April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

Politics

Facebook and Progressive Values

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I deleted my Facebook account awhile ago because I could no longer feel right with myself visiting a site which so clearly violates my principles. Complaints about misogynist groups advocating rape and other abuses towards women, groups degrading those with physical or mental handicaps were regularly met with ‘this does not violate Facebook standards’ yet apparently perfectly lovely shots of breastfeeding mothers do. Tattoos on breast cancer survivors seem to also.

However, I have found myself wondering if standing up for my principles does anything but soothe my conscience. I see many many progressives on Facebook and I have to wonder why it bothers me so much if it doesn’t bother them? At least not enough for them to leave.

This isn’t the first time I have taken a principled stand only for it to seem meaningless. I wonder if anyone else has this type of experience? Is there anything you have done, not done, quit because it seemed right to you, yet others who seem to share your values don’t feel the need to do the same?

Christian Groups to Protect #OccupyLondon At Saint Paul’s Cathedral

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Normally I agree with this quote from Gandhi, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” However a number of Christian groups in London have come together to prove that sometimes Christ’s teachings do prevail.

A statement by the groups said: “As Christians, we stand alongside people of all religions who are resisting economic injustice with active nonviolence. The global economic system perpetuates the wealth of the few at the expense of the many. It is based on idolatrous subservience to markets. We cannot worship both God and money.”

Perhaps change can yet come to pass..

Mark
23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Lies, Lies and Damnable Lies

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The Star has picked up and ran with the ball of shit containing the lie that Jack Layton and Olivia Chow lived in subsidized housing

From time to time [Jack Layton] has been criticized for saying one thing and doing another, including being caught red-handed in 1985 living in subsidized housing in Toronto when his and Olivia Chow, then a Toronto trustee, were raking in a combined $120,000 year.

Anyone familiar with co-op housing is aware that all economic levels live there with those in the lower brackets sometimes being subsidized. There are a few townhouse complexes throughout Hamilton based on that very structure.

This is an old and tired lie and beneath contempt, certainly beneath the The Star. It is time for a retraction and an apology and for this lie to be given a proper burial.

Read more at Dr Dawg’s

Harper Knows Best

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Ever wondered if the whole Father Knows Best sweater vest persona Harper puts on is just a show to appeal to his social conservative base? Well wonder no more! Ladies it turns out he really isn’t that into you.

The government of Prime Minister David Cameron believes the succession laws are antiquated and should be modernized, but they need the agreement of Commonwealth countries who maintain the Queen as the head of state, including Canada. New Zealand has agreed to the changes. But our prime minister, Stephen Harper, refuses. What twaddle.

Asked about all this on the campaign trail, Harper made it clear he wants to keep things as they are: leaving the monarchy to the eldest son, even if he has six older sisters. “The successor to the throne is a man,” he said. “The next successor to the throne is a man.” He says he has no intention of reopening debate on the monarchy, or any other part of our constitution.

One wonders if he simply tolerates the Queen, you know her missing that dangly bit and all.

h/t @anndouglas

1 Cat 2 Cat Red Cat Blue Cat

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As support for the NDP rises there rumblings from some quarters that the NDP is somehow betraying Canada by running a great campaign. Like Harper they have fallen victim to the idea of Canada as a two party system. The concept is that by not supporting the Liberals the NDP is complicit in allowing Harper to win. This presupposes that A) Harper will win and that B) the NDP has no responsibility to its members and contributors to run a proper campaign.

I want to vote for a party that has a commitment to health care and the bona fides to go with it.

I want to vote for a party with a commitment to labour, to protecting pensions and with a vision to bring dignity and hope to the lives of the poor including poor seniors.

I want to vote for a party with a commitment to human rights, women’s rights and respect for the environment.

In short I want to vote for a leftist party, which Ignatieff says the Liberals are not, “I don’t think of the Liberal Party of Canada as a party of the left. I never have,”

I have no problem with Layton and Ignatieff combining their efforts, coalition governments have been wonderful for Canada, however, we have had the Red Cats and the Blue Cats isn’t it time for “little fellow with an idea”?

Stephen Harper – He’s Not In It For You!

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Stephen ‘we aren’t in election mode‘ Harper’s attack ads on Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff takes various quotes with no context in order to paint him as someone with no love for Canada and apparently by extension no right to govern. Now I’m neither a Liberal nor a great supporter of Ignatieff, however, if this is the litmus test for leadership let’s see how Harper does when hoisted on his own petard.

“A culture of defeat…”
describing the Atlantic provinces

“Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it. Canadians make no connection between the fact that they are a Northern European welfare state and the fact that we have very low economic growth, a standard of living substantially lower than yours, a massive brain drain of young professionals to your country, and double the unemployment rate of the United States.”

June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think tank.

“I was asked to speak about Canadian politics. It may not be true, but it’s legendary that if you’re like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians.”

June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think tank.

“Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status, led by a second-world strongman appropriately suited for the task.”

“It is time to seek a new relationship with Canada,”

“In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don’t feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don’t feel bad about it themselves, as long as they’re receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance.”

June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think tank.

Harpers views on particular Canadians

Immigrants

“You have to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from Eastern Canada; people who live in ghettos and are not integrated into Western Canadian society.”
Report Newsmagazine, 2001.

Does that make NDP supporters Satanists?

“The NDP could be described as basically a party of liberal Democrats, but it’s actually worse than that, I have to say. And forgive me jesting again, but the NDP is kind of proof that the Devil lives and interferes in the affairs of men.”
June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think tank.

Feminist -read women’s rights and health care oh my!!

“The establishment came down with a constitutional package which they put to a national referendum. The package included distinct society status for Quebec and some other changes, including some that would just horrify you, putting universal Medicare in our constitution, and feminist rights, and a whole bunch of other things.”
June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National

Lost your job? don’t worry daddy Harper cares or maybe not…

In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, I don’t feel particularly bad for many of these people.
Rebel Youth magazine

Gay? no rights for you!

Same sex marriage is not a human right. … [U]ndermining the traditional definition of marriage is an assault on multiculturalism and the practices in those communities.
Hansard, February 16, 2005

Poor child? Suck it up wussies!

These proposals included cries for billions of new money for social assistance in the name of “child poverty” and for more business subsidies in the name of “cultural identity. In both cases I was sought out as a rare public figure to oppose such projects.”
The Bulldog, National Citizens Coalition

On coalition

As leaders of the opposition parties, we are well aware that, given the Liberal minority government, you could be asked by the Prime Minister to dissolve the 38th Parliament at any time should the House of Commons fail to support some part of the government’s program. We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority. Your attention to this matter is appreciated.

From a letter to then-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson signed by all three opposition leaders: Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton and Stephen Harper (September 9, 2004)