Archives for September 2008

Cross border neoConservatism

09/16/2008 by Debra

Two excellent examples of why we must guard against allowing neoconservatives to achieve positions of power.

First a post by skdadl at pogge which includes a youtube of a Biden speech. Well worth 30 minutes out of your day. He outlines the total disregard for the average American that both the outgoing Bush administration and the hopeful McCain administration share. Though it deals with the American government it is a window into the thinking of the Republican wanna-be that is Harper.

One of my favorite lines from the speech is this; “We’ve seen this movie before and we know that the sequel is always worse than the original.”

You can bet that the sequel to a Harper government, most especially if there is an increase in seats, will be much worse than the original. And this line is particularly significant to those of us here in Ontario struggling to regain ground after the Harris debacle. And let us not forget that Flaherty, Devolin and others were part and parcel of that governmental fiasco.

The second example is a post written in the Hamilton Spec by Tom Cooper (I don’t usually and don’t like copying large passages but hope Cooper will forgive me as it is just so important that this message be heard.)

Three and a half million Canadians (including 800,000 children) live in poverty, and yet there is no sign of the creation of a national anti-poverty strategy.
Tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost in southern Ontario over the last several years. In just the last week there were 800 job losses in Welland, 500 in Oakville and 93 at Hamilton’s Coppley’s Apparrel.
Hundreds of thousands of laid off workers cannot access Employment Insurance benefits after losing a job because criteria discriminate against those, notably women with young children, who work irregular hours.
Many low- and middle-income families don’t have access to affordable child care. And no, a $100/month benefit doesn’t cut it.
A national housing strategy is nonexistent, and homelessness remains dire in many urban centres. The federally funded Homelessness Partnership Initiative is set to expire March 31, 2009, which will have a dramatically negative impact on homelessness in Hamilton and across the country if it is not renewed.

How many of the people affected thought politics didn’t affect them? How many thought–perhaps still think–that their vote doesn’t matter? How many have lost so much there may be no regaining even what they had?

In Biden’s speech he talks about how poverty isn’t just a lack of money. It means a lack of respect, of confidence of ability to properly care for your family or keep your home.

When asked about social programs Harper opines that we can’t afford them. BUT we can afford 5 BILLION dollars in ~~welfare payments~~ tax cuts to corporations? Easy to see where his priorities lie. Easy to see that he like the person mentioned in Biden’s speech could be one to say that middle class is someone making less than 5 million a year.

This is not a time to turn away in apathy. Your country needs you. VOTE!

Palin’ in comparison

09/15/2008 by Debra

If one wonders how Alaskans feel about the VP choice of the American fundamentalist movement, one might feel that everyone thinks she is wonderful. A saviour of the right. Odd considering that any other woman in her situation would be tarred and feathered for not choosing to stay home and raise the children. Isn’t that what they say is best? Isn’t that why they don’t support daycare initiatives?

Interesting blog post here detailing the background to an anti Palin rally and how the media chose only to highlight the pro Palin crowd.

It is necessary that the media falsely spin this to look like she has the support of the majority of women. The reality is the majority of women do not want anyone else telling them what to do with their bodies. Someone who appears not to believe in the concept of rape at all, even going to the extreme of expecting women to pay for their own rape kits. Most women are perfectly happy to support a pregnant teenage daughter, provide her with an actual choice, support her in WHATEVER that choice is and not parade her around like a walking billboard of their ideology.

Palin says she recognizes that not everyone agrees with her beliefs. Yet she and McCain would choose to foist their culture of tyranny on them nevertheless. This is a common thread with ultra – conservative – fundamentalists, their complete inability to recognize that choice doesn’t change their lives. If some women have abortions or some same sex partners get married it affects their day to day life not at all. Certainly laws which forbid discrimination and blatant hate mongering do. However, a careful reading of the bible also dismisses such behaviour as sinful [the story of the good Samaritan, turning the other cheek and many more examples]and any etiquette book will tell you it is just plain bad manners.

Both the Canadian and American media have much to answer for presenting Harper, McCain, Palin and others like them as though they were just another politician another choice. This is not politics as usual. First they came for the feminists…….

Election Observations

09/14/2008 by Debra

Having not had access to blogging due to a computer meltdown, this will be a number of general observations about the election over the past few days.

Sandra Buckler appearing on a panel the morning the election was called started speaking about ‘blue provinces’ perhaps Sandra has been watching too much American election coverage. Though this Americanizaton of Canadian politics seems to be intended as the press release from Harper had a graphic nearly identical to that used in American politics. Harper ’08. I wasn’t aware we elected a PM I thought we elected parties.

Harper in his speech to reporters (and really do reporters have no memory or were these the ‘vetted’ reporters because his bashful, jovial aw shucks giggling was the complete antithesis of the way he usually responds to the press) spoke of his ‘family friendly economics’ and trotted out the 1200 dollars a year available in pro-rated amounts to families with children under 7. Family friendly? Right. 100 bucks a month goes a long way to providing good quality, safe, regulated daycare. NOT

Harper consistantly played on his being a ‘family man’ as if this has some bearing on his ability to run the country, solve poverty, expand regulations for pollution control and deal with a declining economy. Also when challenged as to whether Dion and Layton were not also family men, he smarmily sidestepped the question in such a way as to insinuate he didn’t believe so.

One of the meme’s around the election seems to be that the [Not Your Father’s]Conservatives are the only centre/right party and that all other parties are left wing. This is the same baffle ’em with bullshit that has dragged the American political parties into neanderthal territory playing to the lowest common denominator.

He speaks of the senate being a problem for democracy no doubt because they have proven troublesome getting anti democratic bills shoved through such as Bill C-10. Laughingly Harper also opined that he is always picked on but that he himself is not one to attack in a personal or nasty fashion. If there was a God surely lighting would have struck at the boldness of that statement.

Harper spoke of his government not getting support from the other parties. Perhaps we could band together buy the poor dear a dictionary and highlight the term OPPOSITION for him. It is especially amusing to see him speak of cooperation (when really he means capitulation to everything he wants) as he truly believes he has no responsibility to protect or represent those who didn’t vote for him.

I was particularly impressed with Gilles Duceppe and his speech going into the election. He was the only one who touched on the efforts of the Harper government to turn back the clock on women’s rights, the decimation of SWC, the callous attitude toward pollution ‘Kyoto socialist plot’ and the Republican style tactics which Harper et al engage in.

It is unfortunate that so much time and energy was wasted on debating Ms. May’s inclusion in the debates. Although she has in effect made a pact with the Liberals, it is right for her to be included in the interests of democracy and representation for those interested in her party. Debating her inclusion seemed to carry more weight than discussions of job loss, poverty, environment and other issues having far more impact on the daily lives of Canadians.

Harper showed his commitment to the environment when he chose a motorcade to cross the street.

I have been very interested in the comments that the American election is more exciting than the Canadian election and wonder how anyone got that idea. After all they have two parties, we have many. Their two parties are falling all over themselves to garner the vote of the small number of fundamentalist crazies who through judicious use of fakery make their numbers seem grossly inflated. Hey our crazies do that too, still no reason to pander to them.

Regardless of who makes the best gossip, we live here. Our vote matters here. And it is no exaggeration to say that this vote may well change the face of Canada for generations to come. If the Harper Reform/Alliance party is given any serious numbers the country known for it’s civility,caring and dedication to human rights will become a thing of the past. In it’s place will be a country where father knows best, dissent is disallowed and rights are for those that can afford them. I for one do not want to live in that twisted version of Canada.

So that what all the talk of a Mandate is about!

09/10/2008 by Debra

Harper giving an election speech at a vegetable processing plant is asked what kind of vegetable would he be? Surrounded by vegetables he still couldn’t come up with an answer.

However, after a few minutes it occurred to him that he wouldn’t be a vegetable at all. No. He would be a fruit — sweet and colourful. *gag*

A fruit eh? Well I’d say probably a peach since his logic is fuzzy and he’s the pits.

*Blogged from the local library*

War What is it Good For?

09/01/2008 by Debra

Edwin Starr asked this question back in 1970*

circa 2008 the GOP under George Bush answers,

Part of a proposal for Guantanamo Bay legal detainees, the provision before Congress seeks to “acknowledge again and explicitly that this nation remains engaged in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated organizations, who have already proclaimed themselves at war with us and who are dedicated to the slaughter of Americans.”
The New York Times’ page 8 placement of the article in its Saturday edition seems to downplay its importance. Such a re-affirmation of war carries broad legal implications that could imperil Americans’ civil liberties and the rights of foreign nationals for decades to come.
It was under the guise of war that President Bush claimed a legal mandate for his warrantless wiretapping program, giving the National Security Agency power to intercept calls Americans made abroad. More of this program has emerged in recent years, and it includes the surveillance of Americans’ information and exchanges online.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d8C4AIFgUg[/youtube]

*song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969

Sarah Palin: Not Pretty in Pink

09/01/2008 by Debra

Sarah Palin aka McCain’s running mate.

Though much seems to center on her private life; questions of Trig’s parentage and name, whether she is trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired are all voyeuristically amusing but allow far more serious personal and political concerns to be swept under the rug.

People who believe strongly that a woman’s place is in the home and that babies are meant to be raised by their mothers and who called Hilary a ball breaker for daring to aspire to the highest office of the U.S. are now touting Palin, mother of 4 month old Trig, as the Saviour of the GOP.

“We know from recent voting patterns that women are the key voting group that will elect the next president of the United States,” Cindy McCain says on her husband’s Web page for outreach to women. “So it is vitally important that Republican women get involved. . . You can’t win this election without the women’s vote.”

SOURCE
Having suddenly discovered the importance of women the GOP in the twisted way they so excel at, choose a woman bent on setting women’s rights back to pre-right to vote era times.

Palin is part of the extremist anti-choice crowd and an affiliate of Feminists for Life who believe that abortion should be outlawed regardless of any extenuating circumstance including life of the mother. They also believe that all forms of contraception should be illegal.

The decision to have a baby can be wonderful. A woman may feel more in touch with herself than at any other point in her life. The act of giving birth can give you a whole new appreciation of life and of your own strengths and abilities. And even with all that 1 in 5 women will experience post partum depression.

Imagine then forcing this process, which is fraught with dangers on someone who has not made the choice. A young teen exchanging sex for love, a college student whose birth control failed, a wife and mother already struggling to house and feed the children she has, a victim of rape or incest or a woman with a medical condition for which pregnancy would kill her.

People like Palin believe biblical allegories to be life truths;
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Genesis 3:16)
“The bible teaches that women brought sin and death into the world, that she precipitated the fall of the race, that she was arraigned before the judgment seat of Heaven, tried, condemned and sentenced. Marriage for her was to be a condition of bondage, maternity a period suffering and anguish, and in silence and subjection, she was to play the role of a dependent on man’s bounty for all her material wants, and for all the information she might desire… Here is the Bible position of woman briefly summed up.” –Elizabeth Cady Stanton. And here is the position of evangelical anti-choicers like Palin summed up.

Hand in hand with her anti-choice sentiment is her desire to force her particular brand of religion on everyone with her belief that creationism should be taught in school, and other beliefs of dominionism.

Dominionism is summed up thusly by George Grant;
“Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ — to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness. But it is dominion we are after. Not just a voice. It is dominion we are after. Not just influence. It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time. It is dominion we are after. World conquest. That’s what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish.”

This is not a time to think we are seeing politics as usual. America while it forces it’s citizens eyes toward scary brown people over there, is in the midst of a holy war from within. The bible quotes Jesus as saying to his disciples “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” Dominionists set their disciples out as wolves in sheep’s clothing seeming to be “just people of faith”.

Those who at any other time decry sisterhood are asking why feminists aren’t rallying around Palin, why they don’t recognize her valuable contribution to women in politics. Well the simple answer is because though we support her right to advance her political career we don’t condone her doing so by stripping other women of their rights. Just as men don’t vote for men they see as being antithetical to their beliefs and best interests.

To the disappointed Hilary supporters who are giving any thought to voting for this anti-woman anti-democracy duo–please please do not let your disappointment cloud your judgment.

The ‘Pink Elephant’ campaign not only cruises on the back of dumbing down women’s politics like pink lego™ it, by hiding the true intent of the GOP, conforms completely to the definition of the term;

Something so large and obvious (like a pink elephant), but nobody says a word- like it doesn’t even exist, making the the whole circumstance very akward.

Their desire to take away your rights does exist. Ignore that at your peril.