All posts by Stephen Elliott-Buckley

Stephen Elliott-Buckley is a husband, father, professor, speaker, consultant, former suburban Vancouver high school English and Social Studies teacher who changed careers because the BC Liberal Party has been working hard to ruin public education. He has various English and Political Science degrees and has been writing political, social and economic editorials since November 2002. Stephen is in Twitter, Miro and iTunes, and the email thing, and at his website, dgiVista.org.
Politics

The US Navy: Champions of Earth Day

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I wish I were in the United States for Earth Day yesterday so I could celebrate Earth Day with their navy, champions of environmental respect and preservation.

I just can’t see an organization that sends its boats around the world powered by nuclear reactors to be hallmarks of environmentalism. They dump their waste into the bucket that is the earth’s ecology and champion themselves when they remove eyedropperfulls of their filth: removing 1,700 tons of contaminated soil [who contaminated it in the first place?].

Instead, silly me, I spent the evening at a Utah Phillips show in Vancouver, a man with no shortage of creative criticisms of the assholes who run the United States Empire.

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No. 354-04

Apr 21, 2004

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Department of The Navy Celebrates Earth Day 2004



The Department of the Navy will join the nation in celebration of the 34th annual Earth Day on April 22nd. The Department’s theme for Earth Day 2004 is “Celebrating Successful Partnerships,” recognizing the extensive collaboration that takes place among Navy, Marine Corps, industry, government, academic, and nonprofit organizations to enable the sea services to accomplish the primary mission of national defense while safeguarding the natural environment.

“Earth Day presents an excellent opportunity to highlight the department’s continued contributions to ensuring a sustainable environmental future,” said Secretary of the Navy Gordon England. “Earth Day 2004 is an occasion for the Navy and Marine Corps to work with partnering organizations to re-emphasize our commitment to the environment in which we work and live, both in the U.S. and overseas.”

Finis

Questions, comments, feedback, gripes, thunderous applause? Email me…use the address at the bottom of the page. Archives are below these 5 most recent posts.

Politics

The Conservative Party Loves the Dalai Lama?

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Truly, I love the Conservative Party of Canada. They’re sure making full use of the policy immunity that comes from being in the opposition: just criticize and don’t worry about how you would do just the same if you were in government.

I agree with Conservative Kenney’s motion to grant honourary citizenship to the Dalai Lama [see press release below]. The Dalai Lama’s a splendid guy. A bud who saw him and Desmond Tutu last week was truly moved not only by the Dalai Lama, but with the interaction between these two accomplished people.

But why did the motion fail? China was already pissed off that our PM PM would meet with the Dalai Lama. Granting honourary citizenship could hurt trade relations with that blessed huge new market of 1.1 billion. Who cares that they’re a capitalist dictatorship. We make money from the Chinese so we can’t piss them off quite that much. And our neo-con in liberal clothing, steamship-sweatshop-owning millionaire PM knows this all too well.

But what is truly entertaining is Kenney’s feigned shock at seeing his motion defeated. He was “hard-pressed to understand how any MP, in any party could refuse to grant this honour to the Dalai Lama.” Yeah. Right. The Conservative Party of Canada, known champion of global human rights [not so much], denouncer of global imperialism [even less so], would bestow this citizenship on the Dalai Lama if they were in goverment?

I wouldn’t bet on it. As much as the Liberals, they would fear losing access to 1.1 billion Chinese we are training to be hyper-consumers.

Ah, the luxury of being the opposition.

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Jason Kenney, MP

Official Opposition Critic for Canada-US Relations

News Release

For Immediate Release

Thursday, April 22, 2004

Liberal Government Refuses to Honour Dalai Lama

Kenney Moves Honorary Citizenship for “Tibetan Freedom Fighter”

Ottawa – Liberal MPs in the House of Commons rejected a motion Thursday morning to give honorary Canadian citizenship to His Holiness the Dalai Lama moved by Conservative MP Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, AB).

“It’s a shame,” said Kenney. “The Dalai Lama has led a courageous, decades-long, non-violent struggle for freedom of conscience, human rights and self-determination in Tibet. This is an honour Parliament reserves for a few select people and, I believe, the Dalai Lama should be one of them. I am hard-pressed to understand how any MP, in any party could refuse to grant this honour to the Dalai Lama.”

Kenney’s motion enjoyed support from all parties. His co-sponsors included the Hon. David Kilgour, MP (Liberal, Edmonton-Southeast, AB), Francine Lalonde, MP (BQ, Mercier, QC) and Alexa McDonough, MP (NDP, Halifax, NS).

“The Dalai Lama is not just a Buddhist spiritual leader. He is a freedom fighter. His fight for the Tibetan people is a heroic example that inspires millions. The Liberal government blocked this motion and they need to explain to Canadians why the Dalai Lama is not worthy of this honour.”

“This is sad evidence that the Liberals are more concerned with kowtowing to the Communist dictators in Beijing than supporting one of the world’s great human rights heroes. This is the moral debasement of the Liberal Party of Canada,” said Kenney.

The text of Mr. Kenney’s motion was as follows:

“That this House, recognizing his great efforts to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the Tibetan people using peaceful methods, agree that His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, be declared an honorary citizen of Canada.”

– 30 –

For more information contact:

Jason Kenney, MP

613.992.2235

Finis

9/11, A Better World is Needed, Activism, Afghanistan, Canada, Colonialism, Executive Overdrive, Imperialism, International Relations, Iraq, Israel, Neo-Conservatism, Soft Fascism, USA

Afghanistan, September 11, 2002 and Land Mines

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Afghanistan signs the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines on September 11, 2002 while Iraq, Israel and the USA (and 46 others) still have not.

With North America (at least) dwelling on commemorative events surrounding the first anniversary of September 11, 2001, odd ironies were at play elsewhere in the world as that day, Afghanistan signed the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines.

There are still unanswered questions about who is functionally in charge of Afghanistan (and if the big W is pulling strings, or the big W’s string pullers, whatever) and why that day was chosen. What kind of political value would there be, and for who, to orchestrate that event on that key day? Is it a sign of the White House’s total domination of the enemy that is/was Afghanistan that they signed on that day?

146 countries have signed, ratified, or agreed to be bound by the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, also known as the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines. They are listed here.

49 countries haven’t signed the treaty as of this month, including some notables: Iraq, Israel, and the USA.

And while political posturing prevents more countries from signing, Canada’s light shines as an example of how other states COULD operate.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham attributes, “much of the remarkable progress achieved to date to an unprecedented level of cooperation and coordination between governments, international organizations and NGOs.”

I wonder who will sign on September 11, 2003.