April 2015
Meanwhile, in Canada ...
Stephen Harper proves his loyalty is to global capital,
not the country he swore an oath to serve ...
Government privatizes Wheat Board
in deal with G3 Global Grain Group
"Economic treason" — NDP
Man arrested, released on Peace Bond on suspicion he may commit terrorism Canadian Press via The Huffington Post Canada 25 March 2015 OTTAWA — The RCMP have arrested a man after a peace bond was ordered against him based on allegations he might commit a terrorism offence. Police say Amir Raisolsadat was released on unspecified conditions and ordered to return to court on April 20. No other information about the man, including where he is from, was released by the RCMP, citing the fact there is an ongoing criminal investigation in the case. (More) |
Harper's new world order Bill C-51, the Police State Act — special section By Geoffrey Dow
Managing Editor
True North Perspective
30 March 2015 — It isn't often that a single bill proposes to fundamentally change the very nature of a country. One thinks of the American Emancipation Proclamation or of the passing of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Or, indeed, from the other corner, of Hitler's Enabling Act, which saw the end of Germany's first experiment in parliamentary democracy. It is not without serious consideration that True North Perspective uses Hitler as an analogy for what the current government of Canada is attempting to do to our country's experiment in democracy. But sometimes seemingly extreme examples are not so extreme as all that. Because, if the Harper Government's Bill C-51 does not, quite, provide the government with a dictatorship's powers, it certainly lays the ground-work for it. Combined with other anti-democratic measures proposed or already in place, we do not believe it is alarmist or extremist to ask our readers to take the time to really read the articles linked to in our C-51 Special Section. C-51 seeks to give the government the powers to arbitrarily define any person or group as a "terrorist"; to give the government a permanent right to read all of your email and listen to all of your phone calls; to arrest you without knowing the charge or evidence against you, or to arrest you without any charge at all, simply because someone in the Government or the Secret Police (CSIS, for now; who knows how many other agencies will soon also be "keeping us safe"?) believes we might be a threat at some point in the future. There is a word for this kind of law; there is a word for this kind of government. It is fascist. A state that has no respect for the individual, that takes its orders from its cronies in big business (the same big businesses that are spewing radioactive wastes into the Pacific Ocean from Fukushima in Japan, that are poisoning drinking water all over North America and sweeping life right out of the oceans all over the world) is the sort of state so many of our parents and grandparents thought they went to war to fight against in 1939. Steven Harper is working hard to make of Canada not a peace-maker internationally, but a junior partner in murder and terror, now in the Arab world and later ... well, who knows? Bill C-51 will give him the tools he needs to make "criminals" of any of us who dare to oppose his wars, his tar-sand developments or his illegal wars in far-off lands. If C-51 passes, this country will be changed, and it will be a very, very hard task to change it back again. Almost all of this country's former Prime Ministers, the Canadian Law Society, even Conservatives who once backed Harper all the way find the Bill goes too far. And of course, the New Democratic Party (and the Greens) have been putting up a serious fight in Parliament, while tens of thousands of Canadian citizens have taken to the streets, signed petitions and written letters to make their opposition clear. As of this writing, the Government says it will make amendments to the Bill — a victory, of sorts. But now is not the time to celebrate; now is the time to keep the pressure on. Not just on the Government, but on the Official Opposition as well. Only intense and continuous public pressure can ensure that this monstrous blow against our freedoms and our democracy can be stopped. We don't ask you take our word for it. Please visit our Special Section on C-51, in which we present a wide sampling of analyses about this very dangerous power-grab by the Harper government. You owe it to yourselves and to your children to do everything you can to put a stop to it. (More) |
It's not too late!
Click banner below to sign a petition to stop Bill C-51
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Canada Post reveals a $299 million profit for 2014
while it proceeds with scheme of delivery cutbacks

CUPW President Denis Lemelin challenges Bill C-51
Says increasing spook power won't guarantee safety

CUPE and Golden in Kicking Horse Country
sign on for new five-year collective agreement
26 March 2015
GOLDEN BC — "Town Council is pleased it can provide both a great working environment for our staff and labour conditions to complement it", said Mayor Ron Oszust. "Council values the outstanding work of our employees that make our community safe, functional, and appealing".
The Town of Golden and Local 2309 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees are pleased to announce the ratification of a new 5 year collective agreement for wage rates, benefits, and other working conditions.
The new agreement is effective from March 1, 2015, to February 28, 2020.
The agreement includes a number of housekeeping changes, modest improvements to benefit provisions, and a wage increase of 9.2% over the term with annual successive increments of 2.0%, 1.5%, 1.7%, 2.0%, and 2.0%.
"We have an exceptional relationship in Golden between administration and our labour union", said Chief Administrative Officer Jon Wilsgard, "and as a result we were able to arrive in short order at yet another collective agreement that mutually respects the working conditions of all our staff, and sets a wage increment reasonable to both employees and the corporation".
David Hedges, CUPE Local 2309 President said "Our corporate relationship continues to ensure a positive and healthy environment for all workers. We are very happy in having this new agreement that provides stability for the next five years".
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CIA, FBI hid from government that they used more than
'1,000 ex-Nazis and collaborators' as spies during Cold War
Mexico says it may pay thousands
to families of victims killed by army
15 March 2015
A Mexican government commission for victims' rights may pay tens of thousands of dollars in reparations to relatives of those killed in the army's June 30 slaying of criminal suspects after most of them had surrendered.
Mexican bus drivers block a main highway
out of capital to protest killings and robberies
20 March 2015 MEXICO CITY (AP) — About 40 buses blocked one of the main highways leading north out of Mexico City in a protest over the latest killing aboard a bus by thieves.
Bus routes around Mexico City have become a favored hunting ground for bands of thieves who board buses, draw weapons and rob passengers before fleeing. (More)
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Lies, lies, lies, and her fake sniper story
If Americans want to vote on gender, Elizabeth Warren is better bet
Anyone who tracks Hilary Clinton will know that she is not only a pathological liar but a betrayer of women's causes. Here folllowing she is caught on video lying about being under Boznian sniper fire when in fact she was greeted by a picnic.
11 March 2015 — Brian Williams has been all over the news lately. And while he’s getting the shaming he deserves, don’t think for a second that there aren’t thousands of other people out there selling you lies every single day.
And I want to make sure you don’t lose sight of another liar who thinks she can use the heroism of our nation’s armed forces to promote herself as the next commander in chief.
HILLARY CLINTON:
“I certainly do remember that trip to Bosnia, and as Togo said, it was a saying around the White House that if a place was too small, too poor or too dangerous, the President couldn’t go so send the First Lady. And, that’s where we went. And I remember landing under sniper fire, there was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base. But it was a moment of great pride for me.”
So Hillary claims she dodged sniper fire to get to her car. Below is the video of what really happened, and in the footage I’m not sure I see any sniper fire. (More)
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Why military-frontman Obama spots light on Venezuela

That nothing is more insincere than purported U.S. concerns over political repression is too self-evident to debate. Supporting the most repressive regimes on the planet in order to suppress and control their populations is and long has been a staple of U.S. (and British) foreign policy.
“Human rights” is the weapon invoked by the U.S. Government and its loyal media to cynically demonize regimes that refuse to follow U.S. dictates, while far worse tyranny is steadfastly overlooked, or expressly cheered, when undertaken by compliant regimes, such as those in Riyadh and Cairo (see this USA Today article, one of many, recently hailing the Saudis as one of the “moderate” countries in the region). This is exactly the tactic that leads neocons to feign concern for Afghan women or the plight of Iranian gays when doing so helps to gin up war-rage against those regimes, while they snuggle up to far worse but far more compliant regimes. (More)
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Open Letter to Steven Harper
Raised in a hockey-loving household,
a woman explains why she donned the veil

My name is Aysha Luqman-Pandor. (More)
The Old Man's Last Sauna
by Carl Dow
'Life is scary, frustrating and sometimes funny. All of these themes are explored in Carl Dow’s collection of short stories, told with the pristine elegance that we haven’t seen since the likes of Stephen Leacock or even Pierre Berton.'
— Award-winning author Emily-Jane Hills Orford
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Lia Tarachansky
A Jew reports from Israel
Ex-Chancellor Schroeder criticizes Merkel’s Russia policy
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China's Xi defies expectations
Xi is the mother of all boat rockers
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YOU'LL FIND ALL THIS AND MORE BY CLICKING HERE FOR
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the best traditions of Canadian journalism
If you think it's too radical, please read
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Editor's Notes
Harper gallops along on his road of betrayal
Tries to distract us with Politics of Fear and War
By Carl Dow
(With notes from Robert Cruickshank, Senior Campaign Manager Democracy for America.)
Harper plays Politics of Fear on 'terrorism' and rattles sabres in his me-too silly but fatal American war in Iraq, and now Syria, disracting our attention while he betrays Canada with the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership.
30 March 2015 — The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is worse than we thought.
There is a provision reported to be in the proposed trade deal called "Investor-State Dispute Settlement" or ISDS.
ISDS allows multinational corporations to challenge laws passed by our government — things like environmental or safety regulations — to potentially win millions of dollars in "damages" that would have to be paid by taxpayers. And they could do all this without ever having to go to court in the United States or Canada.
The text of the proposed TPP deal has been a secret — until now. The New York Times and WikiLeaks got their hands on the TPP text, and it's bad. The TPP would go further in undermining our laws and regulations, and it would benefit more big businesses than we'd originally believed. (More)
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Op-Ed
Harper’s monumental determination
28 March 2015 — Only the National Capital Commission now stands between the implantation of a memorial to the victims of communism on the main ceremonial street of Ottawa and its realization.
The NCC, however, is composed largely of appointees of the Harper government. They have rolled over before; they might do so again, since the government is utterly determined for political reasons to get this monument built. Biting the hand that appointed them would take rare courage. (More)
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The Binkley Report
Government tinkering with foreign workers
is hurting both agriculture and food industries
While the federal government has policies to encourage the country’s farmers and food processors to boost production, at the same time it’s hobbling them with ill-informed changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.
It’s a remarkably clumsy move that began last year and seems to be rolling along unchecked by reality. It’s angered a lot of people who might be Conservative supporters. (More)
Canada doesn't know what 154,000 foreign workers actually do By David Ball
TheTyee
13 March 2015 — Canada's budget watchdog says there isn't enough information about temporary foreign workers, noting the dearth of data makes it difficult to assess the impact these workers have on the economy. (More)
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12 March 2015 — The Canadian government gave Facebook the green light to hire 93 temporary foreign workers in its Vancouver offices, federal documents reveal.
The company would not speak on record about its successful 2013 applications or confirm that each of the 15-month contract positions were filled. A Facebook Canada spokesperson said the jobs were among roughly 150 at an engineering office opened in Vancouver, one of only five worldwide that hosted engineers at the time.
According to federal Labour Market Opinions issued by Employment and Social Development Canada, Facebook successfully applied for 88 software engineers and four production engineers -- both jobs requiring only a bachelor's degree and English proficiency -- as well as one position of "Audience Researcher, Vertical Measurement" which required a PhD. (More)
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'It is our moral duty to divest from fossil fuels'
In an exclusive interview, Rockefeller Brothers Fund chair, Valerie Rockefeller Wayne, and president, Stephen Heintz, talk about the decision to cut ties to fossil fuels, what it meant for the divestment movement and the challenges involved
27 March 2015 — On a perfect summer day in June 2014, on the grounds of a stately home overlooking the Hudson River, a handful of the descendants of America’s most enduring business dynasty made a fateful decision: they would cut their ties to fossil fuels in order to fight climate change.
The ironies were inescapable. About half of those gathered for the board meeting were direct descendants of John D Rockefeller – founder of the oil empire that eventually became ExxonMobil – and here they were, gathered in the estate he built at Pocantico Hills, New York, surrounded by a collection of antique gas guzzlers and limousines, preparing to take a highly symbolic stand against fossil fuels. (More)
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Freedom, built from the seeds up
El Salvador farmers successfully defy Monsanto — again
Tiny nation's subsistence farmers struggle to keep the right to choose what seed to plant

The high cost of driving
Urban sprawl costs US more than $1 trillion a year

Bits and Bites of Everyday Life
By Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair
True North Perspective
Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair is the author of The Neglected Garden and two French novels. Visit her website to learn more www.albertevilleneuve.ca.
“We are so constituted that we can gain intense pleasure only from the contrast…” (Sigmund Freud)

Hope springs eternal — So wrote Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744).
In the cycle of the seasons of the year, Spring is the time of hope. It is the promise of new growth and life.
On the evening of my 86th birthday, my spouse Marlene and I, enjoyed a delicious meal at Le Cafe at the National Arts Centre here in Ottawa. The view of the Rideau Canal was still obstructed by mounds of ice and snow, no longer white but dirty grey. Following that we adjourned to Southam Hall for a concert that featured Beethoven’s 6th symphony, the Pastorale. He wrote about this composition that, “it is no picture but something in which the emotions are aroused by the pleasure of the country.” It is preeminently a symphony of hope.
The musical themes of this, one of his most popular works, are familiar, even whistleable. Did I hear someone in the staircase at the end of the performance rehearse those tunes? (More)
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In Finland making fines hit the rich as hard as the poor
Speeding millionaire gets 54,000-euro fine in Finland
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From the Desk of Darren Jerome
A continuing update on the war against WikiLeaks transparency
Please be advised that the below is not just the same old thing. By clicking on it you'll find the petition in support of Julian Assange and discover fascinating on-going reports and videos related to one of the most important events in modern history, and the desperate attempts to put a lid on information that everyone should know. Don't miss this special opportunity to stay informed.
WikiLeaks Press Release Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) - Investment Chapter ![]() The TPP Investment Chapter, published today, is dated 20 January 2015. The document is classified and supposed to be kept secret for four years after the entry into force of the TPP agreement or, if no agreement is reached, for four years from the close of the negotiations.
Julian Assange, WikiLeaks editor said: "The TPP has developed in secret an unaccountable supranational court for multinationals to sue states. This system is a challenge to parliamentary and judicial sovereignty. Similar tribunals have already been shown to chill the adoption of sane environmental protection, public health and public transport policies." (More)
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There can be no life without laughter
• Study: Support for Bill Of Rights highest while attempting to talk way out of drunk driving arrest
• Progressive company pays both men and women 78% of what they should be earning
Books
New book Blair Inc: the Man behind the Mask
reveals Tony Blair's betrayal of Labour's principles
to satisfy his greed for money and personal power
RT
A sensational new book, Blair Inc: the Man behind the Mask tours the horizons of Britain's most controversial prime minister. From the takeover of the Labour Party, the invasions and the occupations to the Everest of money still piling up. Francis Beckett, co-author of Blair Inc, a Labour man and one of the country's leading Blair-ologists, joins Sputnik to tell us about the private dealings of Tony Blair since leaving office in 2007.
And 50 years ago in the Audubon ballroom in New York the greatest black leader in America, Malcolm X, was gunned down in mysterious circumstances. It was a decade which saw the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, President John F Kennedy and the equally mysterious assassination of presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. Four dead leaders in five turbulent years. To mark the 50th anniversary of Malcolm X's murder, Sukran Chandan has organized the first Malcolm X festival, and he joins Sputnik this week to tell us all about it. (Video)
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And it's not only about sex
Woody Allen's disgrace is not the only one
Nine other beloved artists accused of terrible things
The cognitive dissonance of loving the art but hating the artist
27 March 2015
27 March 2015 — Few of us are likely shocked by recent “revelations” — if allegations of Woody Allen’s sexual impropriety can still be considered revelatory — from actress Mariel Hemingway. In an exerpt from her new book, Hemingway recounts how a 44-year-old Allen romantically pursued her then 18-year-old self, including asking her to come stay with him in his home in Paris. Though her parents “lightly encourag[ed]” her to take the director up on his offer, an unnerved Hemingway ultimately put an end to Allen’s courtship. Her allegation rests atop a pile that includes charges of child molestation by Allen’s adopted daughter Dylan and, at the very least, a highly questionable relationship with ex-wife Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. (The two have been married since 1997.) Mariel, famously, played Allen’s teenage girlfriend in “Manhattan,” arguably one of his very best movies. It’s a film that has grown far creepier in hindsight.
And that’s the thing. Allen is proof that there are people who have made brilliant art, who have cultivated such loveable public personas, that we forget one essential truth: We don’t know these people. Not really. Artists whose songs soundtrack our adolescence and whose films have given us joy are rarely who we imagine them being. They’re just people. And some of them have done some pretty gross things.
Here’s a list of folks who fit the bill. While lots of living stars have been involved in scandals (from Roman Polanski to Chris Brown), those noted here might be considered particularly intriguing figures. What’s more, their alleged bad behaviors have left them relatively unscathed. In some cases, charges may have seriously marred their reputations. But by and large, they’ve either managed to live them down or, at the very least, evaded prosecution. In any case, here’s a list of 9 Beloved Artists Charged with Doing Terrible Things. (More)
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O Canada! Getting to know you!
This is one of a series on the heartbeat of Canada
Store owner forgets to lock up, customers respond in the most Canadian way
(Long story short, nobody stole a thing)

The incredible true story behind the Toronto mystery tunnel
Why Elton McDonald built the Toronto tunnel that captivated the world

Bry Bitar, Montreal LGBT teen, sparks school uniform revolution
Royal West Academy student convinced school officials to allow switch from boys' to girls' uniform

18 March 2015 — In a March 10 blog post on the socially conservative site Free North America, the activist writes that his "ministry" in this country is finished and he has moved to the Philippines with his wife.
"I have pretty much given the last quarter-century of my life to fighting for a Judeo-Christian vision for Canada, especially in the areas of life, sexuality and family. I also fought very hard for free speech and religious freedom for social conservative Christians."
And Whatcott's very public activism has literally cost him.
In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that two pamphlets he distributed in Saskatchewan condemning homosexuals violated that province's human rights code. He was ordered to pay one complainant $5,000 and another $2,500. (More)
Quiz
By Mark Kearney and Randy Ray
Mark Kearney of London, Ont. and Randy Ray of Ottawa are the authors of nine books about Canada, with best-seller sales of more than 50,000. Their Web site is: www.triviaguys.com
Questions
1. True or false? Muskoxen are the only animals that don’t seeK shelter during Arctic blizzards.
2. When did the Toronto Blue Jays last win the World Series?
a) 1991 b) 1992 c) 1993 d) 1994
3. This province has the world’s largest population of red-sided garter snakes. Is it:
a) Ontario b) Manitoba c) New Brunswick d) Quebec
Answers:
"News is what (certain) people want to keep hidden. Everything else is just publicity."
-- PBS journalist Bill Moyers.
Your support makes it possible for True North to clear the fog of "publicity" and keep you informed on what's really happening in the world today. Please send your donation to:
Carl Dow, True North, Station E, P.O. Box 4814, Ottawa ON Canada K1S 5H9.
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NYT Publishes Call to Bomb Iran
The New York Times continues its slide into becoming little more than a neocon propaganda sheet as it followed the Washington Post in publishing an op-ed advocating the unprovoked bombing of Iran

How neocons and the fake-left
took over the British establishment
LONDON, England 14 March 2015 — Forty years ago, Britain could be described as a vibrant democracy. Our parties lived up to their names: a conservative Party believed in conserving things, a Labour Party represented the interests of working people and a Liberal Party was liberal.
We had a mixed economy, in which majority interests were put first, a sensible foreign policy — we pursued detente with the Soviet Union — and didn't seek to go around the world trying to stir up conflicts. The only foreign “wars” we got involved with in those days were the so-called “Cod Wars” with Iceland.
Today, it's a very different story. Our political parties have converged around what author Tariq Ali has labelled “the extreme centre.” The range of views which can be freely expressed in Britain without adverse personal consequences ensuing is narrowing by the day. (More)
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Anti-Russian propaganda is ‘unconvincing’
because Western narrative is false

Science
Russia, US agree to build new space station after ISS
'Our area of cooperation will be Mars' says NASA chief
28 March 28 2015
India gets last laugh on US's ‘elite space club’ RT 31 October 2014 — Following India’s successful attempt to put a vehicle in Mars orbit, the New York Times published a cartoon acknowledging the event that some called racist. But India did not have to wait long to issue a comic rebuttal. (More) |
Baikonur, Kazakhstan — In a landmark decision, Russian space agency Roscosmos and its US counterpart NASA have agreed to build a new space station after the current International Space Station (ISS) expires.
The operation of the ISS was prolonged until 2024.
“We have agreed that Roscosmos and NASA will be working together on the program of a future space station," Roscosmos chief Igor Komarov said during a news conference on Saturday, 28 March 2015. (More)
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UK MP George Galloway's videos on rt's Sputnick 070 reveal
collapsing credibility of British colonial and media institutions
For as long as the Palestinian struggle has existed, another gift to the world from collapsing British colonialism has blighted the subcontinent in Kashmir. As two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, confront each other across a line of control both with fingers firmly on the button, the injury suffered by the people of occupied Kashmir is ignored and nobody much cares. One who does is writer and broadcaster Victoria Schofield who joins Sputnik this week.
Many thousands of people had their telephone routinely hacked by the grubby practitioners of the low press. But industrial scale law breaking by first Mr Murdoch's operation, and then by the Mirror group, has told us much about the collapsing credibility of British institutions. However, in one of the most expensive trials in British history, only minions were convicted in the case against the Murdoch empire. Joining Sputnik this week is the author of Beyond Contempt, Peter Jukes, who tells us who did what to whom and how they mostly got away with it. (More)
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Health Science
Blind man now able to see shapes thanks to bionic eye
Sexology
Worried about size? New study determines ‘normal’ penis length

Thousands embrace sex work to fund university costs
More UK men than women sell themselves to avoid debt
RT
20 March 2015 — Roughly one in 20 UK students has worked in the sex industry to earn money while at university, a new study has found. Many students are motivated by financial reasons, while others are driven by curiosity.
The study, which is part of the University of Swansea’s ‘Student Sex Work project,’ is the culmination of three years’ research involving 6,750 students.
In a climate of high tuition fees and rising living costs, over 50 percent of student sex workers in Britain are motivated by the need to earn money, the report said. Some 45 percent wish to avoid debt, it added. (More)
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