Liberal judges.Whenever any of us on the less-socialist side of the political spectrum suggest that the courts are stacked to favour the federal government, and unlikely to uphold any kind of conservative values, we sometimes get waved off as alarmist, ill-informed or worse. (Haters.).Let’s be clear then, about what we’re saying..On any list of Liberal Party judicial appointments, there is a considerable overlap with a list of Liberal Party donors. That is, of some 1,300 judicial and tribunal appointments made by the federal Liberal government since 2016, more than three-quarters had given political donations to the Liberal Party..(A golden 'attaboy' to the National Post and the Investigative Journalism Foundation for their research.).So yes, the courts are dominated by people who recognize the advantages of personal alignment with Canada’s natural governing party. Crass. But, totally understandable and they have not forgotten the source of their power and influence..Is there therefore a corrupt political influence? Of course not. Nobody from the PMO ever needs to even hint at what judgments the government would regard with favour. Judges are not stupid. They read the papers and figure it out..Just as they are doing now, as the federal Liberal government prepares to attack Alberta’s constitutional right to set its own energy policies. That’s why so many Albertans have no faith in Canada’s courts..Trash talking white trash, from the bench.Staying on the judicial theme, it is not only the courts’ Liberal bias that matters. Sometimes we get a glimpse of a cultural bias. It is after all axiomatic that in our legal system, judges are supposed to be impartial, considering each case on its merits and rigorously concealing any personal prejudices they might harbour..What, then, does one do with a jolly reference to the supposed characteristic behaviour of “white trash nationalists,” uttered by Provincial Court of Alberta Justice Sean Dunnigan?. White trash .The context: Dunnigan had just heard a case in which one Emilio Pedicino, the son of Italian immigrants, had pleaded guilty to charges of assault and uttering threats in connection with separate incidents in November 2021 and May 2022. The summary of events in a joint submission by the prosecution and defence contained evidence that Pedicino had uttered particularly vile racial slurs. On the advice of the Crown Prosecutor, the reluctant and incredulous Dunnigan awarded Pedicino a nine-month conditional sentence. So far, I’m with him..However, he reportedly then went on to say he was surprised that the son of Italian immigrants would express racist views. “It is usually white-trash nationalists who behave this way, but for somebody with his background, it is just bizarre.”.“White-trash nationalists?”.If Dunnigan has been accurately transcribed, he has admitted a low opinion of poor white people who hold political opinions that he presumably does not share and who also probably lack his own eloquence in expressing them..Judge Dunnigan clearly is not a racist. His comment nevertheless betrays prejudice. To be blunt, if a poorly educated white person who doesn’t earn much money but is a nationalist should come before him, we would understand if such an accused asked for a different magistrate..But nor do I expect much to happen. For the educated elites, po’ whites have been fair game for a while — one of the last acceptable objects of discrimination, in fact..Pity. I still didn’t expect to hear a comment like that from a judge, though..It ain't 'alf hot, mum.It was always a given that the climate change activists would use this year's forest fires to boost their end-of-the-world narrative. Sure enough, UN chief António Guterres upped the ante from 'global warming' to 'global boiling,' as scientists confirmed July was the Earth's hottest month on record. Records go back to 1880. .And here in Western Canada, records are being broken. . Wild fires in Canada .However, let's maintain perspective. When a temperature of 37 degrees C in Taber exceeds by 1 —one — degree a previous high recorded in 1994, it suggests not so much a surging heat environment, as comparative stability over a period of 29 years. If the highest recorded temperature in Taber on the same date next year is one degree less, do we get to logically conclude that the crisis has passed and the danger has receded?.As for the forest fires, if you're half my age this may well be the busiest forest fire season you've ever heard of..But check the statistics here. It's not like this is anything we haven't seen before. Back in '81, when I was taking flying training in Fort St John, I lost the whole summer as all the instructors cashed in on fire suppression work..It was a big deal. (Check the graph.) And by the way, foresters tell me that some time in the 17th century, the whole eastern coast of Vancouver Island from Victoria to north of Parksville was consumed by fire. The famous Cathedral Grove, with its 800-year-old trees, was an isolated pocket of survival. They had another bad fire there in 1938. .Dogs bark, sparks fly and life goes on. .Seriously?. Anne Andres, 40, currently holds multiple records in the female divisionBorn a man, Anne Andres, 40, currently holds multiple records in the female division. .A man who identifies as a woman has set a Canadian powerlifting record — for women..Harder, faster and stronger: Can't beat the biology you're born with, can you?.Personally, I wouldn't be bragging.
Liberal judges.Whenever any of us on the less-socialist side of the political spectrum suggest that the courts are stacked to favour the federal government, and unlikely to uphold any kind of conservative values, we sometimes get waved off as alarmist, ill-informed or worse. (Haters.).Let’s be clear then, about what we’re saying..On any list of Liberal Party judicial appointments, there is a considerable overlap with a list of Liberal Party donors. That is, of some 1,300 judicial and tribunal appointments made by the federal Liberal government since 2016, more than three-quarters had given political donations to the Liberal Party..(A golden 'attaboy' to the National Post and the Investigative Journalism Foundation for their research.).So yes, the courts are dominated by people who recognize the advantages of personal alignment with Canada’s natural governing party. Crass. But, totally understandable and they have not forgotten the source of their power and influence..Is there therefore a corrupt political influence? Of course not. Nobody from the PMO ever needs to even hint at what judgments the government would regard with favour. Judges are not stupid. They read the papers and figure it out..Just as they are doing now, as the federal Liberal government prepares to attack Alberta’s constitutional right to set its own energy policies. That’s why so many Albertans have no faith in Canada’s courts..Trash talking white trash, from the bench.Staying on the judicial theme, it is not only the courts’ Liberal bias that matters. Sometimes we get a glimpse of a cultural bias. It is after all axiomatic that in our legal system, judges are supposed to be impartial, considering each case on its merits and rigorously concealing any personal prejudices they might harbour..What, then, does one do with a jolly reference to the supposed characteristic behaviour of “white trash nationalists,” uttered by Provincial Court of Alberta Justice Sean Dunnigan?. White trash .The context: Dunnigan had just heard a case in which one Emilio Pedicino, the son of Italian immigrants, had pleaded guilty to charges of assault and uttering threats in connection with separate incidents in November 2021 and May 2022. The summary of events in a joint submission by the prosecution and defence contained evidence that Pedicino had uttered particularly vile racial slurs. On the advice of the Crown Prosecutor, the reluctant and incredulous Dunnigan awarded Pedicino a nine-month conditional sentence. So far, I’m with him..However, he reportedly then went on to say he was surprised that the son of Italian immigrants would express racist views. “It is usually white-trash nationalists who behave this way, but for somebody with his background, it is just bizarre.”.“White-trash nationalists?”.If Dunnigan has been accurately transcribed, he has admitted a low opinion of poor white people who hold political opinions that he presumably does not share and who also probably lack his own eloquence in expressing them..Judge Dunnigan clearly is not a racist. His comment nevertheless betrays prejudice. To be blunt, if a poorly educated white person who doesn’t earn much money but is a nationalist should come before him, we would understand if such an accused asked for a different magistrate..But nor do I expect much to happen. For the educated elites, po’ whites have been fair game for a while — one of the last acceptable objects of discrimination, in fact..Pity. I still didn’t expect to hear a comment like that from a judge, though..It ain't 'alf hot, mum.It was always a given that the climate change activists would use this year's forest fires to boost their end-of-the-world narrative. Sure enough, UN chief António Guterres upped the ante from 'global warming' to 'global boiling,' as scientists confirmed July was the Earth's hottest month on record. Records go back to 1880. .And here in Western Canada, records are being broken. . Wild fires in Canada .However, let's maintain perspective. When a temperature of 37 degrees C in Taber exceeds by 1 —one — degree a previous high recorded in 1994, it suggests not so much a surging heat environment, as comparative stability over a period of 29 years. If the highest recorded temperature in Taber on the same date next year is one degree less, do we get to logically conclude that the crisis has passed and the danger has receded?.As for the forest fires, if you're half my age this may well be the busiest forest fire season you've ever heard of..But check the statistics here. It's not like this is anything we haven't seen before. Back in '81, when I was taking flying training in Fort St John, I lost the whole summer as all the instructors cashed in on fire suppression work..It was a big deal. (Check the graph.) And by the way, foresters tell me that some time in the 17th century, the whole eastern coast of Vancouver Island from Victoria to north of Parksville was consumed by fire. The famous Cathedral Grove, with its 800-year-old trees, was an isolated pocket of survival. They had another bad fire there in 1938. .Dogs bark, sparks fly and life goes on. .Seriously?. Anne Andres, 40, currently holds multiple records in the female divisionBorn a man, Anne Andres, 40, currently holds multiple records in the female division. .A man who identifies as a woman has set a Canadian powerlifting record — for women..Harder, faster and stronger: Can't beat the biology you're born with, can you?.Personally, I wouldn't be bragging.
