"Smaller words", Big Dreams, Hidden Realities

The Progressive Conservatives of Alberta are getting pretty desperate. Not that I believe in the leadership race but rather that the unified "we need more debt" stance for "capital projects" and "Building Alberta" is really quite interesting when you consider Alberta is a province that once prided itself on it's "debt free" status. You'd think one of these politicians running for leadership might try to advocate it after all Alberta's enjoyed pointing it out whenever another province made an economic blunder, or borrowed. But no, instead Conservative Albertans are having to vote for (what is admittedly very entertaining) blabber like this:

Tory leadership candidate Ric McIver said Tuesday the provincial government must do a better job explaining to Albertans why it needs to take on debt for infrastructure.

In a breakfast speech to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, McIver said he accepts using debt to pay for capital projects but borrowing should be linked to specific projects, with a fixed repayment schedule.

The government must also demonstrate that its debt-to-GDP ratio will decline within a three-to-five year planning horizon, he said.

The Calgary-Hays MLA told reporters that a revamped budget presentation and “plain talk” would build support among Albertans for the government’s fiscal plan.

“We need to talk to them in a language they want to hear and I don’t believe we’ve been doing that well enough as a government,” said McIver, who stepped down as infrastructure minister to run for the Progressive Conservative leadership.

“When I talk about these things I use smaller words. Because you know what, I’m not smarter than other Albertans and I don’t want to present myself as being (so). And I want Albertans to be comfortable with what we’re saying and I want Albertans to say ‘yeah, what my government is saying I understand.’”

In the spring budget, the PC government projected it would post a $1.1-billion surplus this year while taking on $5.1 billion in debt to pay for public infrastructure, part of a plan that will see the province’s total liability rise to $18.4 billion by 2015-16.

YEAH! WHAT MY GOVERNMENT IS SAYING I UNDERSTAND!

Isn't that cute? "smaller words" lol. So, he's not really smarter than Albertans because he's purposely dumbing himself down to their level. It's a well known fact Albertans just can't handle "bigger words". Albertans need "plain talk" and then they'll see why everything the government has been telling them for years about debt is completely false and yet all of the "prestige" the Conservative brand name earned in the process as "prudent fiscal managers" should stay.

You see the truth is that Albertans have been fooled into believing they were debt free (largely to support the myth of oilsands prosperity as being incredibly profitable which at the time they were, sort of) and now they need to understand in "plain talk" with "smaller words" why they actually aren't. "Capital projects", but if those words are too big we'll just go with "build stuff". We need to build stuff, why? Because we're growing. Why are we growing? To support the supposedly profitable industry known as the oilsands industry. How do we become profitable? Well.. something something oil price and markets and magic. The Alberta government has no plan, they're more like the Underwear Gnomes in South Park:

• Step 1) Collecting bitumen.
• Step 2) ???
• Step 3) Profit!

The Alberta government is perpetually on Step 2; from Ralph Klein who figured he'd just defer "building stuff" into the future to "pay off the debt" that we're now re-acquiring to start "building stuff" to the Ed Stelmach era where the government's target price for oil was constantly raised upward to the current era where unattainable and unsustainable price targets are the only option left only to be replaced by [in smaller words] "we'll get more money if we just get access to new markets". If we get access to new markets there will be something else, some new excuse, if we get pipelines there will need to be something else. It doesn't matter what price they're selling at or how much we produce their associated revenue will always (and I can't stress this enough: ALWAYS) be insufficient to cover the related costs to support oilsands growth. Always.

That's not going to stop them from trying to convince you that everything is just going swell though, building off the other global lies currently at play and using some fairly "bigger words".

Record income for Alberta’s Heritage Fund

Strong equity markets helped push the Heritage Fund to an all-time earnings record of $2.1 billion in 2013-14.

The fund posted a 16 per cent return, the third highest since it was created in 1976. At March 31, the fund was worth $17.5 billion on a fair value basis.

“The Heritage Fund’s strong growth confirms what we have been telling Albertans for some time now—that we can grow our short-term and long-term savings and keep our balance sheet strong at the same time.”Doug Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

According to the Heritage Fund’s 2013-14 Annual Report, the fund’s average annual investment return over the past five years was 12.7 per cent. The 10-year average annual return is 7.5 per cent

The Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund is a key part of the government’s legislated savings plan that will see Alberta’s total savings; which include the Heritage Fund, endowments and the Contingency Account; grow to $26 billion over the next three years. A portion of non-renewable resource revenue will be regularly set aside for savings, and by 2017-18, all net income earned by the Heritage Fund will remain in the fund.

So apparently because the government bet right on the equity markets they've now shown that "we can grow our short-term and long-term savings and keep our balance sheet strong at the same time.". Hmm, how about that?

*Slow-Clap*

Oh, right, I mentioned how this lie is just building off other lies? Right, well an interesting paragraph in a piece on Joe Oliver (unrelated though)

“The market, bolstered by the Federal Reserve, seems content to ignore weaker U.S. data and Iraq, putting off the day of reckoning yet again. New-home sales are surging once again, as the market continues the trick of focusing on one piece of good news to the exclusion of others.”

Why is it a lie? Because they know it's temporary. They didn't do anything special, the market won that year for them just as it lost for them in 2008 and 2009. This doesn't confirm anything for Albertans besides the fact the Alberta government hasn't learned a god damned thing and are now depending on an artificially manipulated market to deliver their hopes and dreams (and cover up their mistakes).

They're still gambling and calling that a plan. 2.1 billion fuckin dollars? Really? Because of a market that's bolstered by.. oh let's see... what is now only uh yes, $35 billion in bond buying per month. I don't know if you've noticed this folks but with the amount of currency that's been injected into the global economy 2.1billion isn't exactly what it used to be. They're printing U.S. dollars like it's confetti. Japan is printing to "keep the market bolstered" too. They're all printing. So does this market win actually mean anything? I'd bet that by 2017-2018 when the Albertans finally get some of that "income" being generated from their children's savings back (supposedly) that the central bank and "recovery" cash cows will have run out.

In smaller words that means: "the cake is a lie".

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

The current turmoil in Iraq is a direct result of our actions and inaction

source

It wasn't very long ago that John Kerry stood in front of the world to convince us that bombing Syria in support of the 'rebels' (which at the time it was just being discovered that a large majority of them were actually al-Qaeda affiliates even though this was well known in intelligence circles long before) in an effort to help overthrow Assad was in everyone's best interest. Thankfully due to an unexpected question and the strategic insight of Russia this reality never came to be or the strength of the ISIS offensive in Iraq would be much stronger and Syria would be over run with ISIS fighters and if you can believe it even less stable then it is now.

Assad has been fighting a foreign invasion this entire time while our news told us it was a democratic revolution which we of course supported because we really really really don't like Assad and feel it's our place to decide the Syrian's political future. Can you imagine how western governments would respond to an al-Qaeda Jihad in their countries? You can just hear Mr. Burns shouting "release the drones". Did you once hear the west talk about getting involved against ISIS up until this point? No. We've been perfectly happy to allow them to build up their army as that was supposedly in the west's interest in taking out Assad.

But before Syria, there was Libya, in which the west actually supported these ISIS fighters in the overthrow of Gaddafi. Unlike Syria the news that we were actually aiding al-Qaeda in Libya never became mainstream. Western citizens in effect were cheering for the events that have now led up to this Iraq situation. The west isn't just responsible for the destabilization of Iraq with what is still an illegal invasion on false pretense to overthrow a dictator which the west installed, supported, and even aided in the execution of heinous war crimes but we're responsible for the strength of the invading ISIS fighters too.

We're responsible for the creation of al-Qaeda in the first place, we were responsible for the installation and support of Saddam.  No matter how you slice it the west is responsible for this situation, both directly in our actions and directly through our inaction in support of the west's real agenda to destabilize the Middle east and control the remaining non-renewable resources there. This is not a debate between whether it's "Bush's fault" or "Obama's fault"; it's both of their faults and it's your fault too. Yes, you, dear reader, for not holding our leaders to account as they set out on a quest for world domination using pathetic evidence and excuses to pave the way.

Supporting refugees created by our actions doesn't stop the number of refugees that need help from increasing. If you really want to help these countries, if you really want to help these people, then you must start calling out western governments on their bullshit. It's not a left or right agenda, it's a global agenda implemented and executed by multiple countries all being overseen by the same banking cartel. It is time for the citizens of western nations to start demanding trials for war crimes, those in the present and those done in the past. From Bush Sr. to Obama, from Cheney to Clinton, it is time we recognize that not one single fucking "intervention" has had the advertised results. It's time to recognize that the only thing the "war on terror" has accomplished is the radicalization of more people as the west indiscriminately kills and occupies.

The rest of the world isn't stupid, it may take awhile but the era of American and western "exceptionalism" is quickly coming to a close. I know it feels good to continue acting as though we're the beacon of freedom and prosperity and as though our opinion on the behavior of foreign governments actually mean something, but it doesn't. We have no legs to stand on, we are as corrupt as corrupt can be and the stench of our hypocrisy won't go un-addressed forever.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Tesla Motors open-sources it's patents

Tesla Motors today announced that all patents that it owns are now open-sourced and in the public domain. In a blog post titled 'All Our Patent Are Belong To You' Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says:

Given that annual new vehicle production is approaching 100 million per year and the global fleet is approximately 2 billion cars, it is impossible for Tesla to build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis. By the same token, it means the market is enormous. Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day.

We believe that Tesla, other companies making electric cars, and the world would all benefit from a common, rapidly-evolving technology platform.

Technology leadership is not defined by patents, which history has repeatedly shown to be small protection indeed against a determined competitor, but rather by the ability of a company to attract and motivate the world’s most talented engineers. We believe that applying the open source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard.

Good on ya Tesla!

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

'Alberta Tories won't push 'panic button' after Total shelves $11 billion project' - Because they have already pressed it

Alberta Tories won't push 'panic button' after Total shelves $11 billion project

Finance Minister Doug Horner said Tuesday the government "isn't pushing any panic buttons" after Total E & P decided to shelve an $11-billion megaproject and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers issued sour projections for Alberta's oilpatch.

"There's always a concern when you see one of these large projects that is going to be moved to another jurisdiction; we're still concerned about the high cost of investment for megaprojects in our province, (but) we are seeing a lot of interest in other sectors and other projects that we think will still come to fruition," Horner said in an editorial board meeting with Postmedia News.

"It is still the No. 1 resource in the world that is not state-controlled, so it is still a very good place to invest."

Last month, Total E & P Canada president and chief executive Andre Goffart said the company has put the Joslyn North oilsand mine on hold indefinitely. The project was expected to cost $11 billion and generate 100,000 barrels of crude a day.

Shortly after the Total announcement, CAPP projected crude oil production from Alberta's oilsands will reach 4.8 million barrels per day by 2030, 400,000 fewer barrels per day than in last year's forecast.

Horner highlighted positive developments, noting the European Union appears to be backing away from plans to label oilsands "dirty" as a result of fierce lobbying from provincial and federal governments alongside oilsands producers.

Horner also acknowledged that Alberta continues to be a high-cost business environment.

The Alberta government is going to play this card until the cows come home (or die). They're bought and paid for to sell you the oilsands. Of course they're not pushing the panic button, because internally the government has been raising the alarm on this for years.

A confidential government memorandum obtained by CBC News warns that soaring costs of developing the Alberta oilsands could put the brakes on the massive project, stalling one of the main engines of the Canadian economy.
The booming oilsands industry supports tens of thousands of Canadian jobs, and pumps billions of dollars a year into the national economy.

The memo written by Mark Corey, one of the highest-ranking officials in the federal Department of Natural Resources, warns that if the current trend of spiralling labour and other costs continues, investors may start to turn off the tap on the massive amounts of money needed to develop the oilsands.

"Although current crude prices promote oilsands development, ever-increasing capital and operating costs could make this price insufficient to support oilsands development at forecast levels," Corey writes.

Cost increases are currently "the biggest risk to investment in the sector," and could jeopardize the viability of some projects, he says. 

Rising labour costs

The memo estimates that operating and capital costs to extract a barrel of oil from the tar-like sands have both more than doubled over the past decade.

It blames a chronic shortage of workers and resulting sky-high labour costs as the main cause of increased operating expenses.

Corey's memo reflects a growing concern inside government over the future of the oilsands, and specifically the massive amount of capital investment that will be needed to fuel their continued development.Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver recently estimated the oilsands would need $650 billion in capital investments in the next decade alone — almost five times what's been spent there over the past 50 years.

The memo written in April this year was obtained under the Access to Information Act and appears to have been prepared for Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver.

The document pre-dates the Harper government's current review of foreign takeovers of two Canadian energy companies.

It nonetheless bolsters the contention of many in industry and government that Canada can hardly afford to turn away foreign investment in the oilsands.

They're fucking desperate to get to Asia, but Asia isn't going to change anything. The alarm has been raised. Just look:

Jim Prentice says he's leader Alberta needs to build Northern Gateway pipeline to B.C. coast 

It's such utter bullshit that I'm not going to bother pasting anything from it outside of one paragraph but go ahead and take a gander. Remember this is the same Jim Prentice who has also been saying Alberta really needs to take out debt to support oilsands growth and you know paying that debt back "might depend a bit on oil prices".

Former Alberta premier Alison Redford coined the term "bitumen bubble" to refer to the price spread between oilsands crude and conventional North American oil caused by Alberta's reliance on the United States as its sole consumer.

We're not selling conventional oil, we're selling low quality bitumen. It's not oil. It's bitumen. It's the "bitumen bubble". It's not the "Alberta's light sweet conventional crude oil bubble". It's the "bullshit bubble" is what it is and seriously folks it's looking like it's getting pretty hard for the department of the management of public perception to cover up the downward spiral they've put us on in the name of short-term profits.

They're just such true believers. From the days of Ralph Klein who believed if we just defer the majority of the costs of "growth" into the future we'll eventually be able to afford them. Or now, believing catching up our infrastructure on the backs of our children when things are projected to get worse, not better. Exactly what wages are our children going to pay this debt off with as "high labour costs" and the "coincidential" TFW explosion are driving down wages even further.

The "alarm" was pressed long ago, and they've been responding to it (with your money of course) but not in your interest. They want to sell more, faster, now, but no matter how much they sell they will not overcome the 5:1 energy return on energy investment ratio as we slowly destroy ourselves in the process.

Without a long term economic benefit rapidly producing these things makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever. Whether you're left or right, if you have any business sense what-so-ever you would be stupid to not realize that the oilsands are an economic sinkhole.

It's "jobs" for you, and "growth" for them

I may live in Alberta but when I say we I am talking about all Canadians as Alberta's problems and the collateral damage caused by them will be your problem too. For instance, take Harper's recent joint announcement's on climate change. He thou declare!

Stephen Harper insists he won’t be pressured to alter his business-friendly climate-change policies, saying the Conservative government is simply more upfront than leadership in some other countries about its intention to avoid abatement measures that hurt jobs and economic growth.

“No matter what they say, no country is going to take actions that are going to deliberately destroy jobs and growth in their country. We are just a little more frank about that,” the Prime Minister said.

He's right, no country (or rather those that control the monetary systems of those countries) is going to purposely crash their ponzi-conomy and so we definitely can not interfere with infinite economic growth. Of course infinite economic growth is tightly coupled to fossil fuel consumption and it's not really like things are getting cheaper... right?

So, knowing this, what would you believe? That the government is working to fix the TFW program? Or that they've actually orchestrated the entire ordeal?

Open your wallet, pull out your S.I.N. card and read that number to yourself. That's you. That number, to the government, is all you are. What is a S.I.N. card anyway? It identifies you, or to be more specific: your labour, as collateral to the private banks for the privilege of borrowing from them at interest and if the country can't pay? It's the citizens who suffer. "Social Insurance Number", don't you get it? YOU'RE THE INSURANCE! Or "security" if you're an American.

"Jobs" and "growth" always go together because it is the "jobs" which support "growth" which supports currency expansion, which supports taxes and paying private debt, which supports other taxes or the public debt to private banks which use fractional reserve lending or just simply print the currency from nothing and charge interest on top of it.

So no, we won't be getting in the way of the fantasy that infinite economic growth is possible even as the cracks start to show in the foundations of that assessment. The promises of the future will be bigger, not smaller. Grander, even. Like floating fucking houses! hell yea! I mean who didn't love Waterworld?

Unfortunately while "jobs" and growth go together they do not necessarily mean jobs for you and if you look at the way energy is driving up costs and is likely to continue doing so I think you'll quickly come to the realization the growth isn't either.

You know, there was a time that something called "competition" drove wages. Employers had to compete usually by offering higher wages to entice people to work there. As we discussed the other day with the Restaurant CEO's declaration that even if these places offered $100 per hour Canadians wouldn't take the job. Not couldn't, wouldn't. Oh yea, sure, the pitiful state of wages in Canada has absolutely nothing to do with it right?

The OECD says Canada’s urban housing markets are overvalued, making owning a home too difficult for many Canadians and increasing inequality.

In the first major survey of the Canadian economy in two years, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development takes particular aim at risks in the housing market, while also chiding the country's environmental record, the oilsands and skills training.

IMF sounds global housing alarm

The warning from the IMF shows how an acceleration in global house prices from already high levels has emerged as one of the major threats to economic stability, with countries making limited progress in keeping them under control.

Min Zhu, the IMF's deputy managing director, said the tools for containing housing booms were "still being developed" but that "this should not be an excuse for inaction".

House prices "remain well above the historical averages for a majority of countries" in relation to incomes and rents, Mr Zhu said in a speech to the Bundesbank last week, which was only released on Wednesday because it clashed with a European Central Bank announcement.

"This is true for instance for Australia, Belgium, Canada, Norway and Sweden," he said.

In the wake of the global recession central bankers have cut interest rates to record lows, pushing house prices to a level that the IMF regards as a significant risk to economies as diverse as Hong Kong and Israel.

In Canada, for example, house prices are 33 per cent above their long-run average in relation to incomes and 87 per cent above their long-run average compared with rents. The figures for the UK are 27 per cent relative to incomes and 38 per cent relative to rents.

It's not like people are finding themselves priced out of more and more items the west used to take for granted. Again, look at that S.I.N. card of yours, low interest rates - cheap loans - are here not for you the sucker holding devaluing currency but for the banking sector.

Whether we're selling the future generations' resources, destroying free market wages by subsidizing cheap labour so corporations can skirt competition, or pricing first time home buyers out of permanent security for their family, it's being done because things are not nearly as stable as those in power would like us to believe. My suggestion? Don't believe them.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Winnipeg couple says CFS taking their baby with no explanation

From CBC...

A Winnipeg couple is looking for answers after being told their baby would be seized by Winnipeg Child and Family Services when he is born.

“Just the fact that my baby’s going to be born and taken away right away — nobody should have to go through that,” said David Nault. “We didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just not fair.”

David Nault and Paige Nippi said they were excited to discover they were pregnant, but after a visit two weeks ago from a CFS staff member, they were told the child would be seized.

Nippi said they were told there wasn’t enough information on the couple to determine if they were fit parents.

Nippi’s first daughter, from a pregnancy at age 15, is currently in the care of her grandmother, Nippi's mother.

“She’s still in my life, and I’m still her mom. The reasoning is because I’ve never fully parented her on my own is why they said they were taking my son away,” said Nippi.

Nault said the couple has moved to a better neighbourhood near a hospital in anticipation of the baby. They have both taken prenatal and parenting classes and asked their family for advice.

The couple has even decided on a name — Mason.

A court record check on the couple came up clean, and the couple said there are no substance abuse or mental health issues.

Nault has held a full-time job for years, and his boss is trying to help him.

Jerome Munz owns Fire Safe where Nault works.

“He has had no problem having people aid him in being a better parent,” said Munz. “I don’t think there should be an issue with the support network that he does have.”

The parents have purchased books, toys and a crib, and family members have also brought gifts in anticipation of the baby.

“You look over and there’s his crib and his dresser,” she said. Adding it hurts “just knowing he’s not going to be able to come home.”

Nippi was scheduled to be induced on Wednesday.

Winnipeg CFS would not comment on the case directly but did release a statement, saying, “In our legislation, child safety is paramount. An agency will only apprehend a child when there are serious concerns that a child may not be safe in the parents care.”

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

CAPP cuts production forecasts as government promises bigger better oilsands

Canadian oil industry body cuts long-term production forecast

(Reuters) - The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers cut its 2030 Canadian oil production forecast on Monday, citing growing uncertainty over the timing of some oil sands projects due to rising costs and available capital.
In its annual forecast, the lobby group for the country's largest oil and gas companies said total Canadian oil production would rise to 6.4 million barrels per day in 2030, compared with 3.5 million barrels per day in 2013.

That forecast was about 300,000 bpd, or 5 percent, lower than the one made last year.

The divergence comes from expected production from projects in Alberta's oil sands, home to the world's third-largest crude reserves after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

"Some projects were delayed beyond the current forecast period as a result of individual company decisions related to cost competitiveness and capital availability," CAPP said in its report.

Canada Increasingly Dependent On Resources As Factories, Housing Slide

OTTAWA - The Conference Board's latest barometer of the economy shows Canada's short-term outlook is becoming ever more dependent on commodities.

The newest composite leading index for April rose by 0.4 per cent, twice the pace of March, but the composition shows the trigger for growth was almost exclusively on the commodity export side.

Higher resource prices contributed to an eighth consecutive month of growth in the Toronto stock market, with the Bank of Canada commodity price posting the biggest gain in three years at 2.4 per cent.

IEA Says the Party’s Over

A “what-me-worry?” price forecast. Despite all these dire developments, the IEA offers no change from its 2013 oil price forecast (that is, a gradual increase in world petroleum prices to $128 per barrel by 2035). The new report says the oil industry will need to increase its upstream investment over the forecast period by $2 trillion above the IEA’s previous investment forecast. From where is the oil industry supposed to derive that $2 trillion if not from significantly higher prices—higher over the short run, perhaps, than the IEA’s long-range 2035 forecast price of $128 per barrel, and ascending higher still? This price forecast is obviously unreliable, but that’s nothing new. The IEA has been issuing wildly inaccurate price forecasts for the past decade. In fact, if the massive increase in energy investment advised by the IEA is to occur, both electricity and oil are about to become significantly less affordable. For a global economy tightly tied to consumer behavior and markets, and one that is already stagnant or contracting, energy constraints mean one thing and one thing only: hard times.

Canadian Trends: The Deteriorating Canadian Condition
Canadian Trends: Oilsands proponents have yet to describe the infinite growth 'end game'
Canadian Trends: Peak Canada? No, it's still peak oil
Canadian Trends: Oilsands Prosperity is a Lie

It's a lie, or they're incompetent. If me, a simple programmer/blogger could see this coming years in advance then the supposed "experts" did too. They're lying to you, oil sands prosperity is a lie - a big fucking lie - always has been and it always will be and those who don't get it are going to find out the hard way. They're a fool's errand and we will be indebting our children, our children's children, and their children too in pursuit of the pot of gold at the end of bullshit rainbow.

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.