Well now we know why Pope Francis ruined Stephen Harper's little photo-op at the Vatican the other day.
By giving Harper only ten minutes of his time, compared to the fifty minutes he gave Vladimir Putin.
And looking like he couldn't wait to get rid of him.
But the reason Harper looked so green after the meeting was over...
Graeme MacKay/Hamilton Spectator
Probably had less to do with Putin, and more to do with the Pope's plan to call for a green revolution.
Pope Francis will call for an ethical and economic revolution to prevent catastrophic climate change and growing inequality in a letter to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics on Thursday.
In an unprecedented encyclical on the subject of the environment, the pontiff is expected to argue that humanity’s exploitation of the planet’s resources has crossed the Earth’s natural boundaries, and that the world faces ruin without a revolution in hearts and minds.
And the reason the Pope probably didn't give Harper the time of day, is not only because he knows that he is a climate change denier and a tool of Big Oil...
But also because he knows that Harper belongs to a strain of Christianity that believes that environmentalism is the work of the devil. And that Pope Francis is a dangerous radical.
Francis’s radicalism is attracting resistance from Vatican conservatives and in rightwing church circles, particularly in the US – where Catholic climate sceptics also include John Boehner, Republican leader of the House of Representatives, and Rick Santorum, a Republican presidential candidate.
Earlier this year Stephen Moore, a Catholic economist, called the pope a “complete disaster”, saying he was part of “a radical green movement that is at its core anti-Christian, anti-people and anti-progress."
The kind of religious fanatics who infest Harper's beloved Republican Party and his rabid base. And believe that their god, not humans, will determine the fate of the world.
The ones who believe that capitalism is HIS godly system.
And that they must do all they can in HIS name, to slay the Green Dragon...
It's crazy stuff, but when you think about it, what else can explain Stephen Harper's all-out war on environmentalists?
Or why he has fought the idea of climate change from the day he came to office, in such a fanatical manner.
Or why he once said in an interview, that he is more concerned with the judgement of god than he is with the judgement of history.
And really what more can any sane person say?
Except that a leader who would torch the planet in the name of short-term greed is bad enough, a shameless eco-criminal.
But a leader who would torch it, and not care for religious reasons, is a maniac unfit to remain in office....
He is crazy, he is dangerous, he threatens our present and our future.
And in the name of sanity, and human survival.
We can't defeat him soon enough...
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"The Conservative government is downloading billions of dollars of health-care costs on the provinces, says the parliamentary budget officer, making federal finances sustainable over the long term but leaving provincial governments to stare down severe financial pains in the coming years."
Ottawa’s overhaul of health-care funding has left enormous ‘fiscal gap’ for provinces, PBO warns
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/ottawas-overhaul-of-health-care-funding-has-left-enormous-fiscal-gap-for-provinces-pbo-warns
(PBO - Parliamentary Budget Officer)
(CHT - Canada Health Transfer)
(FSR - Fiscal Sustainability Report)
"In FSR 2011, federal CHT cash was projected to average 21.6 per cent of provincial-territorial health spending over 2011-12 to 2035-36, then 26.8 per cent over the following 25 years and 38.1 per cent over the remaining 25-year period, as projected growth in provincial-territorial health spending continued its downward trend.
In contrast, under the assumption that the new CHT escalator formula is maintained indefinitely, the share of federal CHT cash in provincial- territorial health spending is now projected to decrease substantially from its 2010-11 level of 20.4 per cent (Figure 3-1). PBO projects that federal CHT cash will average 18.6 per cent of provincial-territorial health spending over 2011-12 to 2035-36; then 13.8 per cent over the following 25 years; and, 11.9 per cent over the remaining 25 years of the projection horizon.
To put this projected decline in context it is helpful to compare the share of federal health cash transfers in provincial-territorial health spending over a long historical period. Over the period 1968-69 to 1976-77 under cost-sharing federal health cash transfers amounted to 36.1 per cent of provincial-territorial health spending on average (Figure 3-2)."
http://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/files/files/Publications/Renewing_CHT.pdf
When pigs fly aptly describes how I would positively react to anything that a pope had to say, but Francis is quite simply a brave and confident man who's not afraid to stand up to those who in their own minds think that they control the destiny of all of us. That he is willing to stand up and name the #1 issue on the planet is wonderful and the abominable shame that world leaders are lagging so far behind his messaging should be something that scares us all, certainly more than the thugs ISIL who we're told are out to ruin the world. The real terrorists are those who deny the perils of climate change.
Watched the video; Monty Python could not have done better. I have read other articles on the "dummying down of America" but this short clip really brings it home. Or should I say Stevie and the Cons bring it home?
RT
You think that this is a good thing, but, you understand nothing of theology. The Pope's encyclical seems poised to have about as much impact as Humanae Vitae - look it up and do some real reading for once.
Matthew 16:17-20.
What I'm asking myself is whether or not declaring human kind to be a scourge on the planet will constitute the victory of the Gates of Hell, or if we will simply become Sede Vacantists. I should bounce this idea off some more knowledgeable people.
If the Pope declares Ex Cathedra that humanity is a scourge on the planet, then there's probably no Church, for Our Lord will have been found to have lied to St. Peter. The only Catholics in North America who bother to go to Church anymore are people who actually believe the teachings in more touchy encyclicals like Humanae Vitae.
So, in sum, depending on the contents of the suspected encyclical, it's likely not to be nearly what you want it to be, or, it may end up destroying what remains of the visible Catholic Church.
Prepare to be disappointed.
It is rather sad that media photographers couldn't get some good pictures as the PM's personal photographers as usual were hogging the space.Does the taxpayers as usual pay these guys and do they follow him into the john? It is rather incredulous that he is so in love with himself.
I watched the video. America seems to have almost completely usurped serious thinking and discussion with religious dogma, particularly the Christian right. Our own PM shares these beliefs. When the advocation of these beliefs becomes dominant and not intelligent discussion of enviromentalism or any other important issue, when we are told that we should agree or disagree with whatever issue because it's gods will, you know that we are headed for another dark age.
That brand of Christian is absolutely insane they would destroy our home planet because the 'rapture' is going too scoop them up from their destruction and leave the rest of us in tatters. If that is what Christ is all about I want nothing to do with them.
PS the Pope could not to wait to rid himself of Harper because he had his Royal Con Mounted Police guard with him that Vatican security wisely would not let in. He wanted to score points with Benji by arresting the pope for hate crimes. ;)
Do you really believe that these right wing religious bigots are Christians. They are no different than the bigots that had Christ crucified and a thief set free. And they would do the same to Christ today if he came back in the form of a normal born-of-the-womb person and did anything that Christ did.
Mogs, that is too funny, thanks for sharing!
Steve, in my opinion, doesn't care about the environment because he as other financial elites, think there will be still some place for them to go where there will be clean air and fresh water. They have such a sense of entitlement, they really think it will be there for "them".
The other reason Steve may not care about the "environment" is because there will be the "second coming" Its imminent, in Steve's religion, so when that Heyses guy shows up, he will save the world, like work one of those miracles. If he turned water into wine then certainly he could turn pollution into the garden of eden.
who knows what Steve thinks, except I'm sure he expects not his reward in heaven but a great big financial reward when the voters of Canada broom him. I'd just like to see what his bank account is now compared to what it was prior to politics. Really I would like to know.
hi anon...thanks for those links. As you may or may not know, nothing interests me more than the future of medicare. I'm aware of every move the make, and it arms me to see how many Canadians don't realize what the Cons are trying to do. I believe that a civilized society must do what it has to do to maintain the real priorities in society. And obviously the Cons can't be trusted with that sacred responsibility, and if only for that alone must be defeated in the next election...
hi bcwaterboy....well as you know I usually feel the same way. But Francis does have a lot of good qualities and his encyclical seems very promising. Especially since he is apparently going to link our failure to fight climate change to the greed of the capitalist system. And although he can't do much about it, it will be a powerful moral message. So good for him, and I only hope he doesn't die suddenly under mysterious circumstances...
hi anon...it's appalling isn't it? And believe me some of the stuff out there is even crazier. And needless to say we need that kind of insanity like we need a hole in the head...
hi anon...isn't it ironic that I an atheist should praise your Pope, while you a right-wing Catholic suggest that he may be Satan himself. But then, and I say this as charitably as I can, you are the kind of person who uses religion as a weapon. You know, the kind of person who used to work for the inquisition. Please disabuse yourself of the notion that you are a Christian because it couldn't be more false.
hi anon....actually it was worse than that. Not only did the PM's flutters get the only access to the Pope. The PMO gauleiters were actually blocking the other MSM cameras with their hands. They are the most pathetic control freaks I've ever seen, and the most sinister. And yes their Great Leader's narcissism is totally out of control....
hi Pamela....yes it's unbelievable isn't it? The final stage of mental and moral decomposition. I started calling the Cons a death cult long ago, and with every passing day it couldn't be more appropriate....
hi Mogs...James is right. And it's just what I told that so-called Christian in the comments earlier. Those are not the followers of Jesus, and his message of love. I may be an atheist but I went to Sunday School for many years, so I know and respect the difference....
hi e.a.f... Mogs might be joking, but I honestly believe that Harper must regard the Pope as a dangerous communist. But Francis is a much more noble person than harper, and he couldn't have done a better job of signalling his displeasure. This is the time when all of us have to rise to the occasion and prepare to defend the earth from the maniacs who would despoil it...
E.A.F:
http://www.getnetworth.com/tag/stephen-joseph-harper-net-worth/
Prior to Politics he was a student at University of Calgary prior that he was a mail room boy for Imperial ESSO prior to that he lived at home...
Mogs
All the criminals holding office are just that criminals govern and meant means mind and control you need to stop patronizing criminals in office and govern your own self and your own house. They are chemtrailing the hell out of us in Ottawa as far as I'm concerned the pope and Harper allow it, therefore our adversary to humanity. Also it is not humans that are killing the planet it is corporations we are under corporate welfare where they are protected as persons and then of course they blame us for killing the planet!
It's the same old word-trickery that the psychopaths have used against humanity for millennia- they go on about how humans are killing the earth and humanity is a scourge on the earth, where it is NOT humans, it is psychopaths at the top of corporations that are killing the planet. We are under corporate welfare and they are protected as persons, with criminals in office - Govern your own House, stop voting to be REpresented by psychopaths!!
Yes, I don't expect him to come out blazing for lgbtq rights or abortion rights, but his saying "who are we to judge" is a major change in terms of absolutist Church doctrine.
The climate stuff is major, and we remember which saint he took as his Papal pseudo...
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