Canadian Cons Desertify Planet with Tar sands, Pull Out of UN Conferen

[Κairos]

Canadian Cons Desertify Planet with Tar Sands, Pull Out of UN Conference on Combating Drought and Famine

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/03/28/pol-un-convention-drought-desertification-harper-baird.html

The Harper government is a shameless disgrace.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Κairos

[RNG]

The Harper government decided to save some money that was being used for more UN corruption and eye-candy. If it goes to reducing our deficit, home grown ecological work or more graft for politicians, it will still do more good than anything through the UN. At least he has the nerve to act correctly.

[TimG]

I find it interesting that so many people simply disengage their brain when it comes to UN initiatives. They don't care if it is effective or even helpful. All they care is it has the UN label on it and the cause sounds worthwhile. It is nothing but the triumph of style over substance.

[Moonlight Graham]

I find it interesting that so many people simply disengage their brain when it comes to UN initiatives. They don't care if it is effective or even helpful. All they care is it has the UN label on it and the cause sounds worthwhile. It is nothing but the triumph of style over substance.

I agree. I think a lot of political issues are style over substance. It's really hard to make a judgment on whether this was the right call for the Harper gov or not. I mean, the Cons say one thing and the NDP say the opposite is true. In order to get any clear sense of whether this was the right call or not, one would have to really look into this initiative and see what it's goal is, how it works, how the money is funded and distributed, and how the whole thing functions with then a sort of cost-benefit analysis.

[Accountability Now]

I agree. I think a lot of political issues are style over substance. It's really hard to make a judgment on whether this was the right call for the Harper gov or not. I mean, the Cons say one thing and the NDP say the opposite is true.

Its the NDP's job as the officical opposition to be against whatever the Conservatives say. The Conservatives would do the same thing if they were the oppostion. Sometimes looking to our goverment to see what is 'right' is very challenging. Having said that, I would agee with not going along with the UN hype.

[Mighty AC]

It seems like an odd move when we've already paid the $315,000.

[Accountability Now]

It seems like an odd move when we've already paid the $315,000.

Maybe I'm wrong but was it an annual payment? This was like cutting the subscription?

[Moonlight Graham]

Its the NDP's job as the officical opposition to be against whatever the Conservatives say. The Conservatives would do the same thing if they were the oppostion. Sometimes looking to our goverment to see what is 'right' is very challenging.

Isn't it the official opposition's job to challenge what the government does that they think is wrong, not just to challenge any and everything they do? I guess that's their job in theory haha, it seems they challenger them on anything that could be considered to undermine their credibility and power.

[kairos]

If the Conservatives have a problem about UN corruption then they can voice it. What they have done here is disgraceful. Hundreds of thousands of people starve to death every year from famine and drought. To not even be willing to discuss their plight in an international forum is disgraceful.

To add to that its obvious the Harper administration doesn't want to get involved in such conferences not simply because they are upset with UN corruption, but because they would have to face their own responsibility for the thousands of people that are dying of drought and famine due to their disgraceful environmental policies.

[shortlived]

Canadian Cons Desertify Planet with Tar Sands, Pull Out of UN Conference on Combating Drought and Famine

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/03/28/pol-un-convention-drought-desertification-harper-baird.html

The Harper government is a shameless disgrace.

How much of your money did you donate?

why the hell are they taxing Canadians to help an African problem?

They don't like the land they should sell it. Its not like drip irrigation is an unknown science. Israel turned its desert into usuable land on its own, why are Africans suddently incapable of solving their own problems?

Personally I view this initiative as flushing money down the toilet.

I firmly believe any Canadian foreign aid should be in the form of business partnership. If there is no economic value to the aid it is pointless to put money to it its not an issue needing money.

Africans are probably harder workers than Canadians so they should be able to work a solution to their problem.

Canada's public debt is huge, indebted countries shouldn't giving money away. They aren't the ones with the money, it is rich people that should be giving money to solve these problems not the poor. Canada ain't rich it does't have money to throw away.

Edited March 29, 2013 by shortlived

[Moonlight Graham]

why the hell are they taxing Canadians to help an African problem?

They don't like the land they should sell it. Its not like drip irrigation is an unknown science. Israel turned its desert into usuable land on its own, why are Africans suddently incapable of solving their own problems?

Personally I view this initiative as flushing money down the toilet.

I firmly believe any Canadian foreign aid should be in the form of business partnership. If there is no economic value to the aid it is pointless to put money to it its not an issue needing money.

Africans are probably harder workers than Canadians so they should be able to work a solution to their problem.

Canada's public debt is huge, indebted countries shouldn't giving money away. They aren't the ones with the money, it is rich people that should be giving money to solve these problems not the poor. Canada ain't rich it does't have money to throw away.

I haven't read a post on here in a long time containing more ridiculous nonsense based on such a severe lack of knowledge of the subjects mentioned. It also morally offends me, but morality is subjective. It would take me a week to properly respond to this post so I won't even bother.

[kairos]

I pay taxes and am perfectly willing to have my tax dollars go towards helping against famine. It would be a far better spending of tax payer's money than for new F35 fighters costing hundreds of millions!!!!!

"A recent study commissioned by twenty governments
concluded that almost 400,000 are dying each year now from the effects
of Climate Change. A disproportionate number of those are in the regions
that are suffering most from drought and desertification.


Canada has just become the only country to withdraw from UN efforts to
relieve this problem. Effectively, the present government is saying let
them die: we have a deficit that is more important than human life.

To save $350,000 dollars! Not that much more than Harper's salary!


This is one more helping of the fodder to the contempt that Canada is
earning in the world after its repeated sabotaging of International
conferences to address the issue of Climate: and to being the only
country in the world to withdraw from Kyoto.


Action on Climate within Canada is a farce, federally, and a pretext. If
it were not for the concern of a few provinces Canada would, by actual
measurement, be the worst performing country in the world in mitigation
efforts.

Is there no end to the cynical callousness of the "Harper (sic)
government? Apart from the domestic malaise that is being inflicted by
the CPC, can Canada afford the continuation of the International
embarrassment?"

Edited March 29, 2013 by kairos

[RNG]

There are a variety of both private and Canadian government funded agencies working in the third world on these problems. I would much sooner see the monies which would have gone to the UN where most of it is spent on headline grabbing conferences rather than actually providing any help be directed to those efforts.

[kairos]

The conservatives aren't spending it on either. They are simply doing nothing about the famine and drought which they play a major role in increasing through their mad environmental policies.

Edited March 29, 2013 by kairos

[August1991]

Canadian Cons Desertify Planet with Tar Sands, Pull Out of UN Conference on Combating Drought and Famine

...

The Harper government is a shameless disgrace.

WTF? Tar sands, drought, Conservatives, UN. To me, the connection between these terms is not obvious.

If the Conservatives have a problem about UN corruption then they can voice it. What they have done here is disgraceful. Hundreds of thousands of people starve to death every year from famine and drought. To not even be willing to discuss their plight in an international forum is disgraceful.

Famine in the world is one thing. The UN is something else.

-----

The UN?

IMHO, in this modern world of the Internet, the UN is a complete waste of time and money. It is a place where dictators receive credence and bureaucrats receive easy money.

In 1946, the United Nations was designed as a place where government representatives from around the world could talk to one another. Rockefeller gave the UN a valuable place on the East Side of Manhattan, and hired a good architect. Well, 50 years later, we now have the Internet where people around the world can talk to one another - using Google translate if necessary.

----

In the past, Napoleon never met or spoke to Alexander I. Despite being allies, George III never met or spoke to Frederick the Great. Then again, in the 18th century, Skype didn't exist. Heck, they didn't even have phones.

In the 2000s, government representatives (bureaucrats, spending other people's money) fly hither and yon to various conferences and meetings. God knows how many times Putin has met a US president, and how many limousines and staff were transported to the meeting.

Nowadays, ordinary people can talk directly. We don't need government representatives for such things.

Edited March 29, 2013 by August1991

[August1991]

I pay taxes and am perfectly willing to have my tax dollars go towards helping against famine.

If what you say is true, then you would want nothing to do with giving your tax money to the UN or any of its organizations.

[Bryan]

Any time our government thumbs it's nose at a UN initiative, that should be a source of pride for Canadians. The more distance we put between us and that corrupt organization the better.

[waldo]

Any time our government thumbs it's nose at a UN initiative, that should be a source of pride for Canadians. The more distance we put between us and that corrupt organization the better.

aside from your moral bankruptcy and perpetuting a broad-based UN bashing meme, are you advocating for an alternative international body that the community of nations can support/work with? Cause, uhhh... that grand plan doesn't fit with recent examples of HarperConservative isolationism from the 'community of nations'. Africa famine/drought?... bah - let them eat sand, hey Bry!

[Shady]

Any time our government thumbs it's nose at a UN initiative, that should be a source of pride for Canadians. The more distance we put between us and that corrupt organization the better.

Well said!

[waldo]

UN bashers... please form a line to the right - thank you!

[Topaz]

The question I would ask the Tories is the organization THEY give to, what's the % really gets to the cause?? Any extra money save would probably go for adversting of the tiring ads on "Canada's Action Plan".

[waldo]

The question I would ask the Tories is the organization THEY give to, what's the % really gets to the cause?? Any extra money save would probably go for adversting of the tiring ads on "Canada's Action Plan".

here, here! Considering the "Action Plan" doesn't even exist anymore... and we have HarperConservative apologists trumpeting fiscal restraint to the tune of saving $315K to allow Canada to be the single lone wolf choosing not to engage the community of nations! Anyone have those Canada Action Plan advertising cost figures?

[Argus]

On the surface this sounds like a worthwhile initiative, but really, there isn't a damned thing anyone can do about drought or desertification. Spending millions on conferences and meetings and studies seems a pointless exercise. You need water. That means you need to either be able to change the weather - not likely - or draw in water from elsewhere or underground. This isn't something that requires decades of input from scientists and paper churning UN bureaucrats. Can anyone attest that this organization has ever accomplished or is likely to ever accomplish anything substantial by way of eliminating drought or desertification?

[waldo]

hey now - found em... HarperConservative advertising costs... and there's a quibble about $315K here! C'mon!

Economic Action Plan: Harper Government Reportedly Spent $21M On Ads In 2011-12

The Harper government spent $21 million on major advertising campaigns under its Economic Action Plan brand in 2011-12, according to the latest annual report on ad spending.

Ottawa shelled out $78.5 million in the last fiscal year telling Canadians about everything from the switch to digital TV and the War of 1812, to elder abuse and anti-drug messaging.

"The central theme remained the promotion of key initiatives, programs and benefits available to Canadians through Canada's Economic Action Plan," says the introduction to the Public Works report.

[Shady]

On the surface this sounds like a worthwhile initiative, but really, there isn't a damned thing anyone can do about drought or desertification. Spending millions on conferences and meetings and studies seems a pointless exercise. You need water. That means you need to either be able to change the weather - not likely - or draw in water from elsewhere or underground. This isn't something that requires decades of input from scientists and paper churning UN bureaucrats. Can anyone attest that this organization has ever accomplished or is likely to ever accomplish anything substantial by way of eliminating drought or desertification?

Exactly. Perhaps they've never heard of irrigation.