statism watch

Buckle up for phase two.

Canadian Press
February 3, 2009

Canadian credit card issuers saw a sudden upward jolt in delinquencies late last year and they are getting tougher to avoid writedowns like those that have afflicted the U.S. financial system, Deloitte consultants report.

“Many companies loosened standards in recent years – and many will suffer higher credit losses in the months ahead,” the study released today says.

It notes that “with Canadian consumers increasing their debt-to-disposable-income ratios to more than 130 per cent, a rate currently higher than that of the U.S., Canadian issuers face new risks.”

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The girl was convicted of assault after being TASERed. That’s disgusting and, sadly, to be expected. She probably lifted an arm to shield herself. If you’re ever attacked by police, you’d best turn turtle and shield your head with your arms or you will be charged with assaulting a god an officer. Maybe even then.

CBC News
February 3, 2009

Teenage girl, father sue OPP for $500,000 over incident in jail cell

Prescience: The electric staff torture scene from George Lucas’ chillingly brilliant dystopia, THX- 1138

Ontario’s child advocate has recommended the provincial police force ban the use of stun guns on minors unless someone’s life is in danger.

The call comes after a teenager was shocked in the Sioux Lookout OPP detachment cell last summer. The 15-year-old female, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was picked up by Ontario Provincial Police for underage drinking following an altercation at a July 2008 party.

The teen, who was 14 at the time and has fetal alcohol syndrome, was waiting in the jail cell for a court hearing.

Her father, who also cannot be identified, said his daughter was picking paint off the cell walls out of boredom. Police warned her to stop and when she didn’t, her father said officers entered her cell, held her down by both arms and shot her with a stun gun.

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Although Hamid Karzai was shown the door, this seems unlikely to happen. Are global intelligence agencies willing to part with this revenue source?

CBC News
February 3, 2009

Canadian soldiers participating in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan could soon be ordered to hunt down drug lords and attack the country’s poppy trade, which is inextricably linked to the Taliban insurgency, Canada’s top general says.

So far, Canadian soldiers have not been involved in anti-drug operations in Afghanistan, but that could change, said Walter Natynczyk, Canada’s chief of defence staff.

“We haven’t yet,” Natynczyk told CBC News. “We’re still waiting for NATO to come out with their guidance.”

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Who are ‘Revolutionary Struggle’? Is this an Operation Gladio-type provocateur operation, or an actual militant grassroots movement? In either case, the media focus on this group’s activities can only serve the interests of the authorities in Greece, who are desperate to discredit the masses of people protesting peacably. Consider the original headline of this article: Police Station Attacked, Farmers Riot in Greece. It puts the atatck and the farmers in close proximity which could give the impression they weer responsible. Also, all the information we have about the circumstances surrounding the degeneration of the farmer’s protest is from the police themselves. “Officials said, officials said…” A little critical thinking goes a long way when reading the media.

CBC News
February 3, 2009

Farmers with their tractors block one of the entrances to the main port of Piraeus, near Athens, on Tuesday. (Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press)

Violence rocked parts of Greece Tuesday as a suspected militant group attacked a police station in the capital and farmers clashed with riot police in the country’s southwest.

No one was injured in the attack on a police station in the Korydallos area of western Athens, police said.

At least three people wearing hoods and helmets opened fire on the station and threw a hand grenade, said police. A guard posted outside the station said he dropped to the ground when he saw flashes from the weapons, said police spokesman Panagiotis Stathis.

Officials said a homegrown organization called Revolutionary Struggle later claimed responsibility for the attack.

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