Nothing is more important to any politician - left, right or centre - intent on a little social engineering than creating new myths that bear little resemblance to actual history but which prop up the political needs of the day but this is either funny or unsettling:
"Real nationalists don't want destroy, they want to build," said Mr. Harper, who even at one point quoted Quebec's nationalist conservative premier of the 1940s and 1950s, Maurice Duplessis. "The real nationalists aren't afraid of reality, they want to improve it, and that's what our government is doing"... Mr. Harper finally found a sympathetic ear Saturday night. "There is nothing more precious than the family farm, which represents so well all the values on which our country has been built," he said to rapturous applause.Is it just me or wasn't Duplessis sort of, you know, a quasi-fascist thug whose name has been mud since he got the boot. And wasn't this nation built on military garrisons, state chartered resource-stripping monopolies and colonial policies that lasted well past the days of being a colony? I suppose you have to tell the people what they want to here but there has to be a limit, one would think, well before the point of the giggles.
Next thing you are going to hear is about how the Erie Canal and wagon trains opened up the route to Alberta.
Comments
Hans - April 29, 2007 12:35 pm
""There is nothing more precious than the family farm, which represents so well all the values on which our country has been built," he said to rapturous applause.""
This sounds like PEI politics for the last 150 years.
Alan - April 29, 2007 12:44 pm
Yes, but it really sounds like what PEI politics <i>says of itself</i>. PEI politics is more about the pints of rum, the clique protection, the bitter recriminations, record shredding, firings, job-loss threatings and the placing of blame beyond the borders not to mention the fostering of general incompetency that the other factors both require and create. Oh, and trying to keep down sharing of the knowledge of the Belfast riots.
Joe Hueglin - April 29, 2007 12:47 pm
""There is nothing more precious than the family farm, which represents so well all the values on which our country has been built,"
Yup.
That's why he wants ta get ridda the CWB . . . to stop growth of agribusiness.
Alan - April 29, 2007 12:59 pm
Your acronym is too obscure for me Joe up to my eyes in my income tax calculations. Wuzza CWB?
Joe Hueglin - April 29, 2007 1:25 pm
Canadian Wheat Board.
Gots ta go.
Yanks want it gone as do the grain marketing oligopolists.
Alan - April 29, 2007 1:26 pm
Oh - sorry...I thought you had a point to make.
Joe Hueglin - April 29, 2007 1:27 pm
Just worked through mine for the second time.
Form this form that AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGH!!!!!!!!1
Alan McLeod - April 29, 2007 1:32 pm
There ought to be a special form for people like me who did poorly at math, allowing us to just tell the government what we did and come up with a reasonable figure. On the average over the population and the years it would likely work out the same.
Joe Hueglin - April 29, 2007 1:32 pm
"Oh - sorry...I thought you had a point to make."
CWB has 20% of the export wheat trade marketing for small farmers as well as large.
Get rid of it and small farmers will narket through Cargill and ADM into a buyers market.
That's my point.
Alan - April 29, 2007 1:43 pm
Fair enough but how does that connect to the jingoism of "family farm" and the revisionist statement of history? It was the CWB that protected generations of farmers from the inevitable crush of boom and bust even if it exchanged it for a capping on profit.
Joe Hueglin - April 29, 2007 1:57 pm
To SH it is get a majority that's PRIORITY 1.
BS baffles brains.
Words speak louder han actions.
My error in not being direct in first post.
Hans - April 29, 2007 3:29 pm
Geez, you're right into precision today. You are rigth it sounds like PEI political rhetoric for the last 150 years. The actual sound of PEI politics is more like you describe.
Belfast Riots? ;)
Alan - April 29, 2007 3:54 pm
My only reservation on agreeing with you, Joe, is that what is then done with the majority? Is the Constitution amended providing the provinces with more powers and true regionalism in the Senate? Is the new green world undone? That would be a worse curse as such an obvious playing out of hypocrisy would curse conservatives to another 20 years in the wilderness after one term of majority.
gorthos - April 29, 2007 6:23 pm
hmmmm..
""There is nothing more precious than the family farm, which represents so well all the values on which our country has been built,""
Expecting people to leave you alone to do as you wish on your own property and refuting anyone that claims your actions affect others. Expecting people to pay you very well for your service/product at marketing board set prices as well as bail you out whenever things out of your control go the wrong way, no questions asked.. Expecting the government to prop up your inefficient business rather than assist the large scale operations that can produce what you produce for national sale fo less costs and less impact on others (including the environment).. and still expect people who's tax dollars keep you in business to pay what they do yet have no say in how you operate..
hmmm.. yeah.. "There is nothing more precious than the family farm, which represents so well all the values on which our country has been built,"
JOE HUEGLIN - May 1, 2007 9:25 am
Spent yesterday posting out this LTE
Dear Editor,
The statement A re-elected Conservative government would lead a Canada that was "strong, united and free, with a Quebec (that was) autonomous and proud," (1) attributed to Prime Minister Harper raises two questions.
What decision making powers would be those of an "autonomous" Quebec under "A re-elected Conservative government" and which would remain those of a "strong and united" Canada? Would all provinces be "autonomous" and have these same powers or just Quebec?
These questions must be answered with absolute clarity by the Prime Minister before the election is called so that Canadians are aware of the directions that would be taken by a re-elected Conservative government.
Yours truly,
Joe Hueglin
5838 Mouland Avenue
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Tel. 905-356-3901
(1 ) Soft nationalists urged to aid Tories
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=45d725a4-1b05-4e45-8d42-e76f291c3abe
Alan - May 1, 2007 9:56 am
That is rather a lot of personal information, Joe. Should I not obfuscate it?
JOE HUEGLIN - May 1, 2007 10:20 am
Alan,
Thanks for your concern but no. There may be a kindred spirit contact me. Nutsy cukoos that 'phone don't seem to like my heavy breathing and hang up.
Having taught school for decades one gets used to such.
As a "F.P." and still practicing politico I go by the saying "If you can't stand the heat don'y step into the fire"
Joe