Form Down The 401---March 2006
My fellow
Canadians:
Every so
often I find myself discouraged, pessimistic or depressed because of things
that happen in my life. Usually they are small, temporary setbacks that I can
overcome, either through force of will, determination, or by standing up for
myself. Sometimes I need to ask for help from others. No shame in that; mutual
cooperation solves most problems.
But when
politicians or corporations make things difficult, it seems, at least lately,
that we are allowing it, and by our silence, denote consent. This column deals
with what I have been worrying about lately.
First, in
our own backyard:
Vive le
parti Québec solidaire! Apparently
we can never have enough separatist parties…. They claim they can unite the
left in
Filed under “News of the Weird”, it seems that Bob Rae,
widely despised by most conservatives and only beginning to establish himself
as a statesman, is seriously considering taking a run for the Liberal
leadership---supposedly without betraying his NDP roots. Belinda Stronach is another favourite to replace the
won’t-be-missed-cuz-he-never-was a-true-Liberal Paul
Martin. Ken Dryden’s name has also been thrown around as a candidate, and yet
the supposed insiders, John Manley, Brian Tobin, Frank McKenna, etc., all of
whom have many years of Liberal experience, have turned down the job. Has the
party fallen so low in public esteem that the favoured people to lead the
Liberal party… are not Liberals? Or Liberals with a
paucity of experience? (I am somewhat amused by the fact that Rick
Mercer put the party leadership up for sale on EBay, only to have it pulled
when some benefactor put up a bid of $16
million, which we will never see, just like so many Liberal spending promises.
But that’s another rant.) So are we going to settle for neophytes vying for the
leadership of the country’s most powerful ruling party? Are we just going to let this happen?
It’s not
just the Liberals who are in muddy waters these days…
David
Emerson crosses the floor ONE WEEK after being elected as a LIBERAL---and Harper
gladly accepts him (so the Belinda Stronach flap was
only for Tories who cross the floor?); moreover, makes him a cabinet member.
Just like you-know-who. Somehow, Harper is cleared of ethics violation, and we
are supposed to accept that everything is happy and normal on Parliament Hill?
Do we not owe something, not only to the voters of
Ralph Klein draws a health care line in the sand---seemingly
daring Stephen Harper to cross it. Since the Liberals did nothing to curb
privatization of health care, despite the wishes of the cast majority of
Canadians, can we truly trust Prime Minister Harper to stand up to Ralph Klein?
There’s a better chance of the Maple Leafs winning a Stanley Cup this year, I’m
afraid. (Go Habs go!) Despite the recommendations of
the Romanow commission and countless horror stories
related to the disaster that is private health care in almost every other
country, our politicians seem quite content to sleepwalk their way through
perhaps the most important issue of concern to Canadians these days. A clinic
in
Are we
just going to let this happen?
As for the Prime Minister’s
other questionable cabinet members:
What about Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor, a former military lobbyist? National Defence critic Dawn Black, taking a stand the Liberals cannot (due to their stink of corruption), asked: “For the past decade DND has struggled under the weight of politically motivated purchasing and has been lobbied by countless corporations and well-connected firms. It is not enough for the Minister to simply declare that he won’t be in any conflict. We would like proof.” Is any forthcoming?
And what about the new Minister of the
Environment — Rona Ambrose — who is from
Is this what Canadians voted for when we asked for change? Does Harper not recognize this as one of the most important issues for ANY government on Earth?
Are we
just going to let this happen?
Elsewhere
in the world:
A Chinese
editor, Wu Xianghu, dies of liver and kidney failure,
after being beaten by 50 policemen. His “crime”? His
newspaper accused the police of charging illegal bicycle fees. Does commerce
top human rights even in the 21st century? Where is the outrage?
This is not the first time we hear reports of the Chinese government
mistreating its citizens. Are we just going to let this happen?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4688276.stm
Hamas wins the
Palestinian elections and now it has to govern. But will anyone listen to its
leaders? The
A typical American judge arrogantly dismisses the Maher Arar case. So the
former democracy to the south has the “right” to send Canadian citizens to be
tortured if they are SUSPECTED terrorists. (Everyone planning their
"Basically they're telling people . . .
if you're ever wronged by our politicians or intelligence people, you are on
your own, good luck." (As a corollary to this sophisticated operation:
Among the dangerous prisoners held without bail, without charge, and without
access to an attorney, were a
(http://www.canada.com/cityguides/toronto/story.html?id=d2897417-1e13-42a4-98bd-97a6ee6d42f7&k=46465
for the rest of this story)
God forbid radical Muslims take offence at what cartoonists
draw. They might decide to jihad! http://www.canada.com/cityguides/toronto/story.html?id=417c22c4-7ce1-44d0-9d29-c03f3e436a64&k=3558
Here’s a silly question: if Muslims are rioting because of a slightly
offensive Danish cartoon, exactly where was the outrage after 9/11 or any other
extremist act their people committed? Judge them by their actions….or is this recent
amnesia a case of selective memory? (How is this violence and death threats
supposed to reflect peaceful Islam?) And the cartoonists have the right, even
the obligation to publish controversial images without being threatened. That
is freedom of speech, which these Muslims would prefer we didn’t have? Are
we just going to let this happen?
North American women beware:
Shoot first and no questions asked: A Colorado man, Gary
Hill, is found innocent of murder
charges after shooting an unarmed man who was performing the most egregious of
terrorist acts: sitting in his car in front of Hill’s home. Apparently,
the “Make My Day” law now states that anyone can shoot and kill another person
on their property, armed or not, in the back (as Hill did) if they have a
reasonable belief that the person(s) pose a threat to them. Talk about itchy
trigger fingers. http://www.gunguys.com/?p=526
(Still think the gun registry is a bad idea?) Harper has shown he is more than
willing to consider American-type laws up here. Are we just going to let this happen?
And although the egregious illegal activities by the
Republicans down south could fill volumes, let’s see if I understand this part---it’s
OK to give terrorist-supporting nations like
I don’t pretend to have all
the answers, but here are some helpful suggestions:
First and foremost,
remember that a minority government is fragile and volatile. At the same time,
it is also the most positioned to actually get things done on a consensus
basis. Most important: stay involved. Our commitment to democracy does
not end at the voting booth. Talk to, or work with, your MP or political
representative. If s/he is not receptive to you, find an MP who is (Jack Layton
springs to mind, as does Susan Kadis and Pierre Poilievre, to name but one form
each party). Remind the politicians that they work for us, and
are elected to represent interest of Canadians. Do not let them off the
hook! The last Parliament actually got some excellent legislation passed,
for cities and students, when the NDP forced Paul Martin to cancel his
ill-advised tax cuts to the rich. Stephen Harper is no idiot; he realizes he
cannot implement a “true” rightwing conservative agenda without the consent of
other parties. Make sure he doesn’t. Join a group (even a single-issue one)
that reflects your concerns and your passion. Write letters. (The CLF has been
rather successful in getting companies to recognize the rights, and numbers, of
English-speaking Canadians, by doing just that.) Keep the important issues to
Canadians (notably health care, education, and the environment) on the lips of
the politicians ands do not let them forget it. Unlike the former democracy to
the south, we still have freedom of speech in Canada (though Harper’s banning
the media from the cabinet area in Parliament Hill and allowing ministers to
escape the Commons unquestioned is possibly his worst, most undemocratic
blunder); let’s use it! Remember---if you do not protest, they will assume you
agree. (Or: silence denotes consent.)
Phew…..okay, on a calmer, more
somber note, a gracious farewell to hockey great Bernard “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, who passed away only
a few hours before the Canadiens retired his number. His sweater will proudly
hang in the rafters along other superstars in hockey history. Like most
Canadians, he was often overlooked in the presence of flashier stars like
Rocket Richard, but got his due in the end.
But fear not,
there ARE Lou Laurels this month, mostly
sports-related. First, belated congratulations to our junior
hockey team, quietly winning gold despite all low-held expectations, and
reestablishing our national pride when no one was watching. And then, the 2006 Olympics
were by FAR the best EVER for Canada, as we won almost 50% more medals
than our previous best, added to a dozen 4th places (with luck we
would have finished second in the medal count instead of third). This bodes
very well for
Happy Passover/Easter, everyone!
Your fellow Canadian,
Lou Israel