New York has always held a sort of mystique to those from other places.  Beyond the usual icons - the Statue of Liberty, Broadway, the Empire State building, etc. - is the feel, the attitude of those who call NY home.

The resolve and the reaction in the face of the terror attacks of 9/11 only solidified that image. 

As the free world reeled from the shock, it was the people of New York who set the inspirational tone.  How they reacted reminded us - and taught the Islamofascist murderers - that it would take a hell of a lot more than flying jet planes into tall buildings to bring freedom and democracy to its knees.

(Some say all it took was the election of Obama, but I digress...)

But now, some nine years later, many of us who hail from nations who also lost citizens in the attacks are wondering if some New Yorkers have forgotten the lessons of that day.

Word from the U.S. is that there is a very heated debate going on regarding plans to build a Mosque right near Ground Zero. 

No, I did not make that up.

Imagine a Nazi shrine built in Auschwitz.

In a time when Canadian soldiers are fighting and dying in the war against Islamofascism in Afghanistan, while a societal struggle regarding the validity of the threat of Islam rages on at home between the naive politically-correct, pro-multicultural left and the wide-awake, realistic right, such a sign of subjugation is disheartening to say the least.

Those of us who stand vigilant against the infection of our free society by such harmful elements as 'honor killings' and Sharia law would consider a Ground Zero Mosque as the ultimate symbol of defeat.

And you can be damn sure the terrorists will see it as the ultimate symbol of victory.

Fortunately, there is a groundswell of opposition to the planned Mosque.  Families of the twin tower victims have repeatedly voiced their distain, and groups like Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) have become very active in the debate.  Hopefully their voices will be heard and they will make a difference.

If not, and the Mosque is built on the graves of the victims of radical Islam, citizens of the free world who once looked upon New York with admiration and awe in the aftermath of terror will instead wonder what the New York state of mind really is.

I intended this article to be my take on the topic du jour, namely the debate over the federal government's wish to do away with the intrusive 'long-form census' in favour of a voluntary 'short-form' version.

(Great take on it by Ezra Levant here.)

In fact, I had engaged in several discussion threads on the subject.  Those in support of the old forms filled with specific questions about race, religion, income, parenting skills, etc. argue that this information is needed by the feds in order to 'provide the proper level of services where required'. 

While pointing out the naivety of that statement is always tempting - electable issues and special interests dictate policy, not census statistics - my standard counter to this is the suggestion that perhaps we don't really want or need all of those government-run programs.

At that point the debate usually falls off the rails with calls of 'racist', 'neanderthal', 'dinosaur', 'redneck' and other various examples of leftwing intellectual superiority directed at me. 

As a result, my focus changed from the mundane 'socialist, big government versus small government' battle to trying to understand why many Canadians feel that handing over control of their lives, revealing their most personal information, to a group of elected morons is 'progress'.

Now, I have lived all my life in this country.  I know all too well the leftwing pablum being fed to the people from cradle to grave.  This is no shock.

The conditioning has been going on for decades in Canada.  Even when a conservative party is in power it is a big conservative government, as is currently the case.

The fact that a minister looking at cutting off a little slice of government intrusion into the lives of citizens is so rare, it should be celebrated rather than condemned.

There was a time when I didn't feel it necessary to have to explain to my American friends the dangers of transforming a free-thinking, independent, capitalist society into a socialist nanny-state. 

Hell, they won a Cold War against such an inhumane system.

But the election of Barack Obama and subsequent attempts by his administration to move the United States sharply to the left has reminded me that perhaps a refresher is needed, an actual valid example of the kind of policies that result from big, intrusive, overbearing government.

And as if my magic, the perfect example/warning appeared in today's news. 

"Woman denied government job because of race" http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/07/20/14772656.html

Progress?  I think I'll stay the dinosaur.

Mexico, Japan, Sweden, Norway, China, Serbia, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Denmark, France, Philippines, Spain, Austria, South Africa, Ukraine, Isreal, South Korea, Chile, …..(Writers note: I thought I’d make a theoretical list of potential customers for Alberta’s oil sands. While I have every confidence that my American friends are not gullible enough to believe the latest enviroNazi-created anti-Alberta oil sands campaign, from time to time even the best and brightest of Canada’s neighboring nation have been known to get sucked into choosing sizzle over steak and falling for spin (Obama). Surely, Americans can see through a transparent cover story of such a group, namely their claim that shutting down the oil sands [which contribute less than one tenth of one percent of total global greenhouse emissions] is their goal when their true intent is actually the complete end of all global use of fossil fuels in true one-world-government fashion, right?)…….Russia, North Korea, Australia, England, New Zealand, Germany, Fiji, Paraguay, Afghanistan, Georgia, Scotland, Portugal, Italy, Cuba, …..


Oil sands Facts & Statistics: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/791.asp

I though I'd start off this round with a joke: Obama, the two-term president.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.......  the latest regarding the 'Climategate' conspiracy saw the most recent inquiry - which lasted a whole day - 'exonerate' scientists at the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia (UEA).  This followed the conclusions of two previous inquires, both of which were done internally by the UAE.  Does anyone trust an organization, caught red-handed with evidence of fraud, lies, and collusion, to investigate itself? (hat tip to Lorrie Goldstein, QMI Agency).......  White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs found himself in hot water for his opinion that the Republicans could take the House in the fall. This led to a closed-door meeting for Democrats.  Unconfirmed reports suggest House speaker Nancy Pelosi was extremely agitated over the comments, while others claimed that she had just woke up on the wrong side of the web.......  so the NAACP is calling the Tea Party crowd 'racist'.  This would be an example of the pot calling the kettle...um, black...except in this instance, the kettle isn't racist.  Projection, anyone?.......   Liberal opposition leader Michael Ignatieff's East-to-West cross-country tour is off to a typical liberalesque start.  After a speech in Hawkesbury, Ontario, his 'Liberal express' bus broke down.  No matter what the Liberals do, they just can't break through to the West.......  Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston are back together, proving that intelligence is not a genetic trait.......  there should be a permanent memorial or similar recognition for Canada's 'Highway of Heroes', the section of Ontario's 401 between Glen Miller Road in Trenton and the intersection of the Don Valley Parkway and Highway 404 in Toronto that is often travelled by a convoy of vehicles carrying a fallen soldier's body returning from Afghanistan.  The crowds that line the overpasses to pay their respects has become international news and a proud, patriotic symbol at home.......  the Toronto G8/G20 is long over, but the finger-pointing goes on and on with talk of police inquiries, allegations of false arrests, etc.  World leaders: next time, use web cams.......  my Republican dream-team: Palin-Bolton 2012.......  the only thing standing in the way between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his elusive majority government is Stephen Harper.......  a solution to the 'Bloc Quebecois' problem: make it mandatory that any party running in a federal election have at least one candidate in each province and territory.  Good luck to the Quebec separatists on that one.......  Canadian 'prince of pot' Marc Emery has been extradited, convicted, and jailed down in the U.S. for selling seeds over the internet.  The entire benefit this has created: not one gram less on the street, but one less space in an American jail for a real criminal...... Mel Gibson goes on another racist, sexist tirade that grabs the attention of the world over, yet I'd still rather have a beer with him than his Hugo Chavez-loving, socialist, crap-weasel Lethal Weapon co-star Danny Glover.

10. “What should I do next, Senior Chavez?”

9. “You mean BP doesn’t stand for Boston Pizza?”

8.”Honestly, Barack! A teleprompter in the bedroom?”

7. “I’m not sure a Che Guevara wall flag in the Oval Office is a good idea, Mr. President.”

6. “Heads, we take over the auto industry. Tails, we nationalize the oil industry.”

5. “Apology list: Iraq –check. Saudi Arabia – check. Palestine – check. Syria…”

4. “Canada’s health care system is a perpetual money-sucking vortex that has resulted in bloated bureaucracy, demanding unions, longer wait times, and a steady exodus of their best and brightest professionals out of the country. Finally we’ve found the perfect template for Obamacare!”

3. “Sean Penn, line two.”

2. “Have they chosen someone to play me in the movie yet?”

1. “Damn Bush keeps calling, laughing, and hanging-up.”

We have seen companies do it. We've seen self-important Hollywood directors do it.  Now the latest sensation has hit the Obama administration.

The fad is to reject and slander Canada's oil sands without knowing anything about the subject. 

Like Bed, Bath, and Beyond and James 'king of the world' Cameron (who, after calling Alberta's emerging energy crown jewel a 'black eye' for Canada, admitted knowing virtually nothing about the topic), current U.S. chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee Henry Waxman has shown his level of ignorance regarding the oil sands.

News broke this week that Waxman had urged the State Department to block TransCanada's planned Keystone XL pipeline that would run from Hardisty, Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

This pipeline represents a direct line from the safest and largest non-American source of oil to the U.S.  There are no dictators to deal with, no terrorists threats.  America's ally and closest friend has a most valuable resource, and Waxman is asking his own government to ignore it.

As is the annoying norm, Waxman's reasoning was smattered with the usual environmental flavor.  Funny how the best example of recycling the left does is with their talking points.

The trend to make Canada's oil 'evil' in the name of going Green is nothing new.  Neither is someone spouting off on a pro-enviroNazi rant in an attempt to score cheap political points.

Of course, Waxman fails to suggest alternatives.  It isn't as if America is going to go off oil any time soon.

Is he suggesting that it is better for America to continue its reliance on places like Saudi Arabia instead of Canada?  Would Waxman rather his country deal with a nation that holds a horrible human rights record or is led by a corrupt government, as opposed to the neighbor and ally to the North?

I would suggest that above all others, the best question Henry Waxman should be asked - and if any of my American friends want to take the ball and run with this, by all means do so - is a simple one with an environmental flavor of it's own:

How much of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are caused by Alberta's evil, vicious, Satanic oil sands?

The answer is less than one-tenth of one per cent of the world’s emissions.

If Waxman cannot answer that basic question without the help of advisers or Google, then he has no reason to make such a request of his government.

Like that annoying person in the choir who is habitually a half-beat behind the rest while singing, Alberta premier Ed 'don't call me Ned Flanders' Stelmach's criticism of Canada's head of intelligence has once again proved his need for a metronome.

Richard Fadden, the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), recently said his agency was concerned about Canadian politicians being under the sway of foreign governments.

"We're in fact a bit worried in a couple of provinces, that we have an indication that there's some political figures who have developed quite an attachment to foreign countries," said Fadden.

This caused the inevitable uproar in some circles, as the comments by Fadden were made in general terms and did not include specifics.  This is not uncommon and completely understandable, given his profession.

The allegation that our political scene could have been infiltrated by 'operatives' working under the direction of foreign interests should surprise no one, especially coming from the very top of our intelligence community. 

Given Canada's history of moving towards Trudeau's vision of a multi-cultural utopia at the expense of such things as a proper immigration system that wouldn't weaken our overall national security, to reject such a claim out of hand would be completely naive.

Cue Ed Stelmach.

The Alberta premier called Fadden 'irresponsible' for making the suggestion without including more specific information.  Apparently Stelmach doesn't understand the concept of 'national security'. 

Given the choice of who to believe between CSIS and the Alberta P.C.'s, I'll pick the intelligence agency every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Imagine if CSIS warned of a pending terror attack on Canadian soil, but couldn't give specific details because it would show our hand to the bad guys.

Would Stelmach's reaction be the same?  'We don't believe you because you didn't specify an exact time, type of attack, or weapons used.'

What we cannot understand is why Stelmach is speaking out on this matter at all.  There were no references to him, his office, his party, or his government.  So why is he so quick to lash out?  If his purpose was to quell any suspicion, he has failed.

Instead, some now wonder what prompted his diatribe. 

While I would not doubt the presence of spies in our province - Alberta does possess the valuable oil sands - the answer is most likely a simple one.

Milquetoast Ed desperately needed to deflect public focus from his own government's embarrassments and failures.   Fadden's comments were a convenient, if not belated, excuse.