Since I am currently preoccupied with rebuilding a small part of our deck (unskilled non-trades person that I am, the work is proceeding slowly), I shall take the easy way out this morning and embed some political ads that are making the rounds on You Tube and inviting commentary from
Continue readingTag: political attack ads
Politics and its Discontents: I Feel Better Already
….knowing that Mr. Harper’s fight against ISIS hasn’t distracted him from an even greater threat to all that is holy and good: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Rick’s Latest Rant
In his latest, Rick Mercer turns his acerbic wit on the theft of copyright being engineered by the Harper regime to facilitate its campaign of attack ads. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: "Flirting With Fascism"
That is the lacerating assessment offered by CTV’s Don Martin as he editorializes about the impending theft of copyrighted material engineered (and originally intended to be hidden) by the Harper regime in their next omnibus bill. Documents leaked to the media have made the public aware of this nefarious scheme,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Dear, Dear, Dear, Dear Me
Lordy, I see young Tim Hudak is hurling those sticks and stones again. Won’t that boy ever try acting like a grown man? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Glimmer Of Principle
Laurie Hawn, Alberta Brent Rathgeber, Alberta Kevin Sorenson, Alberta Mike Allen, New Brunswick Joe Daniel, Ontario Larry Miller, Ontario Stephen Woodworth, Ontario What do all of the above M.P.s have in common? In addition to being members of the federal Conservative caucus, each, it seems, has some surprising integrity. Each
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Glimmer Of Principle
Laurie Hawn, Alberta Brent Rathgeber, Alberta Kevin Sorenson, Alberta Mike Allen, New Brunswick Joe Daniel, Ontario Larry Miller, Ontario Stephen Woodworth, Ontario What do all of the above M.P.s have in common? In addition to being members of the federal Conservative caucus, each, it seems, has some surprising integrity. Each
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Harper’s Cyberbullying and Hypocrisy
Since I arose uncharacteristically late this morning, I am still working on today’s post. In the interim, I take the liberty of reproducing some letters from Star readers on a topic dear to the heart of progressives: Harper’s attack ads: Re: Tory ad war drowns out debate over free speech,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Well-Deserved Ridicule
I suspect only the party faithful and the ‘true-believers’ would find these pictures objectionable: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Is this A New Crime In Harperland?
While the word commit has several meanings, when it is used without the preposition ‘to’ (as in, He is committed to her cause), it is invariably associated with something heinous (John committed arson; Shelley committed fraud; Lorne committed murder). It is therefore not likely a slip of the tongue when
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Is Harper Just A Big Bully?
These Star readers seem to think so: Tories attack Trudeau on first day in new job, April 16 It is fair to criticize opposing politicians for their political beliefs and policies. It is right to deplore bullying in all its forms. Now we find that the usual unfair, unjust and
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Allan Gregg on Attack Ads
I have written about Allan Gregg on this blog before; probably his most noteworthy recent contribution to political discourse came in his speech to Carleton University’s School of Public Affairs, in which he denounced the Orwellian bent of the Harper regime in its promotion of ignorance in place information and
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Incoming Editorial Cartoon
Oh, I do so savor The Toronto Star. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: For Your Further Consideration
Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pondering The Dark Arts
For those as weary of political attack ads as I am, The Star’s Carol Goar has an interesting column in today’s edition. Entitled Debating ‘dark arts’ of political campaigning, Goar relates her experience of moderating a panel over the weekend comprised of … Jaime Watt, the primary architect of former
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper Hate-Mongering
The latest attack ad, this one against newly-appointed Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau, serves as a timely reminder of the Harper government’s seemingly endless capacity for hateful and divisive propaganda. In this, I make an all-too obvious observation. But I have, for some time, wondered about the audience for those
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Conservative Attack Ad – UPDATED
I suspect many will agree that this ad says more about the Conservative Party behind it than it does about its subject: UPDATE: This Star editorial provides some useful context for and analysis of this attack ad. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Brilliance From Montreal Simon
Many thanks to Montreal Simon, who created this trenchant attack ad: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Blather From Gerry Nichols: Your Mother Wears Army Boots
Earlier this week, Gerry Nichols, self-described on his website as One of Canada’s Top Five Political Minds, wrote an opinion piece in The Start entitled, In praise of negative political ads. In it, the former head of the National Citizens Coalition asserts that positive political ads are a far greater
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper Inc. Continues To Deform Our National Ethos
While it is probably impossible to define the soul of a nation, one aspect of the Canadian psyche must surely be a generosity of spirit and a concern for the collective that is absent in many other nations. It is the relentless attack upon this very spirit, with the intention
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