He may not have anything else going for him, but at least Conservative backbencher Maurice Vellacott has a rich imagination. Recommend this Post
Continue readingTag: harper contempt for democracy
Politics and its Discontents: Are Canadians ‘Mad As Hell’ Over Voter Suppression Crimes?
Read a cross-section of opinion from the Star’s letters and decide for yourself. This one from the Guelph Mercury also merits scrutiny. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Now This Is Getting Really Frightening
Despite the steadfast denials of Harper and his functionaries, along with the stalwart efforts of Dean Del Maestro at diverting public attention away from voter suppression crimes, Elections Canada reports that it has received over 31,000 complaints from Canadians reporting attempts to subvert their vote. Even the true believers who
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Tory Strategy: I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff
… until I get my way. Judging by this story of conservative misbehaviour in Etobicoke Centre on election day, it’s not hard to figure out someone’s favorite bedtime story. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Bizarro World of the Harper Conservatives
When I was a lad (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), I was a devotee of Superman comics. There was something about the son of Kryton’s thirst for truth and justice that appealed to my boyish sensibilities. One of the components of the Superman universe was
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Nation’s Editorial Boards: Harper Voter Suppression Stonewalling Bad For Democracy
At least that seems to be the consensus at the following newspapers: The National Post The Vancouver Sun The Hamilton Spectator The Toronto Star The Calgary Herald The Lethbridge Herald The Ottawa Citizen The St. John’s Telegram And the list goes on, with one predictable exception, of course: The Toronto
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Today’s Star Editorial Cartoon
Works on more than one level, doesn’t it? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Doug (In-AndOut-Scandal Finley) Tells Us To Relax and forget About Robocalls
Senator Doug Finley, the mastermind behind the in-and-out crimes committed by the Harper Conservatives, and husband of the Tory’s go-to-girl, Diane Finley, narrowly escaped justice in those illegal acts thanks to a plea bargain by the Conservative Party. Now this same paragon of virtue is telling us to all rest
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Rick Mercer Has Harper’s Number
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Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Voter Suppression: Canadians Continue To Vent Their Fury
While the rogue Prime Minister continues to deny his party’s involvement in voter suppression, Canadians continue to vent their fury. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Tory Strategy of Fostering Voter Disengagement
I have long believed that a good part of the Conservative strategy to become Canada’s natural governing party rests on a strategy of disenfranchisement. By lowering the tone of public debate, by acting in high-handed and undemocratic ways, by hobbling data-gathering apparatuses, and by employing a myriad of other tactics
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Star Continues Digging into Tory Voter Suppression Crimes
While Canada’s so-called newspaper of record continues doing only a perfunctory job in its coverage of the voter suppression crimes that may very well have affected the outcome of the last federal election, The Toronto Star continues to dig deeply and widely, bringing readers a very comprehensive picture of what
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Sound of Subversion – A Robocall Recorded
So this is what subversion sounds like. The Star has obtained a voice recording of one of the fake calls in Guelph, giving instructions to the recipient to go to the wrong polling station. What is that old saying about the banality of evil? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Harper Conservatives: A Scapegoat For Every Occasion
I just finished reading a thoughtful piece by Michael Ignatief’s former chief speechwriter, Adam Goldenberg, suggesting that those Tory functionaries who are scapegoated for the government’s crimes often good on to their reward – reinstatement within the party hierarchy. A reposting of a reader’s comment following the article speaks volumes:
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: From A Repentant Ex-Conservative
This sobering reminder from Victor Pocaterra of the price we pay for a corrupt government should give everyone pause: A few months ago I was a card carrying Conservative, serving as a director on both the Guelph and Kitchener-Center Conservative electoral district association boards. I succeeded Michael Sona as president
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: For Anyone Inclined to Give Harper The Benefit Of The Doubt…
I urge you to read Lawrence Martin’s damning assessment of his dirty operations. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
The face of unrepentant smarm: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Public Responds To Conservative Voter-Suppression Crimes
While I normally spend little time reading readers’ on-line comments in The Globe and Mail, these, I think, help to capture the fury more and more of the public is feeling over Harper-inspired malfeasance. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: John Ibbitson’s Faith In Stephen Harper
While acknowledging the seriousness of the voter suppression crimes being uncovered, The Globe’s John Ibbitson writes the following: … we can be reasonably certain that Mr. Harper, who is Leader of the Conservative Party as well as Prime Minister, knew nothing about what was going on in Guelph or elsewhere.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Is That Pungent Odor Coming From A Smoking Gun?
If the Canadian media and the Oppositions parties do their jobs, perhaps we’ll soon have an answer. The following is reported in today’s Star: Callers on behalf of the federal Conservative Party were instructed in the days before last year’s election to read scripts telling voters that Elections Canada had
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