Brilliant commentary Xymph
Unfortunately your analysis won't be reprinted in the Australian media any time soon.
NO doubt, tomorrow's Murdoch's Australian will be belching all manner of favourable coverage of Harper.
As a fellow Canadian (I suspect), I agree the Canadian media are largely disgusting (although the Toronto Star does a creditable job). However, they're not half as bad the US mainstream media, which most of your readers will be using as a yardstick. Let's keep things in perspective! Otherwise, your analysis is spot-on. I predict the Harper government will be short-lived. Let's hope!
Excellent xymph, apart from the pro-FPP rant.
In NZ we threw out FPP over a decade ago, and the necessity of coalition govt has been an excellent restraint on the worst excesses of all subsequent govts. With FPP, the winner had a tendency to declare they had a mandate to do whatever they liked. That culminated in a Labour govt in the 80's running a fire sale of most state assets at bargain basement prices, against the wishes of the public.
I guess so long as you have a minority govt they have to act with restraint, but if they ever get a majority (which is more likely to occur than under proportional, as the diversity of parties tends to drop) then watch out..
An excellent post Xymph.
the family values carrot on the stick seems to still work wonders on Christian whites
Excellent post indeed! And Mr Harper bears a certain similarity with our Australian PM John Howard who of course got an increased majority at the last Federal election and now has control of both houses of parliament down under ..
the FPP comment doesn't make sense.
when PR is used, it stops strategic voting, generates policy-based elections, and allows the left to gain greater representation. of course it means we still have to deal with the corporate parties, but they win more through the FPP system. through PR, the left wins on every count.
also, your comments on quebec completely ignore the national question and are quite chauvenistic.
the rest of your comments are ok.
except you overstate the power of this minority government.
it is quite possible that the NDP, Libs and Bloc will oppose and turn back any Tory program to undermine Same Sex Marriage, Kyoto, Cda's position on BMD, etc.
the Tory cabinet lacks experience and will face a strong opposition both in and outside of parliament.
the first struggle will emerge around the national daycare program.
if the tories scap the current agreement, they could face serious opposition from the ndp and liberals. the bloc will be the wildcard on this issue. on the one hand, they don't like federal schemes, but, on the other hand, the Quebec government did sign on to it - the first one in a decade.
this will definitely be the first big fight that the left will have to wage.
and we need to do so by making it an issue of women's equality and democratic citizenship.
I also thought I was reading about an Australian election, complete with interfering media fawning over the Conservative side. I can't help but notice that in all the white, english speaking countries, conservative pro Bush types now rule (I include Blair here) against fractious and divided opposition. I'm wondering if some in those opposition parties are actually provocateurs whose aim is to keep those parties divided and bickering, and electorally untenable.
Good post xymph. The real question is, when their policies are so clearly bad news for a good chunk of the population, why do so many people vote for these assholes? I've tried to get to the bottom of it, and can't come up with much, beyond one thing which, in my experience, seems to be a constant. Every person I've met, who votes conservative, is a greedy, ignorant, self-centered twit. I'm sure there are intelligent people who vote conservative, it's just that I haven't met one yet. It's simply my personal experience, but the frightening thing is that, judging by recent elections, there must be a lot of them out there. Or, the politics of fear are so persuasive that the 'swinging voter' is very easily conned...
Please check out Canadian Action Party at http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/
They seem to have some practical ideas to recover and make the country work again.
Anonymous
The reason we have these "people" in political office is that our elections are fixed!
So are the media polls.
The simple proof's of this fact were established by straw votes taken outside voting area's by people who already voted. Historically "straw votes" have been extremely accurate. Now they are no longer used on the networks because they have, lately, been very different from the counts offered by the "official" sources associated with the mainstream media. Usually in favor of the neo-nazi's running for office.
According to international observers, Venezuela's election was far more honest than ours in our last
two presidential elections!
The "Capitalist Gone Wild" have control of all US civic outcomes.
The anger of people is slowly growing .
In Canada, I believe the people just didn't want the Liberals back, so much so, that many gave their vote to the Conservatives. If they voted for the Block or NDP it would weaken the conservatives and might have allowed the Liberals to keep a larger minority.
Any thought's out there?
> I can say, without fear of any
> reasonable contradiction, that
> Harper is the single worst human
> being to ever be Prime Minister
> of Canada.
And he hasn't even done anything
yet.
Worse than the Hitler-admirer
Mackenzie-King, who sent Japanese
Canadians to concentration camps
on the advice of his dead mother.
Worse than the scum-sucking Reagan
groupie Mulroney, who presided over
the most corrupt and criminal regime
in the history of the country.
Imagine that.
As for the conservatives sending
troops for Bush's next imperial
adventure, the neoLiberals were
already up to their necks in
American wars in Yugoslavia,
Afghanistan, and Haiti.
Not much change to be seen there.
Very good Xymph.
Don't you have the feeling J.Layton (NDP) spent more time attacking Liberals than Conservatives?Strange,no?Was it a simple desire to get some of the liberal support , or there is something deeper going on here?
A refreshingly frank appraisal, Xymph.
Any fellow Canuck who thinks they really counted the ballots might as well stick his/her head into another 12 pack. The moment the proxy media on this side of the world came up with the end result (not to make it too obvious, they gave the Conservatives [neo-pups] a slight win in the polls because too much like what Bush had would be a giveaway) all the while bidding their time so as to now slowly set Bush's agenda for a united Canada , Mexico and US of A-holes to be added to the luciferian tri-lateral commission. Our bullshit , lame media spent the first few hours right after the results harping how happy it would make America and that Harper would mend the fences and turn us into another lap dog government to do what ever Bush's neo-conservatives want done over here, like the missile sheild and full and free access to our resources. First off, FUCK AMERICA!! Fuck their mafia , war criminal lying ass ridden government! David Frum was on TV yesterday spitting out how corrupt the Liberals are and how Canada needs to clean up our act to please America. Hey Frum before you lob your shit coverd balls at Canada again , ya better clean out your own WhiteHouse shithole ya low life leach smiling piece of barfed up re-digested rabid bat shit. Canada's oil is forever in the sights of Cheney and his nwo thugs and Harper is going to let'em have it all, when Canadians should be getting cheaper gas prices and keeping the oil for ourselves, Harper is saving it for his bud Bush. Harper is going to sell what's left of Canada to America's corporations it's as simple as that! And no amount of tax breaks is going to fool me into giving him the benefit of the doubt that he is on the side of Canada and it's good people. This guy went to a Bilderberger meeting a few months ago and so was chosen [NOT ELECTED] to finish Canada's independance and sell us down the river to the lowest peice of shit , the USA. People who slaughter women and children based on lie's and at the same time celebrate football and Paris Hilton sucking off rich men.
May we assume you have a poor opinion of Harper ?
Who ever heard of an economist in Calgary ... isn't that where you tie up a horses balls and watch men fall off their backs while the poor retches buck around? ... and the gumps pay to watch !
If that's fun in Calgary, Gawd help Yonge Street.
Yeah but mean while, back at the good'ol boy redneck ranch men like Bush prefer to milking the horses while firstlady stand there and takes photos and the vice presidents wife writes hardcore books about bestiality and murder rape and a daughter gets a job near the roof of AOL to help set up shop for spying on fellow law breaking Americans.
As far as gumps go, most American's can't even find Canada on the map which when you think about it is a really good thing.
Yesterday I wrote a tirade concerning the Canadian media's premature anointing of Harper's Neocons as the massive and inevitable winners and the effect it had on all of the sheeple when the ballots were dropped. A friend points me to your previous post about the media poll conspiracy and I am not surprised that they thought I’d read your article first.
While I have had my doubts about the direction and intent of your site in recent months I must say you are bang on with your assessment of the matter.
The meatheads who make last minute political decisions based on the mainstream media were indeed affected by the consistent king making and absurdly lop-sided poll numbers predicting the “wave of Tory blue” that were so methodically reported by the MSM.
I also found the timing of the RCMP investigation into the supposed “income trust leaks” and the repetitious media trumpeting of that non-issue in the middle of the campaign to be eerily fortuitous for the Neocons. Where has the scandal that so needed to be addressed in the middle of such a contentious election campaign gone?
Both the corporate and “public” media in this country did their best to see these fundamentalist lap dogs elected.
The special interests that run the Canadian media had the furthering of an agenda in mind and that now clearly involves the Neocon governments of North America marching in lockstep.
Dark days ahead for progressives on this continent and Canada will get to see the real “Tory wave” of corporate privatisation, religious fundamentalism, war propaganda and participation and don’t forget that with the appropriate puppets in place we can expect our own contrived false flag “terrorist” attack on Canadian soil anytime now.
The sheep must have their hatred profitably direct (via chaos and fear) against the designated “subhuman enemy” of our true controllers.
The militarization of Canada will be costly in both lives and tax dollars.
As our troops kill and die in the American commanded “Operation Enduring Orwell” in Afghanistan the last shreds of our international credibility have melted away. We are not “peacekeeping” as the Liberals and now Neocons will sell this occupation to the public. We are at war against a nation that has done nothing to us and under the direct command of war criminals.
Canada will never be the same.
I'm expecting further false flag incidents in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.
"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel."
I recommend this article on Canadian
election.
http://vdare.com/misc/060124_grace.htm
Sounds to me!
When I need a good laugh, I read the trash put up on Xymphora. Face the facts—the US is the greatest country that the world has ever seen and your standard of living depends on them. Obviously, you are a socialist so please tell us where socialism has worked for the benefit of the people rather than the leaders. You have Libya as the chair of the UN human rights commission, with Sudan and Zimbabwe as ordinary members. Tell us what rights the citizens of those countries have.
America's standard of living might be great but only because it is trillions in debt and it cannot survive without Canada's resources like our fresh water , lumber and oh yes, our oil sands that Cheney has visited more times then anywhere else in the world. America has the greatest prison population in the entire globe.
The greatest drug cartels and dealers.
The greatest sex slave trade (some of which are kept in cellars at American casino's.)
The greatest criminal organizations some of which are directly connected to Washington. The greatest divorce rate. The greatest adult and child abductions , murder and rape rate and the greatest loss of freedoms not seen since the fall of the U.S.S.R.
The greatest national debt and the greatest war contractors and oil tycoons with the greatest tax payer funded banking accounts in the entire globe. No government is perfect but for America to claim they are fighting for the good of man and a more civilized world under the banner IN GOD WE TRUST is nothing short of total blasphemy.
America's christians tend to put aside the ten commandments when it comes to the almighty dollar.
America's new banner should read DO AS WE SAY , NOT AS WE DO.
Wilf, they really do count the ballots in Canada. They're paper, and they're hand-counted.
As for the rest, I mostly agree with you, but get a grip. You're coming off like a lunatic, you can't convince anyone like that.
Well done.
One point to think about and add to the list is BMD...ballistic missile defense...Harper's transition mangager is a CEO in aerospace and a big backer/lobbyist for defense contractors.
Why do you have such a problem with Christians? That doesn't seem very tolerant to me.
I know. I catch myself at times but it's not with a weak grip. The day I turned on my truck radio and caught Howard Stern raging as he proclaimed , "we should bomb them sand monkies into glass" I turned to a different station and couldn't believe my ears. I instantly drove back to my sisters home office to find my family and friends sitting in the basement , glued to the TV watching in total disbelief as people jumped holding hands to their deaths. A brother of my sisters boyfriend, himself a fireman wanted to drive to New York right then and there to help. It was so mind numbing on that September morning we just couldn't believe our eye's. For some crazy moment a local Canadian channel threw on a hardcore xxx movie just as the first building collapsed and from that time on my sister blocked that channel out. [I'm still trying to get an answer back from that network as to why they did that?]
But when my sisters kids got home they watched the footage of the chaos and destruction over and over again of the planes hitting the buildings. My sisters kids would often fight with each other as siblings sometimes do, but for the next few nights they climbed into the same bed together and to this day hardly ever argue because of 911. On that same night when I got home I went into the backyard, fell on my knee's and wept. I looked up into the star filled night sky and asked God "Why did this happen" What did those poor people do to deserve such a horrible and tragic death? My girlfriend came outside and we both just sat there and talked about it for a very long time and why I cared so much about America. During my own childhood my family and I had travelled to 'The Land of The Free' dozens of times and I fell in love with her from the start.
From her endless creativity in all walks of life to her crazy and almost boundless imagination and energy. I loved the American sensibility and it's people whom with many I became friends with. I haven't been to the U.S. since 1990 when I was no longer a teen but could still feel the change just sitting next to her. The America I could see through the new cable news channels started to look, no , become harder and more raunchy and by the turn of the century she became almost unrecognizable to what I knew her by. I know the world is jealous of America's accomplishments through history she has done more then any other. But I don't care what peoples social inclinations are, no one has the right to take anothers life in the name of God and so I began my own investigation into 911. You can get almost anything on the web and so I started a climb that I had no idea it would take me. But after a long year of sitting on the line reading through the good and the bad , I came to my own conclusion and it wasn't an easy one. Now I've seen many strange phenomenon during my whole life which I wouldn't dare go into detail , from a near death experience to sightings that many of my friends made fun of unti
have'nt voted for years .. shit all taste the same now .. what was the % of non voters ?
That's about the most politically inept description of Conservative policy I've seen yet. Simple research will tell you that our Cosnervative party is well left of BOTH U.S. parties.
Doom and gloom forcasting, as I said, at least when the Conservatives screwed up a campaign, supporters were honest enough to vote them out and make them regroup.
Does Kyoto work? No it doesn't unless ALL countries on the planet join, and less than half have agreed, look it up.
The "National Daycare" only effects 7% of the children in daycare, look it up.
CAREFUL GOVERNMENT????? Jesus man, how many RCMP investrigations does it take?
You think Adscam was a good way to promote unity?
" they even sent word to their American conservative brothers not to gloat about the upcoming Canadian election result, for fear of alerting Canadians that they were falling into a trap."....Complete crap and fearmongering and you know it. How about alienating the country that makes up over 60% of our trade? The Americanization train is busted my freind.
re Harper..."He's a real nasty piece of shit, " As opposed to a PM who is buddies with Castro, and was the only western leader invited to a communist China leaders funeral? How about Chretien saying all asians look alike while on tour in China? How about a PM who crews his ships with $2/per hour employees and won't even fly Canadian flags?
All you can come up with is speculation, and completely ignore the facts.
Sorry to ruin your echo chamber...
And DD..let's not forget that wonderful leftie thing called gun registry, which has stolen $2 Billion of taxpayers dollars and has not solved ONE gun related crime. Why. Well for the simple fact that criminals DON"T register guns. But something as simple as that is lost on the moonbats. God bless their pea-sized brains and welfare stasis.
Oh yeah. And the kill rate in Iraq for American troops is 22/100,000. The kill rate in the most heavily gun-restricted area in the U.S.(Washington D.C)? 50/100,000. So I guess all the moonbats should leave D.C. and move to Iraq.
Wilf said...
...back at the good'ol boy redneck ranch men like Bush prefer to milking the horses while firstlady stand there and takes photos and the vice presidents wife writes hardcore books about bestiality and murder rape and a daughter gets a job near the roof of AOL to help set up shop for spying on fellow law breaking Americans. As far as gumps go, most American's can't even find Canada on the map
Gosh, what planet are you from? Maybe it's you who needs to find out about Americans. Can you even find America on the map? Is your whole political identity just hating Americans?
I'm tired of hearing the same liberal catch-phrases by people who can't admit they lost.
Excellent post. I agree with you completely. Our disgusting so-called liberal media played a huge role in this election, for the same fork in the eye reasons. As studies at McGill University, and a Decima poll showed, the media tilted heavily to the right.They beat up Martin and gave Harper a free ride. Even the uber right-wing rag the Western Standard admits that.
But I'm not as gloomy as you.
I think Canadians need to take a closer look at the Reform Conservatives.
Need to give them a little rope to hang themselves.
Before we kick them in the balls as hard as we can.
I hope these fanatics enjoy it, because they're not going to be there long.
Before they know what hit them, they'll be gone again.
For another generation.
A free ride? So the Liberals COMPLETELY blow a campaign, get called on it, and suddenly it's the medias fault? sheeesh
Rebekah, I don't hate American's. I just can't stand being next to liars and theives is all. President George Bush considers Canada an American enemy because we didn't line up for his illegal Iraqi war when he said "your either with us or the terrorists" Many French speaking Canadians that I know laughed and shook their heads when Americans showed just how reckless they are with a vengence when they began to order up "freedom fries". America tends to turn on those who don't dance to her tune. Slaughtering people ain't gonna make the world a better place for our children to live in. And as far as I concerned Bush is no better or worse then any terrorist who kills for the sake of killing.
So Rebekah, when the American's enter Canada's waters off the east coast for fishing purposes, breaking countless laws and disregarding our stance or shouts of protest, are they our "friends"? When the American's wanted to hold military and nuclear bomb tests in Canada's Arctic region without our permission, are they are "friends"? When the American's push us around and manipulate us in order to reap the benefits of our lumber, oil and fresh water supplies, are they are "friends"? And as statistics have proven, when 9 out of 10 American's cannot locate Canada on a map, name our Capital, and have a drunken leader who thought our former Prime Ministers name was "Poutine," are they are "friends"? America's President is the right man for the job because he represents what most American's are today and the real reason their in Iraq is becasue they are probably lost. Test results prove most of'em can't even find Washington on a map either. A former Judge in Ottawa revealed to a father of a buddy of mine by Fax , just what the Free Trade Pact had in store for Canada before it was signed and you can kiss Canada good-bye with the return of the Conservatives who got us in this mess in the first place.
Let me Guess,you voted Liberal
Why do you want to know who I voted for?
Well, most Americans can't even find California on a map! Our public school system stinks, one reason why I'm homeschooled.
What about the Iraq war is "illegal"?
Yes, the evidence was wrong, but liberals, including (but not limited to)
Sandy Berger,
Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, and Nancy Pelosi also spoke of Saddam's WMDs and the need to do something.
Bush didn't "lie", he just decided to act on something Liberals had been talking about for a decade. Now he gets blamed for something that's not even a bad situation. 2000 deaths? 50,000 died in Vietnam, and they have not yet had one free election.
What's wrong with "ordering up freedom fries"? When one of our "allies" says, "whatever the circumstances, we will vote no", and we are being slandered and mocked in the city we saved, why should we care?
Slaughtering people ain't gonna make the world a better place for our children to live in. And as far as I concerned Bush is no better or worse then any terrorist who kills for the sake of killing.
That's where you're wrong. If Bush was really a "terrorist", he'd have nuked Iraq. Bingo. Done. No American deaths, Saddam is gone, and very cheap. But Americans don't do that. Terrorists do. The fact that Bush was willing to risk more American lives and spend millions more just to save the innocents in Iraq shows that he's NOT a terrorist.
when the American's enter Canada's waters off the east coast for fishing purposes, breaking countless laws and disregarding our stance or shouts of protest, are they our "friends"?
I've never heard of that, and I'm sure if America really did do something without the Canadian government's permission, our media would still be talking about it.
have a drunken leader who thought our former Prime Ministers name was "Poutine," are they are "friends"?
Again, facts please? I'm sure the "Poutine" part was another of Bush's ridiculous mispronunciations - stupid sounding, yes, but not an indication of his knowledge.
And the fact that he has admitted to being a former alchoholic, and now doesn't even drink is admirable. It doesn't make him a "drunk". At least he didn't say, "I didn't inhale."!
he said "your either with us or the terrorists"
He was speaking about countries that harbor terrorists, not those in disagreement with the (LEGAL) war.
Your a good American Rebekah. The Bush pride has taught you well. To never admit mistakes and to never be willing to change when you are wrong or easy to live with when you are right. But after all the layers are removed your still a fraud America and telling by your typical U.S. my shit don't stink mind programming Rebekah , there's a old saying for folks like you and Bush
"Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side"
Now get your fucking ass over to the recruitment center and put your words into action.
I just took a look at Rebekah's website. The phrase "tub thumping half wit" floated into my mind, I cannot explain this.
If American's are so tough then why don't they go in on foot into Iran instead of bombing the crap out of them? China is going to eat America alive on day.
Well, for the most part, this was great.
Good for you for writing such a thorough and thoughtful post.
As for the media and poll manipulation (possibly..i'm not sure on the poll thing myself) you only need to look to who owns the newspapers, who has the most money and power. Mulroney. And he's been guiding Harper since 2004. They worked together years before that.
Come check out my blog 
Not even the evil, imperialistic, fascist US military takes fifteen year-old girls, Wilf.
Why is that your only argument against everything I've said? Oh, I forgot - I'm a "fool" and a "half-wit". Brilliant arguing tactics. Especially coming from someone who can't even use "you're", and "they're" properly, and keeps adding an apostrophe in plural words. In fact, the only word you seem to be able to spell is "F---".
Why can't you debate point by point?
Are you being outdebated by a half-wit?
why don't they go in on foot into Iran instead of bombing the crap out of them?
Uh, we haven't been "bombing the crap out of" Iran. I don't know where you even got that. The worst anyone's doing now is (oooh...) possible sanctions. Please.
Your post is a bit over the top.First let me say I am on the left NDP,but at the same time Ihave many problems with the NDP.
the polls reflected Canadians views fairly well and the post election results show that.
the media was not near as pathetic as you claim
Harper will not sell Canada off to the US nor does he desire to break up the country The bloc was not blindsided they lost a couple of seats.
granted there are extremists within the CPC but this is true of all parties.but reality and public opinion soon makes short work of such types.
Overall Canada is a tolerant country despite someof the rhetoric you might hear.
Overall I have to disagree with much of your post you seem to be basing it on an obviuosly very limited or biased source of "info".I say this in the spirit of friendly discourse not to insult you but you got it spectacularly wrong
All I can say to you is good luck, Rebekah. I hope you will reach your goals in life and your struggles will be few. And that one one day you will find a good man who will love and care for you and your children will grow to live in a free country. I guess it is better to hope than not to.
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