Someone prescient once said, “Those who would sacrifice a little freedom for a little security, deserve neither, and will lose both.” We would do well to remember those words now. And we are most definitely in the process of losing both, as we speak. But maybe we aspire to be
Continue readingTag: Totalitarianism
Dead Wild Roses: The DWR Quote of the Day – George Kennan – On Totalitarianism
“The fact of the matter is that there is a little bit of the totalitarian buried somewhere, way down deep, in each and every one of us. It is only the cheerful light of confidence and security which keeps this evil genius down… If confidence and security were to disappear,
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Loneliness and extremism
The need for social connection and community support for the people of our society has never been greater. Being alone, atomized, and unable to relate to the rest of society and those inhabit it opens people up to harmful ideologies and an movemet toward totalitarian thoughts and impulses. Nabeelah Jaffer has
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: No Iron Lady, But the Lady is a True Orchid of Steel
Aung San Suu Kyi appears in public after her release on November 14, 2010 Coming out in the heels of Aung San Suu Kyi recent electoral breakthrough of her National League for Democracy, The Lady, an epic feature film directed by Luc Besson, about the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Social Justice and Democracy Activists Fool their Foes on April Fools
Long time social justice and democracy activists fooled their foes on April Fools this year giving the world a double victory with Aung San Suu Kyi and George Galloway winning by-elections to restore voices for reason in the world. Suu Kyi, a long time political prisoner, won her first election
Continue readingHarper getting serious about squashing environmental groups. $8M worth of serious.
This is beyond bold. Harper setting aside $8 million to fight environmental groups is appalling of course and a sign that Harper’s totalitarian approach to governance is just beginning. A recent Maclean’s analysis suggests the initiative is aimed directly at Tides Canada, a registered charity which spends some of its
Continue readingConservative Senator Irving Gerstein removes Liberal and only woman Vice-Chair since Confederation, 17-year member Céline Hervieux-Payette
Shocking is right. But par for the course when it comes to heavy-handed Conservatives. I love the part how Gerstein blacked out “his motion, the debates and the vote”. Transparency? Free society? Guess again. Ottawa, February 9, 2012 – Yesterday, Senator Irving Gerstein, the new Chair of the Senate Standing Committee
Continue readingConservative Senator Irving Gerstein removes Liberal and only woman Vice-Chair since Confederation, 17-year member Céline Hervieux-Payette
Shocking is right. But par for the course when it comes to heavy-handed Conservatives. I love the part how Gerstein blacked out “his motion, the debates and the vote”. Transparency? Free society? Guess again. Emphasis mine. Ottawa, February 9, 2012 – Yesterday, Senator Irving Gerstein, the new Chair of the
Continue readingToday’s Conservative: afraid of debate, emboldened by a docile media
For the 13th time in nine months, the Conservatives have stifled debate on an issue important to Canadians, especially those approaching old age. “Enthusiastic support”, indeed. When the public is shut out from discussion, of whose support is Van Loan speaking? Mr. Van Loan made the accusations of delay in
Continue readingToday’s Conservative: afraid of debate, emboldened by a docile media
For the 13th time in nine months, the Conservatives have stifled debate on an issue important to Canadians, especially those approaching old age. “Enthusiastic support”, indeed. When the public is shut out from discussion, of whose support is Van Loan speaking? Mr. Van Loan made the accusations of delay in
Continue readingOn “fascism” in the U.S.
Paul Street on why the U.S. is not a “fascist” state: Even if real historical fascism could be translated across times and place to the modern U.S. it would be largely redundant for America’s powers that be. The American elite already gets the basic regressive and authoritarian outcomes of fascism
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Ex-Dear Leader Hysteria
I tweeted this earlier in the day, but the scenes just keep replaying though my head with annoying frequency for some disturbing reason. In one respect, it’s difficult not to simply scoff at the ridiculous demonstrations of hysterical “grief” over the death of the demented little totalitarian freak that was
Continue reading