A Prime Example

Lawrence Martin gives us in one paragraph, a great example of why Canada is completely fucked:

What was irrational about the coalition talk was the suggestion that the situation in any way paralleled the one that led to the merger of conservative parties six years ago.

We have a political commentariat that does not know the difference between a coalition and a merger.

Update: Travers piles on. Really, the Liberals (and increasingly, the idea of a coalition) are royally screwed and all because the media's agreed upon narrative is a complete nonsense. It is electoral reform all over again.

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Thought Of The Day

This was the year that threatened to put Canadians through the tedium of yet another federal election – the fourth in a five-year stretch. Smile, everyone. We avoided that as well. -- Lawrence Martin

As long as this remains the dominant notion in our politics, Harper wins. He knows that he can do what ever he wants as long as he keeps his base happy, so the polls stay roughly where they have been for five years. Harper gives the opposition two choices, back down or call an election. He knows that as long as the polls are stable and another minority is in the cards, the opposition will back down.

Harper has unlocked the secret to minority party rule, by an ideologically minority party -- no compromise, constantly stroking the base and daring the opposition to cause another "tedious" election. It is a fiendishly brilliant strategy, but dangerous for the country.

If Harper continues to get away with it, his methods will find their way into every party's toolbox. Also, if elections are seen as tedious, rather than as essential to our form of government, we risk becoming the first country to adopt dictatorship by ennui. Merry Christmas.

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Censored By Computer

What an interesting experience, being censored by a computer program. I submitted a comment to MacLeans and it was instantly deleted by the "administrator". Unless the administrator is a speed reader he could not possibly have read my comment. No, this was deletion by "stop word list". I wonder if it was the word "shit" or the word "wanker" that big brother caught and caused my opus to be thrown into the cyber gulag.

To the best of my recollection, my entry read:

Lawrence Martin laments: Young Canadians have scant interest in old-style politics and old-style politicians. As they see it, the boring old guys (BOGs) who run this country offer no hope for real change. So they stay away from the polls and support a party that is seatless.

If only there was a way to elect our members of parliament so that the party young people support wouldn't be seatless. If only old farts like Martin didn't shit on the idea of electoral reform. If only Martin wasn't such a wanker. If only.

There, that wasn't so bad, was it?

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