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
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Enough Scandals to Make Sponsorship Perps Blush
A great read from Lawrence Martin today, c/o the Tyee and iPolitics. Also this very funny cartoon: The Tyee – The Tories’ Dirty Tricks Catalogue. Filed under: Progressives Tagged: Harper, Lawrence Martin, Robocalls
Continue readingTrashy's World: Here is a fairly complete…
… annotated list of Harperite misdeeds, lies, slushfunds and illegal activities over the past while. Reads like news headlines from, oh, a Central American banana republic. Or maybe Italy. Nicely done, Lawrence Martin. Trashy, Ottawa, Ontario
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week. – In the surest sign yet that the Robocon scandal involved a calculated decision by political operatives rather than having anything to do with mere overzealous volunteers, the Star reports that call centre staff hired by the Cons to perform live calling actually tried
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
A quick look back at the last few days in the NDP’s leadership race… – In addition to his support from Leadnow and Avaaz, Nathan Cullen won cross-partisan support from the B.C. Green Liberal Caucus. But it’s an open question whether the result will be a net plus for Cullen,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Heather Scoffield gives far too much credence to the Cons’ spin on what their focus group results mean. But her report offers what may be the most definitive indication yet that the Cons’ ideology bears absolutely no resemblance to what Canadians actually want:
Continue readingA Different Point of View....: Is Stephen Harper displaying fascist-like tendencies?
The stepped-up authoritarian, anti-democratic manner in which Stephen Harper has conducted himself since obtaining his Parliamentary majority nine months ago raises serious concerns about how far right he is planning to push the country in his effort to forever change the face of Canada. Harper hates many things about Canada –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The New Democrat comments on the need to develop the NDP as a movement as well as a party. And a national movement to protect pensions looks like a great place to start. – I’m generally in agreement with Trish Hennessy on the
Continue readingImpolitical: The "great shell game"
Come on in, the water’s warm! Yes to this Martin column today: “The myth of Tory economic performance.” Can the myth be sustained in coming years? Are times about to get rockier? Some headlines from today to consider: “Banks rolling back mortgage discounts,” “Customers feel the pinch as banks cut
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Brian Jones writes that we’re well on our way to an only slightly-sanitized version of feudalism: According to news reports this week, the average annual income of the Top 100 CEOs is $8.4 million. That’s less than is paid to superstar puckster Sidney
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Evening Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Lawrence Martin notes that the Cons’ push for yet more layers of bureaucracy is based purely on a desire to cater to prejudice rather than any intention to improve the lot of Canada’s First Nations: Shortly after Stephen Harper’s Conservatives came to power
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Dan Leger comments on the combination of secrecy and control exerted by Stephen Harper over the entire federal government. And the “Harper Government” re-branding exercise – now confirmed by reams of direct evidence yet still somehow denied by the Cons – serves
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your afternoon reading.- Lawrence Martin argues that with an NDP Official Opposition at the same time as the effects of inequality and greed continue to send shockwaves across the globe, there’s no time like the present for Canada …
Continue readingImpolitical: Tax zeitgeists
See now this is not so predictable and is interesting, “Higher taxation is back on the table,” writes Lawrence Martin today. Well, maybe it is. I do agree with the argument that it should be. It’s a hard one to make though because of the anti-tax envir…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your day.- David Olive reassures us that we’re not in a depression, but points out plenty of other reasons for concern with Canada’s economy:Jim Flaherty, the federal finance minister, tried to slap down Peggy Nash, the NDP fina…
Continue readingImpolitical: Juxtaposing
Lawrence Martin’s question today on Tony Clement’s status: What sort of punishment should be handed out to a cabinet minister who, judging by an auditor-general’s report, was found in clear breach of federal policies on accountability? Should he be s…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.
– Naomi Klein points out in the wake of London’s riots that there’s one kind of socially destructive looting that’s been rewarded rather than punished:
They are just about lawless kids taking advantage of a sit…
Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.
– Lawrence Martin slams the proliferation of gratuitous surveillance on citizens, with a particular focus on the Cons’ “lawful access” legislation:
In Canada, the impact, while far less egregious, has …
Impolitical: Martin on Trudeau
This is likely to be one of the top reads today, Lawrence Martin’s column on Justin Trudeau. The leadership rattlings are probably overdone and are, frankly, annoying to read at this point. Peddling leadership driven political games seems so useless ri…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Annals of Media Criminality: News of the World; Welcome home, Tubby!
There’s no escaping Will & Kate: The National Pest. (Influential right-wing Canadian newspapers may not appear exactly as illustrated.) Below: Rupert Murdoch, Lord Tubby Black, and Peter Pocklington. Trust Rupert Murdoch, this decade’s Great Sp…
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