* With apologies to Joseph Scriven’s original hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. One can only assume that these days there are far fewer congregants lustily singing the praises of their dark lord and master, Stephen Harper, in that hallowed place of worship known as the Conservative caucus.
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Politics and its Discontents: I Just Couldn’t Resist This One
H/t Canadians Rallying to Unseat Stephen Harper Recommend this Post
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: FBI “plot to identify and assassinate Occupy leaders”?
The FBI hatched a “plot to identify and assassinate Occupy leaders”? It’d seem so, according to the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund and civil liberties activists. Information obtained by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund via a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that the FBI: a) “collaborated with other federal agencies,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: ‘Dutch Disease’ Confirmed By Harper-Funded Study
Despite the ongoing Harper-led campaign of vilification against Thomas Mulcair for his comments about the Alberta tarsands and Dutch disease, a Harper-funded study confirms the truth of his assertion. As reported in The Globe, Industry Canada paid $25,000 to three academics to produce the lengthy study, which is about to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Mulcair’s Dutch Disease Comments: A More Rational Assessment
Despite the near-hysterical reaction of certain CBC broadcasters to the comments made last week by Thomas Mulcair about how tarsands developments are inflating the value of the Canadian dollar, thereby weakening our manufacturing sector, there are those who are able to more objectively assess his comments. One of them is
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: See Stephen, See Stephen Run
While the purpose of this Harper-initiated site may be to inspire fear of the NDP under Thomas Mulcair, I think it suggests a measure of, shall we say, nervousness, on the part of Mr. Harper and company. H/T Kady O’Malley Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: How To Vent Your Frustration with Stephen Harper
Ever felt like knocking a little sense into our contemptible Prime Minister? Visit this website for an unusual and cathartic opportunity. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Conservative Mind Equated With ‘Low-Effort’ Thinking’
Following up from an earlier report establishing a relationship between low intelligence and racism, prejudice and conservatism, The Huffington Post reports on a new study equating conservative politics with ‘low-effort’ thinking. For those of us who have been following closely the antics of the Harper Conservatives and their supporters, there
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: From The Bottom Of The Swamp: Conservative Reaction to Mulcair’s Victory
Why does the Conservative Party’s classlessness never really surprise me? On Saturday, before Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a chance to congratulate the new leader of the Official Opposition, the Conservative party had already released a statement attacking the New Democrat. “Thomas Mulcair is an opportunist whose high-tax agenda, blind
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Conservative Ethos: Caviar for Corporations, Cake For Canadian Masses
Stephen Harper and his wrecking crew continue their agenda of altering the fundamental nature of Canadian society. By engineering an ever-dwindling supply of government revenue through corporate tax cuts that neither attract nor keep jobs in Canada, making huge expenditures on jet fighters we don’t need, and building super-prisons during
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Haper’s Trade Deal With China: Less Than Meets The Eye
Stephen Harper’s pending foreign investment protection agreement with China, hailed as a breakthrough that will one day make a “very practical difference” for Canadian companies seeking to invest here, (more outsourcing?)has been summed up very nicely by an astute Star reader: We get the pandas. They get the manufacturing jobs.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Rick Salutin on Democracy
We live in time when the Harper government seems to be doing everything in its power to persuade Canadians that democracy is meaningless and that we, the citizens, have no power. In my view, the increasing invocation of closure on debate, sending more and more Parliamentary committees to meet behind
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: No Surprises Here: Harper Government Set To Undermine Unions
As reported online in the Globe and Mail today, “The Conservatives are set to take another hit at labour organizations, this time through a private member’s bill designed to force Canada’s unions to open their books to the public.””The bill’s con…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Is This a ‘Goodbye Charlie Brown’ Moment?
Those with long enough memories will recall a famous confrontation that took place in 1986 between Brian Mulroney, then just nine months into his mandate, and Solange Denis, a senior citizen defiant in her resolve to hold the Prime Minister to account….
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Stephen Harper: Pay No Attention To The Stats Can Man Behind The Curtain
The other day I wrote about the fact that statistic show serious crime in Canada to be at a 40-year-low. Despite this, of course, the Harper Government is marching headlong in its pursuit of measures to combat crime, including, of course, the building …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Lawrence Martin on the Shortcomings of the Press
Lawrence martin, in a piece called Has the fourth estate lost its tenacity? wonders whether it is the failure to offer much followup on stories of abuse of authority, dirty tactics, etc. that might explain why none of the wrongdoing on the part of the …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pension Reform’s Opponents
Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti has written a good article entitled Canadians betrayed on cpp reform that discusses the need for reform to the Canadian Pension Plan and how efforts by the financial industry have convinced the Conservat…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: And I Thought I Had Written My Last Blog Entry Before The Election ….
It seems I was wrong. Once more, the disdain Harper has consistently shown for Canadian democratic traditions and norms is made manifest. Click here to read the story and watch the video that demonstrates the on-going threat he and his ilk pose.Recom…
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