Poor Len Canayen explains Habs' Subban for Weber trade

Last April 6th, in "Re P.K. Subban - Told ya so!", Walt's very close friend, Poor Len Canayen, wrote "Unless something startling happens between now and the end of September, I'll be back then..." Well, as reported here (first!) earlier this afternoon, something startling has happened, so it's with pleasure that I turn the keyboard over to Poor Len.

Shed a tear (he writes) for Dave Stubbs, formerly the Montreal Gazette's cheerleader-in-chief for P.K. Subban, now scribbling for nhl.com. Who will Stubbsy worship now that his hero has been traded by the Montréal Canadiens to (gasp!) the Predators of Nashville?

Mr Stubbs thought that the sun, moon and stars shone out of the arse of the "transcendant" defenceman. The Canadiens management and coaching staff felt otherwise, as did many of his teammates. But the club's owners (Geoff Molson, prop.) loved him... when business was good. When the team missed the playoffs and fingers started to be pointed, minds were changed, and permission was given to GM Marc Bergevin to do what had to be done "for the good of the team". Which is exactly what I'd been advocating for the last two years.

P.K. Subban is a talented hockey player, when he manages to not fall down. But it takes more than talent to be a true star and an inspiration to your teammates. You need good judgment, maturity and, dare I say it, a modicum of humility. Those are the qualities which, combined with hockey skills, made Jean Béliveau, Gordie Howe, and Wayne Gretsky all-time greats. Those are the qualities which, sadly for him, Mr Subban lacks. To him, the game was all about P.K., and the cheerleaders at the Gazoo must take some of the blame for feeding P.K.'s ego, which long since became too big for the dressing room. That was why he had to go... for the good of the team.

Now P.K. has gone to Nashville, where he should feel right at home. Southern hospitality, you know. He will get an especially warm welcome from Nashville's finest if he appears on Main Street dressed as in the picture at right. Oh, they'll love him there, that's for sure.

In return for Subban, the Habs got the Predators' captain, Shea Weber, an all-star defenceman who is older, bigger and wiser than the One whose critics were labelled as incorrigible racists. Weber is not only more experienced, but more reliable on defence. Yet he scored 20 goals and 31 assists in 78 games with the Predators last season, compared with Subban's 6 goals and 45 assists in 68 games for the Canadiens.

In a statement this afternoon, Marc Begevin said, "Nous venons d'effectuer une importante transaction qui, j'en suis convaincu, fera du Canadien une meilleure équipe. Ce fut également l'une des décisions les plus difficiles que j'ai eu à prendre comme dirigeant du Canadien de Montréal. Nous venons d'obtenir, en Shea Weber, un défenseur de premier plan dans la LNH, un leader exceptionnel et un joueur qui, selon nous, améliorera notre brigade défensive et notre jeu de puissance pendant plusieurs saisons. Shea Weber a dominé tous les défenseurs de la LNH la saison dernière avec 14 buts en avantage numérique. C'est un défenseur complet, avec un gabarit imposant qui possède un puissant tir frappé."

For those who don't understand French -- wen you come on top da countree you gotta speak da langue, eh -- the key part is the first sentence: "...an important transaction which, I'm convinced, will make the Canadiens a better team." Ainsi soit-il.

BREAKING NEWS SHOCK! P.K. SUBBAN TRADED TO NASHVILLE

Poor Len Canayen has just telephoned from somewhere near the Bell Centre to report that the Montréal Canadiens are about to ink a deal to send alleged star defenceman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators. This is more than a rumour, Poor Len swears, and the deal's going to be done by close of business tomorrow, the last day before Subban's no-trade clause kicks in. Details to follow as soon as Poor Len finishes his drink. Stay tuned. And don't forget: you read it on WWW first!

Seriously, this time: Ron Paul explains why Brexit matters to us

If you skipped over yesterday's post -- "Catholic prelate says South Sudan 'ruled by monkeys'" -- because you thought it was just about Africa, please click on the link and check out the first couple of paragraphs, because I started with some musings about Brexit.

A revolution against the prevailing orthodoxy of globalism strikes me as being a Good Thing. The idea of one big happy worldwide family is the veriest bullshit, contrary to human nature. Everyone knows this, but the liberal elites who dominate our media, universities and political parties refuse to admit it. Now we "ordinary people" are starting to get up on our hind feet and say we've had enough. About time!

A couple of days earlier I posted a piece on American reaction to Brexit, the gist of which was that Merkans were struggling to understand why a democratically elected head of government -- British PM David Cameron -- would relinquish control simply because he had been shown to have made a spectacularly bad judgment call. That post, dear readers, was lifted from The Onion, as I thought I made clear. It was satire, a joke, funny haha.

Apparently some of you mistook it for a real op-ed piece, so, to get serious, I refer you to "After 'Brexit', Can We Exit a Few Things Too?" by Ron Paul. As usual, Mr Paul has some very common-sensical things to say about why the Brits voted themselves out of Europe, and what lessons America might usefully learn from their decision. Here's are key excerpts. The emphasis is mine.

Last week’s UK vote to leave the EU may have come as a shock to many, but the sentiment that led British voters to reject rule from Brussels is nothing unique. In fact it is growing sentiment worldwide. Frustration with politics as usual, with political parties that really do not differ in philosophy, with an economy that serves the one percent at the expense of the rest of society is a growing phenomenon throughout Europe and in the United States as well. The Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump phenomena are but one example of a frustrated public sensing something is very wrong with society and looking for a way out....

Is Brexit the first victory in a larger freedom movement? Can we get out of a system that creates money out of thin air to benefit the ruling class while impoverishing the middle class? Can we get out of a central bank that finances the wars that make us less safe? Can we exit Executive Orders? Can we exit the surveillance state? The PATRIOT Act? Can we exit NDAA and indefinite detention? Can we exit the US worldwide drone program, that kills innocents overseas and makes us ever-more hated?...

The act of exit is liberating. We should make a longer list of those things we would like to get out of. I am only getting started.

Note from Ed.: I trust Mr Paul won't mind my showing his words in blue. Unlike in the Excited States of America, blue is the colour of conservatism in Britain, Canada and many other democratic countries. Red is the colour of socialism, communism and the extreme left. Think The Red Flag. The reversal of these colours in the politics of the USA is yet another example of "American exceptionalism". Think weirdness.

Catholic prelate says South Sudan "ruled by monkeys"

Like millions -- literally -- of investors, analysts, pundits and other bystanders, Walt has been trying to figure out the meaning of Brexit, the decision of the British people to opt out of the European Union. Many on the rightish end of the political spectrum see the result as a victory of nationalism over globalism, of conservative common sense over the kumbaya policies of the liberal one-worlders. So it may be, but will the revolt of the ordinary people cross the Channel into France, the Netherlands and the rest of Europe? Will it cross the Atlantic into... dare we wish... the Excited States of America? And what price will we ordinary people have to pay to undo half a century of wrong-headed rule by the elites?

All this is too much for me, for now... I can focus only on a short, simple story from Darkest Africa -- specifically, the world's newest "nation", South Sudan. You may remember [or maybe not! Ed.] that, almost five years ago, the southern part of Sudan succeeded in seceding, after a bloody and brutal civil war which lasted for decades. Shortly after liberating the south from the Arab Muslim north, the black non-Muslim South Sudanese, started fighting amongst themselves about which tribe should dominate, and who should get control of the new country's substantial oil revenue. Plus ça change. Mother Africa Wins Again.

What got me thinking about South Sudan was a report on Aljazeera that the country's Independence Day celebrations have been cancelled. The Minister of Information, Michael Makuei, told reporters today, "We decided not to celebrate the July 9 Independence Day, because we don't want to spend that much. We need to spend the little that we have on other issues."

In past years, even at the height of the civil war, the government organized the customary military parades and other celebrations. But Mr Makuei said this year the party would not happen. President Salva Kiir Mayardit is still expected to address the nation on July 9th, but that's it for this year.

Salva Kiir Mayardit? Who he? Glad you asked. He is the chief of the "devils" and "madmen" who rule South Sudan, as described by Monsignor Roko Taban Mousa, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Malakel. In a homily on Sunday, the prelate denounced the nation's rulers amid surging violence in Wau, one of its largest cities. "More than 100,000 people are in the bush being displaced by their own government," said the furious Catholic leader.

"This is the country we have chosen," Msgr Mousa continued. "This is the country we have voted for its independence so that our country displaces us. Our own country. We are ruled really by monkeys. We are ruled by monkeys. We have to be very clear: we are ruled by monkeys."

Thanks to Ed. for finding this picture of President Mayardit -- him with the big hat -- and some of the other "monkeys". And don't call me a racist. It was Msgr Mousa who said it!

The Onion explains American reaction to Brexit

I've never reposted in toto anything from the Onion [Well, hardly ever. Ed.] but couldn't resist this very witty piece, headed "Americans Confused By System Of Government In Which Leader Would Resign After Making Terrible Decision".

In the wake of Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that he would leave office following the United Kingdom’s vote to exit the European Union, tens of millions of Americans expressed their confusion to reporters Friday about a system of government in which a leader would resign after making a terrible decision.

“Wait, so he made a really awful choice with far-reaching negative consequences and now he’s just stepping down to let someone else take over? What?” said Colorado Springs, CO resident Evan Austin, echoing the sentiments of citizens across the United States who were left struggling to understand why a democratically elected head of government would relinquish control simply because they had been shown to have made a spectacularly bad judgment call.

“So he jeopardized the future of his country, and instead of spending the next several years remaining in power while trying to paper over his mistakes, he’s just gone? Where’s the part where he denies any wrongdoing or tries to blame somebody else? This is absolutely crazy.” The American public noted, however, that they completely understood the part where voters who had made a demonstrably terrible decision continued to double down on it.

Seems the Brits themselves were confused before, during and after Thursday's vote to leave the European Union. Top question of google.uk: "What's the EU?" Ah democracy, ain't it grand? But as Churchill said -- paraphrasing here -- bad as it is, it's better than the alternatives.

Memo to the publishers of The Onion from Ed.: Don't lawyer up and threaten to sue Walt, because: (1) We gave you credit and printed the link. (2) We're not making any money out of WWW. (3) Walt doesn't have any money anyway, except maybe his UK pension, which is now worthless.

Anti-immigrant backlash leads to Brexit

The people of Britain -- well, England and Wales at least -- gave the two-fingers-up sign to their kingdom's elites. (For our American readers, two fingers up is the British equivalent of flipping the bird.) In yesterday's referendum on the European Union, the Brits voted by a margin of 52% to 48% to head for the Brexit -- leave the failed experiment in one-worldism and go back to their old xenophobic ways.

Walt was able to watch the rolling commentary on ITN, and was greatly amused by the expressions of shock and horror on the faces of the analysts, experts, pundits, celebs and other members of the chattering classes. How, they asked, could the hoi polloi have been so stupid as to ignore the pleas of the Davids -- Cameron, Beckham et al. -- to remain in the (soon to be) Islamic States of Europe? Why, they must be nothing but a bunch of narrow-minded racists!

Well, no! IMHO the majority of Brits simply wanted to take back their country from the overbearing, out-of-touch Eurocrats. One of the leaders of the "Leave" campaign
Former London mayor Boris Johnson, said Britain will continue to be a "great European power" even when it leaves the EU. "We cannot turn our backs on Europe. We are part of Europe," he said, "but there is simply no need in the 21st century to be part of a federal system of government based in Brussels.... It was a noble idea for its time. It is no longer right for this country."

Mr Johnson was being rather diplomatic. In fact Britons have never really wanted to be part of Europe. They have never really felt like Europeans. The English Channel might as well be 1000 miles wide, for in the minds of the average Brit "the wogs [foreigners] start at Calais". Today that is more true than ever as British border guards patrol the outskirts of Calais -- that's in France -- to turn back the hordes of African and Arab "refugees" waiting there for a chance to jump on a truck bound for Britain.

Make no mistake about it. The influx of millions of foreigners -- symbolized by the ubiquitous "Polish plumber" -- provoked the anti-immigrant backlash which was the chief factor which propelled the "Brexiteers" to victory. John McDonnell, deputy leader of the Labour Party, who campaigned for the "Remain" side, said "A lot of people's grievances are coming out and we have got to start listening to them." Britons want out of the EU, and they want the foreigners out of Britain. Or at least, they don't want any more allowed in, and that's why they voted to regain control of the country's border.

Donald Trump saluted the Brexit vote as he arrived at his golf course in Scotland today, saying the British " took back their country; it’s a great thing." He said, "People are angry all over the world," and that the UK vote was driven by worries about "the borders". Mr Trump also said that people were angry about similar things in the United States. He suggested that other counties may follow the UK's lead. "This will not be the last," he added.

Indeed. The politicians who should be listening now to the voice of the real people are the leaders of Germany, France, and the USA. Walt is somewhat bemused by the anti-immigrant feelings of the Brits, considering that most of the Polish plumbers are white, Christian and able and willing to work. It could have been a lot worse, as has been the case in France and Germany, now being overrun by Arab and African Muslims who know no "work" other than begging, stealing and waging jihad against their hosts.

Nationalism is resurgent, not just in Britain but in the rest of Europe, and America too. Leaders who are in touch with their people are listening. One of the first to congratulate Britain's Leave campaign on the win and the pending separation was Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, who tweeted, "Hurrah for the British! Now it is our turn. Time for a Dutch referendum!" And Marine Le Pen, leader of France's Front National, called Brexit "a victory for liberty". And so it is. Well done, John Bull. Let the rest of the world take note.

Brexit referendum: the British establishment vs the British people

Tomorrow the people of the Disunited Kingdom (or Formerly Great Britain) go to the polls to decide whether their country should remain in the European Union or leave it. For Walt's American readers, who (like Donald Trump) don't know what the fuss is all about, "Brexit" stands for "British exit". The referendum was promised -- rather foolishly, as it turns out -- by British Prime Minister Donald Cameron in the last general election campaign, to quell voter anger over ever-closer ties to Europe and, particularly, ever-increasing levels of immigration.

The Donald and Marine Le Pen are about the only non-British politicians to say that the Brits might just be better to get off the road to One World Government. All the other "world leaders", including the Prez and Hellery Clinton, say no, the Brits should stay in. A vote to leave, they say, would be a vote against liberalism and progress. And of course it would be a vote for racism, Islamophobia, and all the other things that the liberal elite think are politically incorrect.

Never mind the chattering classes. What do the real people think? In his final rallying call for voters to back Brexit, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage branded the EU referendum a contest "between the people and the Establishment". He said Brexit voters would "crawl over broken glass to get down to that polling station tomorrow", and called on those who have never voted before to grasp the "opportunity to make a difference." Tomorrow's result "may be tight, may be narrow," he said, but "I genuinely believe we are going to win this."

Today's polls show a statistical dead heat, and I'm not going to hazard a guess, let alone a bet. In fact, although my heart tells me that any move away from One World Government -- the EU and the UN are great examples of how well that works -- my head for business tells me a Brexit will cause nothing but economic turmoil not just in Europe but throughout the world. I'm holding my breath.