The judiciary seems more and more to be separated from its obligation to the larger population.  Is that the result of isolation, or is it a sign of (even unconscious) collusion with corrupt government and private corporations?  The role of the judiciary in the BC Rail Scandal (Basi, Virk, and Basi) trial is disturbing, failing to inspire confidence and suggesting dark shadows in its future.  

After the brutal shut-down of the BC Rail Scandal trial in Vancouver, the subject of the corrupt transfer of BC Rail to the CNR won't go away.  New material - and new manipulations to prevent investigation - keep surfacing. The sores of a corrupt province keep bleeding.

By Dana Gabriel

In the last year, the bilateral process has been the primary means used to advance North American integration, which has drawn little attention. With the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) seemingly stalled after being exposed and discredited, the U.S. channelled trilateral negotiations to parallel bilateral discussions with both Canada and Mexico

 Harper's Christmas Special: The myth of how fortress North America will boost Canadian exports to the U.S.

By James Laxer

Over the past quarter century, it has been a commonplace for right-wing continentalists to insist that without binding agreements between Canada and the United States, Canadian exports will be shut out of the American market.

The Canadian Press

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney says he believes a new security perimeter arrangement with the U.S. represents no threat to sovereignty but does offer a necessary insurance policy for the Canadian economy.

A new Quebec novel by Louis Hamelin opens a window wide on State chicanery in the 1970 FLQ crisis.  It suggests a wholly manufactured crisis,a beginning of a New Democracy in Canada governed by elites, Corporations, and a mass media dedicated to 'manufacturing consent'.

By Bill McKibben

You Can’t Bargain About Global Warming with Chemistry and Physics
 

Tom Flanagan, University of Calgary political science professor, right-wing pundit, and mentor and former senior advisor to Prime Minister Harper, has earned himself more international media attention during the past week than even he may have an appetite for. On November 30th, Flanagan spoke as one of the regular panelists on CBC Television’s national political analysis program, Power and Politics with Evan Solomon... Flanagan had this to say about Julian Assange, the founder and editor of Wikileaks:

"Well, I think Assange should be assassinated, actually. I think Obama should put out a contract and maybe use a drone or something."

But acceptance of that kind of dismissal is only possible so long as Canadians continue to believe that our governing elites have always operated at a safe distance from such totalitarian tactics as those recommended by Tom Flanagan. Is that in fact the case, or is our belief perhaps conditioned by effective control of what Davidson calls the "public media environment"?

There is a new Declaration on a North American Security perimeter
which has been leaked to CBC, The National Post and the Globe and
Mail.  One of the documents suggests it is to be signed/announced  in
January by President Obama and PM Harper.

It is being defined by some as the Son of the SPP and others as
Fortress North America. Officially it is entitled "Beyond the Border: A
Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Competitiveness" "A Declaration
by the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of
Canada"

While I can't find any links to Council of Canadian Stuart Trew's
excellent interview  [Friday Dec 10] with CBC Power and Politics'
Evan Soloman  where he followed John Manley, CCCE ( Canadian Council of
Chief Executives) head and former Liberal government's architect of the
SPP -  I can say Stuart did a great job explaining  this border perimeter
concept within the context of the SPP and arguing effectively - the
futility of creating a Fortress America perimeter as a way to 'thin' the
Canadian-US border to increase the flow of trade.    [See Stuart blog at
http://www.canadians.org/tradeblog/ ]

In a preamble to another Power and Politics interview with
Alberta Conservative James Rajotte and Liberal Mark Holland on this
Security Perimeter concept,  [ http://www.cbc.ca/politics/ ]
CBC showed a clip of Liberal Foreign Affairs critic Bob Rae asking a
question in the House of Commons. 'How could the government be
contemplating signing  an agreement with the US which  will impact
immigration, will impact refugees, will impact intelligence, will impact
security,  will impact trade, in fact all of our relationships with the
US? Why would you contemplate doing that without first of all discussing
it with the House of Commons?"

Now here is analysis and commentary I've compiled on this leaked
Border Security deal : 

fyi-janet

BeYourOwnLeader

There are numerous reports circulating that Canada and the U.S. are secretly negotiating a security and trade deal which could be signed as early as January 2011. The proposed agreement would establish a security perimeter as a means to better secure North America and stimulate trade. The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), along with other U.S.-Canada initiatives have allowed the two countries to incrementally move towards creating a common security perimeter. 

In the midst of a BC Liberal Party crisis - the resignation of premier Gordon Campbell at an all-time low in the polls - the NDP is having a crisis of its own.  That crisis, too, is focussing on the leader, Carol James.  After nine years as leader, at least 40% of her caucus are in revolt.