As 2009, the year of the ox (solid, stolid and steady) gives way to 2010, the year of the tiger (fiery, ferocious and fearless), it’s time to review last year’s predictions, then gaze into my crystal ball once again. I hate to brag, but all of my 2009 predictions were 100 percent bang on. Remember how I forecast that Tories would win big in the Nova Scotia election? Sure enough, on June 9, Darrell Dexter, the self-described “conservative progressive,” led the NDP to a majority government. A viewer’s email read on TV summed it up neatly: “I’ve waited all my life to see a socialist government in Nova Scotia. [pause] I’m still waiting.”
True to form, the new Dexter government kept nearly every Tory deputy minister on the government payroll and even re-introduced the Tory budget complete with corporate tax cuts. Dex was forced to rescind his hysterical, right-wing pledge to balance the budget in 2010, but continued to warble his inane “living within our means” jingle—music and lyrics supplied by the Tories.
I predict, however, that in 2010, the NDP will take a fiery feline leap to the left. Watch for much needed tax increases including a 30-percent provincial surtax on incomes over $150,000. The added revenues will make it possible to double Nova Scotia’s miserly welfare rates. Yippee!
In 2010, the NDP will remove the shameful $2,500 cap on payouts to car accident victims deemed to be suffering only “minor injuries” even if they’re barely able to walk. The new government will also warn the big, fat insurance companies that if they continue to gouge Nova Scotia drivers, the NDP will honour its promise to bring in cheaper, driver-friendly public auto insurance. Finally, I predict our new premier will install climate-change crusader Howie Epstein as minister of the environment. Yes folks, you can bet on the fearless and ferocious NDP to do the right thing every time in the fiery year of the tiger.
Last year I predicted that in 2009, the ultra right-wing Stephen Harper would embrace socialism and pacifism. Many readers recommended I seek emergency psychiatric help, but we now know I was right. Harper, the fanatical advocate of lean and mean government, embarked on massive stimulus spending to help Canadian families and workers hit hard by recession. And then there was Harper on CNN pointing out that foreign troops would never defeat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.
“If we think that we are going to govern Afghanistan for Afghans, or over the long-term be responsible for day-to-day security in Afghanistan and see that country improve, we are mistaken,” Harper added, echoing Ursula Franklin’s pacifist declaration that “war does not work, not even for the warriors.”
I predict Harper will continue on this courageous, principled path in the year of the tiger. True, there were howls of outrage when our PM shut down Parliament for two months, but Harper wasn’t merely dodging the Afghan detainee torture issue as many suspected. He needs time off to study the ins and outs of international law. Then he’ll apologize publicly for his government’s complicity in Afghan torture; its suppression of Haitian democracy; its wretched support for Israel’s indiscriminate and murderous attacks on Gaza and the continuing illegal Israeli economic blockade of the one million Palestinians imprisoned there.
Finally, I predicted that in 2009, the year of the ox, pigs would fly. And, thanks to overwhelming media hype, I was right. “Swine flu” was in the headlines all year long, scaring people shitless even though the disease itself turned out to be far less deadly than predicted. In 2010, watch for the mainstream media to fearlessly track the swine flu outbreak to a giant US-owned hog farm in Mexico. Then I predict, corporate journalism will warn us that industrial farming is a direct threat to everyone’s health.
Yes, I’m quite sure that in the year of the tiger, pigs will continue to fly. Happy New Year!
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2010.
His “hysterical, right-wing pledge to balance the budget”? How are balanced budgets “right-wing”, I ask you?
And you don’t really think Stephen Harper has a fascination with his penis, do you? These cartoons are hands down the WORST I’ve ever seen!
Bruce would appear to be still off his meds. Let’s hope he qualifies for Pharmacare soon.
I started reading a bit of this article earlier today in the print edition, curious about Bruce’s predictions for this year, and couldn’t even get through the second paragraph. I stopped at the “Dex was forced to rescind his hysterical, right-wing pledge to balance the budget in 2010, but continued to warble his inane “living within our means” jingle—music and lyrics supplied by the Tories” line.
Bruce Wark is a nut case living in a deranged fantasy world. Seriously, get some help – I’m sure The Coast must provide funding for some sort of psychiatric services?
Bo Gus and qpmzwonxeibcruv, you are both so very right!
The reason many have switched to blogs rather than newspapers, is the steady diet of left-wing propaganda fed to readers by reporters like Wark. The coast can be forgiven to a certain extent because it is largely a group of young indoctrinated graduates, but the mainstream media is almost as myopic. Their world view is based solely on reading the left-cult trash produced by the likes of Naomi Klein. Perhaps Bruce will explain to readers why the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt features a fence and similar restrictions to the Israeli side..Are fellow Arabs holding Palestinians hostage?
Hey Sangaman: You can throw around terms like “left-cult trash” all you like, but I dare you to try to refute the facts. The Harper government did support Israel’s murderous attack on Gaza and it continues to support the illegal Israeli siege of Gaza. Israel’s actions during the attack on Gaza are well documented in the recent UN report by the highly-respected South African judge, Richard Goldstone. Goldstone, who is Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel, served as prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals that investigated war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcou…
You may not know it, but the Israeli military was forced last week to cancel a visit by a team of its officers to Britain over fears that they risked arrest on possible war crimes charges. In December, a British court issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni also in response to allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The warrant was later withdrawn when it became clear Livni was not visiting Britain. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/05/i…
Your point about Egypt blocking access to Gaza does not justify Canadian support for Israeli actions. Aside from blocking access to Gaza at the Rafah crossing, Egypt is building a massive underground metal wall in an attempt to block tunnels which are Gaza’s only lifeline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with the Egyptians on this project. (Egypt receives at least $2 billion each year in foreign aid from the U.S. which, as you know, is Israel’s biggest backer.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/1…
@ Bruce Wark
Wow Bruce do you use computers? Cell Phones? or anything in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcHwyW9xOyI
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
does the Coast use computers, Firewalls(please note invented by the IDF and Windows, Mac, and Linux has Firewalls ) Intel or AMD CPUs(since AMD does use Intel Technology), Microsoft Office? ICQ, MSN, SMS text messaging?
wow Israel is that bad? What about Hamas according to South African judge, Richard Goldstone they are both guilty of war crimes in Gaza? (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl…) and Goldstone even says slams the UN for ignoring Hamas War Crimes(http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/112161…) but the Coast leaves that part of the story out.
How about the United States in Iraq? or Iran for killing it own citizens for opposing the government in 2009/10?(Oddly The Coast only ran one article ) How about China in Tibet? or Russia in Georgia(country)/2008 South Ossetia war?/ Chechnya or even Sudan for killing nearly 800,000 civilians in Darfur? Wow were is your outrage or even the left outrage? and talk about a double standard.
I would have to agree with Sangaman, Bo Gus, qpmzwonxeibcruv , Alex Kronstein but Bo Gus look at the video it could explain why Bruce is still off his medication.
Hey Charles the Great: You seem to think that resorting to name calling (I’m off my meds) and introducing irrelevancies such as the fact that I use computers or firewalls adequately refutes the facts about the murderous Israeli attack on Gaza and Israel’s continued illegal siege aimed at starving the Gazan population into submission. You also list other examples of war crimes or crimes against humanity to try to excuse Israeli actions. According to that logic, someone convicted of murder could argue, “I’m hardly guilty of anything at all. Look at serial killer Clifford Olson. Instead of talking about what I did, you should focus on Olson!”
The only argument you make that is halfway relevant to my reply to Sangaman is your comment that Goldstone condemned both Israel and Hamas. Quite true, but what you and many of the mainstream media choose to overlook is that Goldstone clearly pointed to Israel’s disproportionate use of force. Here, for example, are a couple of paragraphs from a report that appeared in The Independent in London:
“That said, the much greater part of the report – and its strongest language – is reserved for Israel’s conduct during the operation. Apart from the unprecedented death toll, the report says that ‘the destruction of food supply installations, water sanitation systems, concrete factories and residential houses was the result of a systematic policy by the Israeli armed forces’. The purpose was ‘to make the daily process of living and dignified living more difficult for the civilian population’.
“The report also says that vandalism of houses by some soldiers and ‘the graffiti on the walls, the obscenities and often racist slogans constituted an overall image of humiliation and dehumanisation of the Palestinian population’. Hospitals and ambulances were ‘targeted by Israeli attacks.'”
You can read the rest of the report detailing Goldstone’s allegations at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/mi…
Indoctrination = education? Myopic mainstream media biased with left wing propaganda? A sure sign of a weak argument is one that attacks rather than refutes. Sure enough the only fact you provide is contradictory to your goal and takes up about 13% of your post. Im sure if big brother was watching you he’d most likely change the channel.
@Bruce Wark
Read the part
“Goldstone slams UN council for ignoring Hamas war crimes”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/112161…
or did you even read it at all?? and Haaretz is considered left wing
Dear Chas. the Great: You appear to be grasping at straws. It’s true that Judge Goldstone criticized the UN Human Rights Council when it seemed about to adopt a resolution mentioning his allegations against Israel, but not Hamas. Instead however, the Council fully endorsed the entire Goldstone report. So there is no real basis to your implied claim that the Council ignored the Goldstone report’s allegations against Hamas. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-…
The full text of the Council’s resolution can be found here: http://www.adalah.org/features/gaza/hrc%20…
The UN General Assembly then followed suit. By a vote of 114 in favour, to 18 against, with 44 abstentions, the General Assembly adopted a resolution giving Israel and the Palestinians three months to undertake independent, credible investigations into violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed during the conflict in Gaza. (Canada, the US and Israel were among the 18 who voted against the resolution.) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?News…
Goldstone’s condemnations of Israel’s actions still stand. “The destruction of food supply installations, water sanitation systems, concrete factories and residential houses was the result of a systematic policy by the Israeli armed forces,” he writes, for example. His report contains scores of other allegations — deliberate Israeli attacks on ambulances, hospitals, the use of white phosphorous weapons, etc. etc.
Goldstone’s report points to the disproportionate deaths on both sides: between 1,387 and 1,417 Palestinian deaths, the overwhelming majority of whom were civilians; three Israeli civilian deaths along with 10 Israeli soldiers (four of the military deaths were the result of so-called “friendly fire.”)
Goldstone also notes: “The accounts of more severe violence during the recent military operations did not obscure the fact that the concept of ‘normalcy’ in the Gaza Strip has long been redefined due to the protracted situation of abuse and lack of protection deriving from the decades-long [Israeli] occupation.”
Goldstone does condemn Hamas for firing rockets into Israel, but he states explicitly that there is no real comparison between the two sides in terms of their obligations under international law:
“This in no way implies equating the position of Israel as the Occupying Power with that of the occupied Palestinian population or entities representing it. The differences with regard to the power and capacity to inflict harm or to protect, including by securing justice when violations occur, are obvious and a comparison is neither possible nor necessary. What requires equal attention and effort, however, is the protection of all victims in accordance with international law.”
I’m afraid I have not done justice to Goldstone’s 575 page report. You would do well to read it Chas. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcou…
@Bruce Wark
In 2005 Israel withdrew from Gaza that’s a fact there are no Israeli settlements or Military currently occupation in Gaza not since 2005. Since 2006 Hamas fired nearly 10,000 rockets into Israel and until 2009 IDF went back into Gaza to put a end to it and since the ending of Operation Cast Lead the IDF has not cross into Gaza.FYI according to International Law fire a weapon from one sovereign into another is considered a act of war. As for the Human Rights Council all they have done since it creation in 2006 has done nothing put bash Israel for everything it does while other Human Right Abuses such as the 800,000 mostly Civilians in Southern Sudan have done nothing to defend their rights and anyone who has studied the United Nations does know they do have a very strong anti- Israel agenda and as do most NGOs(as most do have political agendas even if they call them selfs NGOs)
Some parts of the Goldstone inquiries but left out of the report
Sderot Victim’s UN Testimony: Ignored by Goldstone Report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYifo19scI
and
Goldstone Gaza inquiry: Col. Richard Kemp Testifies at U.N. Emergency Session also Ignored in the report and note what the Col. Ricard Kemp has to say I think he knows I thing or two about war
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX6vyT8RzMo…
ut
I find it very interesting Bruce that you ignore this evidence when it also was film at the United Nations and during the Goldstone inquiry that lead to the report. I like the ignored part the most
Well, Charles the Great, we finally come down to it, don’t we? I rely on an exhaustively researched 575 page report headed by Richard Goldstone a respected international jurist who is Jewish, supports Israel and has well-recognized human rights credentials. You rely on UN Watch, an organization that describes itself this way: “Affiliated with the American Jewish Committee, UN Watch is at the forefront in the struggle against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias at the UN.” http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/…
If they like, Coast readers can peruse Wikipedia’s general overview of UN Watch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Watch
Your contention that Israel abandoned its occupation of Gaza in 2005 is ludicrous given the following facts from journalist Pierre Tristam:
* Israel continues to maintain complete control over the air and sea space of the Gaza Strip. No Palestinian may operate a seaport or an airport without Israeli approval, which limits Palestinians’ freedom of trade and travel.
* Israel continues to control the joint Gaza Strip-West Bank population registry, which means Israel gets to decide who is a “Palestinian resident” and who is a “foreigner.” Palestinians must seek Israeli approval for every individual who wants to move to the West Bank.
* The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was supposedly turned over to the Palestinian Authority. In fact, Israel continues to control the crossing to the extent that it may bar entry to “foreigners”—that is, Palestinians who are not residents of the Occupied Territories—or anyone it deems a security risk.
* Israel continues to maintain complete control of the movement of people and goods between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which Israel considers a “closed military area” off limits to anyone without a permit. West Bank residents are also forbidden from traveling aborad, including to the Gaza Striop, without a difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit.
* As far as trade is concerned, Israel controls the three crossing points in and out of Gaza (Karni, Sufa, and Kerem Shalom). Israel routinely closes the crossings to any exchange of goods, causing severe food and other shortages in Gaza.
* Israel still controls taxation and other levies in Gaza.
See: http://middleeast.about.com/od/israelandpa…
In case you think Tristam — an Arab-American journalist — is biased, here is a link to a column published by the mainstream Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz which points out how in many ways, Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza has been a PR disaster.
Read it and weep Great Chas. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/113880…
@Bruce Wark
wow Wikipedia? are not considered a creditable source at any academic level and if this was a paper any professor would give a F. Bruce they were film at the United Nations during Goldstone Inquiry and you disagree with Col. Richard Kemp? Why because he might be saying something called “the truth” about war? I repeat think he would know I thing or too about war other then Democracy Now or even Naomi Klein. And proof Israel withdrew in 2005. I’m citing American, British, Israeli, and Canadian Media is really well documented event.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/New…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/aug/1…
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/12/…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/s…
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08…
http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3491…
http://www.mideastweb.org/israel_disengage…
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0909/p07s01-…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte…
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor…
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4235768.stm
Official documentation:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Gu…
From Global Security:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/lib…
{link to CRS Report for (US)Congress}
http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/overview…
(link to overview of Global Security if you question that source)
Need anymore proof???
My Prediction for 2010 Credibility when writing articles because it seems that some are using Wikipedia as source but I not going to get my hopes over that.
@Bruce Wark
“Richard Goldstone a respected international jurist who is Jewish, supports Israel and has well-recognized human rights credentials. You rely on UN Watch, an organization that describes itself this way: “Affiliated with the American Jewish Committee, UN Watch is at the forefront in the struggle against anti-Antisemitism and anti-Israel bias at the UN.”
Why playing the religion card? A lot of people on the left play that card too and I do believe most on the left deep down are just like Walter Disney or Henry Ford but for Walter Disney or Henry Ford at least they were open on their true agenda.
and
“Affiliated with the American Jewish Committee, UN Watch is at the forefront in the struggle against anti-Antisemitism and anti-Israel bias at the UN.” are you playing around with the Z word again? FYI they don’t control anyone if that was true then I believe me or you would not having this debate.
* The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was supposedly turned over to the Palestinian Authority. In fact, Israel continues to control the crossing to the extent that it may bar entry to “foreigners”—that is, Palestinians who are not residents of the Occupied Territories—or anyone it deems a security risk.
— From the Goldstone Report?
— Wrong it mandated by the European Union under the European Border Assistance Mission in Rafah well if you don’t believe me then here’s their website:
http://www.eubam-rafah.eu/portal/
Hey Charles the Great: Well, I guess we could go on debating Israel’s destruction of Gaza and its continuing siege forever, but our debate won’t change the dismal facts on the ground, will it? No matter what we say, Gazans are held hostage, occupied, imprisoned and murdered while Israel tries to cut off Palestinians in the West Bank behind that massive Wall. No one can deny this is happening. The facts speak for themselves.
@ Bruce Wark
Hey Charles the Great: Well, I guess we could go on debating Israel’s destruction of Gaza and its continuing siege forever, but our debate won’t change the dismal facts on the ground, will it? No matter what we say, Gazans are held hostage, occupied, imprisoned and murdered while Israel tries to cut off Palestinians in the West Bank behind that massive Wall. No one can deny this is happening. The facts speak for themselves.
________________________________________________________________________
Wow the only people are keeping Gazans hostage are Hamas, in reality they don’t care how many Palestinians have die all they seem to care is about how of $$$$$$ they can make off them and Iran who funds them. They only blame Israel as a escape goat to blame all their problems and the left is only pick up on it. But at least in the West not to many people are buying it and it seems that what the left seems to care how much $$$$$ they can make off of them too which is rather interesting and Egypt has a big role to play in this too but you also seem to just ignore it too. Egypt wants a wall to on their border with Gaza oddly they want Hamas out too I hear they recently Hamas killed an Egyptian Solider last week caused by George Galloway and “supporters of Hamas.”
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/01/06/e…
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.as…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl…
oddly I see you will never point the figure at them but it nice that you can just ignore it and as using Israel as a escape goat and in 2010 this kind of hate still exist is beyond words.
Only a disciple of Lenin or Mao would call Steve Harper an “ultra right winger’…As to the Afghan “detainees” or terrorists as I call them, who gives a fucking damn. These same “detainees”stone women to death and throw acid in the face of little girls. If the afghan police want to extract info from these baby killers so be it.
Steve Harper an “ultra right winger?’ You are kidding..right? As to the Afghan “detainees” or terrorists as I like to call them…Who gives a fucking damn. These guys were caught with guns in their hands just after stoning some women or throwing acid in the face of schoolgirls.
Regarding Israel and Palestine Mr. Wark:
Can a simple cardboard robot succeed where world leaders and educators have failed?
You can tune into Pax_101 on Facebook and Twitter – @Pax_101 and decide for yourself.
Join the Pax evolution in Israeli-Palestinian peace-brokerage and social media.
Civil dialogue and respectful debate are the roads to the future!
Peace