Yesterday, we had a taste of president Bush's patriotism by mentioning his participation in the never ending war on drugs and money laundering, and now I have in front of me the headlines reported by two recent edition of The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon. One headline says "Canada's dead come home" with respect to the four Canadian soldiers who died because of friendly fire from an American fighter plane while fighting terrorism in Afghanistan, and the other headline says "Billions mishandled: auditor". You, readers, can understand the clarity of my understanding as I ponder on our patriotic contribution to fight terrorism while our governments use their visible hands of the Free Market to look after their own pockets.

I bought the book "Stupid White Men" by Michael Moore, a book which has been number one for over one month in the New York Times best sellers non-fiction list and which is in its 15 printing. On the inside cover of the book I find the characterization of the president as "George W.: THE THIEF-IN-CHIEF. A TRESPASSER ON FEDERAL LAND, A SQUATTER IN THE OVAL OFFICE, SEND IN THE MARINES!"

We have been questioning the double talking of president Bush in envisioning the future of a Palestinian state while the Middle East conflict causes so much devastation and deaths for both sides, Israelis and Palestinians; and we have been questioning the patriotism of president Bush as his foreign policies appear to be driven by the Bush administration interest to make money out of the Free Market of oil and the Free Market of wars.

Greg Palast, an American journalist who moved to England because he found difficulties for having his investigative work published in the United States, has written the book "The best democracy money can buy" which is now number 31 in the New York Times best sellers non-fiction list. In this book, Palast contends that Gore lost the presidency to Bush as Florida Secretary of State's Katherine Harris, removed 57,000 African-American voters under the excuse that these people were supposed felons (but mostly democrats). Also, it is interesting to notice that Palast's book has been published by Pluto Press, the same publisher who helped Hugh Stretton to publish his book "Economics: A New Introduction" after some seventeen rejections.

Is George W. the Chief in Thief as reported in Michael Moore's book? I really don't know, but I get so disturbed as I find out that Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi helped Canadian Peter Munk to set up the gold mining company Barrick. Khashoggi was implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal, was bailed our from jail as Munk provided the $4 million bond; and Khashoggi was later pardoned by President Bush senior as he left office.

Now listen to this story: former Canadian PM Brian Mulroney along with George Bush senior are directors of Barrick, George Bush senior has interest in the arms dealer Carlyle Group, and at one time both the Bin Laden family and Khashoggi were involved in the Carlyle Group.

We live in a scary world, where the elitist greed is represented by our governments, and this greed appears to be camouflaged either with the Free Market or with the war against terrorism.

References:
Pertinent articles in Ensign

Majority of Canadians believe political systems are corrupt By DONALD McKENZIE-- Canadian Press, April 21, 2002 http://cgi.canoe.ca/CNEWSPolitics0204/21_poll-cp.html

Stupid White Men, by Michael Moore, http://www.michaelmoore.com/

The best democracy money can buy by Greg Palast http://www.gregpalast.com/contents.htm

BUZZFLASH INTERVIEWS BBC INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GREG PALAST March 11, 2002 http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/2002/03/Greg_Palast_031102.html

Review of Economics: A New Introduction, by Hugh Stretton By: Alex Millmow http://www.btinternet.com/~pae_news/Stretton2.htm

Review of Economics: A New Introduction, by Hugh Stretton By: Alex Millmow http://www.btinternet.com/~pae_news/Stretton2.htm

Best democracy money can buy Gregory Palast examines the sources of the $500m that boosted Bush's bid for the White House, Sunday, November 26, 2000 http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/Palast120100/palast120100.html

Uproar at U of T as Bush gets degree. 4,000 students protest, faculty members walk out. By Phinjo Gombu and Jim Rankin, Toronto Star Staff Reporters, November 20, 1997 http://www.utoronto.ca/acc/bush/bush04.htm

CHRONOLOGY: The Bushes And The Carlyle Group, by Jerry Politex, Monday, Jan. 10, 2000 http://www.bushwatch.net/bushcarlyle.htm

Carlyle's way. Making a mint inside "the iron triangle" of defense, government, and industry By Dan Briody, Red Herring Magazine, January 8, 2002 http://www.redherring.com/vc/2002/0111/947.html

The Carlyle Group. Global Strategy. An excerpt: We have developed the largest, most diversified investor base of any private equity firm, with more than 435 investors from 55 countries. And we now employ over 500 people in 24 offices in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Japan, Russia and the Middle East. http://www.thecarlylegroup.com/profile.htm