When you live in a country where most of the news media is controlled by friends of the government, do you think you should believe all the news? Do you believe that Big Brother loves you? Do you believe that the managed media are on your side? Do you believe
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: Babel backs a ballot bollix.
A year ago, there was an interesting meeting with the City Clerk in Babel. A very charming and knowledgeable person, she was generous with her time and interested in the subject of the meeting. It was about the voting system used for Babel municipal elections. It was suggested to the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: And that must be the length of it.
When you are always intending to write something about blogs and finally get around to it, you wonder why. As a blogger, you should be able to say something positive about the practice. It is neither illegal nor immoral, we hope. The fact is that most bloggers are cranky egotists.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The delayed masquerade of the Tories.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been saved by the rain on the plain. With Calgary recovering from serious flood conditions, it is no time for a Conservative Convention. Stephen Harper must think that God is smiling on him. If he had his way, the convention would never happen. He does
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Does that mean he “Coyned” it?
It was National Post political columnist Andrew Coyne who used the term. He wrote that “Toryism, in its current incarnation, resembles less an ideology than a pathology.” If too many Conservatives look up those big words, Post Media Publisher Paul Godfrey will be getting demands to fire Coyne. Obviously this
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Harper’s homeboy, Hudak.
Ontario television viewers saw a new attack advertisement the other day. It looked like another attack advertisement by the Conservatives. And it was. It was just not by the federal Conservatives but by our Conservative Lights in Ontario. Even so, why does it not work the same? The Ontario Conservatives
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Some summer talking points for Justin.
There was a wonderful picture of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and resigning MP Bob Rae as they walk down a corridor in the Centre Block of Parliament the other day. The picture was of the two men from the rear. You did not need the caption to tell you who
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Babel Backward has an editor?
It came as a surprise when reading all the self-congratulatory stories in the Babel Backward (our name for the Toronto Star’s local grocery-flyer wrap, Barrie Advance). We found out that the credit for exposing the Prime Minister’s Office to the ridicule it deserved is being claimed by the publication’s editor
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A thoughtful farewell to Bob Rae.
This is not a form of eulogy. We will probably have Bob Rae to kick around for some time to come. He was never our favourite Premier of Ontario. He and his provincial treasurer were suckered by that so-and-so Tom d’Aquino from the Business Council and Bob’s administration went down
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Playtime at the PMO.
Who is running things in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)? They are acting like out-of-control children and they need an adult hand on the helm. The communications people are not only acting juvenile, careless and gullible but they do not appear to know very much about the news media. Would
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: But how was Harper’s golf score?
Hopefully, Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a better golf score than German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It really does not make sense for the world leaders to meet at a golf course in Northern Ireland and not play a round. Surely they all know that all work and no play makes
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Tim Hudak is not always wrong.
Just because you wish someone was not there does not make him go away. It is almost as though Kathleen Wynne and her Ontario Liberals do not know what to do about Opposition Leader Tiny Tim Hudak. It is not that Timmy is an in-your-face type of guy. He is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Look good and lie a lot: Tory Action Plan.
It is good to hear that some think tanks are taking a hard look at the Conservative government’s Economic Action Plan. They act surprised. What seems to puzzle the academics is that the Conservatives are spending more taxpayers’ money on the advertising than they are on the programs. Those of
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Wow, so you want to vote for Chow.
MP Olivia Chow’s campaign for the Toronto mayoralty might be peaking too soon. Any political apparatchik can tell you that the time for a campaign to peak is when people are heading for the polls—not more than a year ahead. The municipal election rules say nobody can campaign for election
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