Just Like The Good Old Days

I see the pogrom is making a comeback. Well, it did keep the Romanovs in power for a bit longer. Nothing like a bit of racial/religious hysteria to help people forget their problems, eh? No matter that the airline in question has denied the incident took place as screamed in the Sun chain. As we all know, in Harper's Canada, truth is overrated. It's belief and gut instincts that matter.

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The Coverup

Warren Kinsella jumps into the fray. His concern is roughly the same as mine. Once this gets started, where does it stop?

On the other hand – if I am wrong, and I’m often wrong – and the law survives a Charter challenge, prepare yourself for the inevitable: every kook and bigot with some spare time on his hands may commence litigation against the Sikh’s turban and beard, the Jew’s kippah and the Hasidic’s Jew clothing, the Hindu’s tilak facial markings, the styles favoured by traditional Mennonites and the Amish, or perhaps even the ostentatious display of a nun’s habit. I mean, why not, right? Any one of those things may serve to obscure a person’s identity in some way. Fair’s fair.

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Quelle Surprise

News item: Ignatieff backs Quebec veil ban. Of course he does. Pandering to the xenophobia of the dominant culture, is a vote winner, every time. The only thing that surprises me is he beat both Harper and Layton to the punch. I mean, none of them have a stellar record protecting the rights of women to dress as they like, do they?

Saturday Update: Well, now that Harper is fully on board with the other fashion policeman (as if there was any doubt), only Layton is yet to be heard from. I expect he will be yelling "Me too!", any time now.

Added Saturday Thought: Now that the government is getting into outlawing women's clothes, I would like to nominate anything tie-dyed to the list.

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Lifting The Veil On Stupidity

The Liberals are declaring their initial support for C-6 a "mistake", while the NDP is just saying they can't support the bill as written (My question to them is how can this piece of crap be rewritten to your liking?). I would say the Liberals have won this round in the Mea Culpa sweepstakes.

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Not So Fast

Before everyone walks on hot coals for dumping on the NDP, the party has to explain a few things. Was Godin freelancing or did he have reason to think the party was behind him? Why did they sit on this for over 24 hours? Where is Jack Layton? Usually he can't run to the microphones fast enough, why is he silent now? Why does Dewar say the party has not taken a final position on Bill C-6? Why not? Do they think they can somehow spin shit into gold? I think it is a bit rich too, for Dewar to say this bill was introduced for political reasons, when the NDP, the Liberals and the Bloc egged the government on with their craven attacks on Mr. Maynard. Trying to slam the barn door now is just a laughable attempt at damage control.

The sad fact is, I strongly believe some genius at NDP headquarters really, truly believed the party could jump on the Herouxville Express (and all those yummy, yummy, Quebec seats, my precious) and not get burned by associating with their poisonous bigotry. I'm sorry, but to come out now and say "Just kidding guys", is pretty lame. The NDP is going to have work pretty damn hard to get back both my trust and my vote.

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Like A Giant Turd

The NDP is letting the veils vote float, without comment (as of 9 am this morning).

Update:Dr. Dawg has still not heard from Paul Dewar.

Update 2:Now the good doctor has heard something from Dewar, but doesn't yet have permission to tell the rest of us! Why don't the NDP just put it out there and be done with it? This is just nuts.

Update 3:As the doctor points out, his post is now up. My reaction? It is a pretty carefully worded letter -- much more carefully worded than is needed (Why include "To be clear, contrary to the above-noted article, our caucus has not taken a final position on Bill C-6.", for example?). To me this is a no brainer. This is a bad bill and the NDP should oppose it to the death.

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And Speaking Of Pandering To Fear And Racism, Warren....

This is seriously starting to get me angry. At least some Liberals are feeling guilty about their role in this farce. The NDP on the other hand, has no problem it seems scapegoating Muslim women. What is going on in this country? All of the parties are busy trying to exploit the fear of people rather than bringing us together as a people. If they think these kinds of actions will not have consequences for the health of our society, they are wrong. Treat people like they are the "other" and they will begin to act like the "other".

Update: Kady O'Malley has it right. NDP, hide your faces in shame. And Kady, it is ok to pick on the NDP when they act like a bunch of asses. If I want to vote for a party that stands for nothing, I will vote Liberal.

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Required Reading

Today's editorial from the Globe and Mail, about the government's (with an eager assist from the opposition) attempt to scapegoat Muslim women, who wear veils to the polling station.

This is a bill meant to appeal to a sentiment expressed vociferously in Quebec that Muslim women should not be voting from behind face veils. On the surface, the sentiment seems reasonable; a country should not weaken the integrity of the vote by allowing voters to conceal themselves. But look at the facts. Voters are not required to show photo identification, largely because many people do not have photo ID. Two pieces of government-issued ID approved by the Chief Electoral Officer are enough. Alternatively, a voter with ID may vouch for another voter without. Beyond all that, a voter may mail in her vote from abroad. Without photo ID, showing a face proves what? That the bearer has a face?

It is a good editorial but it misses the point. Making veiled women show their faces (even though this has never, ever been reported as a problem) proves who has the power in this society and who is second class.

Update: Others have started to come to the same conclusion. This whole farce is designed to do two things: Chase after the white sheet vote in Quebec (and other rustic areas of the country) and show Muslims who's boss. This is totally, totally disgusting and Layton should be standing on his head to oppose it. The fact that so far he is not, is a sad reflection of how visions of power (or at least official opposition status) is clouding the judgment of the NDP brain trust.

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Veiled Threats

Before anyone goes off on the government's anti-Muslim veil legislation remember, none of the parties will do a damn thing to stop this legislation. They are all guilty of pandering to the lunatic fringe, while chasing public opinion (and seats) in Quebec. Every last damn one of them.

Update: Jack Layton asks a good question.

NDP Leader Jack Layton suggested that the proposed changes were not the most pressing issue, arguing that there were a million people who were unable to even get on the voting list.

“The so-called problem of the veils is not even a question raised by the Muslim community,” Layton said. “So why didn’t the government choose to settle a big problem that leaves a large number of people in rural communities and the North, for example, off of the (electoral) list, without the possibility of voting?”

Maybe it's because Steve is feeling emboldened since he knows when push comes to shove, you will roll over and let him off the hook.

Update 2: This is the least surprising story of the day. This insanity is going to end badly. Mark my words. This is just so wrong that there will be many unintended and unpleasant consequences. Too bad the opposition (all of you and especially Jack Layton) have sold their political souls for a shot at a few more seats. It isn't too late for you to make a choice for freedom, but feeble protests about the "need" for such a law, won't cut it.

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Dear Kady O'Malley

I know all four federal parties came out against Elections Canada on the question of veiled voters - and don't get me started on that.

Please Kady, get started on that. That disgrace should not be swept under the rug.

Update: Note to Jack. The veils issue is not playing well in the Muslim community. That happens when you are stabbed in the back by political allies. You might consider saying you are sorry.

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Dark Victory

For the record, I am glad Mulcair won in Outremont last night. I think he is a good man and will bring energy to the House of Commons on the environment. However, as far as the NDP winning, it doesn't touch me much. If the NDP is going to be just another party, blowing with every political wind, not standing for any principle that might cost it votes, then it might as well call itself the Liberal Party. People who know me, know that is the worst insult I could possibly utter.

Update: As for the Tory victory in Roberval, well there is not much new there either. Harper is merely following the tried and true Quebec nationalist formula of winning rural seats, (paraphrasing Jacques Parizeau) using "money and the non-ethnic vote".

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As Obvious As The Nose On My Face

The American business press has Harper's number. Bloomberg reporters wrote this today about the "Veil Controversy":

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, facing elections as early as this year, is taking a stand against veiled Muslim voters, helping him tap into a growing backlash against immigrants.

Harper criticized the nation's elections body for allowing veiled women to vote next week in by-elections to fill three vacant seats in Quebec, asserting that citizens should have to show their faces to prove their identity.

``I profoundly disagree with the decision,'' Harper told reporters in Sydney, where he was attending an Asia-Pacific summit. ``It concerns me greatly because the role of Elections Canada is not to make its own laws.''

The comments may help him build support among rural voters in Quebec. Harper needs to make gains in the French-speaking province in order to win a majority in the House of Commons. Recent polls show his ruling Conservatives tied for support with the opposition Liberal Party.

Harper is ``stoking his natural support base,'' said Pierre Martin, a political science professor at Universite de Montreal. ``It affects a very small number of people but it touches on an important symbolic issue.'' (emphasis mine)

This has been and continues to be about two things, blowing the finance scandal off of page one and pandering to the xenophobes of Mario Dumont's tribe. That we have a Prime Minister evil enough to appeal to our worst instincts is bad enough. To have an opposition so spineless and craven to let him, is even worse.

Update: I watched the pundits panel on Newman's show tonight. Greg Weston confirmed my worst fear. According to Weston, his contacts in all of the parties told him that their Quebec "workers on the ground" told them they had to "neutralize" the veil issue by, in essence, giving the Tories the green light to smear Muslims. I am just so disgusted, words escape me.

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Still Pissed About Veils

I am still really, really angry at the gutless, vote-grubbing, reaction to the Tories veil ploy, by the opposition. All of the parties deserve scorn, though for different reasons. The Bloc's reaction is understandable. It is a nationalist and xenophobic party that is trolling in the fetid pools of ADQ voters, in hopes of reviving its flagging fortunes. As for the Liberals, they are just hopeless. They are nothing but Canada's version of the Democratic party -- so afraid to look "weak", that they yell "me too" every time the "real men" in the Tory party suggest kicking at minorities.

As for the NDP, their reaction is truly baffling to me. This is a party that championed rights for Muslims for years and was in the loop when the new voting law was passed (whether they should have supported a law designed to suppress voting is another question). Why would they roll over and let the Tories get away with something so slimy as to scapegoat Muslim women (who, let me remind you have not asked to be exempted from any law)? My fear is, the party brass is so fixated on winning Outremont that it is willing to swallow its principles in order to escape any negative headlines in the Montreal press. To me, this is an unforgivable betrayal of everything the party is supposed to stand for.

The NDP was built on the social gospel, so let me conclude by quoting some: Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Update: After following today's circus, Lord Kitchener's Own wonders after the intellectual fitness of our "betters". Who can blame him?

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