Wednesday morning dribs and drabs

- The Fraser Institute tells it like it is and has released a scathing indictment of Canada's reluctance to do what's needed to curb the terrorist threat. See here. I strongly urge you to go to the Fraser Institute website and read the paper for yourself. It's long and may be technical for the layperson but it's worth it because it will make you mad. Go here. I ask once again ... why the hell is this country more pre-occupied with how government can best immerse itself in the business of babysitting when we can't even secure our frickin' borders? And will the new government have the guts to do the right thing? If this is any indication, politics will trump security once again.

- Speaking of babysitting, wwo opposing views of child rearing here and here. This is a tough issue for a lot of families.

- I think it's promising that a major contender for the leadership of the Liberal party isn't sticking to script on health care. Given the recent reforms in Quebec and Alberta, both which would see an increased role for the private sector in health care delivery, could a much-needed shift in the conventional wisdom be taking place?

- Why are people starting to lose their nerve concerning Canadian presence in Afghanistan? Just as we are take over command in Kandahar, some commentators are suggesting that we need to debate the righteousness of being there all over again. No way. Anyone who can't clearly see why our troops are there needs to watch a the 9/11 attacks over and over and over again until they understand why it's vital that Canada work to rebuild that country and keep it beyond the reach of Taliban rule.

- Finally, this week's Economist reports the following:

"Wal-Mart reported a 9.4% rise in net profit, to $11.2 billion, for the year ending January 31st. The world's biggest retailer, which also clocked up sales of $312.4 billion, recently said it was on track to open 1,500 new shops in America over the next few years."

A total of 1,500 new shops? That's a lot of employment. If each store employs 250 people, which is a very conservative estimate, that's 375,000 new jobs. Way to go, Wal-Mart.