Sunday, December 14, 2008


CANADIAN POLITICS:
HARPER AND IGNATIEFF-BETWEEN BEELZEBUB AND ASTOROTH:
Well, according to the CBC our reigning Prince of Darkness, Sneaky Stevie, has met the pretender to the throne, Michael Ignatieff last Friday in what is certain to be the first of several cordial meetings. The meeting lasted just short of an hour. Perhaps there was very little to argue about, unlike SS's meeting with the Governor General before obtaining permission to prorogue Parliament. Two peas in a pod dividing the spoils, to mix metaphors. Look to a new "coalition" in the months to come, a Conservative-Liberal one, without any formal deal signing of course. The same report mentioned that Liberal officials will be meeting with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty this coming week. Hey come on guys; the Liberal-NDP coalition may be dead, but its body has hardly cooled. It seems this is unsightly haste to bury it.




In any case the Liberals have chosen for their leader someone who may equal Sneaky Stevie for sheer distastefulness, if not for personal nastiness. What follows is one opinion on the IG from the pages of the Ottawa Indymedia. Not that Molly agrees with the author's politics, especially his sympathy for the Green Party, but what he has to say about the IG bears mentioning.
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CANADA’S PRINCE OF DARKNESS ASSUMES LEADERSHIP OF THE LIBERAL PARTY:
John Chuckman
Since leaving the shaded groves of Harvard a few years ago, seeking as his second career the running of a country, Michael Ignatieff has been a prominent politician in Canada . He didn’t just pack his bags and come home – he grew up in Canada – he had the encouragement of some Liberal Party officials as a possible future leader.
While it’s true that the Liberals needed to do something to revive their fortunes – Ignatieff is their third leader in a few years – they have acted desperately both in selecting him and in their manner of selecting him.
Canada’s progressive vote is divided among four parties, and the largest of these, the Liberals, was hurt by a scandal in Quebec a few years back. The bright, relentless, frequently less-than-civil Stephen Harper has kept his new Conservative Party in power as a minority for two and a half years, making every measure before Parliament one of confidence, rarely consulting the opposition, and daring them to make his government fall.
Two weeks ago, shortly after an election no one really wanted and a loss of Liberal seats, tempers snapped with Harper’s provocative introduction of three anti-democratic measures described as economic ones – they involved government funding of parties, equity for women, and the right to strike – while holding off any genuine economic measures. Three opposition parties then formed a coalition to topple Harper, something for which there is little precedent in Canada.
Harper started backing off his insulting measures almost immediately, but all trust was broken. In a poor precedent, the Governor General accepted Harper’s request to prorogue Parliament until near the end of January. So on January 26, Parliament will return, Harper will likely introduce some genuine economic measures, and the Liberal Party will have a new leader to face a delicate situation.
The Liberal party executive sees Ignatieff as tough, the kind of attack-dog needed against Harper, and so, behind the scenes, his leadership opponents were pressured to withdraw – including the remarkably talented and highly experienced Bob Rae – leaving only Ignatieff and a party membership feeling it has been ignored.
Ignatieff spent years speaking for America 's global empire, allying himself with the Neo-cons in his enthusiasm for invading Iraq . He joined the ranks of ethical cowards by suggesting some modest role for torture. He since has blubbered something about changing his views, but it's what he did when it mattered that counts. Had he been in office when Bush invaded, Canadians would be killing and being killed in Iraq . Ignatieff has nothing in common with Canada ’s great Liberal tradition, which saw Pearson saying no to Lyndon Johnson over Vietnam and Jean Chretien doing the same to George Bush over Iraq .
Ignatieff’s way to the leadership is consistent with his past. After leaving Harvard, he got his nomination to run for parliament by being parachuted into a riding where he used some questionable tactics. Here is one Toronto newspaper columnist's description of Ignatieff's efforts about three years ago:
"And snookering one potential opponent, name of Shwec, on the grounds that he wasn't a party member, although he'd paid his dues, and another, name of Chyczij, who also happens to be the association president, on the grounds that he hadn't resigned the presidency when he filed. Not to mention locking the office door ahead of the deadline so they couldn't file in time."
It sounds a great deal like politics in Richard J Daley's Chicago or President Mubarak's Egypt .
He told his constituents he would live in the riding, a suburb of modest homes, but instead lives far away in an upper-class condo district, claiming to be "a subway ride away," less than true and certainly not the same thing as living among those he represents.
Arrogance comes with the territory of national leadership, but there is a limit as to what is palatable, and Ignatieff exceeds that limit. He spent most of his adult life in other countries, serving interests often inimical to those of Canada . He has three years of political experience, no organizational experience, no policy experience, in foreign or domestic affairs. But he has a name, and some of our political insiders have tripped over themselves to thrust him forward.
But he is aggressive, arrogant, and has demonstrated Machiavellian skills. I see him as a divisive and anti-democratic figure, much as Stephen Harper.
What a poor choice is left to the people of Canada for the next election. I’ll be throwing my vote to the Greens.

1 comment:

David Raymond Amos said...

It appears we agree if you wish to know more let me know.

This is my latest comment within one of my blogs.

Enjoy.

Best Regards
Dave

David Raymond Amos has left a new comment on the post "Bloc Quebecois
chickenshits":

http://davidamos.blogspot.com/2006/05/bloc-quebecois-chickenshits_11.html


Joyeux Noel Mr. Duceppe??

Bah humbug is far more proper for both Stevey Boy Harper and even mean old me.

And so on and on the Tempest in a Teapot of the House of Commons goes. As the ecomomy goes into the toilet with no help from the smiling bastards in the Privy Council who have their salaries jobs and pensions insured by the taxpayer you dudes concern yourselves with politcal
advantage??? Methinks you should look to the picture very fast. Have
you read of the shit going down in the Middle East today? This is
getting serious and that is an understatement.

As Parliament sit prorogued perhaps you and I should finally have that long talk that I have been suggesting for nearly five years. ASAP EH Mr. Duceppe???

You can bet I will forward this message to every Member of Parliament by January 1st and before Obama takes his Oath of Office in Yankeedoodleland but Mr Duckman and some of Yankee friends get it first to see if they even remember me and how I could have impeached George W. Bush BEFORE the War in Iraq began.

However they will all only get this message. They will have to check my blog to see what was written above. So clearly you have some time to do the right thing Eh Mr. Duceppe?

You know that I am not joking when I said I would sue the Crown
CORRECT? At least I did you one last courtesy and only You and Harper on the Hill in Upper Canada got the email above first. We both know the rest of the scared little chickenshits who got the email cut and pasted above the will say nothing at all.

In my humble opinion this is your big chance to become a hero to the
majority of all Canadian citizens. Maybe in return they will assist the Bloc in leaving Canada with dignity and afair deal. That is if if the majority of your province truly wish to separate without the liberal playing games with our money.

You know as well as I that all of us do not need the Neo Con nonsense
anymore particularly with Hard Times coming fast. Lets make that
strange new ultra right wing party follow the Doo Doo birds of
Mulroney's Progressive Conservative Party into the oblivion of Canadian History.

Trust that nobody will care. Politicians and their parties are easily replaced by pissed off Canadains. Your Party proved that. Correct?

Best think Fast Mr. Duceppe. Iggy is not to be trusted and you must
know it too. Who knows what deal he is cooking with Harper to embarass you and the NDP. Everybody knows he is just another Harper in sheep's clothing. The Yankees called Iggy Canada's Prince of Darkness years ago
for good reason and repeated again not to long ago.

http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/2008/121708Chuckman.shtml

Who knows maybe some other Member of Parliament who is far more ethical than my Clan's MP Bill Casey pretends to be may sieze the day and embarass the Hell out all of you self centered Parliamentarians. Stranger things have happened when people get hungry. Check History.

Veritas Vinct
David Raymond Amos