To start, let me try to put an end to the growing buzz.  In answer to a mountain of emails, tweets, Facebook IMs, etc.:

• No, I am not 'souring' on Alberta's Wildrose Alliance. 
• No, I haven't ripped up my membership card. 
• No, I will not be attending this weekends AGM.
• Yes, I remain certain that Danielle Smith and the Wildrose Alliance is the overwhelming best choice to lead the province.

...but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be critical.

A witness from the merger of the Wildrose and Alliance parties through the exciting leadership race and the unexpected rise of popularity province-wide, I have never hidden or denied my support for the new party.  Given the people involved and the moment in Alberta's history, I knew this was the real deal.

The fact that I remain unapologetic for being a pundit who so openly proclaims a bias for a single political party has caused Smith herself to chuckle over a coffee chat.

That said, I am not the type of person to blindly follow without question.  (Those folks have their own provincial home called the Progressive Conservatives).

No organization is perfect, and certainly no political party can evolve so quickly and gain momentum so rapidly as the Wildrose Alliance without there being some mistakes, miscues, or missed opportunities.

The impending announcement signifying the addition of current independent MLA Paul Boutilier has all the anticipation of a room full of people yelling 'SURPRISE!' two hours after the birthday boy has arrived.  Almost a year of 'will he or won't he?' became 's**t or get off the pot' to most politicos.

Here's hoping Boutilier doesn't make playing games a habit with his new team.

While gaining such an experienced and popular politician is a boon to the party - giving the fledgling party Official Party status in the Legislature - to the casual observer this is deja vu.

A number of comments sent to me expressed the opinion that this is just another former Tory jumping ship to the new team, yet another disgruntled former P.C. moving to the Wildrose Alliance.

To be fair, I would estimate that the vast majority of Wildrose Alliance members had been either members or at least voted for the P.C.s in the past, myself included.  One of the main catalysts responsible for the creation of the Wildrose was the fact that Alberta conservatives had lost confidence in the stale, old Ed Stelmach P.C. government.

As the well-known Wildrose mantra reads: We didn't leave the P.C.s, the P.C.s left us.

Back to my personal involvement in the party.  I have consciously taken a step back for the sake of time and objectivity.  As well, a brief time spent at the constituency level reminded me that while the party name may change, the game of politics remains the same.

All eyes will be on the AGM this weekend, and the list of policy proposals looks promising.  I won't be attending, due to the oncoming mid-life crisis called 'turning 40'.

To summarize, fear not my friends.  I remain a strong believer in the Wildrose Alliance, and will continue to voice my support - and my criticisms - as they fulfill their destiny to become the next government of Alberta. 

As Toronto gets set to host the next round of G8 and G20 gatherings, the media continues to focus on the amount the Canadian government is estimating for the cost of security.

In a world that is almost a decade into the post-9/11 era, along with the protesters and their obligatory vandalism and general mayhem that we've come to expect at such international events, why the astronomical dollar figure would be a surprise to anyone is curious.

As long as the leaders of the industrialized nations continue to physically gather in one location, and the throngs of mostly leftwing nutjobs and unionists continue to equate said leaders with the world's evils, safety and security will continue to be a concern.

Naturally, if these anti-capitalist, anti-individualism, anti-free market groups worked within the system for change instead of ritualistically devolving into mindless drones with moronic signs, chants, Molotov cocktails, etc., you'd see the cost for security drop significantly.

But that won't happen, in part because most of the protesters are there for the thrill, not because they actually believe in any socio-political agenda.  Many are there just to cause strife.

The fact that our leaders stubbornly continue to insist on these photo-op gatherings instead of joining the 21st century doesn't help.  Do any of our leaders know what 'teleconferencing' is?  The total cost of security: the approximate cost of one anti-virus software package.

As for Toronto, I thought it best to be fair and look a little deeper into some of these protest groups.  While we can expect the usual - animal rights groups, enviroNazis, various anti-American groups (what did they do with all the leftover anti-Bush signs?) - I decided to research one of the more fringe groups, just to get a better idea as to the kind of people we are talking about.

And what better group to represent the fringe than Jacque Fresco's The Venus Project.  They want to make changes to our society by changing society itself.  How?  Why, by government by automation, of course!

There isn't enough space here to go into great detail about the VP platform, but the upshot is a world run by computers.  I guess the thinking is, since humans have failed to resolve the world's ills, we should leave it up to the microchip to solve those nagging irritants like poverty, the environment, and war.

In essence, we would live in a Matrix-like society which would be nothing more than a cybernetic police state.  We would become, in effect, subjects of an electronic dictatorship.

And I thought living in North Korea sounded like a bad time.  I'll take the blue pill, thank you.

I spent as much time as I could on the Venus Project website before I just couldn't take it anymore.  I kept having to remind myself that this is an actual group, not some online joke or college prank.  As scary as it is to believe, there are people who buy into this stuff.

I will admit my mind did change in one way after learning about VP and various other groups which have indicated their intent to show up in Ontario.

Maybe the problem isn't the message or how those protesting are choosing to deliver it after all.  The problem could be that the G20 protesters really are the unemployed, naive, slightly retarded dolts we'd thought all along.

"...even China is investing in Clean Energy" - President Barack H. Obama, Speech from the Oval Office (June 15, 2010)

"Sinopec Corp. and PetroChina, both Chinese state-owned corporations, injected more than $2 billion into Alberta's oilsands in 2009.....More recently, China Investment Corp. invested $817 million in a project with Penn West Energy Trust, and Sinopec paid $4.65 billion US for a stake in Syncrude Canada, the largest oilsands operation in the world." - Calgary Herald (June 10, 2010)

An odd thought occurred to me this morning.  If someone were to have slipped into a coma in 1979 and had awakened today, they'd swear Jimmy Carter had somehow wrangled a second term.

Not since President Peanut Farmer have we been witness to such ineptitude from the Oval Office.  While history will no doubt single out the current mishandling of the BP disaster as the point Obamamania jumped the shark, the reality is that line was crossed long ago.

Not long after the media ...er, voters gave B. Hussein Obama the keys to the White House, it became apparent that The One was a work of fiction.  Slick sound-bites and feel good slogans of 'Change' can hide the truth for a while, but inevitably there has to be some meat on the bone.

From GM to Health care to Iran to North Korea to the BP disaster, Americans have realized they were duped: they voted for a president and what they got was a teleprompter.

Comparisons between Obama and Carter are everywhere, but there are some distinct - and dangerous -  differences.

I was fairly young when America was Carter Country, but if I recall correctly, Jimmy Carter didn't sweep into office on a wave of popularity that challenged Beatlemania.  As damaging as Carter's policies, none marched the United States toward socialism with such vigor.  Carter didn't oversee a subversive plan of dismantling private enterprise or demonizing capitalism.

Carter, for all of his faults, never insulted the intelligence of the American public by having the audacity to use an environmental catastrophe as a convenient way of pushing a radical, personal agenda (to bipartisan dismay).

Only Obama would dare equate an oil spill with something as horrific as the 9/11 attacks.

A subtle difference in their foreign policies: Carter turtled in the face of the enemy (Iran), whereas Obama apologizes to the enemy for America's 'mistakes'.

The point of no return is now in the rear view mirror.  No amount of slick speeches or photo-ops will change the fact that Obama has been exposed for who he is: part radical, part socialist, part wimp.

And, according to a high-ranking member of the Egyptian government, a self-described Muslim to boot (if you can't believe a follower of Islam, who can you believe?).

If the Obama term (singular) in the White House is some twisted example of history repeating the Carter era, then perhaps we can find solace in the knowledge that America was set straight (saved?) with the arrival of Carter's replacement who went on to become one of the greatest president of all time.

2012 can't come soon enough.

It's that time again here at The Moderate Separatist when we go down the list of deserving candidates, consider the qualifications, cull the herd, and roll the dice until all that remains is another list of Rant Bouquet winners.  Drum roll, please.....


The I Need My Own 9/11 Bad! Bouquet

Has there been anything more pathetic in recent memory than watching the implosion of Barack Obama?  Playing the blame game while oil continues to fill the water is bad enough. Equating the BP disaster to the 9/11 attacks - an open-handed affront to every family who lost a loved one that day - is the sign of a man losing his audience, and with it, his credibility.  The teleprompter is to Obama what the blanket is to Linus: without it, he's lost.

The Stephane Dion Bouquet

The Alberta Liberals are looking at new ways to lose elections.  The latest from party leader David Swann is the possibility of forging an agreement with the ideologically similar New Democrats whereby they would run single 'progressive' candidates in certain constituencies.  Swann hasn't even led his party in an election yet, and already he is admitting defeat.

The Fair and Balanced Bouquet
It's all but done: Canada is getting its own national news channel with a conservative slant. Dubbed 'Fox News of the North', the Sun TV News channel bills itself as “Canada's Home for Hard News and Straight Talk.” Finally, Canadians get to enjoy a national broadcaster without the far-left rhetoric. Naturally, the Old Guards of the Canuck broadcasting machine are in a frenzy, some even suggesting that such a channel should not be allowed. The first news item on the new channel ought to be: Canadian Conservative Point of View Allowed - Shock!

The Stephane Dion Bouquet II

Another rumored Liberal/New Democrat marriage, this time in Ottawa. Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has been consistent in his refusal to consider the much-discussed coalition with the federal NDP.  The more middle-of-the-road Lib supporters would never side with the radical, non-sensical NDP socialists, especially in matters of national defense and, to a lesser degree, finance.  Is that Harvard calling?

The Do It, Iggy! Bouquet
If the merger does happen, Canadian P.M. Stephen Harper could easily find the majority government he has been denied through two elections.  Voters have had Harper at the helm long enough to know what they are getting.  The alternative is too frightening.  Consider:  External Affairs Minister Jack Layton. Consider: Finance Minister Bob Rae.  Consider:  the damage.

The On Second Thought Bouquet
The BP mess has brought to light America's need for a secure, trustworthy source of oil.  Is it time now to cut throught the Greenpeace-fed spin and see Alberta's oilsands as the smart choice?  If the fact that Canada is an ally (which is not controlled by a religious theocracy) not enough post- 9/11, then perhaps the tough environmental standards are.

The Because It's About Time Bouquet

If there is anyone who deserves coast to coast exposure on the new Sun TV, it's Michael Coren.  Canada's common-sense conservative has enjoyed some success on his current show, which is a refreshing but rare blip of honest debate in a sea of overbloated leftism (broadcast on the very good but limited CTS). The ultimate dream team?  A line up which includes Coren, Charles Adler, and Dave Rutherford. 

The Heroes Bouquet
While I certainly oppose any concept of war with a 'time limit', and therefore disagree with the Canadian government's decision to pull our troops out of Afghanistan in 2011, what is not up for debate is the respect and admiration all Canadians should have for our Bravest.  Our Armed Forces have accomplished unbelievable tasks under impossible circumstances in the war-torn nation, especially in lethal areas like Kandahar.  Our gratitude is without limits.

While it was obvious that President Obama's popularity had no where to go but down, what is interesting is how the crash is unfolding.  Like the man behind the curtain in the Land of Oz, Obama has been exposed.  All teleprompter-fed sizzle, absolutely no steak.  While he plays the finger-pointing game (what is the statute of limitations on blaming Bush for everything?) to avoid having to make a decision, people are beginning to wonder what will be more devastated by the oil leak - the environment, or Obama's reputation......Obama's mishandling of the BP oil leak makes Bush look like a superhero over the Katrina affair......with the left in charge of the main stream media and the White House, it is no surprise that the overwhelming reaction to Israel's raid on the flotilla was one of condemnation.  These days it's hip to side with agents of terror over democratic allies......I've said it before and I'll say it again: if Alberta's Wildrose Alliance places many more 'disgruntled former Progressive Conservatives' in important positions, the public will have difficulty distinguishing them from the ruling P.C.s......great quote by a citizen of Tel Aviv, Israel yesterday on the site Atlas Shrugs: "I'm calling for an international inquiry commission to get to the bottom of what on earth led the US to build the World Trade Center smack in the middle of Al Qaeda's humanitarian peace flyby path, on 9/11"......a mosque? At Ground Zero?  Are you freakin' kidding me?......Canada's govermnent has reaffirmed it's commitment to pull our troops out of Afghanistan in 2011.  A Taliban spokesperson laughed hysterically and is reported to have said: 'they put a time limit on a war? Really?'......Dutch politician/FITNA film maker Geert Wilders - who is known for warning the free world of the dangers of radical Islam - is rumored to be in line for a cabinet position in his country's government. Another example of how other parts of the world have come to accept the seriousness of Islamic fascism better than North Americans......there is a group of gay Canadians who protest against what they call 'Israeli apartheid'.  The obvious irony is that Israel is the only country in the Middle East where they wouldn't be slaughtered for being homosexual......the U.N. approved sanctions against Iran.  To see how effective the move will be, see: North Korea, Iraq,......If - IF - the Republicans can conjure up a quality presidential candidate, Obama's nickname 'The One' could easily refer to his total number of terms......big controversy in Canada regarding Taliban and al Qaeda P.O.W.s.  Allegations are, after our Forces handed over some detainees to Afghan officials, the terrorist combatants were subjected to torture.  The question on the table is, what did the governent know?  My question is, who the hell cares?  They're terrorists......the Gore's have split up.  Unvarified rumors suggest strife ever since Al's carbon emissions caused Tipper to place a Parental Advisory label on the bathroom door......

Carnac the Magnificent holds the envelope to his forehead.
"Sanctions Against Iran."

Ed the Sidekick repeats, receives obligatory dirty look. Carnac opens the envelope and reads:

"Name a reason why the U.N. is useless."

Today, after a year and a half (!) of tense negotiations, the United Nations Security Council has approved a U.S. sponsored sanctions resolution against Iran over the rogue nation's growing nuclear program. 

Other than proving how incredibly slow the U.N. is to act on anything, there is little chance that this will reap the results intended. 

We all know how effective U.N. sanctions are. The overwhelming successes of North Korea and Iraq prove that, right?

The fact that Turkey voted against the resolution is telling.  How long do you figure it will be before we hear of freshly-listed illegal arms and supplies from Turkey being found in Iran?  Months? Weeks, even?

The bigger issue is the United Nations itself.  Long past the point of being able to present any kind of success or positive achievement, the organization is quickly becoming a polarizing figure.  To the political left, it is the capital of the New Global Government they are working so hard to create through such means as environmentalism.  To the right, it is a bloated, hypocritical circus with no credibility in reserve.

These sanctions are a do-nothing option for those who want to pretend have a purpose.  It is another example of the U.N.'s policy to 'yell, then yell louder!' at emerging international threats, instead of 'going all Dubya on them' and sending in the bombs.

Perhaps the answer is to be found not in the sleepy halls of the U.N. or even in the fumbling, bumbling, self-obsessed White House. 

Israel - the democracy located directly in the crosshairs of a nuclear Iran - has taken matters into its own hands before.

With the current wave of anti-Israeli sentiment sweeping the free world (those poor humanitarians on the flotilla! They were innoc...guns?  What guns?), I figure they have nothing to lose and possess every justification to again send a few planes into the air.

Hey, it's not like they can rely on the Obama administration for support.

Of course, the U.N. would have to sanction Israel.

It shouldn't take more than a few years.

I knew it had to happen.  It was only a matter of time.  This morning, I received a '...so, it's coming up soon.  The Big 4-0.  How does it feel?'

Not bad at all, to be honest.

Ten years ago, I approached the end of my 20's with a mix of fear and intimidation.  No longer could I pretend to be 'young'.  I had moved up the generation ladder and had to accept that I was a grown-up.  Life was over!

As I face the beginning of The Mountain of Lifes Ultimate Peak/It's All Downhill From Here/Greying Temples/Wrinkles/The Music's Too Loud/These Little Blue Pills are Great years, I do so sans hesitation or dread. 

Curiously, I find myself in somewhat of a retrospective mood.  My first 40 has seen some interesting moments in history.  Consider:

• I was fortunate enough to have experienced the Ronald Reagan presidency from start to finish.  Considered by many to be one of the greatest leaders in history, he formed my impression as to what a president should be. Reagan raised the standard to such heights that no one who has followed his path to the Oval Office has come anywhere close to matching.

• I witnessed the Berlin Wall come down (albeit on television), and eventually with it the Cold War.  Odd, but I now find myself remembering that particular issue with fondness.  There was something comforting about knowing who your enemies were, where they were, and what weapons they used. 

• Only with the assistance of time can I accept the truth that I had a front row seat to watch the greatest hockey player of all time.  During the best part of his career - spent with the Edmonton Oilers, arch-enemies and provincial rivals to my Calgary Flames - Wayne Gretzky was the bane of my existence.  I downright hated him.  The best player in the world playing for THAT team?  The day he was traded sold to Los Angeles, everyone in Canada was in a state of shock.  The difference was, in Calgary we were also giggling.  It is no coincidence that the Flames won their only Stanley Cup the next year.  Now, in retrospect, I will admit it: he was The Great One. 

• Alberta has been ruled by conservatives my entire life.  Born at the end of the Social Credit era and raised in a Progressive Conservative province, I spent enjoyed some incredible experiences with the P.C.s.  From the day as a child when I got the chance to sit in Peter Lougheed's chair in the Premier's Office, through the glorious Ralph Klein years, to the many P.C. election campaigns that I was involved in, to the experience of the P.C.s turning their back on conservatism and traditional Albertan values, to helping the formation the next great conservative dynasty - the Wildrose Alliance, I have been more than fortunate. 

Now, as I enter the Back 9, there are things I would never have believed years ago.  The American President is a socialist (I know what you thought I was going to say.  Shame on you!). Canada is enjoying a multi-year Conservative federal government.  The mass media, and a huge portion of the general public, is siding with the forces of terror over democracies such as Israel.  China has a booming economy.  Parts of Europe - not North America -  are waking up to the reality and dangers of Islam and unfettered immigration, and has begun to put the safety of its citizens ahead of pollitical-correctness. Keith Richards is still alive.

While I hold out hope that the U.S. will somehow give the world another Gipper, or that England will produce another Margaret Thatcher, or that the citizens of the free world will stop following red herrings like environmentalism and instead focus on the real issues, the truth is that history never repeats.  We can only learn from the past and use that knowledge to create the icons of the future.

You can bet I'll be ranting on them. 

So, how does it feel to be facing 40?  Pretty damn good, all things considered.

"Please Lord, give us another boom and I promise not to vote for Ed Stelmach next time."