Saturday, September 30, 2006

Calgary- Support The Troops Rally- Redux





I made it to the rally. Those of you who know Calgary will recognize the C-train as the very best access to the city center. I climbed on at Canyon Meadows Station resplendent in my Made in Canada T and a Flames Ballcap. Round about Heritage Station this huge feller boards with a furled CanFlag. We make eye contact and a few nods are exchanged.

I disembark at Olympic Plaza and follow a Vet off the train and onto the platform. Ahead of us is an obviously disheveled native man who reeks of amonia. I increased my pace to get up wind of this pathetic soul. As I passed him, he turned and looked at me with eyes that said, "I quit." I moved on into the plaza infront of city hall as a quiet crowd assembled.

I thought I would observe.

What I saw has both broke my heart and gave me a glimmer of hope.

The turn out on what could only be described as a gorgeous Calgary fall afternoon was dismall.

By my estimation (I counted them) there were about 350 people in attendance...Pols included. The ones that did attend include Jason Kenny, Ted Mortinson, Wayne Cao, Rob Anders, and a few others from the blue-stripe that don't impress me much.

Noticeably adsent, were any Pols of the red or orange (yellow?) stripe. The big three were there too, Global, CTV, CBC. I have to admit, I felt really bad for the girrlll reporter from the CBC. The obvious, gratuitious bitch-slaps were taken at Mother Corp, and Taliban Jack. Some young gal sang an original song entitled, "Canadian Soldier."

I nearly cried... The Pols spoke out, Kenny and Mortinson being the best of the stripe.

The crowd (such as it was) consisted of mostly white, old/young, Canadians. I saw alot of guys with PPCLI T's. Obviously alot of the kids in the crowd were offspring of serving men. Then there were the Vets, about 15-20 of them.

Then we got to hear from an Afghani refuge named, Abduul, (no shit,) who spoke passionately about the reality of Taliban rule. He got the biggest cheer.

I stepped back from the rally to get a larger sense of what was really going on. What I saw does not bode well.

The bum on the park-bench, not the pissy one (this feller had moved on beyond that,) seemed annoyed at this intrusion into his space. He spooled up his backpack after trying to rub the crabs out of his arm-hair.

I jumped back on the train, and so did the feller with the flag. His stop was before mine.............we both avoided eye contact....but as he got off, it was unavoidable. We both shook our heads, and a little part of me died...

Then I got it, the juxtaposition. We live in a country that takes freedom, prosperity, and entitlement for granted. It's no fucking wonder, given the pricks running the show.

There is something desperately wrong with a country, a city, a province, a jurisdiction that can elicit the support of half a million people for a celebration of minority sexuality. The same country cannot find in it's soul to support the children that fight for Us.

I think we're fucked...


Syncro

Friday, September 29, 2006

Calgary-Support The Troops Rally

Following on the heels of the Red Friday Rally in Toronto, organizers in Calgary are holding a similar event tomorrow Saturday, September 30th at 12 noon.

The Rally will be held in front of City Hall. I'll be attending and hope to see a large turn out. I will post some pics sometime tomorrow night. Remember to wear some red (it appears red is not my color as I own nothing red but I will make a purchase and a special exception in this case).

The organizers are holding the rally on a Saturday in hopes that we get a larger turnout than a business day. I have some contract work to complete tomorrow but I think sacrificing a couple of hours to honor our troops is the least I can do. I hope many of you out there feel the same.

Anyways......I hope to be a small blogger in a very large crowd.

Cheers

Syncro

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Sex.. Thugs and The Same Old Same Old

Given all the nonsense surrounding the Liberal leadership race one can be excused for feeling a little disoriented. Time for a recap of the current absurdities and a look at what might really be going on.

Being a red blooded Canadian boy I just have to deal with the sex thing first.

Buhlinda, the former Minister of Complex Files, finds herself in the middle of a nasty divorce. The latest dirt is dished here and here. What I find especially interesting is this excerpt from the TorStar piece.

But sources close to the couple — by which I mean the alleged couple, Tie and Belinda — told the Star that the purported pair feel broadsided by the incendiary contents of Mrs. Domi's divorce application, with Tie particularly frantic about how such open hostility will affect their kids.

Tie and Buhlinda feel broadsided! These two assholes deserve each other. But it does get better/worse. Buhlinda is.........wait for it ..........a VICTIM.

"I'm not going to comment on it at this point in time, whether it's true or false," Stronach told CTV's Mike Duffy Live. "I'm not going to comment on my personal life at this moment."
She said it was a matter between the courts and the Domi family.

"It's right now a matter that is before the courts between two individuals and they need to sort it out so I'm not going to make any comments at this time," said Stronach.

But Stronach did comment when asked if a man in her position would receive the same level of media scrutiny.

"I'd like to say in a country like Canada that there isn't but I do believe there is a double standard," she said. "It's very unfortunate for other women in this country that want to seek political office and make a contribution."

Buhlinda........just a thought here.......but if you want to make a contribution to all things right, good, fuzzy and warm....quit fucking some other woman's husband.

Soooo....that's enough sex......onto the thugs.

Of course when one mentions the LPC and thugs in the same breath one or two names come to mind. Let's start with the obvious...Sideshow Joe Volpe and Alfonso Gagliano. Unfortunately it doesn't stop there. I would like to add the esteemed prof. from Harvard to the list.

Despite being vaunted as the architect of the new catechism of Libraldom by non other than that tired old fart in the goofy cap...Peter C. Newman, the same games are being played.

The money clip here:

Allegations of membership irregularities spread Monday from long-shot contender Joe Volpe to presumed front-runner Michael Ignatieff.

A complaint was filed with the party’s Ontario wing over 60 members allegedly signed up improperly by Ignatieff’s camp in two Toronto-area ridings, including one man in Ignatieff’s constituency who is dead.

Way to go Iggy.....they thought you were a pussy.....then again getting tenure can be a nasty bit of business eh? It would seem that the pundits may have miscalculated your political guile. Welcome to the majors.

Then there's sideshow Joe. What can you say about Joe that he hasn't parodied himself? I will therefore limit my critique to four words......Rich kids.... Dead delegates. I could link ya but redundancy has it's limits.

On to more headier matters. Hot Cross Heddy. I can only imagine the psychological trauma dear Heddy was subjected to when the spectre of Libralism showed it's ugly face. Given Heddy's hypersensitivity to men in sheets is it any wonder she decided to withdraw? Shame on you boys. Where Heddy parked her "support" (such as it is ) tells the real story.

Heddy is backing Bob Rae.

Which leads me to the same old same old.

Being a tradesman who lives by the seasons I appreciate my down time. The advent of the fall season is a precurser of the days to come. A time to read. On the top of my list are these two tomes. Found here and here.

Having given both a superficial look I think I've detected a few commom themes. This quote from old news Alfonso:

Embattled Liberal leadership candidate Joe Volpe is the victim of anti-Italian sentiment, says former public works minister Alfonso Gagliano, who blames the same ethnic prejudice for his own fall from grace.

Change a few words and it sounds like the same sad story Buhlinda is claiming. All victimization aside this is not the real importance of Alfo's rant. It becomes apparant here:

He stands by Jean Chretien as "a great leader" and acknowledges that he might have avoided the entire arduous affair if he had accepted two earlier offers from the former prime minister to become Canada's ambassador in Rome before accepting the one for Denmark under pressure when the scandal was breaking in the news.

Then there is this from an old school Liberal insider:

A new book from one of Jean Chretien's top lieutenants paints an unflattering portrait of Paul Martin, describing him as a political boil that should have been lanced years earlier.

The 400-page book by Eddie Goldenberg hits store shelves in the midst of Liberal efforts to defuse partisan bickering and choose a new leader -- an exercise many Grits are hoping will bridge the gap between the rivalling Martin-Chretien camps.

In polotics timing is everything, something Jean Cretin understood all too well. The timing of these two book releases smells of putine. I'm thinking JC still has a hand in the game. The asshole couldn't speak either of our official languages but you have to admit he was a master of the backroom deal/knife toss.

So what else does slimey insider Eddie have to say? Who would have guessed:

Goldenberg is supporting longtime friend Bob Rae in the current leadership contest, although he also has kind words in his book for another contender, Stephane Dion, Chretien's onetime unity minister.

Surprise.... Surprise....Eddie likes the Bobster. Then to close the deal Fast Eddie accuses Martin (and therefore subliminally ex-Martinites) of the greatest crime in Libraldom. Failing to pay homage to P. E. T. himself.

This gem:

Goldenberg also reveals that Martin had no objection to a plan from Chretien to budget $125 million for a foundation for postgraduate scholarships commemorating former prime minister Pierre Trudeau after his death.

But "he made it clear to me that he was not prepared to be part of any government announcement in commemoration of Pierre Elliott Trudeau," writes Goldenberg, adding that Martin refused to be photographed with Trudeau's two sons, Alexandre and Justin.

Blasphemy!!! Now if that doesn't get the spittle flying from the slack lips of every good Lib nothing will.

Anyways.....As near as I can figure the the old school Libs are lining up behind Bob Rae. One more tidbit from Paul Wells' recent extensive piece.

Rae may have come pretty close to running Ontario into the ground in the 1990s, but he has emerged as the standard-bearer for Liberals who believe managerial competence is the party's most important asset. He comes by this aura honestly enough: his brother, John Rae, ran Jean Chrétien's campaigns. It explains why Rae has attracted a lot of talent, if not much youth. "The call from John Rae is an important call, to which most Liberals would tend to listen closely," one Liberal told me.

There were audible gasps when Jean Pelletier, the former Quebec City mayor who served as Jean Chrétien's chief of staff for six years, showed up to listen to the proceedings at the Capitole. Fewer Liberals were surprised when Pelletier, who maintains he has no dog in this race, sat with a group of Rae supporters. They're who a guy like Jean Pelletier knows.

Audible gasps. I wonder if Iggy heard them??? While I may have welcomed you to the majors....these guys are throwing spitters. Good luck Iggy!!!

Same old same old. PowerCorp...Demarais....and Chairman Mo. Welcome to the NEW LPC. Thanks for coming out.

Syncro

Monday, September 25, 2006

Sideshow Joe Volpe VS. Diamond Iggy Quimby


Dateline Springfield:

In what could only be described as a "school-yard brawl", a fight broke out between frontrunner Diamond Iggy Quimby, and Sideshow Joe Volpe. In a battle for the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of the best and brightest at Springfield Elementary.

As Bart, Lisa and Milhouse ( he donated $5400) looked on the battle raged.

Meanwhile, Principle MacKinnon observed.

It was rather ugly, when Sideshow Joe's "consultants" came in to calm the situation. Eventually they left in a stretched Lincoln Navigator.

After coming to his senses, Iggy Quimby signed up both Snowball I and Snowball II.

I think it was a draw.

Anyways, what do ya think these pricks will do tomorrow?

Syncro & The Tubster



P.S.... watch out for the Lincoln Navigator.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Dead Men Tell No Tales

I came across an interesting press release at the LPC website.

September 23, 2006

MONTREAL - The Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) reaffirms that Mr. Alfonso Gagliano is not registered on the list of members in good standing of the party. Indeed, Mr. Gagliano has tried to register online on the national Website of the party and may have received an automated message acknowledging the receipt of his request. The latter, however, still had to be approved by the provincial wing of the party. As such, the Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) confirms that Mr. Gagliano's request has been refused.

In stark contrast we find this piece regarding LPC membership and party loyalty.

Some pertinent excerpts:

MPs supporting Liberal leadership candidate Joe Volpe say they won't desert him, despite allegations his campaign improperly paid for party memberships in Quebec.

"I believe in Joe and I think Joe is very capable to run the party as well as the country," Oak Ridges-Markham MP Lui Temelkovski said yesterday.

He threw his weight behind Volpe (Eglinton-Lawrence), along with Montreal MP Massimo Pacetti (Saint-Leonard-Saint Michel), and Ontario's Joe Comuzzi (Thunder Bay-Superior North) and Wajid Khan (Mississauga-Streetsville).

"He's a hard-working man and will continue to work with the party," Temelkovski added.

The Toronto Star reported yesterday dozens of people in Montreal-area ridings including at least two dead people had been improperly signed up as federal Liberal party
members.

So whats up here? Amid a growing controversy over party memberships the LPC takes the time to issue a press release saying Alfonso Gagliano is persona non grata. I mean really, after all those years of tough slogging for the party, packing all those heavy brown envelopes...this is the thanks he gets!!!!

But Why???

OH.....I just came across this. It seems Alfonso has taken up writing. Some of the juicier tidbits:

In the book, Gagliano maintains as he has throughout his tribulations that he did no wrong as minister of public works, under whose auspices the tainted sponsorship program was run, and that he is the innocent victim of a smear campaign by elements of the media and his political enemies, foremost among them Paul Martin.

In a passage entitled "the pathetic spectacle of Paul Martin," Gagliano charges that Martin used the sponsorship affair to discredit Chretien and his loyalists, and suggests that he pumped up the scandal to distract from controversy over $70 million in federal subsidies that his family firm was accorded while he was finance minister.

Alfonso concludes with this observation:

Gagliano, who came to Canada from Sicily when he was 16 years old, takes pride in his achievements and praises Canada for making them possible. But he also maintains that ethnic prejudice played prominently in his fall from grace.

"I believe that if my name had been Lapierre, Arcand or Cournoyer, I would not have been accused, condemned and executed in the public arena without having been heard out. My greatest misfortune in political torment was to be what I am, with my name, my accent, my features and my personality."

While I can feel Alfonso's pain, a quick inspection of the ethnicity of the deceased Liberal members in question would seem to indicate otherwise.

No Alfonso.......If I understand this correctly the good ship Liberal prefers dead members to live ones with word processors.

Arrrrrr Matey!!!

Syncro

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Jan Continues to Speculate----The CBC Continues to Obfuscate

The controversy surround Jan Wong's Sept. 16th piece in the Globe and mail continues to swirl. Today it culminated in what amounts to an apology from G&M editor in chief Edward Greenspon.

CTV has the run down here. Some of the more pertinent excerpts follow here:

In his Letter to the Editor column published in the Globe on Saturday, Edward Greenspon wrote, "We regret that we allowed these words to get into a reported article,'' in which Wong raised the possibility that the shootings were linked to Quebecers' alleged prejudice against immigrants and a sense of alienation in non-francophone communities.

"While we feel the reaction to the article has been disproportionate -- including personal attacks on Jan and her family -- in hindsight, the paragraphs were clearly opinion and not reporting and should have been removed from that story,'' Greenspon wrote.

"To the extent they may have been used, they should have been put into a separate piece clearly marked opinion. That particular passage of the story did not constitute a statement of fact, but rather a thesis -- and thus did not belong in the article.''

Quite a remarkable statement by the editor in chief of a national daily.....Essentially that editorial speculation has no place in a hard news piece. As near as I can tell the paragraphs causing all the controversy are as follows:

"What many outsiders don't realize is how alienating the decades-long linguistic struggle has been in the once-cosmopolitan city,'' she wrote.

"It hasn't just taken a toll on long-time anglophones, it's affected immigrants, too. To be sure, the shootings in all three cases were carried out by mentally disturbed individuals. But what is also true is that in all three cases, the perpetrator was not pure laine, the argot for a `pure' francophone.''


"Elsewhere, to talk of racial `purity' is repugnant. Not in Quebec.''

Jan finds herself in hot water for speculating on the motivation of homicidal maniacs, going so far as to speculate the "root cause" of such behavior is linguistic and cultural alienation. Fair enough. I would have to agree with Edward Greenspon that this hardly constitutes hard reporting.

The CTV article concludes with the following statements:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper wrote a letter to the Globe on Wednesday, calling Wong's argument prejudiced, absurd, irresponsible and without foundation.

The House of Commons also condemned the piece and, in a motion supported by all political parties, demanded an apology from the newspaper.

In a letter published in last Saturday's edition of the Globe, Quebec Premier Jean Charest called Wong's suggestion a "disgrace.''

So to summarize; The Prime Minister, The House of Commons (supported by all parties) and the Premier of Quebec all objected to Ms. Wong's psychic speculation.

Just for fun lets go have a look at how the CBC reported the same story.

Comments in a recent article by a Globe and Mail writer who suggested Quebec's francophone culture may have contributed to the Dawson College shootings should have been removed, the newspaper's editor-in-chief said Saturday.

In his Letter from the Editor column in the Globe's Saturday edition, Edward Greenspon wrote: "We regret that we allowed these words to get into a reported article."

Wong's comments drew a swift and furious response from Quebecers of all stripes, Greenspon noted.

So far so good. Sticking to the facts is a good thing. But watch what happens next.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest wrote letters to the paper condemning Wong's remarks, but Wong said the two rebuked her article just to get votes in the province.

"I feel that it's opportunistic," Wong told CBC News. "In Stephen Harper's case, judging from his letter, I don't think he actually read the article. I think that they want votes in Quebec and they see this as a cheap and easy way to get it. Dump on a journalist."

Wong said Harper just wants to "patch things up with Charest" over their differences on scrapping the gun registry.

"I felt it was really crass, however, he also has the right to his opinion," she said.

"I just feel that the office of the prime minister should not be used in this way to dump on a reporter. I think he should do other things with his office."



Ohhh... Jan..Jan...Jan....your omniscience is showing again. Having pissed off most of the citizens of Quebec, the Prime Minister, The House of Commons, The Premier and your Editor in Chief this is what you offer as a mea culpa........more unfounded speculation and hints at victimization????

But that's not all Jan had to say.......noooo......Watch this:

She said she's surprised by the reaction to her feature. Wong, who is of Asian descent and a third-generation Quebecer, said many of the attacks against her have been racist.

"And in a way, I think it might prove what I was trying to get at. I mean, I'm a Quebecer," Wong said.

"Of course when this happens, I'm not. I'm actually one of those people in the middle that I was talking about. So, all a sudden I'm Asian."

So if I read this correctly you were right all along Jan? This is proven by the shabby treatment you have received since interjecting speculative observations into an emotionally charged situation? Jan your logic is astounding in the depth of its arrogance. But hell Jan isn't done yet!!

In one final career crushing act of unimaginable contradiction Jan offers this gem.

Wong refused to discuss the content of her piece.

"I didn't want to talk about what I wrote because what I wrote is out there."

"If people don't want to agree, that's fine. I welcome a debate.

I don't want to talk about it but I welcome debate!! Absolutely brilliant!!! I look forward to your next piece in the Stump Lake Sentinal.

But here's the kicker. As near as I can tell the CBC writer responsible for reporting on the story of a fellow journalist in trouble for speculating rather than reporting, chose to devote half of the text of the article on the further speculations of this same journalist.

Do you think this idiot may have missed the point also?

Christ these pompous assholes get everything they deserve.

Syncro

Lazarus of Bethany Confirmed as Card Carrying LPC Member

In light of the recent revelations by the Toronto Star regarding Joe Volpe's membership drive practices, I decided to dig a little deeper into this breaking story.

I have unconfirmed reports that Lazarus of Bethany has been designated a card carrying Liberal and appears to have signed his membership papers prior to the crutial cut off date of July 3rd 2006. This would make Lazarus eligible to participate in delegate selection meetings.

Sources also indicate that Volpe campaign spokesman Corey Hobbs and Steven MacKinnon, National Director of the LPC had this to say regarding Lazarus' membership:

Volpe campaign spokesman Corey Hobbs said "all memberships are in full compliance with the Canada Elections Act and with Liberal party guidelines.

"Similarly, Steven MacKinnon, the Liberal party's national director, said he saw "nothing particularly untoward" about the membership.

"On the surface, there's certainly nothing miraculous at all."

The above comments are eerily similar to others reported here regarding a previous misunderstanding regarding the Volpe campaign.

In a somewhat related story, it is expected that in a cost cutting measure Joe Volpe will assume responsibility for catering the upcoming LPC Leadership Convention. Sources indicate that sisters of the aforementioned Lazarus, Mary and Martha (also card carrying Liberals) will be bringing fishes and loaves. It is assumed that Mr. Volpe will do the rest.

Syncro

Entitlement vs. Responsibility.....What Kind of Canadian are You?

I came across this excellent article this morning by Andrew Coyne. Once again AC displays his talent for cutting through the BS to expose the real issue at hand.

An excerpt to whet your appetite:

Here's a statistic guaranteed to set your teeth on edge: Of the 15,000 Lebanese citizens evacuated from Beirut by Canadian Forces during last month's war -- the largest such operation this country has mounted since the Second World War, at a cost of $85-million -- some 7,000 are reported to have returned home. Home, as in Lebanon.

I guess this only proves the point that home really is where the heart is. But lets look at this from a logical perspective. It seems that nearly half of the part-time hyphenated Canadians that were rescued from war ravaged Lebanon have seen fit to return.

By my math that constitutes an expenditure of some $40 million to ensure these Canadian "citizens" had a safe holiday from the turmoil in their country of choice. I have no doubt that many of these same people were the ones who complained bitterly about the timing of the sea lift and the horrid conditions to which they were subjected. One might even say their "rights" as Canadian citizens were not properly respected.

"Outrageous", you say. When viewed through the filtered lens of entitlement all becomes clear. Back to AC to clarify.

Why were Canadian ships sent thousands of miles across the sea to pluck another country's citizens out of harm's way? Because, as you well know, they are also Canadian citizens. That is, they are dual citizens, beneficiaries of a 1977 change in immigration legislation, and as such, though many have not lived or paid taxes in this country for several years, are entitled to all the protections the Canadian state affords.


Despite the public outrage this aroused at the time, the Harper government wisely decided the middle of a war was not the time to revisit the principle of dual citizenship: They were Canadian citizens, and that was that. But the war being now ended, the government is said to be considering whether to abolish this strangely ambivalent status, to which at least four million foreign-born Canadians, plus an uncounted number of native-born, lay claim.


If so, this would be an event of enormous symbolic importance. Moreover, it would fit this Prime Minister's broader aim, which is nothing less than to recast the meaning of Canadian nationhood -- as a moral project, in which we are collectively and individually engaged, rather than a simple dispenser of services; something that lays claims upon us, as much as it confers entitlements. And the very least claim it can make upon us is that we commit ourselves to it, to the exclusion of all others.

There it is.......The crux of the entire matter. Entitlements with Responsibility. An expectation from your nation that these entitlements come with a price.......your solemn commitment as a citizen to contribute to the moral fiber and health of the nation.

It comes as no surprise that the policy of dual citizenship was the creation of a Trudeau government. A man, I might remind you, who enjoyed the entitlements of Canadian citizenship while avoiding the responsibilities of military service.

This moral sickness has been fostered and epitomized by years of rule by the LPC. Who can forget David Dingwalls..."I'm entitled to my Entitlements"! or Jean Cretins..."So a few million dollars got lost".

But lets look at a more current example of the LPC sense of entitlement totally devoid of responsibility. Yesterday Hamid Karzai addressed the House of Commons on the Canadian military and humanitarian commitment to Afghanistan, a commitment ordered by the previous Liberal government.

This from the Ottawa Sun

A Conservative MP has blasted the "total disrespect" shown by Liberal and NDP MPs who skipped yesterday's historic address in Parliament by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
Deepak Obhrai, the parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, said it's a disgrace so many MPs played hooky from the House of Commons as Canadian soldiers put their lives on the line in Afghanistan and a critical public debate rages.



At least 40 Grits were no-shows for the speech.


"The Canadian soldiers have spilled their blood for the Afghan people, and Mr. Karzai had come to thank them, but as usual the Liberals showed total disrespect to the Canadian Forces and to the Canadian people by not even having the courtesy to show up," Obhrai said.



Pat Breton, a spokesman for Liberal Leader Bill Graham, estimated only 60 of the 102 Liberal MPs were present in the House due to the leadership campaign.



"We sent out the message that we hoped all members would make their way back to Ottawa, but the reality is that the delegate selection is next weekend, and that was a priority," he said.


There you have it folks. A spokesman for the current LPC leader acknowledges that the rights of LPC MP's to engage in partisan political exercises aimed at regaining power for the sake of power trumps their responsibilities as servants of the Nation.

As in any organization, corporation or indeed nation the tone of the "corporate culture" is established from the top down. The moral bankruptcy that has crippled this nation is not hard to follow to its roots. But where does that leave us now?

Back to AC for the answer:

There is, however, an older tradition, memories of which lie buried deep in this country's collective consciousness, and it is one I believe the current Prime Minister is attempting to tap. You can see it in his invocation of our moral obligations in Afghanistan, in his unflinching challenge to Canadians to live up to our sometimes lofty notion of ourselves, even at the cost of Canadian lives.

Some look at our losses in Afghanistan and complain that we are bearing a "disproportionate" share of the burden. But there was a time when Canadians would have worn such distinctions with pride.

So we stand at a national crossroad, one which challenges our very notion of being Canadian. Are there enough of us left willing to accept the RESPONSIBILITY inherent in our citizenship? Or have we become a nation of whiners and special interest groups intent on getting our ENTITLEMENTS?

Syncro