IANAL*, but
You are a WATB*!

After almost four years of ignoring the whole Raid on the Legislature and the sputtering court actions since, Keith Baldrey has jumped into the fray. In the past if he mentioned this issue at all, it was only to belittle its importance and basically tell his readers to "move on folks, nothin' to see here." Robin Matthews has referred to him (with reason to this observer) as Gordon Campbells Personal PR Flak at Can West). Maybe Robin was referring to Vaughn Palmer, but heck, Gordo has almost two hundred of 'em that are even called communications people. Normally I would be happy to see Asper's Artificial News (Everything that is fit to be Amusing), paying some attention to this HUGELY important matter that someone seems to be trying to sweep under a rug.

However at the same time as Keith pays some long overdue attention and column space (in Burnaby Now, of course - there must be waaaaaaaay tooooooo much REALLY important stuff in the Sun, Province and Times-Colonist) to the BC Rail Trial, he feels that it is necessary to insult everyone who has been picking up the slack and at least keeping this issue before SOME of the victims of corrupt government and Grand Theft - Railroad. The troubling part of Some troubling questions in trial in Burnaby Now are the following screeds:

Massive amounts of missing evidence, procedural bungling, a misplaced computer hard drive, a top-secret Crown witness, a family relationship between an RCMP investigator and a senior B.C. Liberal party official, wiretaps catching conversations involving the premier - this case has it all.

Yeah, but if you or I think anything is wrong with all this I/you am/are a paranoid "conspiracy buff," as carrot head goes on to make clear below. (or I know it looks bad, but believe me, there's nothin' to see here, so move along, folks)(Lookie over there, shiny object........)

The case has even attracted a cult-like following of conspiracy buffs, who have convinced themselves the trial will eventually and inevitably reveal the true satanic qualities of the B.C. Liberal government and particularly of Premier Gordon Campbell himself.

On various Internet websites (Google "Basi-Virk" and you'll find them), these conspiracy buffs continually work themselves into a lather about how every procedural delay in the trial is really proof of a government-run conspiracy. Most of them are stunningly ignorant of how the justice system works (or doesn't work), but their rants and ramblings are actually fairly entertaining.

As the headline points out, I am not a lawyer, but then I don't claim to be, even though I am interested in topics involving justice. I imagine you call yourself a columnist or pundit - well, I have news for you in acronym form. YANACOP, they either illuminate and/or clarify issues and/or entertain, often with humor, like say Alan Fotheringham. You, my man, do very little of either. I can see you now, standing with your mic, in front of the Legislature, superciliously talking down to us unwashed who you know (for you radiate this) could never understand what is "really" going on - but of course you do. You would even share it with us Keith, if we weren't so dirt dumb and all..............oops, gotta go hatch a conspiracy!


Speak for yourself Mr. Baldrey, though IANAL, I tend to think I have more knowledge and experience of the courts or so-called "justice" system than yourself. Of course that is just based on some of the stupid things you say on courthouse steps with a microphone in your hand or in your "entertaining" (not necessarily) columns. Thanks for the "fairly entertaining," rating even though they aren't "ramblings."

For these paranoid ideologues, anyone who disagrees with them is the enemy, and nothing short of a charge of treason against Campbell will satisfy them. But while these deep-rooted fantasies may be slightly wide of the mark, that doesn't mean the B.C. Liberals can breathe easy.

Keith, if you can read just YOUR OWN paragraph above, the one that lists massive amounts of missing evidence, through to being investigated by relatives and you didn't even mention a famous dinner attended by the Finance Minister that was recorded, or the original lie about selling BC Rail, or why did Christy Clark quit (to spend time with family and then try to be mayor of Vancouver) and on and on and on. Keith, paranoia implies that one is seeing "imaginary" stuff. I don't know what they call what you have, but the symptoms include ignoring reality. I already told Vaughn to watch for the elephant and don't get stepped on.

All of us who have been paying attention to this circus of a trial feel insulted by your utterances, but not surprised. Usually you merely insult our intelligence with you boring pronouncements from on high, or in front of the Rockpile. But as one of my colleagues suggested. "You've crapped on your own work, Keith." I visualize a new smaller pile of crap on a bigger pile of crap, or kinda like the basement part of an outhouse.

Acronyms in Headline/Post Explained

* I Am Not A Lawyer
* Whiney Ass Titty Baby
* You Are Not A Columnist Or Pundit