Our little berg was graced over the weekend by leader of the loyal opposition and prime minister in-waiting, Michael Ignatieff. More than 400 Victorians turned out to listen to the prodigal Canadian son and former Harvard professor hold forth concerning his vision of what the country should be and how Canadians should best get into line to make it a reality. Trouble is: under Harper, Canada is already much as Michael would have it. In fact, it's almost impossible to see daylight between the positions of the two men, aligned as they are in the all-too-familiar Feedle Dee and Feedle Dum democratic paradigm.

 

Ignatieff supports the wars and occupations currently going on, and as Stephen does, he too would have more of the same. (The wheres and whys of the next wars and occupations pending Washington's instruction, naturally). Michael also likes Stephen's Bill C-23, a free trade agreement in the works that ties Canada closer to Colombia's "death squad democracy". When I asked Ignatieff about this Saturday, the ever sanguine Iggy shrugged, saying Canada must practice "engagement" with the monstrous, murderous Colombian strongman, Alberto Uribe, in hopes our kind influence will dissuade the fascists their propensity for killing peasant farmers, union activists, and other meddlesome Colombians tired of the dictatorship's excesses. Mike goes along too with Harper's tar sands policies, and more...

 

But why listen to me? Michael Ignatieff in his own words in the first half.

And; One thing Iggy certainly supports is Israel and its loopy new Likud terror government. He sniffed down the length of his long proboscis at the mention of George Galloway's border troubles, deigning; were he prime minister, he would allow the five-time elected British anti-war MP entrance to "spout whatever nonsense he wanted." Adding, he disagreed with "virtually everything" Galloway stands for.

 

What Mr. Galloway recently stood for was the right of Palestinians caught in Israel's protracted and vicious siege of Gaza to survive. He spearheaded the Viva Palestina aid caravan across Europe and North Africa, successfully crossing with it the Egyptian border into the still-smoldering wreckage of Gaza to deliver medical and other vital goods aggressor Israel still denies passage.

 

Though Mr. Galloway's status at the nation's gate remains uncertain, Palestinian journalist and author, Ramzy Baroud did manage to slip through the ideological iron curtain girding Canada to deliver an urgent appeal for his embattled country-people.

 

Ramzy Baroud's book titles include: 'Searching Jenin: Eyewitness Accounts of the Israeli Invasion,' 'The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People's Struggle,' and his latest, 'Gaza: The Untold Story' is soon to be published.

 

Ramzy Baroud in the second half.

And; Victoria Street Newz publisher, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to keep the spotlight on the city's continuing shelter crisis, and more newz from the street.

 

But first, Za big Iggy touches down in Garden City.

Some past guests include: M. Junaid Alam, M. Shahid Alam, Joel Bakan, Maude Barlow, David Barsamian, Rhoda Berenson, William Blum, Luciana Bohne, William Bowles, Mordecai Briemberg, Vincent Bugliosi, Helen Caldicott, Noam Chomsky, Michel Chossudovsky, Diane Christian, Juan Cole, David Cromwell, Murray Dobbin, Jon Elmer, Reese Erlich, Anthony Fenton, Jim Fetzer, Laura Flanders, Chris Floyd, Connie Fogal, Glen Ford, Susan George, Stan Goff, Amy Goodman, Robert Greenwald, Denis Halliday, Chris Hedges, Sander Hicks, Julia Butterfly Hill, Scott Horton, Robert Jensen, Dahr Jamail, Chalmers Johnson, Diana Johnstone, Kathy Kelly, Naomi Klein, Brewster Kneen, Anthony Lappe, Frances Moore Lappe, Jason Leopold, Jeff Leys, Dave Lindorff, Jim Lobe, Jennifer Loewenstein, Wayne Madsen, Stephen Marshall, Linda McQuaig, George Monbiot, Loretta Napoleoni, John Nichols, Kurt Nimmo, David Orchard, Greg Palast, Mike Palecek, Michael Parenti, Robert Parry, John Pilger, Kevin Pina, William Rivers Pitt, Justin Podur, Lila Rajiva, Jack Random, Sheldon Rampton, Paul Craig Roberts, David Robb, Paul de Rooij, John Ross, David Rovics, Danny Schechter, David Schindler, Vandana Shiva, Norman Solomon, Starhawk, Grant Wakefield, Paul Watson, Bernard Weiner, Mickey Z., Howard Zinn and many others.