Al Jazeera, of all outfits, called me Wednesday afternoon from New York to comment on lax security in the Canadian Parliament. That turned into a theme after the gunfire. “Ottawa Attacks Shatter Canadian Innocence,” read Bloomberg’s headline. I guess we’re playing with the big boys now, in the same week that six of our old jets deploy against ISIS.
Financial markets can handle a lot of stuff, but not surprises. The TSX lost a few points on news a soldier had been shot at Ottawa’s War Memorial. It lost a lot more on reports of bullets in the Centre Block. Then, on claims of multiple shootings (the cops at first said three), plus the Quebec ramming days ago that killed another soldier, things hit the fan. Just a day after adding more than 200 points, the market shed 235.
That was not all that was worth fretting about. Oil crashed more than 2% on Wednesday, and a sad prediction of this pathetic blog last month – that crude would hit $80 a barrel – was realized. This is a big story for Canada. It’s a manifestation of the trends I’ve been yammering about for some time – less demand and more supply is exactly what deflation means. Next comes lower prices, less investment and lost jobs.
Calgary, Edmonton and Fort Mac have intense times ahead. I hope your daughter didn’t just buy a Cowtown condo from poser cowboy Brad Lamb.
The Bank of Canada jumped into all of this, citing the oil plunge as a likely reason interest rates now won’t be rising too fast in this country. No good news there, as the fedsters also said they’re worried about hormonal housing markets in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. The real estate bloat, of course, has been caused by absurdly low rates. What a dilemma we’re walking into.
And did I mention the dollar is at eighty-eight?
So, there you have it. Terrorist attack on Parliament. Oil price crisis. Deflating economy. Unaffordable houses. At least Doug Ford is losing.
For the last two years I’ve been suggesting your exposure to Canadian assets – whether that’s ETFs owning the Toronto stock market, or a house in North Van – be contained. Don’t fall victim to home country bias and have a portfolio full of maple assets. Incredibly, 70% of all Canadian investors with equities have only Canadian companies. Not only are they undiversified, but they’ve now hitched their wagon to the wrong star.
Meanwhile, today – and the poor, dead soldier on ceremonial duty – should count for something. We’re in harm’s way, which is unavoidable when you face up to evil. This is one more thing you need to factor into your personal strategy, and I will address that in coming days.
By the way, I turned Al Jazeera down. No interest on my part in talking about the guys who failed to keep a dude with a gun from the front door of Parliament. I know many of the guards, and have walked through those brass doors beneath the Peace Tower hundreds of times, smiling at them. That is a public building, through which rivers of tourists flow daily. In recent times security has been beefed up, and vehicles prevented from cruising past ambling MPs. Gone are the days I could park my bike beside the PM’s black SUV tank, and so irritate his Mountie driver.
But there’s certainly more security to come. The two aging guards at the front door will likely be given guns. That will sadden me.
Godspeed Cpl. Cirillo.
204 comments ↓
Barbara Yaffe: Vancouver’s real estate forecast to stay hot into next year, study finds
Bullish outlook: Don’t expect housing market to cool any time soon
http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/Barbara+Yaffe+Vancouver+real+estate+forecast+stay/10312696/story.html
…annual report, titled Emerging Real Estate Trends 2015, issued jointly by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers
Thoughts and prayers with the family and friends of Cpl. Cirillo.
The more the fight for Freedom and Democracy the less we get.
Here’s hoping that Canada won’t see any more of this nonsense. Time for Canadians to speak up and demand a crackdown on the cult mentality that breeds this kind of death and violence.
Sad day :(
RIP Cpl. Cirillo, may his family find peace in their heart soon.
Thanks to Harpo our international reputation has been significantly diminished. I can’t wait until the neocon loses the next election.
A sad day for Canada. For so many reasons.
Unfortunately, Islamic radicals will only become more prevalent in Canada. Religion, what is it good for?
Face up to evil?
How about invading and bombing foreign countries who never did anything to us?
Can you say blowback?
Grim day, but I love the image of Garth pulling into the lot Easy Rider-style and Stevie boy turning up his nose in disgust. Thanks for that, sir.
Sincere condolences to the family of the murder victim, Cpl. Cirillo. I take exception to the one media headline about Canada losing its innocence. That betrays a vast ignorance of Canadian history. In 1970 the FLQ murdered a Canadian government official, by name Pierre Laporte. The FLQ was an avowed terrorist group & during the October crisis, the current PM Pierre Trudeau at one point invoked the War Act. We’ve had to deal with terrorist actions in Canada for decades now. Innocent we most certainly are not.
Amen
Gartho – you forgot to mention the bond bubble which will explode interest rates to the upside. It all starts 2016, here have a read:
http://armstrongeconomics.com/2014/10/22/the-dow-october-22-2014-bond-bubble/
“The central banks trying to stimulate the economy with lower interest rates have set the stage for the greatest crash of all time. You cannot imagine the bloodbath if interest rates go back to just 8% where they began this Phase Transition in bonds. We will see the worse economic bubble burst all over the street and this will be the real “GREAT” event of all time”
“Not only are they undiversified, but they’ve now hitched their wagon to the wrong star.”
Are you kidding? There’s nothing wrong with Canada. The rotation away from RE and towards other asset classes for investment will ultimately prove to be quite positive. The equity risk premium is going to return to Canada with a vengeance after being absent most of the past 35 years. Yes diversification is good, but telling people to sell Canadian equities when they are at the historic lower level of their valuation range, with all the advantages that Canada and Canadian equity investment offers (including the Dividend Tax Credit) doesn’t strike me as a wise idea.
If you look at the charts of the O&G industry, of the mining industry, etc., they’ve more than incorporated lower prices into their valuations. If anything, things are already significantly overdone. Yes, today’s events might have a short-term effect on psychology, like the SARS of 2002-2003, but there should be a high degree of confidence that Canada will pull through.
It has been a sad day. Let’s hope that Canada does not follow the US with the Patriot Act. I would rather have a small chance of death by terrorist/crazy person than watch us throw away more personal freedoms. Being alive is overrated. Living free is what is valuable!
Looks like you’re better at calling oil prices than interest rates Garth. ;)
Oil prices wont stay low for long with QE4 just around the proverbial corner….
Actually the end of QE is around the corner. — Garth
Garth why do we have to instantly label an isolated gunman attack on parliament hill as a “Terrorist attack on Parliament” this is nonsense we have no idea of his motives or what drove him to do this. Lets be more clear on what a terrorist is before just blanketing every isolated incident as terrorism. I have never seen a more apt reason to strip away more and more privacy rights or shall I say the temporary privileges of the citizens of this country and other so called western democracies under the so called terrorism we are apparently suffering from here.
Get real.
J
People were terrified. He was a terrorist. — Garth
The face of that dog in the photo is very beautiful.
More beautiful than any human being.
What a sad day, in so many ways.
Ottawa was very quiet during the lockdown today. Bus service on the MacKenzie King bridge next to the Rideau center (where a gunman was reported) was suspended and this effectively cut the main transit corridor across the city. Buses were rerouted so people figured out alternatives. The lockdown of government offices (especially National Defense) was pretty extreme. Parents were locked up in their office buildings and couldn’t pick up their kids after school. Somehow friends or family stepped up.
One can say in retrospect that there was an overreaction but I for one was glad to see the swift deployment of our security services. Maybe further security is required but from what I saw I would say our guys are pretty competent.
My heart goes out to the family of the young soldier killed by this idiot terrorist.
The most appropriate photograph for the blog post Mr Turner !
Reminds me of a unique opportunity last month. I took a PTSD support dog, a beautiful long haired Malinois , like I the photo today.
The dog spent its career days living with its Post Traumatic Stress Disorder owner. I got to spend some personal time alone on a walking and sharing time out with the dog! Giving back to such a caring beautiful creature.
As the blog mentions:
“Meanwhile, today ………… should count for something. We’re certainly more in harm’s way, which is unavoidable when you face up to evil. This is one more thing you need to factor into your personal strategy, and I will address that in coming days.
I am so sad today. I feel like I have lost my country to bullies and I hate it.
We need to stand up to these jerks.
I think the Canadian Muslim community needs to make a statement in opposition to this terrorism. I have not seen one such declaration/denouncement made public.
God bless Canada!
Please
No more pix of selfie dude. The first time was clever, now he is grating.
Yeah, we get it he is horrified to have a critter jump into his selfie.
Tragic…
I’m extremely saddened, but I don’t want this to trigger a police state.
You can’t protect everyone from a single crazy guy with a guy… be it in Ottawa, Mayerthorpe, Toronto or elsewhere.
Harper: We will redouble our efforts to fight against terrorist organizations around the world. “They will have no safe haven.”
This terrorist was a canadian born citizen…how can you fight against your own citizens? What can be done to avoid such tragic events?
#15 waiting on the west coast on 10.22.14 at 8:06 pm
It has been a sad day. Let’s hope that Canada does not follow the US with the Patriot Act.
Apparently its already on parliament’s agenda to develop legislation along the same lines.
#15 waiting on the west coast
Amen. A terrible tragedy of course, but Canada has faced much bigger threats than these idiots.
Refusing to give in to the terror they want to create, and not overreacting the way they want us to, is the best possible response.
100% correct the crazy today was a terrorist. However there is a word to describe what could be an escalation of this type of activity in the western countries. Blowback.
I noticed that in yesterday’s blog you downgraded your portfolio return to an average of 6%, instead of the long term average you’ve always stated of 7%+.
Is this new thinking?
Allowance for a slowing world over decades to come. — Garth
Loss of life is tragic anywhere (globally), at any time. Condolences to the Cirillo family, may the love and support from those around them bring comfort.
#17 I say YOU get real.
This man was under surveillance by authority because if his radicalization.
Some bozo in middle east called for murder and some time later this man decided to shoot Canadian soldiers on the most symbolic landmarks of the country.
I don’t care if he was following orders or listening to voices in his head. It’s terrorism.
“The Bank of Canada jumped into all of this, citing the oil plunge as a likely reason interest rates now won’t be rising too fast in this country”
I know this is getting repetative but as I keep saying rates are going nowhere anytime soon, for many years to come governments will use excuse after excuse to keep rates low, the economy is weak and getting weaker, it feels like we are treading water and are now getting tired
Attended the treb sponsored mayoral debate Tues.
Had to sit through 15 minutes of drivel from the meeting that was being held for a room full of realtors.
One thing I did learn is that if I stop renting and buy real estate my health will magically improve and my children’s grades will start rising.
Calling my advisor tomorrow to get the wheels in motion..NOT
RIP Corporal Cirillo
Great post Garth…although I’m more than just sad, I’m angry.
Angry that this happened and angry that the gunman wasn’t gunned down earlier. Seems like there are some huge security lapses on PH.
My condolences go out to the family of this man, who appeared to be an energetic and happy-go-lucky young man with a wife and young son. Such a tragic loss.
I hope the attackers get their due.
Honor Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and those like him everyday. Forget the coward and all that he stands for today. Put the honor guards back at the cenotaph immediately, keep parliament open and free and let our soldiers wear their uniforms in public with pride. You’ve accomplished nothing, we will not be swayed nor intimidated. #truenorthstrongandfree
#Memorials:
http://tinyurl.com/pxao8ov
http://tinyurl.com/ljzkugu
#Editorial:
http://youtu.be/kd6NEYwyGsU
Godspeed Cpl. Cirillo.
AMEN SIR….I LOVE YOU CANADA !!!
Godspeed Cpl. Cirillo.
AMEN SIR!..I LOVE YOU CANADA!
@#17JG
Soooooo is “JG” latin for Paranoid Conspiracy?
The fact that you’re able to voice your opinion on this blog ( or any blog) proves there’s no “grand agenda’.
Let’s focus on the “now” shall we?
And offer our sympathy to the family of the soldier doing his job, standing guard, unarmed at the War cenotaph. Shot down in the prime of his life for the simple reason that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time……
AND sympathy for the FAMILY of the delusional fool that thought that his only way to “become famous” was to carry a rifle into Parliament with evil intent after murdering an innocent man.
Marshall McLuan was right.
“15 minutes of fame” ….for all the wrong reasons.
let the fear mongering begin..
Sad sad day indeed. Harper has been in my opinion the worst PM ever, he truely is a poor leader and a snake in the grass. Canada has lost much credibilty on the world stage since we have had this ‘transparent’ hypocrisy known as the federal ‘cons’ in place
I have grown up and lived in a time of constant lies by government, public leaders, and big business, so I would have to be clinically insane to believe anything they say at this point.
Things are going to get much worse before they get better, we are witness to the collapse of a once powerful, honorable, and credible society. C’est la vie
I briefly heard harper ramble about freedom and democracy and a word the caught my attention the most was ‘redouble’ What does that even mean? You mean quadruple?
Does double speak like this creep anyone else out?
Oh my what next?
Garth, what do you think. The markets drop down to test last week lows and don’t hold …ie go for a $hit dump..and the hedge funds start to bail big time…would that be a good time to take a position in Stanfields..clean ones?
Today was not a time for political statements TO #6 Timmy your comments about Harper are so idiotic you don’t even have the decency to offer sympathy to the family who have lost a loved one.
Today was a very sad day Condolences to the Cirillo family and MHDSRIP I am very proud of the Sargeant In Arms who averted an even greater tragedy from happening.
“Oil crashed more than 2% on Wednesday, and a sad prediction of this pathetic blog last month – that crude would hit $80 a barrel – was realized.”
====================================
On the way down to $60.00…
What is a terrorist? Seems like its every thing from some dude who trained with bin laden to the loner in the basement who smoked too much dope and played too much halo.
Other questions is, why are these people converting to islam and not Buddhism or Taoism or Mormonism? Something deeply sinister there and our open door immigration policy will reap what it has sown. We are so naive.
And lastly, if muslims are so peaceful why do they never protest when their religion is used in a twisted way to justify murder. I mean they protest every other trivial thing.
Ugly, unhelpful words. — Garth
That idiot had nothing to do with the markets…. headlines are just looking for some reason.
As long as the MSM and politicians don’t start invoking irrational emotionalism, homicides and homicidal individuals will not incur further insanity.
It is abhorrent to further provoke emotionalism by utilizing terms that are specifically used to incite fear.
Terms of note. Terror. Terrorist. And, note the newest…. “Radicalized”
Those terms are subjective and sensationalist.
If one feels Fearful, first calm down and breathe; then use rational thinking rather than project one’s own fears (to feel better/less fearful) by trying to provoke via inciting and generalizing about The Evil.
Think of that Robert Dziekanski who was tasered to death by the RCMP in Vancouver. Did we all get fully adrenalized with fear and label the RCMP/state as terrorists or “radicalized?”
I don’t know. I hate to generalize about those who seem to be so full of fear and want to provoke fear but sometimes the fundamentalist right embraces a deeply felt religious narrative that holds themselves to always have enemies (The Evil) and always be persecuted by enemies; thus would not begin to understand “blowback” at all.
Do not be diverted by fear mongers’.
PS. For those whom agree that terms such as ‘foreign buyers’ and ‘HAM’ arouse (gateway thinking?) xenophobia, certainly it is understandable that one would not want to throw around terms such as terrorist or radical without knowing the much worse implications.
This is a tragedy, but certainly not a surprise.
That anyone thinks Canada was innocent up until today is what surprises me. We’ve been involved in the middle east in a WAR for at least 12 years. We’ve also been involved with interfering over there for many years via support for the US and their schizophrenic policies.
Does anyone ever notice that Switzerland is never attacked? That might be explained by the fact that they mind their own damn business. See, minding your own business keeps your citizens safe. It doesn’t allow people around the world to harbor resentment at your interference in their affairs.
Of course, the benefits are obvious. We will learn in coming days just what our leaders think should be done, and it won’t be good. All 35 million Canadians are going to be made LESS free by the coming barrage of legislation, all in the name of making us ‘safe’. Pay no attention to the fact that the provisions safeguarding you from YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT are going to be systematically dismantled – there are people abroad with no army, navy, or air force to speak of that want to kill you for your freedumbs!
Imagine if we just butt out of all these problems abroad and focused on our own domestic issues? Imagine all the money we could deploy on tackling poverty, healthcare, etc.?
We need a strong national DEFENSE that prevents anyone from wanting to mess with us. We DON’T need a national offense. Quit interfering abroad – even for ‘humanitarian’ reasons – which are always a PLOY just to get us bogged down overseas.
Busybodies really need to learn better. You’d think they would have learned to mind their own business starting in pre-school, but they’re obviously mentally incapable of seeing the damage they cause.
Dollar at 88, and much lower to go. Where to hide?
Precious metals. Gold priced in CAD will only rise, even ife the price trends sideways or lower.
So much for hiding in REITS
Garth’s math
Nosebleed housing prices + high rents charged to tenants + oversupply of new retail and commercial units – a strong consumer demand = high yield for REITS????????
That does not add up.
The only REITs worth buying are old age homes, all the wrinkly boomers.
Sit back and enjoy the returns for years to come. That will be one of the only grow stories in the coming years.
Ignorance on parade. — Garth
#34 Cici on 10.22.14 at 8:50 pm
Great post Garth…although I’m more than just sad, I’m angry.
Angry that this happened and angry that the gunman wasn’t gunned down earlier. Seems like there are some huge security lapses on PH.
My condolences go out to the family of this man, who appeared to be an energetic and happy-go-lucky young man with a wife and young son. Such a tragic loss.
I hope the attackers get their due
——————————————————–
I hope there is no next time
#18 the Jaguar on 10.22.14 at 8:07 pm
The face of that dog in the photo is very beautiful.
More beautiful than any human being.
—————
that’s a sad statement.
But maybe they should allow the soldier to have a load rifle instead of an empty one.He may have been able to defend him self.
R.I.P
Garth……..been a year since I checked in. wow, same compulsive posters manifesting the usual forms of mental illness. What would these folks do if it weren’t for the internet? Get a job?…. get a life? .. I know, I know..this will be deleted..Peace to you sir..
You are not worthy of deleting. — Garth
so #38 crowdedelevatorfartz on 10.22.14 at 8:57 pm
nice nick for posting with, there is no conspiracy here, however, and yes obviously its a tragic situation for families involved. Again this is going to be an event going forward where we have to give up another piece of our liberties and freedoms that politicians will point to as a reason to lose another liberty or freedom we currently have.
Losing sight of what goes beyond the tragedy of this event is the fact that you will have to watch going forward new laws or new reasons to monitor you activities under the guise of avoiding another tragedy like today. Remember you have no say in these laws being proposed under the representative republic we currently are governed under now.
I will even quote the very well known quote from Ben Franklin “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. ”
Just watch the security measures going forward to be introduced on the floor going in the months and perhaps years ahead citing this outlaying tragedy today. Don’t let your emotions take over the reality that we live in a very safe country for the greater part.
enough said
J
Re: #44 Not 1st
The reason these situations always arise with muslims is because most of the countries that have been occupied for centuries by western powers are MUSLIM COUNTRIES.
Bin Laden was a horrible person, but no one would suggest he was a liar. He listed several reasons for the attacks on 9/11:
1. Impartial support for Israel against the Palestinians
2. Troops/bases on their holy land and in the middle east
3. Sanctions on Iraq that killed 400 000 children
Which of the above do you think aren’t true? The west has been interfering over there, staging coup d’etats, putting sanctions, bombing, and placing troops on their lands for CENTURIES.
These are POOR countries with pretty much no army, navy, or air force – in other words, no way to retaliate in a conventional sense.
Therefore, they resort to barbaric means such as suicide bombings. Of course, if we engaged them in diplomatic dialogue and LISTENED to what they were asking in their OWN COUNTRIES they might not resort to that. Besides, why do we view bombing from a plane and killing innocent people as morally righteous when blowing yourself up isn’t?
This is the WELL DOCUMENTED cause of suicide terrorism. They don’t come here because we’re ‘free’. If that were the case, there are many freer countries around the world they would be attacking, but they aren’t.
Read the book ‘dying to win’ by Robert Pape. It’s the only book to document statistically every single suicide bombing attack. The number one group isn’t even muslim, they’re called the ‘Tamil Tigers’ – a Hindu/Secularist group in Sri Lanka. And guess what their motivation is? Their perceived occupation on what they believe to be their lands!
Educate yourself. Watching TV and the ‘programming’ that’s on there turns you into a parrot, not a thinker.
I think it will be helpful to stop calling terrorists “cowards” and soldiers “heroes”.
They are just pawns in a game that has only losers.
Unrequited love ….so sad
#18 the Jaguar on 10.22.14 at 8:07 pm
The face of that dog in the photo is very beautiful.
More beautiful than any human being.
—————
that’s a sad statement.
I FEEL THE SAME WAY.
THIS POOCH IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND HIS PURENESS AND UNDOUBTEDLY UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IN HIS EYES MAKES MY HEART FEEL CONTENT.
“Allowance for a slowing world over decades to come. — Garth”
The real economy maybe slowing, but don’t worry Mr. Equity Investor, the Fed’s got your back!
A sad day – but I will still wear my uniform in public. I don’t hide, and neither do any of my brothers in uniform.
It is sad that Cpl. Cirillo’s death will be used to take away Canadians’ freedoms under the guise of fighting terrorism. If we allow these “terrorists” to terrorize us into giving up our freedoms, the terrorists will have won.
RIP
” Cato the Elder” does not seem to understand that we are Imperialists (our high standard of living seems to depend on our willingness to meddle).
“Ugly, unhelpful words.” — Garth
#Context:
[WaPo] – In Malaysia, a dog-petting event riles Muslim clerics
…”Ultimately, the success of the event may prove that some Malaysian Muslims want to pet a dog — but in a country with an increasingly complex relationship with Islam, whether that’s allowed by Islamic authorities is another matter altogether.”…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/10/21/in-malaysia-a-dog-petting-event-riles-muslim-clerics/
[NoteToGT: It’s complicated, isn’t it… NoSarc either Implied/Intended.]
The hatred that Islamists have for the west, that they promulgate among their own as well as the newly converted, is based on a victim mentality. Misery abounds in the muslim world, from Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Mali and places in between. They believe that their misery is the direct consequence of the actions of western countries, and in their preachings they invoke the crusades and everything since. This is the narrative, along with the idea that western culture is morally degenerate, that has caused them to despise us, and rallied others to confront us. Until these people can take some responsibility for their own misery rather than blaming us, the hatred will continue, and terrorism will remain a enduring threat.
I was recently fortunate enough to be in Ottawa , and was able to walk to parliament hill.
What immediately stuck me was how close the public was able to get to these buildings.
For anyone to get so close (just outside the door) from our politicians and leaders is very surprising to me.
Despite the tragic death of the soldier, I think Canada dodged a bullet today.
Waiting on the west coast # 15,
“I would rather have a small chance of death by terrorist/crazy person than watch us throw away more personal freedoms. Being alive is overrated.
Living free is what is valuable!”
————————————
This…is the most profound comment, I’ve read on this blog, in a long time.
RIP Nathan Cirillo
Bdy Sktrn
I love how something in the opinion section, based on a ‘study’ by a Vancouver ‘un’real estate agency can invoke the comment “Bullish Market” Love it!!! I will see you eat your hat. It doesn’t go up forever. Nothing does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2minXF6G5z4
#59 CdnFlyer on 10.22.14 at 9:53 pm
A sad day – but I will still wear my uniform in public. I don’t hide, and neither do any of my brothers in uniform.
I’LL BE WATCHING OUT FOR YOU TOO MY CANADIAN BROTHER.
An interesting question – why do those people convert to Islam, not Buddhism. May be that the guy was crazy to start with and wanted to pull something like that. Perhaps, becoming a muslim was in some sick way the justification and the enabler of the action. If there was a radical knitting club, he’d join that instead.
The toughest question that we face today is, does it make sense to bother with trying to help somebody? Not only the attempts to help backfire at us, but we find ourselves in the situation of one knight-errant who was trying to save a boy from his master.
Will be calling my MP in the morning to request that Corporal Nathan Cirillo be provided the honour of a funeral for a Soldier who has died in battle.
Highway of Heroes’ from Trenton.
R.I.P. Corporal Cirillo,
R.I.P. Corporal Grenon,
R.I.P. 157 Canadian Soldier’s
A sad day for Canada. A fine young Canadian was lost today; serving his country in a most humbling way – guarding the memory of those who have served in past wars. My thoughts are with his friends and family tonight. My condolences with respect.
Let’s all honour this young soldier – not by arguing over petty political or religious ideology; but by resolving to become better Canadians … and that includes being more rational and practical with our finances and investments … and building stronger individual foundations, which will build a stronger economy overall – All those things that these terrorists hate us for. That is after all, the ultimate way to fight back.
Moncton – 3 RCMP Officers killed by an idiot
Mayerthorpe – 4 RCMP Officers killed by an idiot
There has never been a shortage of mental midgets in any nation at any time and I refuse to stereotype. IMO, Canadians are under greater threat from psychopaths than tiny minds. I pray as a nation we do not become a snitch (police) society to eliminate danger to the status quo by an insignificant group of homegrown mental midgets. We can eliminate dangerous idiots as they come along but can we recover personal freedoms when “policies” are enacted to protect sheep? I have my doubts.
Rant over.
DELETED
The Fund Herd Mentality
The Wall Street Journal ran a piece yesterday about the recent “bloodbath” in performance for a handful of hedge funds.
It seems that many of these funds were involved in the same trades, and when you add leverage into the mix, a declining market can lead to terrible performance if everyone rushes to the exit at the same time:
“It’s a bloodbath out there,” said Brad Alford of Alpha Capital Management, an Atlanta-based investment firm. He attributed some of the losses to funds crowding into the same stocks and rushing out at the same time. “There are some awful numbers.”
Mom and pop investors are usually the ones singled out for herd behavior by chasing performance in the latest and greatest, but the herd mentality happens with regularity with professional investors as well.
You can probably attribute much of the recent hedge fund carnage to the fact that so many of these funds use similar research and trading platforms. Many of these portfolio managers and analysts have been trained under similar schools of thought. In a market that’s been on a tear for over five years, there are bound to be crowds attracted to those areas of the market with perceived value.
It’s almost becoming difficult to be a contrarian in today’s market because there is so much competition for investment ideas. This can harm these large funds when they share a similar investment process for idea generation. Eventually this can lead to big losses in crowded trades when the market reverses or the thesis proves incorrect.
What’s amazing to me is that these hedge fund blow-ups seem to occur on a regular basis. Herding is a phenomenon that even the most intelligent investors can get caught up in. Most of the time the crowd is actually right in the markets (they have to be to move prices), but imbalances can occur when the herd mentality goes too far.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/misery-widespread-at-hedge-funds-1413849220?KEYWORDS=Misery+Widespread+at+Hedge+Funds
I’m disappointed with most of the posters here.
A young soldier was murdered, shot in the back, by a coward. We allowed it to happen. Our soft hearted civil liberties and such. A century ago, the assailant would have been hanged for his past robbery, and would have never have had the chance to commit this shooting.
Crimes against the state, dismemberment of bodies in Montreal, these should be hanging errors.
a bad apple never gets better, nor does a bad egg. This is a fact of life. You can hide away in peace, love and Justin Trudeau, but only the stupid are fooled.
#66 – “Hear! Hear!”
Re: #61 Young and Foolish
Why is Switzerland so much richer than us then? The average person there is 4 times wealthier. Their middle class could out purchase ours even though it’s significantly smaller.
It’s not imperialism. It’s free markets. Any semblance of wealth we have is the result of individual liberty. We don’t have many liberties left, let lone get to keep much of our money anymore, and that’s why the middle class is shrinking here.
Imperialism is not a good way to get rich – it’s incredibly expensive. Maintaining an army abroad, military bases, and paying off foreign countries so they co-operate is not very smart.
Better to do what China is doing. Buy up the world’s resources. Provide VALUE in the products you create. Let the idiots (Western Imperialists) burden their populations with massive debts and bankrupt their industries.
What’s foolish? I’d say your understanding of the matter.
#40 SWL1976
It’s a figure of speech.
Do you think it is too much to ask to keep your petty politics to yourself for at least one day?
I remember another October, 1970. As a young soldier I was roused from my bunk and told some guy I’d never heard of had been shot in Quebec and we were at war. War? Apparently we were at war against ourselves. Anyway, a cup of coffee and a few hours later I was manning a road block outside of Ottawa thinking how unreal it all was. This was not Belfast but my home town!
The rest is history and we recovered just fine. No change in the country that I recall. The FLQ idiots did not represent Quebec any more than Muslim extremists represent those who follow Mohamed.
Societies suffer set backs just like markets and it is important in both cases to keep our heads and not sell our liberties short in a panic to save losses which we will always recover.
A bit off topic for a financial blog but that is how I feel.
CATO THE ELDER:
The reason these situations always arise with muslims is because most of the countries that have been occupied for centuries by western powers are MUSLIM COUNTRIES.
==================================
The Ottoman empire occupied much of Eastern Europe for centuries, (including the levy of a “blood tax” on Serbian peoples by taking away their children) but there are no cases of Slavic people committing terror over the 52 Muslim majority countries in the world.
Western Powers have at various points in time rule over native peoples in China, India, Vietnam, N. America and the overwhelming majority of the planet, but none of those people are committing terror attacks anywhere.
BTW – At the time of the Madrid bombings Spain was NOT part of the coalition of the willing.
Back to the old drawing board with your theories dude………
Sigh. We aren’t innocent. Just decent. Don’t think we can lose that completely, it’s well-ingrained.
Great post for a sad day, Garth.
#47 Cato the Elder on 10.22.14 at 9:29 pm
Does anyone ever notice that Switzerland is never attacked? That might be explained by the fact that they mind their own damn business. See, minding your own business keeps your citizens safe.
Apparently, the terrorists didn’t get the memo…
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/switzerland-iraqi-isis-cell-arrested-planning-terror-attack-1466994
In case you think this is a recent development, here’s something from 8 years ago…
“Swiss intelligence is realizing that you can’t just sit back and cross your arms and say, ‘We’re not a target because we’re a small country,’ ” he said.
“Switzerland is no longer able to exclude itself from the rest of the world in the face of a globalized threat.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/19/AR2006071901795.html
Using your criteria for “minding our own business”, Canadians never should have gone to war against the Nazis. The fact that they were murdering millions of innocent people was “none of our business”.
Perhaps we should have remained “neutral” like Switzerland and maybe even helped them store their looted gold in our wonderfully sound Canadian Banks.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Why Do We Fall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgmVOuLgFB0
In sad moments like this one I just wish to see a whole nation together and stronger, our actions will be the legacy to our kids, they sleep now without knowing that their peace involve pain and sacrifice, they should learn that part too.
RIP soldier, you were giving the best for the country.
#34 Cici on 10.22.14 at 8:50 pm
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The gunman was gunned down fairly early. There were just lots of reports of possible other shooters so it took a long time to lift the lockdowns and for media to get the story straight.
Garth’s last sentence for me also.
To all of Cpl. Cirillo’s family and loved ones, my deepest empathy for the loss of your loved one.
Garth is right about only sticking with Canadian Investments. We live in a Global village.
Cato The Elder posts:
All that and now an even greater excuse to up our involvement against ISIS or ISIL or whatever other name they call them. Can anyone say “boots on the ground?”
Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Cpl Cirillo. RIP
#77 devore on 10.22.14 at 10:40 pm
———————————————
It’s actually a figure of speech that carries a lot of meaning:
re·dou·ble
rēˈdəb(ə)l/
verb
1.
make or become much greater, more intense, or more numerous.
“we will redouble our efforts to reform agricultural policy”
Great. Now we law-abiding and somewhat honest citizens are going to be inconvenienced even more (and the bad guys will still get through).
#51 Paul on 10.22.14 at 9:34 pm
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Tough to defend against something you’re not expecting, and against a coward that pops out from behind a monument, even if you had a loaded weapon.
The face of that dog in the photo is very beautiful.
More beautiful than any human being.
—————————
dogs = good in general, i love ‘am all but the big german breed is one i trust the least – they (some)can have the skittish small dog ‘issues’ but with big teeth. my fun loving pit cross who knew nothing but love and kindness and joy was chomped by two different big germans simply for chasing her ball in the park.
just like people, most are great , decent and fair, a select few are very bad apples.
re the terror thing.
these 2 guys are losers who want attention (the car incident and today). that is about it.
/ plans and execution that a small child would do . Supreme losers -they latch on to the latest enemy of the society thay hate so much – both guys are franco cdn, yes? probably couldn’t find the middle east on a map in 2010.
the ultra psycho currently on trial (mtl) for committing far far far worse atrocoties is the same thing, he just had a much more creatively gruesome imagination. he was on public boards in Vancouver for years prior, screaming out for attention.
child like minds having adult temper tantrums. nothing to do with real politics.
not much to see here, just a couple more sick minds. not really any more terror than granny getting mugged.
and for all you extreme pacifists out there and our vintage cf-18’s.
if i (shia) have your daughter (kurd) tied up in a dumpster in a dark alley, repeatedly violently physically and sexually assualting her , and two young lumberjacks (canada) stumble upon the scene, they should just mind their own business, right?
we canada are clean. usa has overdone it , yes, but i still don’t want kim jong or isis in charge of the world’s nuclear arsneal and carrier fleet.
#46 TakingResponsibility on 10.22.14 at 9:28 pm
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I disagree with your RCMP example. That poor fellow in Vancouver was having a serious breakdown…our protectors, the RCMP, were distraught with his behaviour….and used a form of restraint that is suppose to be non-lethal.
That is a far cry from the terrorism that happened today.
Re: #81 Casual Observer
Yet another casualty of our public indoctrination (schools) system.
Switzerland’s neutrality allowed them to save more European Jewish refugees than almost all other countries in the world COMBINED. Re-read your history, and get the truth from unbiased sources.
Switzerland policy of neutrality allowed them to avoid getting their country and citizens destroyed while not ONE but TWO world wars ravaged all the countries around them.
Switzerland’s intelligence community can say anything they like. Of course they’re going to say something that justifies increasing their mandate and funding and their own existence. How gullible are you.
Neutrality seems like a pretty smart policy to me. And it’s thanks to people that are smart enough to realize that rational, practical policies are better than tribal thinking of ‘they’re the bad guys, quick we MUST intervene!’. See, they came to that conclusion because over many centuries, European countries couldn’t seem to get enough of annihilating each other.
Sounds to me you’re another one of those people that thinks ‘they hate us for our freedumbs’ is why these people come here. Well, you’ll get what you want because our politicians are working on legislation RIGHT NOW that will restrict and diminish those freedoms! There, take that you dirty terrorists – we don’t have any freedoms left, now you can leave us alone!
PS: Here’s another big one if your mind can take it. World War 2 wouldn’t of happened if it weren’t for the harsh treatment levied on Germany in the treaty of Versailles. It is well agreed upon by scholars that the economic destruction that resulted from the reparations led to the rise of radical groups within that country, one of them being the Nazis. So maybe the west should have minded their own business after the conclusion of World War 1. Maybe, like many other European wars, they should have been more civil at it’s conclusion. Of course, this is another one to blame on the bankers, who wrote much of the Treaty of Versailles text.
See, ALL WARS ARE BANKER WARS. They don’t care who wins. All they care about is that as many people as possible GO INTO DEBT. That’s why they finance both sides many times. That’s why they want this ‘war on terror’ to continue without any defined enemy, on every continent, forever.
WAKE UP.
#42 protea on 10.22.14 at 9:14 pm
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He truly is a national hero, someone that trains frequently, practising how to properly handle his weapon, and takes his job seriously.
#15 Waiting on the west coast
“It has been a sad day. Let’s hope that Canada does not follow the US with the Patriot Act. I would rather have a small chance of death by terrorist/crazy person than watch us throw away more personal freedoms. Being alive is overrated. Living free is what is valuable!”
————————-
Wow, I truly couldn’t agree more. Beautifully put.
I went to visit the parliament with my family when I was younger (late 90s). Jean Chretien waved at us as he drove up the driveway to work. We walked right in the front door.
Visited Washington on the same trip. Saw the white house with its snipers and black SUVs and thought it must be very sad to live in a place where you have to have such security to protect yourself from your own citizens.
Although I have been back to Ottawa many times since, it was only this summer that I took another tour of the parliament. I noticed that you have to go through a metal detector now. Security was seriously beefed, and I suspect it will be even more so now.
It saddens me as well that the guards will be given guns, because it means we live in fear of something like this happening again. Then the terrorists have won.
#28 RealistvsExtremist on 10.22.14 at 8:28 pm
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Not sure what your point is? Almost 3000 people were killed in 9/11. The west has been fighting in Irag and Afghanistan since then.
And you decide to describe the recent events here as ‘escalation’ and ‘blowback’?? What are you talking about??
There are a bunch of crazies in the middle east mutilating innocent people and imposing dark-ages type laws. What do you suppose the world should do with them?
Let’s be clear here: Who created radical Islam? Reagan and Zbigniew Brzezinski so they can counter the soviets in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.
Winning over Soviets was sweet.
Now we all pay for it.
“#55 Son of Ponzi on 10.22.14 at 9:49 pm
I think it will be helpful to stop calling terrorists “cowards” and soldiers “heroes”.
They are just pawns in a game that has only losers.”
I second that.
Re: #81 Casual Observer
Here’s another one that ought to blow your mind, if you’re intellectually honest or a critical thinker of any kind:
If we went to war against the Nazis because they were ‘killing millions of innocents’, how come we were allied with the Soviet Union?
Think about that for a second.
Here’s another popular one: it’s because they invaded Poland. Well, did you know the Soviet Union invaded Poland at the same time as Nazi Germany?
So that excuse is out the window too.
Hmmm…One has to wonder, why did we side with a country (USSR) that killed over 20 000 000 of it’s own citizens in purges just a few years before?
Could it have anything to do with the fact that Nazi Germany wasn’t playing ball with western bankers? That maybe western bankers were upset that their MASSIVE incomes from reparations weren’t coming in anymore? See, this makes much more sense to me, because I know the truth. The truth is war is always about money. Not money for you and me, no, we get to fight the war and hope to come back alive. It’s about money for a small select few at the top.
The truth is it had nothing to do with morality. If it did, why side with the Soviet Union, which were MUCH BIGGER monsters, against Germany?
I’m not suggesting I know definitively, but there definitely is an ideological contradiction happening with both of these popular justifications.
At the ceremony to honour Canadian solders fallen in Afghanistan (over 100) out politicians spent few tears.
In Rome it was mandatory for the ruling elite to enlist their sons in the army. That’s why Rome lasted longer.
Where are the elfin deity kids? On bay street.
I live in Ottawa.
I consult for a local gov and in a municipal building.
The downtown shootings happen.
I thought about the cross-country run that “goes to the Parliament – and my kid is part of it! Atleast, I reached my wife and the kids were staying away from downtown.
A few hours later, I was on a meeting with people across the city.
1/2 hour later, we got an e-mail of cell phone distributions are occurring.
A few hours later, we get hit by a power failure.
There sure were a few people were distraught about it all.
I can’t even image how people feel when your city is bombed back to the middle ages. Be it Iraq, Syria, Serbia or East-Ukraine.
Being a home-grown Canadian, I am truly saddened for what has been happened in my nice, clean city. I feel bad for the soldiers we lost, on home soil, in Quebec and Ontario this week.
But we encourage the wrath. We support countries that are not exactly nice (Ukraine using cluster bombs its own citizens is not cool for example). We send our crappy jets in a non-UN sanctioned adventure. Is it right we go … maybe, old jets … maybe not. We join a coalition with Saudi Arabia and other dictatorship countries that rejects working with Iran who should have a say in the region.
If we go bomb them, we should expect what can happenned in our own backyard.
Maybe it’s time we stop supporting the military–industrial complex and time for talk and peace.
Our condolences to Cpl. Cirillo. With military background on both sides of the family that bullet hit us also. Donated to the Legion today.
Some groups live by the Bible and believe in “eye for eye” payback. We have to be careful to not encourage anger but to understand even pacify, pull back to
prevent issues to escalation.
#40 SWL1976 on Harper. A year ago on the news Harper made an announcemnet in China that small business was not happening in Canada. He also said when he sought PM “stand up for Canada”; he does not say that anymore.
Be careful people, 2015 elections the “buddy” will come out of each candidate and try to become like one of us.
They want our votes but that is all; they have our resources and big corporations. Pick the one that speaks of refineries, manufacturing, mills and not shipping/railing our raw resouces outside our country.
Jobs for us Canadians first.
#ForGrumpyAuldScotts… #ParabolicAllegories…
#ReapersOfTheWhirlwind:
http://youtu.be/y6JxSHmVB5g
#DesertDjinnsReunite… #AvantLaFête:
http://youtu.be/g1awwAgU_t8
It’s a sad day for Canada. But no one should be surprised. I actually expect much worse than the attack that occurred today. I would suggest we get ready, if only there was something we could actually do to prepare for any such attack that could come at any time, in any place, and in any form.
With regards to today’s attack, let’s not jump to conclusions until the facts are known.
I am disturbed that so many people are blaming the ‘Muslims’ as though all Muslims are responsible when some terrorists commit violent acts in the name of some perversion of Islam. Or as some suggest, the Muslim community should denounce the perpetrators. That suggests that the entire Muslim community is somehow responsible or tainted by the ugly acts of a few twisted individuals. I’ve known quite a few Muslims. They are people like any other people. They may have different customs, and rituals, and even some ideas that some might find strange, but that is true of every ethnic or religious group.
Many so-called ‘Christians’ have committed terrible, heinous, violent acts as well. Including what we would call ‘acts of terror.’ Am I, as a Christian, responsible? Am I, as a Christian, obliged to apologize for their actions? Do I have to denounce them because they claim to be Christians? Do I have to emphatically proclaim they do not represent me? Or do I simply want them brought to justice because they have committed violent, criminal acts acts against other human beings?
Guilt by association? Let’s keep things in perspective. Let’s not resort to invective. Let’s capture and punish those who commit the crimes. And not blame others just because they have some loose religious affiliation.
On a larger canvas, remember that what’s going on in the Middle East is all about power and money. Religion is just being employed as an excuse, as it has been throughout history. It is a convenient way to distinguish ‘us’ from ‘them.’ To justify conquest. And to incite the passions of the weak-minded in order to bend them to your will and have them willingly sacrifice themselves for your ’cause.’ For God’s/Yahweh’s/Jehovah’s/Allah’s/Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva’s sake, please THINK for yourselves.
In the meantime, my heart goes out to the family and friends of Nathan Cirillo.
#47 Cato- well said
Beware of those who will use tragedy to grab power and reduce the freedom of every Canadian.
As an immigrant to BC from the U.S., I speak from experience.
If you look at the correlation between the QE injections and the markets going up, then how far do you think they will fall before they stabilize if in fact there is no QE-4 or similar program instilled?
Understanding why these attacks keep happening and solving the issues at hand involves a much more complex thought process and understanding of history and global politics than most people are willing to expend. Saying ‘Islam’ or ‘religion’ in general are the root causes of extremism is easy, and fits comfortably with the right-wing narrative. And I don’t need to learn anything beyond the MSM news at 6.
The reality involves issues such as colonialism, oil, political instability, poverty, tribalism, education, and youth unemployment. The idea that sending planes to bomb ISIS will do anything to move things forward is short sighted. You cannot fight ideology and ignorance with bombs.
Education, opportunity and stability in a large part of the Middle East is crucial. Blanket statements about Islam and blanket bombing campaigns just creates more anger, more desperation and more young people willing to become Jehadis.
Cpl. Cirillo got up like we all do had breakfast came to work and some have crazed lunatic shoots you in the back. Never had a chance.Couldn’t defend himself.
Sad day!!
As with you Garth, I too worked with some of the security that now work on Parliament Hill and in particular Kevin Vickers. We spent over 3 years together in Yellowknife. He was the right guy in the right place for the right time. Some of us over 50’s still have something to give this country. Sad day for Canada though.
It was only a matter of time. Expect more in the future. Harper will use this as opportunity to go further and longer into war. Remember Bush statements in the past,” we are waging war on their soil, so we can be safe in ours”. What a lie!
Harper is the most dangerous leader in our history. Every time he speaks, I change the TV channel. Cannot listen to his BS anymore.
I feel we should have revocable citizenship. In the case of todays shooting it would not have been useful but if implemented, would put a severe chill on all criminal minds that immigrate to Canada.
Having Citizenship here is the greatest prize in the world at this time.
It could easily be sold for a million dollars to high bidders but we are Canadians with a heart and choose to give it to those we deem worthy.
However we make mistakes in judging charachter and that is why a person not born on this soil should not have full citizenship unless they remain violent crime free… For life.
Is this too much to ask of them when they promise to uphold our values in the citizenship oath?
To add to my post #93
I also believe that we should expel all immigrants who preach extremist ideology and gangster association.
In the USA the RICO law actually brought down the Mafia!
A similar law with teeth that would rid our country of the massive court and prison expenses entailed in repeated prosecution of habitual criminals would be extremely useful.
Garth do you know if vanilla FX SPOT options can be put into a TFSA?
For what it’s worth, I’ve seen a lot of people posting on social media that they’ll be showing support for our troops by wearing their poppies early, this year.
Another made an interesting observation as the story broke today: one of the news sites posted a photo taken immediately after Cpl. Cirilio was shot. The soldier lay wounded, and probably dying, the killer unchecked, and the area unsecure. Before the police could arrive, before the first responders could respond, ordinary civilians – bystanders – risked their lives to come to his aid.
Canadian values run deep, and will not be dislodged by the panic of a few loose screws. Only a government can do that.
What happened today was panic, and not terror.
Terror is what happens when there is panic every day. Terror is what happens when forecasts are for ‘threat levels’, instead of the weather.
Terror is what happens when people feel that they can no longer trust that their neighbours, or their co-workers, or any people who look or act differently than they do, share our Canadian values.
Yes, it would be better if Canadians didn’t suffer from random acts of cowardice, but our nation will not be well served by curtailing our rights in a fruitless quest for security.
@69 Cash is King
Can you please include Patrice Vincent in that call, the man who was murdered in Quebec. Thanks.
@91Cato
The Swiss were not ‘neutral’, they were washing money for both sides in WW2.
RIP Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent
RIP Cpl. Nathan Cirillo
Thank you Kevin Vickers, he should be given the Order of Canada as soon as possible.
Garth, an important day today, thanks for letting people vent a little.
I guess we are a real country now, the bad guys got a couple of punches in. Won’t help the economy much.
p.s.I’d really like to see a photo of your bike parked
up beside the PM’s SUV, would be hilarious.
#15 waiting on the west coast: Well said. Let’s keep the True North strong and free. R.I.P. Corporal Cerillo and Warrant Officer Vincent. Thank you for your service to our great country.
My only question is, if these people want to go to Syria or Iraq to fight, why are we stopping them? I don’t understand the thinking of taking a radicals passport away while they’re here. Clearly, they do not want to be here nor do they belong here.
Let their caves fill with freedom fighters, then blow them all to smithereens.
I can’t say I am surprised that this tragic event occurred. Senseless killing.
If blow back is the cause it wouldn’t be a surprise, our international reputation has diminished over the last two decades. What was so wrong with being Peacekeepers. It takes discipline, morals, understanding to be a peacekeeper and only take up arms to correct an intolerable wrong.
But when push comes to shove, move the f^ck out of our way…Canadians coming through! Our grandparents proved that!
Like others, I would rather live as free as I can, I will not succumb to any type of fear in relation to terrorism international or domestic (nutters, gangs etc). At the end of the day my liberties are worth protecting.
Strengthen our home defense and stay the hell out of other people’s business unless unjust / intolerable events are taking place. Then try to mediate and be the rational voice. That is what defines Canada and Canadians. Not impossible at all. Does it take hard work and restraint? Of course! But the rewards are priceless.
We must stand together and make a point that no one and I mean no one will fear us into giving up what in the end, matters the most. Our liberty! Just to clarify ‘by making a point’…I don’t mean turning around and bombing foreigners into submission, which could be one of the main causes that got us to this point. Disclaimer: that is if this was a foreign terrorist attack.
I just hope this wasn’t some pissed off or mentally unstable Canadian going on a rampage… that’s just plain unpredictable and scary. Like others have said there is NO reason to sacrifice our freedoms and privacy though all the more reason to embrace them. We need to address the root cause…why don’t we? Remember our children are also paying attention. We fight when we need to.
At the end of the day, what a tragic loss of a life. My thoughts go out to this young man’s family and friends. It is ok to stand on guard, just don’t let the fear dictate your life.
The only thing I really fear is the indifference of a good person, that and my wife at times. All I have to say to those who want to take away my liberty…COME GET SOME!
To those in arms way – stay safe!
#91 Cato the Elder
World War 2 wouldn’t of happened if it weren’t for the harsh treatment levied on Germany in the treaty of Versailles.
Thugs will use whatever “justification” they can come up with for their actions. Saying the Treaty of Versailles caused WWII is kind of like blaming the law for creating criminals.
The Nazis put millions of their own people into concentration camps to be killed because they were of Jewish descent. These were German citizens who had nothing to do with drafting the Treaty of Versailles.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
Oil, oil, filthy oil. ‘Tis oil that will be the downfall of the planet, corporatocracy by corporatocracy.
The drop in the oil price will only be temporary. Will be over $90 by year end, I predict.
Oil consumption is not falling worldwide. The Chinese bought 23.8 million vehicles this year, an 8.3% increase from last year. India sold 17.8 million vehicles in 2012/13, double what was bought in 2007/08. Sales in both countries will probably double again in 6 years. The price of oil always rebounds. Now is the time to buy cheap oil stocks.
From Energytrendinsider.com:
“China and India have led the charge, with Chinese oil demand growing at a torrid 6.7% per annum rate and India’s oil demand growing at 4.0% per annum. Overall non-OECD demand for oil has increased at a comparable rate of 3.6% per annum, with the Asia/Pacific region growing oil demand at roughly 2.7%. Developed nations, however, have seen diminishing oil demand with a negative -.04% per annum growth rate.
As I shall point out, the decline in OECD oil demand is not enough to offset the rising demand for oil from the developing world, so the net result going forward will be an increasing supply/demand imbalance. My analysis points to an increasing deficit — gap in global wellhead oil supply — to meet demand.”
good news is:
-no more Ebola, just some wacko missing Harper … rats
-no deflation, just massive inflation already in the system
-in the next crash … all markets will crash, but the Canadian markets will recover much sooner due to gold/silver equities
-Canuck real estate will go down by 60%
-Harper, although missed by that shooter for now…will go down in flames with his creepy Baird sidekick
-all soldiers are canon fodder for the criminal oligarchy, especially those weird volunteers.
-that shooter was no “terrorist” (they exist only in Yank creationism)… he just was some known muslim bum hanging out in Vancouver’s homeless shelters
-they only terrorists are the Yanks.
#90
Wow you obviously have not read the whole story on how Robert Dziekanski was put to death by the RCMP at YVR. You should do some research on that subject and maybe you will come away with a slightly different attitude. There was no reason to kill him and no reason for the RCMP involved to fabricate a story and try to sell it to the public. It did not work out too well for the RCMP as there were people watching and recording the events.
Oh but it does go up forever… our economic model/paradigm depends on it and they, the powers that be will do everything they need to ensure it continues to do so.
—-
On the deeply disturbing events in our Capital of late… rats in a cage… expect more from this absurd world where the selfish self-absorbed human race has grown from 1 billion to 7 billion in the last 100 of its 200,000 years on this planet … rats in a cage. We, a pathetic virus on the face of this planet, will, in due time, exterminate ourselves.
};-)
#54 Cato the Elder on 10.22.14
“occupied for centuries by western powers are MUSLIM COUNTRIES.”
Actually they’ve been part of or under the influence of the Ottoman Empire for far longer. The Turks were ruthless and ruled the region by the sword. There were endless conflicts between various peoples, tribes and factions.
If one needs to blame others for the ME situation, one should start with the Ottomans.
#77 devore
Do you think it is too much to ask to keep your petty politics to yourself for at least one day?
This goes well beyond petty politcs my friend. The loss of life at home here, and globally saddens me deeply. I respect our soldiers and I respect human life and all life.
Looks like our 30 day non combat mission is now a definite game changer
Respect always to our soldiers and veterans
And all because Stephen Harper covets the Jewish vote.
Be at peace Nathan. Collectively, we’ll look after your boy.
#81 Casual Observer on 10.22.14 at 10:49 pm
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Have you also heard of the saying: “A wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
In your example, Hitler was not disguised as a sheep. Be careful who you think the sheep are.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorial-cartoon/2014-10-23-editorial-cartoon
# 47 Cato the Elder
Not true. Zurich airport was attacked (an EL AL plane) back in 1969. Terrorists were fought off by the Zurich Fire Dept with fire hoses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al_Flight_432_attack
#47 Cato the Elder – you mention Switzerland as having never been attacked. Not true, there have been incidents of bombings etc. there too. However, while Switzerland remains ‘neutral’ it also maintains high levels of defense. Pretty much every able bodied Swiss male must train in military maneuvers on a regular basis & have a fully maintained, ready to operate assault rifle (which is inspected & if it is NOT ready to operate, there is a whopping fine) in their home. Maybe the dearth of terrorist incidents in Switzerland is due to their being able to fight back. These so called freedom fighters like their targets to be unable to fight back. Funny how their ideology about making the world better instead makes it worse. Always easier to destroy rather than build, I guess.
Nice pic. But I hate the idea of dogs for military/police use; I don’t like seeing them at all. They are trained to bite and latch on to people at the request of the handler. This is wrong for a few reasons to me: (1) puts dog at risk for injury, (2) dog can be misused by improperly trained or rogue police officers (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1E309rAXTk), (3) otherwise peaceful and happy dog made to be angry (angry isn’t good, for animals and humans).
Our freedoms will be suffering as usual. Same with man-made-Ebola travel restrictions. Globally, always. They made sure it is popping up in our countries.
They made sure most every country was on last Malaysian craft lost. They made a point of telling us. Follow the script and pattern.
Who put them up to this recent attack and why? We have nothing they want but our minds.
#100 Carpe Diem
the whole comment was well put and your last sentence summed things up nicely…
Maybe it’s time we stop supporting the military–industrial complex and time for talk and peace.
Terrorism – the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes
Sounds much like the U.S. and Israel.
Canada is a peaceful nation, and this brutal act doesn’t change anything. Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo embody keeping the peace.
Vicker’s “I put him down.” will be as iconic as Todd Beamer’s “Let’s Roll.”
For weeks now, Garth’s updates have been calling for a rise in rates in the near future, due to the resurgent US economy.
And now, suddenly, we’re told – No higher rates in the foreseeable future! Just like that.
Of course rates will rise in the US in 2015. But the Canadians economy is in tough shape, and there’s no good news there. Don’t blame me for collapsing commodity prices. Not that influential yet. — Garth
#98 Cato the Elder on 10.22.14 at 11:31 pm
If we went to war against the Nazis because they were ‘killing millions of innocents’, how come we were allied with the Soviet Union?
For the same reason that the US was allied with China when they were fighting the Japanese – common enemies.
Ever heard the phrase, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” ?
It was never a permanent situation. Notice how quickly the collaboration between the Soviets and the rest of the western allies devolved into the cold war.
By the time of the Korean conflict, the US and China were no longer allies.
It is a sad day for our nation. I truly feel terrorized and very upset at what happened yesterday. Something deeply disturbing has occurred here.
When millions of unsuspecting adults and children can be terrorized by their own leaders and media monopolists who are supposed to be responsible for their well-being. What can I tell my kids? Do I want them to grow up in such a society that places zero value on truth and indirectly muzzles free speech in the guise of patriotism?
Sadly, we are subjected to these fake media productions that are so ridiculously scripted it insults our intelligence and is a ruthless slap in our collective face. The content creators must be really desperate to pull off a stunt like this. I, like many of my fellow Canadians will not be intimidated. Slowly, we are winning this war of the mind.
The racists and traitors and woefully uninformed on this blog may spew forth their venom as much as they like, but the fact remains that this was not a “false flag”, it was a completely fabricated news “event”. As I predicted, they have made several mistakes: just compare the twitter photos with the Global video set piece at the scene of the War Memorial aftermath. So many errors. Cast extras laughing in the background, misplaced props, shots out of sequence, “witness” testimonies that conflict, lack of blood, and I recognize some of the actors as they repeatedly participate in many of these fake events. I haven’t even mentioned the supposed video inside the Hall of Honour that literally shows nothing at all. Come on, are we all really this naive? Josh Wingrove needs to answer for his tweets. https://twitter.com/@josh_wingrove, and his words “I heard maybe two dozen shots. Afterward, I turned off the video to tweet photos of what, to me, appeared to be a body. I presume, but don’t know, that was the shooter, whom I hadn’t seen until then.” ………. “Josh Wingrove @josh_wingrove · 22 hrs 22 hours ago
Police source has told a Globe colleague of mine that a second shooter has been shot”
They are literally laughing at you, at us. I know this because they often use inside jokes and fake names for the characters in their media productions that indicate their comedic bent. Cui bono? Well, let’s see what’s in the script…
You are insane. — Garth
My condolensces and sympathy to the victims and their families who paid such a high price this past week.
#44 Not First. Finally, the beginning of honesty. If we can’t have this sort of honest discussion then we are truly in trouble.
Dont come to Calgary. Housing is a rip off and traffic is lousy.
Just this morning I was on one of the thoroughfaires and some guy on his Harley was in the way. I flashed my high beams to let me pass. I came up to a light and was being followed by some other car. Guess they dont like my driving habits of they both think they own the road. I turned right to lose the guy, I guess he thought I wanted to stop and duke it out, and then I did a left turn. Had to listen to the guy on my left on the bike swearing away. I dont know what it is about some of these arrogant drivers that either tailgate me or just cant get out of the way. This is typical Calgary nonsense. There is no middle ground. Just driving too fast or way too slow. No moderation.
And that reflects the real estate as well. I am one of the mortgage owners. My reason is simple: Mortgage owning is same as renting. No other reason. The houses and lots are small for what you are paying. Not as bad as Vancouver, but bad still. The income you need to survive in Calgary is $100K or more. The rentals are more than the mortgages here and the majority of the self entitled here believe that renters should have no protection in the form of rent controls.
Calgary is scary. If you can find a place and afford it, you are lucky.
This article: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Calgary+rent+increases+double+national+rate/10315594/story.html shows why the majority of Calgarians buy a place. Probably not because they want to. Are forced to if they want to stay living here.
The roads, the ignorance, and the costs of living. The scenery can be pretty, however if you come here to work, make sure you have a place lined up in advance.
You flashed your lights at a Harley guy? And expected to live? — Garth
Cato the Elder : Neutrality seems like a pretty smart policy to me.
in the case of Belgium before World War I, it was the stupidest policy possible.
some background: On 19 April 1839 the Treaty of London signed by the European powers (including the Netherlands) recognized Belgium as an independent and neutral country comprising West Flanders, East Flanders, Brabant, Antwerp, Hainaut, Namur, and Liège, as well as half of Luxembourg and Limburg. The Dutch army, however, held onto Maastricht, and as a result the Netherlands kept the eastern half of Limburg and its large coalfields.[11] Germany broke the treaty in 1914 when it invaded Belgium, dismissing British protests over a “scrap of paper.”[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Revolution
#66 dave p on 10.22.14 at 10:08 pm
I love how something in the opinion section, based on a ‘study’ by a Vancouver ‘un’real estate agency can invoke the comment “Bullish Market” Love it!!! I will see you eat your hat. It doesn’t go up forever. Nothing doe……………………………
Hey dave, congratulations on making a new record for most errors in such a short post.
1. “opinion section” = business section
2. Price waterhouse is not a re outfit. Something to do with accounting, I think
3. “bullish mkt” I said nothing about any market, it,s a direct quote from the headline that you failed to read before raging against
4. Since I offered no personal info or opinion, are you sure I will be dining on my hat? I have said on here that a re crash would make me quite happy as I love being a landlord and adding a few more vancouver houses at discount prices would be sweet. However as a realist, I don’t,t expect to be able to soon if ever.
Your emotions have obscured hour ability to see logically. Try not to be so uptight, life is more than a house or a fat portfolio.
#126 Trojan House on 10.23.14 at 7:15 am wrote:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.”
John F. Kennedy.
Okay, I let that slide the first time. But that’s twice now. Kennedy may have said that he was quoting Edmund Burke. But he wasn’t. Edmund Burke never said it. Check out
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/12/04/good-men-do/
for the history.
You flashed your lights at a Harley guy? And expected to live? — Garth
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ha, ha. What a stereotype.
Half of them are a bunch of geriatrics.
Harper wanted a war and now he’s got one. “It will be noble,” he said! Remember that, oh ye of short memories? He sends geriatric jets to do the bidding of the U.S. and sends Canadians to die in a conflict we have absolutely no business being in. Now he uses the blowback to justify what he himself caused, thinking it will enhance his chances of re-election. Shock Doctrine, in spades. Prepare for more losses of human life, and more losses of our human rights and freedoms in this country. All in the name of security by way of fear.
and, yeah, never flash your lights at a harley guy.
if you are on just about any other kind of bike , however, you can do whatever you want cause you’re faster than a bulging chromey shaking lump ;)
“I feel we should have revocable citizenship”
No problem there. Federal government already took care of that in the recent change of the Citizenship law. Remains to be seen if the supreme court says that it is constitutional to actually do so …
“In the case of todays shooting it would not have been useful”
Right, but let’s piss off the dual nationals anyway. Even if they were born in this country but inherited their second citizenship from their parents …
“that is why a person not born on this soil should not have full citizenship unless they remain violent crime free… For life.”
One should punish crime and terrorism, but stripping away citizenship shouldn’t happen in a free country
If the government believes immigration is not beneficial I suggest they will go ahead and stop it at once
I thought for a minute, in my mind, you were describing pulled your bike up to the SUV and imagined you Jack Layton style with a bike helmet on your city cruiser going to work in Ottawa!
We’ll see how oil prices are, if they rebound from oversupply or not, there is still no word of bubble here or a slowdown with the ground freeze coming up on drilling. I wonder about buying a 450k house in a decent proximity to downtown, if real-estate is regional, unless AB has a huge Bitumen export slow-down if buying a house that may not realize any gain for 10yrs other then equity from mortgage, might not be the worst idea, maybe better then constantly being forced from rental house to rental house as they are sold or re-occupied or torn down, I wonder.
#106 Fortune500
Education, opportunity and stability in a large part of the Middle East is crucial. Blanket statements about Islam and blanket bombing campaigns just creates more anger, more desperation and more young people willing to become Jehadis.
You make some very good points, a real root cause analysis is needed and some logical thinking with some open minds would be welcome the world over
The is a much better way to do business
I feel for all the families of those Canadians serving right now at home and abroad
141 Derek R on 10.23.14 at 11:24 am
Thanks. It was John Stuart Mill, speaking to the University of Saint Andrews. He was a great proponent of liberty.
#15 is spot on, as others have said.
#136 xdisciple on 10.23.14 at 9:27 am
———————————————
You are insane. — Garth
Garth, I’m finally glad you recognized this KOOK as insane. His drivel is likely similar to the type of stuff that converts these crazies to commit atrocious acts against innocents.
#119 Future Expatriate on 10.23.14 at 3:00 am
————————————————-
What is ‘dirty’ oil you talk about? hmmmm, natural substance composed of decayed plant and animal life. When burned it releases common substances back into the atmosphere.
What we’re talking about here is moving natural substances found in one state and converting it to another state (essentially liquid to gas). And in this process, release a whole lot of energy that humans have harnessed to have better lives.
Until of course, we don’t. But understanding this would require a full cost-benefit analysis to understand the balance between gains harvested by humanity (past, present and future), and losses (past, present and future).
Re: Casual Observer
Critical thinking skills would suggest that something independent of other shared criteria must be the cause of an action.
If both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and both killed innocent civilians, there must be some other reason for supporting one over the other.
The reason is banking. The Nazis swiftly ended reparation repayments to western banks when they took power. That made Britain angry.
Reparations are WELL DOCUMENTED to be the cause of the civil strife that lead to the SMARTEST PEOPLE on the planet accepting a dictatorship. When your life savings are wiped out, and you’re struggling to eat, and you’ve lost your job, people become radicalized. I don’t expect someone that’s lived a cushy Canadian life to fully understand that but you could at least try to imagine such a scenario and how it would affect your thinking. If your family was suffering, you’d probably accept anyone that promised change – the only thing on your mind would be to alleviate said suffering.
Unless you can provide me some kind of evidence of some other independent variable that differed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, other than the silly ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ nonsense, I will continue to hold true to factual history.
This can be hard to accept, especially in a society that year after year is bombarded with the notion that we were righteous, and they were pure evil. Of course, purposely omitted are the massive crimes Stalin perpetrated against his own people and throughout the war. Or the fact that even the Nazis weren’t some homogenous group of monsters – many were average people conscripted to fight against their own will by penalty of jail or death.
See, war doesn’t benefit anyone except a small group at the top. Everyone else just wants to live their lives. The person you’re shooting isn’t pure evil. They probably have families, dreams, aspirations for the future. We all get swept up by the powers that really run the show. We’re pawns, as Henry Kissinger would say.
Those people that want to compel us to fight are the REAL enemies. We really need to learn that as a society, and not let them manipulate our tribal instincts.
**********
Re: #127 Basement Worker
I seriously am beginning to think critical thinking skills are near non-existent. Did you even read what you posted? A terrorist group that supported the LIBERATION OF PALESTINE attacked an ISRAELI aircraft. That isn’t a terrorist attack AGAINST SWITZERLAND. And it further proves my point, and the point of SCHOLARS, that terrorists engage in this activity primarily motivated by the liberation of their perceived occupiers.
What a foolishly inept attempt to disprove what I’m saying. Not only did you show I was right about neutrality, but that I was right about the motivations behind terrorism. Thank you.
*********
Re: #139 45North
There’s a BIG difference between stated neutrality, and practicing it. I’m not going to delve into research about Belgium’s foreign policies leading into WW1, but I can almost guarantee you that they WEREN’T being neutral. They were probably disproportionately favoring the British, as is usually custom in why these wars start out.
And another thing: what good is neutrality if you can’t deter your enemy? There were plans for Switzerland to be invaded by Germany, but the high command determined the losses would be too great and it wasn’t worth the cost. If Belgium had stuck to a plan of deterrence, and not ALLIED (allying IS NOT neutrality) with Britain in WW2, it might not of happened.
Neutrality only works when you can’t be swayed by a bully. You have to ‘stand your ground’ but not throw your weight into a fight.
***********
Just as predicted, this is how a totalitarian police state begins. You think some foreign country invading us is the biggest threat? It’s enveloping us from the inside, dummies. Give praise and thanks and love them for it, because you obviously lack the critical thinking skills to see what’s happening:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/23/us-canada-attacks-powers-idUSKCN0IC1RA20141023
#100 Carpe Diem on 10.22.14 at 11:42 pm
——————————————-
How do you suppose we obtain ‘talk and peace’ with 20,000 crazy insurgents hell-bent on creating their own country in order to recruit and train other crazies, with the purpose of destruction of ALL HUMANS that do not support their crazy messed up Sharia laws?
#147
I feel for all the families of those Canadians serving right now at home and abroad.
——————-
Of course we all do.
But let’s not forget: it’s their choice.
Re: #152 Bottoms_Up
It would do your critical thinking skills a world of good if you didn’t spout off the warmongers talking points.
First off, where the hell are you getting this notion that they want to kill off all humans? Probably from cherry-picked media reports, right? Not very objective.
Second off, even if they did, how is that even possible? The US alone has 4000 nuclear weapons. No country in the world is going to touch them, or indirectly, Canada.
Third off, you’re assuming this is a homogenous group of zealous people all working in concert towards one, unitary goal. When really, it’s a ragtag crew held together loosely by a shared ideology: THEY DON’T WANT WESTERNERS OCCUPYING THEIR LANDS.
If we stop interfering, they won’t come here. If they do come here, we can handle it on a case by case basis, and we will hold the moral high ground.
This isn’t something to re-write hundreds of years of Canadian liberty over. Of course, that’s what our leaders want to make it. They want to pass legislation that empowers them and destroys crucial Canadian freedoms.
And you’re helping them with your narrow-minded, us vs them, they’re bad and we’re good, trust our government gullibility.
************
To touch on this again, the US has over 4000 nuclear weapons. Britain has them, France, Israel.
Anyone that buys into this RIDICULOUS idea that a foreign enemy is going to attack and invade any first world country is AN IDIOT.
Knowing that no foreign enemy can destroy us, what should we be concerned about?
Well, if recent trends are any indication, our own government. Our own government is what is turning on us folks! It’s doing it with impunity, while they distract us with silly fantasies of foreign invasion.
Case in point, Harper announcing new security powers. I got something to tell you folks – no foreign terrorist is going to do as much damage to Canadians as the restrictions on civil liberties will that are coming.
WAKE UP.
Converted to all equity portfolio last week. Am i happy or what.
Target is to be in all equity mode till March next year.
Either i will be one of those 1% people. Or on calgary’s cold streets.
…drugs and dreamlike states
http://tvo.org/program/188349/breaking-the-taboo
Breaking The Taboo
March 1, 2014
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this trailblazing documentary uncovers the UN sanctioned war on drugs, charting its origins and its devastating impact worldwide on countries such as the USA, Colombia, Russia, Mexico and Brazil. The doc features exclusive interviews with the big players of The Global Commission on Drug Policy including, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Cesar Gaviria and Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore has about 60,000 heroin addicts — one in every 10 residents. From 2011 to 2013, heroin use increased by 88 percent in Maryland, well outpacing the national average, the statistics showed. Heroin overdose deaths rose 18 percent in the state from 2012 to 2013.
Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/baltimore-grapples-with-massive-heroin-problem/26770042#ixzz3Gzk9fnVz
Nov 11 is coming up.
Suggested reading: All quiet on the Western front
Suggested viewing: Gallipoli, Das Boot.
Global News calls it “Attack on Canada”.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore has about 60,000 heroin addicts — one in every 10 residents. From 2011 to 2013, heroin use increased by 88 percent in Maryland, well outpacing the national average, the statistics showed. Heroin overdose deaths rose 18 percent in the state from 2012 to 2013.
++++++++++++++
And part of Canada’s role was to keep them drug’s a flowing…….just saying…..
http://northerntruthseeker.blogspot.ca/2009/11/war-in-afghanistan-have-canadians-been.html
#95 Bottoms_Up on 10.22.14 at 11:28 pm
#28 RealistvsExtremist on 10.22.14 at 8:28 pm
——————————————————–
Not sure what your point is? Almost 3000 people were killed in 9/11. The west has been fighting in Irag and Afghanistan since then.
And you decide to describe the recent events here as ‘escalation’ and ‘blowback’?? What are you talking about??
++++++++++++++++++++++++
What to do about them? ISIS? I don’t know. Here is what I do know. I’m tired of people talking about 3000 911 victims like they are “holier than though” and anyone else being killed “AFTER” 911 does not count. The Americans have been invading countries and killing the people there for decades now. Millions and millions of people have been murdered. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya – not to mention all the “corporate murder” from American countries paying off dictators to allow slave labour etc.
Now to really answer your statement. If I had been witness to my whole family being blown to bits by a Cdn F-18 dropping a smart bomb from 20,000 feet in Libya (which happened) or 12 years of American bombs in Iraq and I was 10 at the time and now was 22 years old. I would have ONE THING on my mind for 12 years. Revenge. Nuff said….
#133 Nuke
Vicker’s “I put him down” will be as iconic as “Go ahead,make my day”.
Dear Pathetic Bloggers : I really hope our armed forces personnel keep their uniforms on. I do not feel they need to hide from these animals. We will overcome this and I have a strong faith that the CSIS / FBI focus their intelligence efforts into eventually tracking these guys down.
#154 Cato the Elder
The members of the Zurich Fire Department that were being shot at by terrorists obviously had no business being there. What were they thinking?
Simply put (I hope you can understand this – it’s difficult I know), a foreign terror group tried to murder people in a place they had no business being. That being Switzerland.
How about you try to just think, never mind critically
Cato the Elder : I’m not going to delve into research about Belgium’s foreign policies leading into WW1, but I can almost guarantee you that they WEREN’T being neutral. They were probably disproportionately favoring the British, as is usually custom in why these wars start out.
“I’m not going to delve into research about Belgium’s foreign policies leading into WW1”
well you haven’t. The name Cato the Elder implies a treasure chest of knowledge. All you got is a leggo set.
“On the whole, Belgians believed him (Kaiser William II). They took their guarantee of neutrality seriously. Belgium had neglected her army, frontier defenses, fortresses, anything that implied lack of confidence in the protective treaty.”
The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman, Chapiter 8 “Ultimatum in Brussels”
here’s a video showing a standing ovation for Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/3854785532001/standing-ovation-for-hero-who-stopped-ottawa-attack/#sp=show-clips
funny I couldn’t find it on CBC
Vancouver housing market still going strong.News released that it will continue next year.They said a strong economy.The average household income must be well over $100,000 to afford to live there.Certainly not a place to live if you don’t make good money.It must be feel awesome to say I live in Vancouver and can afford it.
“News” from where? Oh, realtors. You’re an in-depth guy, aren’t you? — Garth
5 Mike S on 10.23.14 at 12:35 pm
“I feel we should have revocable citizenship”
————————————————————-
We do have it, Just revoked two this week permanently.
Should have been two weeks ago.
“Converted to all equity portfolio last week. Am i happy or what.
Target is to be in all equity mode till March next year.
“
Congratulations, but the relative outperformance of equities is something that’ll go on for much longer than just March of next year. Try for the next 30-40 years as bonds and RE fail to perform (the backbones of boomers’ portfolios!) and stocks at least perform reasonably well.
Trading in and out usually just ends up destroying value, if not by bad timing and decision making, then by not taking advantage of the deferral of realized capital gains.
I agree with most of what Cato says. Also, as a victim of the both the Canadian and American governments through the Foreign Attack to Control All (FATCA), I am experiencing what he is talking about.
If it can happen to me, it can happen to you all.
#165 45north
I also noticed none of the parliament proceedings today were live on CBC but CNN and FOX both had extended version live for the signing of OH Canada and Stephen Harper’s speech. I was impressed with the depth of coverage given our lonely capital. CBC however was a no show. Their true colours showing thru.
Cato The Elder
Let us not forget about geography. Switzerland is surrounded either by water or high mountains. Belgium is surrounded by flat land and water.
One is a walk over the other you have to work to get in there. An armed civilian militia will also pick you off one by one in one of those two countries, guess which one?
Neutrality my Butt, if the Nazi’s wanted you, they came for you.
All it takes is hard times, a smooth talker, and any wild idealism can be voted into power! Remember that history!
I’m quite certain not ALL germans were wild about Hitler, but how to rid themselves of the plague once it got rolling?
As we now might contemplate how to rid ourselves of the surveillance state? Nobody is going to give up their dam phones (which have built in GPS on you) are they?
Not to easy to put that genie back into his bottle right?
#148 Rational Optimist on 10.23.14 at 1:07 pm wrote:
Thanks. It was John Stuart Mill, speaking to the University of Saint Andrews. He was a great proponent of liberty.
True. Slightly different words but exactly the same meaning. Mark me down as a JSM fan.
#15 is spot on, as others have said.
Absolutely. That was an excellent comment.
Re: #164 45North
Again, you disregard the entirety of what I said.
I also mentioned you need a strong military to deter attack.
You can’t profess neutrality and then allow bullies to run rough-shod over you.
*********
I can’t understand for the life of me why anyone wouldn’t support neutrality. Friendship with all nations, alliances with none.
It’s a policy that would ensure our leaders focus on US and our lives, which is what we elect them to do.
When they start looking around the world at all these other issues, it doesn’t benefit us in any way.
It harbors resentment when we interfere. It drains our tax dollars. It hurts our businesses. It puts Canadian lives at risk.
If you feel morally obligated to go to some rotten hellhole abroad, go ahead. Part of the policies neutrality would ensure in our nation is that your liberty would never be compromised – you would ALWAYS be free to do as you wish. Especially if that meant go abroad and risk your life, your money, and your time.
However, you wouldn’t have the power to send young men and women, and use OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY (tax dollars) to promote your ‘goodness’ abroad in some foreign war.
In essence, the impact of the stupidity of politicians on our society and their crusading would be minimized. Perhaps that’s why there’s so much resistance towards the idea of neutrality, because stupidity is so pervasive.
#166 Rexx Rock: “It must be feel awesome to say I live in Vancouver and can afford it.”
Why would it feel awesome to say you can afford to over-pay for something? Yes, I can afford to buy in Vancouver. I can also pay $100 for a fricking chocolate bar, but I don’t want to.
What about this kind of culture?
On Monday, the Fed convened a conference in New York
Enhancing Financial Stability by Improving Culture in the Financial Services Industry
October 20, 2014
William C. Dudley, President and Chief Executive Officer
http://www.ny.frb.org/newsevents/speeches/2014/dud141020a.html
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20141021/BLOGS02/141029972/fed-urges-flock-to-clean-up-act
============
blame “rocket science” ?
By William K. Black
“In my first column in this two-part series I explained how the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) non-prosecutorial effort against the banksters’ frauds that caused the financial crisis had ended with a pathetic whimper uttered by Deputy Attorney General James Cole during his ritual exit interview with Bloomberg. Cole’s explanation for DOJ’s failure to prosecute a single senior banker for leading the three fraud epidemics that drove the financial crisis was that DOJ was “dealing with financial rocket science.” My first column made the point, which escaped DOJ and Bloomberg that if this were true it would presumably have been modestly important for DOJ to do something about the ability of “rocket scientists” to grow wealthy by leading the frauds that cost the U.S. $21 trillion in lost GDP and 10 million jobs. In my second column I explained why no rocket science was required to prosecute the senior bank officers that led the three most destructive epidemics of financial fraud. In light of a reader’s comment I promised to write this third piece on “rocket science” in the financial context…”
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2014/10/rocket-scientists-aided-senior-fraudulent-bank-officers.html#more-8753
for all those who like to compare Toronto to Chicago
http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/10/22/why-does-chicagohavesomanyillegalguns.html
#168 Mark
————————————————————
“Converted to all equity portfolio last week. Am i happy or what.
Target is to be in all equity mode till March next year.
“
Congratulations, but the relative outperformance of equities is something that’ll go on for much longer than just March of next year. Try for the next 30-40 years as bonds and RE fail to perform (the backbones of boomers’ portfolios!) and stocks at least perform reasonably well.
Trading in and out usually just ends up destroying value, if not by bad timing and decision making, then by not taking advantage of the deferral of realized capital gains.
——————————————————————–
Mark,
Won’t abandon equities after March, just plan to switch to a 60/40 portfolio at that time.
Hoping for the rebound to last a few more months.
#170 Drill Baby Drill on 10.23.14 at 4:09 pm
#165 45north
I also noticed none of the parliament proceedings today were live on CBC but CNN and FOX both had extended version live for the signing of OH Canada and Stephen Harper’s speech. I was impressed with the depth of coverage given our lonely capital. CBC however was a no show. Their true colours showing thru.
———-
I hope you did not miss Global’s “Attack on Canada” coverage.
Thanks CBC for not catering to the lowest common denominator.
#132 my condolense, but on
“Terrorism – the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes
Sounds much like the U.S. and Israel.”
No it doesn’t actually.
#re 142.. ha ha what a stereo-type..just be careful ‘funny that’there are still those amoung us HD riders that get a little more then pissed when some asshat in a 4000 lbs vehicle gets stupid with us on the road…your comment prompted me to start counting scar’s on my knuckles,,,,”just be careful if YOU get the temptation pissoff a biker in traffic….
#96 Sheane Wallace on 10.22.14 at 11:30 pm
”Let’s be clear here: Who created radical Islam?”Reagan and Zbigniew Brzezinski ”
gee ,and here I thought it was the Prophet Muhammad ….
#116 stop lying on 10.23.14 at 2:24 am
My only question is, if these people want to go to Syria or Iraq to fight, why are we stopping them? I don’t understand the thinking of taking a radicals passport away while they’re here. Clearly, they do not want to be here nor do they belong here.
Let their caves fill with freedom fighters, then blow them all to smithereens.
AGREED !!!!
#160 RealistvsExtremist
“Now to really answer your statement. If I had been witness to my whole family being blown to bits by a Cdn F-18 dropping a smart bomb from 20,000 feet in Libya (which happened) or 12 years of American bombs in Iraq and I was 10 at the time and now was 22 years old. I would have ONE THING on my mind for 12 years. Revenge. Nuff said….”
Exactly. That is why I am willing to give up some of my civil liberties for safety.
What about all of us who have witnessed countless terrorist attacks around the world on television? Read about it in the news? Spoke to people from other countries who witnessed the aftermaths?
I say if someone does not like the conveniences of a western country, go live somewhere else.
#178 Son of Ponzi
“lowest common denominator”
What does providing professional coverage by CNN and FOX in regard to Canada’s capital in a crisis which is what both American networks did today have to do with Global’s coverage ?
My comment was that CBC did not do the same at all. This is shameful and your rebuttal is moronic.
Garth et al:
Saw this today…
http://nypost.com/2014/10/23/nyc-may-have-its-first-ebola-case/
It is getting closer and closer…..yet the border is still open…I don’t get it…this is a level 4 virus…the most dangerous of them all.
Mike
p.s. REST IN PEACE “Cpl. Cirillo”. The entire country mourns with your family today.
#168 Mark
Aggressive portfolios come with great risk! Like your crystal ball knows something we don’t? You should know better!
#166 Rexx Rock: “Vancouver housing market still going strong. News released that it will continue next year.They said a strong economy….”
*****************
What do you expect them to predict?
@#136 xdisciple
Its a busy world in there isnt’ it “x”?
Time to let your psychiatrist know the prescription meds you’re on……need to be increased.
Substantially increased to the point where you’re catatonic and are unable to type……
Sparing the rest of us your delusional, paranoid ramblings.
And if you feel the need to respond.
Dont, your embarrassing yourself.
Re: #183 Millennial_Falcon
You’re a fool. Plain and simple.
You realize what those civil liberty protections are in place for, don’t you?
TO PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT.
Governments turn tyrannical the MOMENT you let them. I’m not saying they might, they WILL if given enough room to manoeuvre. Human history is full of enough examples of this that it should seem blatantly obvious to anyone with even a modicum of intelligence.
I wish my vote didn’t count equally with yours. It scares me that you are granted the same privileges as those of us who are rightfully SKEPTICAL OF GOVERNMENT POWER.
See, I really couldn’t care less if you wanted less freedom. Except, your vote is going to impact MY FREEDOMS, not just yours.
Go ahead and give up your freedoms – go to third world countries where they don’t have these provisions. Let’s see how long you like it. When a government official can pick you up off the street for any reason, imprison you on trumped up charges, torture you to extract a confession, and kill you with impunity. I suggest you try North Korea.
It blows my MIND that ANYONE could be gullible enough to fall for the propaganda on television that says 35 million Canadians need to be monitored because a handful of lunatics committed a crime. Who, by the way, WERE ALREADY being closely watched by our security agencies. So what that means is, they don’t need more funding or powers. They need to act on information when they have it, and be less incompetent.
#153 Son of Ponzi on 10.23.14 at 2:21 pm
But let’s not forget: it’s their choice.
——————————————–
What an insensitive thing to say on the day following the murder of one of our soldiers.
Do you say the same thing on Remembrance Day while you watch the ceremonies from the comfort of your living room? “It was their choice”?
What is the matter with you?
@#100 Carpe Diem
@#131 SWL1976
“Maybe it’s time we stop supporting the military–industrial complex and time for talk and peace……”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A nice thought but, unfortunately, these savages dont want to talk.
They want to…… saw…..your……infidel……..head….off. Just like the good old days(or if your a murderer in Saudi Arabia).
All while recording it and downloading it onto the internet to further terrorize more people.
Nah, I dont want to “negotiate” with savages.
Until they agree to a rabies shot.
@Millennial_Falcon re: #179
“#160 RealistvsExtremist
“Now to really answer your statement. If I had been witness to my whole family being blown to bits by a Cdn F-18 dropping a smart bomb from 20,000 feet in Libya (which happened) or 12 years of American bombs in Iraq and I was 10 at the time and now was 22 years old. I would have ONE THING on my mind for 12 years. Revenge. Nuff said….”
Exactly. That is why I am willing to give up some of my civil liberties for safety. ”
Your logic is flawed. You wouldn’t have to give up your civil liberties if those bombs had not been dropped in the first place.
News Alert
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was not among 90 being probed: RCMP
This breaking story will appear soon at http://www.cbcnews.ca
*****************
I tend to agree with #182 Kris. Let these 90 people go. And don’t let them return….
Further to last…# 116 Stop Lyin’. We don’t need another 9/11 which, as we know, was an ‘inside job’.
@Cato, #173 re:
“I can’t understand for the life of me why anyone wouldn’t support neutrality. Friendship with all nations, alliances with none.
It’s a policy that would ensure our leaders focus on US and our lives, which is what we elect them to do. ”
Its human nature Cato. That is why, ultimately humans will soon be history. In the grand scheme of things, we don’t matter.
And you all thought this was a real estate and investment blog. Hah!
Harper made Canada less safe by pulling it into every American conquest. “The Mission”. What mission? Ensuring blowback paves way for passing of Patriot Act type laws? Took them a day to fish that puppy out of a drawer. Now they’re talking pre-emptive imprisonment. Sure!
1 terrorist dead. Liberties of 30 million of law abiding citizens are in the crosshairs, because of 1 spineless prime minister who only knows how to wag his tail and play fetch.
A full year before the next election and no guarantee that the nex lineup will consist of lesser warmongers than current neo-con with a Napoleon complex.
#141 Derek R on 10.23.14 at 11:24 am
Derek, I took the quote from another commentator – #81 Casual Observer in fact. I didn’t attribute to Edmund Burke, Casual Observer did.
#202 Trojan House on 10.23.14 at 7:50 pm wrote:
Derek, I took the quote from another commentator
Sure. No worries, TH. I thought that was the case. You just had the bad luck to be the second person to press my pedant button that day. Sorry.
#AFewGoodPeople:
http://youtu.be/9FnO3igOkOk