For the record, I’m a Shithead. (Some of you may have noticed this… And those who know me well will surely confirm this affirmation.) I’m comfortable with that. I have a tendency to wear it like a badge of honour. (Some people get the red badge of courage… But damn it, where’s the fun in that?) I like stirring the pot, and I love pissing people off. It’s fun for me.
The last couple of entries have not disappointed me at all. In fact I’d have to say they have amused me for the last 36 hours (and counting…)
I’ll be honest here, I believe in the things I write (Vehemently in most respects…), but I also tend to tailor the content to derive the maximum entertainment value. The bigger the rise I can get out of someone the better. Sometimes I like to throw a little verbal “wink” in there. Subtext is a beautiful thing. It’s the best tool in the shed.
I love watching people heave their political “guts” up. Especially if the remains look like a recipe that was conceived on a three day bender. For those of you that have seen the movie “Wag the Dog” you know exactly what I mean.
Anyway, having read the comments on the last two posts, I have some things I want to say. I’ve decided to address each comment, so here goes.
1) Denise – A) Stephen Harper isn’t scary. They only way he would be scary is if he really was capable in some fashion. Since he isn’t, he just sort of winds up being impotent. B) There is a difference between disaffected rhetoric and Liberal rhetoric… I am the former and not the later…
2) Angela - I knew I liked you for a reason.
3) Peter - A) Harper’s not a motherfucker. That’s paying to much homage there. B) Positive change has come from liberal thinking. Sadly the liberal party is no longer capable of positive change. That think tank is bankrupt. C) Conservatives have always feared change. That is an axiom. Conservatives in every society on the planet have been responsible for some of the most backward gruesome and callous thinking imaginable. The Nazis were very conservative; the current Bush administration is beyond conservative. They’re zealots… Money-grubbing neo con zealots. Baathists are pretty conservative, and so are the Taliban… (Not too much free thinking here…) K… I’m getting off topic here… (Alright way off topic…) The Conservative party of Canada suffers from the same lack of vision that all Canadian political parties suffer from. It’s three biggest flaws stem from this. 1) They lack any concrete plan to increase productivity in this country. (Which is something that other G8 members have been critical of… and with good reason…) 2) Economic models that they construct do not address anything more than baseline economics. Nothing is designed to encourage homespun business and cottage industry. (Which have been projected to be dominate in this century’s economy.) Agriculture is largely ignored too… (Given the powerbase in the current version of the party that seems really odd to me…) the new economy relies on things that they do not understand. Big business is treasured, but the tools of the new century that will carry Canadians forward have yet to have been understood let alone adopted in any credible fashion. 3) Partisan politics choke the functionality of this country. Instead of voting for the wishes of their constituents, all parties (without exception…) in this country vote “their conscience”. Which has pretty much been code for towing party lines, and is a big load of horseshit. (A recipe for social chaos at the best of times…) The petty nonsense of partisan politics does nothing to help Canada become one of the key players on the world stage in this century. One need only look at the fucked up shit that is happening in the United States to realize this is true.
Truthfully I find it mystifying that anyone could be “only” liberal, or “only” conservative in this day and age. There are too many things at stake to be staunchly one or the other. Given that there are elements of both that are quite distasteful. Imagine what would happen if the abortion laws were repealed. Oops there goes a woman’s right to choose. (Stockwell Day would love that… and he’s a former leader of a party, and still retains a significant amount of power in his party.) Oh hey… looky looky, the death penalty is trendy again. Etc. etc. etc. etc.
4) Denise – A) “Comedians are the purest form of conservatism.” That’s a crock. Comedians are more like libertarians. It’s the quest for liberty that propels us. It’s a more socially pragmatic thing than conservatism. B) There is no such thing as “Liberal Media” it doesn’t exist. That’s a conservative lie. And a big one too. Surely you can’t be that suckered to believe that everything that comes out of the conservative party is gospel. That would be foolhardy. There are liars on all sides of the political spectrum. Liberal media… who would that be exactly? The National post? Not likely… it’s owned by Izzy Asper who is a huge conservative… CTV… owed by Bell… Really fucking conservative… The Globe and Mail? Once again owned by conservatives… The CBC… owned the government… and every previous government before it… liberal and conservative… so like 1 for 4 so far…
5) Daniel – I wanna play hockey… I’ll teach you a proper slap shot the next time you are here.
6) Daryl – You hit the nail on the head about liberty… But your assessment of the media is retarded.
Anyway… it looks like I’ve created a monster here… So I’ll finish my thoughts tomorrow…
17 comments:
Dare I comment, given the barbed wit in this conversation? Oh, what the heck!
Although I find myself appreciating all the points of view presented, I find myself tending to agree more with our host Marcus, in that, to think in terms absolutes, (.e. liberal versus conservative), is counterproductive. I would suggest that this might lead to dogmatism, which can be blinding to the many possibilities to the current problems our society faces (i.e. health care).
I would still be reluctant to vote for the conservatives, given their platform and ideologies (i.e. death penalty, abortion, etc) differ too greatly from my own. In the last federal election, Paul Martin was in my voting area, so I voted N.D.P.; I do not feel that the Liberal party, under his leadership, is a party that respresents what I would like for Canada’s future.
How, then, does one vote, given the poor choices currently available? The current Liberal cabinet is shady and spends available resources poorly, the Torys are a bit too categorical, narrow-minded, and obdurate in their views to meet libertarian requirments, the NDP have cute ideas, but are not strong enough in their power to convince others that they are a force to be reckoned with, and the fringe parties (i.e. Green or Pot Parties) would be an embarressment to international relationships and politics. I won’t even discuss the Quebec separatist parties, that is a conversation on it’s own.
I guess the ideolist in me would like to see accountability be introduced to the government. If politicians are indeed civil servents, it would be ground-breaking to see them serve public needs, rather than personal agendas.
Ok, I’m shutting up now.
#1 - You're an ass, but in a good way!
#2 - My only problem with your arguments is that if everyone voted with their constituents and not with their parties do you really think we would get anything done?
For the record I've been a staunch Conservative for many years but in the last couple months they've completely fucked the whole system. All this let's dump the libs shit has ceased to allow us to get any actual work done in parliament (ok, it's mostly a sham that they get anything done but...). Right now my vote rides with Belinda and whom ever she choses at the moment. She's the only Conservative bold enough to stand up and say this is crap. Would that her boy toy could do the same, the world would be a better place...or at least Canada.
Marcus, you said "But your assessment of the media is retarded. "
Is it? I read the Globe and Mail today (stayed awake too!!) they had a story on the gomery inquiry. The headline and storyline would make any non-thinker believe that the Libs(read chretien and martin and other top whores) were innocent. It touted that they were, it said they were and in subtext it subtley mentioned that was whatTHEIR LAWYERS were going to testify.
Any schmuck just skimming the article would have missed that it was only their testimony (lies) not the facts. If that is not the tail wagging the dog in true matrix BS style....I don't know what is. The misdirection would make any magician proud.
To add. Maybe the new conservative party is not the best bet, but they beat the thieves that have lied to us, ripped us off of our money and thumbed their noses at democracy. In my act I now say "vote for anyone but them. A landslide majority for the marijuana party with the green party as official opposition would suit me fine. Nothing bad would happen, nothing good would happen. in short, nothing would happen. I would much prefer that.
Stoners and tree huggers (getting stoned) doing squat. My political uptopia.
Lisa!! Lisa!! You said "Right now my vote rides with Belinda and whom ever she choses at the moment. "
Are you kidding me? you would put faith in an opportunistic bitch that sells out any so called beliefs for personal gain?
Since the big bad "C" word is offensive to some, I use her name instead.
Any one who supports her is a dirty belinda stonach!
That is what is fucked with cdn politics. You get voted in under a party banner and then, at your own whim, change your mind and switch teams?? There should be a by-election unless they sit as an independant.
Marcus Mracus "The National post? Not likely… it’s owned by Izzy Asper who is a huge conservative…"
Are you kidding me? he was a HUGE chretien fan.
You lie like a liberal on that one.
Yes you are a shithead....but, I am in the lead with replies on this post!! Does that make me a shithead too??
You stirred the pot and some good debate has resulted. Well done shithead!! Well done.
I still likes ya!
:-)
Actually Daryl, I think Belinda is the right choice simply because she did change parties and look for the easiest way to get power. She's done well at running the family fortune and to me that means that she'd do well at running Canada's finances. I think the fact that she's not afraid of stepping out and away from people she doesn't agree with or whom can't help her get the job done means she won't be afraid of making the tough decisions when she gets to the top.
Lisa, if Belinda had crossed the floor to sit as an independant I would agree with you. However her actions show she is a whore. Opportunistic, available at the right price. If you sign on with one party, try for the leadership of same, get voted in by the public while running for that party I feel it is immoral to just say, "Well I am going to work for the other guys". It makes me wonder if she was a paid mole all this time. The Liberals are that sneaky and with all the money they have skimmed, they could have financed her soul-less career choice. She shows no conviction of ideals. A true Liberal!
So if she had sat as an independant and still voted with the liberals that would have been better for her constituents than getting more power and a better position in the current government (a position that affords her the ability to make changes to the current government and respond to some of their many fiascos). I don't think so.
Her constituents were never in the eqauation. It was all about her, the power she could gain. Someone so greedy and shallow, unable to stick to their convictions, is not going to give a rats ass about her constituents' wants.
I would have respected her more if she had sat as an independant. Instead she sided with the very party she was trying to lead against. That tells me her so called "beliefs" are for sale at any time.
I am sure many that voted for her are probably mad as hell. I would be.
that is what she said. i don't beleive anything she says. Paul Martin also said he is not guilty of ad scam.
I am not guilty of being opinionated.
Daryl, do you even vote in elections? You don't seem to believe in anything that any politician says and I'm not sure why you would vote if you don't believe them.
Belinda won her riding by a very small margin, something like 5%, and her riding has traditionally been a Liberal riding. I really doubt that anyone there is as pissed that she crossed the floor as you are.
Lisa, yes I do vote in ALL elections. I feel it is my duty to exercise that right as a free person. Many have died for the right to vote in a democracy. I feel it is morally wrong to not vote and get very upset, no PISSED OFF, with anyone who bitches about the system yet doesn't vote. I am sure that you are a voter given your depth of knowledge and positions on issues here. It is the apethetic Candian public that just shrugs and goes "oh well" that I am angry with.
Sure my vote out west does not often count but I trudge down to the polls every election (civic, provicncial and federal) hoping to make a diifference.
I have fought my former condo board in legal action (when they tried to tell me I was not able to post a political sign a few elections back) and won. Hope that answers your questions.
Militantly yours
Daryl
Well done good Sir!
Asper was a liberal in name only. Given his views on what kind of freedoms the media should have, as well as his views on taxation, he was uber conservative... Don't kid yourself. (and yes I was aware that he was dead...) Canwest Global... has been pretty rought on the ruling liberals for quite some time. (I'm pretty sure that was one of Asper's holdings...) The only difference between Conrad Black and Asper, was who they voted for in the last election. I'm willing to bet Asper was a liberal only because it truly suited his needs...
As for Bell Canada (CTV)... they most certainly are conservative. One only need look as the people who govern that corporation to see where the slant lies... You'd be hard pressed to find an outfit more conservative.... Except for maybe Barrick, or General Dynamics, or maybe Fox...
To assume that the people that work for CTV have any real say is niave (sp) at best .
Okay... Robert... I give up...
And Yes... I was a Trudeau Liberal... Martin was never my choice for a leader of the party. Truthfully, the well is pretty dry these days. The party needs new blood in the worst possible way.
I am unable to support the Liberals because i feel they have strayed far from what the founding priciples of the party are, and currently have zero focus.
It's obvious they have become corrupt. The party is rotten from the inside out. While there are very few things that Mr. Harper and I agree on... I do agree with his assertion that they need to be trounced out. I cannot with good conscience argue against that.
The problem for me is this... Given my left of centre views, there isn't much out there for me right now. Green... maybe... NDP... too frustrating... etc... Perhaps Natural Law... (yeah right...)
Sadly, voting Liberal was a way to feel smug about Reform / Alliance / Conservtives (or whatever they are calling it this week...) not getting my vote. It has not truly reflected my beliefs for some time.
There is a part of me that is completely unable to concieve of giving the conservatives a shot. Perhaps if Joe was still around, but even then, i would feel that i went against some core principle...
I find myself at a cross roads in terms of political beliefs... Now I understand why John Q public has become disaffected. Who out there really wants to look out for my best interests? Who will support the causes I believe in? Who wil fight the battles i think need to be fough?
Right now I'm inclined to think the aswer truly is nobody.
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