#hypocrisy: Clement widely mocked on Twitter while Levant ducks out

[mentalfloss]

#hypocrisy: Clement widely mocked for Twitter communism controversy

Treasury Board President Tony Clement tweeted his way into trouble again Wednesday after he attacked a former Globe and Mail editor’s decision to move to communist Cuba — even though the Ontario Conservative MP was taking part in a ceremony honouring a Canadian expat who was a passionate communist.

The Globe’s former online editor, Stephen Wicary, had previously been subjected to a tirade from Sun TV host Ezra Levant for his move, and when he noted the irony of a Conservative honouring a communist, he received a tweetful from Clement.

@wicary @ezralevant My point was to celebrate things other than his communism. You chose to live in a communist country. Big difference.—
Tony Clement (@TonyclementCPC) July 11, 2012
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As we first reported yesterday, the spat briefly continued on Twitter before Clement disengaged, possibly because he was attending the grand opening of the federally funded visitors centre at Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst, Ont.

Great to cut the gauze at the new Dr Norman Bethune visitor centre in Gravenhurst. Thx to @parkscanada for all their hard work!—
Tony Clement (@TonyclementCPC) July 11, 2012
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The centre honours Dr. Norman Bethune, who Parks Canada says “owing to his medical accomplishments and humanitarian work Bethune also remains a celebrated individual by citizens of the People’s Republic of China and Spain.”

“Dr. Bethune is most famous for his humanitarian actions during the last two years of his life in China where he served as a surgeon and teacher. Generations after his death, his story continues to be taught as an example of selfless humanitarianism to millions of Chinese students. Three delegations traveled from China to participate in today’s official opening ceremonies,” Parks Canada adds.

Not spelled out is that Bethune was a Communist party member, and those last two years of his life were spent aiding Chairman Mao’s soldiers.

Canadians were quick to point out the apparent contradiction of Clement having no problem honouring a communist who is beloved in China — an increasingly important trading partner for Canada — and taking issue with a journalist moving to Cuba to join his wife (who had taken a job as the director of a major charity organization.)

So @TonyClementCPC does not believe in Canadian citizens moving abroad for charity work. Minister, should we close down CIDA and DFAIT, too?—
Eva Holland (@evaholland) July 11, 2012
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Tony Clement praises Communist war vet Norman Bethune one second, then rants at ex-Globe editor for moving to Cuba. Pick one. #hypocrisy—
Kate Harper (@_unicorntears_) July 11, 2012
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Scientists says Tony Clement's musings on Bethune may represent entirely new form of stupidity #cdnpoli—
Coco Cabrera (@coco_urnews) July 11, 2012
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@TonyclementCPC Thanks for defending us all agains the RED MENACE! Hey did you catch that new Elvis album? It's really swingin!—
Simon Vehicle! (@ftefno) July 11, 2012
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I bet once @tonyclementcpc realizes that Bethune moved to a communist country to do aid work, @wicary will get a monument too. #cdnpoli—
Ryan Wright (@WrightRyan) July 12, 2012
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The worst thing about this communist twitter explosion today with @TonyclementCPC, he may stop tweeting #cdnpoli stuff and just do music.—
Mark Comeau (@Tidnisher) July 12, 2012
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Despite starting the entire controversy earlier this month, Levant kept to the sidelines on the issue.

Can't we all just get along? RT @gordmcfee: natpo.st/PQL1pQ via @nationalpost Ezra Levant is loving this.—
Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) July 11, 2012
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And for the record, Sun TV is against communism, whether it be in China or in Cuba.

Today @tonyclementCPC gave $2.5 million of your tax dollars to honour Mao apologist Bethune. Mao killed over 60 million ow.ly/i/Liu7—
Sun News Network (@SunNewsNetwork) July 11, 2012


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http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/12/hypocrisy-clement-resoundly-mocked-for-twitter-communism-controversy/

 

[TenPenny]

Re: #hypocrisy: Clement and Levant widely mocked on Twitter

Let's see, Ezra Levant believes that people should have the right to do what they want, so he complains about someone who chooses to live in Cuba? Isn't that a personal choice?

I expect Clement to be clueless and stupid, but I thought Levant could grasp simple concepts.

 

[mentalfloss]

Re: #hypocrisy: Clement and Levant widely mocked on Twitter

Let's see, Ezra Levant believes that people should have the right to do what they want, so he complains about someone who chooses to live in Cuba? Isn't that a personal choice?

I expect Clement to be clueless and stupid, but I thought Levant could grasp simple concepts.

Levant is a free speechist and a libertarian.

..unless you're from Cuba.

 

[relic]

That's what happens when steves lackys try ad libbing,without someone to pull thestring in the back of their neck,they get in trouble.

 

[mentalfloss]

Tory MP blasts his own government over Bethune visitor centre

OTTAWA — An outspoken Alberta Conservative MP is condemning his own government's decision to spend $2.5 million on a new visitor centre honouring Canadian doctor and communist supporter Norman Bethune.

Calgary Tory MP Rob Anders said Thursday the Harper government should not be using taxpayer dollars to fund a facility dedicated to someone who supported a Mao Zedong communist regime in China that killed millions of people.

Treasury Board president Tony Clement officially opened Wednesday the new visitor facilities at the Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst, Ont, where the Canadian physician and humanitarian was born.

The facility — which received $2.5 million in federal funding in 2009 — is popular with Chinese tourists and business delegations, attracting nearly 1,000 visitors a day during peak times.

Anders noted the government is eliminating the Canadian penny and cutting federal programs in an effort to save money, and he believes public funds shouldn't be going to a shrine for Bethune.

"It's just sad, and especially in times of budgetary restraint where we're making cutbacks. It rubs people the wrong way," Anders said in an interview. "The idea that taxpayer money is being used to glorify somebody who was a propagandist for Mao — there's a lot of taxpayers out there who would say that was an inappropriate use of resources."

"That is a project that could have fallen within our deficit-elimination efforts and been eliminated."
The Bethune Memorial House is a national historic site that's operated by Parks Canada.

Bethune was a gifted physician who's most famous for taking up the Chinese Communist cause in the late 1930s during years of war and treating Mao's soldiers on the front lines, where he ultimately died while tending to them.

"It would just be better to save Canadian taxpayer dollars," Anders argued, believing the necessary funds could have been raised through admission fees or private donations.

"I don't think they have to go this route."

Anders said he would encourage constituents in his riding to contact the Prime Minister's Office, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Clement, "and let them know they would like to see their funds redirected."

Anders figures the government may have funded the facility as part of its efforts to improve diplomatic relations with economic powerhouse China and also attract additional Chinese tourists to Canada.

In a news release announcing the new visitor centre, Clement said the Bethune Memorial House is a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

"This site, this house, serves as an emblem of Dr. Bethune's legacy and is representative of Canadian values and the Canadian spirit," Clement said.

Tory MP blasts his own government over Bethune visitor centre