They Call Me "Mr. Sinister"

Question

2011-12-20T11:55:00.001-05:00

Conservative Party, political organization or organized crime syndicate? Discuss.

We Are A Nation Of Men...

2011-12-07T15:47:00.002-05:00

And not laws. If I had to guess how the Harperites will deal with a court ruling against them on the CWB, I would say they are going to ram through their legislation in the Senate, get it royal assent and then argue that they broke no law because the law doesn't exist anymore. Who knows, now that we are ruled like a third world country, they may even get away with it.

Update: I will bow to my conservative friend Ben's contention that no parliament should be able to shackle a future one. That is the basis for our system of government. However, the means by which this government is proceeding is both arrogant and stupid and could have been avoided. If they had passed a bill first which ended the voting power of farmers, the courts would not have had anything to chew on. By doing it this way, the government left itself wide open to court action and by ignoring the court's decision opens itself up to far ranging political fallout. I expect many rural prairie MP's are afraid to open up their emails today.

Harper's Deal With The Devil

2011-12-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

Seems to be holding firm. Another scandal erupts, at just the right time...to prorogue.

The Empire Strikes Back

2011-11-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

The oligarchy is worried, as they should be. They are losing the middle class.

Toews Definition Of Effective Gun Control

2011-11-15T21:55:00.001-05:00

Use both hands.

Oil Companies Need Some Patience

2011-11-10T12:47:00.000-05:00

The U.S. is still somewhat of a democracy. Obama knows that he has to act like an environmentalist for another year. The oil companies will get their way, I am guessing, a few days after the election, next November.

Wedge

2011-11-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

The hiring of a uni-lingual English speaker has nothing to do about qualifications. Like everything else with this government, it is about throwing meat to the base and practicing wedge politics. Harper has calculated that he can rule forever if he keeps his rural-Ontario/Alberta axis intact. He knows his voters despise Quebec and hate bilingualism because they are neither Quebecois nor bilingual. "Fuck the French" is the new motto of this government. It is guaranteed to play well in Conservative ridings across the county.

At Last

2011-11-06T06:52:00.002-05:00

Something the Legion and I agree about. We made a compact with these people and we have to live up to it. It will be interesting to see how the government reacts.

The Rape Of Greece

2011-11-03T15:34:00.000-04:00

When even Fox News thinks something is unjust, you know it is a fucking catastrophe. This is going to end badly for the everyone, but especially for the Greek people. This is the ultimate example of modern neo-liberalism in action. God save the banks, but to hell with everyone else. It is the guiding principle of the emerging age of oligarchy.

An Iron Curtain Has Descended In Ottawa

2011-10-31T08:37:00.000-04:00

Who the hell has ever heard of needing Ministerial clearance, to use a public auditorium in a library? No one, until now. Come on libertarians. Make some noise.

Hurrah For The Bright Side

2011-10-27T07:28:00.000-04:00

This reminds me of an old joke. Bill Gates walks into a bar. One of the patrons looks up and says, "Man, are we lucky. The average income in this bar just went up to a billion dollars."

A City Boy's Thoughts On Killing The Wheat Board

2011-10-26T17:25:00.000-04:00

Farmers of the prairies, I understand your pain. It isn't easy to have a government go against your wishes and ram through legislation you don't want. I understand that. What I don't understand is why you voted en masse for the Conservative Party. Did you think they were kidding all these years when they said that they would kill the Wheat Board if they ever got a majority? Who is laughing now, eh?

Well, life's a bitch. Water under the bridge and all that. Just one more thing. If you expect urban Canadians to bail you out once you are in the clutches of ADM et. al., well, we have other priorities and money is tight. You understand I am sure. Have a nice day.

Homicide Shmomicide

2011-10-26T10:24:00.001-04:00

So what if the number of homicides is down to a 44 year low? What about all of the unreported homicides?

Morning WTF

2011-10-24T09:32:00.000-04:00

Hands up, if you knew that assault rifles were unrestricted weapons in the country?

Snowdy said he has been sleuthing around the RCMP firearms program. He claims the RCMP wants to reclassify a number of military assault rifle style weapons currently classified as non-restricted, making them either restricted or prohibited. Among these are the Israeli-made Tavor Tar-21; the Robinson Arms XCRL; imitations of the Kalashnikov AK-47 called the CZ858 and CZ2003; the M14; the "civilianized" version of the G36 assault rifle widely used by armies around the world, and a number of others.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says no action will be taken to increase controls on controversial firearms once the longgun registry dies.

No surprise whatever however, that the Conservatives plan to take no action other than to make sure no one knows who has such weapons. Of course, they are going to be building a lot of jails. Maybe they know something?

To Hell With Co-operation

2011-10-09T08:14:00.002-04:00

There is much crowing in the Liberal press about how Harper has shown them the way to run a minority government. The fact that the same Liberal press was appalled by the tactics used by said Messiah, has been flushed down the memory hole. I hope they choke on it.

All That's Wrong WIth The Modern Conservative Movement...

2011-10-08T19:04:00.000-04:00

In one short article. Meet Michael Harris and Rob Leone, two shiny, new MPPs from the Waterloo Region. Both are thoroughly orthodox in their views on public finances. Michael Harris states these ideas thus:

“It’s affordable taxes, living within your means. We have to do it in our home budget; we have to do the same (in government).”

Good, wholesome family values, completely devoid of any macroeconomics to back it up. But I digress. Wait, there is more, just a few paragraphs on:

Harris works in sales at Honeywell, so he knows the Toronto drive well. He lives in south Kitchener, near Highway 401. He too, plans to pressure the Liberals to bring at least four trains a day to Kitchener. Liberals must follow through on funding for a Highway 7 expressway between Kitchener and Guelph, he said.

“We are going to makes sure we hold the current government to those promises,” he said of the minority Liberal government. “We’ve got Mr. McGuinty on a short leash.”

Expanding mental-health and suicide-intervention programs is a big issue for Harris, because it’s directly affected his family and friends. He wouldn’t elaborate.

“It’s taking a lot of lives each year. I think its something we are really afraid as a society to talk about,” Harris said.

Long-promised Cambridge Memorial Hospital expansion is atop Leone’s to-do list. All parties support it, so get it started, he said.

“I don’t want to stand in the way, simply because I’m a PC member and it’s a Liberal government.”

Um, ok, so much for living within your means. Unless they mean everyone but those living in their riding should suck it up and cut back, because damnit, they want their pork!

In a nutshell, this is what is wrong with modern so-called conservatism. In theory, they are all for "living within our means" and cuts in taxes. In practice, they are also for, unlimited spending in their own ridings. This is fiscal insanity. This is the black hole that they have sucked us and the rest of the world into. God knows how or when we will be able to escape its deadly grip.

Screwed Up System Almost Screws Ontarians

2011-10-07T08:23:00.000-04:00

Well we seem to have dodged a bullet, but just barely. The first past the post system did its usual magic and almost produced a majority of seats with less than 38% of the vote. In fact, thanks to the magic of splits, the Liberals with 2% more of the popular vote than the Conservatives go 14 more seats. It is criminal. Add to this, the fact that voter turnout was a pathetic 47.6% and you have to ask yourself whether the whole exercise was even legitimate.

The fact is, this is just another in a long line of phony exercises in kabuki democracy, where the voters know that their votes will be wasted if they back a party other than the two biggest ones and so gave the exercise a pass. It is long past time when we realize that our system of voting is suited to a bygone era of binary politics. We need electoral reform.

Dalton McGuinty is now faced with a minority situation. He has already signaled that he is going to do a Harper and rule like he has a majority and dare the opposition to bring him down. This is unwise for two reasons. First, if he was serious about the need for stability for the province during an economic crisis, he would make a deal with one of the other parties to provide this stability. Second, unlike Harper, McGuinty was just slapped by the voters. It is clear that patience with McGuinty is quite limited and if he pushes the voters, he will not like the answer he receives from them.

My fear is that instead of having a government of give and take and compromise, Ontario will be faced by years of phony confrontations, proroguing and threats of elections. This is the main "feature" of first past the post politics, where a shift of 2% of popular vote yields massive majorities. It is a feature our democracy can no longer afford.

Another Victim Of FPTP

2011-10-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

From the coverage of the Manitoba election:

McFadyen added that his party was the victim of a cruel numbers game under the first-past-the post election system.

"Under any other circumstance we would be happy with 45 per cent of the popular vote," he said. "Obviously we didn't get those votes in the right places.

"It's a very disappointing night for all of us."

It is too bad, the leaders of the parties only see the stupidity of FPTP after being victimized by it. When they profit, it is a wonderful system. The Manitoba NDP did not get a majority of votes and only bested the Conservatives by 1% of the popular vote, but it got twice the number of seats. This stinks and is completely undemocratic. The NDP government in Manitoba should move ahead with electoral reform. That it won't says more about the corruption of NDP by power than anything else.

No Deals

2011-10-03T14:04:00.001-04:00

Stephen Harper has destroyed Canadian politics. Thanks to his example, it is now unthinkable for either the Liberals or Conservatives to even contemplate working with other parties, even if they have a minority. Such arrogance. It is poisonous. It is stupid and it unnecessarily puts our politics into constant crisis mode. Canadians deserve better. To hell with what the votes want, the Liberals and Conservative believe they rule by divine right. They are saying, in essence, that they don't care what voters think. They don't care if you want them to cooperate. No, they must exercise majority power, even if they don't have a majority. Fuck them, I say and do it where it counts, at the ballot box. Show the fuckers that if they won't play nice, maybe they need to go sit in corner for a while and think about what assholes they are.

Sunday WTF

2011-10-02T07:25:00.001-04:00

What kind of country allows Dick Cheney into it, but not Russel Brand?

Death By Fiat

2011-10-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

King Barry Obama has done something no other emperor of the American Imperium has done before. He has taken unto himself the power to kill any American he deems guilty, without benefit of a trial. No one of any substance will say a word against this summary execution, because the target was a Muslim. However, the precedent is now set and if I was an American, I would watch what I say and do, lest a drone be dispatched over my car.

Well, What Do You Know

2011-09-30T11:34:00.001-04:00

The Supreme Court has actually told the Conservatives to take a hike. They have saved Insite and as a result, the lives of countless drug addicts. Hooray for the triumph of reason over ideology. It is unfortunate that it is such a rare occurrence. I expect the next Conservative fund raising letter will denounce the communists on the bench and stress the need for God-fearing Conservatives to flood the benches. It is all bullshit of course, since this is the most conservative Supreme Court in years, but you know the Conservatives, every political loss is a profit opportunity.

Watch This

2011-09-28T07:33:00.000-04:00

And ask yourself, do I want unfettered capitalism, or do I want to line these motherfuckers against the nearest wall? Hat tip to Galloping Beaver.

Shorter Lisa Raitt

2011-09-19T11:43:00.000-04:00

Strikes are now considered illegitimate and will be crushed by our government.

The real quote is just as ominous: "Any work stoppage would negatively impact Canada's economy and threaten our fragile economic recovery,"

Tim Hudak's Kamikaze Run

2011-09-13T11:58:00.001-04:00

Hand's up those who think it is politically smart to go into a city with 9.1% unemployment and tell the voters he is going to cut 200 more jobs? Also, who thinks it is good policy to cut government spending in a recession? Tim Hudak that's who. Good luck Tim. The plane is gassed up and ready to go.

When Corporate Lackey's Attack

2011-09-13T09:05:00.004-04:00

It is interesting that the Conservatives are attacking Brian Topp for being friendly to unions. It just underscores the Conservatives utter lack of concern for working people or the conditions under which they work. Unions have played the most crucial role in the elevation of the working class to something resembling middle class standing, and for the elevation of workplace safety. But, this matters not one whit to the Harperites. It is quite evident that the Harperites would rather have workers represented by no one, so they could enjoy all the benefits of those lucky enough to be working in factories in China.

Update: As Pogge points out, there are other, more legitimate, things to criticize Topp for. It goes to show that union bashing takes precedence over democratic values for the Harperites.

Update: With news like this, perhaps the Harperites should explain why we don't need unions.

One Or Two People

2011-09-07T19:22:00.000-04:00

May wonder why I haven't been posting lately. Read this and you will get a clue. Our politics have become completely retarded. It makes no difference whether it's federal or provincial. Who the fuck in their right mind would follow it? I may post again if the spirit moves me. Or, I might just take up full contact yoga.

If The NDP Dumps Unions...

2011-09-03T07:12:00.000-04:00

I will dump the NDP. Simple.

Note To Politicos

2011-09-01T09:02:00.000-04:00

Political trash talk might make your briefs feel tight, but it turns the rest of us off politics. Stop having swinging dick competitions and talk issues. Thanks so much.

A Future Obituary For Christie Blatchford

2011-08-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

Christie Blatchford died, alone and unloved, surrounded by her cats.

Damn

2011-08-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

Well it shouldn't be a surprise, but it is. I thought if anyone could beat the bastard, cancer, it would be Layton. This is a huge setback, but don't count the NDP out. It really is bigger than one man. It survived after Douglas, it survived after Lewis, it survived after Broadbent. It hung on during the dark days of the nineties and it will survive now. Condolences, go out to his family.

Free Trade To Nowhere

2011-08-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

Harper is busy opening trade deals with poor countries -- not that they will buy anything from us -- but they sure are a pool of cheap labor, eh?

My My

2011-08-11T18:12:00.001-04:00

Aren't we turning into a junior league imperialist power? Sending troops to Jamaica and cops to Costa Rica. Soon we will have people burning Harper in effigy all over the third world.

Knee Jerk

2011-08-11T15:56:00.000-04:00

What do you do if you have a riot? Well, if you are a British Conservative, you dictate who can and can't join Facebook and who can and can't own a cell phone. Yeah, that will work. It's not as if kids won't borrow or steal phones and won't create fake accounts on Facebook.

A Few Good Signs

2011-08-11T11:24:00.003-04:00

It looks at this point as if the Europeans may have gotten their act together (for the moment). I choose to take joy from small victories.

However, I am not confident in our own government. They are talking the same way they were talking in late 2008, as if everything is normal and deficit fighting is job one. People forget that the one and only reason the Harperites changed their minds about stimulus the first time round was because the opposition held a gun to their heads. Well, the opposition have no bullets this time. The Harperites are in absolute control. If they stay on their present course and we do head into a recession, Canadians will suffer needlessly. I am not hopeful that the Harperites will give up on their deficit mania. It is imprinted in their DNA and no one can stop them. It is going to be a very bad few years (of blaming teachers, doctors, and civil servants for the world's ills).

As We Drive Perilously Close To The Edge Of A Cliff

2011-08-10T18:59:00.002-04:00

Jim Flaherty says, "Drive faster!". Flaherty is, of course, utterly wrong. And we are totally fucked.

QOTD: The Real Gravy Train

2011-08-10T18:22:00.001-04:00

From the Guardian on the riots (read the whole thing, it is worth it):

While bankers have publicly looted the country's wealth and got away with it, it's not hard to see why those who are locked out of the gravy train might think they were entitled to help themselves to a mobile phone. Some of the rioters make the connection explicitly. "The politicians say that we loot and rob, they are the original gangsters," one told a reporter. Another explained to the BBC: "We're showing the rich people we can do what we want."

Funny

2011-08-09T16:09:00.001-04:00

I can't find anything about Harper locking himself in a Brazilian bathroom, in the Canadian press. However Pogge has found it in the Brazilian press. Strange that none of our intrepid press corps is reporting it? Draw your own conclusions.

Update: The Canadian Press is now reporting... the denial. H/t, once again to Pogge in the comments. Also from the comments, I should have made it clear that Harper reportedly locked himself in a bathroom and wouldn't come out until the Brazilians bent to his demands for a change in protocol. That is some mature guy we have running the country.

A Study In Contrasts

2011-08-09T13:07:00.000-04:00

Watch this video and note the difference in the worldview between the witness and the presenter. The ruling class (and their lackeys) truly has no idea what the hell is going on in their own country and they really don't want to know. The old guy was put on to condemn the riots and when he wouldn't play along, he had to be shut down and fast.

Ok I'll Bite

2011-08-09T11:38:00.000-04:00

So, what are the Conservatives saying, that Denis Lebel has no chance of ever becoming leader of the Conservatives because of his separatist past? How about Maxime Bernier? Does that reasoning apply to him as well?

Shorter Michael Spence

2011-08-09T08:19:00.000-04:00

The policy elites, in the developed world, are seized with a deficit mania that crowds out the reality of an unemployment crisis. This mania threatens the world's people with years of needless pain.

Read it here and get ready because our government is full of people who think like John Ibbotson.

Welcome To Armageddon

2011-08-08T11:54:00.002-04:00

This going to get really, really bad. Worse than it has to, because the assholes who are running the world see debt as a bigger problem than unemployment (largely, because they live off rents rather than salaries). So, we will have more cuts to government spending, leading to more unemployment, leading to less tax revenues and therefore more debt, leading to more cuts, leading to more unemployment and on and on and on, until these motherfuckers (out of self preservation if nothing else) get a clue, or until there is a revolution. The common people are going to be put through hell so that the ruling class can be cushioned from its own folly. My money is on revolution.

Update: Krugman has coined a new phrase, the "Downgrade Doom Loop", to describe the situation we are in. That just about covers it I think.

My Guess

2011-08-06T11:28:00.000-04:00

When they find these idiots, they will be white teens from the suburbs. Make them scrub this filth from the walls and have them take classes in world religions and multiculturalism. Wankers.

It Isn't That They Are Stupid Exactly

2011-08-06T10:37:00.006-04:00

But Wall Streeters have been making so much money trading worthless pieces of shit back and forth to each other, over the last couple of decades, that they haven't a notion about how a real capitalist economy works. They saw what was going on in Washington over the last month as irrelevant to them. They are the masters of the universe after all and can't be expected to tune into the bullshit petty politics of the little people. Well, now they are being schooled in macroeconomics 101 and the shock they are feeling is real. Who knew that austerity during an economic downturn was bad medicine? The sad fact is, our masters haven't a fucking clue.

Update: And if you look at Europe's bankers, they make Wall Street seem Krugmanesque. We are well and truly boned.

Update: Speaking of Krugman, he weighs in with a piece about the root causes of this problem, namely delusion and the substitution of sincerely held beliefs for working economic models.

Updater: It's a Nobel pile on as Joseph Stigliz catalogues the insanity.

Shades Of Mike Harris' Ontario

2011-08-04T16:03:00.000-04:00

When people start to die of bad water, the government will, I am sure, take full responsibility. That's what Mike Harris did, right? Right?

How Disappointing For Them

2011-08-04T15:39:00.000-04:00

I am sure prairie farmers will turn around and throw this dirty government money back into the faces of the Harperites. After all, these folks are mostly good, free market capitalists, who vote the straight Conservative ticket. Giving them a government handout is surely an insult to their independent spirit. Or is it that Conservatives are only rugged individualists until something bad happens to them?

Last Word On The Turmel Fiasco

2011-08-04T14:52:00.001-04:00

To the MSM, give your collective head a shake. You have been played. You chased after the shiny rather than using your heads (or whatever the hell Rob Silver uses for thinking). You have now said to soft nationalists that they have no right to change their minds and vote for a federalist party rather than the Bloc. Not only that, if they have the nerve to actually run for a federalist party, they will be held up to ridicule and suspicion. Way to go gang. Your truly are a bunch of stupid motherfuckers. Harper is right to hold you in contempt.

Yup

2011-08-04T11:56:00.002-04:00

Turmell is much more fun than that boring old economy.

Update: Yes it is as bad as it seems.

Update: It looks like the fun times are gone. Will this sober up the shitheads of the MSM? There is only about a one in five chance,is my guess.

While The MSM Is Having Fun

2011-08-04T08:31:00.000-04:00

Chasing the "important" Nycole Turmel story, the government is gutting Environment Canada. It is good to see our intrepid press has its priorities straight. Fun, fun, fun. Don't worry folks, look at the shiny.

And So It Begins

2011-08-03T12:56:00.001-04:00

The panic that is. There shouldn't be much time for our MSM to engage in frivolity over the next several years. Never fear though, they will find a way. The destruction of our economy is just so damn boring compared to inside the Queensway tittle tattle, n'est-ce pas?

Update: Hear that sound? It is the sound of Wall Street grasping at straws. Stimulus dreams and lollipop wishes.

The NDP's Culpability

2011-08-02T13:36:00.000-04:00

The NDP's sin in the Turmel business was assuming they were dealing with people who have an internal moral compass. They should have known better. The Liberals made the mistake of thinking there was a low point past which the PMO wouldn't stoop and they lost two leaders as a result. The NDP have to realize they are dealing with a group of sociopaths, led by the Prime Minister himself. They will literally do anything to destroy anyone who opposes them. The NDP can either fight back or not. It won't matter to the PMO, either way.

Liberal Witch Hunt

2011-08-02T11:08:00.001-04:00

Shorter Rob Silver: Have you now,or have you ever been, a member of the ~~Communist Party~~ Bloc Quebecois? According to Mr. Silver, once you have tasted from the well of separatism, you are no longer qualified to hold office in another party. Oh Liberals, it is so sad to see you reduced to Bloc baiting. Desperate times, I suppose. Oh, and I wonder if Jean Lapierre thinks of all this? You know Jean, Martinite Quebec strongman and co-founder of the Bloc Quebecois.

Dear Mr. Obama

2011-07-31T21:57:00.001-04:00

I read this with sad recognition:

In other words: it makes no difference to us how much we stomp on liberals' beliefs or how much they squawk, because we'll just wave around enough pictures of Michele Bachmann and scare them into unconditional submission. That's the Democratic Party's core calculation: from "hope" in 2008 to a rank fear-mongering campaign in 2012. Will it work? The ones who will determine if it will are the intended victims of that tactic: angry, impotent liberals whom the White House expects will snap dutifully into line no matter what else happens (even, as seems likely, massive Social Security and Medicare cuts) between now and next November.

The Liberal Party of Canada used "Scare the lefties" for years, and it worked very well-- until it didn't. I think you are where the Liberals were about eight years ago. I will not give away the ending, but let's just say it didn't end well for them. I have always called you the"Paul Martin" of American politics. Every day you get closer to sharing his fate.

Attention Bob Rae

2011-07-31T19:23:00.001-04:00

Bob Rae, the apostle of centrism, should read Krugman's latest. In particular, he should cut the following out and paste it on his desk for future reference:

Which brings me to those “centrist” fantasies.

Many pundits view taking a position in the middle of the political spectrum as a virtue in itself. I don’t. Wisdom doesn’t necessarily reside in the middle of the road, and I want leaders who do the right thing, not the centrist thing.

Bob has an unerring instinct to go to the middle, but when the middle involves deciding how much medicare should be privatized, for example, that instinct is a dangerous liability.

Obama

2011-07-27T19:22:00.002-04:00

Worst. President. Ever? It is a compelling case. I think it is a tie with Bush Jr.

Rich Man's Justice

2011-07-27T12:41:00.003-04:00

Let's sum up. In the last few days, Rob Ford has had a hefty election law violation fine waived and has avoided being charged with distracted driving. Rob likes to portray himself as a man of the people, but you and I know, we wouldn't be treated as well as Mr. Ford if we broke the law. Ford is just another rich and powerful guy who ~~flaunts~~ flouts the law, consequence free. Same old same old.

The Winnipeg Jets

2011-07-26T11:42:00.000-04:00

Proudly supporting the flag/troops. I have no doubt this will be a popular choice. The militarization of our national game has been ongoing for years and it also has the blessing of the pope.

Shorter Margaret Wente

2011-07-26T11:15:00.001-04:00

The reason I am shouting "Nothing to see here!", at the top of my lungs is, I am really afraid you are going to take a close look at my friends' writings and discover why Mr. Breivik loved them so much.

Jack Layton

2011-07-25T15:53:00.000-04:00

If anyone can beat cancer it is Jack Layton.

Government Of Sneaks

2011-07-25T14:38:00.000-04:00

The PMO's art commissars are trying to purge an artist, for political thought crimes -- on the quiet. Let's make some noise.

Mark Steyn Sees The Truth

2011-07-25T11:13:00.002-04:00

And then starts tap dancing as fast as he can. Sorry Mark, you are not being "fitted up", but called out. No need to fit you up, your writing speaks for itself.

Some of us believe this is an early skirmish in the Eurabian civil war. If the insurgents emerge emboldened, what next? In five years' time, there will be even more of them, and even less resolve on the part of the French state. That, in turn, is likely to accelerate the demographic decline. Europe could face a continent-wide version of the "white flight" phenomenon seen in crime-ridden American cities during the 1970s, as Danes and Dutch scram to America, Australia or anywhere else that will have them.

Obviously, Mr. Brevik was obviously impressed with your "analysis" and was eager to take up arms in the "civil war".

Update: As for his point that Brevik attack was against another party and not Muslims, well, that is pretty slick, but weak. In the first place, he is pulling that "fact" out of his ass (if you read the list of the dead here, you will see at least one Muslim sounding name), and second Steyn should know that in religious wars apostates are always treated worse than infidels.

Questions

2011-07-24T21:17:00.001-04:00

Even if you grant that the guy who killed over 90 in Norway was disturbed, he was still attracted to the ideology espoused by the right (anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, ultra-nationalist). Will anyone on the right ask why this is so? Do they have the courage to look at their message unblinkingly? Or, are they going to deny the connection and cling to the belief that none exists?

More Right Wing Empathy

2011-07-23T13:41:00.001-04:00

Via Warren Kinsella, Michael Coren says, well, I will just quote him verbatim:

Tragic irony. The teenagers at the socialist youth camp on the Norwegian island who were victims of terror had just demanded that Israel remove the separation fence – the wall – that has saved any number of innocent, Jewish children from Islamic terror gangs. They also condemned Israel for, well, pretty much everything, and showed no empathy at all for Jewish suffering, and the experience of living with terrorism for more than sixty years. So sad, but so typical.

So, is he saying that since these kids disagreed with Likud, they had to be massacred to learn a lesson? Maybe they have had the do gooding socialist shot out of them. Very nice.

Well Thank God He Is A White, Right-Wing Christian

2011-07-23T10:54:00.000-04:00

The right can now play it down as the work of a lone nut. If he was a brown Muslim, well, let's just say they would have portrayed him as typical. Take a look here and read the comments, you can see both arguments at play on same page (with a side of schadenfreude against lefty Europeans).

Shorter Cosh

2011-07-23T08:08:00.002-04:00

A right wing terrorist killed over 80 people in Norway, so Norway should adopt right wing penal policies.

I call that the Obama Solution.

God Bless You, Elwy Yost

2011-07-22T14:09:00.002-04:00

Sad news. Elwy is gone. Elwy Yost is the reason I love films as much as I do. He is an even bigger reason why I like old films and classics. He was one of a kind and he has now gone to join Ford, Lubitsch and the rest in that great cutting room in the sky. So long Elwy. Thanks for the memories.

One of the movies Elwy showed on Saturday Night at the Movies was The Big Clock, staring Ray Milland. It is one of my favorite thrillers, and it is all thanks to Elwy.

The Meek May Inherit The Earth

2011-07-21T17:00:00.001-04:00

But the accountants have first dibs on Toronto. Poor Toronto. Btw, the group responsible for the report calling for the gutting of Toronto has this as its company song. Surely, they must know what they are doing.

Interesting Omissions

2011-07-21T15:21:00.001-04:00

The government released a list of war criminals living in Canada, today. I note that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense were left off the list. A clerical error, I am sure.

Of Crime And Statistics

2011-07-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

Two things occur as I read the latest evidence that crime is down. First, thank God unreported crime is still high and second, thank God this government is going to burn Stats Can to the ground so we don't have to consider statistics when throwing money into jails.

Poor Paul Krugman

2011-07-21T13:09:00.000-04:00

I rely on him for accurate economic analysis. I may have to stop going to his page though. It is hard watching someone you admire, sink into despair. That is the problem with actually seeing what's going on, but being powerless to stop a coming disaster. And it is going to be a disaster on a scale we haven't seen in 80 years.

Tomorrow's Headline

2011-07-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

Right wing media, "Shocked! Shocked!", to be thought of as right wing.

I'm An Old Man! I'm Confused!

2011-07-20T17:02:00.002-04:00

Did anyone else get an Uncle Leo vibe from Murdoch's "old man" routine yesterday? It is the oldest trick in the book, the old "I can't be guilty because I am a doddering old coot".

Deja Vu All Over Again

2011-07-20T13:00:00.002-04:00

Does this sound familiar?:

As Cameron rushed through South Africa and Nigeria on a whistle-stop trade tour, aides urged reporters to focus on other issues. "Perspective" was a word that came up repeatedly, and loyalists lined up to repeat that point in parliament on his return.

"Outside the Westminster bubble I'm getting the impression the nation's had its fill on this subject," Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said.

Despite their bluster, opposition Labor party MPs have little desire to push this to breaking point just yet.

Labor is still struggling to regroup after it was ousted from power last year and does not want to provoke an election as it adjusts to Ed Miliband, a new leader yet to win over the public.

A Labor party backbencher told Reuters Wednesday the party had "a lot of work to do" before it was ready to fight an election. That includes rebuilding depleted fundraising coffers after donors fled the party in droves.

It should. If you substitute Liberal for Labour, you could be reading any newspaper from Canada from 2006 to 2011.

Dear Mr. Plamondon

2011-07-20T07:56:00.001-04:00

I just read with interest, your editorial on iPolitics, regarding public sector pensions and I need to clarify some things with you. Is it your contention that the best way to bring seniors out of poverty is by reducing the pensions of public sector workers? You seem to suggest that this is a matter of fairness. Is it fairer to lower the pensions of public sector workers rather than fight for better pensions for private sector workers? The central thesis of your piece seems to be that since private sector workers have had their wages and benefits stripped by their employers, the best way to remedy the situation is by stripping the wages and benefits of the public sector. Am I incorrect in that reading and if so, how? Nowhere in your piece is any mention of the rise in CEO pay packages during this period and a rise in income disparity between the rich and the poor. If you are really advocating a solution to disparities of income, I should have thought this might be an area to explore. I am curious as to why you left this out? I don't want to cast doubt about your motives, but one might conclude that you are trying to foment intraclass hatred between private and public sector workers as a means of distributing more wealth to those who do not need the help. Surely I am mistaken?. Surely conservatives would never think to do that? All the best, Greg.

Of Senators And Whores

2011-07-19T11:41:00.003-04:00

Brian Mulroney said it best. There's no whore like an old whore.

Pension Madness

2011-07-18T19:49:00.001-04:00

The solution to the looming pension crisis is obvious, expand the CPP's scope to help out the self employed. But, that would mean government involvement (horror of horrors!) and as we all know, this government hates government. It hates it so much, it is willing to throw the self employed into the loving hands of the banks, who will skim off a good percentage and risk their retirement savings in the casinos of Wall and Bay Streets. This is a stupid, ideologically driven "solution" that will enrich the banks and not much else. But, it is acceptable to Alberta, so it is the only option being considered.

Update: A new study backs the most reasonable approach to pension reform. It will of course, be ignored because it is reality based.

Just Say No To Terrorism

2011-07-18T19:20:00.002-04:00

The Republican Party is holding the United States specifically and the world economy in general, hostage. Obama, if he had any stones at all, should never have negotiated with them at all. He should have labeled them what they are, terrorists, and refused to deal with them until they dropped their threats to bring down the economic system. We are where we are today because Obama thought he could appease the hostage takers (with offers to throw the pensions and health care of the next generation of Americans under the bus). He should have known better.

We All Support The Troops...

2011-07-14T13:47:00.001-04:00

Until they come home and want us to spend money to mend them. Then they are just another obstacle to cutting taxes.

The World They Made

2011-07-13T07:32:00.004-04:00

If you want to know the state of the relationship between democratically elected governments of the West and the multinational corporations, all you have to do is look at the case of the Parliament of Westminster and News International. The British parliament is very upset with the way Rupert Murdoch runs his business. Its members are outraged that the citizens of Britain cannot be sure that their privacy is not being violated for profit, on a daily basis. But, they don't want to be labeled "anti-business" (especially in the Murdoch papers) and tell Murdoch straight out that his company cannot carry on with its bid for the rest of the Sky Network. So, they are reduced to pleading with Murdoch to do the decent thing and ignore the potential for huge profit. Fat chance.

The sovereign nation of Great Britain, through its elected representatives is pleading, cap in hand, to a corporation to act in a civil manner. This is a blatant example of what is going on, all over the world. Parliaments are now nothing more than the servants of the corporations and the corporations know it. Welcome to the New World Order.

Update: Murdoch has volunteered to drop his bid ( volunteered is the operative word). I guess pleading on your knees does work sometimes.

Attention Americans

2011-07-09T22:53:00.000-04:00

These people are going after the real villains of the crash. They are the real Tea Party, not the Koch Kommandos.

Why We Fight

2011-07-09T18:35:00.000-04:00

The slogan must be "Pensions for all", because make no mistake, this government is after your kids' pensions and hoping you will not care.

This Is Not The Country You Have Been Looking For

2011-07-09T15:42:00.002-04:00

You have to hand it to the propagandists in the PMO, with all their happy talk about our brilliant success in Afghanistan. They know how to spin bullshit. Just because "our success" is neither true, nor sustainable doesn't mean people won't buy the line. Canadians, in their hearts know the truth, but grab onto denial with both hands, because worshiping dead heroes is better than admitting failure. This report from the Globe, will I suspect, have any impact on the flag waving in Canada:

Whatever has been achieved over the past five years is sometimes called “fragile progress,” but that delicate phrase does not capture the sense of looming disaster many locals feel, a fear that the foreigners built a system that will soon collapse.

In dozens of interviews with locals – governor to farmer, police chief, hairdresser and Taliban – people expressed appreciation for all the construction projects, the schools and roads, but described the overall situation as terribly precarious.

They do not trust that the corrupt Afghan government, installed by foreigners, will be strong enough to stand by itself. Even senior government officials doubt their own comrades, and those misgivings are stronger at the lower ranks: A bodyguard for the governor mused about joining the Taliban; a policeman begged the Canadians to stay because he feared that his family would be killed.

And when it all turns to crap, which it will in due course, the PMO will either blame the opposition (Taliban Jack destroyed the morale of the Afghan people) or else claim that it is all the fault of the primitives in Afghanistan, who never appreciated the sacrifices of our dead heroes.

Love Letter To America

2011-07-04T07:16:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday.

I Don't Judge A Man...

2011-07-03T19:24:00.001-04:00

By his sexual orientation, but by the state of his dress. Charles Adler gives a hysterical "Some of my best friends are Gay" defense of Rob Ford. This is a case where the defense is about as stupid as the original offense.

Socialism, Conservative Style

2011-07-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Lemon socialism that is. It is a wonderful brand of socialism wherein profits are private and losses are nationalized. It is also called "bend over taxpayers" in certain circles.

And Just To Add Some Spice

2011-07-01T13:58:00.000-04:00

I have always loved this song. Always. I know, it is a separatist anthem and I don't care. The imagery is beautiful, human and dare I say it, quintessentially Canadian.

God Love Ya Canada

2011-07-01T13:41:00.001-04:00

My wish for you on your birthday is a return to the sense of common purpose and possibility that made the railway a reality.

QOTD

2011-07-01T12:01:00.000-04:00

From Krugman, who else:

And don’t believe the nonsense about the benefits of spending cuts that has taken over much of our public discourse: slashing spending at a time when the economy is deeply depressed would destroy hundreds of thousands and quite possibly millions of jobs.

Of course, our government will ignore this and we will suffer, and the rich will just keep getting their tax breaks.

BBC Double Think

2011-06-30T07:04:00.000-04:00

From a BBC report on Greece today:

The majority of the Greek people are unconvinced by a plan dictated by outsiders. In almost every conversation I have had on the streets the same view emerges: Greeks believe the bankers caused the crisis and that they, the ordinary people, are picking up the bill. The narrative may be flawed, but it won't easily disappear.

The idea that the world economic crisis was caused by the banks is, of course absurd. In other news Oceana continues to do well in its war against East Asia.

Sure, It's A Great Time To Cut Government Spending

2011-06-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

Just before the housing boom goes bust. Start hording food supplies, this is going to get ugly.

This Is Where We Are Heading

2011-06-27T10:10:00.001-04:00

Slavery isn't just a historical oddity anymore. Companies are taking advantage of a poor job market to squeeze free labor out of our children. These companies are who the Conservatives and Liberals are working to promote and protect. People like this woman:

Kelly Fallis, CEO of the web-based design firm Remote Stylist, says she's had unpaid interns work on projects in marketing, communications, business development and design.

The company won't hire anyone full-time if they haven't completed a 12-week placement first to see if they fit in, she says, adding unpaid internship are part of "a new business model" that pushes young workers to show passion for their job.

"There's something about the hungriness of it all" that isn't there in a minimum-wage, entry-level position, she says.

Fallis says she doesn't see anything wrong with the arrangement.

"At the end of the day, these people are doing something to get ahead in the world . . . so why put restrictions on them? If they want to work for free, it's their prerogative."

"It's such a win-win for everyone . . . there's no down side to me."

Well, except for the whole slavery thing. This is our future, free of unions and workplace rules.

Sunday Thoughts

2011-06-26T13:49:00.001-04:00

Well the filibuster is finished and the Conservatives have gotten their way. There is nothing new in that. It is something we will have to face over the next few years. If this government wants to do something, it will do it. Still, the opposition did the right thing by opposing this bad bill, with everything it had. It is a bad law and a bad precedent for the rest of the economy.

This government is sending a signal that it is open season on pensions, wages and benefits. The Conservatives are saying that working people should be thankful for a job and to not question their betters over what pittance they are given. The strategy of the government is clear, scapegoat the last group of middle class workers in this country with good benefits, public service employees. It is pitting private sector workers, who have already lost their benefits against public sector employees who have not and using resentment as their weapon. If not stopped, the entire middle class will be reduced to an insecure future of few benefits, low wages and no pensions.

Meanwhile, the government is moving ahead with tax cuts to profitable corporations and for the investor class. It is simultaneously shrinking the middle class and enriching the ruling class of this country. Conservatives often like to say that socialism is shared poverty. It seems that conservatives don't mind shared poverty, as long as their friends in the owner class are exempted from it.

That is what we are fighting against. That is why the opposition must continue to oppose this government. That is why the filibuster, though doomed from the start, was important. It was a marker, given by the NDP to the working class, promising that their voice will not be silenced in the government's headlong race to the bottom.

My Impression Of The Liberal's Filibuster Strategy

2011-06-26T09:11:00.000-04:00

Shorter Canadian Stance On Asbestos

2011-06-25T09:57:00.000-04:00

While the Canadian government agrees that asbestos is a dangerous product, the electoral concerns of the Conservative Party trumps scientific reality.

If Brad Wall Is Right

2011-06-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

And the provinces have become, in effect, the triple "e" Senate, why on earth do we need that useless body in Ottawa?

Bob Rae: Opposition Shrew

2011-06-24T08:25:00.000-04:00

Bob Rae is quickly becoming more of a joke than he already was. He keeps talking about the NDP "taking the bait" on this issue, or "taking the bait" on another issue. What Bob doesn't realize, because he has never developed that part of his anatomy related to standing up straight, is that sometimes you have to stand up for principles. I don't think the NDP should be taking advice from a guy who backed down on public auto insurance at the first sign of push back. Bob is where he belongs, standing on the sidelines shaking his head at people who actually believe in something.

And When They Aren't Busy Covering Up Possible War Crimes

2011-06-23T20:15:00.000-04:00

The government is busy selling cancer to the third world. Harper's Canada, just a little more like Mordor, every day.

I Guess The Senate Was Full

2011-06-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

Gordon Campbell, former destroyer of the BC economy and full-time Stephen Harper ass kisser, is being duly rewarded for his loyal service to the Dear Leader. I am sure he will do in his new job what he did in his old one -- say yes to whatever comes out of Ottawa.

Stephen Harper, Working Class Hero, In His Own Mind

2011-06-23T17:27:00.000-04:00

Stephen Harper is working so hard for the working man, that he is willing to strip him of his collective bargaining rights.

Sent This Morning

2011-06-23T11:28:00.001-04:00

To the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court:I am writing to you as a last resort. I realize this is a very long shot, but I have no other recourse. The Canadian government has been hiding evidence of possible war crimes for 5 years, stemming from the handing over of Afghan prisoners to Afghan intelligence officers. The allegation is that our government knew, or should have known (since they were warned by diplomats in the field) that allowing such transfers were putting prisoners into the hands of torturers.

Yesterday, after five years of stalling, including some very undemocratic parliamentary maneuvers, the government released 10 percent of the documents requested by parliament and declared the matter "over". They have signaled (and since they have a parliamentary majority, are most capable of delivering) that they will block any further investigation into this matter.

I urge you to consider opening an investigation of this matter yourself. I am not a lawyer, I am only a citizen of Canada and I feel that I have nowhere to turn, here in Canada. Please take a look at the documents released (found here : http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/06/22/pol-afghan-detainee-docs-embed.html). I truly believe that if your organization does not begin an investigation, that there is a real possibility that people responsible for setting dangerous humans rights policies will feel emboldened to duplicate this model elsewhere.

As I said at the outset, I understand that the chances of you intervening are small, but I felt it was duty to do something.

I know this has a snowball's chance of succeeding, but I am just too tired of the games to care.