The super sidelined Canadian Elections and Questions to ask!

Questions to be raised at the nearly Secretive and Unknown-to-the-world Canadian Elections, 2008.

As stubbornly un-recalcitrant and morbidly pleasant Canadians, we must as a minimum ask the political leaders of all stripes, during these highly understated and sidelined elections, the following questions. One does not have to be an economist, a member of a radical political organization, a heavily grant-subsidized NGO activist, a hooded chain-strapping proto-punk walker, a card-carrying trailer-park shit-disturber or a miserably defunded theatre activist, to ask these questions, when they knock on your door. You just need and ought to be a wee bit fed up and pissed off with all the posturing and hypocritical newspeak and grim-spin that is peddled interminably by the handful who control the tube and put out the completely monopolized newspaper network bandwidth:
1) What regulatory mechanisms are in place in Canada already, to control banks and other lending agencies to prevent predatory credit being extended to entice poor people who do not earn enough to buy the houses, that they may like and then lose them down the road? And if they do not exist, what do the leaders' platforms say specifically what they would do on this issue, when elected, as far as lending mechanisms go?
2) What formal rules and regulations are in place to stop speculative and insidious up-market evaluation of homes and other assets? What are the rules in place now? Not guidelines. In other words, while the so called free market allows prices to be determined in general "by supply and demand" and also the availability of credit (and therefore the relationship with prime rates) what mechanisms are there to evaluate the worth of a house? In industry there are certain prevalent understandings in Canada, that a certain percentage above Earnings before Interest Payments, Depreciation, Taxes etc are a reliable indicator of the "value" of an enterprise. What are the guidelines for house value (other than the supply and demand aspect)?
3) Why is Canada not embarking on a strategic and drastic program to introduce a major economic switch over to green technology in infrastructure, power, housing, roads, transportation, factory heating/cooling, packaging, refuse disposal, clean environmental practices like some European countries have chosen to and make a remarkable and immediate shift away from fossil-based technology? Almost all of these European countries have a balanced budget, have a steady GDP and not as serious an unemployment or inflationary situation.
4) Why is the so-called refined, balanced and forward thinking nation of Canada continuing to be beholden to a lying, bullying, deceptive, religious fundamentalist, neo-con supported oil lobby whose political premises are meager, shortsighted and confined to a world outlook that does not go beyond the oily window panes of greasy spoon bars in oil patches, where pot bellied, beer swallowing, red meat hogging, cowboy-talking investment bandits and other ogres inhabit? Why is Canada not adopting a dignified distance from the policies of the United States in foreign policy, on the environment, in economic policy and banking?
5) What is Canada doing about reinforcing its enormously envied public health care system and not diverting more funds into it to stop the long queues outside hospitals and to enable immediate availability of family doctors on demand? Why are some parties, even discussing the possibilities of privatizing any aspect of the health care system? Why are recently arrived immigrant doctors and long time citizens, as well, with MDs from their own countries, who have significant academic and practical training, driving taxis in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver? Because they don't "speak Canadian"?
6) What business does Canada have in Afghanistan? It is not a UN mission. It is a NATO mission supported by a handful of nations, bulk of whom are beholden to a faltering empire known as the United States. Afghanistan has NEVER been subjugated. Not by Mongols. Not by Greeks. Not by Persians. Not by the British or the Soviet Union. These are fierce, proud mountain people, who love their country and do not want foreigners to occupy their land. The Taliban and their primitive supporters will eventually be taken care of by the Afghan people themselves. They will themselves throw out all invaders and occupiers including the foreign fundamentalists and terrorists who live in the caves there. But as long as westerners play frontiersmen and pioneers in the hills and mountains of Afghanistan, the Taliban will unite everyone as nationalists always have, whether in Algeria or Vietnam. The latest reports from European Commanders and American Generals are even saying that "Afghanistan is lost." What has Canada got to do with Afghanistan? With nearly a hundred young soldiers dead, what has Canada proven to itself, other than pathetic attempts by some wannabeamerican Generals in the Canadian army about "routing out scumbags in the hills" of Afghanistan? Why is Canada not leaving NOW from Afghanistan? Canada is not playing its traditional peacekeeping role there.
7) What is Canada doing to protect itself from being 80% dependent on the US for trade? How long will this absolutely neo-colonial relationship, that simultaneously dictates border security paranoia, intelligence sharing and kowtowing to US jingoistic patriotism continue? Even the American people are waking up to this reality and will be throwing out much of the 8 years of the Bush doctrine and its coup d'etat regime. When are we Canadians going to learn the words No! Not in our lifetime! Not here! Instead of clinging on to pusillanimous and lily-livered expressions like "We are different", "Yes, but.." "We are in their shadows.." "We shall overcome …only tomorrow"
8) Why are the leaders not clear, honest about the Middle East, Oil, and the rights of the people of Palestine? Why are Canadians so brainwashed, bleached and anal about continuously swallowing the equation that Arab=Oil+Terrorist=anti-semitic= hellwillbreakloose if we speak anything negative about Israeli extreme right settler policies? In Israel nearly sixty percent of the population want to settle with the Palestinians now. And in North America, there is a transplanted blind belligerence and ignorance that has triumphed, which majority of progressive Israelis see as ugly and ridiculous. The cheer leaders in the bleachers are more aggresive than those in the trenches.
Ask your leaders when they knock on your doors. Be armed with questions. Add your own. But ask these questions and let them respond and not slither away with the prepared hog shit that they come armed to distribute.