What Lives Matter?

By now, you probably know that the Tenors Quartet member Remigio Pereira has officially apologized for altering the lyrics of O Canada when it was sung at the Major League Baseball all-star game. He changed the lyrics to include the controversial statement of " all lives matter ". That was the part that got him into trouble.

My thoughts and comments:

The fact that you need to clarify or emphasize " all lives matter " is troubling. Of course all lives matter. Yes, even the lives of your enemies matter. All means All.

On the other hand, to say ' black lives matter ' is very legitimate and necessary, to remind the white majority that yes, all lives matter and you must not forget that All means All, and it includes the black people that you continue to discriminate against.

It is risky for a white person in America to say " all lives matter ", even if he or she does not really mean to offend or hurt the minority. Why? Because " all lives matter " is already understood, so there is no need for clarification or reiteration. But " black lives matter " continues to be ignored or forgotten, so it is reasonable for the African Americans to keep reminding the white majority that they are humans, too, not animals or slaves.

The analogy is that a slave being abused said, " My life matters " and the master being the abuser replied, " All lives matter. Actually, my life really matters, but yours doesn't."

Does it mean that white people should never be allowed to say " all lives matter " ?  No, freedom of speech is a fundamental right in a free country. However, you take your own risk if you say it in the wrong way, at the wrong time and place, in the wrong context, or to the wrong people. It's like telling jokes about people of different races, ethnicity and cultures. If you are not a professional comedian, you'd better be careful, otherwise your jokes may turn out not funny but controversial and offensive. Racial jokes when told properly may be funny, but Racism is always wrong.      

Regarding American police brutality and aggression against the black people, an African American friend sounded so sad when she said, " We are tired of singing we shall overcome." 

Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments 

Dumbed Down Americans

Really dumb Americans are few, but dumbed down Americans are many. It's the elites against the people instead of helping the people.

As Michael Moore says, " there is a gullible side to the American people. They can be easily misled. Religion is the best device to mislead them ".

Don't Play With Guns

Telling the Americans not to play with guns is like telling the Canadians not to play hockey or the Chinese not to eat Chinese food. Good luck !!!

Political Satire

World politics is becoming a funny cowboy movie in real life. 

 

American bully Donald Trump," Get out. Go back to your mummy." 

 

Filipino Terminator President Rodrigo Duterte, " Don't fuck with me, or else I'll kill you." 

 

Russian super boss Vladimir Putin," Yup, that's what I mean! ".

Go Bernie Go

My opinion is this: 
Hillary Clinton's running for office is about herself, to seek power and prestige, and become the first female U.S. president. Bernie Sanders' running is not about himself, but about the American people. Go Bernie Go.

Martin Luther King Day

Today, Jan. 18, 2016 is Martin Luther King Day. Sadly, his dream of making black and white Americans equal like brothers has not been fully realized. Police brutality towards African Americans continues.

Also, ironically, some black actors and directors complain that the many Oscar nominees this year are all white. I have seen the movie Creed, which I like. Sylvester Stallone playing Rocky Balboa as a boxing trainer has received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, while the lead actor Michael Jordan has received none. Maybe there was no prejudice on this one about acting, but the movie itself was very well directed. It begs the question why the director Ryan Coogler has not been nominated for best director. Is it also because of racial prejudice? Such questions can never receive a definitive answer that satisfies everyone.

Stephen Harper's Canada

First and foremost, I don't belong to any political party in Canada or anywhere. I don't blindly take side with one political party against another political party. I look at the issues and concerns rationally, and see how our leaders deal with them. Basically, I am a pacifist. I am pro-peace and anti-war. I am pro-diplomacy and anti-destruction. I am pro-negotiation and anti-nuke. I am pro-freedom and anti-fear. 

I am a Canadian. I love Canada, even the whole world. I am very concerned about the Harper Government's domestic and foreign policies. To put it bluntly, I don't like them. But do I still respect Stephen Harper? Yes, he is our prime minister. He is not all bad. Is he a good politician? Yes, he is. Is he a great statesman? No. 

Today's Canada is not the Canada that I used to know. Sad to see that Stephen Harper has joined the U.S. led Fighting and Killing Club.It is my opinion that Canada must not go into Syria to strike ISIS. However bad you think Syria is, it is a sovereign country. Call it a dictatorship, evil empire, or whatever, it is a sovereign country. Without the support of the Syrian Government,  it just doesn't make any legal and diplomatic sense, to go into Syria to fight ISIS or do whatever. Does Syria post a direct threat to Canada? No. Even if it does, the Canadian Parliament must first approve a declaration of war against Syria, before Canada should go into Syria. Have we learned anything at all from 911 and the illegal U.S. invasion of Iraq? Had there not been an Iraq War, there would not even have been ISIS. Do international law and the U.N.Charter mean anything at all ?    

Canada used to stand for Peace and Peace Keeping. What is Canada now becoming ? Now that oil price has dropped drastically, Harper and his gang can no longer boast that Canada is a super oil power. Alberta is moaning. Sorry, no more easy oil money! I feel very sad that Harper is turning Canada into a militarized and war-oriented country. 

I despise politicians who use moral justification in their military actions, to order the fighting of evil with evil, and killing of other human beings, including the innocent, all in the name of god and religion. Adding religion to politics only makes it stink even more.To me, war is the worst kind of organized crime. There is no true honor in killing innocent people, whether they are your enemies or your own countrymen. Can you tell me any war which was not messy, in which there was absolutely no injury or death of the civilians? You can't. Want to talk about moral high ground ? How about Thou Shalt Not Kill ? How about Love your neighbor ? How about Love your enemy ? So many religious and political hypocrites !!! 

Regarding fighting ISIS, I do not favor the military involvement of Canada. I support any humanitarian work, such as helping the refugees and displaced people, which Canada is very good at. I would like to see Canada return to its old peaceful way. Improving homeland security should focus on home soil, not by fighting and killing in foreign lands far away. Again, have we learned from 911 and the U.S. illegal invasion of Iraq? Don't tell me that you don't understand the difference between Defense and Invasion. To defend your country, you must focus on your homeland and its border, not by invading another country or engaging in fighting and killing people far away from home. 

In the past, if you held a Canadian passport, you would be welcome everywhere in the world. After 911, some American travelers pretended to be Canadians, to avoid being targets of the terrorists. Today, the terrorists treat Canadians the same as Americans. Why? Please do some thinking yourself and you will find the answer.

I love Canada, but not Harper's Canada. As said earlier, I don't belong to any political party, but I am hoping that Stephen Harper will not be re-elected in the upcoming election. But there is a good chance that I will be disappointed. He may win again!     
 

White Americans and Racism

Lip T.V. published a video in Youtube, which said six million White Americans have some African ancestry, according to a new study, which looked at the genetic records of 145,000 people, using the genetic testing service 23andMe.com

All I want to say is this: Racism is ignorance. It grows out of Fear, not Love.

By the way, just wait for a few more decades, and you will see that White Americans will become the minority in U.S.A. 

American Politics

American politics is a two-headed snake (or eagle, if you wish). Whether you give your vote to the Republicans or the Democrats, you end up with the same old snake. The snake doesn't work for the common people, but the rich and powerful. When money and power are the priority, people become much less important.

Peeping Sam

In the news, Uncle Sam spies on not only his own American citizens, but also the citizens and countries of the whole world. The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) spies on everyone: its own citizens, foreigners, friends and enemies, the European Union (EU), even the United Nations (UN) and more than 80 embassies and consulates.You are not a terrorist, fine, but Uncle Sam can still be watching you anyway. Does Uncle Sam care about people's privacy and international law at all? I remember an old joke question,"What do you call a Chinese spy?" The answer is "Peking Tom". It gives way to my question, which is not quite a joke, "What do you call an American spy?" The answer is "Peeping Sam".   

July 4th

An American tells his friend."My love life is like July 4th." His friend said,"Whao, it must be great, with music, fireworks and exciting sights and sounds." He sighed,"Celebration all right, but it happens only once a year !" :)

Obama's Drones and Kill List

Just finished watching a CBC program on Obama's drones and his kill list.Peaceful people are not to worry, as they are not on this kill list.Only suspected terrorists and dangerous people are.Still,I doubt it is legal under international laws,for a U.S. president to unilaterally send an American drone to go inside a foreign country, to kill a suspected terrorist or any person,without the approval of the government of that sovereign country. ************************************************************ The kill list is no laughing matter.Even if you are an American citizen,you are not protected by the U.S.Constitution,although you are supposed to.Obama could,and did,approve the killing of an American citizen anywhere, at home or abroad,without giving that suspected terrorist or alleged trouble maker any trial and due process of the law.Obama could issue an order and lock you up in jail for life.And he received a Nobel Peace Prize in advance:take it first, do the work later.What work? Work of a peace maker, not work of a warrior and killer.What is your opinion? Do you think Obama has earned his Nobel Peace Prize given to him in advance? ************************************************************* It upset me to hear from Bush, and now Obama, to keep talking about the protection of American lives and children, as if other human lives and children are worthless.It is simply wrong to kill innocent people whether they are Americans or not.Thousands of Pakistani civilians were killed by American drones.No use to justify any drone attack by calling the death of civilians a collateral damage only.No wonder Pakistan is stepping farther away from Uncle Sam. ************************************************************* Unilateral drone attack on other countries is not only a stupid foreign policy, it is also an illegal military action. Other countries can do the same, by sending a drone to attack your country.Bet you Uncle Sam won't play this kind of game with Russia or China,only with Pakistan and Yemen for now.

Alex Jones versus Piers Morgan

It made me sick watching Alex Jones being interviewed by Piers Morgan on CNN.Was it even an interview? Was it even a fair debate about the gun issue in U.S.A.? All the time,I saw Alex Jones keep yelling and ranting, almost non-stop, while Piers Morgan continued to stay calm.Alex Jones behaved like a mad man,being so rude and aggressive.He called Piers Morgan a foreigner,not an American, and told him to go back home to U.K. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Jones has a radio show called Info Wars, and has his own Alex Jones YouTube Channel.He has a large audience.His conspiracy theories are actually quite interesting.Some of them may even be true,I mean they are facts,not theories.I am not here to tell you to believe or disbelieve what Alex Jones said.I am just giving you my thoughts and comments,more particularly about his recent appearance with Piers Morgan on CNN. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am guessing that Alex Jones is either a mentally-disturbed man, or he is an excellent actor, speaker and super salesman. Not being a psychiatrist,I do not know whether he is normal or not.He reminds me of the fire-hell, crazy and very emotional televangelists and preachers of the old days, many of whom have disappeared from the T.V.screen by now. Of course, Alex himself claims to be absolutely normal.He did a demonstration in YouTube yelling,ranting,showing his tight fist,rolling his eyes,getting very emotional and angry, and was ready to fight.He then said his behavior was all normal.David Icke,another conspiracy theorist,is much calmer.There you go: 2 different brands: the didactic and reasonably calm David Icke, and the crazy and paranoid Alex Jones. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I feel sorry for Piers Morgan, having to interview Alex Jones.However,that is his job, to interview all kinds of different people, including the good, the bad and the ugly.Piers, you are a gentleman. Alex, you are not.

3 Attitudes in the Olympic Games

There are 3 interesting attitudes in the Olympic Games: American: it doesn't matter whether we've won or lost. We are always the best. Chinese: what, a Bronze ? Only a Silver ? Sorry, they don't count. Winning means GOLD only. Canadian: whao, we are so happy, we've won a Bronze. In my opinion, all Olympians are winners. The losers are those who cheated.

Welcome to Canada

Dear American friends: when USA was under the Bush administration, some Americans pretended to be Canadians when they travelled, yes, to avoid being shot at by the terrorists. Now Obama is having a hard time trying to put his "yes we can" to work: 14 million Americans are unemployed, over 4 trillions of dollars are owing in foreign debts, not to mention very expensive cost in health care.Do you want to come to Canada ? Mind you, we still have a Queen, if that doesn't bother you.

American and Chinese ABC

American C means Capable, B equals Brilliant, A is Awesome !

Chinese C means Crap, B equals Bad, A is Acceptable !

You don't think so, do you? Well, Tiger Mom Amy Chua will certainly agree with me !