Sunday, June 08, 2008

Call Me When the Adults are Back In the Room

We used to be a country that was taken seriously on the world stage. Our reputation for protecting human rights was solid, our Foreign Policy was respected and we had Ministers that actually knew what they were doing. We had solid fiscal management and when Dion was president of the UN Climate Change conference we were known as being serious about what the planet was facing.

Today? We have a buffoon as an Environment Minister that spends all of his time sabotaging legitimate action to fight climate change. He not only does this at home, but on the world stage. His aim is to step out of the way and let the provinces assume the responsibility his office is meant to shoulder. In short we have an Environment Minister focused on not doing anything for the Environment.

We had a vainglorious neophyte 'playing' at being Foreign Minister, before he was forced to resign for losing classified documents. Before him? Another neophyte who spent his time gushing over Condi Rice and telling her what a big fan he was of hers. So, 2 Foreign Ministers who knew nothing about foreign policy.

We have a Finance Minister that played a role in destroying the economy in Ontario, now doing the same thing to the country. His idea of a national strategy is to pit provinces against each other and like Baird, get out of the business of government as we know it. Our Finance Minister is best known as being a disastrous provincial Finance Minister.

Our Health Minister chooses ideology over sound policy and as such could conceivably put people at risk. Brilliant, a Health Minister unconcerned with the health of those citizens that do not fall under his neo-con umbrella.

Our Minister of Justice actually only works to protect and ensure justice for some people. Under this Minister, you will see justice if it fits his idea of same. Not all Canadians are treated equally by the Attorney General of Canada.

And then of course there is the Prime Minister. A megalomaniac who is obsessed with control. Control is paramount, because without it he would be unable to implement his ultimate plan, which of course is having the provinces essentially take care of themselves, rid us of any form of central social agencies, look after the military and defense and allow the free market to handle the rest. The person who heads up our Government has no interest in actually leading the country as we know it.

We no longer honour International Treaties and have reneged on our former commitment to work toward human rights for all, even Canadian citizens. The list goes on but you get the picture. How this country is being run and who is running it is a joke. Sadly the joke is on us.

In addition to all of this, the political discourse in this country has been reduced to childish taunts, bullying and political attack ads that are better suited for Saturday morning cartoons than an intelligent electorate.

I'm not going to link to the ridiculous ad campaign that the Con's have come up with, but I'm sure you've all seen it by now. I have never seen a political party, let alone a governing party, reduce itself to such inanity. You expect third party advertisers to get nasty, but the behaviour being demonstrated by our Government is beyond embarrassing and foreign to me.

This form of advertising suggests, that the Con's count on the lowest common denominator to be their supporters. Perhaps it's as simple as they have no intelligent way to combat real ideas, so this is what they are left with. Lies and juvenile ridicule.

It's also indicative of the fact that behind all their bluster, they are worried about Dion. They have no complaints about Quebec or BC bringing in carbon shifts, just Dion. Why? Because the idea has currency amongst serious thinkers and the last thing Harper wants is to be forced to concede that, let alone implement yet another federal program. Dion's plan is a threat to Harper's ultimate goals. I expect as more policy ideas by Dion come forward, a similar campaign will be launched on those.

It's difficult to think of two men more diametrically opposed in their vision for this country. Since Dion is rarely written about for his ideas, this obvious fact will likely not be seen before an election.

While it seems doubtful that Dion will pull the plug this week, I still wish he would. It would be nice to hear some adult conversation for a change.

9 comments:

Sir Francis said...

Your description of the CPC as a bunch of kids is apt (as long as we take care to distinguish between them and the very many bright and precocious kids of which our nation can boast).

Personally, I prefer to see Harper's cretins as either the Village People of Canadian politics or amateurs who aspire to be the Village People. I think those analogies capture the camp and OTT nature of this "government" perfectly; clowns like Baird, Kenney and Poilievre are just bad actors making a career out of daily public displays of incompetence.

sassy said...

Sir Francis,

Should that second link be this?

KNB - Yes, some days it seems like the Centre Block should be converted into a day care. (with lots of time outs)

Sir Francis said...

Sassy:

Correct. Thanks for the fix-up.

Anonymous said...

To make an attack before ANYONE even knows the plan & what it consists of is ludicrous.

And why do we never actually see ads that tout the CON Party's accomplishments? That's what normal governing parties do. The answer? They have only negative ones that the majority of the populace would not be in agreement with IF they were aware of them. We, being political junkies, have been following this nightmare closely since it began, but the average person knows nothing of what's been going on & how deeply it is affecting their lives now & in the future.

I live in a fairly small rural town & there is hardly one person who is thinking, or discussing, politics. They are concerned with their pay cheques, gas up the car, heating costs, the ability to pay the bills, put food on the table & for their children's futures & their retirement. The daily grind, so to speak. But they are not looking at it from a political sense at all. Some know that Steve is PM, & some don't!, but can't name one other Cabinet member nor anything at all that has gone on since the goons were elected. That's how dis-interested they are & it is like this all across the country.

Good post knb!

Johnathon said...

"They are concerned with their pay cheques, gas up the car, heating costs, the ability to pay the bills, put food on the table & for their children's futures & their retirement"

Just wait until Dion unveils his carbon tax and all those issues mentioned above rise through the roof.

Karen said...

Well done Sir Francis. I like how you think.

Karen said...

Sassy, I just had an image of daycare kids out for a walk.

Have you seen those long lines of kids, tied together?

Harper at the front leading all his incompetent MP's, making sure none of them step out of line.

Karen said...

Thanks penlan.

but can't name one other Cabinet member nor anything at all that has gone on since the goons were elected. That's how dis-interested they are & it is like this all across the country.

I've no doubt that you're right about that. Sad isn't it?

And why do we never actually see ads that tout the CON Party's accomplishments?

That would require that they actually had some.

I can't imagine what they will campaign on, other than lies.

Karen said...

Jonathon Just wait until Dion unveils his carbon tax and all those issues mentioned above rise through the roof.

I can't wait! Since you seem to be in the know, why don't you tell us what the plan is and how exactly it will affect those areas?