If Music Could Talk

Dr. Medulla wrote:Listening to CBC radio this morning, they did a story about Albertan reactions and I almost did a spit take. Yahoos phoning in were going on about how they no longer had representation in government and that their votes have been nullified. Jesus fucking Christ, how did we get to the point where people don't know how their political system works.

I think their reaction can be best understood as another expression of Alberta's sense of alienation from the ROC, esp. given the paucity of Western seats held by the gov't-in-waiting. Remember, the Reform Party was their baby and Stephen "Firewall" Harper is one of them (even if he's really from Etobicoke-Centre). The Harper gov't is the West's (read: Alberta's) turn to leave an indelible mark on the Canadian political landscape, and it had been looking like Harper might have been able to garner a majority gov't in a future election. Now those bastards in the East are threatening to take it all away from them...

delay wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:Listening to CBC radio this morning, they did a story about Albertan reactions and I almost did a spit take. Yahoos phoning in were going on about how they no longer had representation in government and that their votes have been nullified. Jesus fucking Christ, how did we get to the point where people don't know how their political system works.

I think their reaction can be best understood as another expression of Alberta's sense of alienation from the ROC, esp. given the paucity of Western seats held by the gov't-in-waiting. Remember, the Reform Party was their baby and Stephen "Firewall" Harper is one of them (even if he's really from Etobicoke-Centre). The Harper gov't is the West's (read: Alberta's) turn to leave an indelible mark on the Canadian political landscape, and it had been looking like Harper might have been able to garner a majority gov't in a future election. Now those bastards in the East are threatening to take it all away from them...

I agree. There's a lot of bitterness in the West, esp. Alberta, that has its roots in Trudeau's National Energy Policy. And I confess that I get irritated in the Upper/Lower Canada-centric bias in this country, but that's mainly cultural and as expressed in the national media (e.g., a blizzard in Ontario or Quebec is national news; a blizzard on the Prairies might get a mention in the weather part of the broadcast). Politically, I realize that we don't have the population base to support a greater claim to seats in Parliament. Dem's da breaks, and unless there's a massive exodus from Ontario and Quebec to the West, that's the way things will be. There is an irony in Albertans sputtering on about the dirty separatists in the Bloc when their own position (as expressed by the Conservatives) is just as region-minded, trying to wrest power and money from the East. The exact same game. And now you have the same dimwits talking about western separatism just like the early 80s. Really, take your average Albertan redneck and put him in the room with a Quebecois separatist, and they're speaking the same language of victimhood and phony bitterness.

http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/12/03/coalition-myths/
Two things:
(a) A good guide to pulling the peanuts out of the shit.
(II) The blog's name is fagstein.

Fucking hell, the g-g agreed to suspend Parliament until late January. She met with Harper but not Dion & Layton. Either way, there was going to be a precedent set, but I'm not keen on one that means that a government can suspend Parliament rather than face a non-confidence vote.

Dr. Medulla wrote:Fucking hell, the g-g agreed to suspend Parliament until late January. She met with Harper but not Dion & Layton. Either way, there was going to be a precedent set, but I'm not keen on one that means that a government can suspend Parliament rather than face a non-confidence vote.

Wow.

Shame! There is no justification for proroguing the House. I'm very, very pissed off...

My guess now (and it is just a guess) is that if the opposition remains committed to bringing down the govt at the new throne speech in January, Jean will call an election. The Bloc will almost certainly gain seats in Quebec at the expense of the Conservatives. That'd guarantee yet another Conservative minority. However, if the Liberals and NDP agreed to run as a coalition, they'd almost certainly gain the minimal 40% of the popular vote usually required to win a majority. I suspect talks between the two parties over the break will be about whether they can set aside differences enough to run as a single party if there's another election. Hell, it might be the impetus for a formal merger, and if that's the case it'd be hard to see another Tory government in my lifetime, certainly not one as regionally based and ideological as we have right now.

Dr. Medulla wrote:My guess now (and it is just a guess) is that if the opposition remains committed to bringing down the govt at the new throne speech in January, Jean will call an election.

I don't see the same scenario playing out. Obviously Harper convinced her that with a bit more time he could salvage his situation, but I think it was a bit of a tough sell, given how long he met with Jean. Should the coalition prove its durability and strength by holding together over the holidays and defeating the gov't on a confidence motion, the GG will turn to them to form a new gov't.

Harper has really played into the Bloc's hand on this, by arguing that members of three parties (C, L, N) in the House are of more worth than the fourth (B). Nice way to tell (what, a quarter of the country?) that their views aren't worth a plug nickel.

I do wonder what this whole affair will do for republican sentiment.

delay wrote:

Dr. Medulla wrote:My guess now (and it is just a guess) is that if the opposition remains committed to bringing down the govt at the new throne speech in January, Jean will call an election.

I don't see the same scenario playing out. Obviously Harper convinced her that with a bit more time he could salvage his situation, but I think it was a bit of a tough sell, given how long he met with Jean. Should the coalition prove its durability and strength by holding together over the holidays and defeating the gov't on a confidence motion, the GG will turn to them to form a new gov't.

Yeah, very possible. Opinion polls will likely have some influence—if enough people just don't see an "unelected" (ho ho) govt as legitimate, then it'll lean towards election. It's even more ridiculous to have an election when Dion would be gone in another few months. No one could have foreseen it, but Dion not stepping aside immediately in favour of an interim leader (Goodale?) has really made this difficult.

Harper has really played into the Bloc's hand on this, by arguing that members of three parties (C, L, N) in the House are of more worth than the fourth (B). Nice way to tell (what, a quarter of the country?) that their views aren't worth a plug nickel.

Indeed. There were a lot of ways to go about resolving the situation, but Steve stayed true to his nature and went for division and demonization. Especially considering the current Conservative party is every bit as regionalist as the Bloc.

I do wonder what this whole affair will do for republican sentiment.

I've long been a soft supporter of Canada moving to a republican system because I really don't care for an unelected official—the g-g—having so much power, and as being an extension of the monarchy. That so many Canadian apparently already think that we have a republican system should ease the way.

more innerestin' stuff

http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/ ... -h233e.htm

dpwolf wrote:more innerestin' stuff

http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/ ... -h233e.htm

Coming from a government that is more than cool with the toxicity caused by the Alberta tar sands, yeah, I'm sure that this is all about preventing arctic pollution.

Some of the in-jokes might be lost on non-Canadians, but this is pretty good.
[youtube][/youtube]

Dr. Medulla wrote:Some of the in-jokes might be lost on non-Canadians, but this is pretty good.

BOOWAHAHA! Hilarious and fitting!

OMG!!! I'm actually crying, that was so dead-on funny!

brilliant!