- Amy Minsky uncovers some suspicious-looking spending patterns underlying Robocon, while Postmedia also points out that election results in at least a couple of seats may plausibly be subject to challenge. Emma Pullman offers some more details on the Manning Centre's voter suppression school. And Andrew Coyne expands on the culture that's led to the Cons' combination of regular scandals and complete denial of the obvious, while Bob Hepburn makes the point that Harper has far exceeded the abuses that causes voters to turn against Brian Mulroney and reduce his party to
- Dale Smith notes that the Cons have granted REAL Women of Canada - active homophobia and all - the opportunity to make recommendations as to who should receive medals for public and service.
- Ben Parfitt offers reason for concern about whether the public will ever be informed about problems with pipelines, as a known leak in an existing line with the potential to affect well water has been subject to a complete whitewash for a period of over six months.
- And Thomas Walkom notes that while it's a plus to see Toronto's City Council express reservations about CETA, there's plenty more work to be done at all levels of government.
The Coyne piece is pernicious. It's one of those "everybody does it, the modern political culture in general is terrible, nothing to be done" pieces. No point holding anyone in particular to account for particular misdeeds or blaming the specific party that actually did the bad things, it's just everybody's fault in general. Whatever his intent, functionally, it operates to encourage the Con strategy of discouraging engagement.
ReplyDeleteThis is the way right wingers use their own corruption to encourage suspicion of government and by a weird jiu jitsu, right wing "solutions" of smallifying government.
Brian Mulroney's party was reduced to TWO seats, not three.
ReplyDeleteBrian Mulroney's party was reduced to TWO seats, not three.
ReplyDeleteBrian Mulroney's party was reduced to TWO seats, not three.
ReplyDeleteDuly noted.
ReplyDeleteI don't read it the same way, and in fact I see it as hinting at the way ahead for the NDP. Yes, the Cons need to be held to account for their culture of deception, but a massive part of moving past that type of politics is to actually have a serious debate about issues - which is all the more reason for us to avoid being the next party to minimize real policy differences in the name of political wedge tactics.
ReplyDelete