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Opinion

Looking Behind the Smoke and Mirrors

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7 minute read

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtains,” says the Wizard in the 1939 classic film adapted from the Frank L. Baum masterpiece of entertainment and satire.

While seen primarily as a film for young people it has inspired sequels by Baum, and then later has spawned spoofs, pastiches and alternate views of entire books and the cast of characters.

The scene is near the climax of the film and as Toto, who has escaped from Dorothy, runs towards a curtain and pulls it back to reveal the Wizard who is speaking into a tube and controlling a distorted image.

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” he says to the group who is watching.

Caught in his lies, he tells the story of how he came to Oz and became the Great Wizard.

If you look into the history of the film and the subsequent books it is apparent that the Wizard, Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion are archetypes and represent more than they seem to be.  The entire film is an allegory about power and greed and a dire warning that not all is as it seems.

Our modern history, our pandesent is beleaguered with the same problem.

Not all is as it seems.

We could discuss US politics with Qanon and the Main Stream Media at odds over perceptions and reality, but it would conclude nor solve no problem.  Is Donald Trump the worst president ever or are the Democrats demons behind every Bush?  Hmmm.

In Canada, we have a similar problem without a national information source that permeates society at all levels.  It is factual that our Main Stream Media (CBC, CTV, Black Press and others) have been encouraged to be gentle with the Liberals and they certainly have been.  ‘Alternate’ news organizations such as True North and the Rebel have traditionally been treated as personae non grata by the Liberals and until this month, by the ruling party in Alberta as well.

Yet, funded or not Main Stream Media do not have all the news sources and reports that reveal a different picture than ‘sunny days’ Justin wants us all to see.

Most Canadians would be surprised to know that there are lawsuits and court cases pending against Prime (Crime) Minister Justin Trudeau (and his cronies) on a number of levels and a number of charges that include corruption and deception on Covid 19 responses.  There is also a motion that includes private copyright on a national law!

Super Lawyer Rocco Galati is suing the Canadian government, Trudeau, Federal and Provincial Health Ministers, and others in the first of its kind supreme court lawsuit.  His argument is fact and research based and he asserts that the extreme COVID Measures that have now been proven to cause 14 to 1 more deaths than the actual virus!

Rebel News reporter, Ezra Levant has covered this story in a hard-hitting report at:

https://www.rebelnews.com/rocco_galatis_lockdown_lawsuit_ezra_levant_interviews_constitutional_lawyer_suing_trudeau_tam_john_tory_and_more

A secondary site, globalresearch.ca has interviewed Galati at:

https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-constitution-lawyer-rocco-galati-files-claim-against-government-covid-19-unlawful-acts/5718651

Just as many YouTube, Twitter and alternate news sources (NOT CONSPIRACY) have reported and documented, the Galati lawsuit has a long list of experts, data, and more to prove the case against the government.

Presently, a handful of countries including the United States and Germany have similar push back against extreme measures.

Secondly, Canadian Norman Traversy delivered a 192 page document to the US Embassy in Ottawa on July 1, 2020 alleging that Justin Trudeau is guilty of  corruption in the S.N.C. Lavalin scandal at many levels, just as many of his cohorts in the Liberal Cabinet and sphere of influence.  Previously, Donald Trump, the CIA and FBI were delivered copies and are now aware of the charges.  According to the new USMCA agreement section 27.5, any leader charged with corruption can and will be investigated to the full extent of the law.

https://justiceforcanada.ca/

As of mid August, Traversy now has legal counsel for his legal action and as his website notes:

“We (Norman) has (have) served a letter to the Ethics Commissioner concerning Trudeau’s obstruction of justice. We are piggybacking on the WE investigation, the Trudeau III report. We have CC’d President Trump and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.”

As reported by Traversy, extensive preparations for the Private Prosecution in the Ontario Court of Justice are ongoing with support growing quickly from all sectors of Canadian society.

“We will be able to add further charges to the motion once we are heard, and we will be adding MC IMC elements (Picton Pig Farm),” noted Traversy in an interview.

https://thephaser.com/2019/10/justin-trudeau-arrest-update-pickton-pig-farm-c_a/

While there are many sources for information on such activities in the United States and worldwide, Canadian sources are few and I defer to Norman Traversy who states the case best in his letter to President Trump and Mexican President Obrador that explains three separate allegations:

https://justiceforcanada.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/letter-to-trump_obrador-with-brief.pdf

All things considered, with a Crime Minister who is allegedly complicit in corruption of various sorts and the promotion of global corporation sponsored policy in Canada should not have the mandate to lead our country considering his demonstrated moral compass.  I am embarrassed and ashamed of the morals of our leadership in our country.

May God have mercy on our souls if we re-elect this evil man.

 

 

Tim Lasiuta is a Red Deer writer, entrepreneur and communicator. He has interests in history and the future for our country.

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Agriculture

Canada’s supply management system is failing consumers

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This article supplied by Troy Media.

Troy Media By Sylvain Charlebois

The supply management system is cracking. With imports climbing, strict quotas in place and Bill C202 on the table, we’re struggling to feed ourselves

Canada’s supply management system, once seen as a pillar of food security and agricultural self-sufficiency, is failing at its most basic function:
ensuring a reliable domestic supply.

According to the Canadian Association of Regulated Importers, Canada imported more than 66.9 million kilograms of chicken as of June 14, a 54.6 per cent increase from the same period last year. That’s enough to feed 3.4 million Canadians for a full year based on average poultry consumption—roughly 446 million meals. Under a tightly managed quota system, those meals were supposed to be produced domestically. Instead imports now account for more than 12 per cent of this year’s domestic chicken production, revealing a growing dependence on foreign supply.

Supply management is Canada’s system for regulating dairy, poultry and egg production. It uses quotas and fixed prices to match domestic supply with demand while limiting imports, intended to protect farmers from global price swings and ensure stable supply.

To be fair, the avian influenza outbreak has disrupted poultry production and partially explains the shortfall. But even with that disruption, the numbers are staggering. Imports under trade quotas set by the World Trade Organization, the Canada-United States Mexico Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are running at or near their allowable monthly share—known as pro-rata
levels—signalling not just opportunity, but urgency. Supplementary import permits, meant to be used only in emergencies, have already surpassed 48 million kilograms, exceeding total annual import volumes in some previous years. This isn’t a seasonal hiccup. It’s a systemic failure.

The system, designed to buffer domestic markets from global volatility, is cracking under internal strain. When emergency imports become routine, we have to ask: what exactly is being managed?

Canada’s most recent regulated chicken production cycle, which ended May 31, saw one of the worst shortfalls in over 50 years. Strict quota limits stopped farmers from producing more to meet demand, leaving consumers with higher grocery bills and more imported food, shaking public confidence in the system.

Some defenders insist this is an isolated event. It’s not. For the second straight week, Canada has hit pro-rata import levels across all chicken categories. Bone-in and processed poultry, once minor players in emergency import programs, are now essential just to keep shelves stocked.

And the dysfunction doesn’t stop at chicken. Egg imports under the shortage allocation program have already topped 14 million dozen, a 104 per cent jump from last year. Not long ago, Canadians were mocking high U.S. egg prices. Now theirs have fallen. Ours haven’t.

All this in a country with $30 billion in quota value, supposedly designed to protect domestic production and reduce reliance on imports. Instead, we’re importing more and paying more.

Rather than addressing these failures, Ottawa is looking to entrench them. Bill C202, now before the Senate, seeks to shield supply management from future trade talks, making reform even harder. So we must ask: is this really what we’re protecting?

Meanwhile, our trading partners are taking full advantage. Chile, for instance, has increased chicken exports to Canada by more than 63 per cent, now accounting for nearly 96 per cent of CPTPP-origin imports. While Canada doubles down on protectionism, others are gaining long-term footholds in our market.

It’s time to face the facts. Supply management no longer guarantees supply. When a system meant to ensure resilience becomes a source of fragility, it’s no longer an asset—it’s an economic liability.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian professor and researcher in food distribution and policy. He is senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast. He is frequently cited in the media for his insights on food prices, agricultural trends, and the global food supply chain. 

Troy Media empowers Canadian community news outlets by providing independent, insightful analysis and commentary. Our mission is to support local media in helping Canadians stay informed and engaged by delivering reliable content that strengthens community connections and deepens understanding across the country.

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Economy

Trump opens door to Iranian oil exports

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This article supplied by Troy Media.

Troy MediaBy Rashid Husain Syed

U.S. President Donald Trump’s chaotic foreign policy is unravelling years of pressure on Iran and fuelling a surge of Iranian oil into global markets. His recent pivot to allow China to buy Iranian crude, despite previously trying to crush those exports, marks a sharp shift from strategic pressure to transactional diplomacy.

This unpredictability isn’t just confusing allies—it’s transforming global oil flows. One day, Trump vetoes an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Days later, he calls for Iran’s unconditional surrender. After announcing a ceasefire between Iran, Israel and the United States, Trump praises both sides then lashes out at them the next day.

The biggest shock came when Trump posted on Truth Social that “China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be  purchasing plenty from the U.S., also.” The statement reversed the “maximum pressure” campaign he reinstated in February, which aimed to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero. The campaign reimposes sanctions on Tehran, threatening penalties on any country or company buying Iranian crude,
with the goal of crippling Iran’s economy and nuclear ambitions.

This wasn’t foreign policy—it was deal-making. Trump is brokering calm in the Middle East not for strategy, but to boost American oil sales to China. And in the process, he’s giving Iran room to move.

The effects of this shift in U.S. policy are already visible in trade data. Chinese imports of Iranian crude hit record levels in June. Ship-tracking firm Vortexa reported more than 1.8 million barrels per day imported between June 1 and 20. Kpler data, covering June 1 to 27, showed a 1.46 million bpd average, nearly 500,000 more than in May.

Much of the supply came from discounted May loadings destined for China’s independent refineries—the so-called “teapots”—stocking up ahead of peak summer demand. After hostilities broke out between Iran and Israel on June 12, Iran ramped up exports even further, increasing daily crude shipments by 44 per cent within a week.

Iran is under heavy U.S. sanctions, and its oil is typically sold at a discount, especially to China, the world’s largest oil importer. These discounted barrels undercut other exporters, including U.S. allies and global producers like Canada, reducing global prices and shifting power dynamics in the energy market.

All of this happened with full knowledge of the U.S. administration. Analysts now expect Iranian crude to continue flowing freely, as long as Trump sees strategic or economic value in it—though that position could reverse without warning.

Complicating matters is progress toward a U.S.-China trade deal. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters that an agreement reached in May has now been finalized. China later confirmed the understanding. Trump’s oil concession may be part of that broader détente, but it comes at the cost of any consistent pressure on Iran.

Meanwhile, despite Trump’s claims of obliterating Iran’s nuclear program, early reports suggest U.S. strikes merely delayed Tehran’s capabilities by a few months. The public posture of strength contrasts with a quieter reality: Iranian oil is once again flooding global markets.

With OPEC+ also boosting output monthly, there is no shortage of crude on the horizon. In fact, oversupply may once again define the market—and Trump’s erratic diplomacy is helping drive it.

For Canadian producers, especially in Alberta, the return of cheap Iranian oil can mean downward pressure on global prices and stiffer competition in key markets. And with global energy supply increasingly shaped by impulsive political decisions, Canada’s energy sector remains vulnerable to forces far beyond its borders.

This is the new reality: unpredictability at the top is shaping the oil market more than any cartel or conflict. And for now, Iran is winning.

Toronto-based Rashid Husain Syed is a highly regarded analyst specializing in energy and politics, particularly in the Middle East. In addition to his contributions to local and international newspapers, Rashid frequently lends his expertise as a speaker at global conferences. Organizations such as the Department of Energy in Washington and the International Energy Agency in Paris have sought his insights on global energy matters.

Troy Media empowers Canadian community news outlets by providing independent, insightful analysis and commentary. Our mission is to support local media in helping Canadians stay informed and engaged by delivering reliable content that strengthens community connections and deepens understanding across the country.

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