Conservative Priorities Clear

It's funny how conservatives don't like to spend money on daycare, but have infinite resources to house prisoners.

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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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Daddy's Got A Brand New Meme

Andrew Potter is listing the books that have changed his life. Here are a few of the ones that have affected me deeply, over the years.

I read both the Vertical Mosaic by John Porter and The Sane Society by Erich Fromm, within six months of each other when I was in my late teens. These are the two books, more than any others that set me on my lefty path.

I learned of the Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen, from a documentary by John Kenneth Galbraith. It is an absolute gem and cemented my view forever that the ruling classes have feet of clay.

Labyrinths, by Jorge Luis Borges, made me fall in love with the idea of libraries as mini-universes.

The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara started me on my obsession with the civil war period in American history.

I read A Prayer For Owen Meany, while waiting for my car to be fixed in Bracebridge. To me, it captures the struggle to come to grips with history that has afflicted my generation.

There are other books that have affected me at different times, but these are the ones that have stuck with me.

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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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Canada Is Leading The World!

Into an medical isotope crisis. Way to go, Steve!

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Cat, Meet Pigeons

The pigeons of course, are the Liberals, although I hear cooing coming from the Conservatives too. Jack Layton on the other hand, is meowing all the way.

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An Open Letter To The Cowards Who Defaced The Waterloo Mosque

Dear Cowards,

Did you have fun spray painting swastikas and "Death to you all" on the walls of a place of worship? Did it make you feel like you were brave, warriors of western civilization? Did it make you feel like men? Well let me tell you something. You are nothing but scum.

Men don't sneak around in the middle of the night with spray cans. If they have a problem, particularly a political problem, they debate about it and they try to find a solution. They do not hide behind the veil of darkness and terrorize their neighbors. What you did proves you are not men, but scared children, afraid to show yourselves and defend your point of view (such as it is).

I hope and pray that the police catch up with you and you are forced to confront the stupidity of your actions. I also hope that someday you realize that what you did is wrong and that you make amends. Then you will be men.

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