I trust these pictorial efforts speak for themselves:
H/t Piper McKinnon – Canadians Rallying To Unseat Stephen Harper
H/t The Toronto Star Recommend this Post
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This raw video from this morning’s efforts at damage control says all there needs to be said about Harper and accountability: Recommend this Post These Star readers, whether you agree with them or not, have some interesting perspectives to offer: Re: Growing disconnect between Canadians and Parliament, May 2 Democracy is just a mirage, Letter May 5 Al Dunn is essentially correct in his characterization of democracy as it is generally practised today. But the fact that democracy is clearly the ultimate bait-and-switch trick pulled on us by the elites — keeping up the illusion of a fair say whilst actually holding us at arm’s length from the levers that could operate our share of the balance of power — doesn’t mean there (Read more…) We all remember the abortive attempts by Kevin Page, Parliamentary Budget Officer, to find out specifically how federal budget cuts were going to affect programs. The Harper regime was of the view that such detailed information wasn’t to be shared, despite the pesky expectations that a putative open democracy tends to foster among its citizens. Essentially, the answer we were given was, “just trust us.” A detailed analysis of recently released spending reports conducted by the Globe and Mail suggests two things: thanks to cuts in the budget of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency we can trust the . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Just Trust Us
There is an excellent piece in this morning’s Star by outgoing Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page. In it, he talks about how his son’s death was the catalyst for his abandoning a natural desire for job security and his subsequent pursuit of the job which has incurred so much Harper wrath while at the same time endearing him to millions of Canadians. Unfortunately, the piece seems to be only in the print edition, but should it become available online, I will provide a link. At the end of his article, Page urges all of us to write to our M. . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Some Inspiration From Kevin Page
The other day I wrote a post about the Harper regime’s ongoing efforts and measures designed to thwart government transparency; the Prime Minister’s abuse of power is most flagrant in his suppression of the voice of science, thereby effectively denying information vital if citizens are to have any hope of evaluating government policy. Unfortunately, in a regime driven by ideology, as Harper’s is, the end justifies the means, no matter how much those means might violate the basic underlying principles of democratic government. I am taking the liberty of reproducing the editorial appearing in today’s Star that rebukes the regime . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: More On Harper’s Censorship of Science He who controls the media controls the minds of the public. – Noam Chomsky In some ways, it is very much reminiscent of what occurred during the time of the Soviet Union, when athletic or cultural figures would visit the West, always accompanied by ‘escorts’ whose ostensible purpose was to act as facilitators and translators, but whose real purpose was to keep a very close eye on their fellow citizens lest they bolt for freedom or say something ‘unscripted’, thereby causing the homeland some embarrassment. Control of information was paramount. And ironclad control would seem to be both the guiding . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: The Quasi-Police State In Our Midst Last June, I wrote a series of posts about the lack of constituency representation I and many others were receiving from our local Conservative M.P. David Sweet, the catalyst being his obsequious though not unexpected uncritical acceptance of the budget Omnibus Bill C-38. As a consequence, we conducted demonstrations at his constituency office until the police were called and interdicted our entrance into the strip mall where the office is located. It seems that that anti-democratic trend is spreading westward, right to the strip mall housing our Prime Minister’s constituency office: Just one more very obvious sign of I cannot help but wonder how healthy our democracy might be if its myriad abuses at the hands of the Harper regime elicited the same spirited response from citizens as this did from people over a few pictures. Recommend this Post The other day I wrote a post contrasting the fervent engagement of the Egyptian people as they pursue their demands for a representative democracy, contrasting that passion with our own seeming indifference to the deficits we face here at home. This morning’s Star has published a letter from James Quinn, a Hamilton area activist and biology professor at McMaster University, on the topic of what we can learn from Egypt. I reproduce it below: Re: Morsi calls in the military ahead of constitution vote, Dec. 10 I think we can learn a thing or two from the protesters in Egypt. . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: A Lesson From Egypt My wife, well aware of my anguish over the disengagement with democracy of so many Canadians, made a comment this morning that has inspired this post. She observed the sharp contrast that exists with Egypt, where the notion of democracy is still more a dream than a reality, a dream the people feel is well-worth putting themselves at risk of arrest, injury, and even death, to achieve. This became quite apparent less than two years ago with the vigorous protests leading to the toppling of Hosni Mubarak, and the people’s passion continues to this day, evident in the demonstrations against . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Canada and Egypt: A Study in Contrasts For anyone who needs a quick primer over the damage being done to Canada and its citizens by the Harper regime, I recommend the following: In the F-35 fiasco, truth is the first casualty, a stinging indictment not only of the government lies surrounding the true projected costs of the F-35 fighter jets, but also of the incompetence of the teflon Defense Minister, Peter McKay. Freedom of expression is more than an international issue, in which Star Public Editor Kathy English laments the sad state of our Freedom of Information Act as obstructed by Mr. Hartper et al. . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Sins Of The Harper Government: Ministerial Incompetence, Secrecy, and Contempt For Democracy Here’s the proof. Recommend this Post . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Harper Strategy Succeeding This thoughtful Star reader provides his answer: As I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday, I thought of all those who died and suffered for our democracy. It made me very sad, sadder than in past years, to think of the current state of d… . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Whither Goest Democracy? This story about Kevin Page’s relentless and noble ongoing attempts to extract information about the public service impact of government budget cuts from the secrecy-obsessed Harper regime appeared in today’s Star. Consequently, I couldn’t resist the impulse to send the story link to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, the body that recently named Stephen Harper The World Statesman of the Year for his ‘stellar’ efforts at promoting democracy and human rights. By the way, it is not too late to sign the Avaaz petition to register your disgust with the foundation’s decision. Recommend this Post I suspect that the Harper regime’s capacity for fear-mongering, character assassination and bald-faced lies, so much in evidence in previous smear campaigns against Stephen Dion and Michael Ignatief, will have a greater challenge in confronting Thomas Muclair: H/t Larry Hubich Recommend this Post I recently wrote two blog posts expressing my dismay over the naming of Stephen Harper as World Statesman of the Year by The Appeal of Conscience Foundation. An Avaaz petition, just started by a Canadian, is asking the foundation to reconsider granting this award and is available online; it lists several of the reasons this is such an egregious insult to all people who believe in the tenets of real democracy and human rights. I sincerely hope you will consider signing it. It can be accessed here. h/t Sandra Harris Recommend this Post Yesterday, I wrote a post expressing cynicism about Heritage Minister James Moore’s tough talk concerning Enbridge, expressing the view that it was just more political posturing on the part of Harper Inc. since the company has come under much media scrutiny due to its record of oil spills. Reading another story today about the time limits and restrictions placed on the NEB hearings into the pipeline, and the fact that it will be the Harper regime that makes the final determination about the pipeline, made me think back to my teaching days. I always regarded school committee with disdain, and . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Harper’s Parody of Democracy Once again, Star readers come through with their perceptive indictments of the Harper regime’s contempt for both the rule of law and democracy: Re: Ottawa’s misrule of law, Opinion July 17 Professor Audrey Macklin’s piece on Ottawa’s disrespect for the law points to a culture of justice by vendetta and racism in this government. How is it otherwise when one sees a white Anglo-Saxon indicted felon received in this country without question, and sought out by the press, while the government dumps all over a boy soldier the likes of which Canada signed the international convention to protect and rehabilitate? . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: On The Harper Regime’s Lawlessness I am sure that like me, many despair over the state of democracy in Canada. Not only is it under continuous assault by a federal government that has repeatedly and consistently shown its contempt for the concept, but it also suffers from widespread citizen disengagement. Probably the two are inextricably connected. In an interesting column today entitled Canadians need a forum to raise their voices against undemocratic leaders, The Star’s public editor Carol Goar writes about a public trust called The Carold Institute, whose mission is to promote active citizenship, democratic participation and social change. A recent panel . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Looking for Democracy
A story in today’s Star reports that the Harper regime is cutting the budget for guided tours, ensuring some 20,000 fewer visitors will actually get a peek inside the majestic buildings housing the seat of Canada’s national government. The cynic residing within me suggests that our overlords think it prudent that the masses be reminded as little as possible of what they have lost under this cabal. Recommend this Post When I was a child, I was afraid of many people: my teachers, who believed in strapping and slapping us as early as Grade One, school bullies who periodically picked on me, and some of the thuggish people residing in my working-class neighbourhood who enjoyed verbally assaulting those even more powerless than themselves. It didn’t occur all at once, but gradually, as I got older, whatever was in my personality that encouraged easy victimhood changed, and I started to assert myself as an individual. And over the years I have discovered that although my battles are not always won, there . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: It’s Time To Show Some National Self-Respect
For those living in my neck of the woods, the following may be of interest. Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, I can’t attend. And, although it will come as no surprise except perhaps to the naive or politically ignorant, neither will my M.P., Conservative David Sweet, a decision his sycophantic followers no doubt concur with: The following is the message about the Bill C-38 Public Forum tomorrow: You have heard a lot about Bill C-38 (Federal Budget Implementation Act) over the past few days. If you want to learn more about this Trojan Horse Bill please plan . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Another Event That Conservative M.P. David Sweet Will Not Attend Yesterday I posted a list sent to me of seven Conservative M.P.s to try to convince to ‘call in sick’ the day of the omnibus vote. Here is the next seven: Action #23: Here are the next seven Conservative MPs. Please email them and ask that they “call in sick” on the day of the final budget vote. It will only take a few minutes of your time. By reporting back in a comment we will all be able to keep track of the campaign’s progress. It will also encourage others to participate. 1. Dave MacKenzie: dave.mackenzie@parl. I received the following from one of the people I was protesting with the other day near Conservative M.P. David Sweet’s constuency office. It offers yet another tool in the fight against Haper’s undemocratic push to remake Canada in his image: I know many of you are upset and outraged about the 2012 Budget Bill that Harper is trying to slam through parliament with his majority. Here is one quick little step you can take to help stop the Bill being passed – take away his majority! There were 7 Conservative MPs who missed the final budget vote earlier . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Another Way To Fight Omnibus Bill C-38 |
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