tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post2133888881464290860..comments2024-03-03T17:01:57.876-05:00Comments on Montreal Simon: Why Justin Trudeau Should Attend Fidel Castro's FuneralSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-42222262987464086392018-02-11T16:22:46.060-05:002018-02-11T16:22:46.060-05:00Chile did take that route, it's now the most d...Chile did take that route, it's now the most developed country in South America. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-48587521596640217712016-12-02T13:26:04.816-05:002016-12-02T13:26:04.816-05:00Anon-I notice you didn't acknowledge what I sa...Anon-I notice you didn't acknowledge what I said about Allende. Cuz that's the part that kinda turns the spotlight back on the so-called "freedom-loving" U.S. of A.<br /><br />And yes, I've been to the Human Rights Watch site on Cuba. There's little freedom of assembly, no freedom of the press, a sketchy court system and it is a unitary one-party state. It also had little choice beyond that or American puppet state. And American puppet states in Central/South American in the 60s and 70s were dime-a-dozen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-13297592385199170032016-11-30T19:04:21.546-05:002016-11-30T19:04:21.546-05:00Whatever Marx may or may not have promised, his id...Whatever Marx may or may not have promised, his ideology has certainly failed to deliver anything but misery, anywhere. If it looks great on paper, but fails spectacularly every single time it is put into practice, then yes, "utopia" is exactly the right word for it.<br />Also, talk of rainbows and puppies sounds rich coming from short-sighted know-nothings who have never been to the Human Rights Watch website, where they have an extensive entry on your favourite fantasy island.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-90324786659365029082016-11-30T10:35:31.289-05:002016-11-30T10:35:31.289-05:00Wowwww... talk about a "heads I win, tails yo...Wowwww... talk about a "heads I win, tails you lose" situation. Trudeau expresses his heartfelt feelings about a man who is essentially a family friend, he's raked over the coals for it in glib tweet after glib tweet all weekend. He opts not to attend the funeral and he's labeled a "coward"? <br /><br />Gee, almost as if they don't give a fig about the Cuban people and are just using them to score cheap political points.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-41448732693834209772016-11-30T10:24:30.173-05:002016-11-30T10:24:30.173-05:00Anon--I'm always amused by this "Utopia&q...Anon--I'm always amused by this "Utopia" notion that seems to precede any criticism of Marxism (as if any critic has actually taken the time to you know, study Marx. But whatever...) Don't think Marx ever promised rainbows and puppies.<br /><br />But talk of political repression sounds rich coming from short-sighted know-nothings who have never been to Cuba. You think if Cuba democratically elected Fidel that suddenly the US would have chucked the embargo and shrugged their shoulders saying "Well, the people decided..."?<br /><br />Chile took that route. Ask Salvador Allende how that ended.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-15331385644820706542016-11-29T11:04:31.020-05:002016-11-29T11:04:31.020-05:00Fuck the Harpercons!
That is the lesson Trudeau s...Fuck the Harpercons!<br /><br />That is the lesson Trudeau should learn. Harpercons are obstructionists, whiners, and bullies. There is only one thing they understand and that is power. <br /><br />No one in Canada interprets Trudeau's decision as a measured compromise. They all see it as a retreat and a form of weakness. <br /><br />Weakness and compromise do not work against bullies. That is a universal law based on historical fact. Study history. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-78394234943799545112016-11-29T08:53:47.166-05:002016-11-29T08:53:47.166-05:00We already have an education and healthcare system...We already have an education and healthcare system in this country that far surpasses anything to be found in Cuba. Without having to resort to a Marxist revolution and the political repression it would inevitably entail. Your "proud little island" could benefit infinitely more by aspiring to our British-style constitutional democracy than the other way around. The only thing the Castro regime can teach us is to be very, very wary of Utopian schemes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-91167570765488609952016-11-29T07:55:39.891-05:002016-11-29T07:55:39.891-05:00hi Mike...you're right, the hypocrisy is nause...hi Mike...you're right, the hypocrisy is nauseating. I heard some Con yesterday on TV, I believe it was the grubby Peter Kent, try to claim that King Abdullah had made Saudi Arabia a more enlightened place. Even though he chopped off many more heads than ISIS, and his kingdom was and remain the nexus of terrorism. Fidel Castro wasn't perfect, but he did good things, he came to symbolize resistance, and he will be long and fondly remembered by his people....Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-65071402109477952682016-11-29T07:48:39.686-05:002016-11-29T07:48:39.686-05:00hi RT...exactly, some people in the U.S. still reg...hi RT...exactly, some people in the U.S. still regard the island as their sunny playground of mob casinos and brothels. Or their very own possession. And like many Canadians they look down on the people of Latin America, or ignore them altogether. I like to think of myself as a citizen of the New World that stretches from the Canadian Arctic to Patagonia. I like my world, and the shabby small minded Cons disgust me...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-28770391491204072312016-11-29T07:33:14.131-05:002016-11-29T07:33:14.131-05:00hi e.a.f... It seems that Trudeau won't be goi...hi e.a.f... It seems that Trudeau won't be going to the funeral. I can understand why he isn't, and he does have a turbulent time ahead of him with the pipeline decisions to be announced this week. But I'm still disappointed, for his absence will be perceived by the Cubans as yet another attempt to diminish them and their revolution. Lucky I'm around to lie on one of their silky white sand beaches, sip a cool drink, and apologize in the name of all of us... ;)Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-60462463826296630912016-11-29T07:27:40.834-05:002016-11-29T07:27:40.834-05:00hi Steve...thanks for reminding me that Castro als...hi Steve...thanks for reminding me that Castro also did a lot to fight racism. He elevated the status of black Cubans, supported their arts and culture, and even sent troops to Africa to fight the apartheid regime...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-22703816889697834712016-11-29T07:23:25.314-05:002016-11-29T07:23:25.314-05:00hi Luce...I'm very disappointed that Trudeau i...hi Luce...I'm very disappointed that Trudeau isn't going, but it's probably just as well. He has a big pipeline decision to make this week, and he went to Cuba that's all he would be asked about. So it might ruin the funeral and he is better off here...<br />Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-6276563549297662082016-11-29T07:19:48.663-05:002016-11-29T07:19:48.663-05:00hi John...I think the Cons are acting like that be...hi John...I think the Cons are acting like that because they have become more and more Americanized. Their ideology is Republican, and they have forgotten that our distinctive Canadian values help make us an independent nation. And all I would say to progressives is please attack them like they attack us...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-15014215518531096452016-11-29T07:14:49.035-05:002016-11-29T07:14:49.035-05:00hi MC...they day I care about what any of those th...hi MC...they day I care about what any of those there Cons have to say will be the day I will die of boredom. Maxie, the boob from the Beauce, has at least some comic value. But Kellie Leitch and the grubby old Peter Kent are ugly. And none of them are in any position to shame anyone...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-31920838287973060512016-11-29T07:10:19.187-05:002016-11-29T07:10:19.187-05:00hi MC...Don't tell me you're now getting y...hi MC...Don't tell me you're now getting your information from Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. But yes Trudeau won't be going, but only because I think he's going to be very busy in the next few days selling his pipeline choice. I thanked he behaved very honourably, respected the grief of our Cuban friends, while the Cons kicked them in the face, and thoroughly disgraced themselves. Which will cost them because most Canadians, especially those who have visited Cuba have very warm feelings for the place and its people. When will our lost Cons stop acting like Republicans and start behaving like Canadians?Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-91758126009357465742016-11-29T07:03:36.282-05:002016-11-29T07:03:36.282-05:00Monday, November 28, 2016
http://www.parl.gc.ca/H...Monday, November 28, 2016<br /><br />http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=hansard&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1<br /><br />Hon. Denis Lebel (Lac-Saint-Jean, CPC): <br /> Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister displayed a lack of judgment once again last weekend in his remarks following the passing of dictator Fidel Castro. His statement shocked many Canadians.<br /> Now that the Prime Minister has acknowledged that Fidel Castro was a dictator, will he also acknowledge his lapse in judgment?<br /><br />Hon. Stéphane Dion (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): <br /> Mr. Speaker, I believe that the vast majority of foreign heads of state did not call Fidel Castro a dictator at that particular moment, even though that is what he was. At the news of Fidel Castro's passing, they chose to try to say something positive about him.<br /> That is what the Prime Minister of Canada did, and that is what the other world leaders did, because the intention was not to revive old antagonisms, but to show support for the people of Cuba and encourage them to look forward and create a better future for their children.<br /><br />[big snip]<br /><br />Video: <br /><br />Question Period - November 28, 2016<br />http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/question-period/episodes/49376401/<br /><br />http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/question-period/Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09630890163958807048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-58057940024269167392016-11-29T07:02:26.572-05:002016-11-29T07:02:26.572-05:00hi JD...it has been a sickening spectacle. And it ...hi JD...it has been a sickening spectacle. And it is embarrassing. They're putting down the Cubans just to try to get at Justin Trudeau. You can't get much lower than that. I've always hoped that Canada would pay more attention to Latin America, but judging from this sordid and very cheap episode I'm going to have to wait a little longer...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-5149712239320970922016-11-29T06:57:48.825-05:002016-11-29T06:57:48.825-05:00hi Steve...yes, like father like son. Sadly Ben is...hi Steve...yes, like father like son. Sadly Ben is turning out to be a political clone of his nasty daddy. But then of course he does know something about embarrassing behaviour. For who can forget the night he held a swim suit party at 24 Sussex, and some underage girl was found half naked lying on the ground suffering from alcohol poisoning? I mean that's a scandal. And since I believe he is studying law, maybe one day he can explain why nobody was charged? Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-11532348649670526582016-11-29T06:55:51.236-05:002016-11-29T06:55:51.236-05:00As the saying goes, "One man's terrorist ...As the saying goes, "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."<br /><br />But it is an imprecise cliche:<br /><br />http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/is-one-mans-terrorist-another-mans-freedom-fighter/257245/Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09630890163958807048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-45291745162556034942016-11-29T06:50:31.288-05:002016-11-29T06:50:31.288-05:00hi anon...I agree with every word. And this was on...hi anon...I agree with every word. And this was one of the most frenzied and hysterical attacks the Cons and the Con media have ever mounted. And you're right about the CBC. I'm a big supporter of public broadcasting, but it doesn't reflect the views of most Canadians. It's run by a small right-wing clique that kisses the asses of their Con board. And as for the privates they are like a school of fish. When one tries to suck up to their right-wing bosses, the others are sure to follow...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-5305348627035360772016-11-29T06:44:52.943-05:002016-11-29T06:44:52.943-05:00hi anon 10:16 am... Marxism is not a value it'...hi anon 10:16 am... Marxism is not a value it's a political option. Free education and healthcare are values, and they are ones that most Canadians share, even if they can't match them. For free university education is not available in this country. So who has better values? And who can say that poor but proud little island can't teach us a few things?Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-10348759588107643922016-11-29T06:30:45.308-05:002016-11-29T06:30:45.308-05:00hi anon...nobody is preventing them from hearing w...hi anon...nobody is preventing them from hearing what's going on in the rest of the world. They are an extremely educated people, and have a better grasp of world affairs than many Canadians. And if they don't find out from their news services they will hear what happened from the tens of thousands of Canadians getting ready to head down there. And they will let them know who was responsible...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-23946136858849372872016-11-29T01:46:52.485-05:002016-11-29T01:46:52.485-05:00The cons are a nauseating disgusting bunch of hypo...The cons are a nauseating disgusting bunch of hypocrites, unbelievable that the same lemmings who were quiet when Harper praised a misogynist, bloodthirsty Arab oil sheik like the Saudi king are now outraged over a man who not perfect did less damage to the world than the Saudis. Conservatives are truly a nauseating bunch of blowhards.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10678542597764989428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-62645033624104632872016-11-29T01:22:25.894-05:002016-11-29T01:22:25.894-05:00Shamed out of it? Really? First, he didn't say...Shamed out of it? Really? First, he didn't say he was going to begin with. Secondly, he didn't retract his original statement, he clarified it for the Con hyenas who helped make this a world-wide story. But I must commend your psychic ability MC as I fully expect the Con's to be using those talking points Tuesday.<br />What I see here is JT having to make the extremely difficult decision of attending the funeral out of loyalty to his father and to the long lasting friendship between the two families. Weighing against that is what's best for our country under a Trump led US government. Trump has shown his petty vindictiveness many times before and would surely try and punish us if JT attended. <br />I wanted him to attend but I now believe he's doing what's best for the country. Anyone who can look at this objectively would agree I think.<br />JDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-72435939512394814532016-11-28T22:18:24.178-05:002016-11-28T22:18:24.178-05:00I am not a fan of communism or dictatorships but C...I am not a fan of communism or dictatorships but Castro freed the Cuban people from a corrupt,soul destroying dictatorship that was far worse. Respecting Castro is actually supporting the Cuban people who in spite of the overwhelming power of organized crime and US policy paranoia actually managed to create a stable civilized society.With the passing of Castro the Cubans need support more than ever in order to make the transition to a more open society. Almost on cue it seems the darker forces are amassing to revert it back into a drug dispensary and soul destroying playground for the well connected.<br />As a general observation it would seem that the US war on communism/socialism takes precedence over the war on drugs. Given the state of US drug consumption perhaps their priorities are misplaced. Also the Con's "values" test would seem to apply to countries as well. Similar to screening poor immigrants and declaring them persona non grata ,low commercial value countries that fail to meet Canadian values are simply deleted from the official Canadian world map with respect to travel, communication, and even simple awareness. Sort of a child like solution where you don't look under the bed or open a closet at night least the monsters escape. The only difference is that children don't seem to discriminate between rich and poor closets.<br />RTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com