Round and round the mulberry bush

Canadian politics has a lot in common with the Victorian nursery rhyme Here we go round the mulberry bush.

The children's game consists of holding hands and dancing around a bush while acting out the activities sung in the lyrics. A game not unlike that played in the House of Commons by members shouting at each other off-key while skipping around implementation of "forward" proposals.

The latest "forward" proposal will allow large American companies to tender contracts on infrastructure projects in Canadian provinces and cities.

Infrastructure itself means core rebuilding of Canadian roads, bridges and buildings. These internal structures are personal pieces our communities.

Infrastructure spending is supposed to mean provision of local Canadian jobs with materials purchased from local Canadian markets. The created Canadian jobs and purchases are meant to stimulate "our" economy while lowering a serious deficit.

In January 2009, Stephen Harper at the outset of his national infrastructure spending program, awarded the U.S. Navistar truck manufacturing firm a $254 million dollar contract. To build a fleet of medium-sized Canadian military trucks in Texas.

The American firm has a branch plant in Chatham, Ont. where the trucks could have been made. The federal and Ontario governments had already injected $60 million into the branch plant to keep it open.

As of July 2009, Navistar had laid off 1,000 employees at the Chatham plant. The military trucks could have also been made at a truck assembly plant in Quebec.

So why are we paying American companies big money when we could be doing the job and paying ourselves for it? Is this not how national stimulus spending works?

Financially, Canada's first foreign support is the war in Afghanistan. It would be interesting to see how much we spend on the Canadian soldier and the Afghan victim, compared to what we pay for American military trucks, cargo planes, helicopters, armour-plated all-terrain vehicles, weapons, ammunition and communication systems.

Almost all first world countries allow no more than 4% foreign investment. Canada has allowed well over 50% American investment.

We're a first world country without a developed, secondary level of international trade. We're the only G8 member still dependent on trade of its raw natural resources.

Our most lucrative resource is crude oil from the Alberta Tar Sands. Of which American corporations enjoy almost complete ownership.

To name a few: SunCor, Chevron Texaco, Conoco Phillips and Exxon Mobil. While Canadian Imperial Oil (Esso) is controlled by Exxon Mobil with 69.6 % of the shares.

U.S. pipelines from Fort McMurray will soon reach the south coast of Louisianna. Running south while spreading across America at the same time.

The long arms of the U.S. stretch throughout Canada.

Mulberries do not grow on bushes. Maybe Canada no longer dances to a Canadian tune.

Omar Khadr: child soldier stuck in Guantanamo time machine

Amnesty International held a Free Omar Khadr event in Vancouver last week. It began with a vigil for the 22-year-old Canadian detainee followed by a speakers' forum.

Khadr has spent seven years in Guantanamo Bay. He is the only remaining westerner there.

International law stipulates minors should be rehabilitated, not prosecuted. The last child soldier prosecuted was in the 1940s following the Second World War.

Khadr was a 15-year-old accomplice to a group of Al Qaeda insurgents when he was captured.

He was in an Afghanistan Al Qaeda compound when it was bombarded by U.S. Special Forces. A firefight ensued.

Khadr lay motionless under rubble from the collapsed roof with shrapnel injuries to his eyes and legs. When discovered, a U.S. soldier shot him twice in the back.

The U.S. military report originally stated Khadr had been shot twice in the chest during the firefight exchange.

Khadr was charged with throwing the hand grenade at the end of the fight which killed one of the U.S. soldiers. It is possible the grenade, said to be American-made, was thrown by a U.S. soldier which bounced off the compound wall, killing his partner.

In critical condition, Khadr was brought to the American-operated prison in Bagram, Afghanistan. There three months, he was interrogated more than 50 times for up to eight hours a day.

Khadr claims he was threatened with dogs, hung by his wrists and put in stress positions while injured. He alleges a hood, placed over his head, was soaked with water until he started to suffocate. LED lights were shone in his injured eyes.

During his seven year imprisonment at "Gitmo", documents have surfaced showing American captors had threatened Khadr with rape, kept him isolated and deprived him of sleep.

He received three visits by Canadian officials beginning in 2003 which served U.S. interests rather than Khadr's Canadian rights.

After the first visit, Khadr claims he was short-shackled for hours and urinated on himself. Pine oil was then poured on his chest and the floor. He was then used as a mop and left in his soiled clothes for two days.

The Federal Court of Canada ruled this past April that the Canadian government try to return Khadr home.

An Ottawa parliamentary committee has approved an integrated social program with safeguards to repatriate Khadr. But our Canadian government is appealing our federal court's decision.

Update on Canada's role in Afghanistan

Prime Minister Sephen Harper has prorogued parliament for a second year in a row. His reason this time is to start the year off with a clean slate, getting rid of any bills already in progress. The issue of most unsettling concern had been Canada's responsibility for detainee abuse in Afghanistan.

The Human Rights Watch publication for Nov. 27, 2009, urges that Canada create a public inquiry into the alleged torture of detainees transferred to the Afghan government in 2006 - 07.

Senior Canadian diplomat Richard Colvin, formerly based in Afghanistan in 2006 - 07, reported to a House of Commons committee that Canadian forces' prisoners transferred to Afghan custody were likely tortured.

A 2009 Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) report, based on information from 2006 - 07, found Afghan prisons using slapping, punching, kicking, humiliation, cable flogging and electric shock as forms of torture. The punishment sometimes led to unconsciousness and death.

Under the 1987 ratification of the Convention Against Torture, Canada is obligated to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish its nationals who are complicit in torture.

Colvin testified he had provided senior Canadian government officials with ample information on detainee abuse but his warnings were ignored. In pursuing the matter Colvin was instructed to be quiet and do what he was told.

The Canadian government seems content to criticise the messenger rather than looking at the alleged issue of complicity in detainee abuse.

Provisions of humane treatment in the Canadian-Afghan memorandum of understanding (MoU) which represents detainee transfers is inefffective. Under the MoU, Canada is required to monitor the safety of detainees it hands over to the Afghan government.

Instead Canada leaves the responsibility to the AIHRC and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Well aware that these agencies don't have full access to all Afghan detention facilities.

The unresolved detainee transfer allegations also contradict Canada's mission in Afghanistan to rebuild education and help restore its culture.

Last year the Toronto Star reported on Canada's continued commitment of $90 million to build or renovate 50 schools in Kandahar province. Under the deadline of 2011, only five schools have been opened with a mere 25 in the planning or construction stage.

Reconstruction of bombed community dwellings involves Canadian soldiers sitting in on meetings with the victimized citizens and community elders. The Canadian military then hands cash to the elder who gives it to the disadvantaged citizen. This is not interacting for positive change in the community.