2010 & the Wisdom of Wittgenstein and Palin
How shallow can our political consciousness be? Shiny objects - the Olympic torch; gold, silver, bronze medallions; a grand-piano and the stage -- these are the focus of the average Canadians political attention. Attention athletes! Attention citizens! Now is not the time for the partisanship of parliament! Now is not the time for questions! Now is the time for "celebration."
Prorogation is a strategy to deceive and manipulate parliament -- read: the people of Canada -- into believing that there is no more important work for our country than to sit back, relax, and be entertained by the theatrics of the Olympic games. Why fix what is not broken? Barring humiliation at the podium, Canadians will be satisfied with, and proud of, the performance of our athletes. Make no mistake, sport is inherently - if not explicitly - political; and none are more politically charged than the Olympic games.
See how well our athletes did! See how proud you are of your country! Look at what progress we have made since 2006! There is nothing wrong with Canada. There is nothing wrong with Harper.
The strategy of Stephen Harper and his disciples in the Calgary School has been, since the time of the Progressive Conservative/Canadian Alliance "merger," has been to create a population of dead fish in the Canadian electorate who will be willing to go with their flow. Who is exhausted of scandal? Who is tired of an obnoxious Opposition? Who is thirsty for stability? Aren't we all? This is the Conservative message. Their response - don't think, but look.
Vote Conservative. Better yet, don't vote at all. Aren't these games childish? Leave the children to their games and go on, enjoy your life!
Sarah Palin was referring to the Obama movement when she claimed that only dead fish go with the flow. And while the "flow" of the Obama campaign was not as thoughtless and apathetic (you cannot spell the word "apathetic" without "pathetic") as the Conservative 2008 campaign, it nonetheless gained momentum from the politically exhausted who wished to jettison politics from their lives with the election of a majority government led by the strongest man in the House. Not the most capable, nor compassionate. Neither led by a grand pan-Canadian vision or high principle; but merely the man closest one to the finish-line.
Then came the intentional misleading and poisonous distortion of our political system: we do not elect a parliament we elect a government whose colours ought to reign freely unobstructed by the Monarch, her representative, or Opposition members of parliament. Don't you remember election day? Don't you remember your ballot? You didn't vote for a Coalition you voted for Harper.
Once again, the optics of our political reality were distorted - don't think but look! Shovels are digging up the soil thanks to Stephen Harper - the signs everywhere say so! Look over there: Ignatieff wants to disrupt this important work! Now is not a time for partisan games, now is a time for stability (despite the fact that parliament was nearly identical in September of 2008 as March 2009).
Lastly, when caught up in their hypocrisy, lies, twisted-truth and manipulation; the Conservative battle cry can be heard: Chretien did the same thing! Chretien stacked the Senate! Chretien prorogued parliament! Chretien started the Afghan war! Chretien covered-up the truth!
What was intolerable for Conservatives in 2004 is now common place in the Prime Minister's Office. What was inexcusable in 2000 is now praised in Cabinet. What was detested by the public in 2006 will be the benchmark for governance in 2010.
On this New Year's Eve, I am not optimistic for the political leadership of Canada in 2010. I am unamused by the antic of the Harper minorities and I find no comfort in the abilities of my countrymen/women to look at what is going on. 2010 will bring change, indeed, but it will not be for the best of this country. Perhaps America needed eight years of the Bush administration to get Obama. Perhaps we need four more years of Harper to get a progressive government; to elect a Green member of parliament; to usher electoral reform; to inspire the nation to be better than what it is settling for now.
Personally, 2010 looks extremely promising. In 2010 I will graduate from grad-school. I will (hopefully) find a job. I'll begin to settle down and I can work on turning my dreams into reality. I'm excited for my emerging "adult" life which begins in the new year. However, I remain leery with the political judgment of this nation. We'll need to whether the political storm and disappointment of 2010 before we will begin to grasp the opportunities and promises of the rest of the century.
See you in the New Year, blogosphere.
Enter Ludwig Wittgenstein: "To repeat: don't think - but look!"
Prorogation is a strategy to deceive and manipulate parliament -- read: the people of Canada -- into believing that there is no more important work for our country than to sit back, relax, and be entertained by the theatrics of the Olympic games. Why fix what is not broken? Barring humiliation at the podium, Canadians will be satisfied with, and proud of, the performance of our athletes. Make no mistake, sport is inherently - if not explicitly - political; and none are more politically charged than the Olympic games.
See how well our athletes did! See how proud you are of your country! Look at what progress we have made since 2006! There is nothing wrong with Canada. There is nothing wrong with Harper.
Enter Sarah Palin: "Only dead fish go with the flow."
The strategy of Stephen Harper and his disciples in the Calgary School has been, since the time of the Progressive Conservative/Canadian Alliance "merger," has been to create a population of dead fish in the Canadian electorate who will be willing to go with their flow. Who is exhausted of scandal? Who is tired of an obnoxious Opposition? Who is thirsty for stability? Aren't we all? This is the Conservative message. Their response - don't think, but look.
Vote Conservative. Better yet, don't vote at all. Aren't these games childish? Leave the children to their games and go on, enjoy your life!
Sarah Palin was referring to the Obama movement when she claimed that only dead fish go with the flow. And while the "flow" of the Obama campaign was not as thoughtless and apathetic (you cannot spell the word "apathetic" without "pathetic") as the Conservative 2008 campaign, it nonetheless gained momentum from the politically exhausted who wished to jettison politics from their lives with the election of a majority government led by the strongest man in the House. Not the most capable, nor compassionate. Neither led by a grand pan-Canadian vision or high principle; but merely the man closest one to the finish-line.
Then came the intentional misleading and poisonous distortion of our political system: we do not elect a parliament we elect a government whose colours ought to reign freely unobstructed by the Monarch, her representative, or Opposition members of parliament. Don't you remember election day? Don't you remember your ballot? You didn't vote for a Coalition you voted for Harper.
Once again, the optics of our political reality were distorted - don't think but look! Shovels are digging up the soil thanks to Stephen Harper - the signs everywhere say so! Look over there: Ignatieff wants to disrupt this important work! Now is not a time for partisan games, now is a time for stability (despite the fact that parliament was nearly identical in September of 2008 as March 2009).
Lastly, when caught up in their hypocrisy, lies, twisted-truth and manipulation; the Conservative battle cry can be heard: Chretien did the same thing! Chretien stacked the Senate! Chretien prorogued parliament! Chretien started the Afghan war! Chretien covered-up the truth!
What was intolerable for Conservatives in 2004 is now common place in the Prime Minister's Office. What was inexcusable in 2000 is now praised in Cabinet. What was detested by the public in 2006 will be the benchmark for governance in 2010.
Enter the year 2010
On this New Year's Eve, I am not optimistic for the political leadership of Canada in 2010. I am unamused by the antic of the Harper minorities and I find no comfort in the abilities of my countrymen/women to look at what is going on. 2010 will bring change, indeed, but it will not be for the best of this country. Perhaps America needed eight years of the Bush administration to get Obama. Perhaps we need four more years of Harper to get a progressive government; to elect a Green member of parliament; to usher electoral reform; to inspire the nation to be better than what it is settling for now.
Personally, 2010 looks extremely promising. In 2010 I will graduate from grad-school. I will (hopefully) find a job. I'll begin to settle down and I can work on turning my dreams into reality. I'm excited for my emerging "adult" life which begins in the new year. However, I remain leery with the political judgment of this nation. We'll need to whether the political storm and disappointment of 2010 before we will begin to grasp the opportunities and promises of the rest of the century.
See you in the New Year, blogosphere.
Labels: 2009, 2010, Canadian Politcs, CPC, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Sarah Palin, Stephen Harper
posted by Dylan at 12/31/2009
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