statism watch

Free trade doesn’t require reams of legislation. That’s called managed trade. So it would be nice if the Harper government would get their terms straight and stop masquerading as scions of laissez-faire. This schtick is getting pretty old. Remember, we’re all socialists now! (Yes, sarcasm.)

Flashback: Harper, Sarkozy vow to work toward Canada-EU deal | CD Howe Institute backs Canada-EU deal, deep integration | Towards a new world order: Canada-EU trade proposal rivals scope of NAFTA

The Canadian Press
March 5, 2009

OTTAWA — The federal government hopes to open formal negotiations within months toward a free-trade deal with the European Union.

International Trade Minister Stockwell Day announced the news Thursday as both sides published a list of 15 discussion topics to guide negotiations.

The federal cabinet will now prepare instructions for Canadian negotiators to take into their meetings with European counterparts.

The topics include broad themes such as customs procedures, sanitary issues, barriers to trade, government procurement, intellectual property, and sustainable development.

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Janet McFarland, The Globe and Mail
March 5, 2009

When Brian Rutherford retired from his job as a logistics manager at General Motors of Canada Ltd. in 2006, he never imagined there was reason to worry about the security of his pension after more than 30 years at the company.

“Being fat, dumb and happy, I never really gave it much of a thought,” he says. “That was until last summer, when I saw the Canadian, U.S. and world economy going south.”

Since then, Mr. Rutherford and thousands of former and current GM Canada employees have watched with mounting fear as the company has warned of potential collapse.

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Note that the exact same thing happened when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.

CBC News
March 5, 2009

Suspect sketches released

Criticisms continued to mount Thursday over the security presence of Pakistani authorities in an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team that killed seven people.

An opposition leader said the government should shoulder some of the blame for the attack that happened Tuesday in the city of Lahore.

“The security system in Pakistan under this regime has collapsed because this government is too busy doing other things. They are too busy in their quest for power,” Mushahid Hussain, an opposition leader told a televised media conference on Thursday.

“They should be held responsible,” he said.

Lahore commissioner Khusro Pervez said the gunmen should have been battled by “backup police support which didn’t arrive.”

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Odd, isn’t it… it seems as though there’s a huge rush prior to each new injection of liquidity… yet they all fail to accomplish their goal, and suddenly the rush is on again.

Lousie Egan, Reuters
March 5, 2009

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada stressed on Thursday the urgency of fiscal action to stimulate spending and ease credit as a string of bad economic news batters consumer and business confidence.

Pierre Duguay, deputy governor at the central bank, clung to the bank’s prediction of a sharp recovery leading to 3.8 per cent growth in 2010 – a forecast many private sector economists see as too rosy.

In testimony to a parliamentary finance committee, Mr. Duguay said he saw little risk that stimulus plans posed a threat to inflation or would lead to perpetual budget deficits in the long term.

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Could this have anything to do with the parade of headlines about how bird flu is the next big pandemic threat – despite the fact that it’s extremely difficult for people to contract it? Note that the Canadian military just announced today they’re readying plans for ‘civilian containment’. If this stuff is released in a localized area, it will provide a pretext for martial law, preparations for which are well under way. And naturally, you will be offered a vaccination.

Update (2009/3/6): Baxter, along with Bayer AG, was one of the companies alleged to be knowingly distributing HIV and Hepatitis-B infected blood plasma in the 1980s. The fallout from that debacle is still ongoing.

Flashback: Officials investigate how bird flu contaminated vaccines in Europe | Vaccine Court: Autism Debate Continues | Vaccines Found to Cause Diabetes in Children | CDC reports almost 8,000 adverse reactions to “Gardasil” HPV vaccine in U.S. | Homeless people die after bird flu vaccine trial in Poland | Vaccine-linked polio hits Nigeria | Bayer Continued Selling Contaminated Blood Product in 1980s

Paul Joseph Watson, PrisonPlanet.com
March 5, 2009

Czech Papers Question Whether Contaminated Baxter Vaccine Was ‘Attempt to Provoke Pandemic’

Czech newspapers are questioning if the shocking discovery of vaccines contaminated with the deadly avian flu virus which were distributed to 18 countries by the American company Baxter were part of a conspiracy to provoke a pandemic.

The claim holds weight because, according to the very laboratory protocols that are routine for vaccine makers, mixing a live virus biological weapon with vaccine material by accident is virtually impossible.

“The company that released contaminated flu virus material from a plant in Austria confirmed Friday that the experimental product contained live H5N1 avian flu viruses,” reports the Canadian Press.

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David Gow, The Guardian
March 5, 2009

General Motors today warned it would go bust within 30 days unless the US treasury gives it a further multi-billion dollar loan.

The dramatic warning from America’s biggest car group came after its auditor, Deloitte, raised substantial doubts about its ability to continue operations as a going concern.

These alarm signals were contained in GM’s 480-page annual report for 2008 to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, America’s financial regulator. They further underline the perilous state of the global car industry.

GM has so far received $13.4bn (£9.5bn) in treasury loans and a further $1.6bn in other government loans. Today , effectively holding a gun to the government’s head, it said it could default on this $15bn if it did not receive a further cash injection.

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Flashback: Health Canada adds bisphenol A to list of toxic substances | New study raises concerns Bisphenol-A could be related to heart disease | Bisphenol tied to lower brain function

Martin Mittelstaedt, The Globe and Mail
March 4, 2009

Culprit for emo found?

The estrogen-mimicking chemical BPA, already banished from baby bottles and frowned upon in water jugs, has now shown up in significant levels in soft drinks.

Tests by Health Canada scientists revealed the highest levels were in energy drinks, the often caffeine-loaded beverages that have become popular with teenagers seeking a buzz and athletes chasing a quick pick-me-up. But the study also found the controversial compound in a wide variety of ginger ales, diet colas, root beers and citrus-flavoured sodas.

Bisphenol A was detected in 96 per cent of soft drinks tested, in quantities below regulatory limits. But a growing body of science suggests the chemical may have harmful effects at levels far below those limits.

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