Ezra Levant Makes Sense

[Colpy]

SirJosephPorter;Thus, Ann Coulter’s books often become best sellers. That doesn’t mean they re any good, they are total rubbish (at least in my opinion). It is just that the far right base of the Republican Party simply laps up anything and everything she says.

Coulter is a practised looney that knows how to get attention and sell books. she is often beyond the Pale with her public statements......she also often says things that need to be said.

Colpy, so I assume you agree with me, just because a book is on the best seller list, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is any good.

Oh absolutely.....but refusal to consider a highly recommended book because you MIGHT disagree with the author is pig-headed to the extreme. Open your mind!

Oh, and you must have missed the phrase I now have emphasized.

As you've been told over and over and over and over.....if you believe and support democracy, rule of law, and individual rights you are NOT an extremeist.

Perhaps not according to your definition. By my definition, one may support democracy and still be an extremist. Thus, somebody who wants to ban abortion, restrict contraception, want to make teaching of Book of Genesis mandatory in public schools, along with (or in place of) evolution, wants to bring back school prayers (And make them mandatory), somebody who want so ban embryonic stem cell research etc. does not support any treasonous activity, he may want to do these things legally.

Funny, I don't think Ezra Levant believes ANY of those things.........

In your opinion he may not be an extremist, sin my opinion, he is.

But you label him an "extremist"........either you don't know what you are talking about, or you define "extremist" as anyone who disagrees with you.

That is pretty well what we are left with.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

I read one of Coulter's books and one line I remember is that she fumes that the left thinks the US should be wide open to anyone who wants to come in. Which is the view in Canada too by all parties.I support immigration, but less than 200,000 plus a year, say about 50000.

Yet, the right, especially big business, sees immigration this way, let in any immigrants-skilled and unskilled, so they can save money on local training, all in the name of globalization. Both the right and the left require regulation. Which sometimes sounds like protectionism, and everyone likes their own brand.

She makes a few good points.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Immigration is not left or right issue; there are supporters and opponents of immigration on both sides.

When the right is opposed to immigration, they usually mean that they are opposed to nonwhite immigration. They have a problem people coming to USA from Mexico; they don’t have any problem with people coming from Britain, Norway, Sweden etc. or from any of the white counties.

But the business community as a whole (which is a natural constituency of the right) supports all kinds of immigration, both skilled (with H-1 visas) and unskilled (Mexican laborers).

Left generally supports immigration, but there are some on the left who oppose immigration, mainly for environmental reasons. They figure more people will but undue burden on environment and may be devastating to the eco system.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Perhaps not according to your definition. By my definition, one may support democracy and still be an extremist. Thus, somebody who wants to ban abortion, restrict contraception, want to make teaching of Book of Genesis mandatory in public schools, along with (or in place of) evolution, wants to bring back school prayers (And make them mandatory), somebody who want so ban embryonic stem cell research etc. does not support any treasonous activity, he may want to do these things legally. - SJP

Funny, I don't think Ezra Levant believes ANY of those things......... COLPY

Colpy, maybe not. But his other views are extreme. Thus he supports separation, for both Quebec and Alberta. That is an extreme view, in my opinion. Some of his other extreme views are,

He wants to privatize CPP.
He wants to dismantle trade unions.
He wants to abolish minimum wage, universal health care. He wants American style private health care in Canada.

These are just some of the far right views that he holds. Now, maybe he is not an extremist in your eyes, I don’t know. But I consider him to be very much an extremist. The fact that he wants to bring these changes peacefully, and not by revolution doesn’t make a bit of difference.

 

[Colpy]

Perhaps not according to your definition. By my definition, one may support democracy and still be an extremist. Thus, somebody who wants to ban abortion, restrict contraception, want to make teaching of Book of Genesis mandatory in public schools, along with (or in place of) evolution, wants to bring back school prayers (And make them mandatory), somebody who want so ban embryonic stem cell research etc. does not support any treasonous activity, he may want to do these things legally. - SJP

Funny, I don't think Ezra Levant believes ANY of those things......... COLPY

Colpy, maybe not. But his other views are extreme. Thus he supports separation, for both Quebec and Alberta. That is an extreme view, in my opinion. Some of his other extreme views are,

He wants to privatize CPP.
He wants to dismantle trade unions.
He wants to abolish minimum wage, universal health care. He wants American style private health care in Canada.

These are just some of the far right views that he holds. Now, maybe he is not an extremist in your eyes, I don’t know. But I consider him to be very much an extremist. The fact that he wants to bring these changes peacefully, and not by revolution doesn’t make a bit of difference.

In your imagination, those are the views he holds.

Got any actual evidence? I mean besides the separation thing.....

Even if that IS what he believes, there is not a single thing there I would agree with.....but guess what?

I can see his value.

You are digging yourself a deep hole.........you are hardly a bastion of tolerance yourself, are you?

 

[Cannuck]

Or just people that are objective and seek to be informed.

Exactly. I seek out books that are contrary to my political, philosophical and ideological points of view. If I only read things that I agreed with, I may as well save the cost of the book and just talk to myself. Of course, people like me are moderates and moderates tend to be open-minded. I think open-mindedness is really what scares SJP and the rest of the fringe-dwellers because opening yourself up to the possibility that you may be wrong can be a humbling experience if you are not used to it. It seems that SJP's ego is far too fragile for that.

 

[gerryh]

I thought I was wrong once..... turned out I wasn't.

 

[Colpy]

I thought I was wrong once..... turned out I wasn't.

Turns out you were mistaken....

 

[lone wolf]

I thought I was wrong once..... turned out I wasn't.

What? Thinking? ;-)

 

[SirJosephPorter]

In your imagination, those are the views he holds.

Got any actual evidence? I mean besides the separation thing.....

Certainly, Colpy. Just look in Wikipedia.

Ezra Levant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It says the following:

He worked for the Fraser Institute in 1995,[3] writing Youthquake, which argued for smaller government, including privatization of the Canada Pension Plan. Levant saw "youthquake", the term he used to describe what he identified as a conservative youth movement of the 1990s, as similar to the 1960s civil rights movement except that instead of being enslaved by racism, his generation was "enslaved by debt"[3]trade unions, the minimum wage, universal health care, subsidized tuition and public pension plans.[3] and, in order to liberate itself, society needed to dismantle elements such as trade unions, the minimum wage, universal health care, subsidized tuition and public pension plans.[3]


Even if that IS what he believes,

Indeed, that is what he believes.

I can see his value.

Perhaps you do, but I don’t.

You are digging yourself a deep hole....

Really? If so, I like the hole.

you are hardly a bastion of tolerance yourself, are you?

I most certainly am.

 

[Colpy]

SirJosephPorter;In your imagination, those are the views he holds.

Got any actual evidence? I mean besides the separation thing.....

Certainly, Colpy. Just look in Wikipedia.

Ezra Levant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It says the following:

He worked for the Fraser Institute in 1995,[3] writing Youthquake, which argued for smaller government, including privatization of the Canada Pension Plan. Levant saw "youthquake", the term he used to describe what he identified as a conservative youth movement of the 1990s, as similar to the 1960s civil rights movement except that instead of being enslaved by racism, his generation was "enslaved by debt"[3]trade unions, the minimum wage, universal health care, subsidized tuition and public pension plans.[3] and, in order to liberate itself, society needed to dismantle elements such as trade unions, the minimum wage, universal health care, subsidized tuition and public pension plans.[3]

Ahhh........when I was 18, I was a Marxist.....when Pierre Trudeau was 18, he was a Fascist.....I know, when you were 18 you were a little Liberal You can't judge a man completely on the follies of his youth.......most of us grow up.

As for Quebec separation.....I've leaned that way myself.....this country has been too long a dog wagged by its separatist tail......and when did support for Quebec independence become a right wing "extremist" position?

Even if that IS what he believes,

Indeed, that is what he believes.

I can see his value.

Perhaps you do, but I don’t.

You should have read further in Wikipedia:

"Levant has been lauded by a wide-ranging group of Canadian citizens, particularly libertarians and free speech advocates[33][34][35]. His case has attracted the attention of organizations such as PEN Canada,[36] the Canadian Association of Journalists[37], Egale Canada[38], and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association[39] — all of which have called for reform of the commissions."

Now there's a bunch of right wing extremists!!!!!!!!!

You are digging yourself a deep hole....

Really? If so, I like the hole.

you are hardly a bastion of tolerance yourself, are you?

I most certainly am.

You most certainly ARE NOT!!!!!!!!:roll: The tolerant actually try to understand the positions of others, and why they hold them..........an unwillingness to accept any intellectual challenge is the antithesis of tolerance.

I used to say about myself: I've a mind like a steel trap, obsolete, politically incorrect, and rusted shut......but with me, it was a joke.....

It fits you better, except the "politically incorrect" bit.

 

[Cannuck]

Ahhh........when I was 18, I was a Marxist.....when Pierre Trudeau was 18, he was a Fascist.....I know, when you were 18 you were a little Liberal You can't judge a man completely on the follies of his youth.......most of us grow up.

I'm nothing like I was when I was 18. I saw the video of Iggy in 1995 that said Canada can not survive. I won't hold him to it even though he was a tad older than 18.

...and when did support for Quebec independence become a right wing "extremist" position?

8O Somebody should let the BQ know!

You should have read further in Wikipedia:

"Levant has been lauded by a wide-ranging group of Canadian citizens, particularly libertarians and free speech advocates[33][34][35]. His case has attracted the attention of organizations such as PEN Canada,[36] the Canadian Association of Journalists[37], Egale Canada[38], and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association[39] — all of which have called for reform of the commissions."

Now there's a bunch of right wing extremists!!!!!!!!!

Of course you realize that Wikipedia is now on SJP's list of unreadable sites because of its obvious far-right slant. Since Levant is far right and something on Wikipedia positively supports him, Wikipedia is, by default, far-right.

You most certainly ARE NOT!!!!!!!!:roll: The tolerant actually try to understand the positions of others, and why they hold them..........an unwillingness to accept any intellectual challenge is the antithesis of tolerance.

http://www.wisdomquotes.com/003329.html
The price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people's differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience. - Jerome Nathanson

 

[CDNBear]

Exactly. I seek out books that are contrary to my political, philosophical and ideological points of view. If I only read things that I agreed with, I may as well save the cost of the book and just talk to myself. Of course, people like me are moderates and moderates tend to be open-minded. I think open-mindedness is really what scares SJP and the rest of the fringe-dwellers because opening yourself up to the possibility that you may be wrong can be a humbling experience if you are not used to it. It seems that SJP's ego is far too fragile for that.

That's an understatement...;-)

Not tomention, sometimes the truth can be found from the different perspectives, given by differing ideological points of view...

But the fringe has no need of truth, just perpetual BS and self promotion.

When your platform is hollow and your moral compass broken, what else is there...lol.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

"Levant has been lauded by a wide-ranging group of Canadian citizens, particularly libertarians and free speech advocates[33][34][35]. His case has attracted the attention of organizations such as PEN Canada,[36] the Canadian Association of Journalists[37], Egale Canada[38], and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association[39] — all of which have called for reform of the commissions."

Colpy, I never said that HRC does not need reforming. May be it does and maybe it doesn’t, I don’t know. What I said is that I won’t take the word of a right wing extremist like Levant for it.

When you quote something said by an extremist, then the extremist becomes the point of contention, what he said becomes irrelevant.

If a respectable, reputable journalist had written the same article, it would have been taken seriously. But since an extremist like Levant wrote it, it has largely been ignored. Even your beloved Conservative Party is not talking of reforming the HRC. And rightly so. The proper way to treat what an extremist says is to ignore it.

If you feel that Levant is speaking the Gospel truth, I suggest you try to get Harper on board to reform HRC. You will see how much weight Levant carries with Conservative Party (which I suspect is very little).

 

[CDNBear]

May be it does and maybe it doesn’t, I don’t know.

If you don't know, then you are either willfully blind to reality, or suffer from some mental deficiency.

The corruption, blatant entrapment and out right lies, only over shadow the misappropriation of justice and jurisprudence.

But in the end, I'm not surprised you don't know really.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Ahhh........when I was 18, I was a Marxist.....when Pierre Trudeau was 18, he was a Fascist.....I know, when you were 18 you were a little Liberal You can't judge a man completely on the follies of his youth.......most of us grow up.

Colpy, for the record, I was a Liberal at the age of 18, not a Marxist or a Fascist. I have been left of centre throughout my life. And for the record, Levant was 23 years old when he wrote the article in 1995, not 18. Also, as far as I am aware, he hasn’t repudiated any of the views he held in 1995 (I assume you have repudiated Marxism).

 

[lone wolf]

If you don't know, then you are either willfully blind to reality, or suffer from some mental deficiency.

The corruption, blatant entrapment and out right lies, only over shadow the misappropriation of justice and jurisprudence.

But in the end, I'm not surprised you don't know really.

I think li'l Joey's giving us a demonstration of the mature way to handle things ... the silent treatment....:roll:

 

[CDNBear]

I think li'l Joey's giving us a demonstration of the mature way to handle things ... the silent treatment....:roll:

Funny my kids grew out of that years ago. But you really can't blame him Lone, if my posts and opinions were as seemingly vacant and founded solely on an fringe ideology, I wouldn't poke the Bear that was going to hand me back my well mauled a$$. I mean it's not like I haven't done that already, what? 3...4...5, times?

 

[Machjo]

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but am shacked by the first page. I know little of Levant, but comments from others that he's far right, or a racist, etc. and so no desire to even listen to the message, is ridiculous.

We should judge the message, not the messenger. Hitler once commented that the German people should care for the wellbeing of their children. Will we disagree with the statement because of the messenger?
What if Mother Theresa should have told someone to eff off one day? Would we agree with the message just because she was mother Theresa?

It is in fact possible for a person to agree with both Marx and Hitler on various points, and just as easily disagree with both on other points. Heck, for al I know, I might even agree with Stalin, the Ayyatollah Khomeini, and others on various points.

Hitler was a teetotaller, and so am I. Should I start drinking just because Hitler was a teetotaller? I hear he was a vegetarian too. Should I start eating meat just because Hitler was a vegetarian supposedly? I'm sure most would agree that it would be ridiculous to do everything opposite a person he dispises just to be different from him. Yet here we see it on this thread.

What's going on with our education? Have we not learnt to judge an idea on its own merrits regardless of the source, be it right wing, left wing, secular, religious, etc.? Seriously, where has our rational mind gone?

 

[Machjo]

Also, we shold never look down on the fringe. Often the frindge comes about because the mainstream has espoused injustice.