Category Archives: Major Issues

Refugee Impasse

©2015 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee   [caption id="attachment_3512" align="alignnone" width="640"]Refugee Impasse: Desperate Syrians at the Turkish border Refugee Impasse: Desperate Syrians at the Turkish border[/caption]    

The Refugee Impasse: A Lack of Humanity

  The lack of humanity in the Syrian refugee impasse  is failing not only the refugees, but all of civilizaton.   The  appalling clash of circumstance the global community has allowed to fester is unacceptable to any reasonable observer.  Let's be frank and very, very clear about that, being a kind and long-time observer of humanity  I do not like or accept what is taking place—nor should anyone like or accept  the status quo of the refugee impasse.  

"Stories emerging and images of the growing refugee impasse, incidents of abuse of helpless families and individuals  are disturbing, disgusting and inhumane."

   

A futile Escape —to Another Prison?

Syrian refugees are desperately attempting to escape civil war, bombs,  death,  ISIS fanatics, and the resulting impossible living and economic  circumstance.  Thousands are risking their lives crossing the sea toward Europe--and walking hundreds of kilometers —in a desperate, futile bid for life. They have no support, no food, or water. No shelter from inclement conditions whether they are man, woman, child or infant. They are being blocked, delayed, and abused and sometimes fed like animals by uncaring officials,  border guards, police, and upset, scared  populations, jurisdictions both unable and afraid to shoulder the incredible  cultural responsibility and cost  of taking them in —or even  allowing them to simply pass across their territory northward into Europe. This unprecedented  refugee impasse grows worse by the day.  Hungary closed, flee to Croatia, closed,  then on to other escape routes that may end up in buses or trains —deviously scheduled to go back to Hungary. We must ask if  these innocent people  are caught in a futile escape trap,and will end up hauled to a different sort of prison.. A seemingly forever refugee camp. Somewhere If they are lucky to survive dangerous water crossings and other challenges. The news and images of the growing refugee impasse, incidents of abuse of helpless families and individuals  are disturbing, disgusting and inhumane.  

What is the Real Problem?

Europeans are overwhelmed by the prospect of such a huge commitment and are building fences of fear. Economic refugee overload has  taken place so rapidly, borders have now  been  tightened to choke off the influx of desperate Syrians. The unknown.  People of a different culture and religion.  Which is the weightier  problem, inhumane fences of razor wire, pepper spray and riot control-equipped police battling an influx of the poor, or the global perception of Islam?   Brutal incidents have flooded the media, flashing around the world in shocked airwaves. The body of a young child tragically found drowned  on a beach both enraged and  temporarily touched collective hearts. For a few days.     Doors and travel corridors are now being slammed shut.  European Union countries are embattled in disagreements for quotas of refugees.  North America is reluctant to accept more than a dribble of refugees, citing security issues.  Rich Arab countries are reportedly not accepting refugees If not rich Arab nations, who? And why?  Questions must be asked. Uncomfortable questions.       Is it the immediate cost involved, the long-term obligation required, racism,  ignorance, apathy,  or is the worrisome shadow of Islam a root problem?  You get to decide.  In fact, we all get to decide,  and if nations fail to act, we  all get to  hang our heads in shame.  

The Time is Now

Regardless of individual and collective opinions, allegations of racism, or political convenience,  civilization must do more.  Human decency demands immediate solutions. Food, shelter and security is required for these people now,  not tomorrow, not after big important meetings  next week, not next month, or next year.  There can be no excuses.  Think about it.  

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Posted in Civilization, Humanity, Life, Major Issues, Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Elections: Politicians on Trial

©2015 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee         [caption id="attachment_3170" align="aligncenter" width="240"]Jail bars Go to Jail[/caption]    

At Election Time --Should Society Put All Politicians On Trial?

  North American airwaves are buzzing with static-talking bobble-heads and political-media overload.   We  don't have to wonder why. Election hype. Politicians on trial...   Politicians on trial? What? Scandalous!  What? Revelations?  What? Here at Incoming Bytes we'd like to  put'em all on trial.  Is there really anything new in politics?   Let us repeat that, is there really anything new in politics? Guess. Our astute readers already know the answer.   It's a game. The same old, same old.  It's a party.  Corruption.  Self-entitlement. Who said this, who knew, when, where and why. Election talk. Gleeful mean-mouthing,  blood-letting, mud-slinging and  political rhetoric; assumptions, pretense, hollow promises,  and deceit..Evil lawyer's tricks, half-truths... Tongue in cheek...Wow another election, another Party. That's exciting isn't it. Canada?  No. it's predictable.   Is it coffee time yet?

In Ottawa,  Nigel Wright,  ex-Chief of Staff, one-time right-hand man for Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, has been testifying at the infamous Mike Duffy Senate corruption trial, a process promising to reveal  little if any genuine and believable truth.  IN the minds of many observers, the trial is promising to be a joke —if uncomfortable for the PM now facing voters.  An endless, expensive trial and sad commentary on the increasingly disgusting, bloated, vortex-shaped hog trough of blatant Senate self-entitlement and coverup of corruption.  A free-wheeling, corrupt institution revealed. Apparently with self-imposed, self-governed, self-approved, rubbery, slippery, and outrageous  discretionary rules, that is.   A glaring,  sucking money-pit of hypocrites and liars Canadians now abhor and an institution Canadians want abolished.

Americans might have Donald Trump in the headlines, but in Ottawa Nigel the smiling, devious  boy    continues to relay heroic tales about his happily/ unhappily 'contributing' $90K or so —by check from his own bank account  to 'help' "Senator" Duffy repay some 'improper expenses which "came to light''.

 That brilliant move by Mr. Wright  was seemingly an effort to aid the Conservative party in hiding an ongoing conspiracy to deceive Canadians in "the House of Sober Second Thought".  Thanks, Nigel, what a helpful fellow.   Nigel  now maintains he took this action unilaterally, —get this revelation, alert people — "without  the approval OR knowledge of 'good to go'  Mr. Stephen Harper". uh, huh!   Um...). And got relieved of his job for doing so. Right.  His replacement, Ray Novak,  Harper's friend, and Wright's 'replacement' "didn't read emails" taking over the job.   Why, sure, we believe that too.

The smell of blood is everywhere,  a blatant cover-up; it may be a daisy, but smells like rot, —with the  election right on schedule.  The Opposition is rumbling, the PM is deadpanning, his body posture betraying him , but he is sticking to his Prepared Creative-Harper Script which is simply not believable.   Picture this, folks,  Duffy, a portly, sweating Harper-appointed Senator,  smiles as he shuffles his way in to court.  Shall Canadians all laugh gleefully  now?  "Improper expenses repaid" with full knowledge of the Conservative Party, Senators,  the now 'ex' Chief of Staff, and the new Chief of Staff  who apparently pretends he does not read emails about significant issues at his new job—as well as other staffers in the PM's office. And with the knowledge of at least one senior Senator reportedly pushing  the auditors  (DT)  for a better, more suitable outcome. —Cool! Is that influence-buying ? Everyone knows.    (But *ahem,*    "not* Stephen Harper, the leader, micro-controlling Stephen,  holding the scripted let's fool the electorate speech in la-la-land  and of COURSE,  he continues to insist he knew nothing...) Why not? Well sure,  all Canadians believe in the tooth fairy and the Mad Hatter  too. Just ask Alice. 

We think Stephen Harper should be called to the stand.  Even some of his own angry troops don't believe his story,  and cuss out the media (with expletives) when questions are asked.  Long-time Conservatives demanding the truth are "escorted" out of the meetings....Too easy.

 

"Senator" Mike Duffy, as crooked as he has been charged,  is only ONE of several Senators either on suspension, trial, heading for jail and/or under investigation by the RCMP.  He and 58 other friends were appointed by  Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the promising, but failed wannabe Senate-abolisher.

 

"We guess 10 years in power with a majority government isn't long enough to start governing, or abolishing anything . Uh, huh. It's a tough life isn't it?  —avoiding off-script media questions and making big political off-script boo-boos, that is.     Electioneering, that's it, we're *electioneering,  we're good to go...with a  big, steaming pile of it.  Alice, we're good to go.  Did'ya get that?


 

Note:  *The country's earliest, most expensive, and longest- ever election call* in Canada  — at an estimated $500M Cdn cost to Canadian taxpayers; a sad spectre of 78 days of political shoveling, wheedling,  blather, stumping , lies, half-truths, impossible promises, rallies by invitation only...You get the idea.

 

 

There is little hope of life returning to normal;  summer is promising to be a steaming pile without sunscreen.  With angry, skeptical voters, we may soon want to begin putting all politicians on trial. No kidding. 

 

Here at Incoming Bytes  alert observers will want to go further;  put politicians on trial AND run'em all out of town on a rail...er...well, okay,  the best solution for Canadians may be  earplugs, beaches, barbecues or some other simple  entertainment.


 

 

       speaking of which...

 

Meanwhile in USA-Land, more Politicians on Trial

    Look no further. Why?  A generic billionaire South of the border  —Donald Trump, that is —has been outrunning  Republican Presidential-nominees into  collective single-digit poll ratings  like sorry,   one-use sneakers.   Trump says it?  It's what he thinks, brash or not.  Ding-ding-ding, Alice.  It comes across as honesty, get that?   A lot of folks take exception to what he says. Or thinks.  That's everything.  Is honesty simple entertainment?   The dreaded Donald is up front in the exciting Presidential chicken-run, leading and thriving in an apparent PC Republican bloodbath. Dice and slice, more of the same old, same old.    Blood from the ears, and wherever else, he says,  but with political sweat and  tears  the media points scratchy, painted rainbow fingernails at Donald Trump's style and  atrocious commentary.  Eyes big and round, political tut-tuts... politically-correct Republicans are having apoplectic fits...listening to Donald, their worst nightmare.

Common sense is  lacking everywhere.  Is Trump the man, a flash in the pan, or serious?  Here at Incoming Bytes  we  smack our heads on our dusty laptop keyboards  and wonder at the  low quality of political entertainment.  Let's go to the beach instead.  You get the idea.  Spend billions building sand castles close to big waves.  Just like politicians do.   Go fishing but not for the truth.  Bury our heads in the sand and practice avoidance.  It's August after all, summertime at its best. Beat the heat.

What's the real fix?

  Maybe we really have to do hard things first. Fix reality.  Maybe we really do have to put all politicians on trial, and demand better.  Feet to the fire for all political liars. Recall. Impeachment for deception, incompetence,  transgressions unforgivable;  no fat salaries, no lifetime  fat pensions, no rewards of any kind for crooks, thieves and devious political opportunists. Real Prison time  for corruption. Jail bars.  No home-free policy for  politicians on trial. No evil lawyer's tricks allowed. In the old West they would say 'hang'em high, pardner" and squint into the sunset.   Okay,  North America, forget it,  just wear earplugs and put on rose-coloured glasses instead.  Pretend, Alice... Don't forget the sunscreen.  There's an idea.     #

 

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