Covid: Semi-Democracy in Canada

in 2021 Western democracies responded identically to a pandemic by listening to the World Health Organization. Health authorities were told that a new type of vaccine was the only answer to a virus and politicians trusted this. There was a rush to create vaccines and the usual lengthy research trials were not completed before the vaccines were given to the population. Media was told that the response had to be coordinated and dissent was seen as disinformation. Doctors, such as Dr. Charles Hoffe in British Columbia, were censored if they questioned the safety of the vaccines when some patients had adverse reactions. The fear of the virus spreading led to government mandated lockdowns and challenges for citizens and closure of businesses. Infected corona virus patients were told to stay home until they got really ill and then hospitals struggled to help them. Early therapeutic interventions were not offered by the World Health Organization nor by local government health authorities. Doctors who tried to do so were actively dissuaded. The population was told to ‘trust the science’ but few asked who defined and interpreted the science. Science traditionally was open to debate but now it was to be explained by ‘experts’ who we were not to question. If anyone questioned the prevailing narrative they were told they were contributing to “vaccine hesitancy”.

When people expressed concern that the vaccine ingredients might cause them harm they were told they could discuss this with their doctor. It became increasingly difficult and then seemingly impossible for a doctor to grant a patient a medical exemption even when medical staff agreed harm was likely. People with clearly identified allergies to the vaccine ingredients were denied exemptions. People with serious reactions to the first dose were told to ignore this and have their second dose. Risk analysis was not done for them. Individuals lost the right to personal health for the sake of “public” health.

Medical and religious exemptions were scorned. Australia, Canada and the United States, supposed bastions of freedom, threw their own people under the bus. Citizens in democracies were told to get the vaccine or lose their job. There was no concern for their individual health. Nurses, who had treated covid patients heroically but were concerned they would have a personal reaction to the vaccine, were terminated. People lost the ability to earn their living and were told they could not access Employment Insurance either. Getting the vaccine irregardless of your health was the official solution to a potential job loss. The Vancouver Sun, December 13, 2021, reported Melanie Bitner nearly died after her first shot in April due to multiple blood clots, known as vaccine induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia. She has not yet been able to get an exemption for her second shot despite attempts by her hematologist. Without the second shot she is subject to the vaccine mandate and has lost job income and attendance at family and school events. This defies logic.

Children are now being told to take the vaccine. People who are pregnant are told to take the vaccine. The authorities are not discussing the long term effects or even the immediate response to this vaccine by so many developing bodies and everyone is told the vaccine is ‘safe’. Sadly those who participated in the early Pfizer trials also had serious reactions and children like Maddie de Garay suffered terribly. Her mother had enrolled her hoping to assist in the fight against covid but there was little help after she unexpectedly became seriously ill in the trial. In our previous vaccine history there have always been people whose bodies differed in responses. Patients have traditionally been informed of the risks and benefits of treatment but now this is no longer offered. Doctors, like Dr. Francis Christian in Saskatchewan, who had always operated with the belief that informed consent in medicine is crucial, lost his job.

Those who did not want to take the vaccine were soon labelled as ‘selfish’ and the term the ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ became a phrase government leaders like Biden and Trudeau used in the media. People who hadn’t had the virus nor the vaccine were told to stay away from vaccinated family members.

People who were healthy were told they could not access businesses or facilities if they did not have a vaccine passport. It did not matter why they did not have one. Seniors and those without cell phones or internet access, disabled citizen, and those with health concerns are barred in Western democracies from various locations. Increasing pressure like this is seen as likely increasing vaccine compliance.

Scientists, doctors and researchers who disagreed with the World Health Organization and their own government’s health authorities were silenced and threatened with loss of hospital privileges, job termination, and ridicule by colleagues. Respectable scientific journals refused to publish their studies. Facebook and Twitter began censoring or banning them. Yet some of these people, like Dr. Robert Malone, had been the top authorities in their field. Questioning the narrative became dangerous and open discussion about alternatives was censored.

Pharmacies were pressured not to fill a doctor’s prescription. Monoclonal antibodies sat on hospital shelves rather than being administered. A media campaign to slander ivermectin portrayed it only as a dangerous horse dewormer and hospitals refused to let even dying patients access some hope. Clearly the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh did well in covid statistics when the government was allowed to distribute kits with ivermectin and therapeutics to households. These kits cost little. Western democracies only offered a vaccine.

It has been reported that pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer are not liable for damage caused by vaccines. Governments in Western democracies have said they would have a compensation program available. How many Canadians are aware of this, have accessed it and received a response? There is little on the nightly news about these concerns. Pharmaceutical companies have done extremely well financially as Western democracies rushed to purchase doses. Increasingly the public is demanding boosters for new variants in their fear of illness. Long term research of extended vaccine doses on the immune system has not been done.

Questions remain.

Does the mRNA spike protein in the current vaccine affect the blood or organs? How long does it stay in the body? Is having vaccine induced myocarditis now going to affect youth later in life? Does it affect reproductive organs at all? Why are some women experiencing menstrual cycle irregularities? Why are health authorities not discussing citizen concerns? Why are the voices of those negatively impacted by the vaccine stifled?

Where is the information on non genetic vaccines? Does the Medicago plant vaccine cause less reactions? Is it a more adaptable candidate against new virus mutations? Why does the mainstream press not ask these obvious questions and encourage independent thought? Is government Legacy Media funding inhibiting investigative reporting? Does the interconnectedness of directors of pharma companies, WHO, FDA, CDC and Trusted Media companies and U.N. organizations create a coordinated response all have to follow without dissent?

Citizen in European countries and Australia have had massive rallies against vaccine mandates.This has barely been seen on our evening CBC news. Citizen in many democracies have been used to freedom and find being forced to take new substances problematic. increasingly we are seeing countries threaten citizen with further restrictions, quarantine camps, job and pension income loss and fines if they do not comply. These are new measures not normally associated with democracies. Freedom is easy to erode with threats of financial loss. Sadly societal trust is being undermined and divisions between fellow citizen are being fermented by politicians in the name of health. It is easier to blame the ‘unvaccinated’ for a continuing virus than to investigate medical options and increase the number of hospital beds and spots in nursing schools.

In a functioning democracy there are branches of society able to analyze and discuss concerns and improvements. A free press can send an investigative reporter to see what issues citizens are facing and ask others to respond. Members of the public can band together and anyone can call their elected representative for assistance. Members of parliament might start a petition on an issue to send to the governing party for discussion. People can call their local police detachment with public safety concerns. A lawyer can defend you. A little digging and you can find an agency site listing where to lodge complaints and what regulatory bodies can be contacted. None of it is perfect but it gives one avenues to pursue and hope that change is possible when people care.

When you do not allow medical exemptions or free debate you weaken democracy. When medical specialists say someone will react badly to a vaccine but are overruled by mandates then individual health is ignored. You must obey. Truth is silenced. Your personal health is not a priority. Individuals are no longer valued in these semi democracies unless they comply.

In Canada we are seeing more division and sadly, less effective opposition by our elected representatives. The Liberal government is eager to expand its euthanasia program and is currently studying how those with mental health issues can access it. Next it will be expanded to include mature minors as we cannot be seen to discriminate. We are being pushed to devalue human life and trust in authority. Canadians are also promised a bill in 2022 to deal with hate speech. Will dissent be labelled as such and will vaccine discussion qualify as hate speech if it deviates from the norm?

As citizens increasingly are pushed to comply and lose their freedom of choice they will be more likely to accept a powerful authority that will unite us all globally. We will be one.

Reality in life and politics is important. Truth is worth guarding.

World Press Freedom Heroes

Canadian journalists Nathan VanderKlippe, Sarah Cox, Kevin Donovan, Kim Bolan, Meghan Potkins and Madeline Smith were recognized in 2021 by the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom for their commitment to tenacious investigative reporting. The Canadian journalists were commended for excellence in their dig for truth by the Committee, an offshoot from Ottawa’s National Press Club. Nathan vanderKlippe and Sarah Cox both won the Press Freedom Award and received $2000.

VanderKlippe, as Globe and Mail reporter, has written extensively on political intrigue in China despite harassment and threats to his personal safety. VanderKlippe documented the increased surveillance and repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and the massive expansion of indoctrination, or ‘re-education’, and work camps into which Uyghurs are imprisoned.

Sarah Cox, writing in the Narwhal, investigated the Government of B.C.’s handling of the Site C Dam amidst political silence and revealed massive cost overruns, Hydro concerns, shaky earth foundations and citizens fears. It is essential for Canadians to become aware of and honour journalists who are willing to examine issues so that we can make informed decisions.

Kim Bolan, writing for the Vancouver Sun, received the Spencer Moore Award for Lifetime Achievement. She reported on the Air India bombing, as well as crime. Her faithful columns on gang activities and shootings in the Lower Mainland have earned her death threats and the intimidation of sources.

Certificates of merit were given to Kevin Donovan of the Toronto Star and to Meghan Potkins and Madeline Smith. Kevin Donovan unearthed documents to discover an Ontario Provincial Police Ponzi scheme and became aware of crucial missteps in the examination of the murder of the Shermans, a prominent Toronto couple. Meghan Potkins and Madeline Smith found there was insufficient oversight of the expenses of Calgary councillors as their analysis uncovered padded expense accounts.

Many journalists, throughout the world, report on issues while facing obstacles, intimidation and danger. The United Nations chose May 3, Press Freedom Day, to acknowledge courageous journalists and remind us that freedom requires diligence and there is a cost. Canadians owe a debt of gratitude to our journalists. Even an increase to their monetary awards.

Reality in life and politics is important. Truth is worth guarding.

Bissoondath: Multicultural Policy’s Consequences

Neil Bissoondath ‘s 1994 book “Selling Illusions, The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada” asks if criticism of a policy is acceptable or does it open the questioner to immediate attack with a negative label that stifles further conversation? Bissoondath analyses Pierre Trudeau’s Multicultural Policy and warns it creates serious consequences for Canada. It is interesting to see, looking back, as to whether his interpretation has any validity for today’s society.

The Canadian Multicultural Act states that this policy ” acknowledges the freedom of all members and Canadian society to preserve, enhance and share their cultural heritage.”(1) It is a policy that seems to embrace all and Bissoondath states they are “attractive sentiments, liberally dispensed, but where, in the end, do they lead?”(2)

Are Canadians mandated to preserve all elements of every culture? Do we permit female circumcision? Sex Selection? Sharia law? Are these all rights to happiness from other countries that we must as a Canadian society agree to?

If we disagree with certain cultural values are we automatically seen as denigrating others and worthy of being labeled as oppressors? If we disagree with aspects of multiculturalism are we violators of the policy?

Bissoondath asks what are Canadian values? Does Canada have values we do not want to lose? Citizenship comes with rights as well as obligations. Bissoondath pleads for the acknowledgement that the questioning of ideas is an indispensable and crucial Canadian value. As a society, having freedom to think about and debate issues means we can search out ideas, be open to challenging them and revisit them.

The author wonders who sets the agenda for the vision of Canada and whether we want to be governed by a majority or by an activist government with a vision of what they perceive to be the ideal? Do elected representatives have the ability to vote their constituents wishes irregardless of the party whip’s desire for uniformity?

Bissoondath asks us how we perceive ourselves and others when we become aware of social injustice. Do we respond with renewed efforts towards justice or do we respond with vengeance and anger? If we pass down historical resentment does this increase suspicion and possibly lead to threats or violence?

Do we see people as victors or victims? This question also is relevant for each of us personally as well as for society as a whole. Bissoondath wants people to be viewed as victors. “To be a victim is to be burdened by the sense that history–colonialism, imperialism, racism, sexism that victimized you..impels you to view the world in a certain way, hardens you, makes you combative, you claim the moral high ground and live to see your victimhood acknowledged and compensated.”(3) There is a danger that when we see injustice we can stop trying to understand, to forgive and to love and to move forward.

As a writer Bissoondath can claim multiple identities such as writer of colour, yet feels that identity labeling has the potential to harm. He warns, ” As our provinces, greedy for power, pull apart, so too, do our communities, greedy for ‘rights’ pull apart. Once the psychology of separation takes hold, no logical limits suggest themselves, so that we go on, as a country, as a people, seeking to narrow ourselves in every way possible…Once the institutional division of people by culture is accepted it becomes easy to subdivide them in other ways too-, by gender, for example, or by race.” (4)

When aware that a writing conference was limited to persons of colour Bissoondath questioned how much colour was needed to qualify. He asks if it is alright for something that is labeled as anti-racist to then discriminate on the basis of race. This is an intriguing query in today’s society. Many of us have children who have various ethnic and racial identities. What do we tell our children about how they should identify themselves? Do we encourage them to take advantage of part of their heritage when it may benefit economically? Bissoondath says he just would like to be known as a writer.

You would think that a policy of multiculturalism would benefit writers as they would now have direct access to people from cultures all over the world. Bissoondath however says he has seen writers be labeled with the term ‘cultural misappropriation’ when they wrote about lives they had not personally lived. He urges caution if this trend continues as it would eliminate writers including Shakespeare.

Canada’s original inhabitants and the immigrants from many countries share diverse cultures. Bissoondath’s book reminds us that this occurred because of the values of Canada. In order to continue to live together with all our varied beliefs we need to be able to dialogue respectfully. Canada’s ability to share and care for each other peacefully is worth valuing, preserving and celebrating.

(1) Neil Bissoondath, Selling Illusions The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada, Penguin Books, Toronto, Canada, 1994, p.34.

(2) Bissoondath, Selling Illusions, p.

(3)Bissoondath, Selling Illusions, p. 164.

(4) Bissoondath, Selling Illusions, p. 156.

Canada’s Tar Sands’ Story

Did Alberta give the tar sand oil fields away to global demands? Andrew Nikiforuk’s 2008 book ” TAR SANDS Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent” is worth reading from a historical and practical perspective. The book was written at a time when multinational companies invested heavily in the tar sands and made huge profits while Alberta citizen were left with polluted air, water and land and very little royalty income. What were the issues then and has anything changed?

Does Canada now have a national water policy?

Do foreign companies or nations make decisions about what will affect the Canadian environment?

Nikiforuk argues in this book that Alberta governments and agencies entrusted with environmental safety deliberately failed citizen. They chose jobs and profit from companies over health and safety. They deliberately said increased development had no measurable effect on the wildlife, water, air and human population. An Environmental Assessment declared that the dangers to the public were outweighed by the benefits. They were able to argue this because they only had two air monitors to investigate all their gas plants and pipelines and their studies were designed to deliberately not measure anything relevant.

Nikiforuk explains that the Alberta tar sands have run out of cheap oil and are now extracting the dirty stuff : bitumen. This extraction from the tar sands requires extra force; excessive amounts of water and depending on the method used, excessive amounts of natural gas. Left behind are toxic waste pools that poison the water.

How could residents who lived downstream from the tar sands in Fort Chipeweyan have gotten so many rare cancers? Why did the doctors sounding the alarm get so little response?

Companies received breaks by not having to pay until their set up costs plus some investment returns materialized. There was thus an incentive to continue to expand and dig more wells to avoid paying more to the government. The government kept approving projects rather than requiring companies to clean up as they went along.

The security deposit companies had to pay to the Alberta government was inadequate. The cost of clean up is now having to be born by taxpayers after the companies left with huge profits.

The royalties Albertans received from their resource extraction during the Klein government were among the lowest in the world. The government chose to listen to industry who threatened to pull out of the tar sands if royalties were increased. The fund that Premier Lougheed set up to enable Albertans to weather a downturn was poorly funded after his tenure. Norway copied his fund idea and protected the fund and their citizen benefitted from a healthy royalty increase.

Have companies paid appropriate fines for pollution and for not cleaning up? Is there a mechanism to prevent owners from selling sections of the company to a third party which then declares bankruptcy? Are governments monitoring this and imposing penalties and censure when companies fail to do so? Who is holding industry and government accountable?

Some recommend nuclear energy to speed up bitumen extraction. Is radiation emission free? There are no safe ways to store nuclear waste and it lasts a long time. If water polluted with chemical toxins from the tar sands tailing ponds isn’t cleaned up safely then it is hard to trust a government or industry with nuclear safety.

Governments and political parties may champion urgency for companies to adhere to environmental safeguards during and after their resource extraction especially during media hype. Before an election officials might emphasize everyone’s responsibility to lessen the effects of global warming. What is needed, however, is an honest assessment by political parties of the issues and failures, a willingness to implement accountability mechanisms and a sampling of solutions needed to deal with the demand for oil. A concrete vision would give citizens insight, choice when they vote and hope that their health is also valued.

Nikiforuk intersperses facts with humour and brings readers a Canadian story with international relevance. He reveals the human cost of unregulated development and the continued willingness to deny the truth of the harm caused by dangerous practices. This non-fiction book inspires reflection and a plea for action by concerned citizens to hold their elected officials accountable for the well being of their people amidst the desire for jobs and profit.

I love fiction but reality in politics and life is so important.

Truth is worth guarding.

World Press Freedom Day

Today is World Press Freedom Day: May 3. 

We honour those willing to pursue truth knowing it could endanger their lives.

Chen Jieren, a journalist and blogger in China, was recently given a 15 year sentence for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” which means he criticized the Party.

 Access to a lawyer and being detained humanely is not likely to occur in countries where freedom of the press is not valued. You can go missing if posting data about covid  runs counter to State ideology. Sharing information has the potential to enrich society and save lives.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated, ”I am also concerned by steps taken to impose restrictions on media freedom and freedom of expression. Vaguely formulated actions to combat alleged “misinformation” could be applied to any criticism, and in some countries we have already seen reports of journalists being penalized for reporting a lack of masks; health-workers reprimanded for saying they lack protection; and ordinary people arrested for social media postings about the pandemic. Criticism is not a crime”.

Happy World Press Freedom Day!

I love fiction but reality in politics and life is so important.

Truth is worth guarding.

  1. Goff, P. (2020, May 1). Chinese journalist jailed for 15 years for criticising Communist Party. Retrieved from The Irish Times.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/chinese-journalist-jailed-for-15-years-for-criticising-communist-party-1.4242911  

 2. Bachelet, Michelle. (2020, April 9.) Informal briefing to the Human Rights Council. Retrieved from Office of the High Commissioner. https://www.ohchr.org/en/newsevents/pages/media.aspx

Kenney’s Hong Kong Friend

Jason Kenney, Alberta’s Premier, on April 20, 2020, called for the release of his friend Martin Lee who was arrested in Hong Kong.  Martin Lee, age 81, who helped draft the Basic Law guaranteeing Hong Kong’s special status, was arrested with 14 other moderate, and many senior, pro-democracy activists.

 Kenney was immediately criticized by the Chinese Consulate of Calgary who tweeted that foreigners should stay out of China’s affairs. Kenney said he couldn’t abandon an old friend and champion of human rights who was suddenly a political prisoner. 

It is important to credit politicians when they guard the truth. 

Recently the Liaison Office in Hong Kong representing China stated it had supervisory power and was not bound by the non-interference clause. When earlier negotiated agreements are ignored, citizens lose human rights. 

I love fiction but reality in politics and life is so important.

Truth is worth guarding.

  1. Dawson, T. (2020, April 22,). Chinese officials angry with Jason Kenney for supporting pro-democracy friend arrested in Hong Kong. Retrieved from National Post.https://nationalpost.com/news/chinese-officials-angry-with-jason-kenney-for-supporting-pro-democracy-friend-arrested-in-hong-kong
  1. AFP-JIJI. (2020, April 23.) Hong Kong political crisis deepens despite protest lull during pandemic. Retrieved from

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/04/23/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/hong-kong-political-crisis-pandemic/#.XqHn7i3My3V

Corona Masks

REALITY POLITICS

Canadian nurses reported in 2020 that their masks are defective and put lives at risk during the corona pandemic. We should be asking if this is true.

Did Alberta nurses say the masks they recently received didn’t work? 

If it is true, we need to fix it.

Let’s work together, examine and base our political decisions on reality.

When an official, like Steve Buick, press secretary to Alberta’s Health Minister, states the masks are safe then citizens should ask how he knows this.

Who told him? Has he tried them himself to see if they stay on? Would he want his nurse to wear them as she’s going from one covid patient to another?

Toronto recalled more than 60,000 masks at the beginning of April and  Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands have done the same earlier.

How do we know Alberta’s masks are safe? Jason Kenney said in a tweet that the masks were approved after testing. What do health professionals say when they have to wear them?

How can we work together to ensure safety? Could having masks made and inspected locally ensure greater safety?

Let’s work together and set aside earlier ideological grievances. Let’s  examine and base our political decisions on reality.

I love fiction but reality in politics is so important. Truth is worth guarding.

1. Rieger, S. (2020, April 18,). Alberta health-care workers say new masks don’t seal, cause rashes and headaches. Retrieved from

CBC News.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/mask-issues-alberta-1.5537345

2. Walsh, M.,  Stone, L., Morrow, A. (2020, April 8). Toronto recalls faulty masks as Canada works to secure more supplies. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-toronto-recalls-faulty-face-masks-as-canada-works-to-secure-more/