tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71805929428967244332024-03-13T12:02:41.739-04:00Pushed to the Left and Loving ItEducating Canadians One Neocon at a TimeEmily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.comBlogger3270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-62431221169258358402016-06-01T09:22:00.001-04:002016-06-01T09:28:22.561-04:00What Our Media Doesn't Understand About Feminism Makes Rona Ambrose Look Enlightened<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">During last weekend's Conservative Party convention, interim leader Rona Ambrose suggested that Justin Trudeau <a href="http://globalnews.ca/video/2726955/rona-ambrose-takes-swipe-at-justin-trudeau-eludes-to-him-as-female-prime-minister" target="_blank">was not our first "female" Prime Minister</a>, but that that distinction went to Kim Campbell.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It was met with a round of applause, resonating with the conservative crowd, but not so much with the Canadian public, who saw it as just another opposition cheap shot, born of envy.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She would later <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2016/05/30/ambroses-office-denies-she-impugned-trudeaus-manhood/" target="_blank">deny she said it,</a> or claim that her comment was misinterpreted, but we've seen the video.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">There's no backing out now.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">However, her closing remark is even more telling.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"So who's the feminist now!?"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Certainly not Rona Ambrose, because you don't have to be a female to be a feminist, any more than you have to be a feminist to be female.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Today, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/column-why-millennial-women-dont-want-to-call-themselves-feminists/" target="_blank">it's about a state of mind</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">In fact, for the new generation of millennials, it's more about sexism in general, not just women's rights, which they already enjoy.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Income inequality is still an issue, but they will find the solution, and they will do it because it just makes sense.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Looking at the U.S. Primaries, when the country seems poised to elect their first woman president, it should not be such a shock to anyone that the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">majority of young women plan to vote for <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-millennials-feminists-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-perspec-0217-jm-20160216-story.html" target="_blank">Bernie Sanders</a>, rather than Hillary Clinton. They don't care about gender, but that Sanders has a better understanding of the problems that impact their lives, while Clinton represents "the establishment.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In Ambrose's speech, she lauded previous women Conservative trail blazers (none of whom belonged to her party which was formed in 2003).</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">However, to millennials, these names or their accomplishments would mean little.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They don't have to look to female leaders of the past.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They see female leaders everyday, and that's a good thing.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It means that women of my generation have done our jobs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">What they heard from Ambrose would sound like words from the parents in the Peanuts cartoon: "mwa-mwa-mwa"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">This is what the opposition and indeed the Canadian media, don't understand about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He is the epitome of the modern feminist.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">You don't have to be macho <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/29/trudeau-masculinity_n_10199328.html" target="_blank">to be masculine</a>, but you can be.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">You don't have to be a female to be a feminist, but you can be.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It's <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/09/millennial-men-gender-expectations-feminism" target="_blank">all about equality</a> and doing what's best for you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xjgf1CyknVI/V07gQHBTwzI/AAAAAAAAIY4/YW5rvBKcLHghVYorel-UpodCJVeDM9bcgCLcB/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xjgf1CyknVI/V07gQHBTwzI/AAAAAAAAIY4/YW5rvBKcLHghVYorel-UpodCJVeDM9bcgCLcB/s320/002.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In the United States millennials </span><a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">now outnumber</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> baby boomers, and in Canada, they now represent the majority in </span><a href="http://www.canadianbusiness.com/innovation/the-millennial-majority-workforce/" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">the workplace</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The media and politicians, must adapt to this new reality or step aside.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Of course Trudeau won the "elbowgate" debate.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He was having <a href="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/niki-ashton-what-kinda-feminist-are-you-380846121.html" target="_blank">"a dad moment".</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Young parents could relate.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">But modern feminists could not relate to the aftermath.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Pierre Elliot Trudeau came along at the right time, as we baby boomers were coming of age.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">We were also anti-establishment and viewed his antics through a different lens than the media and his political opponents.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The same is happening today with his son.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">At the <a href="http://www.pressprogress.ca/yep_last_weekend_conservative_party_convention_was_even_more_bonkers_than_you_think" target="_blank">Conservative convention </a>they have now embraced the baby boomer generation, even quoting PET's famous remarks about staying out of the bedrooms, but it's half a century too late.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">We've moved on. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Our children and grandchildren did not grow up with the aproned women chained to the kitchen.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They grew up with us. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Now it's time for the media and members of the opposition parties to just grow up.</span>Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-87820296802898169962016-05-23T07:27:00.000-04:002016-05-23T07:27:33.210-04:00The NDP Must Stop Victimizing Women if They Hope to be Taken Seriously Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In early December 2012, the Toronto Star reported:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/12/06/nearbrawl_erupts_in_commons_between_tory_peter_van_loan_and_ndps_nathan_cullen.html" target="_blank">Near-brawl erupts in Commons</a> between Tory Peter Van Loan and NDP’s Nathan Cullen</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Apparently Van Loan was upset with the NDP's delaying tactics on getting the Conservative budget measures passed, and crossed the floor to the NDP caucus, pointing his finger and shouting obscenities.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In typical fashion, Thomas Mulcair began shouting obscenities back, and things could have gotten out of control, had not members of both parties stepped in to defuse the situation.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Then Speaker, Andrew Scheer, did nothing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">According to Van Loan, members of his party only left their seats, fearing for his safety; and according to Nathan Cullen, <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/heated-exchange-between-van-loan-mulcair-in-house-1.1067515" target="_blank">his only concern was for the women folk</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Had a bench clearing brawl erupted, we can assume that only those wanting to engage would jump the boards and everyone else would scatter.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He should not have dragged gender into this.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">What Van Loan and Mulcair did was wrong.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They created an unsafe and uncomfortable working environment for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Last week we witnessed a similar situation in what has been dubbed Elbowgate.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">This time the obstructionism was more evident as several NDP members tried to delay the vote on Assisted Dying legislation, by preventing Conservative Whip Gord Brown from making his way to the Speaker.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Given that the clock was running out, the Prime Minister left his seat to move things along.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He was angry.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He cursed.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He was wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">During this brief encounter, NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brousseau, who had moved up behind him, got bumped.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She stepped back to her bench, laughing and then made a gesture like she had been injured. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">However, the issue here is not whether she was indeed hurt, or to what degree.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It's not even about whether or not she took a dive, as many believe she did.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It is about what we know did NOT happen.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She was NOT sexually assaulted.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She was NOT molested.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">And she was NOT the victim of intentional violence.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She pushed against Prime Minister Trudeau.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He did not seek her out.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">But that didn't stop the Opposition members from turning this into a three ring circus, making it all about violence against women and putting the lives of female MPs in grave danger.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Women must feel safe when they go to work, they insisted.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">When did women become so fragile that we needed this kind of protection?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">When things like this occur in the workplace, they are disconcerting to everyone.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Believe it or not, we've heard the "f" word before and many of us like contact sports, including boxing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Our female Members of Parliament come from varied backgrounds.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, business people et al.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Many rose to the tops of their professions and no doubt took an elbow or two in the course of their careers.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Singling them out as frail individuals is misogynistic. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Feminism run amok.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">As feminist blogger <a href="https://medium.com/@naughty_nerdess/feminism-is-misogynistic-6016e9b977f6#.vnsmjpmzk" target="_blank">Rachel Edwards says:</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"While feminists say that feminism is about equality, actions speak louder than words. These actions suggest an uncomfortable truth. Feminism is not the assumption that we are equal, but the assumption that women are weak... "</span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Had the NDP stuck</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to the narrative that Justin Trudeau should not have lost his temper and should not have left his seat to physically move Brown through the NDP wall, they would have come out on top. But by making it about violence against women, they lost all credibility and the public turned on them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Not just Liberal supporters, but all women who know what sexual assault and violence against them really is.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Also many men <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/10831043/Modern-feminism-has-got-it-wrong-about-men.html" target="_blank">who are tired of always being painted </a>as "perverts, bullies and misogynists"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Unfortunately, most of the anger <a href="http://conservativefans.com/2016/05/19/ruth-ellen-brosseau-is-lucky-to-be-alive-after-molested-by-justin-trudeau/" target="_blank">was directed at Brousseau</a>, while it should have gone to those who victimized her for political gain.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I know I also found myself upset with the MP, especially <a href="http://www.q107fm.ca/2016/05/19/a-slo-mo-version-of-justin-trudeaus-elbow-you-be-the-judge/?sc_ref=facebook" target="_blank">after viewing the video</a>, but have since realized that she only played a small role in this farce.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">What I also noticed from the video, was how easy it would have been for Brown to go around, instead of continuing to try to go through.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Sure looked liked a set up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I also discovered from following social media, that many of the people decrying the bullying of Brousseau, are the same ones who bullied Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, just a week ago; so clearly this was not about protecting women.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">NDP MP and self proclaimed feminist Niki Ashton, epitomizes what is wrong with feminism today.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She led the charge against Sophie Trudeau when she asked for help in performing her duties, by suggesting that no one asked her to do anything.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Something women have heard for decades,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">if not centuries.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"No one asked you to have those children".</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"No one asked you to join a male dominated profession".</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"You brought this on yourself". </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">In November, Ashton had criticized the prime minister's wife for taking her son Hadrian along on an official visit, despite the fact that he was still breast feeding.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Feminists need to step back and ask themselves what they are hoping to accomplish and pseudo-feminists need to stop assuming that they know.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Only then will we be taken seriously.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b><u>What Was This Really About?</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was quite taken aback by several well known Canadian journalists and pundits, who shared stories on Twitter from international news outlets about the incident.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They appeared giddy over the fact that this might tarnish Justin Trudeau's reputation on the international stage.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">How is this a good thing?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Do they detest him that much that they fail to see that it would also be our country's image that would suffer?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I doubt it will have much of an impact, but it does shed a light on the true nature of all the uproar.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So instead of #PrayForSophie #Nannygate or #elbowgate let's just use one to cover everything.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">#</span><wbr style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">TrudeausJustTooDamnPopularGate</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-91478211244502867682016-05-13T14:29:00.000-04:002016-05-13T15:31:49.134-04:00Sophie Trudeau is no Betty Boop But Opposition Fast Becoming Other Cartoon Characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In 2013, John Avarosis wrote a piece: <a href="http://americablog.com/2013/02/the-gop-suffers-from-michelle-obama-derangement-syndrome.html" target="_blank">Why do Republicans so hate Michelle Obama</a>? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In it he discusses the obsession that American conservatives have with the First Lady, or what has been referred to as '<a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/THE-AGENDA/193082942.html" target="_blank">Michelle Derangement Syndrome</a>'; believing that they would prefer a Betty Boop, to an accomplished and articulate woman.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">However, as Avarosis points out, they are simply playing to the "fringe masses" that now control the Republicans.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">We witness the same thing with Canada's Conservative Party.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">They may not believe all of the nonsense they spew, but it riles up <b>their</b> fringe mass, who take to social media with some of the most vile attacks on anything Liberal.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In Parliament, the CPC do not act like the Opposition, but more like obstructionists, attacking everything </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Prime Minister Trudeau says or does, </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">just for the sake of attacking it.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Red meat for their base.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So it was no surprise when this week they extended their assaults to his mother and then his wife.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Whoop, whoop! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">What was a surprise, was that the NDP joined the fray.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">MP Niki Ashton boasted of dissing Mrs. Trudeau</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">on her Facebook page, prompting this response:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Her childish behaviour was in response to our Prime Minister wanting his wife to have a small staff to help her perform her duties.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nothing new.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Mila Mulroney had a suite of four staffed offices and Laureen Harper, an entourage of tax payer funded employees.</span></div>
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They should have a staff and frankly I'm surprised that this was never mandated.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Ashton quipped that nobody asked Sophie Trudeau to get involved, but Canadians certainly expect her to.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">When she travels with her husband, she plays an important role, just as others before her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Laureen Harper helped to soften our image, in contrast to her robotic and often bullying, husband.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Mila Mulroney was a perfect hostess, and while she never really championed* important causes, she was beautiful and gracious, and made us proud.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Canadians could not have asked for a better symbol of Canada and Canadian values than Sophie Gregoire Trudeau.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She is not only beautiful, stylish and gracious, but she is a true humanitarian.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Her work on mental health issues and empowering women, <a href="http://mic.com/articles/137631/who-is-justin-trudeau-s-wife-sophie-gr-goire-trudeau-accompanies-canadian-pm-to-us-visit#.i8dYmY2Xf" target="_blank">has won her awards</a>, so her potential contributions are enormous.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Let's give her an office and a staff and the respect she deserves.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Like Michelle Obama, she is no Betty Boop, but I do see Ashton as <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Upt7ZTvcriY" target="_blank">Wile E Coyote</a>, riding an Acme rocket trying to catch her.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">This will not end well for the NDP.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">*Advocate for Cystic Fibrosis</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-23798602641163819652015-10-26T08:51:00.000-04:002015-10-26T13:34:29.651-04:00Thomas Mulcair is Only a Symptom of a Much Bigger Problem for the NDP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVCIi19_BFY/Vi4gCiCYFHI/AAAAAAAAIUU/IXYj7LALmDg/s1600/Toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVCIi19_BFY/Vi4gCiCYFHI/AAAAAAAAIUU/IXYj7LALmDg/s400/Toilet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The party got off to a bad start with its election promise to balance the budget without raising taxes. That promise, difficult to honour during a period of general economic turmoil, would seriously limit its policy options."</blockquote>
That quote, though fitting, was not about the last federal election, but was written about the Nova Scotia NDP, that got trounced after just one mandate. The author, Howard Epstein, was a long serving NDP MLA who <a href="http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/05/hope-betrayed-nova-scotia-ndps-rocky-fall-power" target="_blank">wrote the book</a>: <i>Hope betrayed? The Nova Scotia NDP's rocky fall from power.</i> <br />
<br />
Epstein asks: "If the NDP can't differentiate itself from other parties, should it exist?"<br />
<br />
That is a very good question. Federally, they are now back to third party status, in a Liberal majority, with a progressive platform; what will their role be? How can they possibly hope to rebuild when they have nothing to rebuild on? <br />
<br />
Their appointment of <a href="http://service.vigile.quebec/Mulcair-hante-par-son-passe-de" target="_blank">the right-wing </a>Thomas Mulcair as leader, and their disastrous election campaign, has left them rudderless. <br />
<br />
Social activist Michael Laxer, on his <a href="http://theleftchapter.blogspot.ca/2015/10/doubling-down-on-disaster.html" target="_blank">The Left Chapter blog</a>, also puts much of the blame on the NDP themselves, but sees their refusal to take responsibility as a major hindrance. They can't accept that they did anything wrong, but instead call for blind devotion and solidarity.<br />
<br />
Solidarity that will be hard to achieve, when the true believers; the activists who coalesced around the NDP, have, as Laxer points out; already left. Or truthfully, were banished.<br />
<br />
Covering the NDP leadership convention, <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-sheds-comfy-sweaters-for-battle-gear/article536420/" target="_blank">John Ibbitson wrote</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Make no mistake about the importance of what happened in Toronto last weekend: Tens of thousands of New Democrats rebelled against the party establishment – a cabal of union leaders, academics, journalists and party apparatchiks – to elect an outsider. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
They did it, in the words of one NDP supporter who was at the convention, because they no longer wanted to be led by “a comfy sweater.” Mr. Mulcair and Brian Topp, who finished second, were both seen as bare-knuckle politicians who could take on the Conservatives and win.</blockquote>
They forgot that it was the "cabal of union leaders, academics, journalists and party apparatchiks" who helped to build the NDP. <br />
<br />
Another social activist and NDP team builder, Murray Dobbin, wrote of <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/03/26/Mourn-Mulcairs-Win/" target="_blank">Mulcair's leadership victory</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Facing a ruthless tough guy? Get your own ruthless tough guy. And possibly create a monster you can't control. It is as if policy, philosophy, and vision for the country have simply been devalued to the point where they are an afterthought or some vaguely interesting historical relic."</blockquote>
They are no longer facing a "ruthless tough guy" so do they really need Mulcair now? Not that it really matters, because without their activist base, who are they?<br />
<br />
Those activists <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/former-rogue-page-brigette-depape-optimistic-about-new-liberal-government-1.3285423" target="_blank">can now work</a> with Justin Trudeau, to build the kind of Canada that we want to live in, since the NDP are no longer in a position to do much of anything.<br />
<br />
And as <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.2623787" target="_blank">CTV points out</a>, there is still the matter of the 2.7 million dollars owed by current and defeated MPs, and with no money to fight the decision in court, this could very well spell the end of the NDP.<br />
<br />
Even a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/thomas-mulcair-ndp-federal-council-we-demand-the-resignation-of-thomas-mulcair-as-the-leader-of-the-new-democrat-party?recruiter=167625039&utm_source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink" target="_blank">petition to demand the resignation</a> of Mulcair, is getting very little traction. It's like they no longer care. <a href="http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/reid-the-ndp-has-to-put-mulcairs-leadership-on-the-table" target="_blank">Why should they</a>?<br />
<br />
The emphasis will be on the Liberals and Justin Trudeau as they work to repair the damage done by the Harper government. <br />
<br />
And with Trudeau, all comfy sweaters are welcome.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-11907427404485586072015-09-25T11:29:00.000-04:002015-09-25T12:18:46.477-04:00How Thomas Mulcair Made Clap Trap a Human Right<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m4xGPTy7xx0/VgVEslZhY1I/AAAAAAAAITY/tuZtjqTN3BM/s1600/images%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m4xGPTy7xx0/VgVEslZhY1I/AAAAAAAAITY/tuZtjqTN3BM/s400/images%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pick a debate, any debate, and Thomas Mulcair will find a way to bring up the "fact" that he reduced GHG emissions every year that he was the environment minister in Quebec, and that he was responsible for putting a clean environment as a right into Quebec's charter.<br />
<br />
Of course, he will also say that <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/national-post-view-mulcair-splish-splashes-on-water-exports" target="_blank">he did not </a> promote <a href="http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.ledevoir.com/non-classe/57014/mulcair-rouvre-la-porte-aux-exportations-d-eau&prev=search" target="_blank">the sale of bulk water,</a> despite video evidence. <a href="https://www.liberal.ca/bc-candidates-letter-to-thomas-mulcair-on-bulk-water-exports/" target="_blank">That video</a> got the most re-tweets during last night's French language leaders debate.<br />
<br />
However, that lie is pretty tame, compared to his other whoppers. Let's compare:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Did GHG Emissions really go Down Under His Stewardship?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b>In the 2012-13 Quebec government <a href="http://www.budget.finances.gouv.qc.ca/Budget/2012-2013/en/documents/climate.pdf" target="_blank">budget report</a>, there is a section Quebec and Climate Change: A Greener Environment. As part of this they produce a graph.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HoqExQlvwNo/VgVLmvNGI3I/AAAAAAAAITo/TXsGM7u-1OU/s1600/image27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HoqExQlvwNo/VgVLmvNGI3I/AAAAAAAAITo/TXsGM7u-1OU/s400/image27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Thomas Mulcair was Quebec Environment minister from 2003 to early 2006, but never drafted a Green Plan until 2004, and never actually acted on anything, favourable to the environment. So his policies (?) had no impact on reducing GHG, but in fact, one in particular, caused a spike.<br />
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This was the result of the TransCanada Energy’s combined cycle gas turbine in Becancour, a project he approved in 2004. The generating station was Quebec’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2007. (Wikipedia)<br />
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When Mulcair put his <a href="http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Index/nouvelles/200407/07/001-becancour-centrale.shtml&prev=search" target="_blank">stamp of approval</a> on the project, he had to break the rules established by his own government, since it would not meet the necessary requirements.<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
According to Mr. Paul-Yannick Laquerre, deputy chief of staff to Environment Minister Thomas Mulcair, the regulations would not apply to the project of Bécancour. Me Laquerre argued that the Régie de l'énergie approved the draft Bécancour on August 23, several months before the adoption of the Regulation ...</blockquote>
<div>
It was eventually scrapped and Hydro Quebec <a href="http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/actualite-economique/200907/09/01-882848-hydro-quebec-versera-250-millions-a-transcanada-energy.php" target="_blank">was forced to pay the company</a> 250 million dollars just to get rid of it. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So in fact, Thomas Mulcair did not reduce GHG, but increased it. </div>
<br />
<b><u>The Promotion of Sustainable Development</u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8SyEbpd77YE/VgVO1HRQMfI/AAAAAAAAIT0/ejAxaMesG1w/s1600/shuffle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8SyEbpd77YE/VgVO1HRQMfI/AAAAAAAAIT0/ejAxaMesG1w/s400/shuffle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When Yves Séguin resigned as minister of finance in 2005, Thomas Mulcair had hoped to take his place. However, Jean Charest chose someone else. Mulcair went into one of his famous sulks (see political cartoon above), but did a sulk cause Charest to expand Mulcair's ministry to include sustainable development and parks, which put him in charge of construction projects? Not a promotion, but certainly more power.<br />
<br />
This meant that in spite of the announcement that he would finally present a long awaited "Green Plan", environmentalists were sceptical, and <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.lanauvert.net/documents/200609071551500.jugement.doc&prev=search" target="_blank">they were right to be</a>, since they soon learned <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=https://www.ababord.org/Illusion-et-supercherie&prev=search" target="_blank">that it was not so much</a> a plan for the environment, as a way of <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://vigile.net/archives/04-12/DD.html&prev=search" target="_blank">getting around </a>environmental concerns, to aid the construction industry.<br />
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In 2012, the Research Quebec Group of Ecologists (RQGE), published <a href="http://rqge.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/30-ans-au-RQGE-version-%C3%A9lectronique.pdf" target="_blank">a 250 page report </a>for their thirtieth anniversary, in which they detailed their experiences with Thomas Mulcair, during some of their darkest days.<br />
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These are some of the things they revealed about his tenure in the Charest government.<br />
<br />
1. In 2004, Mulcair announced massive cuts to environmental programs and to groups receiving funding for reseach and public awareness. (p. 220)<br />
<br />
2. After meeting with minister Mulcair, whose attitude was less than cordial, environmentalist knew that they would have a different relationship with this government. One that would be more combative in nature. (p146) When the Ministry of Environment became the Ministry of Sustainable Development, and Parks; they noted that "sustainable development" was a new code phrase for skirting environmental protection. RQGE sent out a newsletter warning that with the drastic funding cuts and new policies that put industry first, their very existence was in jeopardy. (p152)<br />
<br />
<div>
3. RQGE harshly criticized the "contempt Mulcair displayed" to environmental groups. "In a statement published in winter 2005, and with the support of Advisory Committee of independent community action which at that moment was " about 4000 action groups in the Community in Quebec, and called for "the immediate restoration of financing programs that would enable groups to fulfill their mission of defending the rights of the environment." (p159)</div>
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4. ... "environmentalists and community networks denounce the forced closure of several citizens groups fighting the environment, consequence of the abolition by the Minister Mulcair of all their funding programs". This was done so that he could replace their work with "partner companies" [public private partnerships] " They now knew why Mulcair appointed William Cosgrove, (p157) "Chairman of the World Council water and a champion of private and PPP and asked how Mulcair could "claim to focus his choices and actions towards a sustainable development when appointing a fervent defender of private interests at the head of a provincial organization." (p166)<br />
<br />
5. They also speak of Mulcair's arrogance: "... he stubbornly refused to meet anyone" and , "The attitude of the Minister Mulcair is unacceptable, even contemptuous, against groups whose survival is threatened by abolishing funding programs " According to the Director of RQGE Ronald O'Narey, "The minister openly displays his prejudice favourable to the groups that are working directly and measurably in the field and appears biased against groups who issue opinions and comments on everything that contradict his". (p160)<br />
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6. They determined that Mulcair's Green Plan was "a facade that hid the true intentions of the government" where economic interests would outweigh environmental concerns. (p. 220)<br />
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7. When groups began to openly criticize Mulcair they were "... threatened with a SLAPP, and since many were now "completely penniless, since the cuts of Mulcair", they would not be able to defend themselves.<br />
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Mulcair did not disappoint the construction industry though:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;">Finally the new Ministry of Sustainable Development under Thomas Mulcair, is off to a terrible start. </span><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;">I received an email from the transportation department last week, Informing me that a projected bridge linking Laval and Montreal at 25 Highway, was part of the government's Plan for sustainable development. </span><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;">This bridge, will sacrifice 2,000 acres of farm land to urban sprawl in Laval, allow 150,000 more cars to enter Montreal each day and funnel off government funds that are desperately needed for public transport. Sustainable development is anything but objective... (Charest's sinking ship: After only two years in power, the Liberals are going down, Arthur Sandborn, The Montreal Gazette, April 13, 2005)</span></span></blockquote>
<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #ce6300; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The bridge that Mulcair approved was dubbed "Mulcair's Bridge" and Highway 25, was a PPP project. This money was supposed to be earmarked for a commuter service.</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8wZBkYUK-os/VgVk60CeuzI/AAAAAAAAIUE/p9WJGFosxcQ/s1600/unnamed%2B%252813%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8wZBkYUK-os/VgVk60CeuzI/AAAAAAAAIUE/p9WJGFosxcQ/s400/unnamed%2B%252813%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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Does this sound like a record to be proud of? We hear Mulcair mention "sustainable development" many times, but let's not be fooled. Just as "choice" means private, in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/yves-engler/ndp-neoliberal_b_4166887.html?fb_action_ids=886730498086837&fb_action_types=og.likes" target="_blank">conservative speak</a>, this means locking arms with the construction industry, and destroying all environmental protections that get in their way.</div>
<br />
<b><u>Oh, and That Human Rights Thingy</u></b><br />
<br />
Another claim made by Mulcair is that he entrenched the right to a clean environment into Quebec's charter of <a href="http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=/C_12/C12_A.htm" target="_blank">rights and freedoms</a>, <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.ledevoir.com/non-classe/97538/le-droit-a-un-environnement-sain-dans-la-charte-quebecoise-l-imposture&prev=search" target="_blank">but it was a sham</a>. It reads <span style="font-family: inherit;">"Every person has a right to live in a healthful environment in which biodiversity is preserved, <b>to the extent</b> and according to the <b>standards provided by law</b>."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">It doesn't say that laws must protect the </span>right to live in a healthful environment, only that governments must enact their own environmental laws. They could have none at all and still respect the charter.<br />
<br />
Is Mulcair a pathological liar? Perhaps. But fortunately, there is a cure for that. Let him retire on October 20. This country cannot afford another anti-environment prime minister.<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-68574248069165625852015-09-23T10:12:00.001-04:002015-09-23T11:01:04.830-04:00About Race, Misogyny, Music and Fathers. Where Do I Start?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mpHyaFtRw-I/VgKfMntbagI/AAAAAAAAITA/eQX7aTrJfj8/s1600/President-Barack-Obama-Set-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mpHyaFtRw-I/VgKfMntbagI/AAAAAAAAITA/eQX7aTrJfj8/s400/President-Barack-Obama-Set-.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Recently, during an <i>Up the Debate </i>leaders forum on women's issues, Justin Trudeau was asked about what causes misogyny in young men. He answered<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I don’t know where exactly to point my finger. I think there’s probably an awful lot of factors that come together to shape societal behaviour — whether it’s certain types of music? There’s a lot of misogyny in, you know, certain types of music. There’s issues around pornography and its prevalence now and its accessibility, which is something I’m really wrapping my head around as a father of kids who are approaching their teen years. And there’s also just the shifting parental roles as well. There’s a lot of communities in which fathers are less present than they have been or they might be in the past, and there’s more need to have engaged positive role models.”</blockquote>
In the videotape, <a href="https://news.vice.com/article/canadas-liberal-leader-blasted-for-blaming-misogyny-on-certain-types-of-music-and-porn" target="_blank">the original question </a>concerning misogyny and young men, was edited out, and replaced with a question about the causes of violence against women.<br />
<br />
Paula Simons, <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/paula-simons-please-dont-tackle-violence-against-women-with-pop-sociology" target="_blank">in her piece</a> for the National Post, focused on racial stereotyping, using <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-makes-careless-nod-to-anti-black-stereotypes-says-toronto-journalist-1.3238441" target="_blank">journalist Desmond Cole's accusations </a>that Trudeau was talking about black people, when he referenced music. Simons also claims that one "could equally well hear those words as a reference to domestic violence in the aboriginal community."<br />
<br />
It is risky to stir up racial hatred, when many communities are working so hard to fight violence against women. Both the Liberals and NDP have promised such help, and for all the narrow mindedness of the Harper government, <a href="http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=795639" target="_blank">they have delivered</a>, though <a href="http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/med/news-nouvelles/2013/1126-eng.html" target="_blank">not nearly </a>enough.<br />
<br />
The Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association, is just one group <a href="http://www.nationnews.ca/cweia-assembly-focuses-on-ending-violence-aggression/" target="_blank">fighting gender inequality </a>and tackling the sensitive subject of male aggression. And they are doing it by involving men, so that the healing process can begin.<br />
<br />
If we are not allowed to talk about this in an intelligent manner, how can we justify funding for something that we don't want to believe exists? Community leaders are the best to gauge what they need, not race activists or journalists.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ggH1M__XkTE/VgKjOWeAjZI/AAAAAAAAITM/7KBfa6GpytU/s1600/unnamed%2B%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ggH1M__XkTE/VgKjOWeAjZI/AAAAAAAAITM/7KBfa6GpytU/s400/unnamed%2B%252812%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Desmond Cole took to Twitter, even setting up a separate thread to discuss Justin Trudeau. Why did we allow this man to hijack such an important issue? This was supposed to be about women and gender inequality, not him and his own causes. Racism is an important topic, but this was not about race. Our concerns have now been lost. I'm hoping this was not the intent, though I think it was more about partisanship.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Music and Rape Culture</u></b><br />
<br />
In a piece <a href="https://necessaryfeminism.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Lines Are Never Blurred</a>, on the feminist site I am a Woman, I am Not a Man, But I am Equal to No One, the topic was rape culture and music.<br />
<blockquote>
One of the most dangerous results of a patriarchal society is the presence of a rape culture. This term refers to “practices which excuse, normalize, or even promote rape or sexual violence,” especially against women Rape culture includes both “institutional sexism” in the government and misogyny in pop culture<br />
<br />
...Pop culture is another area where rape culture is clear and evident. Popular music, especially that written by men, often refers to women as “hoes,” “bitches,” and “sluts.” Performers such as Eminem, Flo Rida, and Robin Thicke rap and sing about how they would like to sleep with the females in their songs, yet they objectify and insult the objects of their lust. The song “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke, is full of references to non-consensual sex and other characteristics of rape culture, and is a prime example of how popular the objectification of women and the trivialization of rape has become. The lyrics of “Blurred Lines,” as well as the lyrics of other songs by equally popular artists, encourage a misogynistic attitude by promoting messages straight from the mouths of rapists and those who make excuses for them.</blockquote>
Those are the words of a feminist, and for the record, Eminem and Robin Thicke, are both white. She does not see this as a race issue but blames it on "the male-dominated rap music industry".<br />
<br />
Of course it's not just rap music, but many genres that objectify women. <a href="http://the-artifice.com/violence-against-women-pop/" target="_blank">The Artiface</a>, in a piece about pop culture and violence against women, singles out Maroon Five, and their song Animal.<br />
<br />
In a 2010 <a href="http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/insight/2010/09/26/are_mass_media_creating_a_culture_of_rape.html" target="_blank">piece for the Toronto Star</a>, Antonia Zerbisias, discusses the influence of television, advertising and music, that promote a rape culture.<br />
<blockquote>
"There are rape jokes. Rape songs. Music videos that covey a sense of sexual entitlement to men while portraying women as insatiable, available."</blockquote>
She is certainly not being racist, even if somehow we are supposed to conclude that she means black rappers.<br />
<br />
We have to remember that Justin Trudeau is not just a politician, but is also a father. However, he did not get his talking points from Bigots R Us, but from the writings of feminists, who have been sounding the alarm for years. He may have also learned a lot from his wife Sophie Gregoire, who won recognition from the <a href="http://unwomencanada.org/unwncc-recognitions/" target="_blank">UN Women National Committee </a> Canada, for her "volunteer and activist work on mental health, eating disorders as well as for women- and children-related issues."<br />
<br />
To suggest that Justin Trudeau is racist, or has minimized issues facing women, is ridiculous. Any media ignoring the intent of the debate, and making it all about unfounded racism, is as Zerbiasis suggests, just feeding into the culture. I hope she gives them hell.<br />
<br />
<b><u>And About That Fatherhood Thing</u></b><br />
<br />
In Chicago, in February of 2013; President Obama gave a speech that raised a few eyebrows. In it he said: “there are entire neighborhoods where young people, they don’t see an example of somebody succeeding. And for a lot of young boys and young men, in particular, they don’t see an example of Fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up and respected.”<br />
<br />
Both liberals and conservatives alike, attacked what they saw as a patriarchal attitude. However, it launched a movement <a href="http://goodblacknews.org/2013/06/06/nba-star-dwyane-wade-promotes-this-is-fatherhood-challenge/" target="_blank">This Is Fatherhood</a> ” that includes some very high profile, and dare I say African American, public figures. They are not saying that women can't raise children on their own, only that fathers need to be more accountable, and that male role models need to step up and show by example, how women and girls should be treated.<br />
<br />
The prime minister, is not our parent and their government not our keepers. We need individual communities, regardless of race or creed, to lobby for designated funds to promote gender equality, and speak out against rape culture and violence. Only they know what is needed and how best to deal with it.<br />
<br />
That is not to say, that violence does not occur in homes across the country, which is why we need to address things like income equality, poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc. If a woman is financially dependent on her mate, she may feel trapped and more willing to take abuse.<br />
<br />
None of these things can be handled in one debate, especially when the concerns raised during that debate, have been lost. But at least it brings these things to the forefront during this election campaign. Or at least it would have, if it hadn't been hi-jacked by someone with their own agenda, and a media preferring sensationalism to honest reporting.<br />
<br />
And we wonder why they don't take us seriously.<br />
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<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-48597555897975108632015-09-22T09:18:00.000-04:002015-09-22T09:19:52.322-04:00The NDP's Obsession With Justin Trudeau Could be Their Undoing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2yGZI2WKgq8/VgFQ482jLeI/AAAAAAAAISo/lWp3NL-_nW0/s1600/Dowson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2yGZI2WKgq8/VgFQ482jLeI/AAAAAAAAISo/lWp3NL-_nW0/s320/Dowson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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“<i>I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made</i>.” - Franklin D Roosevelt<br />
<br />
Just hours before the Globe and Mail debates on the economy, a story surfaced suggesting that Justin Trudeau was in trouble in Papineau. It started out as "may be" but then quickly changed to "is"' as the results of a poll were released.<br />
<br />
This sampling suggested that Trudeau's NDP opponent, Anne Legace Dowson (shown above), was 11 points ahead, worrisome if it were true, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-grenier-papineau-sep18-1.3233577" target="_blank">but it wasn't.</a> Turns out that it was the NDP <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/18/justin-trudeau-papineau-anne-legace-dowson-poll_n_8161098.html?ncid=fcbklnkcahpmg00000008" target="_blank">who commissioned the poll</a> of 375 people, and that 86% of those they contacted, were NDP supporters.<br />
<br />
We can certainly understand the party's deception, but why would the media go along?<br />
<br />
Canada's polling industry <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/2229925/pollsters-fear-dubious-ndp-poll-on-trudeau-hurts-credibility-of-their-industry/?hootPostID=39cd7fb79a02bfdd8d96148c45633d2a" target="_blank">is now worried t</a>hat this fraudulent survey, that garnered such sensational headlines, will further damage their reputation. It was clearly used to throw Justin Trudeau off his game. His anger did show through, and at times he appeared frantic, that evening, but was still <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2015/09/18/trudeau-just-proved-hes-in-this-race-for-a-reason/" target="_blank">able to get his points across</a>, and the Globe and Mail gave him the win <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-emerges-as-leader-with-new-economic-vision-for-canada/article26417694/" target="_blank">for the best economic vision</a>.<br />
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What was supposed to drive voters away from the Liberal Party, and to the NDP, backfired, and they may have lost support from both pollsters and the press, who are less than thrilled that they were dragged down with them.<br />
<br />
<b><u>So Who is This "Star" Candidate?</u></b><br />
<br />
In 2008, Anne Legace Dowson was introduced to the voting public, by way of a spread published in a Quebec newspaper. In it she compared herself to Barack Obama, and according to the paper, everyone thought of her as “the Oprah of Quebec”.<br />
<br />
However, one letter to the editor, questioned this, given that they <a href="http://www.proudtobecanadian.ca/ndp_star_candidate_from_cbc_reader_never_heard_of_her_until_the_media_pumpe/" target="_blank">had never even heard</a> of her "until the media pumped her up".<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I was born and bred in Montreal and consider myself pretty well up to date on who’s who in this city…. but I’ve never heard of this Anne Lagace Dowson until yesterday. That was the day the Montreal Gazette wrote a huge half page story about her nomination. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Today’s supper time local news on ALL the networks had wide coverage of her……it seems like they are trying to make her into the winner before the by-election date has even been set. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She has a radio show on the local CBC station. I think that explains why I’ve never heard of her. CBC english radio usually pulls in between 4 and 8 percent of the english speaking audience….in other words between 92 and 96% of anglo Montrealers NEVER listen to it..!!!!</blockquote>
Legace Dowson was running against Marc Garneau in Westmount, and with the media hype, the prediction <a href="http://www.westislandchronicle.com/News/Politics/2008-08-13/article-636167/Tight-Liberal-NDP-race-predicted-for-Westmount-Ville-Marie-by-election/1" target="_blank">was a tight Liberal/NDP race</a>. However, although outspending Garneau, the results were much different than anticipated.<br />
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<br />
She didn't compete in 2011, instead focusing on local politics. In 2014 she ran for the seat of commissioner for the English school board. It was an important election, since the very existence of school boards was on the line. The minister of education made it clear, that if there wasn't more voter interest, he would pull the plug on them.<br />
<br />
Legace Dowson led a team of ten, against her opponent's ten, representing the wards in the school board district. She only managed success in two of the ten, one after a recount, by a handful of votes. She claimed that <a href="http://acdsa.org/?p=3236" target="_blank">there was election tampering</a>, though her arguments were weak.<br />
<br />
In fact, one of her people actually misrepresented themselves, to obtain voter information, and the police had to be called. It was crazy. The unnecessary drama and feeble campaigning, that garnered just 20% support, hardly makes her a star. At least not in any galaxy I know of.<br />
<br />
Given this desperate attempt to make her look better than she is, and more popular than she is; we can only conclude that the NDP are aware of this. If she can't even come close in a school board election .....<br />
<br />
On the bright side. Quebecor <a href="http://hour.ca/2012/02/22/reply-from-j-serge-sasseville-to-anne-lagace-dowson-re-quebecor-media/" target="_blank">knows who she is</a>. That's something I guess.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Justin Trudeau Forges Tight Alliances</u></b><br />
<br />
While both the Conservatives and NDP have been relentlessly attacking Trudeau, a strange phenomenon has occurred. Instead of Thomas Mulcair presenting himself as an alternative to Harper, he now appears to be an ally.<br />
<br />
Both are committed to balanced budgets, as unrealistic as that is, and both are now committed to the F-35s, simply because Trudeau has promised to scrap them. This puts him with progressives, who also want the procurement stopped, as do many members of the Canadian military, including General Leslie.<br />
<br />
Yes, the NDP will argue that Mulcair only wants a better bidding process, but the headlines of Mulcair and Harper opposing Trudeau's stance, make the two appear as comrades in arms. Not what either of them want, though it will not harm Harper as much as Mulcair.<br />
<br />
In trying so hard to discredit the Liberal leader, the NDP have failed to give the voting public a reason to support them. Their platform is weak and f<a href="https://twitter.com/CBCTerry/status/644229183846109184?%20ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" target="_blank">inancial plan seriously flawed</a>. They produced a nice glossy folder with <a href="http://canadianmediareview.ca/2015/09/this-isnt-the-red-book-its-a-back-page-of-the-red-book-says-hebert-on-ndp-platform-costing-the-hill-times/" target="_blank">nothing in it</a>, but gobblygook.<br />
<br />
They had hoped to ride the C-51 bus to Election Day, but <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/security-fears-still-outweigh-concerns-about-lost-rights/article24608809/" target="_blank">the wheels fell off</a>. Hope they at least <a href="http://boereport.com/2015/09/18/thomas-mulcair-leaves-diesel-campaign-bus-running-throughout-debate/" target="_blank">turned off the engine.</a><br />
<br />
Trudeau's strategy, once thought dangerous, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-stephen-harper-tom-mulcair-1.3237673" target="_blank">has proven to be brilliant</a>. He has set himself apart from Harper and Mulcair, by claiming that deficits are Ok, F-35s aren't and high income earners should pay more taxes, so that everyone else can pay less.<br />
<br />
He is being judged by the enemies he has made, as Roosevelt opined, and those enemies are looking more like a united front, than competition against each other for the prime minister's job.<br />
<br />
So who's "not ready" now?<br />
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<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-13956236452739907252015-09-18T12:01:00.000-04:002015-09-18T12:23:33.632-04:00When is a Dynasty Not a Dynasty?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There has been much talk during this election campaign, about Justin Trudeau's famous father, and a notion that he believes that becoming prime minister is his birthright. There were similar attacks on Michael Ignatieff, because he descended from Russian royalty on his father's side and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Monro_Grant" target="_blank">the famous Grant family</a> of Canada on his mother's.<br />
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Apparently being born into prominent families means that you cannot possibly lead this country. You're an "elite" and "out of touch".<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">However, has anyone addressed the political dynasty of Thomas Mulcair? He likes to portray himself as just a regular guy, one of ten children, in a family struggling to get by. However, the reality is much different. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Before pretending to be "middle class", he loved reminding people that he was a descendant of Honore Mercier, a former premier of Quebec. (1)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">He was right. He is a descendant of the ninth premier, but the lineage goes much further and family connections, run much deeper. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">His mother was the daughter of Pierre Hurtubise and Jeanne Mercier. Jeanne Mercier was the daughter of </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Paul-Emile Mercier and Marie-Louise Tache. Paul-Emile Mercier was the son of Premier Honore Mercier and his second wife, Virginie St. Denis.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #222222;">These are the things named after Honore Mercier:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #222222;">-The Mercier Bridge that links the western part of the Island of Montreal with the South Shore;<br />
- The town of Mercier, Quebec;<br />
- Avenue Mercier, located in downtown Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada;<br />
- The provincial electoral district of Mercier.<br />
- The Mercier neighbourhood in Montreal.<br />
- An elementary school named Honoré-Mercier in Montreal<br />
- A high school named Honoré-Mercier in Montreal<br />
- A hospital in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec is named Hôpital Honoré-Mercier.<br />
- Honoré Mercier Boulevard, located in the Quebec city center.</span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #222222;">He also had a son Honore, who was the godfather of Tom Mulcair's mother; a cabinet minister and multi-term MNA in the Quebec Assembly. His son followed suit.</span><br />
A daughter of Honore's, Eliza Mercier, married Sir Jean Lomer Gouin, who became the 13th premier of Quebec and 15th Lietenant Governor. He also served as Justice Minister under William Lyon MacKenzie King.<br />
<br />
He had these things named after him:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
- Gouin Boulevard, the longest street on the Island of Montreal;<br />
- Gouin Reservoir (In French: Réservoir Gouin), a man made collection of lakes in the center of the province of Quebec;<br />
- Rue Gouin (Gouin Street) and Place Gouin, located in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada;<br />
- Rue Gouin (Gouin Street), located in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada;- The provincial district of Gouin;<br />
- Lomer-Gouin, intra-provincial ferry services between Levis to Quebec City operate by Société des traversiers du Québec.</blockquote>
Sir Jean and Eliza had a son Paul who would also join the Quebec Liberal Party before leaving and forming his own. Mulcair also belongs to the Chaveau line, making him <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">a great-great-great-grandson of Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, the 1st Premier of Quebec.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />
</span> The list goes on. He was a member of the Quebec elite and as such had many doors opened for him, and he expected them to be. One of his mentors, and a person who had a great deal to do with advancing Mulcair's career, was <a href="http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/explore.php?Lang=1&tableid=11&elementid=105__true&contentlong" target="_blank">Claude Ryan</a>, former director of Le Devoir newspaper, and head of the Quebec Liberals. He also knew <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Ryan" target="_blank">how to use the press to his advantage</a>. Apparently, it was Ryan who got Thomas Mulcair his position with the Quebec Justice Department.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">Thomas Mulcair did not come from humble beginnings. Politics were in his DNA, along with a sense of privilege Below is a screen shot of a story that appeared in The Daily in 2005, describing the experience of a stakeholder who had requested a meeting with Mulcair, when he was Minister of Environment. He speaks of Mulcair's arrogance, demanding a clean limo and his continued sense of superiority.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">When you watch those videos of Mulcair promoting private healthcare or espousing the virtues of Margaret Thatcher, he does not come off the smiling grandfather, but as someone who clearly feels above his listeners. Reading transcripts of debates in the NA, you also get that sense. He was the closest thing to noble birth that you can get in this country, and he wanted to make sure that you never forgot that.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">So when <b><i>is</i></b> a dynasty, a dynasty? I guess only when it's linked to a Liberal leader. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br />
</span></span> 1. <i>Community Besieged: The Anglophone Minority and the Politics of Quebec,</i> By Garth Stevenson, 1999, Mcgill-Queens University Press, 0773518398<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-87926037944352371012015-09-15T11:30:00.000-04:002015-09-15T11:47:33.631-04:00Were the Liberals and NDP Set Up by Lynton Crosby?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There has been much talk recently about the Conservatives hiring of the Australian strategist, Lynton Crosby. Known for his dirty and divisive campaigns, the news sent, if not shock waves, at least ripples; throughout the rival teams and their supporters.<br />
<br />
However, we have since learned that Crosby has been working on Stephen Harper's campaign since March, and in fact has been guiding him since 2006.<br />
<br />
Why are we just hearing of this now?<br />
<br />
Lynton's reputation for creating wedge issues, or what he calls "wedge strategy", is well known, as is his use of simplistic political idioms that become ingrained in the minds of the electorate. Things like "not a leader", "just visiting", "proven leadership" and "not ready", certainly come to mind.<br />
<br />
However, his real skill is in dividing the opposition by deliberately focusing on a debate, destined to become a hot button issue.<br />
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Normally, with something as important as Harper's omnibus anti-terror legislation, opposition parties would unite, as they did against the abuse of prorogation, the Afghan detainee issue, and the closing of the prison farms. But by introducing the bill just before an election, this presented a problem. The opposition would have to find a way to work this bill, C-51, into their election strategies.<br />
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The Liberals decided to support the Bill, to avoid being labelled "soft on terror"', but were going to use their proposed amendments, as part of their platform. They had already succeeded in changing the wording so that the bill did not prevent protests, despite what the law's detractors would like you to believe.<br />
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The NDP <a href="http://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-amendments-will-kill-bill-c-51s-dangerous-provisions" target="_blank">hedged a bit,</a> not sure what to do. Thomas Mulcair publicly stated that if elected, he <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1843737/given-the-power-mulcair-would-amend-anti-terror-bill-not-repeal-it/" target="_blank">would not scrap the bill</a>, but simply amend it. That made sense, since it does contain some important measures. We also had to respect the two soldiers who were killed, and not let <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/patrice-vincent-must-not-have-died-in-vain-sister-tells-bill-c-51-hearing-1.2293039" target="_blank">their deaths be f</a>orgotten.<br />
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However, NDP supporters were outraged. <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2015/02/opposition-to-retreat-tom-mulcair-and-bill-c-51" target="_blank">Michael Laxer</a>, Roy Romanow and Ed Broadbent all weighed in, essentially calling Mulcair a coward if he didn't step up. So he did. I don't need to tell you what happened next, but with the help of the media, Justin Trudeau became the fall guy for Stephen Harper's bill.<br />
<br />
Lyton Crosby couldn't have done better if he'd scripted the entire thing himself. Of course, he probably did, or at least wrote some of the lines. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Where the NDP Went Wrong</u></b><br />
<br />
After David Cameron's surprising victory in the UK, Lynton Crosby explained to the International Business News, <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tory-strategist-lynton-crosby-shares-rare-analysis-2015-general-election-1514431" target="_blank">how that was accomplished</a>. Cameron was as unpopular as Harper is now, and like Harper, he gave the opposition a lot of things to oppose. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Said Crosby:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"One of the reasons why Labour did not succeed in the UK in the last election was that they never did the work as an opposition to prepare themselves again for government, and they were very opportunistic in all of what they did in the five years that they were in opposition. So they jumped on various issues, but they never had a story to tell." </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Mulcair painted himself as the great debater and great opposer, but never really told the NDP story. In fact, at times he contradicted his party's positions, and even his own. You can't just be against things, but have to be <b>for</b> something. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Their platform was all over the place, promising the moon, while aligning the stars. CTV has learned recently from some leaked documentation, that <a href="http://www.liberal.ca/leaked-ndp-platform-documents-confirm-mulcair-cant-pay-for-promises/" target="_blank">they have not even costed</a> out their spending proposals. They have no idea how they're going to pay for all this stuff, only that they will magically balance the books. <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadians-believe-economy-is-in-recession-okay-with-deficit-poll/article26119298/" target="_blank">Like anyone cares</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">They went too far with C-51, and have created a void. The last poll conducted on the issue was at the end of May, and showed that 72% of Canadians support the measures, despite the perceived </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">loss of privacy. Besides, the common belief is that if you are not </span>engaged<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in terrorist activities, you have nothing to worry about.</span><br />
<br />
But since Crosby's main goal is to cause vitriolic debate within the opposing parties, he certainly accomplished that. If any good came of it, I was pushed to research Mulcair, to counter some of the attacks on Justin Trudeau.<br />
<br />
After learning what I did, I then said "hell no". We've got another Stephen Harper waiting in the wings, and felt compelled to do what I could to prevent that from happening.<br />
<br />
However, for all those who think that Thomas Mulcair and the NDP will repeal C-51, think again. Even if they could, which they can't without the Senate, they will not want to. It's a very easy thing to say during an election campaign, but something all together different when you're in government.<br />
<br />
Pressure from the right wing media, who loved Mulcair's stance on Palestine and Margaret Thatcher, would kick in, and the security forces, who pushed for more power, would advise him that they need those laws.<br />
<br />
Mulcair, like Trudeau, is smart enough to know that being "soft on terror" is not a label he would like to wear, especially if we lose any more soldiers at home. After the actual French terrorist attacks, they adopted strict <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-parliament-approves-intrusive-surveillance-laws-after-charlie-hebdo-attack-10228206.html" target="_blank">anti-terrorist laws </a>and their leader's <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/18/us-france-hollande-poll-idUSKBN0N90EX20150418" target="_blank">ratings soared.</a><br />
<br />
When George Bush brought in the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/PollVault/story?id=833703" target="_blank">Patriot Act,</a> the s<a href="http://web.stanford.edu/group/journal/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Damania_SocSci_2011.pdf" target="_blank">ame thing</a> happened. Fear is a strong motivator and we often look for a parent to protect us, whether it is our family's leader or our country's. It's simple human nature. Harper has won this debate, and he can sit back, hold steady, and allow the NDP to do his dirty work for him.<br />
<br />
Lynton Crosby is smart and tough, and not afraid to get his hands dirty, but he is not infallible. We need to take comfort in the fact that he has been working with Stephen Harper since 2006, and Canadians still don't like him. <br />
<br />
All political parties need to campaign their hearts outs, and now that they know who Crosby is, and what he represents, refuse to get caught up in the nonsense. Debate policies and platforms and put in the work necessary to win. That's how Stephen Harper will be defeated.<br />
<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-58227494751019766692015-09-14T11:05:00.000-04:002015-09-14T11:12:21.181-04:00So Who's the Dictator Now?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
Recenty, former NDP MP, Bruce Hyer, has come out to the press about his former boss's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/17/bruce-hyer-thomas-mulcair_n_7996188.html" target="_blank">dictatorial style </a>and problems he had with honesty; evident in the way that he is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/10/bruce-hyer-thomas-mulcair-green-ndp_n_8118582.html" target="_blank">constantly contradicting himself.</a><br />
<br />
When asked during his interview with Peter Mansbridge about this, Mulcair only said that Hyer did not want to vote with his colleagues.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-stretch: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In an email to HuffPost, however, Hyer called Mulcair's statements "a total fabrication." "I always supported 95 per cent of the NDP party platform. I still support much of it! But I feel very strongly that my primary role is as the representative of my constituents," Hyer wrote. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-stretch: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"On some issues, an MP's responsibility is to put … constituents ahead of the party line. It is interesting that Mulcair immediately contradicted himself and said that I was 'someone who walked away from the party on a single issue.' Again and again, I see and hear a man who in his pursuit of power will contradict himself."</span></blockquote>
In fact as early as 2013, the Globe and Mail <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/conservative-mps-break-ranks-more-often-than-opposition/article8156279/" target="_blank">had already noticed the trend.</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Much attention has been given to Conservative backbenchers who push socially conservative issues and are later overruled by cabinet. What is not well known is that Conservative MPs are far more likely to support motions from other parties – all of which are to the political left of the governing party. In contrast, the voting record of the official opposition under NDP leader Thomas Mulcair shows ironclad discipline. Not a single vote has been cast that is out of step.</blockquote>
This certainly <a href="http://www.straight.com/news/814186/bruce-hyer-ndp-supporters-should-stop-pointing-fingers-green-party" target="_blank">lends credence</a> to Hyer's comments. One of Mulcair's nicknames when he was in the Quebec legislature was <i>objet immobile </i>or immovable object. He was very obstinate. Recent analysis of voting patterns have shown that the NDP vote with their leader 100% of the time, while the Conservatives only 76%. So who's the dictator now?<br />
<br />
During the 2004 election campaign, many Canadians were concerned with Stephen Harper's views on the Constitution, and fears that his platform would result in many court challenges. It has. But how is that any different from Mulcair's platform? He is also threatening the Constitution with his promise to abolish the Senate.<br />
<br />
Harper was also antagonistic toward the Supreme Court, suggesting that they had too much power. As a populist, he believed that all the power should rest in the hands of elected MPs. Is this not exactly what Thomas Mulcair is suggesting today?<br />
<br />
He claims that if elected the Senate will have to answer to him. I find that rather frightening. Yes, the Senate is wounded but it is not broken, and is a vital part of our democracy. They are supposed to the sober second thought, that would protect us from leaders like Mulcair and Harper, who believe in an autocratic style of government.<br />
<br />
Sadly, they have become little more than a partisan cesspool, but that is where we need change. Senators should <a href="http://www.straight.com/news/576801/justin-trudeau-makes-all-right-moves-senate-reform-energy-policy-and-marijuana" target="_blank">not belong to any party.</a> If they are caught campaigning for, or against, any political party, they can no longer be a senator. We need them to represent us. We are the ones paying the bills.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4kDJfCauAmA/VfbcbcJcQ3I/AAAAAAAAIRQ/lQCX6DmW6Ic/s1600/senate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4kDJfCauAmA/VfbcbcJcQ3I/AAAAAAAAIRQ/lQCX6DmW6Ic/s400/senate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Both Harper and Mulcair want the Constitution reopened to push their own agendas. It won't happen because both Quebec and Ontario, have already said that they are not prepared to do that. <br />
<br />
I have been accused recently of not being progressive because of my opposition to Thomas Mulcair. However, it is as a progressive, that I am sounding the alarm.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In November of 2009, Linda McQuaig wrote in the Toronto Star </span></span><br />
<blockquote>
If, as polls suggest, Stephen Harper is poised to win a majority, it's largely due to the media notion that his past reputation for extremism no longer holds. In fact, apart from his reluctant embrace of economic stimulus, Harper has shown little of the "moderation" that supposedly now puts his government comfortably within the Canadian mainstream.</blockquote>
<em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"></em>I feel as McQuaig did then. The media is once again being blissfully ignorant, or intentionally misleading, by ignoring Mulcair's past. He was not an "extremist", but he was virulently right-wing. Most progressive journalists warned of Harper's devotion to the principles of Margaret Thatcher, yet most, including McQuaig, are now eerily silent on Mulcair's.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">We can't make the same mistake twice. If Mulcair is re-elected it will be as a Member of Parliament. Depending on the outcome of the </span>election<span style="font-family: inherit;">, he could be prime minister, </span>opposition<span style="font-family: inherit;"> leader, or leader of the third party.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">But under no circumstances will he be elected </span>supreme<span style="font-family: inherit;"> being. He will <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/kady-omalley-no-possible-future-prime-minister-tom-mulcair-you-cant-just-pretend-the-senate-isnt-there" target="_blank">not dictate to the Senate</a>. He will not unilaterally change our constitution and he will not simply repeal anything, without the support of both Houses.</span><br />
<br />
We've had a decade of this kind of government, and Canadians are weary of it. <br />
<br />
Including this progressive.<br />
<i><br />
</i> <i><br />
</i> <i><br />
</i>Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-40893387320497063292015-09-13T14:56:00.000-04:002015-09-13T15:41:45.727-04:00Why Stephen Harper and Thomas Mulcair Have Got it so Wrong on ISIS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ze5qIWOYjA/VfXF0SCml3I/AAAAAAAAIQw/RCVErwaQhPc/s1600/harper-mulcair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ze5qIWOYjA/VfXF0SCml3I/AAAAAAAAIQw/RCVErwaQhPc/s320/harper-mulcair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Recently the Toronto Star posted a piece on Thomas Mulcair and the fight against ISIS: </span><a href="http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/federal-election/2015/09/10/ndp-leader-tom-mulcair-promising-thousands-of-jobs-paid-internships.html" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">Mulcair Would Pull Canada From U.S. Led Mission in Mid-East if Elected.</a><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="color: #222222; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a big mistake, not only politically, but from a humanitarian angle. There is no argument that George Bush's ill-conceived war in Iraq, or in fact the decades of invasions in the region, gave rise to ISIS; but abandonment is not the answer.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">As part of his reasoning, Mulcair claims that this is neither a NATO nor a UN mission, but he is wrong. </span></span><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/nato-vs-isis-military-alliance-hold-biggest-exercise-2002-take-islamic-state-group-2011138" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">Nato is involved </a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">and were involved in most, if not all, engagements in the Middle East. The United Nations has resolved to stop the flow of money and arms going to ISIS, but many of the arms they are using, are those </span></span><a href="http://www.alternet.org/world/how-isis-ended-stocked-american-weapons" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">left by the Americans</a><br />
<br />
And the NATO missions that Mulcair is promoting, have destabilized</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> regions, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/isis-rises-in-libya" target="_blank">making them ripe</a> for terrorist takeover. You can be a pacifist and oppose war, but if you support any war, you are no longer a pacifist. His stand is a bit confusing.</span></span><br />
<br />
As to stopping the flow of money going to ISIS that too will be difficult. The west has been bombing oil refineries, one source of revenue, and some nations are refusing to pay ransoms, and yet the organization is still able to pay their bills, as well as provide money to run, according to the Economist, "services across the areas it controls, paying schoolteachers and providing for the poor and widowed."<br />
<br />
We run the risk of further alienating the occupied, if ISIS can blame the west for not being able to take care of the people. We need <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-armed-forces-accused-of-killing-civilians-in-iraq-air-strike/article26138351/" target="_blank">to stop bombing</a>, but we can't just leave. Humanitarian aid and training is still necessary.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Radicalization and NDP Naivete</u></b><br />
<br />
When Stephen Harper announced that he would stop Canadians from travelling to countries engaged in "terrorist" activities, Mulcair said he <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/2015/08/09/thomas-mulcair-questions-whether-proposed-travel-ban-would-combat-terror.html" target="_blank">would support the initiative</a>, but questioned whether it would help in the fight against "terrorism". He went on to say that C-51 did not do enough to combat the "radicalization of youth".<br />
<br />
This was actually <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/01/economist-explains" target="_blank">a topic for debate</a> in the Commons, as the NDP tried to push through an amendment to C-51, reading in part, that the Bill "...does not include the type of concrete, effective measures that have been proven to work, such as providing support to communities that are struggling to counter radicalization.<br />
<br />
What communities do they mean?<br />
<br />
I rarely agree with anything Peter Van Loan says, but he did raise the issue that it was "ill defined". Do they mean Muslim communities? Peter Julian had this to say:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The mosque that is in my riding in Burnaby—New Westminster was the mosque the man who murdered Cpl. Nathan Cirillo attended. I travelled to that mosque within a couple of days of what happened on October 22 here on the Hill. What the mosque members told me was quite stark. They said that they knew he had profound mental illness. They knew that he had a drug addiction. They tried to seek help, and there was nothing available. This is something we have heard from communities right across the country.</blockquote>
It sounds like the issue is more about mental illness and drug addiction, issues that are discussed in many places, and not confined to Mosques. It would appear that the NDP believe, like the Conservatives, that terrorism is associated with Islam. This is not only Xenophobic but incorrect. While the Islamic State is using the religious angle, their motives are not religious, but political.<br />
<br />
According to Huffington Post, <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/05/two-britons-jailed-13-years-joining-jihadi-group-syria" target="_blank">Yusuf Sarwar and Mohammed Ahmed,</a> the two Brits who went to Syria to join the rebels</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">first purchased off Amazon, two books: </span></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Islam for Dummies</i> and <i>The Koran for Dummies</i> They were not devout Muslims. <span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nor were the 9/11 hijackers who <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/cracking-terror-code-154347" target="_blank">reportedly</a> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">used cocaine, <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20010916150533/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-warriors916.story" target="_blank">drank alcohol</a>, slept with prostitutes and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20011010224657/http://www.bostonherald.com/attack/investigation/ausprob10102001.htm" target="_blank">attended strip clubs</a>, but never belonged to a mosque. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">A 2008 r<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/aug/20/uksecurity.terrorism1" target="_blank">eport published in the Guardian</a>, dispelled the stereotypes of those <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">who become involved in terrorism: "</span> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">They are mostly British nationals, not illegal immigrants and, far from being Islamist fundamentalists, most are religious novices. Nor, the analysis says, are they "mad and bad". and "</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Far from being religious zealots, a large number of those involved in terrorism do not practise their faith regularly."</span></span><br />
<br />
Didier François, a French journalist who was held by Isis in Syria for ten months before being released in April 2014, has provided some insight into the life of those fighting for ISIS, in a CNN interview.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“There was never really discussion about texts. It was not a religious discussion. It was a political discussion. It was more hammering what they were believing than teaching us about the Quran. Because it has nothing to do with the Quran. We didn’t even have the Quran. They didn’t want even to give us a Quran.”</blockquote>
This is a political movement, not a Jihad one. President Obama has been trying to stress that, but his words are falling on deaf ears. I often learn a lot by reading the comments section of media reports, and in one, there is a debate between two readers. One was trying to stress that all terrorists are Muslim but their opponent fired back by saying: "Christians are also terrorists. They just call it 'shock and awe'".<br />
<br />
It is not religion that is fuelling this war, it's war itself.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Radicalization of Youth Has Little to do With Communities</u></b><br />
<br />
Al Jazeera also published <a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/19/radicalization-riskfactors.html" target="_blank">the results of a study, </a>defining the risk factors for violent radicalization: Youth, wealth and academia appear to predispose individuals to sympathizing with acts of terrorism.<br />
<br />
Perhaps surprisingly, religious practice, mental health, social inequality and political engagement were not significant factors.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We’re offering a new paradigm for sympathies as an early phase of radicalization that can be measured,” Kamaldeep Bhui, the study's lead author and a cultural psychology professor at the university, told Al Jazeera. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
While just 2.4 percent of people expressed some sympathy for violence overall, researchers found that those under the age 20, those in full-time education rather than employment, and those with annual incomes above $125,000 were more prone to express sympathy for violent protests and "terrorism."</blockquote>
The attack on Parliament Hill was perpetrated by a mentally ill, homeless man, but mental illness is a separate issue, just as drug addiction and homelessness are.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“One explanation for homegrown terrorism in high-income countries is that it’s about inequality-related grievances," Bhui said in a phone interview. "We were surprised that [the] inequality paradigm seems not to be supported. The study essentially seemed to show that those born in the U.K. consistent with the radicalization paradigm are actually more affluent or well off.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Two other findings stood in conflict with prevailing stereotypes about so-called homegrown terrorism in the West: Immigrants and those who speak a non-English language at home, as well as those who reported suffering from anxiety or depression, were less likely to express sympathy for terrorist acts.</blockquote>
If we really want to "stop the flow", we need to stop invading countries, and taking part in "regime changes", simply because they are not willing to conduct business on our terms. Many of the sympathizers are well educated, and intelligent enough to know that there have been grave injustices committed, while society at large blames the victims. Who are the "terrorists"?<br />
<br />
I agree with supporting "at risk" communities, dealing with poverty and youth unemployment, but that will not stop terrorists. As studies have found, they are not poor, uneducated or unemployed and rarely religious. In fact, the stereotypical description of radicalized youth, are often the ones who believe that all terrorists are Muslims.<br />
<br />
That's where we have to "stop the flow". Misinformation.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-83529544394593228382015-09-10T12:11:00.001-04:002015-09-10T12:18:44.302-04:00Why Thomas Mulcair Should Distance Himself From the CFIB and Why he Won't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dq2isxrCxzY/VfGlCXb4TiI/AAAAAAAAIQk/t2YbR-002Q4/s1600/CA18E.l244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dq2isxrCxzY/VfGlCXb4TiI/AAAAAAAAIQk/t2YbR-002Q4/s400/CA18E.l244.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Recently, Justin Trudeau <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-justin-trudeau-small-business-tax-rates-criticism-1.3221858" target="_blank">has come under fire</a> for remarks he made suggesting that some small business owners used their concerns to avoid paying taxes. He did not suggest all, but that didn't stop the media and his opposition from jumping on the bandwagon.<br />
<br />
However, leading the charge is a group called the <i>Canadian Federation of Independent Business. (</i>Former president shown above with NDP members, including Brian Topp).<br />
<br />
However, in 2011, David Climenhaga <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/djclimenhaga/2011/08/canadian-federation-independent-business-another-astroturf-organ" target="_blank">exposed this group</a> for what they really are:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Why does the so-called Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses push a far-right agenda that benefits the country's richest corporations and individuals at the expense of independent businesses? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Well, it's not that complicated, really. Like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which doesn't represent the interests of Canadian taxpayers, it's fair to say based on its actual behaviour that the CFIB is a typical example of pure, unadulterated AstroTurf pretending to serve the interests of one group while actually working against them.</blockquote>
In 2012, CFIB's president, Christine Swift (above with Topp), <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/leadership/catherine-swift-steps-down-as-cfib-president/article4240549/" target="_blank">was forced to step down </a>because of her involvement in a group called <i>Working Canadians</i>. Don't let the name fool you. This is actually another AstroTurf group, whose primary stated goal is to diminish the role of unions.<br />
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Since when were the NDP anti-union? I know in Quebec that Mulcair was, and it is he who suggested that the party move away from them, but still. It's rather odd that they would be backed by an anti-union group, although everything about this party is odd these days.<br />
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That would certainly explain why most of their attacks <a href="http://www.workingcanadians.ca/news/media/" target="_blank">have been against Justin Trudeau,</a> despite the fact that it's the NDP who actually benefit from union support. The only anti-NDP ad is against the B.C. Party, but they have left Mulcair alone.<br />
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/28/ndp-small-business-tax-cut-wealthy-canadians_n_6561678.html" target="_blank">Maybe it has something to do with this.</a><br />
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Their former president <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawamulcair-in-with-a-chance/" target="_blank">tried to explain here</a>.<br />
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The Tories’ latest TV attack ad takes direct aim at Trudeau, ignoring Mulcair. Similarly, a group called <a href="http://www.workingcanadians.ca/news/media/" target="_blank">Working Canadians</a>, headed by former Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Catherine Swift, and funded mainly by donations from business owners, is airing radio ads attacking Trudeau’s “high-tax, big-government agenda,” but not taking aim at Mulcair—</blockquote>
She suggested that she didn't think he would have electoral success, but given past polls, why are they still leaving Mulcair alone?<br />
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One of their <a href="http://www.workingcanadians.ca/news/media/" target="_blank">television ads</a> is eerily similar to those run by the Conservatives. They use the cherry picked "<a href="http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/one-thing-justin-trudeau-and-stephen-harper-agree-on/" target="_blank">budgets will balance themselves</a>" and a short clip from Trudeau's teaching days.<br />
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Swift's replacement, Dan Kelly, is also right-wing and has even called on businesses to <a href="http://www.pressprogress.ca/business_leader_wants_boycott_of_united_way_for_advocating_mass_unemployment" target="_blank">boycott the United Way</a> and supports the use of <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/Canada+temporary+foreign+worker+program+fills+need+protects+other+jobs+business+leader+says/9760920/story.html?__lsa=a826-39c2" target="_blank">temporary foreign workers</a>.<br />
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<b><u>The Proof is in ... Well the Proof</u></b><br />
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Ok. So you look at the above and might say that the links between the NDP and CFIB are weak, except that the NDP themselves <a href="http://t.thestar.com/#/article/business/2015/02/09/business-groups-influence-in-ottawa-reaches-new-heights.html" target="_blank">have admitted to courting their influence</a>.<br />
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Last week’s exchange in the House is just one small example of how the CFIB’s influence – with all parties – has grown substantially, particularly the NDP, one expert says. From question period. </blockquote>
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“The political parties are looking at the CFIB as the only credible organization that deals with small and medium sized businesses. That’s an approach the NDP has been taking in the past few years,’’ says Gilles LeVasseur, a business and law professor with the Telfer School of Business in Ottawa. </blockquote>
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“They’ve been dealing with unions. So now they (the NDP) are shifting toward business people because they see that they’ve missed out on that opportunity. You have to understand that the NDP is doing that because they have to show they can govern the country, and by governing the country you also need to have business on your side,’’ said LeVasseur, who was a member of the CFIB for a year about a decade ago.</blockquote>
They've been dealing with unions alright.<br />
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So the CFIB and the offshoot <i>Working Canadians</i> are overtly attacking Justin Trudeau with money from "small businesses", and CFIB has an NDP MP as a former member. Did they draft Mulcair's business tax strategy t<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/28/ndp-small-business-tax-cut-wealthy-canadians_n_6561678.html" target="_blank">hat benefits the rich</a>?<br />
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They have set up Justin Trudeau and once again the media has become complicit. Don't you just love the state of our democracy?<br />
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Trudeau is right to challenge them. He has heard the ads and he knows the players. He could pull an #NDPTruthTeam on them and ask why the NDP was being backed by a group that wants to stop money going to the United Way. Or is a strong supporter of the Temporary Foreign Workers program. Or wants to diminish the role of unions.<br />
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Wait a minute. I think I just did that. Yeah, me. I'm for #RealChange.<br />
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<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-2343122269169509222015-09-09T11:26:00.000-04:002015-09-09T12:21:45.755-04:00Bandwagons and the NDP. Could They Lose Quebec?<br />
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According to Wikipedia, the "bandwagon effect is a phenomenon whereby the rate of uptake of beliefs, ideas, fads and trends increases the more that they have already been adopted by others. In other words, the bandwagon effect is characterized by the probability of individual adoption increasing with respect to the proportion who have already done so. As more people come to believe in something, others also "hop on the bandwagon" regardless of the underlying evidence."<br />
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The term originated with a circus clown, Dan Rice, who was a household name in the mid nineteenth century. He is credited with creating the modern day circus, though is now considered to be<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">"the most famous man you've never heard of".</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The notion of hopping on the bandwagon has become commonplace in politics and political polling; though not always as an affect, but often, a root cause.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">While pollsters reveal the results of their polling, the media gets to interpret those results, to </span></span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">create</span></span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> attention grabbing headlines. "Surges" and "horse races", sell papers or </span></span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">on-line</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> memberships, but they can also have an affect on voting intentions,</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In 1994 Claude Emery, <a href="http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/researchpublications/bp371-e.htm" target="_blank">prepared a report</a> for the </span></span></span></span>Political and Social Affairs Division on Public Opinion Polling in Canada.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Because polls are generally perceived to be accurate and scientific, the debate on polling centres largely on whether it undermines the democratic process by influencing electoral behaviour and election results. Some political strategists and observers argue that the publication of polls gives an unfair advantage to parties or candidates whose fortunes are seen to be improving. The so-called "bandwagon" effect assumes that knowledge of a popular "tide" will likely change voting intentions in favour of the frontrunner, that many electors feel more comfortable supporting a popular choice.</blockquote>
This is especially true when headlines of "surges" are published near the end of a campaign, before people have had a chance to analyse what has caused the "surge", or if it is even valid.<br />
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All summer we have heard of an NDP surge in Canada, especially in Quebec. But what they don't tell you is that at the beginning of the campaign, 70% of those called were undecided. Even now it is about 50%. So how accurate are those polls? Not very. And yet the headlines suggest otherwise.</div>
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Our local TV station reported last night, that the Conservatives had dropped to third place and the NDP had taken the lead. But even that is misleading. The NDP is polling higher in Quebec, skewing national results. However, in Ontario, they are a distant third. </div>
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<b><u>Can They Hold Quebec?</u></b></div>
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There was a discussion on Twitter between the head of Leger Marketing, which has always come out strong for the NDP, and several Bloc supporters. </div>
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Jean-Marc Leger was being criticized for what was deemed to be invalid results, and accused of thwarting democracy. Leger accused his critics of not liking the results because their guy was not in the lead, but finally contended that the support for the NDP was based on emotion, and that anything could happen come October 19.</div>
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The feeling of those debating Leger, was that there was a stronger vibe in Quebec for the Bloc. I have actually seen similar remarks on social media with many questioning what was creating the headlines.</div>
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If it is true that <a href="http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/03/canada-and-quebec-inc-give-mulcairs-ndp-leadership-bid-kiss-death" target="_blank">the corporate media is funding Thomas Mulcair</a>, as a push back by the 1%, than the headlines makes sense. But if not, what is the intent and either way, how fragile is the support?</div>
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In January of this year Chantel Hebert stated in a piece <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1263979-h%C3%A9bert-mulcair-needs-layton-style-miracle-to-win-election" target="_blank">Mulcair needs Layton-style miracle to win election,</a> she reminds us that while "no one is completely dismissing the party’s chances to stage a second consecutive spectacular surge in as many elections" that "lightning — even of the political kind — rarely strikes twice." and "Nowhere are NDP roots more shallow than in Mulcair’s home province."<br />
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I'm currently reading <i>Social Democracy after the Cold War</i>, Edited by Bryan Evans and Ingo Schmidt (2012 ISBN - 978-1-926836-88-1) The authors also discuss the fragility of the NDP support in Quebec.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The massive success of the ndp in the 2011 federal election should not obscure the fact that it rests on an extremely weak organizational basis in Québec. While the fifty-nine federal seats gathered in the province represent close to 60 percent of the ndp caucus in Ottawa, its membership in the province was still a mere 2 percent of the total party membership four months after the election . Furthermore, prior to the May 2011 election, only a handful of ridings had local party chapters. In many areas of the province, the ndp was simply absent or, at best, operated through regional committees. In contrast to other areas in Canada, the ndp had no support from organized labour, and none of Québec’s influential social movements endorsed the party. Most of the victorious candidates, with the notable exception of Mulcair and four or five others, were stand-ins, who had little if any roots in the community. In many cases, they did not even campaign locally. In short, in Québec the ndp is a topheavy party with no solid organizational roots.</blockquote>
Admittedly, things have changed somewhat since 2011, and several unions are now backing Mulcair, but only because they want Harper gone. However, if the Quebec support wanes, or the NDP no longer look like the winning party, that will change. No doubt, that is why <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/derrick/2012/02/following-money-bay-street-backing-thomas-mulcair" target="_blank">the media moguls who funded</a> Mulcair's leadership bid, need to keep the headlines going, Mulcair is not necessarily Quebec's favourite son, but he is theirs.<br />
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They need to feed the emotions, so that the heads ignore the facts.<br />
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I believe that the Bloc will do much better this time, than in 2011, and that the Liberals <a href="http://www.straight.com/news/479396/its-too-early-write-justin-trudeau-and-liberals" target="_blank">will have a better showing</a>. We just need to find a way to take the wheels off the bandwagon, although the NDP might topple it beforehand.<br />
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The statements by a member of their <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-shawn-dearn-ndp-mulcair-twitter-apology-1.3220283" target="_blank">communication team</a>, against the Pope and RC priests, will not sit well in a province that is almost 85% Catholic. The party is also experiencing conflicts from within.<br />
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And as Evans and Schmidt point out:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Not surprisingly, consolidating its breakthrough is presently the ndp’s main objective in Québec. Two strategies are possible. The one championed by Mulcair and supported by a number of Québec caucus members is to keep to the political mainstream and avoid too close a relationship with organized labour or the social movements... The other possible strategy — put forward by trade unionist Alexandre Boulerice, a cupe staff rep newly elected in the Montreal riding of Rosemont — is to build the party from below by strengthening the party’s links with labour and the social movements while keeping a strong focus on defending Québec’s national rights, including the right to self-determination.</blockquote>
Mulcair is trying to do both, but is not doing either very well. Saying one thing in French and the opposite in English; or one thing in Quebec and the opposite in the rest of Canada; while classic Mulcair; is being caught by social media, and even some members of the MSM.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As for Boulerice, an increasingly influential voice in the caucus, his identification with labour and militant resistance to the Harper Conservatives is definitely an asset. His refusal to cave in to public pressure from English-Canadian media and renounce his membership in Québec Solidaire (as interim ndp caucus leader Nycole Turmel was forced to do in August 2011) has won him considerable respect among activists. However, he was forced by the party leadership to backtrack on the Palestinian issue and withdraw his very public support for the “Canadian boat to Gaza” initiative. He has also remained silent on some errors committed by party leaders with regard to matters sensitive to Québecers, one example being the unexplained acceptance of a unilingual Supreme Court judge named to the bench by the Tory government. </blockquote>
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At this stage, the balance of forces within the party is far from favourable to a “grassroots left” strategy. At best, this strategy might coexist with a more dominant “social democracy from above” approach. ... The late Jack Layton was very adept at navigating the treacherous waters of Québec. His background as a social activist and his public support for the right to self-determination gave him considerable leeway in the province. But that might not be the case with his successor Mulcair. (Evans/Schmidt 2012)</blockquote>
Anything top heavy, risks a collapse. I think there is a very strong possibility that the NDP will lose Quebec. Pollsters can only hold them up for so long before the public cries foul. They are already doing that. Just ask Jean-Marc Leger.<br />
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<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-56252550121349960912015-09-07T11:13:00.001-04:002015-09-07T11:24:32.165-04:00Thomas Mulcair in Contempt of Greenpeace, Maude Barlow and Canines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHWxLFXmJEY/Ve2V7vISlII/AAAAAAAAIPk/IHRCtmZXAlU/s1600/Mulcair-Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHWxLFXmJEY/Ve2V7vISlII/AAAAAAAAIPk/IHRCtmZXAlU/s400/Mulcair-Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">On March 24, 2005, the <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:002bjoYcR5wJ:www.assnat.qc.ca/Media/Process.aspx%3FMediaId%3DANQ.Vigie.Bll.DocumentGenerique_11889en%26process%3DDefault%26token%3DZyMoxNwUn8ikQ%2BTRKYwPCjWrKwg%2BvIv9rjij7p3xLGTZDmLVSmJLoqe/vG7/YWzz+&cd=123&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca" target="_blank">following items </a>were tabled in the Quebec National Assembly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Copy of a letter, dated 24 March 2005, he sent to Mr. Jacques Saint-Laurent,Chairman of the Commission d’accès à l’information, asking him to investigate the conduct of Mr. Thomas Mulcair, Minister of Sustainable Development, the-environment and Parks, during Routine Proceedings, at the sitting of 22 March 2005.(Sessional Paper No. 1702-20050324) </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Copy of a letter, dated 24 March 2005, addressed to Mr. André Dicaire, Secretary General of the Government, by Mrs. Line-Sylvie Perron, Executive Assistant to the Leader of the Official Opposition, concerning the observance of sections 30 and 33 of the the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information.(Sessional Paper No. 1703-20050324)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On March 22, 2005; Thomas Mulcair, then Minister of Environment, failed yet again to present the necessary documents, requested by the opposition, to explain his actions in several matters. This put him in contempt, and the matter would eventually make its way to the Supreme Court. (1)<span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It might have been simpler just to buy a big black magic marker, like the one that Harper used when he was found in contempt, and produced heavily redacted documents. But Mulcair dug in his heels, citing cabinet confidentiality. His reputation for obstinance was well known.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Michel David in Le Devoir spoke of that reputation when in opposition, stating that "</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">he literally horrified his opponents" with his "brutality or vulgarity", earning him the moniker, "pit bull".</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;"> (2) David had hoped that Mulcair would be a "green pit bull" fighting for the environment, but it was not to be. Instead Mulcair fought for the economic interests of the multinationals.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, one of the debates held on the day in question, centred <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/70479/un-pilier-mondial-des-ppp-a-la-tete-du-bape&prev=search" target="_blank">around the appointment </a>of William J. Cosgrove, <span style="background-color: white;">to chair the public hearings on the environment. In that position, Cosgrove could select his own people to conduct the assessments, a red flag given who Cosgrove was.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">He was President of The World Water Council, a group calling for the privatization of water services worldwide, and promoters of public-private partnerships, to control not only the environmental concerns, but the selling of water in bulk, to multinational corporations.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white;">Maude Barlow, a foremost authority on the issue of water, has attended protests against the World Water Forums , held every three years, run by the WWC. In 2009, <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/23/water_rights_activists_blast_istanbul_world" target="_blank">she was interviewed</a> by Democracy Now during the event held in Instanbul.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">They [the WWC] basically say that they are the collection of people around the world who care about water, and they come together every three years to have this great big summit. And every single year, the police presence gets more and more like the World Trade Organization, every single year, from the very beginning, when there was none, to this. But basically, the World Water Council, which puts this on, is really the big water corporations and the World Bank and some UN agencies and some northern development agencies, some academics, the odd small NGO — small as in, you know, NGOs, but really, it is the corporations, and it’s a big trade show. That’s what this is about. They’ll put on sessions on gender and water, but they don’t mean any of it. This is really about one development model for water, and that’s the privatization model. And that’s what they’re promoting, and that’s what their consensus is, and they refuse to include the notion of the right to water and, of course, the public trust into their documents. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mulcair not <a href="http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.ledevoir.com/non-classe/57014/mulcair-rouvre-la-porte-aux-exportations-d-eau&prev=search" target="_blank">only said that</a> "he does not share the fears of people like Maude Barlow", but that he found no problem <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://meteopolitique.com/fiches/eau/Histoire/2005/Conferences/0212/a02.htm&prev=search" target="_blank">with using PPPs</a> to monitor water safety. <span style="background-color: white;">Steven Guilbeault of Greenpeace <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/70479/un-pilier-mondial-des-ppp-a-la-tete-du-bape&prev=search" target="_blank">told Le Devoir:</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"one wonders what ideological alignment the new president of the BAPE gives commissions of inquiry when they have to decide on the adequacy of public facilities where PPPs are concerned, works that touch water in one way or another or, for example, on projects small private stations. Ultimately, one wonders if it is not a government strategy to reduce the moral authority of the BAPE, which annoys many developers.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite being called a conflict of interest, since Cosgrove worked for corporations trying to privatize the world's water supply, he was allowed to stay in that position until 2007, and Mulcair would continue to allow PPPs to flourish, even in the <a href="https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.ca&sl=fr&u=http://www.courrierlaval.com/Actualites/Economie/2008-06-04/article-1150909/A25-la-poursuite-pretend-que-lexministre-Mulcair-a-abuse-de-son-pouvoir-discretionnaire/1&usg=ALkJrhh9v2PIqnwGvzq7Eggs3F5levqOjA" target="_blank">building of a highway</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a huge fan of Maude Barlow. A respected voice on progressive issues and supporter of the NDP, when they were too. But did she ever think, during her many protests of the WWC, that it's president was once lauded as hero (March 22, 2005) by the current leader of the NDP? It defies logic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She has spent decades fighting for something, not realizing that she was held in such low esteem by Thomas Mulcair, who got his talking points from a man inside the walls, protected by soldiers, that kept her on the other side of them. I wonder how many times her name was brought up?</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Minister Mulcair, concludes Jacques Boivin [vice president of the </span><span style="background-color: white;">of the </span><span style="background-color: white;">Quebec Association for a World Water Contract] has </span><span style="background-color: white;">just shown his true colors ...it will not be economic development that respects ecosystems but ecosystems that must comply with the requirements of economic development.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So he is different from Stephen Harper, how?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sources:</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">1. CANADA, PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, DISTRICT MONTREAL, Citizens Committee of the peninsula-Lanaudière c. Quebec (Attorney General), 2006 QCCS 4861, SUPERIOR COURT; No: 500-17-023251-047, August 24, 2006 </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">2. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Green Pitbull, by Michael David, Le Devoir, December 7, 2004</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span> Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-36432615712402161462015-09-03T10:09:00.001-04:002015-09-03T10:17:33.734-04:00Conservative Deflection, the NDP Truth Team and the Erosion of Trust<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">As many of you know I took some time off from my blog, mainly for personal reasons, though I did keep up with current events. I blogged a bit during the 2014 Ontario provincial election, and then saved my strength for this coming federal contest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Fully prepared to continue in a relatively, non-partisan way, I was immediately broadsided by the NDP's attack on the Liberals and Justin Trudeau, with the whole C-51 debacle. I expected things to die down, once common sense kicked in, and the media reminded Canadians that this was about two Canadian soldiers, killed on Canadian soil; but it didn't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Neither common sense, nor common decency prevailed. Those two young men were forgotten, lost in the maze of sensational headlines, with C-51, the Godzilla, that was about to trample us to death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">There is much talk of the bias, propaganda and "dumbing down" of political discourse, as Canadians continue to tune out. It's not surprising that at the end of May, after the protests and media blitz on Harper's anti-terror legislation; that most of the public was unaware of the egregious measures contained within.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Globe and Mail r<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/security-fears-still-outweigh-concerns-about-lost-rights/article24608809/" target="_blank">eported that </a> 72% of Canadians supported the new legislation, without knowing its content, and that's helping Stephen Harper and the Conservatives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Also telling is that "55 per cent of those following the debate closely are against the bill. Among those who have just scanned headlines, only 14 per cent are opposed."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The media's tendency to over amplify political conflict and negativity, has caused them to fail in their duty to inform the public, preferring to engage in the attack on the NDP's political opponent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">This problem is not confined to Canada. In <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s9607.pdf" target="_blank">a piece in the Princeton Press</a>, <i>Why is Everyone so Mad at the Media</i>, they remind us that newsman Walter Cronkite was once seen as the most trusted man in America. But trust in the media is waning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">By 2004, only 10% of Americans "had a great deal of confidence in the national media", just one point higher than their trust in lawyers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">We have seen a growing number of clearly partisan news agencies, like Fox and Canada's defunct Sun Television, but the problem does not lie with them. Most of their audience tunes in because they already share those views.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Corporate Media and </u></b></span><b><u>King Makers</u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">There is also a lot of discussion about the top 1% of the population, holding as much wealth as everyone else combined, but there is something else to remember, that is just as important as income inequality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">That top 1% own 99% of our media, and with that enormous power, they control the political debate and set the agenda.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">For years Conrad Black promoted neoconservative politicians, giving us Stephen Harper and his brand of American style </span>politics. Black has since denounced Harper, recognizing, I guess, that he had created a monster. But if NDP supporter, Murray Dobbin, is correct, the NDP <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/03/26/Mourn-Mulcairs-Win/" target="_blank">may be giving us another monste</a>r.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
More worrisome is the possibility that many thousands of NDP members had indeed heard the negative aspects of Mulcair's politics and voted for him anyway. That's a very different problem. It reflects what I have observed about the NDP for decades now: its decreasing emphasis on policy and philosophy and the increased -- political machine driven -- preoccupation with winning seats in elections, often out of context of the political moment and oblivious to unintended consequences. One prominent NDPer I spoke to responded to my shock that he was supporting Mulcair with a sort of football game enthusiasm. "I think he can take on the bastard [Harper]." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Facing a ruthless tough guy? Get your own ruthless tough guy. And possibly create a monster you can't control. It is as if policy, philosophy, and vision for the country have simply been devalued to the point where they are an afterthought or some vaguely interesting historical relic. There seems to have been a kind of "We'll worry about policies later, let's pick someone who can win first."</blockquote>
Another NDP supporter, who actually worked on Thomas Mulcair's 2007 campaign, that brought him into federal politics, is also raising the alarm, not only about Mulcair's politics but the media's complicity in putting a neoliberal in charge of a once social democratic party. <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">Jooneed Khan believed that knowing Mulcair </span><a href="http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/03/canada-and-quebec-inc-give-mulcairs-ndp-leadership-bid-kiss-death" style="line-height: 15pt;" target="_blank">was being backed by the Power Corp</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">. and other corporate media giants, would mean the end of his chances at taking over the NDP. They always spoke out against what they deemed to be right-wing spin. But according to Khan:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt; list-style: none; padding: 5px 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Quebec Inc. has grown exponentially since the PQ came to power in 1976. It operates more and more in partnership with multinational corporations in extracting wealth from poor nations and spreading poverty, war and corruption ... </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt; list-style: none; padding: 5px 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 15pt;">Voters here have shown they are prepared to take a chance with the NDP to push back neo-liberalism ... and to re-prioritize social justice.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 15pt;">... Thomas Mulcair's NDP leadership bid is looking more and more like a counter-attack by the 1 per cent to take over the NDP and steer it towards the so-called "extreme centre...</span></blockquote>
The editor of Rabble was also concerned <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/derrick/2012/02/following-money-bay-street-backing-thomas-mulcair" target="_blank">with the control that Bay Street might have</a> over the party, knowing that they actually financed Mulcair's leadership bid.<br />
<br />
Can we now trust anyone in the media?<br />
<br />
Despite the fact that most polls show a three way tie, and a surge by Justin Trudeau and the liberals, you'd be hard pressed to find any story that doesn't include the words "with the NDP leading in the polls", or something like it. They know that if the people of Quebec don't believe the NDP can win, they will go to the party that can.<br />
<br />
But how long can they keep this up? And how long will we allow them to? We should decide who governs us, not the corporate media.<br />
<br />
I have noticed that the political landscape has changed dramatically since the 2011 election. If you track journalists on Twitter you'll see that more and more of them, are now extremely partisan, and most, if not all, run a continued attack on Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party.<br />
<br />
That attack also extends to Pierre Trudeau. I asked Norman Spector, when he was on a rant, if he knew that PET wasn't running and told him I was so glad that he kept up with current events. It's gone crazy<br />
<br />
Everyone interested in politics, has been by and large partisan. But at least there was a sense of decorum. Stephen Harper brought in the ugly, the first to run attack ads outside of an election campaign. What surprised me, however, is that the NDP are engaging in the same nonsense.<br />
<br />
Accusing the Liberals of being against helping women who were the victims of violence, was so a Conservative tactic. That it's coming from a party once respected for their adherence to social justice, this is incredibly sad. No one on Parliament Hill is for violence against women. A vile ploy for political points, by re-victimizing the women caught in those situations.<br />
<br />
They now also have a gaggle of minions in a group called the NDP Truth Team. Truth, of course, in the Orwellian tradition.<br />
<br />
One of the assignments given to these warriors, is to scan the media and any time they see Justin Trudeau's name before Thomas Mulcair's, to contact them and give them sh*t.<br />
<br />
A more recent mission is to hash-tag #NDPTruthTeam @JustinTrudeau and ask him what he plans to cut in his 4th year of governing. Brad Lavigne is implying that Mr. Trudeau has said that he will cut public services after the third year of stimulus. However, I can't find that quote anywhere, so it must be just a bit more fact twisting. <br />
<br />
It is so hard to engage anyone in the party, in legitimate policy debates. All I get is the same nonsense I used to get from the Conservative supporters. In fact, I often now get more sensible arguments from Cons than I do Dippers.<br />
<br />
I would like to set partisanship aside, as the election draws nearer, and start discussing the issues that should be important to Canadians. But in the words of Michael Corleone "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."<br />
<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-21423546359301500792015-09-02T11:35:00.001-04:002015-09-02T12:35:46.490-04:00Playing Football With Domestic Violence Gives No One a Victory Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Yesterday we heard that the NDP <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/01/ndp-liberals-violence-against-women_n_8073176.html" target="_blank">were accusing the Liberals</a> of opposing their plan to end violence against women. I have to admit that I was shocked. This is so reminiscent of Conservative attacks over the years, that paint opponents as being soft on terror, soft on child pornography and not Pro-Israel enough.<br />
<br />
They were always vile and disgusting. But did we ever really think that the NDP would stoop to this level?<br />
<br />
I admit that the Liberals should never have made this about money, but to suggest that this means that they oppose ending the violence against women, is beyond the pale.<br />
<br />
I would not support the NDP plan, first off, because it is a pittance to throw at such an enormous problem. And second, that this should not be isolated as an election issue, but part of a much broader platform. Building shelters is critical. Even Conservatives have done that, but it is a paternal solution to a feminine issue.<br />
<br />
We need to empower women.<br />
<br />
We do that by building affordable housing. Mothers should not have to raise their children on the streets or in slums.<br />
<br />
We do that by creating a viable daycare plan that does not force minimum wage earners to pay the same as high income earners. Many women simply can't afford to work, making them more likely to stay in abusive relationships, out of need.<br />
<br />
And we do that by not treating abused women like children, or use them in a game of political football. We need to raise their self esteem, so that they are no longer victims; not victimize them further, by making them fodder for right-wingers, who might view this as a tax grab.<br />
<br />
My aunt was murdered by her husband after years of abuse. He was a prominent businessman in the community, at a time when women had few rights, so she stayed with him out of necessity. He never spent a day in jail for her murder. <br />
<br />
Something like that stays with you, as it has such a profound affect on a family. As the only boy with six sisters, my father felt like somehow he had failed, despite the fact that many times he tried to get her to leave. It also had an affect on the way he raised his five daughters. Overprotective, or at least that's what we thought.<br />
<br />
Instead of a paternal approach, we need a legitimate woman's ministry, with the necessary budget, to deal with all issues facing women today. Wage inequality, sexual harassment, reproductive rights and the threat of losing them, to name just a few. Our bodies do not belong to the state and our concerns are best addressed by those who understand that we are not a political entity, to be manipulated with cheap promises.<br />
<br />
Instead of boasting about how many women candidates you have, tell us those women's views. Conservative Cheryl Gallant is a woman. Does she stand up for women's rights? Niki Ashton is a woman and yet she made light of violence against women, when she agreed to play the game. <br />
<br />
If the NDP really wanted to convince us that they cared, Thomas Mulcair should have agreed to take part in the debate on women's issues. Instead he played politics with Stephen Harper. "if he's not going, I'm not going ... whah".<br />
<br />
However, since he refuses to legitimately address these issues, maybe his views can be wrapped up in a single word.<br />
<br />
C--t.<br />
<br />
That was <a href="https://ifyouknewthomas.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/sorry-tom-vulgarity-has-nothing-to-do-with-an-irish-temper/" target="_blank">what he called a political opponent</a>. To use that word to suggest that the man was somehow unworthy and even criminal, says a lot. We are deemed by him to be low. The ultimate misogynist insult.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.liberal.ca/meet-sophie/" target="_blank">You be the judge</a>.<br />
<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-75345928682334782792015-08-29T07:09:00.001-04:002015-08-29T07:13:54.118-04:00NDP Plan Rally to Dishonour Two Fallen Canadian Soldiers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Stagnating in public support, the NDP are trying desperately to get back to the days when the passion over Bill C-51; the omnibus bill that is now law, and changes many laws; gave them a bump in the polls. To do that they are <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/federal-election/2015/08/28/ndp-launching-blitz-against-liberals-over-anti-terrorism-law.html" target="_blank">planning rallies against the Liberals</a> over Harper's C-51.<br />
<br />
The media will still have to wear their complicity, in the nonsense that blamed Justin Trudeau, and let Stephen Harper off the hook, in their attempt to become kingmakers. However, they have forgotten an important fact.<br />
<br />
Two Canadian soldiers were killed on Canadian soil. <br />
<br />
The sister of one, <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/patrice-vincent-must-not-have-died-in-vain-sister-tells-bill-c-51-hearing-1.2293039" target="_blank">welcomed tougher security laws</a>, so hoping that her brother had not died in vain. No one can argue that the Harper government took it too far, but the anti-terrorism portion of the law can be amended. We cannot bring back these two young men, but every sign carried is being used to kill them over and over again.<br />
<br />
For heaven sakes let them rest in peace.<br />
<br />
Olivia Chow is going to lead the charge. I don't know when she became heartless, but maybe someone needs to send her a picture of those soldiers, with the names of their grieving family members.<br />
<br />
If she can still protest after that, then she has no business wanting to be a member of our government.<br />
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This has never been the Canadian way. We don't spit on soldiers graves.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-64439194629006543082015-08-27T11:25:00.000-04:002015-08-27T11:48:02.131-04:00Our Addiction to Balanced Budgets May Need an Intervention<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“There is always a storm. There is always rain. Some experience it. Some live through it. And others are made from it.”</i> Author Shannon L. Alder</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently NDP candidate and former Saskatchewan finance minister, <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2015/08/andrew-thomsons-candidacy-exposes-much.html" target="_blank">Andrew Thomson</a>, stated on Power and Politics, that cuts were inevitable, in order to balance the budget.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Saskatchewan, he cut funding to education, though it still didn't balance the books. He had to take money from the province's contingency fund, including almost a half million dollars for advertising, that he had balanced the books, when in fact, he had not.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hiding deficits for politicians is not uncommon. Jim Flaherty did it in Ontario and Joe Oliver is doing it now.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But in defence of Thomson, Flaherty and Oliver; we have become the enablers of their addiction to the high of being good economic managers. They had to hide their red eyes and red ink, so they didn't have to come before us in shame, or ruin their chance for re-election.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The question we need to be asking ourselves, is why balanced budgets are so important. Does it really matter if the federal government runs a deficit?</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Political consultant and commentator, Will McMartin, discussed <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/04/20/Tories-Promised-Balanced-Budget/" target="_blank">this recently in the Tyee</a>. He begins with the announcement that the Conservatives would present a balanced budget. However, he implies, so what?</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A closer look at the country's finances, however, raises a simple question: why all the fuss? The budget is a thin slice of the Canadian economic pie, and interest costs on our debt are shrinking to near-giveaway size. Ottawa is just one of three government levels, and taken as a whole our government spending is very much under control. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The federal budget represents just 15% of our overall economy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Blame Game</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There has been a lot of debate recently, over what political party is responsible for our perceived debt/deficit "mess". Since only Conservatives and Liberals have ever formed government, it narrows the debate down to those two.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The biggest targets are Brian Mulroney and Pierre Trudeau. However, John Diefenbaker, also ran consecutive deficits, but that is not how their legacies should be judged.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diefenbaker was a visionary, who fought for a united Canada. He gave us the Canadian Bill of Rights and stood up to the Americans, who wanted us to join their missile defence program. He may have made mistakes, but his deficits were created in part, by a new<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> universal hospitalization program, and an enhanced Old Age Security.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lester Pearson also left a deficit, but what defines him, are the many contributions he made. He expanded Diefenbaker's hospitalization plan, to give us universal health care and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">introduced student loans and the Canada Pension Plan. He also created the Order of Canada, and moved toward abolishing capital punishment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's no denying what Pierre Trudeau did to move our country forward, as he also expanded social programs, and created a more just society, with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even Brian Mulroney, whose tenure was mired in corruption, left his mark on making Canada a better country. He created eight new national parks, finalized the U.S.-Canada acid rain treaty, and brought in the Environmental Protection Act.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He is also credited with giving us NAFTA, not necessarily a good thing, but it did help Canada in the short term.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All of these men were big idea guys, who had the courage to make things happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diefenbaker's idea: a united Canada with a focus on human rights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pearson's: nation building and making Canada a diplomatic player on the international stage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Trudeau's: nation building with a focus on rights and freedoms, and an inclusive society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mulroney's:, a desire to bring Canada into the 21st century, with a focus on business and international trade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Who cares if they left deficits when those deficits represented only 15% of our GDP? Look at what we got in return?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know that a lot of people are critical of NAFTA. I'm one of them. Not only did it hurt our manufacturing sector, but it has forced subsequent governments to adopt programs of deregulation, to meet the terms. Unfortunately, more deregulation may be required, since we are now <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/14/canada-sued-investor-state-dispute-ccpa_n_6471460.html" target="_blank">the country most sued</a>, for not meeting our nefarious commitments.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Election 2015: a Psychedelic Trip to Bizzaro-land</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Thomas Mulcair was the environment minister in Quebec, and wanted to privatize water, shipping it in bulk, he said that "<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;">the environmental laws protecting water are considered barriers to trade." (</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;">The Press, Charles Cote and Mario Clouthier, June 16, 2004 ). Mulcair helped to draft NAFTA.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Everything has become a "barrier to trade", that will exacerbate with even more international trade deals.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what about the barriers to helping Canadian society? We were told that these deals would lead to economic prosperity. Where is it? I guess we should have read the fine print, that said only economic prosperity for the top 1%.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">During the 2008 economic crisis, the Canadian government <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/banks-got-114b-from-governments-during-recession-1.1145997" target="_blank">bailed out our banks</a> with over 100 billion of our money. They bailed out companies, and sprinkled largesse over Conservative ridings. They built libraries and indoor soccer fields for private religious schools and set up an advertising campaign called the Canada Economic Action Plan that would have rivalled Joseph Goebbels propaganda ministry. (<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/soheil-eid-nazi-ndp-1.3204299" target="_blank">Yes I said it</a>). </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We found money for that, by adding to our deficit and debt. Adding it to the 15% stake in our country's GDP. So why can't we do the same for the Canadian people? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We need a National Housing Strategy, a National Food Program, and we need to expand our healthcare to include dental and prescription drugs. We need a subsidized tuition program, help for our seniors and our veterans, and an environmental plan that works.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;">Those things are not drains on our economy, but a viable way to grow our economy, that will create good, full time jobs, while reducing poverty and homelessness. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222; text-align: center;"> We will see the value for the dollars we spend.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A recent poll shows <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadians-believe-economy-is-in-recession-okay-with-deficit-poll/article26119298/" target="_blank">that Canadians are OK with deficits</a>. They have different priorities and Justin Trudeau has tapped into that:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That suggests that it’s Mr. Trudeau whose position is in sync with the majority’s mood. The Liberal Leader has refused to rule out running a deficit, arguing he’ll have to see the extent of the “mess” the Conservatives have left in the public finances. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is the NDP, traditionally to the left of the Liberals, who have launched the most blistering attacks on Mr. Trudeau for opening the door to running a deficit. Under Mr. Mulcair, the New Democrats have sought to allay concerns about their economic policies by insisting they will balance the books, despite the slowdown in the economy.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What an odd turn of events. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1;">I'm </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">glad</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">that Trudeau</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1;"> is bringing the Liberal Party back to its roots, that put Canadians first. Now the NDP have to find their way back to the days of Tommy Douglas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1;"></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1;">Many people have called me a socialist, but like Will McMartin, the author of </span><a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/04/20/Tories-Promised-Balanced-Budget/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">the first piece I linked</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5;">, I'm a conservative. Although actually a liberal/conservative. Common sense solutions to social problems. Grow the economy and <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/one-thing-justin-trudeau-and-stephen-harper-agree-on/" target="_blank">the budget will balance itself</a>.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1;">Or maybe I'm just a Diefenbaker, with a dollop of Pearson and a splash of Pierre Trudeau.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1;">Not such a bad thing to be.</span><br />
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Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-7416733884493491702015-08-25T09:35:00.002-04:002015-08-25T10:01:03.319-04:00Thomas Mulcair and Stephen Harper Dance to the Beat of a Shared Drummer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Someone posted a link to an <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1774582/mulcair-shakes-up-ndp-team-as-election-/" target="_blank">interesting article</a> yesterday, from January of this year. At the time the NDP were third in the polls and going nowhere, so the party met in the Conservative caucus room, to discuss strategy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tom Mulcair is trying to turn around the NDP’s flagging fortunes as he gears up for a federal election within nine months, shaking up his office and campaign team and stepping up his attacks on Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That the NDP has been more focused on Justin Trudeau, than Harper, has been evidenced for quite some time. However, there was another comment made by Mulcair, in the context of the following, that was a bit revealing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And he contrasted that with Trudeau’s upbringing, implying that the Liberal leader was born into privilege as the eldest son of a former prime minister and believes “he can just inherit power without proposing a thing.”</span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Whether it’s meeting with premiers to work on the future of our federation or with world leaders to discuss global economic opportunities or terrorist threats, being prime minister is not an entry-level job,” Mulcair said.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"being prime minister is not an entry-level job".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was several months before the Conservatives used that in a national ad campaign. Bruce Carson, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/14-Days-Making-Conservative-Movement/dp/0773543511" target="_blank">in his book</a>, relates that Stephen Harper had met with Jack Layton in 2008, wanting him to join the Conservatives in destroying Stephane Dion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So did Mulcair provide Harper with his talking points? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes this is politics, and Canadian politics have become nasty since Harper came on the scene. We also know that Jack Layton and Stephen Harper had worked together in the past, beginning with their 2004 coalition attempt, to take down Paul Martin and make Harper prime minister. So it's only understandable that Mulcair and Harper would make natural Samba partners.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>But Who's Providing the Dance Music?</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thomas Mulcair never did inspire his way to a bump in the polls. It was <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2015/08/canadas-domestic-false-flag-war-has.html" target="_blank">the over the top campaign</a> against Trudeau and Bill C-51. What made this completely bizarre, was the media's complicity in it. They are supposed to be the Fifth Estate, not the staff of the wannabe Second Estate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jooneed Khan, a former journalist, had helped with Mulcair's 2007 campaign in Outrement, that won him his first federal seat. However, by 2012, be noticed that something was happening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A piece in La Presse, glowingly comparing Mulcair to Tony Blair, <a href="http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/03/canada-and-quebec-inc-give-mulcairs-ndp-leadership-bid-kiss-death" target="_blank">caught his attention</a>. By then, he knew what the current NDP leader stood for, and was sounding the alarm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Revealingly, they all look backwards to 1990s Britain and to Tony Blair's so-called "New Labour" as the appropriate recipe for a Mulcair-led NDP ...</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">No statement has struck me as more contemporary and forward-looking than Brian Topp's unhesitant and courageous answer to a media question on Palestine's bid for a UN seat when he launched his own NDP leadership campaign: "We want Canada to vote with the rest of the world."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Mulcair's ultra-Zionist position on Palestine and the Middle East would never countenance such a possibility. On this issue, he remains solidly entrenched in his bunker with Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman (and their friend Tony Blair, the Quartet's very ineffectual special Mid-East envoy), while the entire Middle East is changing as people demand a future of social and economic justice and democratic participation.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Khan could see what was happening, as the major Quebec, and many other media outlets, were promoting Mulcair as Harper's replacement. If he could turn the NDP to the right, just as Blair had done with the Labour Party, they would never have to worry about a progressive agenda, that might threaten their hegemony. First they had to get rid of the Liberal Party, where they no longer had many </span><span style="color: #222222;">friends</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Rabble also published a piece by their editor Derrick O'Keefe: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/derrick/2012/02/following-money-bay-street-backing-thomas-mulcair" target="_blank">Following the money</a>: Is Bay Street backing Thomas Mulcair?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Information on individual donors to Canada's political parties, and to the NDP leadership candidates, is made publicly available at the Elections Canada website. Mulcair's donor list is of particular interest, since he is a perceived frontrunner and because some have speculated that he would aim to move the NDP further to the right of the political spectrum, given that he was a Liberal cabinet minister in a right-wing Quebec provincial government.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I found out about Mulcair's donors should be of interest to NDP members and to everyone watching and covering this leadership race ...</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">I've actually printed out the list, and Khan is not wrong about the newspaper </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">conglomerates. They are not only promoting Mulcair, while trashing Trudeau, but are also financing his career.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">After Mulcair's coronation, long time NDP supporter, Murray Dobbin, wrote <a href="http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/03/26/Mourn-Mulcairs-Win/" target="_blank">of a party in mourning.</a> They chose the bombastic right-winger to take out Harper, but, says he: "</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Facing a ruthless tough guy? Get your own ruthless tough guy. And possibly create a monster you can't control."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">It's pretty obvious that the media is once again trying to engineer the making of a prime minister, just as they did for Stephen Harper, with the help of Conrad Black's empire. Now it's the Power Corp and allies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">When are we going to say enough is enough?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><b><u>My Little Experiment</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">As I've mentioned in several posts, Thomas Mulcair was a horrible Environment Minister in Quebec, who earned the wrath of many environmental groups, in part because of his deregulation and privatization agenda. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Yet our media continues to allow him to perpetrate this lie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Another lie, that is going unchecked, is his claim that he left the Charest government on principle, because he opposed the sale of a portion of Mont Orford Park.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">I <a href="https://ifyouknewthomas.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/thomas-mulcair-left-quebec-government-on-principle-hahahahahahaha-oh-they-were-serious/" target="_blank">posted on this before </a>in my other blog. The story went something like this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">1. Mulcair proposes selling the park in a caucus meeting. Charest told him to look into it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">2. Mulcair approaches developers who only ask if it is legal. He assures them that he can fix that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">3. Mulcair prepares the legal framework, </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">required</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> to pass legislation, allowing the sale to go through.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">4. Mulcair </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">launches</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> a public attack on Coca Cola, after they announced that they would be ending the voluntarily can deposit on non-carbonated </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">beverages, without even consulting them</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">. The company was understandably upset. This was the last straw for Charest, who had already been embarrassed enough by Mulcair.. He called him into his office and told him that he could no longer go to the media unless it was first cleared by him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">5. It was common </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">knowledge</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> that Mulcair was after Charest's job, so he pulled a stunt that might assure his boss's defeat. He released to the media that the Charest government wanted to sell portions of Mont Orford, creating a public outcry. Everything was gong in his favour, until Charest called a press conference, showing the papers that Mulcair had drawn up. Oh, oh!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">6. Mulcair went into hiding for a month, refusing to talk to anyone, not even his beloved press. Then he came up with a new strategy. He announced that the papers were only hypothetical and that he hadn't signed them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">7. This rift in the party was fair game to the opposition. A committee met, and several </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">witnesses</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> were </span></span><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">sworn </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">in, who testified that it was indeed Thomas Mulcair who proposed the sale of the Park. Mulcair went ballistic. It created a lot of tension, and it took several government staff, to hold him down. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">His lie was exposed and his dreams of being premier, were dashed. He left Quebec in shame. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">Yesterday, I sent a link to a 2006 story, confirming the actual events, to several </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">key members</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> of the Canadian media: Rosemary Barton, Susan Delacourt and Don Martin. I put it on their Twitter pages so that it could be viewed by many.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">I wanted to see if any of them would do the right thing, and inform the Canadian public, that Thomas Mulcair was not being truthful, in his representation to us, or to his followers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">This <a href="http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=26b82e8e-ac44-4557-b86b-90d73153f6f5&sponsor" target="_blank">is the link</a> and this is what it reveals:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"L'Esperance also revealed in testimony that Thomas Mulcair, who resigned from Charest's cabinet, saying he disagreed with plans to sell off the mountain, assured him last fall the government would approve his plan to build condos on 85 hectares of park land.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"It was definitely confirmed to me several times," he told reporters. "Once by himself (Mulcair) and oth<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">er times by his representatives."</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"></span></span>L'Esperance said that, on the strength of assurances from Alain Gaul, then Mulcair's chief of staff, that "You have a project. Go ahead and prepare your winter season," Mont-Orford invested another $1.5 million to $2 million for the 2005-2006 ski season. </blockquote>
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Questioned by Mulcair, L'Esperance admitted Mulcair, at the time environment minister, raised the issue that the sale of provincial park land was illegal."</blockquote>
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A<span style="font-family: inherit;">nd remember this wasn't just "testimony" but "sworn testimony".</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Witnesses at National Assembly hearings are rarely sworn in but, at the request of the Parti Quebecois opposition, L'Esperance took an oath, swearing to tell the truth, before he testified.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And then <a href="https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr..." target="_blank">there's this:</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-reactid=".2u.1:5:1:$comment10153501760214484_10153501820239484:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$text0:0:$text8:0" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">"However, according to the Canadian Press, Mulcair had indeed approved the project Monday. The proposal would have been accepted ten days prior to the redesign of 27 February." </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">"Mulcair had indeed approved the project Monday." Ten days before he resigned after being demoted.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">Now that we know that we are not only fighting two right-wingers, but also the Canadian media, we have to be </span></span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">diligent</span></span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">. Own the comments sections to set the record straight. Go after those in the media who refuse to be honest with us and out them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">We cannot have another election where the press determines the results. Only we, the voters, should have the right to do that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">B</span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.0799999237061px;">esides blogging on this, I'm going to create a list of links to articles that reveal the real Thomas Mulcair. His admiration of Margaret Thatcher was no passing fancy. He lived and breathed her Neoliberal legacy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This country will never survive another Stephen Harper, whether it's in the form of our current prime minister, or the man who wants to replace him. Another "</span><span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> monster" we "can't control".</span></div>
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Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-26313045972531942932015-08-24T10:42:00.000-04:002015-08-24T10:56:08.486-04:00How Bernie Sanders and Justin Trudeau Have Changed the Election Narrative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqfHEpdiC0Q/Vdsc_kIO9lI/AAAAAAAAIOA/E9Tkc1ZkoCA/s1600/aaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqfHEpdiC0Q/Vdsc_kIO9lI/AAAAAAAAIOA/E9Tkc1ZkoCA/s400/aaa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">Recently, one of my favourite journalists, Rick Salutin, <a href="http://t.thestar.com/#/article/opinion/commentary/2015/08/20/time-for-an-economics-of-the-heart-salutin.html" target="_blank">weighed in on Justin Trudeau's comment</a>, that the Liberals wanted to grow the economy "from the heart outwards", meaning from the centre or middle class.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The media and opposition parties went crazy, calling him a Care Bear, not comprehending the meaning of his words. Everyone is looking for that sound bite, to make them look clever, when in fact, it ended up making them look foolish.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Salutin, on the other hand, did know what Justin was talking about, but preferred that it be the misinterpretation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Why not economics from the heart instead of from the head? We've been led to believe that balanced budgets are the Holy Grail, and that the "Economy" is a beast we must feed or risk extinction.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Canada has become the Fisher King; the legendary figure from the days of King Arthur. Wounded in battle, he could no longer perform his duty to protect the coveted chalice, nor could he produce an heir to continue the obligation. As a result his kingdom was reduced to a barren wasteland, while the king amused himself fishing, and waiting for rescue.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The mythical Holy Grail has become a symbol for things most cherished and desired, but unfortunately, we no longer know what those things are. Salutin discusses the economic crash of 2008, that should have taught us that the current system wasn't working. Yet things continued as before, with misguided tax cuts and mean </span><span style="color: #222222;">spirited</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> austerity measures. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This election is probably the most important of a generation. We can vote for the status quo, or not vote at all, ensuring the status quo. Neither is an option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">Bernie Sanders is running for the Democratic nomination, in the run up to the presidential election, in 2016. He has <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/aug/23/bernie-sanders-campaign-evolution-in-pictures" target="_blank">become a </a></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/aug/23/bernie-sanders-campaign-evolution-in-pictures" target="_blank">phenomenon</a>, primarily because he is not campaigning on lowering taxes or fighting deficits, but on the things that should matter to most Americans. And they are listening.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">A liveable minimum wage, better working conditions, an end to war; to name a few. These things have not been mentioned in election campaigns for a very long time. This has forced the other candidates, vying for the job, to address the same issues, or at least promote progressive ideas.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">He has changed the narrative, which has changed the issues.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Our media and politicos are too focused on Justin Trudeau's hair, and his famous father, to listen to what he is saying. Like Sanders, he is discussing better working conditions, better wages, and benefits for veterans, seniors and children. A sensible environmental plan, and an improved relationship with provinces, so that everyone has shared goals, and can better reach them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Stephen Harper is focused on his dubious leadership skills, while scaring us into submission, over the threat of a terrorist attack. The NDP is hoping the fact that they voted against C-51 and the Liberals didn't, despite neither vote having an impact; will carry them through for the next two months. It won't.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of their policies are the same old tired promises. More fluff than substance. A $15.00 an hour minimum wage, to create a group of "federal employees" who can be </span>unionised<span style="font-family: inherit;">; <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2015/08/how-thomas-mulcair-dashed-hopes-of.html" target="_blank">only gave false hope</a>; and a daycare plan that won't be implemented in this cycle or the next.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In fact, many children needing daycare today, won't; when the first phase of their plan is rolled out, so it is not an election issue, only some vague notion, made during what Salutin calls "an intellectually threadbare era"..</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We need to slay the bastard named "Economy" and create our own goals. As the thoughtful journalist says:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This kind of paradigm shift in economics — I’m calling it, after Trudeau, the economics of the </span>heart — is probably more crucial now than it was in the heyday of what was called socialism. Then the stakes were merely misery for the masses. Now the survival of the species is at risk due to climate change and the current model doesn’t — and can’t — even take that into account. When the environment kacks out, it’s an “externality.” You carry on modelling, oblivious. It really doesn’t matter what you call it but “heart economics” sounds good to me.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Investing in Canadians is the best way to grow financially. We </span><span style="color: #222222;">can't</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> just sit around waiting to be rescued, while our country is being reduced to a barren wasteland, and our people to </span>a life<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of nothing but debt and meagre </span>opportunities.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sanders and Trudeau have something lacking in politicians today. Genuine compassion and the </span>ability<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to inspire</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's risky in today's political climate and with the state of </span>our <span style="font-family: inherit;">media, to have dreams of a better country, but Sanders and Trudeau have them anyway.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">― Paulo Coelho</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span>Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-36340773280352830792015-08-23T08:19:00.002-04:002015-08-23T08:26:08.343-04:00Mulcair's Confusing Stance on Security and C-51<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Columnist Ralph Surrette had a piece in the Chronicle Herald this weekend: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1306493-surette-harper-defeat-won%E2%80%99t-suffice-this-calls-for-fumigation" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" target="_blank">Harper defeat won’t suffice; this calls for fumigation</a></span></div>
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In it he questions why the NDP did not go on the attack when <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stephen Harper announced that he’d institute a "ban on travel by Canadians to areas of terrorist activity "</span></div>
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This announcement sent a chill down the spine of many Canadians, and prompted experts to weigh in on the legality of such a move. More importantly, however, it would mean the further deterioration of our rights.</div>
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Says Surrette:</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After all, the arguments over the anti-terror law, Bill C-51, were still fresh — a law denounced by four former prime ministers (including a Tory one, Joe Clark), five retired chief justices of the Supreme Court, former ministers of justice and pretty well every legal expert in the country, that triggered alarm at the United Nations, that was described by both the RCMP and CSIS as “unnecessary” and that was denounced by the otherwise small-c conservative Globe and Mail as a “quasi-police state bill.” And here was Harper jerking our chains again on the same issue, proposing another broad dragnet largely outside the rule of law. What a political opportunity!</span></blockquote>
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What a political opportunity indeed. Both Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair saw the ban proposal as political posturing. I agree. Not unlike the political posturing by the NDP over C-51, which is no longer a bill but a series of laws, affecting many areas. </div>
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What is puzzling though, are Thomas Mulcair's comments, when asked about Harper's latest ploy. Rather than denounce it, he claims that "obviously" <a href="http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/2015/08/09/thomas-mulcair-questions-whether-proposed-travel-ban-would-combat-terror.html" target="_blank">he would support it</a>. He only questions whether it would actually do anything.</div>
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Huh?</div>
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He also states that C-51 was a failure because it did nothing to prevent the radicalization of youth. What would he want to see in the bill to prevent "the radicalization of youth"? </div>
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The only way to stop youth from being sympathetic to the goals of groups like ISIS, is to stop invading countries for oil. Stop taking away one group's human rights by painting them all as terrorists, while inflicting the worst kind of terror on their homelands, with bombs.</div>
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If there was even a hint of diplomacy in our foreign policy, young blood would not boil.</div>
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The NDP is now too focused on silencing any sympathy for Palestine, dropping candidates like flies, to care whether our rights are being violated. How many New Canadians will be prevented from visiting their families? Given this government's loose interpretation of terrorists, that could be just about anywhere.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> "Obviously we are going to support anything that will prevent the threat of terrorism". Really?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Thomas Mulcair and the NDP, if they were in power, <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2015/08/canadas-domestic-false-flag-war-has.html" target="_blank">would not scrap C-51</a>. They can't. It is now law, resulting from an omnibus bill that has changed many laws. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At best, they will put through amendments to the anti-terrorism measures, that challenge our rights and freedoms. Exactly what Justin Trudeau promised.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hot air will only get you so far.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Besides, Mulcair's new priority is <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-mulcair-marijuana-decriminalization-1.3199532" target="_blank">decriminalizing marijuana.</a> In the first minute. This will certainly win him the vote of drug dealers, as it gives them a free pass. <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2014/08/are-new-conservative-election-fraud.html" target="_blank">Without legalization</a>, and thus control, it will do nothing to keep marijuana out of the hands of children.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Which brings up a bit more confusion over what Mulcair <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ggT1gFXu_Ng" target="_blank">actually stands for.</a></span></div>
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Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-87595883862917942842015-08-22T10:46:00.000-04:002015-08-22T11:21:41.063-04:00Andrew Thomson's Candidacy Exposes a Much Bigger Problem for the NDP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The media has been in a frenzy recently over the decision by former Saskatchewan finance minister, Andrew Thomson,<a href="http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/ndp-star-explains-why-he-thinks-he-can-beat-joe-oliver" target="_blank"> to run for the NDP </a>against Joe Oliver.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Thomson:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“My time in government, and we’ve seen the record of NDP governments — there is a strong attention to spending discipline,” he said. </span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We are obviously committed to social spending, but at the same time are also committed to making sure budgets are balanced and that governments live within their means.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sounds good right? This man claiming to have balanced the Saskatchewan budget, while stating that Oliver has failed in this endeavour?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It might be, if it were true. But it isn't. <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2015/08/17/did-the-ndps-andrew-thomson-really-balance-the-budget-in-saskatchewan/" target="_blank">According to BJ Siekierski</a>, Thomson raided a contingency fund to give the appearance of a balanced budget.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Are you confused about the state of the province’s finances? Uncertain whether Saskatchewan is running a) a balanced budget, b) a $500 million deficit or c)a $700 million deficit?” Bruce Johnstone, the financial editor of the <em>Regina Leader-Post</em>, wrote on March 24, 2007. “After this week’s provincial budget, you have every right to be confused. I certainly am and I’ve been covering these things for nearly 25 years.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The Fiscal Stabilization Fund (FSF) was created in 2000-01 to stabilize the fiscal position of the Province from year to year and to facilitate the accomplishment of long-term objectives,” the 2007-08 budget reads.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A few days after the publication of Johnstone’s column, Brad Wall — then the leader of the Saskatchewan Party opposition — told the Saskatchewan legislature that Thomson and NDP not only failed to obtain the $75 million surplus they claimed, they also drained the FSF.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“They went from a $158 million surplus last year to a $701 million deficit this year, Mr. Speaker. They drained $500 million, a half a billion dollars, from the Fiscal Stabilization Fund,” Wall charged.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">T</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">he media is calling the Oliver/Thomson bout, the battle of two finance ministers, when in fact, it is the battle of two deceptive finance ministers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, I think the idea of balancing budgets is over-rated. Instead, I agree with most economists, that if you grow the economy, <a href="http://www.canadianbusiness.com/blogs-and-comment/justin-trudeau-budget-attack-ad/" target="_blank">budgets will balance themselves.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Neither Oliver nor Thomson got that message.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Andrew Thomson's Record Was Much Worse</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As finance minister in the Saskatchewan NDP government of Lorne Calver, Thomson cut funding to education, forcing many municipalities to increase their property taxes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He blamed the education boards, suggesting that they <a href="http://www.bobbjornerud.ca/index.php?docID=92" target="_blank">should be spending their reserves</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The minister’s comments have justifiably frustrated officials in these regions, especially the fact that he’s accusing them of hoarding money. If the minister wants to talk about hoarding money and replenishing reserves, he need only look in the mirror. After all, it was his NDP government that has socked away nearly $700 million dollars in its so-called rainy day Fiscal Stabilization Fund for use in the year leading up to the next provincial election. Most of this money came right from oil producing regions like South East Saskatchewan, where residents are now facing increased education property taxes all because the minister is hoarding money in his own reserves and failing to fully fund the increased costs of education.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">We now know he raided his government's reserves, to give the appearance of a balanced budget. The rest was used in self glorification television ads.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s funny – Andrew Thomson didn’t bother to mention this hidden tax hike in his recent half-a-million dollar television ad campaign. Recently, a reporter asked Andrew Thomson why he had to appear in the NDP’s budget commercials. He said it was because “it’s my budget." </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Thomson, like the NDP, has forgotten something very important. It’s not his budget. It’s not even his money. That money belongs to you, the people of Saskatchewan.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Yes. He cut funding to education, so he could look good on television. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">With the writing on the wall, Thomson decided not to run in the 2007 election. The NDP were thrown out of power by the Saskatchewan Party, made up of former Liberals and Conservatives. In the 2011 election, the NDP fortunes fell even further, as they were reduced to just nine seats.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Andrew Thomson has to shoulder the blame for at least some of that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Saskatchewan NDP Shows Where the Brand Has Gone Wrong</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2012, Journalist John W Warnock wrote a piece: <a href="https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/whatever-happened-to-the-saskatchewan-ndp" target="_blank">Whatever Happened to the Saskatchewan NDP</a>?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From 1944 through 2007, politics in Saskatchewan was dominated by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and its successor the New Democratic Party (NDP). But the NDP was soundly defeated by Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party in 2007 and routed in 2011. Today they hold only nine seats in the legislature. </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He contributes their failure, and rightly so, on their decision to move the party to the right.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously, the Saskatchewan NDP needs to seriously re-evaluate the political direction it has taken since 1991. The move to the right to embrace the neoliberal model has been a failure. Thus it is a good time for a book of serious papers which examine ongoing problems and set out an alternative policy direction. The child poverty rate in Saskatchewan stands at 19.6 percent, tied with BC as the highest in Canada. James Mulvale and Kirk Englot explain how a progressive provincial government could implement a feasible strategy for poverty reduction.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">The NDP had failed on every issue, from healthcare to poverty. From education to the environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This problem is not limited to Saskatchewan, however<b>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Ontario, last election, NDP leader Andrea Horvath, angered her base when she ran on a platform that was <a href="http://links.org.au/node/3945" target="_blank">right of the Liberal</a>s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1004.php" target="_blank">Says Roger Annis</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">This follows elections last year in Nova Scotia and British Columbia that were marked by the drift to the right of the NDP and electoral disappointments similar to what the party suffered in Ontario.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Things were so bad in Nova Scotia, that former MLA, Howard Epstein, <a href="http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/05/hope-betrayed-nova-scotia-ndps-rocky-fall-power" target="_blank">wrote a book </a>subtitled: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;">If the NDP can't differentiate itself from other parties, should it exist?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The NDP is <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/tom-mulcair-unfazed-by-manitoba-ndp-government-s-unpopularity-1.3198957" target="_blank">unpopular in Manitoba</a>, and in New Brunswick <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">they supported <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/dave-bush/2014/03/ndp-sellout-lefts-cop-out" target="_blank">the police crackdown</a> of Mi’kmaq led protests against fracking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They won a majority in Alberta, in part by distancing themselves from the anti-oil activists. I don't think this will spell more support for the federal NDPs in the province.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now the federal party has chosen a Neoliberal leader with enough right-wing baggage to guarantee that the party will never again represent social democratic principles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By moving to the right, they have opened up the left, allowing Justin Trudeau's Liberals and Elizabeth May's Green Party, to move in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CNNi Report, <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-766442" target="_blank">offers a reason </a>why the NDP chose Thomas Mulcair to lead them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Their fear of Harper is too profound and they fear that the way Conservatives decimated the Liberals, now it would be the turn of the NDP to be pulverized. </span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They wanted a scrapper to challenge Harper and protect them from destruction. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, if they are pulverized, it won't be by the Conservatives, but by an attack from within.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The death of a thousand cuts, with Mulcair delivering the final, fatal blow.</span></span></span><br />
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Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-7866724008609613232015-08-19T11:04:00.000-04:002015-08-19T11:15:41.558-04:00Mulcair's Environmental Record #2: Minister of Hog Development<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently Morris W. Dorosh had a piece published in the Financial post: <a href="http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/tom-mulcairs-incoherent-farm-policy" target="_blank">Tom Mulcair’s incoherent farm policy.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In it he questions Mulcair's logic and math, when discussing agriculture and supply management.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Incoherence is the expected thing from Mulcair. His arithmetic seems a bit off. Supply management nationally provided 16.9 per cent of farm-gate cash revenue in 2014 and 17.0 per cent the prior year, so Mulcair must have been referring only to Quebec. In that case gross revenue from milk, egg and poultry sales in Quebec was 2.55 per cent of Canadian farm cash income. Employment allegedly created by the system can be almost any number depending on how creatively it is defined.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conflicting views and just making stuff up when he can't answer a question, is actually a trademark of Mulcair's, and was long before he hijacked the NDP.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Environmentalist and water expert, Mario Desrosiers, said in 2005, after yet another deceit of Mulcair's when he tried to deny that he had fired the Environmental watchdog:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How can we give credibility to the words of a minister when his statements are different from one newspaper to another or from a television program to another or simply false.(1) </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mulcair dismissed that and the hundreds of other concerns, by claiming that they "stem from emotional reactions" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since the media is content to go along with <b>his</b> view of his record as environment minister in Quebec, I'm running a series of articles, that reveal what actually occurred. There was no principle, no commitment and certainly no logic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Instead, what we see is a systematic attempt to privatize and deregulate, and just like Stephen Harper, much was done under the cloak of secrecy. He, along with other members of the Quebec Liberal government, were actually sued, and part of the Plaintiffs' case dealt with the difficulty to access information. (2)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The defence presented, was that they might expose things that shouldn't be exposed. Not unlike the Harper government calling everything a "cabinet secret". In one incident, Mulcair held off a group seeking an audience for a full year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mulcair's Pig in a Poke</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When in the Quebec government, Thomas Mulcair would often mention the fact that he helped to draft the terms of NAFTA. In his <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2015/08/mulcairs-environmental-record-1-have.html" target="_blank">promotion of bulk water sales</a>, he suggested that "the environmental laws protecting water are considered barriers to trade." (3)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Also a barrier to trade was a moratorium on hog farming, imposed by the Parti Quebecois, to keep the mega barn, multinational corporations, from over farming and contaminating the water supply.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">When the pubic first became aware of Mulcair's intent to lift the moratorium, there was a great deal of opposition. In 2003, he promised that a full environmental assessment would be done. It was, concluding that the ban should not be repealed. Mulcair lifted it anyway, favouring corporate interests over public safety.</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">"By authorizing new hog barns, the government is giving municipal officials and citizens a fait accompli.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">It is preparing for the worst crises than previous ones, since people feel cheated.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">The BAPE gave them hope and yet nothing changes, "says Gilles Tardif of the Citizen Coalition.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">"The Environment Minister Thomas Mulcair, seems to have turned into the minister of pig development," adds Tim Yeatman ... citizens have just elected candidates who campaigned against hog farms projects.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The groups are outraged that the government ignored the recommendations of the BAPE in regard to the protection of the environment and risks to the health of people drinking from artesian wells.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">"Despite clear evidence to the effect that the spreading of pig manure, slurry is not adequately controlled to prevent the pollution of watercourses, the Liberal government seems to be unconscious," says Martine Ouellet Vice President of the Coalition Eau Secours.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> (4)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">According t<a href="http://the%20major%20issue%20in%20quebec%20is%20the%20ever-expanding%20hog%20industry%2C%20and%20its%20impact%20upon%20the%20environment%20and%20rural%20communities.%20in%20the%20fall%20of%202003%20the%20quebec%20government%20released%20its%20report%20on%20a%20public%20consultation%20process%20which%20recommended%20fundamental%20changes%20to%20hog%20production%20in%20order%20to%20make%20it%20sustainable%20in%20quebec.%20a%20moratorium%20on%20hog%20production%20expansion%20followed%2C%20installed%20until%20new%20regulations%20and%20policies%20could%20be%20implemented%2C%20but%20was%20lifted%20prematurely%20in%20december%202004.%20since%20then%2C%20grassroots%20community%20groups%20have%20been%20calling%20on%20the%20province%20to%20heed%20the%20canadian%20medical%20association%E2%80%99s%20resolution%20%28see%2002-69%29%20to%20ban%20the%20expansion%20of%20the%20hog%20industry%20until%20the%20inherent%20risks%20of%20industrial%20hog%20farming%20are%20understood%20and%20the%20appropriate%20solutions/" target="_blank">o J. Knutson </a>in Cultural Vision: </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://books.google.ca/books/about/Cultural_Vision.html?id=MR-TzRdRHDgC&redir_esc=y" target="_blank">A Memeplex for the Cultural Evolution</a></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">The major issue in Quebec is the ever-expanding hog industry, and its impact upon the environment and rural communities. In the fall of 2003 The Quebec government released its report on a public consultation process which recommended fundamental changes to hog production </span><span style="color: #222222;">in order to make it sustainable in Quebec. A moratorium on hog production expansion followed, installed until new regulations and policies could be implemented, but was lifted prematurely in December 2004. Since then, grassroots community groups </span><span style="color: #222222;">have been calling on the province to heed the Canadian Medical Association’s resolution </span><span style="color: #222222;">to ban the expansion of the hog industry until the inherent risks of industrial hog farming are understood and the appropriate solutions. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">So while Thomas Mulcair is travelling the country, attacking Stephen Harper for not protecting our waterways, he himself clearly has no concern. He will do just what Harper does. Deregulate his way to more corporate profits.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, one man actually had to go on a public hunger strike, lasting 18 days, just to get Mulcair to address a water pollution concern in his community.(5)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To honour NAFTA, he dishonoured the people he was supposed to protect, by not ensuring that they would enjoy a safe environment and clean drinking water.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The NDP are calling for change, but with Mulcair as prime minister, I'm afraid it would just be more of the same.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Sources</u></b>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1. Mulcair is Irresponsible and Insults People, By </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Mario Desrosiers</span> <span style="background-color: transparent;">, Chairman of the Citizens Committee Presquîle - Lanaudière (CCPL), October 11, 2005</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222;">2. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">CANADA, PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, DISTRICT MONTREAL, Citizens Committee of the peninsula-Lanaudière c. Quebec (Attorney General), 2006 QCCS 4861, SUPERIOR COURT; No: 500-17-023251-047, August 24, 2006</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">3. Mulcair is Pleased to Have a New Debate, The Press, Charles Cote and Mario Clouthier, June 16, 2004</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">4. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://meteopolitique.com/fiches/eau/privatisation/Revue/Eau-Secours/journaux/2005/a124.htm" target="_blank">End of moratorium on hog production</a>, The Liberal government threatens the social climate in rural Quebec, Creek, December 12, 2005</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">5<b>. </b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222;"><b>Philipsburg cottager ends 18-day hunger strike Encouraged by minister's response to algae problem -</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"> by </span><span style="color: #222222;">Debbie Parkes,</span><span style="color: #222222;"> The Gazette, August 14, 2003</span></span><br />
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Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-43076684650807499902015-08-15T08:38:00.000-04:002015-08-15T09:58:44.955-04:00Ignorance and Belly Badges: Learning to Deal With the Doltish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vq1DEpfn4c4/Vc8wK-Wp0lI/AAAAAAAAIM0/rd3nDEO0D5I/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vq1DEpfn4c4/Vc8wK-Wp0lI/AAAAAAAAIM0/rd3nDEO0D5I/s320/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently the media and political opponents made merry <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trudeau-gives-canada-s-economy-its-care-bear-moment-1.2514244" target="_blank">with a comment </a>that Justin Trudeau made on the economy.</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">"We’re proposing a strong and real plan one that invests in the middle class so that we can grow the economy, not from the top down the way Mr. Harper wants to, but from the heart outwards, that is what Canada has always done well with.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For anyone who got past grade two, they know that the "heart" is also used to reference the core, or centre. So what Justin Trudeau was saying is that rather than give money to the wealthiest, and wait for it to trickle down, let's give it to the centre and grow the economy outward. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For this he is now seen as a fluffy Care Bear. How ridiculous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course the orange Grumpy Bear weighed in with a snide "unique perspective". If ignorance were truly bliss this man would be a much happier person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, Blue Hide Me bear was still on the run ducking questions about Mike Duffy, so had no comment, and Green Aware Bear just rolled her eyes and refused to engage in such silliness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Can you imagine if Martin Luther King was Canadian and around today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"There goes Marty, dreaming again. Another tax grab no doubt. He's sounding just like Chatty Cathy". Twitter would be abuzz with everyone trying to out stupid each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Columnist Stephen Marche recently wrote a scathing piece on the Canadian political climate, for the New York Times: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/opinion/sunday/the-closing-of-the-canadian-mind.html?_r=0" target="_blank">The Closing of the Canadian Mind.</a></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Americans have traditionally looked to Canada as a liberal haven, with gun control, universal health care and good public education.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But the nine and half years of Mr. Harper’s tenure have seen the slow-motion erosion of that reputation for open, responsible government. His stance has been a know-nothing conservatism, applied broadly and effectively. He has consistently limited the capacity of the public to understand what its government is doing, cloaking himself and his Conservative Party in an entitled secrecy, and the country in ignorance.</span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This could not have been accomplished without a media and a politico determined to take everything down to it's lowest common denominator. As a result, we are now seen as a country of uninformed bumpkins, quite happy to wander about aimlessly, waiting for the next sound bite and resulting media spin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's hope Marche doesn't read about this. I'm so embarrassed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Learning to Speak Dummy for Dummies</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since we can no longer engage in intelligent discourse, when discussing political topics, maybe we need to re-frame our goals, or at least what they should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't have to live in the Kingdom of Caring to know that Canada has lost its way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the CTV Care Bear story, Richard Madan attempts to throw in a bit of balanced reporting.</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Neither the Conservatives, Liberals, or NDP have released a fully costed platform or have explained how they would pay for big ticket spending promises should government revenues decline.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Have the Conservatives told us how they would pay for their "big ticket" spending, like bombs for Iraq, a continuation of the corporate welfare system and over the top partisan advertising?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Michael Moore's documentary Sicko, he asks a British politician about the affordability of their public healthcare. He suggested that if a government can find money for war, they can find money for that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1982, Ontario premier Bill Davis created the Assisted Devices Program, which initially covered 75% of the cost of equipment needed by children with disabilities. This was later expanded to include adults.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For low income families, other programs pick up the additional 25%.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This not only made an enormous difference in the lives of those struggling for inclusion in society, and the families of children with special needs; but also created an industry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were always manufacturers and distributors of wheelchairs, etc., but most equipment was out of reach for many, and they had to depend on charity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since the implementation of the ADP, and other programs like it across the country, we now have mobility stores, that employ thousands of people. We have occupational therapists, in good paying jobs, who make sure that the right equipment is provided to the right clients.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More disabled adults can engage in meaningful employment and special needs children can attend school and enjoy the privileges of their peers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not "big spending", but smart spending.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Canada needs a national housing strategy, but in today's dummied down political climate, how do we get this on the agenda?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a lot of talk about infrastructure spending as a way to create jobs. This is true, but a national housing strategy would not only create jobs, but would create permanent, good paying jobs; not only in the building trades, but in administration and social services.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many of Canada's homeless, also struggle for inclusion in society. People like Katrina Blanchford-Gervais, who never dreamed that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/13/housing-first-federal-election_n_7949510.html?ir=Canada+British+Columbia" target="_blank">she would ever be the poster child for homelessness.</a> No one aspires to that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She was given a hand up by a local Hamilton group, Housing First. These organizations are excellent, but without adequate funding they cannot possibly do everything that is needed to be done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With a housing strategy, we can help to grow the economy from the heart outwards.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry dummies. CORE! CORE!</span></span></div>
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<br />Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180592942896724433.post-53946893650245752972015-08-14T12:27:00.000-04:002015-08-14T16:41:39.104-04:00Canada's Domestic False Flag War Has Many Fronts<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRxgF7SFh0A/Vc3l0Jp3LxI/AAAAAAAAIMA/tPgYFMhq1QA/s1600/big-leader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRxgF7SFh0A/Vc3l0Jp3LxI/AAAAAAAAIMA/tPgYFMhq1QA/s320/big-leader.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><i>"Why of course the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ... Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger."</i> — Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials</span></blockquote>
There is no doubt that the attack on Parliament Hill last October, by a lone wolf gunman, became Stephen Harper's false flag war; as the government, with the help of the media, painted it as an attack perpetrated by ISIS.</div>
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In the wake of 9/11, the fear on that day was real, as no one knew how many gunmen were involved, and how organized the attack. We now know that it was just one mentally unbalanced homeless man, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who had no ties to any terrorist organization.<br />
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Since then, the Conservatives have used this false flag war as an excuse to further erode our civil liberties, in the name of terror. On the campaign trail, Harper is emphasizing the need for security, while suggesting that only he can keep us safe. The politics of fear.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><i>"Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death." </i>-- Adolf Hitler</span></blockquote>
<b><u>Not Canada's Only False Flag War</u></b><br />
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The term "false flag" originated in the days of wooden ships, when one ship would hang the flag of its enemy, before attacking another ship in its own navy. This would then be used as excuse to go to the war. After all, didn't they have the right to defend themselves?<br />
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However, "false flag" does not have to refer to fact manipulation, in order to promote a military engagement, but can also be used as a tactic to undermine political opponents. There is little doubt that Justin Trudeau was set up to <a href="http://pushedleft.blogspot.ca/2015/08/why-mulcair-could-be-in-trouble-over.html" target="_blank">take the fall for Bill C-51</a>, the Harper government's egregious, so-called anti-terrorist bill.<br />
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If all is fair in love and politics, the NDP's political exploitation of the situation, could be called "fair" or at least a clever tactic against Trudeau and the Liberal party, leading into the election campaign. It certainly hurt the Liberals, at least temporarily.<br />
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What surprised me however, was the media's complicity in this. If it is a journalist's job to inform the public, while recording history; what will future historians think of the reporting and recording, of the events following the passage of Bill C-51?<br />
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They might initially believe that it was Justin Trudeau's bill, until realizing that he wasn't the prime minister. He wasn't even the leader of the official opposition and did not head a coup. How could he possibly be responsible?<br />
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It would be easy for them to see through the actions of the NDP, but might be understandably puzzled by the direction taken by "journalists".<br />
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Not that the media hasn't helped to fan the flames of war, but why did they see it as their responsibility, to attack a political party <a href="http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/03/canada-and-quebec-inc-give-mulcairs-ndp-leadership-bid-kiss-death" target="_blank">with biased reporting</a>, to help the prospects of another political party or parties?<br />
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However, while the NDP might, seemingly, have been the beneficiaries of this engagement, in the end, by giving Harper a free pass on the bill, they could also be the fallen soldiers. They chose the wrong allies. The Conservative army takes no prisoners.<br />
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<b><u>The NDP's False Flag War Claims Many Victims</u></b><br />
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With the distraction of the orange dog and pony show, there was important information that the Canadian public was not privy to. Bill C-51, was not just an anti-terrorism bill, but an omnibus bill, with many critical elements that should have been examined and made election issues. <a href="http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/some-kind-of-monster-a-brief-history-of-harpers-big-fat-omnibus-bills-264" target="_blank">According to Vice:</a><br />
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.. this national debate about surveillance is also a distraction from the fact that Stephen Harper is once again using a monstrous bill to simultaneously change dozens of pieces of legislation while severely limiting Parliament's ability to have a meaningful debate about these issues. Bill C-51 is an omnibus bill, meaning that it is creating two laws but also amending roughly a dozen others from the Department of Fisheries Act to the Criminal Code to the Income Tax Act.</blockquote>
This Means that we have lost the opportunity to debate these things, that are rarely mentioned by the media, too wrapped up in the Justin Trudeau nonsense.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wqDKBF9PPr8/Vc4hjJxuLuI/AAAAAAAAIMg/CdFqc1_0OF0/s1600/unnamed%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wqDKBF9PPr8/Vc4hjJxuLuI/AAAAAAAAIMg/CdFqc1_0OF0/s400/unnamed%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There is now a series of memes being passed around, that make many of the things that Stephen Harper does in his politics of fear, pale by comparison. Showing a protest group and the idea that stopping protests, is the real reason for the bill, is not only a false flag, but entirely false.<br />
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Originally there was a clause that allowed "lawful" protest. However, when concern was raised that "lawful" could be left to interpretation, the word was removed. <a href="http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/canada/2015/03/27/conservatives-to-propose-minor-amendments-to-bill-c-51.html" target="_blank">This means that the bill does not stop protests</a><br />
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"The first amendment would clarify that any protest or dissent would not fall under C-51. .. University of Ottawa law professor Craig Forcese, along with fellow academic Kent Roach, has conducted an in-depth analysis of the bill. Forcese said that dropping the word “lawful” from C-51 to ensure it doesn't target civil disobedience activities may allay some concerns on the part of environmental and aboriginal groups.</blockquote>
So why are these people trying to suggest that protests will no longer be allowed in Canada?<br />
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This bill is flawed for so many reasons, and in the wrong hands could certainly be used for a lot of things. However, we have seen human rights abuses in this country, long before Bill C-51.<br />
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These images are designed to create fear where there should be no fear, while hiding the things we should be afraid of.<br />
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This kind of hyperbole can actually have a different affect than expected. Over the top fear tactics often turn people off, but more importantly, they might do irreparable harm to future protest actions.<br />
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If people are frightened that engaging in such things, could get them arrested or painted as terrorists, they might think twice before taking part.<br />
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The politics of fear, whether coming from the Conservatives or NDP, are still the politics of fear. Emily Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08354341672810615468noreply@blogger.com1