A Simple Statement Of (Rationalist/Atheist) Creed

It is high time to realize that it is not wise to continue indulging irrational, ideology-driven, religious-driven, science-rejecting, mendacious, folks by allowing them to spew their bullshit without being called upon it - for the lame sake of "civility". Allow me to offer to you my argument why:

For too long now, too numerous people out there have been allowed a veritable destructive wide range of leeway to put forth their creationist/religious arguments based from incredulity/ignorance, outright self-serving/self-centered self-righteous feelings/beliefs, mendacious bullshit -if not outright lies- regarding science and scientific facts, and/or devious/malicious bastardization/corruption of scientific knowledge and understanding, all with the unavoidable result of conveying the (absolutely wrong-headed and false) impression that such (non)arguments constitute "valid, reasonable points" to be considered in the same balance as ... actually tested/verified/demonstrated scientific facts.

Now, as I opined before, such primitive-minded folks are in effect irredeemable. However, through it all, it is always all those other folks out there, those that are "sitting on the sidelines", that have been going away from such discussions between rationalists/scientists and religious/creationists/fundamentalists with the said wrong-headed/false perception that the "religious" arguments constitute valid, reasonable counter-points to scientifically established facts - thus consequently leading to the current, sad and confused state of affairs (re: evolution, global warming/climate change, vaccination, etc.).

Do you know how the 18-19th century era is named by an overwhelming consensus of historians? It is named the "Age of Enlightenment" or the "Age of Reason". Why? Because that is when science - and the scientific method- truly came into its own, already then flaying hard and fast at irrationality and superstition with its 100 mm-caliber bullets of reason, rationality and scientifically tested/verified/demonstrated acquired knowledge -of us, of life, of the world, or our solar system, of our galaxy, of our universe- and cutting foolishness down without a second thought (and deservingly so).

And yet, some 200-250 years later, it is as if we are right back when (then) we started - except with the paradoxical fact that science and knowledge has improved/increased a million fold (especially over the last 30-50 years!). How has this come about? Well, this is obviously another discussion for another time, of course. Be that as it may, here we are now in the 21st century - and yet so many folks still reject evolution (as but one example), purely for superstitious/religious/theistic beliefs. This is where my observation from the earlier paragraph comes into full play: a large part as to why we find ourselves "stuck back" essentially to prior the 19th century is precisely because for far too long not enough of us has ever called out the ignorance, bullshit and outright mendacity of religious/creationist/primitive-minded people right in their faces - and especially for the benefit of all those other folks out there who "are not sure", "don't know", or "are confused" ... i.e. sitting on the sidelines of this artificial (non)debate.

Hence, that is why I've resolved a long time ago to call out arguments from ignorance and incredulity for what they are. That is why I've resolved to call out bullshit and outright lies/bastardizations/corruption regarding facts that have been established/tested/verified/demonstrated scientifically. That is also why I do not even bother to put on kid gloves, let alone "civil" or diplomatic ones, with such indecent, immoral people. For too long they've been allowed to push utter bullshit without being called out for it.

Thus we must draw the line once and for all. Now and forever.

Therefore, such people must not only be called out for their intellectual dishonesty, their willful ignorance and/or outright mendacity, but they must also be deservingly ridiculed in order to expose them for what they truly are - *especially* for the benefit of all those others that remain "on the sidelines".

This is my honest creed regarding such matters - from attacks on scientific knowledge and the scientific method, through continuous assaults on reason and rationality, to political/ideological hypocrisy/pandering/fearmongering (rightwingers, theocrats, creationists/IDists, climate change-denialists and/or authoritarians, anyone?).

That is because I sincerely, genuinely, fear for the future of Humanity. I look historically at the Christian Middle Ages and I weep. I look historically at Islam in the 900-1100's CE (do you know how many stars have Arabic names? Almost all of them! Where do the "zero" comes from? Where do "Arabic numerals", our very numerical system, come from? Etc.), and how by 1200 CE they crashed down towards full theocracy and a consequent dark age of ignorance (continuing to this day, albeit I grant other external colonial forces contributed to such perpetuation), and I also weep.

I likewise look historically at what has been going on since the 1950's (Cold War years) and, especially, since the last decade, and I am frankly scared as to how this will end up if We. Keep. Playing. "Reasonable". Instead. Of. Calling. Out. Frankly. Their. Bullshit.

That is why I am "militant" in such matters. Now, mind you, I'm not seeking here the "atheismation" of the world. I'll be somewhat content if the majority of folks at the very least become like the Kenneth Millers of the world - folks who accept the reality of evolution, while doing their own mental gymnastics privately to reconcile said acceptance with their religious beliefs (with the added bonus of not really trying to impose their religious beliefs upon others).

Of course, I'd rather see the world completely free of superstition and religion ... but as a pragmatist, realist, rationalist -and yes, scientist-, I've no problem about going at this one step a a time.

So, in conclusion, we must realize and understand that we can no longer indulge fundamentalist/creationist people - or all those that would deny/reject reason, rationality and scientific facts. They constitute a veritable -critical- problem. They must be exposed and ridiculed for what they are - primitive-minded ignoramuses -, if only for the potential benefit of all those others that keep "sitting on the fence" ...

... and let's not forget that, at least for the time being, it is *they* that constitute the actual majority, eh?

Hence, for the future, I say: be proud, stand up, and shout at the religious buffoons!

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Apology Of A Poseur

(The following was inspired by Deepak Chopra's quackery-laden and hypocritically self-serving review of Richard Dawkins' book, The Magic of Reality. And yes, I do use herein a lot of Deepak Chopra's very own arrogant, self-condemning words. Enjoy).

I find myself saddened - yet also outraged - by Richard Dawkins’ latest written offering, an intellectually dishonest waste of paper titled The Magic of Reality. As you all know, I have written many substantive books concerning my personal revelation and enlightened understanding of the Quantum Nature of the Universe, of Consciousness and, ultimately, of God. In fact, my body of work so far constitutes a significant part of an overwhelmingly large ensemble of considered treatments, from many modern intellectual, theological and spiritual quarters, that irrefutably establishes the non-illusory existence of God. Hence, as a world-renowned best-selling author whose written works have helped countless fellow human beings better understand such Quantum Nature of our souls, of our spirituality and of our universal connection to everything, and thus providing a living framework of spiritual self-improvement for hundred of millions of you, I feel it incumbent upon me to offer a serious – yet thoughtful - critique of Dawkins’ latest sortie.

To put it bluntly, Dawkins, a dogmatic atheist and scientist of popular fame whom I strongly perceive to have the arrogance of thinking himself immune to critical challenge, demonstrates with his recent book to be clearly on an ominous and destructive mission to prove that all spirituality is the field of fools and knaves. Indeed, not only does Dawkins continue to ignore his myriad of intellectual and spiritual critics, such as myself, but he furthermore maintains a merry arrogance about his ignorance of all things spiritual. To this effect, I herein pronounce his dismissiveness of spirituality as a cowardly and underhanded cover for his own deep misunderstanding on such matters, as quite plainly revealed by his contention that nothing that we know emotionally or intuitively is valid.

Please, good and faithful reader – re-read the last sentence. How can Dawkins be more stupidly and blindly wrong about the validity of human emotions and human intuition? Deep down, you know the inherent reality and truth of said emotions and intuitions, of hunches and gut feelings, for it is such truthiness that has always wisely guided our decisions and life-choices since times immemorial. All of us human beings whom are in touch with their spirituality do know this irrefutable, fundamental, and brightly shining Truth.

In fact, every fibre of my own being know with crystal-clear certainty that my intuition not only has helped me to grasp and understand the Quantum Nature of human spirituality, but additionally it is that very same intuition that has allowed me, and keeps allowing me, to deeply understand the current state of Humanity’s scientific knowledge and what it truly means for the very real nature of spirituality and God. And all I need to do is to read the works of great scientists past and present to find validation for my intuitive understanding of scientific findings, regardless of the fact that I have no training in any scientific discipline. Indeed – it is this very intuitive understanding of Life and the Universe which enables my enlightenment regarding the Quantum Nature of the soul, of the spirit, of God. This is, again, a simple, yet so obvious, Truth.

Instead, the godless Dawkins would deny such Truth by pushing his shameless atheist propaganda disguised as helpful, even avuncular popular science. And what does he offer instead? Only science, through the materialist scientific method, tells us what's real. In actuality, my intuitive understanding is that science is severely limited by the axiom that it can only extrapolate data so that experience can be quantified and measured. Yet, Dawkins senselessly claims that anything science cannot prove falls into two categories: either it's false, or science will get around to it soon enough. Thus by his own written words, Dawkins ignores the basic fact that the scientific method is quite limited, in addition to conveniently forget that human experience will ever remain richer than any scientific model – if only because every single human being in touch with his own spirituality intuitively knows so. In other words, only personal revelation and enlightened, intuitive understanding allow us to perceive the spiritual nature of ourselves and the Universe at the Quantum level.

But not science. Never science. That is because the Mysteries of the Universe can only be explored and understood through spirituality – namely, emotions and intuition. Yes, science can never even aspire to understand the spiritual Universe, let alone God. Science always corrects itself while never claiming any absolute truths - contrast this to the innate, understandable Truth and certainty one such as I, or you, can grasp through our inner spiritual voice! Hence, Dawkins' vision that only science tells us what is really true, and that no supernatural explanation can ever be true, not only seeks to extirpate any Magic, or Mystery, out of Reality, but is furthermore downright obnoxious. To this effect, throughout his book, he arrogantly uses a tone of absolute authority about matters that he shows complete ignorance of – including the very nature and conduct of science itself. Thus I say: behold Richard Dawkins, the “scientist”.

I have no doubt that Dawkins' glaring shortcomings will be pointed out by academics who know their philosophy and theology. Still, I find that it is truly a shame that he will in the meantime get away scot-free in the popular press. In this regards, I hereby announce that I fully intend to write yet another best-seller book to counter such incompetence and intellectual dishonesty on the part of Dawkins. For indeed, while his book irresponsibly and insanely tries to kill the legacy of faith in human culture, it instead winds up showing bad faith toward the science that Dawkins supposedly reveres. Believe me when I say that my intuition tells me that this is indeed the case – sadly for the dogmatic atheist, and oh so foolish, Dawkins.

Thus once again the undeniable truthiness is verified: scientists will never fully understand Reality because of the limitations of the intuition-deprived materialist scientific method, in addition to never truly knowing what they are talking about, or let alone being able to understand with their closed, non-spiritual minds, what it is they are trying to actually understand. Science and the scientific method must be reined in, or at the very least put back in their very limited roles in the progress of human technology and medicine, for only the spiritually enlightened can truly, intuitively understand the nature of Reality, of the Universe, of Ourselves, of God.

Why waste energy and time to demonstrate what you know, deep down, to be Truth?

Never forget this rhetorical question, dear faithful reader. And remain ever wary of deceivers, charlatans, mountebanks, swindlers and quacks, such as Richard Dawkins and his ilk, who would deny you the very rewarding opportunity – for you and me - to explore our inner selves in order to touch God at the Quantum Spiritual Level.

Always be spiritual, and thus be blissful.

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The Darkness Strikes Back

I've begun a series of video-essays on YouTube (my channel is here) titled "Welcome to our Semi-Dark Age". The first episode is now up (in three parts, due to time length restrictions by YouTube) - hopefully, my skills at video recording/editing will improve as I make more videos. Similarly, my pronunciation of English words remains a work in progress ... In any case, I've embedded herein the three videos of this first episode of the series, titled "The Darkness Strikes Back". The transcript is reproduced below the videos.

Welcome to our Semi-Dark Age: The Darkness Strikes Back

Well, here we are in 2011 CE.

I am simply amazed at the accumulated knowledge that science, through the scientific, naturalist method, has diligently produced over the last 2 centuries or so.

In fact, just the past 3 decades alone have constituted a veritable exponential expansion of knowledge and understanding with regards to the fabric of chaos and order, the formation and nature of planets, stars and galaxies, the nature and fabric of energy, light, matter, the atom, elements, molecules, macromolecules, genes, chromosomes, cells, tissues, and so on and so forth.

Indeed, all the various scientific disciplines continue relentlessly to push back further the boundaries of Humanity’s ignorance, thus working together in order to keep playing – and improving upon – the enlightening and joyful symphony of Humanity’s accumulated knowledge of this intriguing, complicated, dangerous – and yet so enticingly wondrous – reality of ours.

Yes – I am amazed.

And yes – I feel a child-like wonderment and excitement at such continuously built monument to Humanity, by Humanity, for Humanity.

Take for example our origins. We now know for a fact that we have evolved some 200 thousand years ago, that our species – homo sapiens sapiens – is but the currently living, single twig of a branch that previously sprouted other hominids. Yet, this very hominid branch from which Humanity stems is itself an offshoot of an older branch, which in turn is an offshoot from a yet older branch, and so on, until we reach the oldest branch that is common to both ours and that of our well known modern chimpanzees.

Sure – details need to be worked out further, yet this in no way invalidates the factual knowledge that we are indeed evolved, self-aware primates that are capable of abstract-thinking and reasoning, of speaking, of creating culture, of technological progress, and of building civilization.

Furthermore, molecular biology and genetics have demonstrated that all of us have in common ancestry a small group of humans that lived in Africa, one through which Humanity ended up colonizing the whole world - over a span 60-80 thousand years.

Hence, we are Africans – all 7 billion of us. And we are all related!

Even more fascinating is the evolutionary tree of life on our planet.

It’s gradual and incremental understanding over the last 152 years, thanks to the integration of various scientific disciplines, reveals to us not only our specific place in the diverse web of life around us, but furthermore conveys the simple verity that all lifeforms on Earth – including us – are related to each other closely or distantly at the very genetic, molecular and cellular levels, thanks to the factual process of evolution over the span of 3.5 billion years.

Sure – details need to be worked out further, yet again this in no way invalidates the reality of the existence of this evolutionary tree of life, let alone our place within it.

In fact, thanks to the knowledge that keeps on being accumulated by science and the scientific method, we now have broad, yet factual, answers to many of the most fundamental questions that we have ever asked of ourselves since the beginning of our recorded history. Such as:

“Who are we?”

“Where do we come from?”

“What is our place in this world?”

Well, we now know. Period.

Sure – once again, details need to be worked out further, yet this in no way invalidates the reality of the answers that we have to these questions.

We also know the answer to yet another fundamental question, namely: “what is our place in the universe?”

Well, here is the broad, yet factual, answer:

We know precisely where our planet earth is situated within our solar system.

In turn, we know the place of our solar system within our galaxy, the Milky Way.

And in turn, we know the location of our galaxy within our local group of galaxies.

Still in turn, we know the location of our regional galactic group within our local supercluster of galaxies.

And in turn, we know where our local supercluster is situated within our universe, in relation to other superclusters.

We even know with confidence not only the age of our universe, 13.75 billion years, but how long ago our solar system – our own planet included – was formed.

Some 4.5 billion years ago.

Sure – again, details need to be worked out further, yet this in no way invalidates the reality of the knowledge that we have of our place in the universe.

In effect; science - and namely the scientific method – are the proven, very best tool invented so far by Humanity, constituting a rigorous, integrative and self-correcting process of fact-based and experimental demonstration-supported inquiry which allows us to gain further understanding of the inner workings of the Universe, of Life, of ourselves and, ultimately, of Reality.

And knowledge has always been used by us human beings to devise new technological applications, ever since the dawn of Humanity.

And as we increase our overall knowledge, we devise new ways to improve our daily living conditions, our daily activities, our health, our means of transportation and communication, and so on and so forth.

As we understand more, we are able to create better tools and means to improve our lives. And in turn, we devise improved and/or new means to continue our scientific inquiries.

That is how we keep maturing not only as a self-aware, abstract-thinking species, but also as a civilisation.

That is what we do - it is the very essence of who and what we are.

Yet, as much as we are fortunate to live in this modern era of ours, the overwhelming prevalence of ignorance and irrationality in our supposedly civilized societies leaves us mired in superstition, dogmatic beliefs and a reactionary rejection of scientific facts evidenced and demonstrated by the scientific method.

Indeed, never mind that current scientific knowledge already has potential solutions to problems such as the despoilment of our environment, the warming of our global climate, the over-exploitation of the very finite resources of our planet, or the over-exploitation of animal and plant food sources.

And never mind that although we know with absolute genetic certainty that we are all the same species *and* race, that we are all related, the cosmetic variations that are ethnicities are still met with tribal and xenophobic fear, hate, and even violence.

We have the knowledge.

But it remains ignored – whether unwittingly or willingly.

In effect, ordinary people and so-called leaders the world-over, including within our supposedly advanced societies, are more than ever quick to dismiss scientific knowledge, reason and rationality, for the promulgation of self-interests, ideology and/or superstitious beliefs.

Thus we find ourselves in a Semi-Dark Age of sorts.

For instance:

Despite our current, advanced biomedical knowledge and related technological, curative innovations, people flock en masse towards “alternative medical practices”, such as aura cleansing, aromatherapy, faith healing, homeopathy, magnetic therapy, chelation therapy, reflexology, naturopathy, and so on, and so forth.

These pseudo-sciences represent big business with billions in profits each year, pushing and selling pills, extracts, philtres, potions and books, all sold in pharmacies or in bookstores or in self-proclaimed “health centers”.

Worse, these are not only promulgated by their pushers, but by actual nurses and physicians as well.

Even worse still: such alternative medical practices are either silently or openly supported by governmental health agencies the world-over.

But never mind that such collective quackery is incapable of curing anything – instead, at best, being able to act like a placebo; at worse, doing actual harm.

Indeed, over the last decade, 2.5 billion has been spent in research to demonstrate curative properties – if any - for such quack practices. What was rather demonstrated is that, indeed, most of them do act no better than placebos.

And yet … people still flock to these sham practices, enriching the quacks that promulgate them.

No doubt, the encouragement – or pushing - in the usage of such quackery comes first and foremost through simple ignorance and a profound lack of knowledge and understanding of science ...

... all overly amplified over by word of mouth. And the printed word – on paper or online – with “health columns” or “sections”. And the talk-radio shows about health. And television newscasts with their so-called health segments, or reports.

And again – via those nurses and physicians that should know better.

Hence, all of these keep on providing highly audible/visible platforms, either unwittingly or willingly, to the quacks and their devout adherents, thus allowing them to confuse and convince too many gullible individuals.

In any case, people happily and eagerly swallow such fantasy selling points because too many among us would rather believe in magic cures and magic potions and spiritual incantations and in anything that promises fast, miraculous – but non-existent - cures, rather than accept factual, proven medical treatments – however relatively limited some may still be.

Thus, seemingly more than ever, too many people prefer to wallow in superstition and the supernatural in order to sustain a so-called spiritual need for health and guidance in life.

The pervasiveness of seers, astrologers, mediums, and other assorted quacks, illustrates well this tragic state of affairs.

Consequently, ignorance and superstitious beliefs remain indeed prevalent – at the expense of rationality and scientifically-demonstrated factual knowledge.

Yes - still in 2011 CE.

And does the world ever believe – in God, Gods, ghosts or spirits.

From the three abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam – and their various, usually fundamentalist off-shoots; through Budhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Taoism and Universalism; and to all other sorts of beliefs and cults embracing witchcraft, druidism, spiritism, including – of course – scientology.

Yes, the world does believe indeed.

Take this recent survey throughout various nations: an average of 45% of Humanity absolutely believes in a God or a Supreme being.

But that is a part of the overall, dismaying picture: another 17% of Humanity on average is ambivalent about believing in a Deity or Deities, sometimes believing and sometimes not. And another average of 13% of Humanity is simply uncertain whether they believe or not in a Deity or Deities.

So, in effect, that amounts to about 75% of Humanity that either always believes, sometimes believes, or aren’t sure if they believe or not, in some supernatural being or beings.

Yes, still in 2011 CE.

Now, how does this impact on the acceptance of scientifically demonstrated facts?

Let’s take the case of evolution, for instance: that same world-wide survey shows that on average, only 41% of Humanity accepts that human beings evolved.

Still, these numbers are staggeringly depressing, for they should range in the 80-90% across the board – if only because evolution is a fact and that facts are, you know, facts.

Yet, look at the US: a dismal 28% accept evolution. In Canada, my country: only 45%. In Great Britain: only 55%.

But wait – the picture is not complete: we find that on average 31% of Humanity finds itself ambivalent – sometimes accepting evolution or sometimes accepting …. creationism.

In the US: there is 32% of such people; in Canada and Great Britain: 34%.

And then, on average 28% of Humanity believes in creationism. Not surprisingly, the percentages are astronomical in essentially theocratic countries such as Saudi Arabia, or even Turkey.

Yet in the US, it is nonetheless a whopping 40%.

So, in effect, an average majority of 59% of Humanity either firmly rejects the fact of evolution, and/or remains apparently unsure or confused on the question.

Let’s look at another example, such as anthropomorphic global warming.

This one year-old survey was conducted in Canada, the US and Great Britain. Once again we find dismaying numbers of people that accept the scientific evidence which supports the fact that global warming is primarily caused by our emissions of greenhouse gases.

Indeed, actual majorities of people in the US and Britain either reject outright that there is any global warming going on at all, or concede that it is going on but not caused by humans.

Are you beginning to see a pattern, a link, a correlation, here?

In his book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a candle in the dark, Carl Sagan wrote the following:

“I worry that, especially as the millennium edges nearer, pseudoscience and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before? Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused – in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us - then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls.

The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir.”

This was published on the year of Sagan’s passing, some 15 years ago. Yet here we are, in 2011 CE.

Over the last decade, the light of reason, knowledge and science has been under an increasing, systematic and relentless attack by the darkness of ignorance, fear of the unknown and superstitious beliefs.

And this, sadly enough, shows no sign of ebbing.

Yes - the darkness has been striking back – with a vengeance.

Similarly to the previously mentioned horde of proponents of pseudo-scientific alternative medicines, there is an even more formidable horde of men and women that have embraced ignorance and fear of the unknown, all the while rejecting reason, rationality and science, for the benefit of their parochial and intractable beliefs.

In Canada and the US alone, they are mostly pastors, priests, reverends, pseudo-scientists, spokespeople, and so on and so forth, all determined, along with their devout flocks of believers and fund-backers, to confuse and convince the too large proportion of people that are gullible, unsure or likewise ignorant, so as to impose their own superstitious beliefs.

Many of these proponents of the darkness we know all too well, already.

In fact, their devout followers will be found at all levels of our societies: in town or city councils; as mayors; on school boards; in state or provincial legislatures; as your state or provincial heads of government; in your federal legislatures.

They have been, are, or really want to be, your federal heads of government.

They are in the mainstream media – in print, on radio, on tv.

They are in entertainment.

They are nurses, physicians and pharmacists.

They are in your judiciary.

In law enforcement, armed forces; as prosecutors, or vendors, or neighbors.

They are everywhere.

Yes, the light of reason, knowledge and science is under siege by the ever growing darkness of ignorance, fear of the unknown and superstitious beliefs.

All thanks to its proponents, promulgators and defenders.

Its agents.

They are about the rejection of evolution.

Rejection of anthropomorphic global warming.

Rejection or distrust of evidenced-based medicine.

Rejection or distrust of science and scientists.

They reject knowledge, and consequently, they reject progress.

Thus they also reject reason and rationality.

Where have we heard this before?

Without the light of critical reasoning and scientific investigation in our curiosity-driven endeavour of understanding our universe, our world and ourselves, we would still be living in ignorance, paralyzed by fear of the unknown and imprisoned in the vice-like grip of superstitious notions, fabled myths and dogmatic beliefs.

Yet they – these agents of the darkness – would do away with this precious light, therefore thrusting us back into a veritable Dark Age.

In the meantime, thanks to a pervasiveness of gullibility, as well as a prevalent lack of understanding concerning scientific facts and knowledge, among a seeming majority of people, the darkness has kept on gaining ground, has kept on growing back to engulf Humanity anew.

Thus, over the last decade or so, we find ourselves in a Semi-Dark Age where reason and science are constantly being waged war upon – in the classroom, in legislatures, in the mainstream media outlets.

The darkness has been striking back against the light at every turn and opportunity.

Hence, more than ever, those of us that would promulgate and defend the light of reason, rationality, knowledge and science must stand up and use our voices to say enough, to push back the darkness anew – so that it may one day, finally, dissipate into nothing more than fleeting shadows.

I am therefore adding my own voice to the number of people with greater minds, and/or better eloquence, than me, whom have written books, blogs and produced incisive and thoughtful YouTube videos to this effect, and are still doing so.

Thus, I humbly cast myself among these resolute agents of the light.

Now the question is – what about you?

REFERENCES (Books, scientific articles)

Dawkins, R. (2008) The God delusion. Houghton Mifflin, New York; 463 pages.
Dawkins, R. (2010) The greatest show on earth. Free Press, NewYork; 472 pages.
Einstein, A. (2010) Relativity. the special and general theory. Martino, Mansfield Centre; 188 pages.
Gore, Al (2007) The assault on reason. Penguin Press, New York; 320 pages.
Hawking, S. (1996) A brief history of time. Bantam, New York; 212 pages.
Hawking, S. (2010) The grand design. Bantam, New York; 198 pages.
Herrada, A., et al. (2011) Scaling properties of protein family phylogenies. BMC Evol. Biol. 11:155.
Hitchens, C. (2008) God is not great. McClelland & Stewart, Toronto; 307 pages.
Lappalainen, T., Dermitzakis, E.T. (2010) Evolutionary history of regulatory variation in human populations. Hum. Mol. Genet. 19:R197-R203.
Sagan, C. (1996) The demon-haunted world. Science as a candle in the dark. Ballantine, New York; 457 pages.
Underhill, P.A., Kivisild, T. (2007) Use of Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA population stucture in tracing human migrations. Annu. Rev. Genet. 41:539-564.
Wood, B., Harrison, T. (2011) The evolutionary context of the first hominins. Nature 470:347-352.

URLs

$2.5 billion spent, no alternative cures found
Angus Reid: views on global warming vary in three countries
Another Point of View: about that whole "defining reality" thing ...
Another Point of View: the limits of ignorance
Another Point of View: welcome to our semi-dark ages
Antimatter atoms trapped for 16 minutes
Antimatter found orbiting Earth - a first
Autism linked to rare gene changes
Cellular laser microsurgery illuminates research in vertebrate biology
Holograms reveal brain's inner workings: microscopy technique used to observe activity of neurons like never before
Ipsos Global @dvisory: supreme being(s), the afterlife and evolution
NASA: exploring the universe
New leukemia treatment exceeds 'wildest expectations'
New method detects emerging sunspots deep inside the sun, provides warning of dangerous solar flares
News Junkie Post: where in the universe are we?
Quackwatch: your guide to quackery, health fraud and intelligent decisions
Science Magazine: a phylogeny of complete genomes: data repository
Scientific American: tracking Y chromosomes through time
Understanding evolution: the emergence of humans
Why evolution is true: selective creationists

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Late Friday Night Ode To ... The Future (Again)

Yet another war, another election campaign (Canada), Christian fundamentalists posing as Conservatives doing everything they can to impose their religious views and beliefs (Canada and USA), so-called liberals/progressive/democrats cowering or triangulating while still not doing much to prevent the Christian fundie march (Canada, USA), the majority of the electorate more ignorant, uninformed and/or disinformed than ever (Canada, USA), informed critical reasoning increasingly becoming scarce (Canada, USA), scientific knowledge and education increasingly under assault while average folks don't care or actually approve ... same thing with regards to constitutional laws and civil rights, further eroding in the name of Holy Security.

That is the state of North America in 2011.

Instead of leading our countries and the world to a veritable better place, we keep on destroying what we have achieved in the past, having become not just part of the world's problems, but selfishly and insousciantly worsening the FUBAR we keep causing.

Thus I give you: Alter Bridge - Before Tomorrow Comes and Open Your Eyes

So remember folks - we can be so much more than we are.

If we open our eyes at last.

But I guess only time will tell if we'll ever get out of these Semi-Dark Ages we keep miring ourselves into.

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Forecast: Grim With Heavy Chances Of Losing Country

Still insanely busy, but I just can't remain silent on the current electoral campaign ...

I mean, the ongoing electoral campaign that began months ago (you know, before everyone actually proclaimed that *now* we're running elections?) - but I digress.

In any case, polls still tend toward two most likely outcomes: a CPC minority again, or an actual CPC majority.

Hopefully soon I'll expand my opinion on this. However, I would just reiterate that:

1) Harper and his Harpies are Christian fundamentalists;
2) Conservatism nowadays is only about promulgating/advancing/imposing by any means necessary (through lies, deceit, cheating, fearmongering, mendacity, authoritarianism) a fundamentalist Christian agenda (just look to the south of the border, folks), including a veritable Theocracy;
3) Conservatism nowadays is only about pandering to Big Corporations, Big Energy, Big Whatever, and the rich, because these peoples/entities do not care what system of government they find themselves in - as long as they stay rich and/or continue to do whatever the hell they want, whenever they want and however they want ... provided of course that the rest of us always foot the bill while reaping little - if anything - of the benefits.

And yet, and yet ...

These SoBs will still be elected to government by us Canuckleheads - whether as a minority or majority one.

In the case of the former, expect more or less the same non-governance we've been having since 2006, including cuts in everything secular (including science and innovation, services to women, etc.), all the while favoring the rich and ludicrously rich, as the rest of the world scratch their heads in bewilderment, asking more than ever "what is this country and what have they done with Canada?". In between, the three other twits (Layton, Ignatieff and Duceppe) will keep on playing their triangulating games that keep enabling a minority Harper government to function as a majority one.


In the case of the latter, then Canada as a separate nation and sovereign identity from the USA will quicken its descent into extinction ... and all will be lost for good.


So, go ahead my fellow Canadians - do what you have been doing since 2006 and keep making our country sink further into irrelevance and oblivion - all thanks to your laziness, intellectual sloth and abhorrent lack of civic responsibility.

In other words - take off, eh?

I only wish this was an actual April Fool's prank ...

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Late Friday Night Ode To ... Peaceful Democratic Uprisings

Back there last Saturday, I wrote the following:

As we applaud our Tunisian and Egyptian brothers and sisters, let us keep firmly in mind that it is they whom are bravely uprising in order to win their birthrights of freedom and liberty that are the bona fides teachers here - whereas we are naught but de facto spoiled pupils in dire need of lessons in democratic civic responsibility, vigilance and courage.

Looks like I'm in not-so-bad company in thinking this way, eh?

Hence, quite à propos, I offer you a classic from The Cult:

So - keep on rockin' in the Free World, eh?

'Nuff said ;-)

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Meanwhile, Back In Utopia Democratica ...

First Tunisia and now Egypt.

One can only rejoice at seeing people taking their aspirations for civil rights and freedoms into their own hands, courageously claiming these justly as their undeniable birthrights as human beings and steadfastly demanding said birthrights out of the corrupt authoritarian classes that have been selfishly and mercilessly ruling their nations.

Indeed, one can only rejoice and marvel at the Tunisians last week and now the Egyptians, rising up with their voices filed with righteousness, truth and hope as their chief weapons against all means of brutal reprisals - potential, threatened or enacted.

For they have risen against all odds - verily.

Yet, as we, citizens of nations founded upon the cornerstones of democracy, the constitutional rule of law and the primacy of civil rights and freedoms, applaud, encourage and cheer on these fellow human beings to accomplish what our ancestors already achieved in one way or another, as we open our arms wide in friendship with the expectation, if not eagerness, of embracing them warmly in welcome to our growing assembly of free nations, we must not pretentiously ignore the simmering, if not flaring, embers that lie spread about our very own democratic backyards - embers that are poised to become fires which will unravel what our ancestors strove to bring about in our nations, long before what Tunisians and Egyptians are currently seeking to effectuate for themselves, their own children and future descendants.

For indeed, the way things have degenerated and continue to worsen in our democracy-based societies, it might just well be that our Tunisian and Egyptian brothers and sisters in Humanity refuse to join us, opting instead to start an assembly of free nations of their own until we go about cleaning up our own backyards - provided, of course, that their just cause is not coopted by religious fundamentalism as in the case of the just cause of Iranians, of some three decades past.

Hence, we have no standing in allowing the indulgence of losing ourselves in the effervescent joy and trepidation that we may feel at the sight of those brave Tunisian and Egyptians roaming the streets to demand and acquire their undeniable rights and freedoms. Rather than complacently and smuggly congratulating ourselves at already being free, thus somehow granting us the impetus to cheer on our Tunisian and Egyptian brothers and sisters, we should instead look at ourselves in the harsh, but ever truthful, mirror of our reality.

And we must do so more than ever.

Here are but glimpses of what our mirror seeks to show us, should we but quickly glance before turning a fearful eye away from what we are becoming, as we remain in denial of the truth of things:

No White House timetable for closing Guantanamo;

Guantanamo Conundrum;

U.S. Congress blocks Guantanamo closure;

Guantanamo detainees stage peaceful protests daily;

White House drafts executive order for indefinite detention;

‘Unjustified homicides’ go unpunished at military prisons;

America's treatment of detainees;

Activists delivering Bradley Manning petition held at Quantico;

No-fly list abuses;

Mass FBI raids target pro-WikiLeaks DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) civil protesters;

Espionage Act ‘makes felons of us all’;

Internet 'kill switch' bill will return;

Justice Department seeks to have all web surfing tracked;

Internet Privacy and Personal Access at Risk;

CIA Invests in Company that Monitors Social Network Sites;

Warrantless Wiretapping A-OK, says US Court;

Internet Surveillance Could Get You Hired or Fired;

US government ‘creating vast domestic snooping machine’;

Calif. Supreme Court approves warrantless data seizures by police;

DC Metro Bag Searches: Random Inspections To Begin;

‘Homeland’ security coming to hotels, malls;

Conflating Proper Dissent and Terrorism;

Who watches the watchers?

Monitoring America;

CIA renditions;

CIA gave waterboarders $5M legal shield;

Torture, Human Experimentation And The Department of Defense;

US-led troops abduct Afghan journalist;

Death Squad Eyed in Terror Strategy;

Judge dismisses targeted-kill program lawsuit;

Former Spy With Agenda Operates a Private C.I.A.;

Top Secret America;

The Privatization of War;

Corporate Media Ignores US Hypocrisy on War Crimes;

Big Media Interlocks with Corporate America;

CNN Asks “Do we need a free press”?

Supreme Court becoming a tool for corporate interests;

What Are We Bid for Justice?

ACLU’s Holiday Message Labeled ‘Suspicious Activity’ By Tennessee Counter-Terrorism Officials;

Key Republican calls UN Human Rights Council ‘a waste of taxpayer dollars’;

2010 Vs 2011: Same As It Was, Same As It Will Be;

Witnessing The Nearing End Of The Modern Experiment In Democracy;

Canada: Can You Tell Me Where My Country Lies?

Welcome To Your Authoritarian Corporatocratic Security Surveillance State Of North America;

The Canadian Branch Of The North American Security Surveillance State;

Constitution, Rights, Rule Of Law: Who Gives A F*ck?

Remember: these are but glimpses of the actual darkening totality of what our mirror seeks to show us.

We are living in an era whereby anyone who voices alarm at the neverending and ever-increasing erosions of our rights as constitutionally defined is considered as an insouciant, utopian, fringe agitator - if not actually blind and stupid.

We are living in an era whereby those who stand for the constitutional rule of law, who seek to limit the excesses and undue policy influences of corporations, are actually branded as enemies of freedom.

That is because in this era that we are living in, the freedom of corporations to do whatever they please and whenever they please equals freedom for us all.

That is because in this era that we are living in, we can only be truly free and secure if the government knows everything about us, while we must placidly remain ignorant of what our government is doing.

That is because in this era that we are living in, less rights equals more security and more security equals freedom.

And that is because in this era that we are living in, we have cowardly, if not at least complacently, abandonned the core principles - the very cornerstones - upon which our societies are founded: democracy of the people, by the people and for the people, the rule of constitutional law, and the primacy of civil rights and freedoms.

The very things that Tunisians and Egyptians are currently seeking to achieve for themselves, their children and their future descendants.

The very things that we have willfully cast aside to the eternal shame, I strongly suspect, of our nation-founding ancestors.

Therefore, we have no standing whatsoever to lecture other nations about human rights, civil rights, freedom and liberty.

And we have no standing whatsoever to cheer on the Tunisians and Egyptians in their just quest.

Not until, that is, we look hard into our harsh mirror of reality with equal courage and determination as they are demonstrating for all of Humanity to witness, so that we may begin the hard and difficult travail of restoring our own democracies to what they are supposed to be.

Of restoring our democracies to what the Tunisians and Egyptians are aspiring.

Thus, as we applaud our Tunisian and Egyptian brothers and sisters, let us keep firmly in mind that it is they whom are bravely uprising in order to win their birthrights of freedom and liberty that are the bona fides teachers here - whereas we are naught but de facto spoiled pupils in dire need of lessons in democratic civic responsibility, vigilance and courage.

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The Harper Government In A Nutshell

Just in case it has not yet sunk in how incompetent are Harper and his Harpies in matters of governance and responsible budgetary spending:

1- They spent some $2 millions last year in a narcissistic exercise of monitoring what the media says about them - you know, so as to better manipulate/control/spin their messages (re: lies) and be able to make corrections swiftly to that effect if need be;

2- They want to stroke their "manly, tough, military strong" image by seeking to spend some $18 billions in order to purchase sixty-five F-35 fighter jets, even though they are being told that the price could be much greater and that it is more sensible to wait before buying them - apparently preferring to listen to generals eager to get their hands on new military toys, in addition to somehow not taking into consideration that the Americans themselves are slowly dropping off the purchase of these jets for another weapons system, especially in light of the fact that the F-35 program constitutes a paragon of what troubled and vastly over-budget military weapons programs can be;

3- Over the last five years, they have spent some $100 millions on "privately" polling Canadians for their own political means and ends, conveniently ignoring that Statistics Canada does such polling activities as part of its regular statistical duties;

4- They have overall increased their ministerial office expenditures by some 16.5% in 2009-2010, in many cases by buying the services of various political consultants and contractors;

5- They have spent some $48.1 millions worth of land and property in Afghanistan over the past two years- in fact, the total cost of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan has been estimated to rise at least to $18.1 billions by 2011;

6- Just last year, Defence department budget spending spiked 22% to $19.2 billions, whereas that of the Privy Council Office grew 8.5% to $149 millions;

7- They have spent some $1 billion for security alone, for the G8/G20 summits of last year (2010);

8- Over the last five years, they have increased the size of federal bureaucracy by some 14%;

9- Meanwhile, Harper back in 2008 called the possibility of enacting spending cuts a ‘ridiculous' scenario, because he thought Canada would not be in a recession and that there would be no deficit - then in 2010, Harper called for reducing spending in order to tackle the ballooning deficit under his watch;

10- Meanwhile, they want to end taxpayer subsidies to political parties, claiming that it would save taxpayer monies - despite this being a transparent bid to open the door to "big money fundraising" (re: by coporations) à la USA;

11- Meanwhile, they want to enact corporate tax cuts;

12- Meanwhile, they have consistently cut/reduced budgets for scientific/medical research accross the board;

13- Meanwhile, they have been slowly killing the Canadian nuclear industry;

14- Meanwhile, they have cut the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) (among many other similar government labs), because, you know, why of all things spend money on climate change research in order to better fight it?

15- Meanwhile, here are examples of other budgetary cuts that they have enacted to reduce the deficit:

• Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW)
• Conseil d’intervention pour l’accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT)
• New Brunswick Pay Equity Coalition
• Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec
• Alberta Network of Immigrant Women
• Centre de documentation sur l’éducation des adultes et la condition feminine
• Association féminine d’éducation et d’action sociale (AFEAS)
• Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH)
• Womenspace Resource Centre (Lethbridge, AB)
• Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)
• Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy (FemJEPP) in Nova Scotia

Now - take together items 1-8 and compare them to item 9.

Then, compare items 1-8 with items 10-15, while keeping in mind item 9.

And there you will have it: the Harper government in a nutshell.

(Do take into consideration that too-numerous other items were ommitted herein, for the sake of brevity).

Any questions?

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Can You Tell Me Where My Country Lies?

Here is the authoritarian mind in action:

1- At the request of a city Chief of police, in anticipation for an international summit in said city where peaceful protesters and demonstrators (and yes, including an inevitable small minority of idiotic individuals bent on causing trouble) are expected to be present in numbers, dust off an obviously unconstitutional law that was originally meant to protect public works during times of war (The Public Works Protection Act) by allowing a guard or police officer to detain, question and arrest without warrant anyone (i.e. enemy spy, saboteur, agent, etc.) "lurking" around and about said public works. As stated (emphasis added):

Powers of guard or peace officer

3.A guard or peace officer,

(a) may require any person entering or attempting to enter any public work or any approach thereto to furnish his or her name and address, to identify himself or herself and to state the purpose for which he or she desires to enter the public work, in writing or otherwise;

(b) may search, without warrant, any person entering or attempting to enter a public work or a vehicle in the charge or under the control of any such person or which has recently been or is suspected of having been in the charge or under the control of any such person or in which any such person is a passenger; and

(c) may refuse permission to any person to enter a public work and use such force as is necessary to prevent any such person from so entering. R.S.O. 1990, c. P.55, s. 3.

With the following consequences (emphasis added):

Refusal to obey guard, etc.

5.(1) Every person who neglects or refuses to comply with a request or direction made under this Act by a guard or peace officer, and every person found upon a public work or any approach thereto without lawful authority, the proof whereof lies on him or her, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $500 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than two months, or to both.

Arrest

(2) A guard or peace officer may arrest, without warrant, any person who neglects or refuses to comply with a request or direction of a guard or peace officer, or who is found upon or attempting to enter a public work without lawful authority. R.S.O. 1990, c. P.55, s. 5.

2- Then secretly invoke said law to redefine the security zone around the site of said international summit as "public works", in order to enact said unconstitutional law through writ (i.e. without proper legislative debate and without informing the public) for the duration of the summit.

3- Then give free reign to the police to fully enforce said unconstitutional law via said secret writ (later revealed after the fact as Ontario Regulation 233/10).

Of course, we are now all too familiar with the inevitable consequences, namely:

1- By changing the legal landscape in this underhanded, unconstitutional and illegal way, regulation 233/10 operated as a trap for those (i.e. visitors, peaceful demonstrators, etc.) who relied on their unquestionable, constitutionally-defined civil rights;

2- The police was handed inordinate powers that were unacceptable in a free and democratic society, in addition to without any efforts having been made to ensure that said powers would not be misunderstood and/or abused;

3- The net result was a deliberate infringement on the freedom of expression, rights to privacy and rights of assembly of Canadian citizens that was unjustifiable in a free and democratic society - as attested by numerous acts of police intimidation and brutality, mass arrests and indiscriminate searches and seizures.

Now, here is why I remain not surprised concerning all of this: whenever you give inordinate powers to police and/or security agencies, regardless of whatever paranoid-driven reasons they conjure up to justify their need for such powers, they will invariably abuse such vast, indiscriminate powers.

Because it is in their nature to do so - thanks to their paranoid authoritarian mindset which makes them care only about finding guilt (whether it is truly there or not), not the truth, and regardless of whether you are actually innocent or not.

One more case in point (emphasis added):

G20 officer: 'This ain't Canada right now'

A G20 incident caught on video that shows a York Regional Police officer telling a protester he is no longer in Canada and has no civil rights is under investigation.

The video shows several activists standing outside of the G20 security perimeter at King St. W. and University Ave. on June 27 while their bags are searched by a group of police officers. The mood is pleasant until a young man in a black T-shirt and cap refuses to hand over his backpack.

Just outside the St. Andrew subway station, a male York Regional Police officer wraps one arm around the protester and tells him: “You don’t get a choice, get moving.”

“Why are you grabbing me, man?” says the unidentified protester, who in another G20 video gives a brief monologue about animal rights. “I didn’t do anything.”

(...) In the video, a woman’s voice from behind the camera points out that the protesters are not within 5 metres of the cordoned-off zone — the area in which Torontonians were led to believe, erroneously, that they could legally be searched by police officers at whim.

The male protester insists that, as a Canadian, he has the right to refuse the search. But the officer disagrees.

“This ain’t Canada right now,” he says.

While the crowd laughs in disbelief, the officer continues to tell the protester he has two choices: leave, or open his bag. The protester continues to refuse to do either. “I just don’t like to have my civil rights violated,” he says eventually.

“There is no civil rights here in this area,” the officer replies. “How many times do you gotta be told that?”

This ain't Canada right now.

There is no civil rights here.

Do let these words sink in for one minute ... or one hundred.

Doesn't anyone remember why Canada's War Measures Act was revised in 1985 to become the 1988 Emergencies Act? Here are just two à propos reasons why:

1- A declaration of an emergency by the Cabinet must be reviewed by Parliament;
2- Any temporary laws made under the Act are subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In other words:

(The Preamble to the Act) states that, in taking such temporary measures, the Governor in Council would be subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Bill of Rights, and must have regard to those rights in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Canada is a signatory and by which it is bound, that are not to be limited even in a time of national emergency. Although not set out in the Preamble, these rights are:

– the right to life;

– the protection against cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;

– the protection against slavery;

– the protection against imprisonment for debt;

– the protection against acts made retroactively into crimes;

– the right of every individual to be recognized as a person under law;

– the freedoms of thought, conscience and religion.

In short: any attempt by the government to suspend the civil rights of Canadians, even in an emergency, will be subject to the "reasonable and justified" test under section 1 of the Charter.

Hence, the McGuinty Government of Ontario, at the behest of Toronto Chief of police Bill Blair, and with no doubt the prodding of the Harper Government, enacted a secret security measure that actually went beyond the federal Emergencies Act, for something that did not even constitute an emergency as defined by the law (provincial or federal).

And the Constitution? The rule of law, including that regarding human rights? The Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

As it has become all too painfully clear, such quaint notions can, and will be, swiftly cast aside whenever the neverending demands of security require it.

The same thing goes with war prisoners and torture (see here, here and here, for a memory refresher). Here is one more recent development in this regard as a further note added in proof (emphasis added):

CSIS heard of prisoner abuse

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service was aware of allegations that prisoners in Afghanistan were abused, but had no "first-hand knowledge" of torture, says an internal report on the spy agency’s involvement with detainees.

The newly declassified review also says while CSIS "appeared to be tardy in issuing directions and guidelines" on interviewing Afghan detainees, the selection of appropriate personnel and a "common sense approach" to the task ensured the spy service’s "credibility and professional reputation was maintained."

"The service has since formalized appropriate direction to its officers in dealing with issues of detainees in Afghanistan."

Last March, The Canadian Press revealed CSIS’s involvement in interviewing suspected Taliban fighters alongside military intelligence officers.

In response, CSIS director Dick Fadden commissioned the "comprehensive review" of the service’s activities given the "controversial and high-profile nature" of the issue with the Canadian government, the 13-page report says.

A draft version of the secret April report, with several deletions, was obtained this week under the Access to Information Act.

The Canadian army is thought to have captured hundreds of suspected Taliban fighters over the last nine years. Reports indicate that since 2006 almost 500 have been handed over to Afghan authorities.

CSIS questioned Afghan detainees from 2002 through late 2007, when the military began to conduct interrogations without assistance. The report says the shift occurred "as there was a concern with respect to the legalities and procedures in allowing outside agencies to be involved."

For the review, CSIS examined files dating as far back as 2002 and interviewed service employees directly involved in the detainee file.

"CSIS policies/directional statements specific to employees’ involvement in matters of Afghan detainees were not in place at the beginning of the service deployment to Afghanistan," the report says. "This has only recently been rectified."

The review identified two outstanding issues, including an incorrectly worded draft Canadian Forces standing order that indicated "CSIS had the lead" on interrogating detainees.

CSIS spokeswoman Isabelle Scott said the correction has been made. The second, undisclosed issue was also addressed, she said, declining to elaborate.

The review findings are consistent with past CSIS insistence that the Canadian Forces were responsible for deciding whether to transfer prisoners to Afghan custody.

However, the report discloses that CSIS played an occasional "facilitation" role as a "liaison conduit" in transfers between Canadian military and Foreign Affairs officials and the infamous Afghan National Directorate of Security.

In between, never mind Canada's legal obligations under Geneva Convention III and the Convention Against Torture (again, as discussed previously here, here and here)

Hence, the obvious overall question that needs to be asked is how did all of this come about?

The answer is two-fold: A) it is a truism that fear and the need to feel secure and safe always trump unalienable civil rights, let alone humane values normally espoused by the citizens of a given nation; and consequently B) security overrides all other considerations, including human rights, whereby those of us that do give a fuck about stopping the ever increasing erosions of our rights as constitutionally defined are nothing but a bunch of stupid, insouciant, utopian, fringe agitators.

In the meantime, false patriots out there who claim to be champions of freedom and liberty, whether through deluded lunacy or plain hypocrisy, will nonetheless continue to applaud and cheer, as well as crave evermore, each and every step taken by our governments to increase their influence over our private lives, to increase their ability to spy, monitor, survey and control us.

All in the name of Security.

Bob Altemeyer, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Manitoba, wrote a book titled "The Authoritarians" (it is available as a pdf for free download here) (h/t). In the author's own words, this book is "about what's happened to the American government lately. It's about the disastrous decisions that government has made. It's about the corruption that rotted the Congress. It's about how traditional conservatism has nearly been destroyed by authoritarianism. It's about how the "Religious Right" teamed up with amoral authoritarian leaders to push its un-democratic agenda onto the country."

So, what is authoritarianism? According to the author:

Authoritarianism is something authoritarian followers and authoritarian leaders cook up between themselves. It happens when the followers submit too much to the leaders, trust them too much, and give them too much leeway to do whatever they want - which often is something undemocratic, tyrannical and brutal.

And his definition of authoritarian followers is this:

Authoritarian followers usually support the established authorities in their society, such as government officials and traditional religious leaders. Such people have historically been the “proper” authorities in life, the time-honored, entitled, customary leaders, and that means a lot to most authoritarians. Psychologically these followers have personalities featuring:

1) a high degree of submission to the established, legitimate authorities in their society;

2) high levels of aggression in the name of their authorities; and

3) a high level of conventionalism.

Which sounds strangely familiar with what I wrote a while back concerning false patriots:

Yes, we know these people well indeed. They are the boastful defenders of "family and moral values", the loud cheerleaders of war, the relentless defenders of hawkish foreign policies, the resolute "concerned" citizens against terrorism (especially of the radical Islamist kind), the devout and dutiful followers of Christianity, the promulgators and staunch supporters of Authority.

They call themselves "Patriots". "Warriors". "Watchdogs". "Soldiers". "Sentinels". And so on.

For them, supporting the war(s) is supporting the troops - no other way around it.

For them, law enforcement and security agencies can do no wrong.

For them, those elected officials and leaders belonging to the same philosophies as theirs can do no wrong.

For them, only through absolute and unquestioned Authority will our countries be kept safe.

It is indeed these people who crave for strong and manly leaders.

It is indeed these people who keep supporting every new law which erodes that much more our basic human rights, civil rights and civil liberties.

It is indeed these people who applaud each time our constitutions are rendered that much more moot.

All in the sacrosanct name of Security.

Why are these people like that?

Answer: fear.

More than ever, it should be undeniable that the authoritarian sickness has gripped Canada as well, in each and every way - just plow through the numerous posts herein at APOV as testaments to that effect - although I do concede that said sickness has not quite yet reached the near-terminally advanced state as in the case of our southern neighbor.

Yet, this is now who we are, this is now what we are.

Hence, the tragic conclusion becomes obvious: in the end, the above-spotlighted authoritarian G20 police officer did nothing more than speak the plain, harsh truth.

There is no civil rights here.

This ain't Canada.

And I am forced to agree, albeit with great sadness - for I do not recognize the country that I know and love anymore.

What about you?

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