- Chris Selley nicely summarizes Jack Layton's celebration of life today:
I can just hear people kvetching: Was this a funeral for a great man, or a rally for his party?- Meanwhile, Stephen Lewis' stirring eulogy is here.
But again, this is surely to miss the point. Mr. Lewis said, son Mike and daughter Sarah confirmed in a lovely joint eulogy, and no one has plausibly disproved the concept, that for Jack Layton, “the private man and the public man were synonymous.” And that man was a New Democrat — for 40 years. He took his colleagues to unimagined new heights, rightly feared a tumble, and attempted to rally their spirits with his final words. We rightly lament the dearth of authenticity and sincerity in our politicians. Here was one displaying both in the most trying circumstances imaginable, and some of us turned up our noses.
...
Frankly, it’s easy to imagine many of the complainers mourning Layton’s conservative equivalent just as passionately as Canadians mourned Layton — if only it was possible to imagine a conservative equivalent of Jack Layton. I only met Layton once, in his final and finest office on Parliament Hill. Judging by the stories and anecdotes I saw this week, in print and in voice and in chalk, two million or so Canadians knew him better, and believed he was genuinely interested in their lives — “a man of the people who made everyone feel special,” as Shawn Atleo said. Love him or hate him, this is pretty much what politics is supposed to be.
- The Leader-Post editorial board slams the crowded jails resulting from the Cons' dumb on crime policies, while Chris Putnam criticizes a similarly short-sighted publicity stunt on a smaller scale in the form of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's attacks on video games in youth facilities.
- Finally, Errol Black and Jim Silver serve up some fast facts as to who's pushing for perpetually-increasing inequality and why.
I would think that the youth correction facilities would use access to video games as an incentive for young people to take steps in trying to rehabilitate themselves. The use of video games is likely to be used as a reward system. If you get rid of video games, then there may be no incentive for young people to try rehabilitation and counselling. The costs for video games and machines is likely to be cheaper than having another trial and conviction in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI would think that the youth correction facilities would use access to video games as an incentive for young people to take steps in trying to rehabilitate themselves. The use of video games is likely to be used as a reward system. If you get rid of video games, then there may be no incentive for young people to try rehabilitation and counselling. The costs for video games and machines is likely to be cheaper than having another trial and conviction in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI would think that the youth correction facilities would use access to video games as an incentive for young people to take steps in trying to rehabilitate themselves. The use of video games is likely to be used as a reward system. If you get rid of video games, then there may be no incentive for young people to try rehabilitation and counselling. The costs for video games and machines is likely to be cheaper than having another trial and conviction in the long run.
ReplyDeleteYou're right SD. We should reward criminals that are becoming good upstanding citizens with games where they get to pump bullets into cops.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute. That's stupid.
Exactly what we expect from this site every time.
At least it's always good for a laugh. It's always interesting to read what the very few that voted NDP "think".
But then, the Cons have made it clear (and their provincial cousins have echoed the principle) that cost/benefit analyses and rational decision-making are no object when it comes to looking tough against people they don't like. And they'll happily keep it up as long as enough people are willing to stand for being stuck with the bill.
ReplyDelete" If you get rid of video games, then there may be no incentive for young people to try rehabilitation and counselling."
ReplyDeleteHaha. Wow. What did they ever do before video games?!?
What if we made the jails a little more brutal, so they woulnt want to come back!
You guys are hilarious!
You don't learn any instruments playing "rockband".
ReplyDeleteIs having a blast playing video games in jail a human right?!?
Who are YOU people?!?
So it's your position that youths currently "want to come back" to correction facilities because they may have access to video games? Yes, that makes about as much sense as the Sask Party's general philosophy.
ReplyDeleteYes. I've spent some time in prisons and can tell you that a good many are not that intimidated by them.
ReplyDeleteMy position is also that I don't want my tax dollars spent on games that make killing hookers to steal their money and killing cops a thrill.
Your position on the other hand is that jail should be fun?
I don't think 12 year olds are a concern here. Interesting how you would refer to criminals locked up in jails as little kids. It kinda shows your bias and your ingorance.
ReplyDeleteSo you are suggesting that killers and rapists and theives should fun playing video games because it's good for them to learn rhythm? Wow.
Nope. I think the more we think like this, the fuller our jails will be, and the more you will blame everyone else, primarily the conservatives. It's what you guys do.
Let's try chain gangs and bamboo sticks. If they want incentive, their incentive would be to make it stop. When they stop committing crime and serve their time they can have all the hugs and video games they want.
Making jail conditions worse won't prevent crime and will probably cause more. More jail certainly hasn't worked in the US.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is people who are deciding whether to commit a crime usually don't consider that they could go to jail and what conditions are like in jail. They either think they won't get caught or believe it is inevitable they will end up in jail no matter what they do. If they where thinking rationally they probably wouldn't be in the situation where they are thinking about commiting a crime. I don't think punishing them into thinking rationally will work.
People on the right always assume everyone is thinking rationally, but never to the rational thing themselves and look at the evidence.