Walt is watching and waiting

My apologies, dear reader, for not posting too much this week. Big Things have been happening, or are expected to happen, and I thought I'd wait until events have fully eventuated. The Big Thing that has yet to happen is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Brandon says he knows that Putin has made up his mind to invade. 

Well, duh! That was obvious eight years ago when Russian armed forces occupied the Crimea! The question is when they will move across the border, where over 100,000 are presently massed. Sleepy Joe says it could be "within days", or possibly "within weeks". Like the street-corner preachers prophesying the end of the world, President Demented can't give an exact date. 

When and if Russia tries to take Ukraine back into its empire, you know where we at WWW will stand. When the balloon goes up, will the Paranoid States of America do anything other than more tut-tutting? This week the Canucks withdrew their military personnel -- all 200 or so -- to Poland, in case the Russkis attack the Polacks first. Don't bet on them, or any other members of NATO, actually sending their sons/daughters/whatever into battle. Lifetime pct .980.

Meanwhile, in Canuckistan itself, the House of Commons is debating whether Emperor Trudeau was right to invoke (for the first time in history) the Emergency Measures Act of 1988, to quell the "insurrection" (read: Freedom Convoy and similar demonstrations) mounted by a "small fringe minority" in the world's second-coldest capital.

Like all third world dictators, Mr Socks and his henchmen (and henchwomen -- Canada's "Diplomat of the Year" 2018), didn't wait for Parliament's approval of the use of the Act. In fact the debate scheduled for Friday was cancelled, so MPs wouldn't be in harm's way when the Mounties moved in to trample old women and children. Just like that scene from Doctror Zhivago. Who would have thought anything like this could ever happen in the Not-so-great Not-so-white North?

I watched part of the debate in the House of Commons on Thursday. The governing Liberals contributed further demonization of the protesters by repeating the bullshit about "swastika flags", "Confederate flags" and "other symbols of hate". 

I have watched hours of video and never saw a Nazi flag. There was one Confederate flag, with an image of a big rig across the centre, and it was being carried (it turned out) by an agent provocateur, antifa type. 

As for other symbols of hate, they must be referring to the "Fuck Trudeau!" flags. I certainly did see lots of those! 

After yesterday's see-no-evil recess, the debate -- if the word includes hurling insults across the floor -- resumes today, and continues until everybody gets tired or 2359 EST Sunday, whichever comes firs. A vote is scheduled for Monday night, by which time (the Gliberals hope) everyone will have gone home. "Nothing to see here, folks."

The other use of the Emergency Measures Act which raises serious moral and legal questions is the federal government's seizure of the trucks and other property of the protesters, as well as the bank accounts of anyone -- including foreigners who use Canadian banks -- who donated to the support of the Freedom Convoy. 

That amounts to the theft -- no other word will do -- of millions of dollars contributed by lovers of freedom in Canuckistan and the USA. The excuse given by the fragrant Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland (see "Diplomat of the Year") is that "foreigners" must not be allowed to "interfere" with Canada's "democracy". 

Walt asks, what kind of democracy, what kind of rule of law is it when you can start enforcing measures that have not yet been approved by Parliament? Reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. "Verdict first! Trial later!" Think about it! If they seize (steal!) your money because you hold "unacceptable views", they can stop you from donating to any organization with which they disagree, including churches and charities as well as political parties. That can't be right!

So, always, Walt will be waiting and watching, and will say more if, as and when. 

Meanwhile, I can't resist passing on this Dilbert strip, from a couple of days ago. 

Do any of you use the self-service checkouts? (Bill Burr did a funny riff on this subject some years ago, and we'll put it up if Ed. can find it.) I refuse to use them, as a matter of principle. Those things are putting lower-echelon people out of jobs! Besides, I like dealing with a human cashier, so if there's a problem I have someone's neck to put my hands around.

Apology from Ed.: Sorry to all who saw the "raw" version of this post. I  hit the wrong button. I regret having done so as much as Trudeau regrets having to arrogate to himself the powers of a tin-pot dictator.