Markets V. Middle Class

The Globe and Mail discovered this morning that without government, the middle class gets slaughtered, in a market economy. Markets are great at creating vibrant economies,there is no doubt, but they are a lousy way to create vibrant, stable and just societies. I am glad the Globe has finally caught on. Ed Broadbent's line, that "We want a market economy, but not a market society." is as true now as it ever was.

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Sending Subtle Messages Through Headlines

HARPER EYES CABINET SHUFFLE BEFORE FALL

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The Dear Leader Is Not Amused

Shorter Harper: To Hell with the courts, to Hell with farmers, I want the Wheat Board gone and gone it will be.

Did you ever get the feeling Harper was born a few centuries too late? The world as it exists now in Canada, with its rule of law and democracy, just wasn't made for a psychotic like our PM. No, he is more of a 16th century Russia kinda guy.

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Quote Of The Day

From the Regina Leader-Post:

When a judge flattened his prize "crop" this week, federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl seemed as surprised as a city slicker watching the hail batter his hobby farm.

Funny, isn't it, that no one but Chuck Strahl and the usual suspects are even mildly shocked by the results?

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Tories Rally In PEI

Too hard on them? Read this.

Update: Paul Wells is much kinder to the Tories than I am. He calls them "a bunch of chickens", rather than Nazis. I am glad he slammed the RCMP, too. That organization needs more reform and less Reform.

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Yippee

Let's hear it for Prairie Farmer Survival Day! Chuck may be "surprised" by the ruling (Goddamn liberal activist judges), but when you don't follow the law and make policy on the fly, bad things are bound to happen to you. I realize the psychotic bastard he works for is probably going to beat Chuck to death for his failure to bend the system to his will, but Chuck should see this for what it is, a good day for justice in Canada.

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Tom Flanagan: Super Genius

Tom Flanagan has a plan to get tough with the opposition. Stephen Harper's "Karl Rove" shared his thoughts with the Globe and Mail.

Some MPs said they also want to see their government find ways to get its agenda through the House of Commons. Mr. Flanagan has suggested attaching more confidence votes to legislation to tell the opposition that there will be a steep price to pay for blocking it.

I just bet the opposition is quaking in their boots over that threat. At 30% in the polls and falling, that kind of threat is the political equivalent of holding a gun to your own head and threating to pull the trigger. With advice like that it is no wonder Flanagan is becoming a, shall we say, divisive figure in the party.

But other MPs and strategists were not as keen on the idea.

"Tom always has interesting analysis," said a senior Tory official. "[But] I'm hoping we're going to step back a little bit and work more co-operatively on files."

Ouch. That is what you call a metaphorical pat on the head from someone who doesn't want to be collecting unemployment cheques any time soon.

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