I wasn't planning to write another post about Lisa Raitt today. But that was before I told a friend how Raitt called cancer "sexy." And she started to cry because her mum is being treated for lung cancer.
And before it sunk in that Raitt didn't even have the decency to apologize.
Before I saw that Stephen Harper had called it " cheap politics." The cheap THUG.
And also before I read this two for the price of one post from a couple of my favourite bloggers.
In the grand scheme of things, Lisa Raitt is only a symptom of a much wider problem in the Conservative Party, and in our government in general. It's a problem in which the media and even the public is complicit, because most of us simply don't pay attention to serious issues unless sex, scandal or secret tapes are involved.
I understand what Jennifer is saying. And what Dr Dawg is saying too:
Let's keep our eye on the ball. The issue is not a vainglorious Minister with a taste for fame, perks and expensive lunches. It's not even, in this instance, her cover-up of the full magnitude of the Chalk River fiasco. The issue is a government that proceeds under the confident assumption that it should be able to do whatever it wants. Raitt is a symptom of a greater problem.
On the other hand, as Jennifer points out the campaign Raitt and her supporters waged against Garth Turner was simply unforgivable.
As was the way she treated her opponents in the battle over the Toronto Island airport.
So she's a bully in good standing.
And while I agree that we must keep an eye on the big picture. And not be distracted by baubles. It's also important to CONNECT. People may not understand why Omar Khadr should be released from Guantanamo. But they can relate to the sound of a boy crying. They know that cancer isn't sexy. And they know MEAN when they see it.
So I think that Raitt's ramblings...as well as her incompetence...can be extremely useful as a living symbol of what's wrong with the Harper government.
Making it up as they go along in the Kingdom of Cruel...
Yup. Focus on the Big Picture. But don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Raitt did say cancer was "sexy" and I for one intend to use that against these hideous Cons as much as I can. Because I know a made to measure club when I see one.
And because I'm tired of living in Stephen Harper's cruel Canada. Tired of seeing my beautiful country turned into something ugly. Tired of seeing my planet and my future going up in flames
I'm no intellectual eh? That should be obvious.But as a sometime bully basher I do know that you win a fight one blow after the other.
And the harder you hit them....where it COUNTS.
The sooner they FALL....
The crass, unadulterated, vulgar pursuit of power by Raitt has me under my covers. Let's face it, we wouldn't even break bread with her. The Cons have become their own offensive stereotypes. How much longer must we be degraded? I believe the high stress has led them to bond through their vulgarity. I'm shuddering with revulsion and am going to try to pretend I'm on vacation from these thugs for at least 3 months. G'nite, don't turn out the lights.
ReplyDeleteSimon, I agree with that too. By all means, we need to make the most of this. Because Lisa Raitt's comments are not only symptomatic - they're emblematic of everything that is wrong with Stephen Harper's perverted notion of 'government'. So if we can take her down with this, that would be a major blow to Harper.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I'm saying is that we need to keep drawing the connection between the shiny bauble and what's REALLY going wrong here. Happily, it looks like people are starting to figure that out.
Hi anonymous...yes that's something I wanted to make absolutely clear...nobody should feel sorry for Lisa Raitt, because she can handle herself in the corners, and she's just as much of a power shark any of the other Cons. I'm not exaggerating.... her performance as Port Authority chief had to be seen to be believed. Anyone who got in her way was mincemeat.So she deserves what she gets.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah wouldn't it be nice to tune them out for three months.
Maybe on Tahiti... :)
Hi Jennifer...I didn't mean this post as a criticism of you and Dr Dawg.I thought both of your views were very thoughtful. I think it's part of the great ying and yang of the progressive blogosphere. The older and wiser ones telling the younger hotheads not to be distracted, and the hotheads telling the wiser ones why they are so impatient... :)
ReplyDeleteBut what we all need to do I think above all is is combine all these threads into one simple narrative that we can use to reach people less interested in politics. And of course use it to club the Cons mercilessly. I like the mean theme but there are so many bad things the Cons have done it's not as easy as it seems.
But nobody will ever accuse me of not trying... ;)