Who is Michael Ignatieff? Ambassador McKenna, Nackawic, the Have-Nots, Tony Valeri

A Must Read

Who is Michael Ignatieff? Judi McLeod, Jan19, 06

Meet Michael Ignatieff, the man some claim is the inevitable replacement for an outgoing Prime Minister Paul Martin. The departure of Martin is imminent because if Canadian voters don’t get him on Monday, frustrated Liberal powerbrokers will.

Search: internationalizing military force , "pro-United Nations, anti-American agenda"

Highly recommended -- a little history -- thought provoking ...




Ambassador McKenna, Nackawic, the Have-Nots

There are rumours that ex-NB Premier and present Liberal Ambassador to the US, Frank McKenna, who needed 60 + spin doctors to massage his messages and to keep NB Liberal -- McKenna who, it has been reported, has met with the approval of the power elite (led by PowerCorp Desmarais), may be considering a move back to Canada to work to become leader of the post-Paul Martin Liberals. The power brokers are sharpening their shivs, as we speak. As Premier, McKenna talked a good story ... mostly about business and the area got some call centers. He claimed great success. Check the results today. Purveyors of pork and ACOA / AIF grants still schmear enough pork fat to friends and supporters, with the odd bit thrown to the opposite party to pretend not to be buying Liberal support. Those who are greased with it still do better, but the great unwashed? Fuggetaboutit. Same old. Same old. Now there is talk about deals with China and bringing in immigrants who will be good for the economy. Sure ...

The stories about Nackawic pulp and paper mill being back in business under Tembec/Birla? Lads in the know say, it will be a long time, if ever, before any/many get jobs and they think it is simply an election ploy. By whom -- feds or provincial politicians? They did not say. Get the locals to calm down from protesting the way they were shafted by the last owners and lost their pensions, and then, life will take its usual course. There has been some pension deal worked out whereby the money available (made available by the provincial conservative government, I believe) will be spread over more ex-employees and this is leading to negative feeling since the ones who were to get their full pensions will be forced to share. At least, that is the story I was told but I have no link for verification. Those who were going to get nothing will get a little. As usual. Meanwhile, the plant was emptied out (by the previous owners, I assume) so it is no-where near ready to operate. Opinion is not optimistic.

Some compensate for little money and supplement their stores by going out on the land ... fish a little, hunt a little ... pick, preserve, freeze, and, in case a change would be even worse, vote for the same old BS. They have little choice of independent media thought, so it is difficult to have real political discussion of alternatives and any more than surface change. News that would really affect lives at 6pm, for example, is sparse and quickly moves to something like a school report or cute little kids singing ... family stuff but not what I call news. The Irvings have the papers sown up so ... certain items just don't get play or are glossed over -- sort of like a CBC news report of Liberal malfeasance; if they don't report it, it didn't happen or, to pretend they did report it, they'll slide over it somewhere and then present the wonders of Big Brother.

Jobs are too often tied to not making waves about real change. It is scary to those who have something; to those who have little, well, better not to lose it. "You'll never work in this town again" can be really true down East. Just cross the power brokers and certain powerful groups, speak the truth about what has been going on and ... guess what? Poverty leaves people open to powerbrokers and to exploitation. They have been indoctrinated to a certain extent ... believe Librano$ fear mongering and stories about how scary change would be.



Update: Liberal Tony Valeri

No request to alter Valeri's permit -- Building application approved before land purchase By Steve Buist, The Hamilton Spectator (Jan 19, 2006), posted by Mark-Alan Whittle, Jan. 19, 06

Murder will out -- this post goes to integrity and credibility.