Checking reports from last week’s conservative conclave in Halifax has not indicated any serious policy directions for the party in next year’s election. It was Maxime Bernier who sucked all the air out of the beginning of the event and it became just a footnote to Bernier’s farewell. But what
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Babel-on-the-Bay: John McCain: Honesty, Honour, Humour.
Senator John McCain of Arizona was old school. He was Republican by tradition. He was a gentleman. He was a warrior, from a family of warriors. He was a politician who believed in serving the people first. He brought decency to government. He wanted no truck with that asshole Donald
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Beauce’s Bernier bugs-out.
‘Bug-out’ is an American military term for the rapid advance to the rear of troops or an installation about to be over-run by enemy combatants. It is also an appropriate term for political people deserting their political party in the face of sure and certain defeat. And that is the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Wise politicos choose their battles carefully.
Toronto council has made a bad move. They are, in effect, fighting ‘city hall.’ Because city hall for cities in Canada are the provincial and territorial governments. I am not saying the Toronto councillors definitely will not win against Queen’s Park reducing the number of councillors but they are not
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Exploring electoral ennui in America.
The one overriding perception of the 2016 American presidential election was that people were angry. Their disgust with Democrat and Republican party politics was visceral. A wise host and hostess tried to avoid discussions of politics among their guests. There was the common feeling that politics in America was not
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is Trump really the king of Twits?
No, we do not shun social media. I have tried a few of them and I simply find them wanting. It came as a surprise that when I decided they were a terrible waste of time, I could not get rid of them. It is insidious but I guess it
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Dougie doesn’t define Ontario.
Watching the first session of the new Ford government at Queen’s Park was a letdown. It was regressive, loud, uncivil, sexually repressed and barely disguised in its bigotry. The sea of white faces on the government side is barely broken by any ethnicity. Dougie does not do diversity. And this
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Who says Dougie’s done?
Looking at the upcoming Toronto municipal election in October, you can end up with more questions than answers. The problem is premier Ford. This guy is not finished with his home town. And they are not finished with him. And they are wasting the taxpayers’ money fighting him. We seem
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The troubled trials of Trudeau and Trump.
It’s embarrassing. Our prime minister cannot handle Donald Trump. We might as well admit it. It is doing less and less good to keep hoping Justin Trudeau will grow into the job. He does not have the gonads of his father. He lacks the wit and gumption to put the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: “The shape of things to come”
Writer H.G. Wells would be astounded by the possible changes in the Canadian political landscape over the coming year. Events commencing this year will culminate in the federal election planned for 2019. And it is each piece of the puzzle as it unfolds that foretells the future. This year, we
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Doing it the old-fashioned way.
We better face facts folks! Dougie and his denizens have four years to tear into the fabric of Ontario. Do you really think you will still recognize your province by the time you have a chance to get rid of them? Today, we have been looking at the cannabis market.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: It should not all be about Trump.
The other day newspapers in North America and around the world joined in a paean for a free press. It needs to be said that where it failed was that so much of that valuable space was given so freely to U.S. president Donald Trump and that ilk. It was
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Of foolish people who shun the past.
There is far too much of this rewriting of history going on today. Why should anyone be concerned that Canada’s first prime minister was a drunk? Or was it his attitude towards our aboriginal people—that he shared with many others of the time? Why are some silly people now trying
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Dougie’s dummies don’t do doubts.
This summer session of the Ontario legislature showed that Dougie and the dummies do not do deep thinking. It is not their style. As the government of Ontario, we can expect scatterbrained legislation, shallow thinking, ignorance and precipitous actions. And that will be on the good days. After all, he
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Musing on Maxime’s Maxims.
Maxime Bernier MP does not endear himself. It is not so much his conservatism as his libertarianism. I have met some pretty far right Quebec politicians before but Bernier likes to use his ideas for shock and awe. It gets him lots of media coverage—not all good. Bernier rides the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Copenhagen Syndrome.
You have probably heard of the Stockholm Syndrome. The Copenhagen Syndrome is only different in that it is for people to learn to love bicycles–instead of the people keeping them captive. The Copenhagen Syndrome is prevalent in Toronto these days because nobody seems to understand the difference in climate and
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Disciplining the diplomacy of diplomats.
She might be a bit smaller in stature but foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland is head-over-heels ahead of a conservative predecessor John Baird. Baird was something of an embarrassment throughout his tenure during the Harper era. And if Freeland knew enough to stay away from Twitter, we could give her
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A summer of silly slogans.
It has to be this hot summer. It is either that or we have some of the stupidest politicians in the world right here in tropical Ontario. Premier Ford and a few of his political cronies took a road trip—with news media in tow—back down the Highway of Heroes to
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The vengeance of the vegans.
The Toronto subway system is a special place to me. It was many years ago that my first job in advertising was selling advertising space in the subway. I loved it. It was not that I was a great salesperson but I was creative. I would dream up ads for
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Can Singh sing a new song in Burnaby?
It is now confirmed that new democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh will try for a seat in the House of Commons this fall. The facts are that the guy has not drawn a salary for over a year now. He has gotten married and he might need a couple new
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