Morning after the American Election

We're still here. Civil War hasn't broken out in the US. I suspect that one day there will be a disclosure of the tricky dicky maneuvers this election has. Not because it's Obama but simply because both the Democrats and Republicans approach elections like American football games without referees. Like their money management of the world. It doesn't matter how we play the game, it's whether we win or lose. It's like war and marriage in that regard. All's fair. War hasn't changed but marriage has and will continue to evolve as societies change. The best comment I saw on Facebook was "We live in Canada." After that my favourite was "We survived Bush, we can survive Obama." According to the global warming group we won't have long to go. We'll all be black as toast in a year and it won't have anything to do with politics. But then I'm old enough to reflect on a life time of catastrophising by media who according to my personal 'conspiracy' theory are definitely in bed with booze and drugs so they can sell more anti anxiety "self medication". And we will never know if the Democrats got in because more people are smoking dope in the US than ever before. They're still drinking as much but on good days they keep peace, hunt down terrorists, send missions to Mars and develop some amazing technological advances. People quickly forget that everyone is trying to leave the Communist countries and the medieval countries with tyrants would be emptied but for one thing. America doesn't let everyone in. We may criticize Obama and Bush but that's where the world's people want to go. It's the new Rome. It's London and Paris and of course the Chinese want to be Washington but what Communist Country ever could compete since their principle atheist strategy is to kill tens of millions so they don't have dissent and with loss of dissent naturally lose creativity. Russia became great stealing American technology and China is doing the same. In contrast I put my faith in the western world where Canada recently was awarded for having the greatest personal freedom. No wonder people want to come here from all over the world. It's just sad that we 'sell' off the land letting bureaucrats and politicians get kickbacks for their sales. I'm concerned about Obama. I was concerned about Bush. I think Troudeau who was as concerning as any of them, including Harper, who I personally like, said it all, when you're a mouse living beside an elephant you have to pay attention even when you sleep. It's all way above my pay grade. I'm actually rather thankful that someone else takes care of the nitty gritty of government. Most of the people I've heard being critical of government only do that, criticize. I see those who are 'volunteering' and those who are actively involved in matters of state showing a great deal more humility. I have held many leadership positions in my life and frankly it sucks. You can't please everyone and there are in the US guys on the right and the left who think assassination is acceptable. We've seen Presidents get shot. It's not the Canadian way of doing things but Americans are footballers and not hockey players. I'm thankful that the Vancouver Riotters are being fine and put in jail by the extremely fine British Columbia judiciary which respects hockey. Hockey is not soccer where fans use the game as an excuse to get drunk and beat each other up in the stands. Hockey is not American Football where they have to have cheerleaders to keep the audience attention while everyone stands around and talks most of the game. If life was a hockey game Obama and Romney would be a different story. Who knows who would be the puck and who would be the stick in that universe. Parallel universe's exist as surely as heaven and hell. Despite threat of nuclear war all my life and rank stupidity and sometimes downright psychopathic sociopathic economic and political deceit, I'm thankful for this morning and this sunny day. Congratulations America for having yet another election without shooting voters or aborting female fetuses to fix the elections years in advance. One day I trust America and the world will ask Canada to lead but not too soon. We have hockey games and miracles to attend to. Right now our health care system and welfare system and defence system are all in as much need of help as the media here. So rather than gawking south and criticizing our neighbours we probably should get down to hewing wood and drawing water. That's what the Americans will probably be doing once they get over this outrageously wasteful and expensive political "party" boon dangle.

Vancouver Opera Riots

It's fall 20011 and the Vancouver Opera's performance of Traviata has been marred by riots. Wheelchairs and walkers have been torched. Young Divas in gowns are rolling about the ground in front of riot clad Vancouver police. White haired ladies in sequined dresses are putting the boots to tuxedoed gents. The orchestra conductor is fending off a violin wielding VSO player. It is hoped that police on horses will be able to disperse the crowds some of whom have been identified as former Vancouver Canucks fans!

Vancouver Riot 2011 - Smoking BC Bud and Smoking Police Cars

The Canucks Bruins Hockey game is not the cause. To the criminals this was an 'opportunity'.  Whether the Canucks won or lost, the criminals were there to loot. What made matters worse was the alcohol, drugs and gawkers.  What was the saddest to watch was not psychopaths and sociopaths targetting stores for violence and ganging up violently on individuals for gang violence and stabbing, it was the gawkers and photographers.  These people equally presented as above the law and not obligated to respond to police demands to clear the area.  Fire fighters seeking to put out the fires were attacked.
The sophisticated criminals used these crowds as shields for their pillage and destruction.  While it is great that there will be extensive photographic evidence of the principal ringleaders, who likely have long rap sheets already, it is an appalling matter when citizens disobey the direct rule of the police wanting to restore order in an obvious riot.

It's the gawkers that frightened me becuase those that 'hung around' to watch and play with their iphones are the very people who necessitate communities institute 'martial law', restrict civil liberties and increase police powers in times of crisis.  It's these 'bystanders' that allow the state to justify offensive behaviour when people gather for 'political action'. This was nothing to so with Gandhi, Thoreau or citizens rights to congregate in face of tyranny.  Egypt has Freedom Square. China has Tieneman Square.  Canada now has Robson and Geogia and nothing could be more shameful and ludicrous.  If the rest of the world sees us as  fat, fatuous and silly, we thoroughly deserve it.

A sports event used as cover for terrorist violence puts the families and children at risk who came with reasonable expectation of safety.  Because the crowds would not disperse the police could not target the criminal element and their leaders.  I would think that there is need for education of the 'masses' in this regard and the best education would be fines.

To my mind, the riot was 'Bachanailan" and the crowd's 'zombie' like behaviour was Cheech and Chong.  It all made me want to make the hilarious but true Canadian  "Spider's on Drugs" youtube clip required viewing for all students starting in elementary school and yearly thereafter.  I would hope that all those caught would be drug tested so that the exemplary modern BC Drug Court could have more grist for it's excellent rehabilitative mill.

There are millions of dollars of damage. Mayor Gregor Robertson called this "despicable' and labelled the cause 'hooligans'.  He promised that they would be held 'accountable.'  While looters were breaking the store windows of the Bay and making away with furs and coats, Shirley Bond, solictor general, admitting to watching CTV as we were, described these people as behaving 'like criminals'.  Shirley Bond should be held accountable for her inability to distinguish criminal behaviour from 'pseudo criminal behaviour' because clearly part of the Vancouver problem is the Shirley Bonds who would say murderers are behaving "like murderers".  In contrast Mayor Gregor Robertson praising the Vancouver Police and calling for citizens to disperse to allow ambulances and fire departments to do their jobs was a shining light compared  to her "despicable" dullness.

The smell of BC Bud filled the air before the smell of burning police cars.  Liquor store sales were stopped that day but it was argued they should have been stopped 2 days ahead.  I would simply argue that there is history of those who 'sold firewarter to the Indians during the Indian wars' being punished for contributing to the destruction that followed.  I argue that liquor stores and alcohol companies be accountable for damages.  Simply collect the broken bottles and cans of retailers and hold them responsible for paying for  damages. Present Budweiser a bill of say $100 for every can found at such scenes of mass violence to force these retailers to take responsbile action in discouraging alcohol abuse since they claim they only promote responsible alcohol use.  I would think that overnight we'd see a whole different line of advertising from beer producers.

Further drug dealers should be targetted before and after such public debacles and held accountable financially.  Take their assets. Have a crackdown with confiscation and sale of assets of marijuana users.  As Robert Graves long ago showed even mushrooms can be used as a drug of violence since any drug that impairs judgement will contribute to violence. In Africa marijuana is a principal drug of violence.  BC Bud has become that here.  In the past marijuana was considered a drug of peace because it was used by jazz smokers.  That's 30 years ago. Marijuana is the drug found at ghetto violence today.  It's second only to alcohol in association with crime and violence.

The only fault I would have with the organization of city events is that we know it's the drunks and druggies that become the herd the psychopaths hide behind.  It would have helped, I believe,   if the laws against public consumption of alcohol and against public drug abuse including smoking marijuana were enforced at the outset.  It's no different from a high school dance. Don't let drugs or alcohol into the stadium and arrest those who have the means.  Of course there is violence and drugs and alcohol at school dances but it occurs in the parking lots . I accept that  a city has a whole lot of parking lots limitting immensely the 'prevention' powers of police. However if there was a $5000 fine for consumption of drugs or alcohol at such city wide events and all that was required was pictures or witness, it would go along way to paying for the subsequent damages and discouraging and stopping .those who would show off drinking a bud or lighting up a spliff.  

I hope that those who rolled the BMW and set the Humber on fire go to jail.  If I were to do that to my neighbours car this morning that would occur to me, if I wasn't first put in an insane asylum.  Our laws and law makers should not 'excuse' those who would use 'mass hysteria' as an excuse. If they don't go to jail then at least require they have a forensic psychiatric assessment and mandatory counselling.

This was not a G10 or G20 political rally. This was criminal terrorism.  Further there is clear evidence that it was premeditated and planned with sociopaths preying on the peaceful citizenry and planning on harming police and property.  This wasn't about hockey. These are not sportsman or Canucks fans. It was exemplary that a  facebook site opened immediately Canucks Fans against Vancouver Riots. The principle purpose of the site was to direct those who had pictures of the criminals looters and gang members to post their pictures for the police to arrest.  No one wants this happening again.

The Vancouver Police and RCMP did a splendid job though I certainly appreciated the fellow on CTV who said that the 'army should have been brought in'. All I hope for is that the rioters, looters, hooligans, bullies are held accountable.  I want their pictures and their crimes pasted on every street corner. To me these people are alot worse than Johns and should deserve no better.  The Conservative Party of Canada prophetically called for new jails.  Perhaps we need stockades as well. I hope at very least that their incomes are 'garnisheed'. Canadians don't want more taxation like the HST to wetnurse criminals.

Finally,  these Vancouver rioters, looters, criminals, gangsters and bullies  should be required  to do community hours for a year in addition scrubbing the Vancouver city buildings to get rid of the smell of BC Bud, piss vomit, crack smoke and burning police cars. Thank goodness Mayor Gregor Robertson and the Vancouver Police were there to limit the destruction.