Your Singhs today (Vancouver edition)

Meet Opinder Singh Sian, soon to appear in the United States District Court in California  to face charges that he was the North American leader of an international drug smuggling organization, moving huge amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl precursors around the globe.

Mr Sian hails from the majority-Sikh city of Surrey BC. He is no stranger to the courts, with a record going back to 2007 when he was convicted of careless use of a firearm and obstruction of a peace officer. Between then and 2010, he was regularly stopped by police, often in vehicles with other gangsters.

Evidently he didn't learn that if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas, for in August of 2008 he was seriously injured in a shootout in Surrey that left one Gurpreet Singh Sidhu dead. Mr Sian's injuries were so serious that he received support from the Crime Victim Assistance Program. Who said crime doesn't pay?

In March 2009, police executed a search warrant at the family home in Surrey and found cash and drugs. No charges resulted. However, Mr Sian was well on his way to becoming a major player in the Lower Mainland underworld. He survived targeted shootings and reportedly leads the Brothers Keepers gang — a key proxy for the Sinaloa cartel in Canada, interoperable with other Latin American cartels, Chinese Communist Party chemical suppliers, and working alongside the Kinahans, a notorious Irish crime family now based in Dubai and closely linked to Hezbollah finance networks. 

British Columbia's anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit wouldn't comment on Sian’s involvement with the Brothers Keepers gang. Spokesthingy Cpl. Sarbjit Singh Sangha (no relation, shurely) said in an e-mail to the Vancouver Sun, "We do not have any active investigation on this person."

No indeed! Mr Sian was arrested in sunny Arizona ("Sunnier than California, you bet!") and indicted in a sweeping US case that underscores British Columbia’s critical role as a global trafficking hub, bringing together Mexican cartels and Chinese precursor suppliers that operate with near impunity in Vancouver, but, since President Trump called attention to cross-border crime, have become the focus of elite American law enforcement. 

At one point during the three-year-long investigation by the DEA, Mr Sian allegedly told a confidential source that he worked with "Irish organized crime, specifically, the Kinahan family, Italian organized crime and other Canadian organized cime families." He also boasted about his contacts in drug cartels in Mexico and South America. Hey, isn't that what free trade is all about?!

Sidelight: According to the report in the Vancouver Sun, the international drug kingpin also ran into a spot of trouble a decade ago, when he tried to get his purported bride into the Great No-longer-white North. Canada's Immigration Appeal Board ruled his marriage to Sikhjeet Kaur Gill a sham. 

The biggest red flag to adjudicator Tim Crowhurst was that Ms Gill didn't even know Mr Sian had been seriously injured in the 2008 gangland shooting mentioned above, or that he had a criminal record. Wrote the judge, "This background is particularly relevant to this appeal because the applicant was not aware of the appellant’s criminal history, nor the shooting, nor his work experience at the time of marriage. The panel finds that this is very important information that would be expected to be shared by two persons entering into a genuine relationship." Well, duh!

UPDATED: Vancouver motor manslaughter the work of a madman?

Canada has a large and vibrant Filipino community. Hundreds of thousands of Pinoys and Pinays have immigrated in recent years, settling mostly in larger cities Vancouver in the west to Toronto in the east. They are not "refugees" or asylum-seekers, but economic migrants, who came to Canada in search of a better life.

The Filipino community is largely peaceful. They are too busy working to cause trouble, and, being mostly Catholic, they haven't brought with them any religious or political strife from their homeland. When they're not working (typically in service industries like hospitality and health care), they love to take part in fiestas. Singing, dancing and street food are a major part of Filipino culture.

Filipinos are regarded by other Canadians as "good immigrants". There is almost no anti-Filipino sentiment in Canada. So most Canadians will be shocked, when they wake up this morning, to hear that a ramming attack on the Lapuj-Lapu street festival in Vancouver BC killed at least nine people, and injured scores of other party-goers.

Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai says a 30-year-old Vancouver man has been arrested for the early-morning attack in which an SUV plowed through a crowded South Vancouver street at high speed. The exact number of casualties won’t be released until families have been notified.

Vancouver police say on "X" that they are "confident" the incident was not an act of terrorism. How so? And why did Chief Rai say nothing about the identity of the perp now held in custody. [He hasn't been released on bail yet? Ed.] His citizenship status (if any) and ethnicity have not been revealed. Nor has his religion. He might well be a white, born-in-Canada Quaker. That's why we haven't put up the usual "Allahu akbar!" headline... yet.

UPDATED ADDED at 1138: 

In a presser at 0930 PDT, a spokesthingy for the Vancouver police said "I can tell you that the person we have in custody does have a significant history of interactions with police and health-care professionals related to mental health."

A video clip seen on network TV shows a young white man with curly blonde hair sitting up on a gurney as he was loaded into an ambulance. There was no voice-over but we infer he's the allegedly mentally disturbed individual who was behind the wheel. 

So: white, Canadian-born (likely), but probably not a Quaker. That's 2 out of 3. We're now down to a mass killing by a lone wolf -- one of the many individuals with "issues" loose on our streets. That's our sick society. Does any "leader" have a plan to address this problem? Anyone? ... ... ...

FURTHER UPDATE ADDED at 1850:

Whoa! The name of the "suspect"  now charged with eight (count `em, 8) counts of second-degree murder is Kai-Ji Adam Lo. Not white, and possibly not Canadian-born. Try Chinese. When things like this happened in southeast Asia in the days of the Empire, we used to say that someone of the Asian persuasion had "run amok". Now we just say they "have issues".

Looking for a good place to live?

Readers who live in dirty, crime-ridden, broken but expensive American city -- all Democrat-controlled, by the way -- may be wondering if there is somewhere better to which they can move. The answer is yes, but not in the Excited States of America, where peaceful and prosperous, Republican-controlled cities are few and far between. 

The Economist Intelligence Unit has just published its index of the world's most liveable (and unliveable) cities. Not one American city made it into the Top 10. The could-be-worse news for Crooked Joe Biden is that not even San Francisco or Portland sank into the 10 worst. Here's the Economist map. I know it's a bit hard to read, so I'll elucidate [and magnify -- thank you! Ed.) in my comments follow.

The best city in the world in which to live is... wait for it... Vienna, which the EIU scores at 98.4 out of a possible 100. I note that both these cities are the capitals of countries which put up walls of dykes and sandbags to divert the tsunami of "refugees", asylum-seekers and other riff-raff which has swept across Europe over the last decade.

The Danes, in particular, have been sticking to their guns [made from Lego kits? Ed.] about keeping Denmark for the Danes. See "New Danish law: refugees will no longer become immigrants", WWW 23/2/19. No wonder they're the happiest people in the world! 

Third and fourth on the index of liveable cities are Melbourne and Sydney, in the wonderful land of Oz. Auckland, New Zealand, is in 10th spot. If you want to get away from it all/get away from them all --  you know what/who I mean -- the Antipodes is a good bet. Australia sends all the boat people and other undesirables to desolate islands off its north coast. New Zealand had a couple of years of wokeism under former Jacinta Ardern, the pinko feminist prime minister, but has gone back to a peaceful slumber.

No fewer than three Canadian cities make the list: Vancouver in 5th spot, Calgary tied for 7th, and Toronto behind the 8-ball. I'll give you Calgary. Poor Len Canayen says they'd rank higher if they had a better hockey team. 

But the inclusion of Vancouver surprises me. I think it must have ranked so high because of the location between the seashore and the mountains. You can drive an hour east or west and go water-skiing or snow-skiing. As for the city itself, all that can be said is that it looks great in comparison with Seattle or Portland. 

As for Toronto, my guess is that the EIU researchers haven't actually been there, and have been taken in my the relentless advertising of the Wormy Apply as "the city that works", "a world-class city", "the world's most multicultural city", yada yada yada. It's all bullshit, except for the multicultural part. Folks with pale complexions are a beleaguered minority in the "Greater Toronto Area". IMHO, Montréal is a much more liveable city than Toronto. The difference is like that between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs. Nuff said.

What cities remain to be discusssed? Geneva is tied with Calgary for 7th. Like the Danes and Austrians, the Swiss don't welcome foreigners and aren't hopelessly woke... yet. But I've been to Geneva more than once, and find it clean to the point of sterility, expensive, and boring. But at least they speak French. I imagine Zurich (6th) to be the same except that it's German-speaking, and full of bankers rather than watch-makers and chocolatiers.

And then there's Osaka, Japan, tied with Auckland for 10th. I note that the Japanese are even more xenophobic than the Europeans, and they don't like foreigners very much either. Your chances of being allowed to live there range from slim to none, and after endless meals of suski and seawood you wouldn't want to.

About the most unliveable cities, I shall say very little beyond giving you the EIU's ranking. Four of them -- Douala (164 - 46.4 out of 100), Harare (167), Lagos (170) and Algiers (171) and Tripoli (172 - 40.1) -- are in Africa, which is all ye need to know. 

I lived in Ha-ha-harare, the fun capital of Zimbabwe, for six years in the 90s. When it was known as Salisbury, the capital of Rhodesia, it was the best sub-Saharan African city outside3 of South Africa. But the roads, water and electricity forced on the poor black people by the evil colonialists are no longer functioning. That too is all ye need to know.

I was dismayed to see Kiev (aka Kyiv) in the Worst 10 list (165 - 44.0). In normal times it's a city of beauty and culture. But now it's a war zone, so what can be said except Слава Україні! 

As any traveller knows, South Asia is rich in shitholes, and you can apply that word literally. It's no accident that millions of people from thatblighted sub-continent risk everything to our blighted continent. One would expect to see Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and "New" Delhi on the list, but believe it or not, there are two worse cities: Dhaka, Bangladesh (167, tied with Harare) and Karachi, Pakistan (169 - 42.5). 

From World War I until its independence in 1975, New Guinea was a dependency of Australia. Even today it is largely unexplored and undeveloped, peopled by "savages" [Be careful, now. Ed.] who not very long ago wore penis sheaths and hunted heads for sport. Now they have their own country, its capital being Port Moresby (168 - 43.4 out of 100).

And now it's time for the presentation of the Economist Intelligence Unit's award for Least Liveable City in the World. May I have the envelope please? The winner is [drum roll]... Damascus, the capital of Syria, scoring 30.4 out of 100 and dead last of the 173 cities studied. 

Kind of discouraging, isn't it. I'm considering Asuncion, which I hear has become quite popular with Germans fleeing the new multicultural Stepfatherland. Meanwhile, I'll just stay right here.

"Allahu akbar!" at Vancouver, Canada?

 Everyone knows that mass shootings happen regularly in the Excited States of America, right? And they're always the work of deranged white supremacists, right? Oh... wait... Boulder. Yeah. Well, that's still the fault of President Trump, somehow. If you don't believe me, read the WaPo or tune in to the ladies of The View.

But I digest... Everyone knows that mass attacks on innocent civilians happen only in the US of A, right? Never in liberal, progressive countries like Canada, where diversity and inclusivity are embraced by all, from Prime Minister Blackie McBlackface on down. In Canuckistan, there is no hate, only love and peace and rainbows and unicorns and choruses of "Kumbaya" wafting on the spring breezes. 

No indeed. Something like the mass killing at Boulder could never happen in the Great No-longer-white North. Oh... wait... Seems something similar happened in North Vancouver BC yesterday. But it wasn't a mass shooting. It was a mass stabbing! So that's all right, then...

Seen in the photo being taken to hospital is the alleged perp, whose name, ethnicity, status in Canada and (above all) religion, are not likely to be released any time soon. Not that the police don't know these things, as the man, aged 22, is "known to police", with whom he has "had interactions" before. So why don't they tell us the rest? Hint: M-106.

Whoever he is went on a rampage in and outside of Lynn Valley Library, in North Vancouver, on Saturday afternoon, stabbing one woman to death and wounding six (6) others before being taken into custoday. 

Inspector Clouseau of the local constabulary said the attacker appeared to be acting alone. Why did he do it? They have no idea... nor will they have, unless he blames the systemic racism for which Canada is notorious. Walt will bring you an update if our suspicions are confirmed, but don't hold your breath!

VIDEO: Advice on moving to Canada (in case Trump wins)

Poor Len Canayen passed this along. For sure he likes the guy's toque, eh!

Gavin McInnes of TheRebel.media has some advice for Americans threatening to move to Canada if Donald Trump is elected president

UPDATED: The Economist on integrating Muslims into European society

This is a follow-up to "Speaking of integrating Muslims into European society...", posted here yesterday. The postman [letter carrier, surely! Ed.] just delivered this week's Economist (16/1/16), from which I've selected two interesting (and apparently contradictory) quotes.

A leader (= editorial, for North Americans) headed "Migrant men and European women", on p. 12 of the North American edition, has, as its subtitle: "To absorb newcomers peacefully, Europe must insist they respect values such as tolerance and sexual equality". Oh, hahahahahahahaha! See the last paragraph of yesterday's post.

From the same issue, "Cologne's aftershocks" (p. 57) concludes: "In retrospect it is clear that Mrs Merkel's hopeful New Year's address coincided with the appearance of immigration's dark side [Was that intentional? Ed.] on German streets, and that her warnings have not been heeded. Some refugees have not respected German rules and traditions. Germans are divided. Germany's neighbours, from Hungary and Poland to Switzerland and Denmark, have sneered at Mrs Merkel's 'welcome culture'. It now looks tenuous even at home."

Any further comment would be superfluous. However, thanks to Agent 3, we do have a

Footnote from Canada: Justin Trudeau, Canada's liberal Liberal new Prime Minister, won election in October on (among other things) a promise to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by 31 December 2015. The target date has since been pushed back to 31 December 2016. As of mid-January, about 10,000 have actually arrived, most being dumped into Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa. Yesterday the mayors of Vancouver and Ottawa asked M Trudeau and his Minister of Refugees, John McCallum, to please hold the Mohammed salads -- thanks to Mark Steyn for that line -- for a while because, errr, there's no more room for them.

UPDATED 20/1/16: Vancouver and Ottawa have asked for a "pause" in bringing in more Syrian "refugees". And now it's Halifax and even Toronto (!!!) admitting they can't take any more... for now... you understand... Of course it has nothing to do with the backlash against queue-jumping asylum-seekers which has manifested itself in such things as a huddled mass of them being pepper-sprayed in Vancouver by some terrible racist who's against diversity.

"O Canada" to be sung in Hindi at 2010 Olympics?

Under the title "We SHOULD be concerned", Agent 89 has forwarded "We Are Proud Canadians", a.k.a. "We'll reap what we've sown if we don't nip this in the bud." It purports to be a rant by Bruce Allen, a prominent BC radio personality and a director of the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC), decrying a proposal that "O Canada" be sung in Hind (!) at next year's Winter Olympics. Here's the text...

Bruce Allen is on the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Committee and new Canadians (specifically Hindis/Indians) want him fired for his recent comments outlined below:

I am sorry, but after hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Hindi at the 2010 Olympics -- enough is enough. Nowhere or at no other time in our Nation's history, did they sing it in Italian, Japanese, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German, Portuguese, Greek, or any other language because of immigration. It was written in English, adapted into French, and should be sung word for word the way it was written.

The news broadcasts even gave the Hindi version translation, which was not even close to our National Anthem. I am not the least bit sorry if this offends ANYONE, this is MY COUNTRY!

My Grand Dad served in the military, other family members also served, as well as my wife & I served a combined total of 56 years between us. We made many sacrifices for our country and do not feel we should feel obligated to allow invited people we've welcomed with open arms to influence & change our society to better resemble the one they chose to leave to come here!

IF YOU AGREE ABOUT THIS GREAT COUNTRY, SPEAK UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE -- please pass this along.

I am not against immigration. In fact I believe we need more, my ancestors were immigrants -- just come through like everyone else. Get a sponsor; a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes, live by the Rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants have in the past -- and LONG LIVE CANADA!

It's time we all get behind Bruce Allen, and scrap this Political Correctness. His comments were anything but racist, however, there are far too many overly sensitive 'New Canadians' that are attempting to change everything we hold dear.

Are YOU part of the problem? Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone, will we still be the Country of Choice and still be CANADA if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries who have come to live in CANADA because it is the Country of Choice? Think about it!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT CANADIANS, MUST ADAPT.It's time for CANADIANS to speak up.
If you agree, pass this along. If you don't agree?Delete it and reap what you sow because of your complacency!

Now here's the interesting thing... Not long ago Walt received a similar FWD from Agent 17, who lives about 1200 miles away from Agent 89. Having dutifully passed it along, I was taken to task by an old friend for perpetuating a "hoax"!

Dear readers, it's not a hoax. But what you've read is not what Bruce Allen said. This rant has been around before. According to snopes.com, the latest version has been circulating since 2007, and is an adaptation of an earlier rant condemning a proposal that the U.S. anthem be sung in Spanish.

It should be noted too that whoever wrote the Canadianized version is either ignorant or a typical tête carrée (perhaps an Albertan?) who doesn't know or doesn't want to know that O Canada was originally written in French. The English lyrics, which are not a translation of the French (because the French version is soooo Catholic!) were written almost 30 years later. Details are in the Snopes article.

Also worth reading are Bruce Allen's comments in his own defence, published in September 2007.

Now let us ask ourselves why this "racist, anti-immigrant rant" is being so widely circulated on the Internet. (You mean it's gone viral? ed.) I believe it's because it strikes a chord with the majority of Canadians and Americans, including millions of immigrants from Europe who tried to adapt to our culture, rather than forcing us to adapt to theirs.

Only a few years after WWII, our community opened its gates and its arms to a wave of immigrants from countries which had been overrun by the Germans (or, in the aftermath of the war, the Communists). They were called "displaced persons", not "refugees".

Walt's mother (RIP) was a high school English teacher. The local school board, in a fit of enlightenment remarkable for the time, set up ESL classes for the "DPs", who came in astonishing numbers to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn the language and culture of their host country. My mother, who had the typical Anglo mistrust of foreigners, was impressed forever after by the positive attitude of these (literally) poor people.

One of the first things they wanted to learn was the words to the national anthem. They did not demand that it be translated into their languages. They wanted to learn not just how things should be said, in Canada, but how they should be done. But that was over 50 years ago...

Will we still be the Country of Choice and still be CANADA if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries who have come to live in CANADA because it is the Country of Choice?

Walt agrees. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!