I don't want to be too hard on Michael Ignatieff, because falling down the memory hole of Canadian history can't be a pleasant experience. But since he's threatening to take us all with him.
I have to say that even by the standards of Canada's Alice in Wonderland politics he's sure on a strange journey.
He spends his time campaigning in places like Alberta where he'll never win a single seat. He continues to rule out the idea of a coalition.
It simply beggars belief that the Liberals would, in fact, rule out a coalition that could return them to power and defeat a Conservative government that they claim to believe is evil incarnate.
Unfortunately, the Liberals' talking points this week suggest they've learned nothing. "Liberals will campaign to form a Liberal government," they insist. "We aren't interested in coalitions."
Even though the new British government coalition has made the idea more respectable than ever.
He continues to suck up to Big Oil.
American regulation of the offshore oil industry has been revealed as a sham. Our regulation of drilling in the far harsher North Atlantic and Arctic is said by experts to be even weaker.
And thanks to what is in effect a conspiracy between the governing Conservatives and opposition Liberals to avoid an early election, Canada’s environmental rules are about to be further gutted.
Even though Big Oil has never been less popular.
And he could use that tsunami of angry outrage to
A power crazed political thug from Calgary. A tool of Big Oil, who wants to turn Canada into Amerika. A religious fanatic, a misogynist and a homophobe. What more could we ask for eh?
But what do we get from Ignatieff? A slightly revised scene from Alice in Wonderland with Iggy playing Alice:
Alice: I was just wondering if you could help me find my way.
Cheshire Cat: Well that depends on where you want to get to.
Alice: Oh, it really doesn't matter, as long as I manage to avoid an election...
Cheshire Cat: Then it really doesn't matter which way you go.
But of course it does matter. Because unless the Liberals can get their act together not even a coalition will save us.
Michael Ignatieff says the Cons have done a job on him. And he's right. So what is he waiting for to do a job on them? By launching the most aggressive culture war this country has ever seen.
Is he really content to just paint the roses red? While the fascist bullies roll over him...like they did to poor Dion.
I hope not because if I remember correctly even in Wonderland, when the shit hit the fan.
And the mad Queen went on a rampage.
And the Cheshire Cat stopped grinning.
And the White Rabbit looked at his watch and said time is running out.
Even Alice fought back...
11 comments:
I used to think a Liberal/NDP coalition is a good idea, and in a ideal world where most Canadians actually understood how things like Democracy and parliament work; where the Timmy's crowd might just venture into a Starbucks from time to time and actually stopped every now and again to think outside the box, that would have been the next best thing since sliced bread, but, I'm afraid we know better and reality isn't pretty these days.
Fact is, most Canadians don't understand our parliamentary system nor democracy and they are content to not stand corrected.
They never leave Timmy's and they are content to swallow whatever kool-aid du jour is being served.
We have to remember that the Bloc was with them in some agreement of some kind, now with Duceppe actively campaigning for the resurrection of Quebec sovereignty, and now this movement has gone do or die, so to speak, he cannot be seen collaborating, forming any government with federalist parties. Without them, there is a serious shortage in the numbers.
If such a coalition of some kind were to be formed, we'd have to be prepared for the blood shedding from both parties; MPs who don't wish to be part of a coalition, but rather to remain LIberal or NDP would surely leave.
Remember quite a few left after the merging of Progressive Conservative and Reform formed their unholy alliance.
As for Iggy, well, he has no choice but to stay for the time being. Bob Rae, given that he is perceived to have screwed up big time as premier of Ontario would not be able to get neither battleground province.
He is indeed wasting his time in Alberta...perhaps this is a kneejerk reaction from those conservative westerners who took exception to what Frank Graves said about them awhile ago.
What he fails to realize there is sometimes nothing pisses someone off more than when someone (particularly one they don't like) points out the truth about themselves.
Graves did just that regarding Alberta. They get all mad, but it was the truth? They would never vote anything but conservative. I digress.
Anyhow, Jack Layton isn't really impressing me much as of late neither. He too is losing his principles in exchange for a pursuit of power. Getting into bed with the Liberals doesn't suit that purpose.
I see one of two things happening with Layton and the NDP.
1. They get into bed with Harpercons following next election so Steve can get his majority votes. Yes, it would be the hostile take over of the NDP, but it gets them more of a chance to sit in cabinet.
2. (which explains Jack's bugging Iggy to vote against bill), we go to election and he gets official opposition status, except, he would be rendered useless, as mathematically, their seat count remains roughtly the same. Cons would probably gain more seats at the expense of the Liberals and so would the Bloc for that matter. Steve would get his majority.
Let's face it, we're stuck with this merry band of sad sacks, but look at this way, at least Steve doesn't have his totalitarian regime--yet and we must do everything to prevent that. Otherwise, the status quo that we're bitching about now, will be referred to as the good ol' days.
Now see, it's this sort of boneheadedness that causes people to make silly decisions.
Get it through your collective heads down there: coalition if necessary, but not necessarily coalition. The Liberals aren't going to shack up with the NDP if we believe we have a fair shot at strengthening our own position by ourselves. If it boils down to the last ditch option, the one where we can throw the proverbial kitchen sink at Harper, then a coalition might not be that bad of an idea. Otherwise, realize that not everything is about short-term power grabs.
Volkov plainly hasn't been reading the polls throughout the Ignatieff era. The LPC under Ignatieff has been gutted of its soul. It's now Conservative Lite and nothing more. After 40+ years as a Liberal stalwart, it's stomach-churning to look at the failure of this once (but no longer) great party. The IgLibs have seized the reins and they're driving the party straight into the ditch.
For the IgLibs, it's not about serving Canada and the Canadian people, it's all about reclaiming power, something that's not lost on the voting public. When you're hovering precariously at 25% in poll after poll, you don't have to cast bones or read entrails to figure that out.
Volkov --
And while Ignasty fiddles, placing party politics and personal ambition above the best interests of the nation, Canada burns.
Oh please! They all want to obtain and/or hang on to power. Nothing new there... Let's get that out of the way, shall we?
Right now, given the mood of the Timmy's crowd, realistically, I think Conservative lite is probably the best we'll get for awhile. Reality is, most of Canada has shifted to the right.
Even Jack Layton and the NDP have shifted more toward the center. Jack is starting to realize he needs to get into bed with someone in order to obtain power.
All that coalition talk; there might well be one. Just it will be with Harpercons (more like Hostile take-over; Hello Reform/PC Merge; we all know which took over that)should they yield another minority or lose but not by that much. It is rumoured that if Steve doesn't yield a majority in the next election, his party may kick him to the curb. I don't really believe that, given how he has his party in lockstep with him, but if that were true, taking over the NDP would help his cause.
Sure many Dippers would leave, but hell, if they went to bed with Liberals, many would still leave, as would liberals.
Liberals may have changed to adapt to the right shifting majority centrists. Perhaps center right needs to be sold as more palatable than Steve's sharp right to that Timmy's crowd; that group that must be pandered to in order to win an election.
If Canadians were that progressive today, they would be willing to vote in a chimpanzee even, just out of desperation to get rid of Steve. An anybody but Steve campaign would be suffice.
It worked in Quebec for Duceppe in 2008.
Until mainstream media becomes more balanced and stops endorsing Harpercon, and I don't see that happening anytime soon.
I wish I knew what could get the media to cover the liberals in a more balanced way.
It's also why I lean more toward Quebec sovereignty these days. I just wish my husband and I were young enough to be employable to be able to move overseas.
Like I said recently; we're just Bush America light right now. They got tea-baggers; we got Timmy's crowd.
You are correct Simon. Iggy provides just the sort of leadership that makes one's eyes roll back in one's head. The just visiting thing meme hammered by the Cons has not been met with anything approaching a convincing counter argument on his part, and he continually fails to inspire. He is not the man of the hour, and we desperately need one.
CK, Canada hasn't "moved to the right." If we had, Ignatieff's numbers wouldn't be in the bottom of the toilet bowl. You want the LPC to stay Conservative Lite, you had better get comfy in the bowl. That's where the Libs belong when they act this way.
hi ck...I agree that many Canadians don't have much of an idea about how our Parliamentary system works. And the word coalition seems to frighten them. But the impact of the British coalition can be underestimated.
And the more we talk about it the more normal it will seem.
As Chairman Mao once said every long march begins with a first step. Or something like that. I never joined the Marxist Club in University because they were as nerdy as the Conservatives... :)
hi Volkov...I'm sorry I have to disagree with you. I don't think a coalition should be seen as just a last-ditch measure. I think it could be sold to Canadians as something both Canadian and necessary. People are always saying that one and one equals two. But when you put two objects together you get a third, and it could be a more attractive option to many voters looking for something different, than just the sum of its parts. We desperately need fresh ideas and we shouldn't rule anything out...
hi Mound...I'm afraid too many Liberals are not aware that their party has been declining for 25 years, which makes them resistant to change. I think I read somewhere that Donolo's strategy is to wait out Stephen Harper, and campaign against his successor. But we can't wait that long and neither can Canada...
hi Scott...Although I'm not a big fan of Ignatieff I was hoping he would do well, so we could get rid of Harper.
But he is performing so badly I just can't believe it. I don't know if it's him or his advisors but something is terribly wrong. And as I mentioned above Canada can't wait for him to figure it out or QUIT...
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