Thursday, February 10, 2011

 

Public Inquiry into BC Rail sell-off, or arrest Gordon Campbell, or both

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BC Mary comment:  British Columbia had a premier who sold out BC Rail, crippled BC Hydro, devastated BC Ferries, destroyed the BC shipbuilding industry, gave away our rivers and forests, plus much, much else ... haven't we often said aloud that these destructive actions were criminal? Maybe I'm dreaming, but isn't it a basic human right to expect that public officials will safeguard the public treasures, as they clearly and publicly promised to do, if elected?  Well ... here's a news item which might make every British Columbian go Hmmmmmmmm ... 


From MAIL ONLINE (U.K.)
FEB. 6, 2011



George W. Bush cancels visit to Swiss charity gala over fears he could be arrested on torture charges

Last updated on 6th February 2011



Change of plan: George W. Bush has cancelled a visit to Geneva for a charity gala over fears he could be arrested on torture charges

Mr Bush was due to be the keynote speaker at a Jewish charity gala in Geneva on February 12.

But pressure has been building on the Swiss government to arrest him and open a criminal investigation if he enters the country.

Criminal complaints against Mr Bush alleging torture have been lodged in Geneva, court officials said.

Human rights groups said they had intended to submit a 2,500-page case against him in the Swiss city tomorrow for alleged mistreatment of suspected militants at Guantanamo Bay.

Left-wing groups have also called for a protest on the day of his visit, leading organisers at Keren Hayesod's annual dinner to cancel Mr Bush's participation on security grounds.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch and International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) said the cancellation was linked to growing moves told him accountable for the use of torture, including waterboarding.

He had admitted in his memoirs and TV interviews to ordering the use of the interrogation technique which simulates drowning.

Reed Brody, a lawyer for Human Rights Watch, said: 'He's avoiding the handcuffs.'

{Snip} ...

The action in Switzerland showed Mr Bush had reason to fear legal complaints against him if he travelled to countries that have ratified an international treaty banning torture, he said.

Mr Brody is a U.S.-trained lawyer who specialises in pursuing war crimes, including Chile's late dictator Augusto Pinochet and Chad's ousted president Hissene Habre.


Admission: Mr Bush defended the use of waterboarding in his memoir 'Decision Points' as key at avoiding a repeat of the September 11 attacks

Habre has been charged by Belgium with crimes against humanity and torture and is currently exiled in Senegal.

He said: 'President Bush has admitted ordering waterboarding which everyone considers to be a form of torture under international law.

'Under the Convention on Torture, authorities would have been obliged to open an investigation and either prosecute or extradite George Bush.'

Swiss judicial officials have said that the former president would still enjoy a certain diplomatic immunity as a former head of state.

Dominique Baettig, a member of the Swiss parliament from the People's Party, wrote to the Swiss federal government last week calling for his arrest if he came to the neutral country.

In his 'Decision Points' memoirs, Mr Bush strongly defended the use of waterboarding as key to preventing a repeat of the September 11 attacks on the U.S.

Most human rights experts consider the practice a form of torture, banned by the Convention on Torture.

Switzerland and the U.S. are among 147 countries that have ratified the 1987 treaty.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354211/George-W-Bush-cancels-Switzerland-visit-fears-arrest-torture-charges.html#ixzz1DZOSY5aY




http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-8113776/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTEzNTQyMTEvR2VvcmdlLVctQnVzaC1jYW5jZWxzLVN3aXR6ZXJsYW5kLXZpc2l0LWZlYXJzLWFycmVzdC10b3J0dXJlLWNoYXJnZXMuaHRtbCUyM2l4enoxRERHcU1TaTU=


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Read about local control HERE in YES! magazine, published Feb. 4, 2011:

http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-02-08/corporate-control-not-these-communities

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Comments:
I really liked that article on local control! I have shared it on facebook. I also agree that Laila would be a huge asset to the people of the province were she to run for office.
 
I agree with the article but not in respect to BC Ferries, which by all accounts is far far nicer and better, more reliable than it was when run by the govt.

Except for the fact that the Queen of the North Sank, and no one was found at blame becuase of Union interferance, I suspect.

And were was the NDP in all of this? Silent, because they knew fine well that the Union wanted to protect the pot smokers and fornicators in the wheel house that fateful night.
 
what rot. The Swiss help millions of very rich people evade taxes, all to the benefit of Swiss bankers, and to the peril of those who live in the countries that would otherwise benefit from the social services a tax base supports.
 
The Egyptians are doing what is necessary to force change. The workers are striking. This is the key action necessary to bring down a government when you lack the guns and the media. No government can endure a protracted shutdown of the economy. It was through the economy and the currency that corporations and a certain criminal banking country took over control of so many governments in the first place. I believe it is a principal law of most countries that the government cannot be ruled by a foreign power. Trafficking with influence for gain is a form of treason. It is widespread now, throughout the western world and the reason the economies are crumbling, due to the activities of corporations and banks.

The predictable behavior of corporations is what led to the definition of fascism being a combine of them with the state.
 
GW, are you suggesting a General Stike?

If so, I couldnt disagree more.

We The People had 2 opportunities to vote this rotten/ corrupt govt out.

We The People didnt do that.

We The People were AWARE of the BC Rail deal last election, yet WE THE PEOPLE voted the Liberals back in.

Unfricken believable, I agree, but thats what happened.

Was if becuase coruption (ie Fiberals) was better than incompetance (ie ndp), or was it just because the alternative (ie ndp) was unthinkable (ie carol james)?

Who knows. Regardless, WE THE PEOPLE are okay with who is governing us and no General Stike is necessary.
 
The difference between the arrest warrant on Bush arising from local councils in Vermont vs any similar idea here is that there the judges are elected by the people, and serve the intersts of the community as a ersulrtt. And towns have the right to make criminal law, or somteing of that kind, clearly.


there is more than enough evidence to arrest several high-pofile Liberals and an equal number of corporate executives - if this were the US system, and public purview of the proceedings was what it should be, unlike our closed-door backroom system of justice.

this is what I've meant before about having a level playing fild with teh US; if theyr['e going to own us anyway, we might as well get some of the benefits of how they do things. And who they can go after, and prosecute - especially if it happens that among those perhaps in need of prosectuution are those here who would have the power to veto it, on teh basis that they had "privilege".

One other point: Campbell staying on as "senior advisor", and continuing to run things right now, no doubt, is very similar in concept to Mubarak remaining in power while supposedly conferring authority on one of his underlings. Another similar parallel is Putin and Medvedev.

The resignation was a political manoeuvre to stop any deep investigation of BC Rail then, to defuse public anger, and try and divert attention to the HSt only. And to stop that pesky caucus revolt thing. But as we found out quickly, no he's not gone yet, nope, and he's staying on as premier emeritus....

If the RCMP want to convince us that they're non-partisan, they should investigate and make charges -without Crown's permission, because "Crown" is the one under suspcision - whether it's the A-G meant, past or present, or the Premier meant, past or present. The mounties have no political independence; they have always been a political weapon.

Find "An Unauthorized History of the RCMP", Robin, by two U.Sask professors. Should be in wider circulation than it is.....

Back to Vermont; that's known as an independent-minded state, with a strong sense of local governance, not just as the county or city level but right down to towns and villages, with a tradition of public debate and everyone having their say. Very different from our society - also by way of being unafraid to charge a politician with high crimes. And having the power to do so.....

As for the Prosperity Mine, the Tshilhqot'in fought a war for that country long ago; no Mines Act or Ministry of Natural Resource Operations Ministry nor any amount of phone calls to Harper will stop what might happen if the mine goes ahead. That's awaful country to spoil, it's been kept out of the public eye deliberately - the CBC picture of it was flat and uninteresting, as if deliberately; the mountains are in purple, red, pink, hues of blueish grey, stark and snowless, the lakes something more spectacular than any in Switzerland. That whole region has been kept invisible so there will be no popular feeling for it.

But there is among the Tshilqot'in people.....
 
Sometimes I wish you were premier of BC, Skookum1.

Thanks for another outstanding comment.

This word, though ... please explain:

... serve the interests of the community as a ersulrtt. Is that a typo, or what?
 
hmmm almost seems like a qwerty-slip, but it's just "as a result" with some jumbled/doubled keys.
 
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