Dear readers of InformedVote,

Having talked a big game about change necessary in Canada, I have come to the land of revolution – yes, Egypt. I am currently shooting a documentary that will outline the issues in Egypt’s post-revolutionary circumstances. I have set up interviews with some of the leaders of the January 25th revolution as well as some of the political groups that hope to gain from the revolution. This of course, will be contrasted with the people’s interpretation of it all.

My hope is to show the world that Egypt’s uprising was only possible due to the camaraderie between the baby-boomers and their children – the echo generation. That the post-revolutionary circumstances are an incredibly hard process and that the revolution is not won until the finalized democracy is in place. This will make Egypt’s revolution – I hope – a guide upon which other countries may follow to evoke some of their own change.

Unfortunately, due to the nature, not many people have wished to finance such a film. Thus, I am bringing it out to the people. I wish this film to be a film made by the people, about the people and for the people. So I am asking you, the reader, to please visit my website and donate to ensure that this film be made.

www.taleoftworevolutions.com

Thank you all for your support,

Nadim Fetaih

I have just finished watching the “Rise up Canada” Liberal video on Youtube, and was once again stirred to write. Michael Ignatieff spoke eloquently and passionately about the disarray of Canada under Harper’s government, for what I believe to be the first time. He told the audience to “Rise up” against the oppression of Harper who has been found in contempt of parliament, who has prorogued government twice, who has a man convicted of fraud five times running his campaign, etc.

We all know what Harper has done; we all know about the 5 question max rule that Harper enforces on reporters at any event. We all know that Canada is in disarray, but a man who points out the obvious as Ignatieff continues to do is not a leader. He is not speaking the truth about Canada’s situation. Canada’s 16% corporate tax is the lowest of ANY developed nation in the world. Considering the income taxes that we must all endure (which goes as high as 40% for households that make over $100,000/year) which, by the way, was only meant to be temporary after World War II, a 16% taxation for multi-billion dollar transnational corporations is a slap in our face.

We are the residents of Canada. We are the driving force of the economy; when we have money, the country has money; when we are prosperous, the country is prosperous. Transnational corporations are the leeches of Canada, taking with them billions of profit – made off of Canadian citizens – outside of our borders to faceless CEO’s and stockholders. A measly 16% tax on this means that they are not only saving money to continue but are pleaded to do so by our government. Let us not forget that due to these corporations, our natural resources are being sucked dry, our Canadian companies are either dying out – unable to compete with unethical corporations – or are being bought out as soon as they are found to be profitable.

Congratulations Ignatieff, you are promising to stop the corporate tax cuts that would drop the taxes to around 14%. That will make you the hero that Canada needs right? Wrong! Canada has been passed from one colonialist power to the next; first Britain, then to the United States, and now, to the corporations that govern the world. Canada not only needs, but deserves a man with the (for lack of a better word) balls to stand up against this atrocity. Canada deserves a leader who will raise corporate taxes and drop our income taxes. If transnational corporations leave, I say all the better. Foreign “investment” is the ownership of our culture, country, politics, and social realm. Canada is dying as the corporate leeches continue to bleed us dry and we wonder why there is no more pride to be Canadian.
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Last week I found an interactive map on the Globe and Mail website that provides a big-picture look at the number of confirmed H1N1 hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths by province/territory and for Canada as a whole. Today, I found another great resource courtesy of the National Post.

The image illustrates how H1N1 vaccines in Canada originate from GlaxoSmithKline, the sole provider of H1N1 vaccines in Canada, and ultimately reach the general population. The image also indicates the eligibility groups province by province and provides up-to-date information on the roll-out so far.

Here is a summary of the content provided:

British Columbia:

- 1.16 million doses received.
- Over 900,000 injections thus far.
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A negative-stained image of the swine flu virus.

While searching the web for accurate information regarding the number of Canadians impacted by the Swine Flu, I came across a fantastic interactive map on The Globe and Mail site. The map provides a big-picture look at the number of confirmed hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths by province/territory and for Canada as a whole. Although the size of the rings surrounding each providence can be misleading, the facts are not. Here are some of the figures they’ve gathered:

Deaths per million people:

All of Canada: 2.76
Newfoundland and Labrador: 0.00
Prince Edward Island: 0.00
Nova Scotia: 1.07
New Brunswick: 0.00
Quebec: 3.48
Ontario: 2.09
Manitoba: 5.79
Saskatchewan: 4.92
Alberta: 3.35
British Columbia: 2.74
Yukon: 0.00
Northwest Territories: 0.00
Nunavut: 31.85
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On February 5th, I commented on Obama’s plan to impose a $500,000 salary cap on U.S. executives who were holding onto taxpayer dollars for dear life.

Seven months later Obama has made bold moves in the right direction. Today the Treasury department ordered seven corporations, which have yet to repay their bailout money, to cut executive salaries and bonuses in half. The top 25 highest paid executives will have a $500,000 salary cap imposed on them and will see their perks capped at $25,000. The seven companies affected are: Bank of America Corp., American International Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial.

The Federal Reserve also weighed in, suggesting the monitoring of pay packages at thousands of banks to ensure salaries do not continue spiraling out of control.
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In case you missed it, here is Stephen Harper’s performance of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Harper came on stage at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre on Saturday to sing the tune with Ma and Ottawa band Herringbone during a gala held to support the next generation of Canadian musicians.

In a move many are calling a breakthrough in the negotiation process between Israel and Hamas, Israel released 20 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a short video of Gilad Schalit. The video shows Schalit holding a Palestinian newspaper dated September 14th and provides proof that he is indeed alive. All 20 released prisoners were females, most of whom were charged for attempted murder and who were nearing the end of the prison sentence. The deal paves the way for further negotiations between the two sides. Hamas is demanding the release of 1000 prisoners in exchange for Schalit. The released video can be seen below.

Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the man convicted of murdering 270 people by planting a bomb on Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, has been released from jail in Scotland on “compassionate grounds.” The 57 year old is suffering from prostate cancer and doctors estimate he has just 3 months left to survive. In an attempt to explain the out of the ordinary release, Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill cited compassionate grounds, stating that Megrahi was being released so he could “[go] home to die.” “Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available,” MacAskill said.

Arriving in his homeland of Libya, Megrahi received a heroes welcome with a large crowd gathered waving flags, throwing flowers and honking horns at the military airport in Tripoli.
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Since its inception in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Canada’s anti-terrorism laws will take effect for the first time. On Thursday, Mohammad Momin Khawaja will be sentenced after being convicted last fall of five counts of facilitating and financing terrorism. For the full story, click here