As mentioned in my previous post, the Harper Conservatives are starting to receive ‘blowback’ as a result of their heavy-handed and undemocratic push of Bill C-38, their budget omnibus bill. Now would seem to be a propitious time to express how we feel about M.P.s whose fealty to ‘Dear Leader’
Continue readingAuthor: Lorne
Politics and its Discontents: It’s Time To Show Some National Self-Respect
When I was a child, I was afraid of many people: my teachers, who believed in strapping and slapping us as early as Grade One, school bullies who periodically picked on me, and some of the thuggish people residing in my working-class neighbourhood who enjoyed verbally assaulting those even more
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Victim of the Harper Thought Police
The message couldn’t be clearer: if you want to continue to receive funding, don’t produce data that contradicts Dear Leader. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Event That Conservative M.P. David Sweet Will Not Attend
For those living in my neck of the woods, the following may be of interest. Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, I can’t attend. And, although it will come as no surprise except perhaps to the naive or politically ignorant, neither will my M.P., Conservative David Sweet, a decision his
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: We Have Failed Ourselves And Each Other
Psychically tired, I can think of little to add to this Star editorial on Bill C-38. The rest is really up to us, isn’t it? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Independent M.P. Condemns Harper Omnibus Bill
I was just reading my weekly community paper, and my M.P., the disingenuous David Sweet, indulges in a debasement of language befitting Orwell’s 1984. For example, despite the tremendous havoc the Harper omnibus bill will wreak on environmental protection, Sweet says that under Bill C-38, “environmental initiatives will not be
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
A few pictures and signs from last night’s protest near Conservative M.P David Sweet’s constituency office. As in the previous protest against Bill C- 38, we were prevented from demonstrating in front of his office by the Hamilton Police, on orders from the property owner, Kevin Vanderlaan (IPC Investments). A
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Israel To Deport 60,000 ‘Social Irritants’
Describing them as “a social irritant and a threat to the Jewish character of the state,” Israel is set to deport 60,000 African migrant workers, or, as they are being labelled, ‘infiltrators,’ all of whom were technically working illegally. Despite its collective historical experience with racial profiling, the state apparently
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Award For The Star
Despite my general disaffection with the mainstream media, I continue to be heartened by one of the few bright spots on the journalistic landscape, The Toronto Star. Awarded a Citation of Merit on Tuesday evening at Rideau Hall for the work done by investigative reporter Kevin Donovan that uncovered the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Failure of the Press
I had an experience yesterday that served only to deepen my cynicism about the mainstream press (The Toronto Star being the sole exception). I called The Hamilton Spectator’s Stephanie Crozier to suggest that her story about Saturday’s protest at the constituency office of my Conservative M.P., David Sweet, had overlooked
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Who Is The Real Enemy?
I strongly encourage you to watch this deeply cynical but powerfully trenchant indictment of, well, of all of us. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another List of Targeted Tory M.P.s
Yesterday I posted a list sent to me of seven Conservative M.P.s to try to convince to ‘call in sick’ the day of the omnibus vote. Here is the next seven: Action #23: Here are the next seven Conservative MPs. Please email them and ask that they “call in sick”
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Way To Fight Omnibus Bill C-38
I received the following from one of the people I was protesting with the other day near Conservative M.P. David Sweet’s constuency office. It offers yet another tool in the fight against Haper’s undemocratic push to remake Canada in his image: I know many of you are upset and outraged
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Eloquent Denunciation of Harper
I am taking a blogging break today, but thanks to Kev over at Trapped in a Whirlpool, I can pass this along. Please watch it, and circulate as widely as possible: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Gated Democracy? – Protesting The Harper Omnibus Budget Bill – Part 2
Yesterday I got a glimpse of the kind of democratic expression that is considered acceptable under the Harper regime. It is one that I found profoundly disturbing. Almost a week ago I wrote a post describing a march organized by Leadnow.ca to the constituency office of my Conservative M.P., David
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Post Praising The Star
Most days, there is no dearth of topics upon which I could comment, but because I don’t spend the entire day at the computer, I try to be selective. And although I have written many posts that involve praise for the Toronto Star, here goes another one. Unlike any other
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Small-Mindedness of Rob Ford
It has been said that to be a great leader, a person has to have a great vision. I’ll let you decide where Toronto May Rob Ford fits into this equation by reading this story about what he thinks people should be marching and demonstrating for. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: To Be Fair To G20 Cop Sgt. Mark Charlebois
When I was young, our local radio station used to carry the syndication of Paul Harvey’s nightly news program. Every so often, the esteemed newsman would read an item attesting either to the extreme folly or the extreme idiocy of humanity, after which he would let out a sound that
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Questions About Bev Oda’s Expense Claims?
I’m sure there is a very logical explanation for this. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Plea For Corporate Compassion
Change.org|Create a Petition Recommend this Post
Continue reading