Ezra Levant posted this blog entry at The Shotgun today.

He basically boils down the conflict in Lebanon to “good vs. evil” (good being Israel, bad being Hizbullah and anyone who “supports” them.

This is my response to a string of comments accusing me of being “lefty” supporter of the “East”.

(due to the length of my reply… I have posted it to my blog at www.murkyview.com… I *challenge* everyone (including Mr. Levant) here to read it, and respond either here or on my blog, I will be interested to see who takes up that challenge. Note: my blog does require registration for spamcontrol)

SO: You can’t simply dismiss my arguments by boiling it down to simplistic falsehoods you fabricate from nothing.

What is “BAD” is the whole freakin’ mess in the Middle East. It is not helped by an overly aggressive and sensitive Israel, nor by an overly neutered UN.

Both issues are rooted in the same problem… lack of honesty at the UNSC and halls of power. Everyone has their axe to grind, everyone has their “interests”. Launching wars that kills 1000s of innocent people and litters an entire country with landmines will not solve the problem. Hizbollah is a symptom, not a problem. Israeli aggression is a symptom, not a problem. The Iranian “nuclear program” is a symptom not a problem.

If we actually had leaders who led according to the law, rather than according to their own politics and preconceived biases. Then we’d have a chance at actually solving the problems.

SO: You, and Ezra Levant, are victims of a great propaganda machine emanating from the White House. Their policies are not directed by what is “right”, but rather what they “want”. I don’t know what they want.. I don’t have any conspiracy theories… I think all they really want is power… which is what every human being in a position of authority has wanted since the start of our species.

It just so happens that this particular Administration is willing to lie, deceive, coerce far more openly than any Administration in modern history.

This battle of “good vs. evil” is nothing of the sort. It is a battle for power… it is not obvious between whom… I certainly don’t know… but it is obvious that it is happening.

Al Qaeda has become nothing more than a scape goat… a tool.. the everpresent “terrorist” has become the 12ft “communist” of the 1950s.

Anyone associated with a “terrorist” is evil.

Anyone speaking words approaching support for a “terrorist” is a traitor.

Exceptions like Mr. Levant aside, for the most part Canadian society has seemed to resist the urge to follow this path to paranoia and polarization.

The Maher Arar inquiry was a very good step… the very honest and public apology (and subsequent acceptance by Arar) by the RCMP commissioner was a very profound message to us as Canadians that our ideals of fairness, justice and compassion are intact as a society AND ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

We must not forget this.

We must not allow ourselves to be dragged into the war of “good vs. evil” because we should know that this is a gross misrepresentation and oversimplification of reality.

Stephen Harper has unfortunately, through his adoption of rhetoric similar to that of the Bush Administration, taken us a step towards the terrible polarization and complete distrust and lack of political or social dialogue in the US.

I don’t care about his domestic policies, let the Conservatives have their time at the reigns… I don’t care…. but we MUST NOT ALLOW ourselves to be caught in this trap of allowing paranoia and simplicity to make our most critical political, military and social decisions.

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ABUJA (Rheuters) – Oil prices are very low, harming investment in the industry and something must be done to steady the market, OPEC President Edmund Daukoru said on Tuesday.

That’s right folks. Now that oil prices have hit a “low” of $60, OPEC is starting to worry. Still optimistic gas prices will fall below 90c/L? (~$2/USG)… don’t bother. High prices are here to stay.

What’s really startling about this statement from the OPEC President is that, last year in March, when oil hit $50 for the very first time, many OPEC members were throwing up their arms in desperation and saying “OPEC has done all it can do.“

So now after topping out at nearly $75/barrel… we’ve come back down to $60 and OPEC is freaking out?

Hmm… I smell something…

(more…)

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Around the world, we all have many days of remembrance at which we stop and consider our lives and those who have died in their name. Today I ask that all people, from all walks of life and all political, religious, or moral background stop and consider….

What happened, exactly, on this day 5 years ago? Do you remember exactly how people, you, felt? Listen to the voices in this video and you will remember.

What has been the response from those most closely affected?

And what has been the reaction to those (multiple) responses?

Today should be a day of truth, of honesty, of opening up to the possibility that some decisions after 9.11 were right and some were wrong. I feel one way to get at our most inner truths is to expose again memories where we felt most strongly the emotion of sadness. Sadness causes us to reflect upon ourselves. I believe 9-11 is one of those moments.

For if we truly wish to honour those innocent people who perished on this day 5 years ago… we must be willing to find fault in ourselves and work to make things right…. no matter how long it takes, or who is to blame, our only concern must be to the memory of those who perished and to ensure that never again the World, Muslim, Christian, Eatern, Western, need be so completely shocked, so mortified, so mournful as it was on September 11, 2001.

(more…)

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