive, a need, a fear, that they feel the country cannot alleviate.

Canada, at what price do you wish revenge? What is the best solution to the influx of illegal weapons smuggled from the USA? Is it wisest to trim the sharp edges from our weeds or to uproot them altogether?

If this issue is important to you, study the policies of the parties well and vote on January 23 for the party that will best serve you and your neighbours.

This article was written by Brian at demodulated Original post:

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail