Canada's Oil Sands - The Ethical Fuel?

    The oil sands in Alberta are known as the most environmentally destructive project on Earth. The oil is dirty, the production is greatly polluting and it is destroying the environment. It is wholly unethical.
    A new ad campaign is branding Canada's oil sands as the ethical choice. The point is to contrast Canada's human rights versus alternative oils in Africa and the Middle East. To that there is some virtue but the perspective is weighed heavily in Canada's favour. They do not, for example, talk about the ethical flaws concerning the oil sands. Such as damaging the ecosystem and condemning humanity to further climate change. Another step in the wrong direction.

Nestea - Vivisection, Torture and Hell on Earth

    The link below is for a new PETA campaign against Nestea entitled CruelTea. The experiments are horrendous, including: vivisection (live dissection), forced high cholesterol, muscle deficiency and electrocution until death. The first minute of the video is very PG and can be stomached by anyone. Please take the time out of your day to at least be aware of what your money enables.

Please Boycott Nestea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LbT8Xw_au94

Girls Imprisoned, Raped, Injected with Chemicals, Tortured and Murdered

    Countless girls and women around the world are being brutally abused. Forced sexual activity has become a common practice; their children are torn from them at birth. The conditions of which they live are horrific as all things good in life are extinguished. Chemicals and hormones are also being injected on a daily basis. They are often beaten, tortured and are eventually murdered in disturbing ways. Their killers often take pleasure in what they are doing. No one listens to their screams.



    All of these concepts would be deplorable if it were not that they were from a different species. Dairy cows face this reality on a daily basis all to supply selfish individuals with a luxery commodity. Everyone that consumes dairy, meat, gelatin or leather has the blame on their shoulders. If it was you, what would you want to consumers to do?

Everyday Death

    There are many things that never make it into Animal Ideology, or do so rarely. There is; however, one thing that should not be overlooked. Everyday occurrences that now make up our world include terrorism, crashes and massacres. Some of them are noteworthy, as in standing out from the rest, but most are not. To ignore such things is not appropriate if our world is to try to better itself. As a snapshot of the morning of September 7th, 2011; here are today's tragedies that would not usually be written about due to their high frequency. This is, as one might expect in a dystopian world, just another day.

-explosion rocks high court in Delhi: 11 dead
-dual suicide attacks in Pakistan's Quetta: 25 dead
-Russian plane crash, hockey team aboard: 36 dead
-gunman attacks civilians at IHOP in Nevada: 5 dead

    We must also not forget the countless people dieing of starvation in Somalia, the rest of Africa and around the world.

Turkey Doubles Down - Trade and Military Ties Suspended with Israel

    The combination of Israel's refusal to apologize for the flotilla attack on May 31st, 2011; and the UN's stance that the gaza blockade is legal has prompted Turkey to suspend all ties. A previous article on this page, about two down, gives further details on the flotilla attack and the downgrade of diplomatic ties. The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated that an apology over the event would show weakness. So, for not apologizing, today Israel is weaker. They have lost a major military and trading ally in the Islamic world which leaves them almost completely alone.

Young Girls in Poverty - The World Does Need a Kick in the Pants

    The following link will take you to a video being put out by women activists concerning the effects of poverty on young women. Behind the well crafted video lies a terrible truth that pervades the entire world.

http://www.girleffect.org/question

Donate, Spread the Word and Learn.

Turkey Suspends Diplomatic Ties with Israel - Middle Eastern Instability

    Since the flotilla raids of May 31st, 2010, relations between Turkey and Israel have been strained. Turkey has officially expelled Israeli diplomats and has suspended military co-operation. This move should not be taken lightly due to the fact that Turkey is one of Israel greatest allies in the region.
   
    Israel was met with criticism [which was deserved] when it's military attacked an aid flotilla, consisting of human rights activists, heading to Palestine on May 31st, 2010. Israel accused the flotilla of transporting weapons; however, that was found to be false. It seems that the Israelis simply wanted to deter aid groups from entering occupied Palestine and helping those currently being displaced or impoverished.
   
    Nine individuals onboard the flotilla were killed, most of them of Turkish origin. One of them was a teenaged male who was shot multiple times in the back and then in the head while running away. The exessive force used has prompted the current diplomatic stress. The situation in Israel must be tense due to the overthrow of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, who was an ally of Israel, and now the ties to Turkey that helped ensure its safety. I hope that Israel may now take its warcrimes seriously and hopefully this will be of benefit to the people of occupied Palestine.

Orange Tower - Laying Jack to Rest

    On Saturday Jack Layton's body will be in Toronto where it will be laid to rest. As in Ottawa, it is expected that over 10, 000 people will attend the proceedings. Due to a great amount of lobbying the CN Tower will be lit orange that night. Certain areas of downtown Toronto have already been covered in chalk messages and images to Jack and to the people of Canada. Jack lived in Toronto; he is known for riding his bicycle at all possible times and retrofitting his modest home into a 'green home'. Layton's last public appearance was at a gay pride parade; once again showing his commitment to human rights.
    There are questions being raised surrounding the future for the NDP after Layton. He took over the party's leadership role in 2003 and since then has changed the Canadian political landscape forever. Layton headed what seemed to be a natural third place party and transformed it into the official opposition in the last election. His intent in the case that he died was for the party to choose a permanent leader by spring 2012.

    Jack was a passionate politician, activist and musician. The latter definitely shows the natural side of Jack. The link below offers that side:

Party for Sale or Rent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh_vsP0DJqc

    Hopefully there is a passionate politician to take up the helm of Canada's Official Opposition.

Take the Fight to Tripoli - Rebels Close in on the Gaddhafi Regime

    After months of fighting the Libyan rebels have advanced on Tripoli, the capital of Libya. Colonel Gaddhafi remains defiant, stating that the rebels are making orphans and widows. He also stated that they hate Libya and are destroying it. Perhaps the celebrations taking place below in Benghazi bust that claim. As well it was Gaddhafi that threatened genocide on his own people.

    They have beaten the odds and may soon put the Transitional Government into power in all parts of Libya. Hopefully what becomes of Libya is a free democratic society and not what Iran turned into after their revolution. Libya demonstrates that international aid, such as the NATO air strikes, are effective so long as there is a greater driving force from the national community. NATO cannot successfully force change on a country; this explains why Libya is succeeding and Afghanistan is failing.

   

$16 Billion Tax Payer Dollars a Year to Animal Testing in the US

Click Picture for a Larger Format

London Burning

    Riots in London, England extend into their third night. They have now spread to multiple cities across England. Countless cars and many buildings are now on fire as the civilian anger escalates. The riots began after police shot dead a young man. Another circumstance for widespread anger may be the state of the European economy. The British Prime Minister has cancelled his holiday to confront the violence.

    With the riots in England, fascists in Greece and overall European discontent; what was a tinderbox may be ignited.

US Loses AAA Loan Rating - Worldwide Depression?

    Standards and Poor's has decided to lower the US debt rating from its perfect AAA rating to an AA+ with a negative outlook. The Republicans have manufactured a crisis to achieve ideological ends but, along with that, have forever damaged the US economy. China has criticized the US for their addiction to debt and the downgrade has shaken the stock markets. Most economists agree that this will raise inflation and raise the prices on all goods and services in the US. US dollars are used to trade oil worldwide but this could change if another country seems more reliable.
    For what this means to Canadians; our largest trade partner is the US. Much of our remaining trade is to Europe. Both of these economies hang in the balance. There is a great potential for another worldwide recession that may be much worse than the one we were in the process of digging out of. We will have to see what the fallout will look like but so far it doesn't look good.

    Perhaps the Republicans have just put the first nail in the coffin of the American empire.

Countless Children Abused - 72 Charged in Child Pornography

    72 members of the child pornography ring Dreamboard have been charged. The US based site contains members across 5 continents and 14 countries. The illegal group abused children in many scenarios including the cause of intentional distress.
   Attorney General Eric Holder said, "Some of the children featured in these images and videos were just infants and in many cases, the children being victimized were in obvious and also intentional pain, even in distress and crying, just as the rules for one area of the bulletin board mandated. They had to be in distress and crying."
    Worldwide; about 600 individuals are members of the site. The officials have taken it down and confiscated its staggeringly numerous and disturbing materials. It is good to see that crackdowns target the right people. I am still waiting to see when those complicit in religious child abuse are brought to justice. (Hint: probably not until they are dead)

Free Birth Control for All - An Attempt to Reinstate Women's Rights in America?

    The Obama administration has just set out new health care guidelines. Health insurance providers in the US must pay 100% of the cost of birth control for their clients. This would give US civilians with limited funds the ability to get birth control with any insurance plan. This decision would help women living in poverty gain control over their reproductive rights in the face of Republican bigotry. Republicans in 48 US states have restricted women's rights surrounding reproductive health. These acts include shutting down all abortion clinics, slashing funding, creating unreasonable building codes and interfering with the doctor patient relationship. Some of the most absurd laws include reading each woman a right wing, anti-abortion, and politician written letter before each abortion. They have also increased waiting times, the distance between women and clinics; and also expect that a medically unnecessary ultrasound is conducted to show a woman her baby.

    The new guideline will not help to remedy what the Republicans are forcing upon women but will restrict the number of women put into a dire position.

Debt Ceiling's Last Hurdle

    A deal has been finalized between the Senate and the House of Representatives to raise the US debt ceiling and avoid an economic disaster. The bill must now go to Congress to receive approval. It is almost certain that it will pass congress, as the increase must be passed by tomorrow. The circus that Republicans have made this issue is coming to a close. At least they didn't call Obama's bluff.

Iranian Man Freed from Forced Blinding

    An Iranian man was set to be blinded by acid as a punishment for an acid attack against a young woman. Majid Movahedi threw acid in the face of Ms. Bahrami in 2004 after she refused his marriage proposal. Up until now, Ms. Bahrami was determined for him to suffer the same fate.

 

    Mr. Movahedi was pardoned by Mr. Bahrami on the day of the punishment. She is stating that even though she still believes it is right for such a punishment to be carried out; she stopped it for the sake of her country. Iran has received harsh criticism for this form of sharia law. Mr. Movahedi is still required to spend another 3-5 years in prison and won't be freed until she is paid a compensation of $216, 000 US dollars.

US Republicans Hold Ideology Above Americans

    By August 2nd the US will default on their debt for the first time in American history. Even being this close to defaulting may cause their AAA debt rating to be downgraded. This act alone would cause catastrophic inflation effects leading to job and home loss. The Republicans are still claiming that not raising the debt ceiling would do nothing. They propose that they could move cash flow around to pay debts. The result of this would be the end of medicare, pensions, military pay, infrastructure and  basically all social programs. The US GDP will collapse by 10% immediately. Either choice is a man made downfall of America. This does not have to happen but the Tea Party Republicans will not listen to economists; even Republican ones.
    The suffering that this will cause to an already beaten American people is staggering. Inflation will cause all goods to be raised in price. Subsidy food programs for children and the poor will stop immediately. The elderly, those who are barely surviving, will not receive any cheques. Disabled people who can not work and some who cannot leave a hospital bed will not be able to pay for food or shelter. Infrastructure will cease; meaning roads, bridges and programs will stop. There is a great potential that fire fighters, garbage collecters and police officers would not receive pay. The House of Representative Republicans are willing to do all of this because Obama's concessions are not 100%. The childish game that has been played; as in anything Obama wants we don't want, is a damaging one to be playing.
    Due to the fact that America is the world's only superpower this will have drastic effects on the world economy. Look for a worldwide depression if a deal is not reached. The entire world trades gas in US dollars so the outlook for this is an increase in gasoline prices for every non-oil producing state and under producing state around the world. Trade from or to the US would sharply decline due to a lack of consumer and business confidence. For example, the US accounts for 73% of Canadian exports. If a large portion of that were to stop; Canada would be a bad place to be.
    The most disheartening part about all of this is that some Republicans are not holding out for a personal gain (as they usually do). Some of the freshmen Republicans say plainly that they will not raise the debt ceiling. These are people that cannot be worked with. If Obama had to divert an American armageddon he could invoke constitutional rights. It is in the American constitution that the validity of American debt may not be questioned. To do so used to be considered treasonous. He could unilaterally raise the debt ceiling. This could, however; later lead to impeachment processes if his judgement was questioned by Republicans. Which it most definately would.

Harper: Criticizing Israel is Anti-Semitic - An Affront to Free Speech

    Stephen Harper has publicly stated that any criticism of the state of Israel should be treated as anti-Semitic. The Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism (CPCCA), over a two year period, developed a report as to how best quell what they describe as growing anti-Semitism. The problem with what they have proposed is that the Canadian government should, as they write, criminalize the act of singling out Israel for criticism. If fully implemented, it would be illegal for me to state that Israel is:

-committing human rights violations

-ethnically cleansing Palestinian and Israeli territory

-guilty of numerous war crimes

    Any form of anti-Semitism is appalling; but to call pointing out the wrongdoings of a state, racist, is an affront to free speech and authoritarian in nature. In essence the adamant supporters of the Israeli state use the accusation of anti-Semitism to quite those who believe that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live and thrive. No matter what is put on the books I will continue to write against the occupation and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.



    To say that being openly against heinous treatment of civilians is racist, is wrong; and its not my Canada.

Disrespect for Your Own Beliefs: Mayor of Kandahar Murdered by Turban

    The Mayor of Kandahar, Afghanistan was killed by a suicide bomber who had explosives in his turban. Ghulam Haidar Hameedi becomes the third major political figure to be assassinated by the Taliban in one month. It is difficult enough to defend religious and social freedoms in Western society with the current stigma and bigotry. It is even worse when extremists cause even further stereotypes and racist ideas. Instead of causing increased racism, one should realize that these people are extremists in nature. They do not represent Islamic society; no matter the problems that are rampant in any religious culture. However; terrorists (who murder countless Muslim people too) must stop using religious icons to kill people. Turbans are taboo enough in some communities in Canada but putting a bomb in one makes it worse.
    In contrast, the western media should stop blaming Islam for all bombing attacks with no evidence. When the Norway attacks began, many US media outlets preemptively blamed Muslims. Once they found out that was not the case they began to spin the story into a lesson against Muslim extremism. The reality was a home grown, Christian and right-wing madman.

Young Girls Forced Into Pornographically Crushing Animals

Lots to say, this article is directly from the PETA website. The disgust I feel for what this contains cannot be expressed without overly profane language. So I will leave you to read the following:

After a year-long investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific and the National Bureau of Investigations, police have now charged a Philippine couple with cruelty to animals and other crimes related to producing a series of pornographic videos in which young girls torture and kill animals. Faced with the charges, suspects Dorma and Vic Ridon have fled. Warrants have been issued for them.


WARNING: Graphic descriptions follow.
The "crush" videos that the Ridons are believed to have produced show scantily clad 12-year-old girls as they stomp on live animals, a rabbit as he or she is skinned alive, other rabbits as they scream while their ears are cut off and they are set on fire, a dog as he or she is burned with a clothes iron, and a monkey who was repeatedly hit in the eye with the sharp end of a stiletto heel. There is more, including puppies crushed until they vomited their own internal organs. A bill currently in the Philippine Senate would criminalize the sale of such "crush videos," already illegal in the U.S. and other countries.
PETA Asia-Pacific is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of Dorma and Vic Ridon. Anyone with information on the couple can e-mail Info@peta.org. You can also make a donation to PETA Asia-Pacific to help the group fight cruelty to animals in this case as well as in many others.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Ireland Gives the Middle Finger to Child Rapists

    The Vatican has recalled their ambassador to Ireland in protest of the Irish government's treatment of diplomatic relations. The Irish PM, Enda Kenny, had recently criticized the Vatican's act of downplaying, hiding and contributing to the abuse of children by Catholic priests. The diplomatic action taken against Ireland is serious, when undertaken by a true state, but will not lead to much when done by the Vatican. The disgust that should be natural when an organization covers up child rape must be amplified when it fails to admit its full wrongdoing. The outrage shown by Kenny hopefully represents the majority of society no matter what religion one belongs to. When it comes down to it a connection to an invisible and ancient desert god does not justify the sexual abuse of thousands of innocent children.

Mass Shooting at Youth Camp

    Leading off from my last article, there has been a shooting in Norway. The death toll is up to 94. The individual was a right wing extremist who attacked a youth camp. He allegedly spent 90 minutes firing at teenagers. The camp, which is on an island,  is now littered with bodies. More corpses are being recovered because teens attempting to swim to safety; were shot in the water one by one. The accused is also being blamed for a bombing in Oslo just hours earlier, killing around 10 people.
    The brutality of this man's actions must remind the Western world that home grown radicalism is still a threat; and that demonizing foreigners will accomplish very little towards peace and safety. The solution to our problems must start locally.

Norway on Fire

    A large bomb exploded in central Oslo, the main city of Norway. Just hours later a gunman opened fire on a youth camp killing at least 87 people. The massive loss of life is astounding. The current death count between the two attacks is at 97 individuals. The bombing was apparently aimed at a government building. The ability for radical groups to access such powerful firearms and explosives is haunting. Tonight, at least 100 families will be dealing with a great loss. Let the brutality that has currently befallen sleepy Norway be a lesson that freedom doesn't mean access to deadly weaponry.
    My condolences to the innocent parties.

War Criminals on Canadian Soil

    The Canadian Borders Services Agency has just released the names of 30 individuals that are thought to be hiding in Canada. These individuals are accused to war crimes. Review the website below to see pictures and names.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/wc-cg/menu-eng.html

A Different Poverty

    A common defense of purchasing goods made from impoverished areas is that doing so will raise them from poverty. Boycotting goods from those regions would, as they claim, cause them to fall further into poverty. These include areas such as Bangladesh, Mexico and Romania. The initial excuse for creating business in those regions was that through trickle down economics improvements would be made over time. The biggest problem with this hypothesis, however; is that poverty persists and the quality of life is falsely raised.
    In the Western world the poor of any society is seen to begin in nomadic or native culture. So naturally we colonized these peoples, forced our religions upon them, made them give up their survival techniques and gave them production jobs. As seen in India, we also force them to buy goods from us that they once produced themselves (clothing, salt, etc). But what these workers are paid often cannot afford them adequate food and shelter. In Bangladesh many families share the same corrugated steel huts and live in squalor. So what we have done is not improve their lives but take away their ability to survive.
    What we considered poverty; farming, fishing and hunting, allowed them to live. Perhaps they had less access to medicine, media and technology but they can not afford that even now. So purchasing goods from these regions only increases the profits of corporations but does very little to help the civilians. They would be better off being entrepreneurs and start their own industries, or attempt to regain their skills.

The skillset is changed from feeding themselves, to making clothing and shoes.
If you have any interest in how we are holding foreign women, men and children in poverty...

Google: Maquila Zones

Congrats to Gay Marriage in NY

    New York has become the largest state to legalize gay marriage. New York city believes it will unable to accommodate the initial marriage rush so a lottery has been proposed. Homosexual and Heterosexual couples will have to compete for 764 positions to be married on the 24th of June, the first day of the legalization. Judges have actually gone out of their way to give marriage licenses to couples who have been discriminated against for so long in the state of New York.

    Congratulations to New York state for its accomplishment!
   

Republicans Hold the World Hostage

    The Republicans in the House of Representatives have still refused to allow the US debt ceiling to be raised. If it is not raised the US would default on its 14.3 trillion dollar debt, potentially causing:

-the US credit rating to fall
-distrust, no one would loan the US funds
-the US GDP could drop by 10% instantly and could cause another worldwide recession
-a government shut down
-all (though not much exists already) infrustructure programs would cease
    -this includes stop signs, crumbling bridges, roads and any state operated building
-persons on social security, disability or in the military would not receive any cheques
-the elderly on Medicare and pensions would not receive any cheques or healthcare
-paycheques for educators, police officers, firemen an state workers may stop

    The four main Republicans that are causing this to come so close to the wire have, between the four of them, raised the debt ceiling 19 times. This includes 9 times during the Bush administration alone. What has been a routine for many presidents has become a feice battle because the far right will oppose anything Obama attempts to do; which includes avoiding a catastophic event. So far Republicans have opposed anything Obama has put his name on. This includes many bills, like cap-and-trade, that the Republicans put forward to begin with. The childish actions of the party are becoming embarrassing but Obama is beginning to put his foot down with stronger language than ever before. Hopefully the self declared "adults" of the Republican party can actually do something instead of dragging their feet and tanking the US economy to cause discontent among American presidential voters.

Republicans and Libertarians Show their Brain Capacity

    In 2012 the American government will begin to enforce restrictions of the power usage surrounding light bulbs. This has caused Republicans and Libertarians to cause a hissy fit about the right of the individual. Although this does not effect traditional looking bulbs that are built to use less power; they continue to criticize the swirl shaped bulbs (pig tails). At some point the government, headed by elected officials, must enact some standards in order to improve the entire world.
    The ban has caused some individuals to stock up on old bulbs. The fact that this issue it has become so extreme shows the immaturity of American politics. Republicans seem to be concened only with preserving their lifestyle and not aiding the survival of humankind.
    So, in order to stop government control, perhaps we should:
    -only eat animal based food
    -all drive hummers and transport trucks
    -use the highest energy using everything possible
    -not recycle
    -believe that a mystical being will protect us
    -and oppose anything Obama does!

600 Unemployed Police Officers

    Egypt has just fired almost 600 police officers. The move follows a series of popular demonstrations that have continued since the ousting of Mubarak due to military and police brutality. What seems to be a gesture of good nature could be a simple concession made as an excuse to crack down on protests. Since the partial success of the revolution the Egyptian military has continued to kill protesters and even arrest some of the original activists. So far the heads of the military have refused to hand over power to a democratically elected government.
    The reshuffling of the police force should be seen as a positive force, but hopefully all of the police officers were deserving of their discharge. Otherwise it is nothing more than a political cull. It is of the utmost importance that the Egyptian revolution leads to a strong democratic state rather than another Iranian revolution. For it is those like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who commandeer democratic revolutions and form a dictatorship, that are the lowest form of humanity.

Landmark Animal Cruelty Indictment of Lab Workers

    For a North Carolina grand jury, there are limits on what animal testing is allowed to do. Following a PETA undercover investigation four lab workers have been, for the first time ever, indicted on 14 counts of animal cruelty. The lab in question tested consumer products on dogs and cats. The abuses are horrendous and this landmark ruling may help to put others behind bars. The animals were abused, tortured and kept in filthy conditions.

For a more detailed article: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2011/07/06/lab-workers-indicted-on-felony-cruelty-charges.aspx

Contrast in the Mediterranean

    The greatest contrast between the wealth and poverty that I witnessed along the Mediterranean had to have been between Monte Carlo, Monaco, and Naples, Italy. Our first stop was Monaco where the beautiful bay stretched out containing countless yatchs overlooked by the royal palace. When walking along the main strip one comes to realize that the majority of the businesses are banks, yatch dealerships, clubs and high end car dealerships. Once the day had concluded a waiter told me while dinning, "it's not a city, its a playground for millionairres." Nothing could be more true.
    Naples, even from affar, looked underprivelaged. The port city had many nice things to see but it was overshadowed by the crushing poverty of which numerous people lived. Jammed between a highway and a road, situated close to where the cruise ships were docked, lived perhaps the poorest sector of society I've ever seen. I was told that these were the Gypsies, illegal Romanian immigrants. This seems to be a widespread problem for both Italy and Spain. The 'homes' were shacks built out of sheet metal and garbage bags. Children picking up trash and, in other areas that we drove past, stacking metals. The entire area of the port was dilapidated; graphity covered what once appeared to be architecture.
    For what the Western world has been able to accomplish; nothing like this should be able to exist. Italy is an amazing country but even within Naples the wealth gap is enormous. The port area being the low end and the glass skyscrapers in the distance being the high. The fact that it remains in such plain view and nothing is done to raise them from poverty is disturbing. I was, however; fortunate enough to witness what is actually going on rather than just the tourist facade.

Return from Europe

    Yesterday I flew back to Canada directly from Barcelona. I was unable to post during my travels through Spain, Monaco and Italy; so there is a lot of catching up to do. Over the next few days I will divert from my regular posting and focus more on my trip and certain issues I wish to address in between. The first will be purely narrative.
    Just over a week ago my father, his wife, my two sisters, my partner Vanessa and myself travelled just over seven hours to the Barcelona Airport. Barcelona was wonderful even though we only stayed one night and neglected to do much of the common tourist activity. In total we only saw the Olympic park up close. We stayed in the amazing Eric Vokel Apartment Suites. To say the very least the apartment came with a full kitchen and made me quite sad to leave. Vanessa and I may be the first tourists in Barcelona that decide to immediately go grocery shopping for one night! Potato wedges, two lovely baguettes with guacamole and a very nice bottle of rose wine for what amounted to $1.40 Canadian. Whereas most everything is more expensive in Europe, wine is not.
    This year bull fighting has been banned in the Catalonia region of Spain. This includes Barcelona. We had the chance to stand inside of a new mall built out of the shell of a recently closed bull fighting ring. Whoever owned the stadium jumped the gun, as the ban does not take effect until 2012, but this means many lives will be saved in advance. It was a strange feeling to stand in the food court, which rests in the bottom of the ring, where a cruel blood sport had been active not long ago.
    The next day we boarded the ship on which we spent the next 7 days. What followed can hardly be called a vacation; very long days of heat and walking. However, it made for a great experience and I would not want it any other way. Details will continue in later posts.

More and More

    First views from the Ukraine and the Philippines! Thanks for stumbling!

Kosher and Halal: Too Immoral for the Netherlands

    The Dutch parliament is set to vote on a bill that would ban the production of Kosher and Halal meats. At first this may seem to be a slight against Jewish and Islamic communities but animal rights groups are pushing the bill on moral grounds. Animals slaughtered in the Netherlands must be stunned before slaughter in order to minimize the animals' suffering. However; religiously killed animals are forced to endure their throats being slit without any sort of stun or anesthesia. The horrific consequence of these ritualistic practices mean that an animal's death may last up to 5 minutes of extreme pain and agony.
    I fully support the bill and wish that such legislation could be passed worldwide. Religious freedoms should not extend into inflicting mass suffering. Is it not enough that other species across the world have to endure slavery and systematically sustained genocide? Let them at least die in the most painless way and not allow the sadomasochism that afflicts the most vulnerable in our society.

Wisconsin Ethically Liable for More the Abuse of Humanity

    The act of forcing animals to fight eachother has been illegal for a very long time (it has been committed ever since). However; universities in the state have continued to commit crimes against other species. The Republican run state has inserted anti-animal rights legislation in budgest bills recently. This would allow the atrocity of animal cruelty in scientific tests to continue not only unteathered; but completely legal. Brutality towards other Earthlings is the lowest form of evil. Hopefully humans are aware of what may become a reality.

Canada Post Confliction?

    The Conservative Party has just passed a bill that forces Canada Post union members back to work. A personal confliction concerning the news of this begins with the fact that the income of my partner is directly influenced by the strike. The immediate return from the bill is positive, but the entire impact may be less than so. The curbing of union rights is widespread in North America, especially in Wisconsin, U.S., where massive protests have ensued to challenge the slight against the middle class. I truly wish the bill, passed by the majority controlled by the conservatives, would at least give the union an ability to argue their point. Although strikes are disruptive, especially if there is not an integral incentive for all peoples in society, they are necessary.
    Strikes should be avoided at all cost in order to limit damage to other persons but perhaps nothing can be more decisive. Any sort of back-to-work bill should consider the rights of the workers and not just the employers. Canada and the United States of America are headed down a destructive road. Conservatives and Republicans seem not to understand the global market. Reducing taxes and worker rights can only go so far. No matter how much we decimate the rights of workers and the middle class, we will never be able to compare with nations such as Bangladesh. It is only education and health care (that Republicans are so eager to slash) that can save us from complete abandonment by the private sector.

Spain and Onwards

    Heading to Spain, Monaco and Italy with Vanessa (my partner) soon. I will try to post news and issues concerning each area I am in, internet willing. I am sure it will be an amazing experience and I can hardly wait. Once I am back I will get back into the regular posts inbetween my work week. Thank you to everyone who has been reading so far.

I would also like to thank my ongoing readership in Germany!
The Ideological Animal

Life for Speech?

    Eight activists in Bahrain given life sentences for their parts in the popular uprisings that have been primarily crushed; sparking protests. As I have stated in an earlier blog, four dozen medical staff are also on trial. This has all been made possible because of American and Saudi interests and actions. Apparently free speech means nothing if it is politically advantageous to quell it. Bahrain, the home of the largest US military base in the Middle East, has become known as a human rights violator.

World Cyber Warfare

    In an age of rapidly expanding technology the world of Internet hacking is becoming increasingly serious. The most recent attacks concern attacks against corporations such as Visa, Sony and Apple. The perpetrators of such attacks often seize information that violates the privacy of individuals owning their products and subsequently, in some cases, their credit card information. Some of the hacks are done as protests against companies' actions, such as; when Visa and Mastercard froze funds belonging to WikiLeaks. Other hacks are mere vandalism. The growing issue is, however, that states are using the Internet as a tool of warfare against other nations.
    Iran is no stranger to this issue. They have been the recipient of numerous cyber attacks on their nuclear power projects. Although these hacks have not claimed by nations, they are certainly not condemned (nor should they be). An article from Aljazeera, written by Sangwon Yoon, details a North Korean expansion of Internet related security. This includes over 3000 hackers serving the state at home and abroad. Yoon claims this is to combat the potential for South Korean dominance over the region's Internet. Canada has also been hacked by Chinese hackers on a few occasions over the past few years.
    Iran's solution as of yet is to invent an entirely new concept. Their idea is to make the Internet smaller. The project is underway to create a new Internet that would only be accessible from Iran and would be tightly regulated. The primary reason for this is to prevent against cyber attacks and to destroy social media like Facebook and Twitter in Iran that had helped organize uprisings across the Middle East. This would certainly help Iran enforce restrictions on freedom to speech and expression; to the detriment of their citizens.
    It seems that nothing on the Internet is safe these days. Will there come a time when the aspect of privacy on the Internet, however fake, is completely gone?
   

Shame on Canadians

    People around the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, are fighting for their freedom. These include basic freedoms including: free speech, the right to free movement, the right to self governance and the right to life itself. This is where I must say that Canadians need to reflect on their position in the world. The recent riots in Vancouver over a sports game make us look pompous and ignorant. Perhaps out attention should be placed on politics rather than simple athletic activities.
    It is amazing to me that Canadians, living in a mostly democratic society, can act in such ways concerning hockey but yet ignore the real issues. If people were remotely interested in politics, things such as the privatization of healthcare and prisons would cause quite a stir. There should be riots about the Conservative Party who choose to argue that certain Canadian citizens should not be able to marry and that gross amounts of GDP should be spent on military waste.
    If only a small amount of attention was spent on the real world, and what truly effects the us; change could be create. Until then Canadians will overturn police cars and set them on fire for sporting events. I`m sure we`ll all pay for the replacements with our tax dollars.

Always Amazed

    Views now coming in, give or take, from the U.K., Germany, Sweden, Hungary and Israel!

Women Driving? Controversial in One Nation

    Women in Saudi Arabia are carrying out a protest against the laws in their country banning women from driving by getting behind the wheel. The protest follows an activist who was recently arrested for posting a video online of herself driving an automobile. This is definately a cause worth supporting. Although driving may seem to be a small thing; it causes the restriction of many activities including women attending education.

Which Feminism?

    The potential for women in North American politics has been a very rocky road so far. Although it would be wonderful for a powerful and intelligent woman to become president or prime minister of the U.S. or Canada, most of them have lacked the latter (intelligence). Currently, in the United States of America, Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann are the only two with any potential for becoming president. It makes me deeply sad in that both of them lack basic intelligence.
    To start, Sarah Palin. As some other people may say, "nuff said". However, that is not where I stop. She failed to become John McCain's vice president and is known for scuttling his campaign. She's the one who recently said that an American historical figure, Paul Revere, warned the British, instead of the Americans, and has attempted to change history rather than admit she was wrong. Wikipedia had to freeze the page concerning Revere because her supporters were trying to change history. She's also the one, among many Republicans, who say that a mythological father figure protects the U.S. and at times speaks in tongues at Evangelical Churches.
    Michelle Bachmann on the other hand declared that the 'founding fathers' fought tirelessly to end slavery. Ignoring the fact that slaves were not banned for many decades after the U.S. Civil War; and that many of the founding fathers owned slaves. Her lack of basic knowledge, however; must be combated by her ego. At the recent Republican debate in New Hampshire she declared that incumbent president Barack Obama would for sure lose the upcoming election.
    It is indeed insulting to see what the Republican party has supported as perhaps the first female president. In Canada we sullied our first attempt at a female PM by forcing Kim Campbell into the position of a 'scapegoat'.

Cocaine and Dead Babies: Why North America is to Blame

    A new report out shows that over 70% of the weapons seized from the Mexican drug cartels originate from the United States. CNN reports that since 2006 these cartels have murdered more than 36, 000 people. This is ironic, especially since many Americans consider Mexico as being a source of violence in the U.S.. Where there is little substantial evidence to prompt any action against immigrants; politicians indeed act against immigrants. This is rapidly taking hold as seen in Arizona, where the police now have the ability to racially profile people and ask for their papers on site. What is most unlikely is any massive program to prevent U.S. arms from leaving the country.
    Currently it appears that the U.S., and to a lesser extent, Canada, are to blame for much of the sorrows in Central America. This includes the arms from the States that allow for mass killings to take place. In addition, America has promoted instability in the region by assassinating any social activist leaders for decades. However the problem will always stem back to the individual. The only reason the drug cartels exist is because of personal choices. The consumption of drugs that originate from Central and South America have caused countless deaths, massacres and other injustices. Anyone who uses such drugs in the current system are to blame. As Mexico puts pressure on the cartels they have been expanding further South. Weak nations such as Ecuador, Columbia and Guatemala are being invaded by cartels whose income is over the GDP of all three nations combined.

 Certain things must be accomplished to stop what is currently happening:

-tighter gun control in the U.S.
-border control aimed at both sides, not just South to North
-individual decisions to decrease the consumption of drugs from the region
-an understanding that our actions effect others in the global world

Cheating on Family Values? When Republicans Unbutton

    Republican politicians must stop running on platforms of family values until the majority of family value Republicans stop having sex affairs. These range from simple affairs all the way to Larry Craig of Idaho attempting to arrange gay sex from an undercover police officer in an airport bathroom. More recently, John Edwards of North Carolina used donated campaign funds to pay off his mistress. Edwards faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.5 million. Other than his illegal actions, his mistake is much more forgivable than many Republicans. This is due to the fact that he does not espouse family value policies and chooses to promote human rights instead. This means he is not a hypocrite, just a criminal.
    If you are unaware, the main precepts of family value politicians include not cheating on a spouse, being radically anti-abortion, anti-women's rights and anti-homosexual. So until they can at least live up to their beliefs they should be adults and end criticizing others. This is not to say they are moral beacons, but more to say they should practice what they preach. Then, when they fully believe and act in such ways, I can reject their philosophy. Until then it is off the table; and they must keep it to themselves!

Witch Trial? Bahrain Tries 48 Medical Staff

    Bahrain, the U.S./Saudi backed regime in the Middle East, has begun a second wave of passive crackdowns against pro-democracy protesters. The monarchy has begun the trials of 48 doctors, nurses and medics accused of attempting to topple the government. Under torture and extortion they have sign documents that, as reports show, they were not even allowed to read. The allegations and forced confessions range from treating protesters, to falsifying injuries, to murdering protesters to make the regime look worse. Human rights organizations, who were present at the hospitals during the waves of violent crackdowns, say the accusations are false.
    What it comes down to is creating a sense of total control. It is to create an atmosphere of dismay and deter anyone from helping or joining protests. Therefore public support for such demonstrations, as far as the regime is concerned, will decline. It is also to say that if you are injured and/or dying from state brutality you will not receive medical attention. Recently the military has taken over multiple hospitals and witnesses say their colleagues and injured people are being dragged away at random by masked officers. One of the doctors on trial was arrested in the during a surgical procedure; that alone demonstrates the kind of trial Bahrain is undertaking.
    We must also not forget what is making this possible. Nearly every arm used by Bahrain to attack its civilian population is U.S. made. Just before the crackdowns began, $200 million (beyond the regular purchases) was spent on U.S. military equipment. Bahrain also houses the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. As well, Saudi Arabia who aided in the brutal suppression of Bahrain is also U.S. backed and funded. There must be a ban on the sale of military equipment to non-democratic and any state that violently cracks down on peaceful protesters.
    This is a perfect case in which the international community must put pressure on a regime to release innocent individuals.

Unreal

It hints upon the insincere when NATO and the U.S. have the power to obliderate Gaddhafi, but yet seem to always miss him. If there is a true belief that he is a tyrant, then stop playing games.

The Account - 12:40am, June 11th, 2011

The Account consists of the top headlines made incredibly fast for those on the go. Sources consist of, but are not limited to: CBC, Aljazeera English, CNN, NPR and MSNBC.

Today's are:

-Syrian troops invade Northern city
    -Syrian ally Turkey accuses Syria of massacres
-leak reveals that U.S. arm sales to Bahrain surged to 200 million just before massive crackdowns on peaceful protesters
-protests in Tokyo against nuclear power
-Harper speech: Canada must use its power to pursue its global interests
-Air Canada may strike
-17 year old male in Pakistan beaten and shot repeatedly on camera by security forces
    -protests followed
-U.S. politician Anthony Wiener refuses to step down
    -admitted to sending nude photos to women on Twitter
-Republicans continue to wage battles over killing medicare, ending abortion, restricting birth control and limiting sexual health for women.

Off Account:

-Mit Romney claims he can create public sector jobs; made fortune by cutting jobs

War Against Peace

    Anna Hazare, an Indian social activist, has begun a mass hunger strike in India to protest against corruption in the government. This comes days after a similar event was broken up by police with anti-riot gear and weapons. Hazare's actions stem as a throwback to the anti-British movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. It seems ludicrous that a state, in which their entire reason for existence is non-violent disobedience and protest, would crush such events.
    It is one thing for police to break up groups of protesters; these may include vandals, looters and violent groups. It takes another type of human being to attack peaceful demonstrators. This can be seen in the ongoing Arab Spring (where the majority are peaceful), the G20 protests (where the majority were peaceful) and now in India where nothing can be more non-violent than a hunger strike. Peaceful protest and civil disobedience must be held as infallible rights in a democratic state (as well as something to be upheld by democratic states in non-democratic states), and an obligation of any citizen when authority becomes corrupt.

"In a democracy, everyone has a right to stand up for a cause and no government can stop us from doing so." Anna Hazare

Protest Harper

    Unless you've been living in the cave of materialism and self indulgence, you'd know that a page in the Canadian Parliament peacefully and quietly protested against Harper. During a ceremony, Brigette DePape stood from her seat, where she worked as a page (basically a servant for ministers), and held a sign stating "Stop Harper". This was her way of gaining attention around the fact that Harper espouses damaging policies that (with great evidence) most Canadians oppose. These include corporate tax cuts and the purchase of obscene military jets. Perhaps the most unpopular of which, if Harper chose to enact it, is his promise in 2005 that if elected he would privatize Canadian healthcare.
    Film maker Michal Moore has offered DePape a job since she was, as one can guess, fired for her protest. Although an argument can be made that DePape should have chosen a more appropriate time to do what she did, I do not believe that free speech can be left at the door.

New Agenda?

    Today the Conservative Party will lay out its agenda for the upcoming year and perhaps beyond that. What can be expected at the very least is a continuation of the privatization of prisons and the militarization of Canada (far more than we can afford). However; I suspect it will be much softer than what will come in actuality. I speak for the majority of Canadians, based on numerous polls and studies, when I say that I hope Harper ceases his attempts at banning gay marriage and privatizing healthcare. Those who voted for Harper, just made all of this a possibility. Inequality and potentially a broken healthcare system like the U.S.

Racist Religion

    Mit Romney, American politician, just announced his bid to seek the Republican nominee to run against Barack Obama. Romney is a 6th generation Mormon and could become the first Mormon to become president. Hopefully he doesn't believe in the parts of Mormonism that claim African Americans are cursed people and the black skin is a punishment from God!

Police Brutality: A Potential Police State

    A year ago Toronto hosted the G8/G20 summit. Dorian Barton, photographer, was standing apart from the protests and was beaten by police leaving him with a black eye and a broken arm. The evidence against the officer included multiple eye witnesses and a clear photograph of the officer's face. The authorities have closed the case twice, and have finally reopened it a third time. 11 officers were unable to identify the officer. It was later disclosed that one of the officers, unable to identify the accused officer, was his roommate during the G20 summit. It is being argued that an arrest cannot be made so long as the witnesses do not know the name of the officer. This is absurd, and would not be a factor in a case against a civilian.

    My speculation is that the police are seeking to cover themselves and deny that police state crimes were forced upon Canadians. If the case was that a civilian beat an officer a conviction would have already been made. This is a partially democratic society and brutality against innocent citizens should not be tolerated.

    Credit must be given to reporters and pundits of CBC who have not let this issue die. It is only with public outcry that such horrors can be brought to justice.

The Account - 10:15am, June 1st, 2011

The Account consists of the top headlines made incredibly fast for those on the go. Sources consist of, but are not limited to: CBC, Aljazeera English, CNN, NPR and MSNBC.

Today's are:

-a new poll claims that a majority of Canadians do not support the two most important Harper policies
    -the purchase of F-35 fighter jets (cost of over 30 billion) and corporate tax cuts
    -I am among those who oppose the plans
-Conservatives meet to discuss Quebec and their party's future in the province that doesn't want them
-Mubarak (former dictator of Egypt that was overthrown during the Arab Spring) and sons will stand trial in August for killing protesters.
-E-coli cases rapidly expand in Germany
-NATO extends Libyan air strikes until September
-NASA, Shuttle missions almost completed, Shuttle Endeavour lands for the last time.
-El Salvador is being invaded by drug cartels
    -cartels joining with local gangs to secure power and shipping lines
-a study shows that cell phones may cause cancer once again, conflicting with other studies

Off Account (more than just puns!):

-Palin begins a 'facelift' campaign as she considers running for President
    -the 'cleaning up her image' campaign begins after the go ahead of plastic surgeons!

The Account - 10:45am, May 31st, 2011

The Account consists of the top headlines made incredibly fast for those on the go. Sources are, but not limited to: CBC, Aljazeera English, CNN, NPR and MSNBC.

Today's are:

-war criminal Ratko Mladic loses extradition appeal, heads to The Hague to face charges
    -massacred 8000 Muslim men and boys, 10, 000 dead during siege of Sarajevo
-Afghan president Karzai warns NATO against air strikes on Afghan homes
-Harper claims Afghanistan is no threat, transition of Canadian troops to a training role
-more probes into the G8/G20 mishandle and abuse
-U.S. house prices fall once more, expectation of an economic double dip

Off Account:

-Palin and Bachmann race to become the first female president with an I.Q. of under 80

A frothy mixture of **** and ***** matter that is sometimes the byproduct of **** ***.

Google the last name of Republican Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum. His last name was sullied by internet activists when he made comments against homosexuals in America.


Well Deserved.

Comment if you look it up!

Women and Genocide of Equal or Lesser Value: The Hypocrisy of the Western World

    When the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turned out to be less than desired, and almost wholly unjustified, the West claimed to be liberating women from oppression. This is not, as you must understand in my argument, a bad thing. Certain areas of the world are in dire need for the liberation of women and as such should be greatly approved from the general Western populace.
    Where this breaks down; however, has been brought to light during the Arab Spring. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has played a key role in the keeping the rebel movement alive in Libya. The justification for the no fly zone (invasion) of Libya was to protect the civilians of Benghazi from genocide or at the very least save lives of peaceful protesters. Where their argument ceases to function is that NATO, along with its member nations, seems to overlook similar events unfolding in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
    Of course they have their reasons... It must have nothing to do with the massive oil supply that comes out of Saudi Arabia... Or the fact that the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East is located in Bahrain. Of course not. Perhaps that also doesn't explain why the U.S. and NATO allows for women to be abused in Saudi Arabia, while condemning lesser oppression for many other nations.
    It is obvious that other states have problems. However; as Saudia Arabia and Bahrain continue to massacre hundreds of pro-democracy protesters and deny women basic human rights the international community is condemning civilians and women to injustice. Perhaps economic, political and power interests should be set aside for a short time.

Women in Saudi Arabia currently:
-abide by a dress code
-require 6 males that know her to be witnesses if they hope to buy or sell property
-are prohibited from driving any motor vehicle
-suffer under unequal marriage rights
    -have no right to their own children
-are blamed if they are raped

The Account - 6am, May 30th, 2011

The Account consists of the top headlines made incredibly fast for those on the go. Sources are, but not limited to: CBC, Aljazeera English, CNN and MSNBC.

Today's are:

-Al-Qaeda kills Yemeni soldiers in seized town
-Germany pledges nuclear shutdown 2022
-Mladic, war criminal, defends self against extradition
    -Belgrade citizens protest in defence of war criminal
-G8/G20 police received millions in bonuses
-Obama visits Missouri town, among the devastated by tornado's
-Richelieu, Quebec, floods approach 15cm by Monday
-FIFA's officials cleared of corruption allegations
-Sudan once again accused of war crimes in Darfur, U.S.

Republicans: The Peer Pressure to Kill Grandparents

    Over a month of public outcry and demonstrations of disapproval towards the Paul Ryan 'Kill Medicare Plan'; the United States' Republican party, the GOP, has chosen to hold hands and jump off the approval ledge. The Paul Ryan plan seeks to balance the American budget in 40 years (meanwhile hemorrhaging money and increasing the debt). In order to do this, Ryan proposes that social programs such as medicare for the elderly be destroyed. This is in addition to what the Democrats have already agreed to, namely taking away heating oil for the poor. The wealth saved from this will be redirected to corporations, all while never touching the military budget which remains at Cold War levels. Democrats across the United States, such as in the district of New York #26, are obtaining sweeping victories in traditionally Republican territories. Town hall meetings and debates between politicians are being disrupted by protesters demanding that Republicans keep their hands of medicare.
    The United States medicare program is not a welfare handout. It is a type of pension that Americans pay into for their entire working career, so that when they retire they need not worry about the gauntlet of privatized health insurance. What Ryan proposes as an alternative are coupons for the elderly, which amount to approximately $15, 000. Anyone familiar with the state of American health care knows that $15, 000 doesn't go very far for an elderly citizen. The plan will, in all realism, rob the working class of the health care they have already paid into; as well as increase the deaths of American grandparents while leaving their children and grandchildren in debt.
    So a suicide pact as been signed by the Republican Party. They are fully aware they are losing seats and, with the current public opinion, have no chance of beating incumbent President Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012. Yet, when presidential hopefuls such as Newt Gingrich speak out against the plan, they are thrown under the bus. Within a day Newt recanted and claimed he would vote in favour of Ryan's plan. It seems that Republicans can't win the nomination without supporting the Kill Medicare Plan; but have no chance of winning the presidential election if they do.
   So the Republicans are holding hands and jumping, with only a fleeting hope that there is something on the other side.
   

The Zucker-Blood Sucker

    Although insignificant; Mark Zuckerberg has stumbled onto something quite interesting. If you have not already been informed by the onslaught of social media, Zuckerberg will only eat meat from animals slaughtered by himself or a selected butcher. His reasoning for this is that one must not forget that an animal has to die so that one may live. Beyond what disturbing images this stirs up about the multi-billionaire, it stumbles face first onto a path less taken. He has described similar conditions to those who stop eating meat, but Zuckerberg has gone in the complete opposite direction.
    Where the deviation occurs in Zuckerberg's reasoning is that one does not need to eat meat to survive. If that were true, then there would be no vegans/vegetarians.
    He seems to not understand that other animals do not have to die so that we can survive. That kind of idea lends purpose to a shark eating a human; although the popular reaction would not be as sympathetic to the shark! Could a shark speak a human language, he/she may say the same thing!
   

New Blog Smell

This is the very first post from the Animal Ideology Blog! I will frequently discuss and develop ideas about politics, news and ideology; as well as human and animal rights. I look forward to opening a new perspectives of the world and finding my own.