–Brittain talks of the contradictions that is “free corporate media” in relation to the peoples’ struggle against Columbian State oppression.

–More deregulation of Canadian media and telecommunications has never been good for the people of this country. If the current system cannot deal with the demands of the people of Canada then put the telecom companies back under social control.

–Students must stand in solidarity with the workers of their campus. To maintain a healthy and productive education environment it takes hard work and fair wages for the service staff. Support the workers’ right to fair wages and living standards.

–Michael Moore states that :

Tomorrow marks the day that we will have been in Iraq longer than we were in all of World War II.

That’s right. We were able to defeat all of Nazi Germany, Mussolini, and the entire Japanese empire in LESS time than it’s taken the world’s only superpower to secure the road from the airport to downtown Baghdad.

–The US State continues its attack on the political system in Venezuela. It is unfortunate that there is so much contempt for democracy from the US government.

–Not only in Vancouver but across the country and around the world.

–The rise of Carrea in Ecuador is a boost to the left of that country. Now, if only the government will commit to allowing the people to mobilise.

–Hmmm, that is a big rally. Chavez continues to allow the people to move forward.

–Higher education to all citizens. Sounds great to me. Progress continues in Venezuela under a socialised education model that is based around the community. We continue to fight for it here as well.

–It is the system, stupid. If we want to stop the rise in CO2 then we are going to have to stop producing so much. The solution has little to nothing to do with consumption.

–We are not helping the people of Iraq. We were never helping the people of Iraq. Now their lives are destroyed and it is the Western States’ fault. Slaughter should not be the way of life anywhere, but all to frequently whenever imperialist States get involved that is exactly what it turns into.

–Graham blames Bush for al-Qaida being in Iraq and laughs at suggestion that al-Qaida maintains the violence in Iraq.

–We already have a planned economy, it just is not planned for the majority.

–Liberal’s continue to play catchup with regards to progressive policy. The thing is, they just do not get it. Liberal policy, even this Utopian look at a future where all women are middle class doesn’t cut it with regards to what women want and need in this society.

At a time that Canada has a $13 billion surplus…

Status of Women Canada’ operating budget - cut by 40%.

Law Commission of Canada - eliminated.

Court Challenges Program - eliminated.

Adult Learning and Literacy, Investments in Youth Employment - $72 million cut.

Statistics Canada - cut by $15 million from a budget of $600 million.

Health Canada’s Policy Research Program - eliminated.

Youth International Internship Program - eliminated.

Advisory panels in Revenue Canada and Agriculture Canada - eliminated.

Aboriginal Programs cut by $3.5 million, plus elimination of Nunavut’s $50 mln fund to assist in governance issues and setting up social programming.

Summary of recent federal government cuts is available from the Canadian Association
of University Teachers: www.caut.ca/en/news/commentary_tb_cuts.pdf

–Canada is becoming the new lap dog of George Bush’s empire under Harper. Canadians reject the direction that the country’s foreign policy is going but the neo Conservatives in power do not seem to care. We should stand in the way of the Conservatives policies and we must start to demand that our own are being put forward as real alternatives.

–A recent interview with President Chavez of Venezuela. Worth a read for all those that care about the goings on in Venezuela.

–Cuban doctors helping the poor around the world.

–A look at why the economic system that Milton Friedman should (as Avi Lewis eloquently stated on Saturday night at a CFS 25th Anniversary dinner) be buried with him. Have a read.

Next week in Ottawa, TV broadcasters will tell their regulator, the CRTC, that they want fewer rules and more ways to make money. They will raise the alarm about how difficult it is these days to make money from traditional advertising because of all of the competition for eyeballs coming from new-fangled media, like the internet, pay TV, and cell phones. They will plead for measures to help them climb back from merely profitable to very profitable.

–George Galloway was in Toronto this past weekend. This British MP continues to tell it like it is and that is hugely popular with the people around the world. It is too bad that more MPs were not as truthful and determined to make a difference.

–An examination of the recent campaigning that has been going on in Venezuela.