THE CHUMP SOUNDING MORE LIKE THE CHIMP

[Nuggler]

According to mein Harper "most Canadians" don't care about a dispute he's having with the national press gallery in Ottawa; saying: "I think it's all inside Ottawa stuff.", to reporters in BC.

The PMO wants reporters to sign onto a list, and from that list El Supremo and his minions will "decide" who gets to ask a question. What's next? Town hall meetings with picked audiences? Who does that sound like?

But, no more press conferences for the parliamentary press gallery. No sir. He's taking his huwt widdle feewings and dowin home.

"I think history would indicate that we're very open to anyone who wants to ask a question. WE KEEP A VERY COMPLETE LIST OF ALL WHO REQUEST" 8O That's downright scary folks. Again, what's next; night of the long knives?

Harper stated; "I don't think it matters to people"

Holy shit :!: How arrogant can we get? How condescending?

If and when this creep gets a majority (gawd forbid), one of the first things he will do is OFFICIALLY curtail the press. We will then be in a situation like Nazi Germany pre WW2, or like the US of A is in now. People are AFRAID to speak out. Given the idiocy of George W and company, it takes real courage; and, the moronachy is oozing North.

:roll: FugglyUggly.

 

[BitWhys]

I really didn't expect him to say it. His advisors have him playing one hell of a gambit.

 

[Colpy]

According to mein Harper "most Canadians" don't care about a dispute he's having with the national press gallery in Ottawa; saying: "I think it's all inside Ottawa stuff.", to reporters in BC.

The PMO wants reporters to sign onto a list, and from that list El Supremo and his minions will "decide" who gets to ask a question. What's next? Town hall meetings with picked audiences? Who does that sound like?

But, no more press conferences for the parliamentary press gallery. No sir. He's taking his huwt widdle feewings and dowin home.

"I think history would indicate that we're very open to anyone who wants to ask a question. WE KEEP A VERY COMPLETE LIST OF ALL WHO REQUEST" 8O That's downright scary folks. Again, what's next; night of the long knives?

Harper stated; "I don't think it matters to people"

Holy shit :!: How arrogant can we get? How condescending?

If and when this creep gets a majority (gawd forbid), one of the first things he will do is OFFICIALLY curtail the press. We will then be in a situation like Nazi Germany pre WW2, or like the US of A is in now. People are AFRAID to speak out. Given the idiocy of George W and company, it takes real courage; and, the moronachy is oozing North.

:roll: FugglyUggly.

Oh, baloney.

I get tired of all the crap about Harper's hidden agenda. Now he is going to curtail the press! Yeah right. YAWN

Call me when he does and I will get upset.

BTW, the entire uproar about this stuff is a result of the Americanization of political culture.

That's right.

In Canada, the government of the day is questioned in Parliament, during Question Period.

In the US system, there is no such institution, and the government is never officially required to answer publically for its policies or behaviour. Because of this, the media has taken on a very significant role as the "Grand Inquisitor", and their importance in this role can not be over-estimated.

In Canada, Her Majesty's Official Opposition is the "Grand Inquisitor on the floor of the House, and the media reports on that. The role of the Media is much, much less important in holding the government to account for its actions.

Unfortunately, we have become so steeped in US culture that the Great Unwashed Masses don't recognize the difference, and any attempt to inflict some decorum on reporter's scrums are seen as an assault on the foundations of democracy.

In the USA, yes.

In Canada, not even close.

 

[darkbeaver]

RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

Nice to see you talking anti-American Colpy, Folks like you
can help destroy the empire, welcome aboard.

 

[Colpy]

Re: RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

Nice to see you talking anti-American Colpy, Folks like you
can help destroy the empire, welcome aboard.

Don't hold your breath, Beav.......

I still believe the United States is, overall, a force for good in the world.

I was just pointing out the difference in our political institutions........and trying to rattle some cages.

 

[darkbeaver]

RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

How do you feel about Skilling and Lay who were at one time not long ago considered the best the American nation had to offer, if you take thier example you will understand my hate for the system. Those two are what is wrong with America, full of thieves and liars in expensive suits.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Re: RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

Those two are what is wrong with America, full of thieves and liars in expensive suits.

Quite similar to the Federal Liberal Party.

 

[darkbeaver]

Re: RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

Nice to see you talking anti-American Colpy, Folks like you
can help destroy the empire, welcome aboard.

Don't hold your breath, Beav.......

I still believe the United States is, overall, a force for good in the world.

I was just pointing out the difference in our political institutions........and trying to rattle some cages.

How you can possibly see the US as a force for good in this world is beyond my understanding, I mean we are about the same age and have been exposed to about the same environment in that time so for you to have gotten it completely backward speaks to
deep fundemental differences which I find frightening. :lol:

 

[darkbeaver]

Re: RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

Those two are what is wrong with America, full of thieves and liars in expensive suits.

Quite similar to the Federal Liberal Party.

I don't disagree with your assessment. They are just as rotten, being the corporate pricks that they are, they are however much more polished and experianced than the Conservatives. Harpers crew are crude by comparison. :lol:

 

[Colpy]

The Americans have some very serious blind spots. They are far, far from perfect.

Certainly they have historically been extremely short-sighted in their foreign policy......and their support of anti-Communist dictators during the Cold War was just beyond belief in nany areas of the world.

I did an honours essay in university on the origins of the Vietnam War, and the stupidity of American actions......Ho Chi Minh was a US ally, double-crossed for European political considerations, is absolutely indicative of the worst of US foreign policy.

I dislike the American tendency to get carried away.......the Patriot Act is a disgrace, the increasing surveillance of US civilians is scary, and the imprisonment of persons without trial, or trial by military tribunal is unconstitutional and inexcusable.....

BUT we are talking about the nation that rebuilt Europe after WW II, including their enemies' countries.

We are talking about the nation that led us in the struggle against Soviet style socialism.........a system that murdered tens of millions.

We are talking about a nation that created modern democracy, no less, that inspired the French Revolution and the movement towards liberalization in the 19th century.

We are talking about a nation that is trying......with some collosal set-backs, but is still TRYING, to create workable democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I know you will chike on the above paragraph, but condider this.........how easy would it be for the USA to have simply removed Saddam in Iraq......and kept in place his secret police, his torturers, his entire structure for control of the population. THAT is the conventional practise of conquerers.....and it works. And it would have worked in Iraq.....but the idealistic Americans wanted something better, and they are daily paying the price.

Anyway, talk later, gotta go. Wifey beckons for shopping trip. (sigh)

 

[BitWhys]

IMO to say the US "created modern democracy" is an overstatement. The only thing that kept voting power out of the hands of nobility was the fact the landed class hadn't been around long enough to develop one.

modern democracy is the result of evolution, not revolution.

 

[elevennevele]

I get tired of all the crap about Harper's hidden agenda. Now he is going to curtail the press! Yeah right. YAWN

Call me when he does and I will get upset.

Ring, ring...

Is Colpy there? Just leaving a message to tell you as per your request — Harper is now curtailing the press. Try not to get too upset.


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/cbc/s/25052006/3/canada-harper-says-s-finished-ottawa-press-corps.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he'll no longer give news conferences for the national media, after a dispute led a number of journalists to walk away from an event when he refused to take their questions.

curtail v. (Oxford) to cut short, to reduce, curtailment n.

 

[Jay]

Because the "national media" is the press...everyone knows that.

 

[Colpy]

I get tired of all the crap about Harper's hidden agenda. Now he is going to curtail the press! Yeah right. YAWN

Call me when he does and I will get upset.

Ring, ring...

Is Colpy there? Just leaving a message to tell you as per your request — Harper is now curtailing the press. Try not to get too upset.


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/cbc/s/25052006/3/canada-harper-says-s-finished-ottawa-press-corps.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he'll no longer give news conferences for the national media, after a dispute led a number of journalists to walk away from an event when he refused to take their questions.

curtail v. (Oxford) to cut short, to reduce, curtailment n.

Harper has not cut short, or reduced the press's right to print whatever it likes...............

Years ago there was a police stand-off with a man armed with a rifle next door to me. That morning I booted reporters out of my front porch, refusing to talk to them. I was hardly curtailing freedom of the press was I? They could print whatever they liked, I just was not going to help them with it.

 

[denoiret]

he certainly hit the ground running. i always figured an open dialogue was part of our constitutional tradition.. not something the government could just ignore. like the scrum. of course you don't submit the questions ahead of time.

i heard today he wants to set fixed elections.

Harper told the chamber of commerce the government will introduce a bill next week calling for fixed election dates every four years. He said the bill will propose the next election take place in the fall of 2009.

"Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar," he said.

"They level the playing field for all parties."

He said fixed election dates are part of his democratic reform measures.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/26052006...rper-wants-fixed-dates-federal-elections.html

what happens if there's a vote of non-confidence? do we ignore it because mr harper and his friends in the bloc are making all sorts of "democratic reform measures"? it smells of mulroney's constitutional reforms to give us a US-style senate while pretending it's to be nice to quebec.

 

[Colpy]

he certainly hit the ground running. i always figured an open dialogue was part of our constitutional tradition.. not something the government could just ignore. like the scrum. of course you don't submit the questions ahead of time.

i heard today he wants to set fixed elections.

Harper told the chamber of commerce the government will introduce a bill next week calling for fixed election dates every four years. He said the bill will propose the next election take place in the fall of 2009.

"Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar," he said.

"They level the playing field for all parties."

He said fixed election dates are part of his democratic reform measures.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/26052006...rper-wants-fixed-dates-federal-elections.html

what happens if there's a vote of non-confidence? do we ignore it because mr harper and his friends in the bloc are making all sorts of "democratic reform measures"? it smells of mulroney's constitutional reforms to give us a US-style senate while pretending it's to be nice to quebec.

No.

Fixed election dates in our system definitely do not preclude the ability of the opposition to vote non-confidence in the government. In such a case, the G-G would either ask the Opposition leader to attempt to form a government, or dismiss Parliament, leading to a new election. Then the clock would be re-set, scheduling another election in exactly four years.

I may be mistaken on details........there is a thread on this elsewhere......but it IS most definitely a move towards democratic reform and the lessening of the power of the PMO.

 

[Finder]

If Harper or Bush had guts they wouldn't be scared about answering questions from the general public instead of set up interviews with friendly reporters and newspapers.


I will give Harper credit before the election he was getting open with the media which many people were surprised about since he has personally always been standoffish with the media unlike other leaders of the Canadian Alliance, Reform party and the Progressive Conservatives.

I guess just like the whole idea of Harper turning into a moderate before the election his friendly media openess before the election was a shame as well. My eye's have truly been opened by this man. I was really hoping he was turning into a right wing libertarian moderate instead of a religous right neo-con which he is. However I still think many in his own party don't really agree on what he is doing and I think many right wing libertarians and progressive conservatives are not that bad and deserve to be where they are.

 

[mabudon]

RE: THE CHUMP SOUNDING MO

However I still think many in his own party don't really agree on what he is doing and I think many right wing libertarians and progressive conservatives are not that bad and deserve to be where they are.

Heck yes, very much agreed there, which is why Harper ordered his government to respond to any and all questions on that same-sex RCMP marriage with "NO COMMENT"; some of them would no doubt show their "true colours" while others would likely have things to say that fail to demonize the notion, which in turn would lead to a lot more friction when Harper re-opens the "debate" on the "issue", maybe even from within his own party, which would not be good and would possiblylead to the "outing" (pun most definitely intended) of what would seem to be the Harper governments ACTUAL agenda (the secret one that they "don't have" wink wink nudge nudge know wot I mean)