"Mr. Corbett, whose union represents more than 57,000 professionals and
scientists in the public service, is warning Ottawa against cutting
staff in the safety and security fields, such as food inspectors,
scientists and financial auditors."
From the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/just-days-after-harpers-budget-the-axe-begins-to-fall/article2388765/
Mr. Corbett being a union rep - and thus a Lefty - does not really get the Big Pic. He, undoubtedly believes that in times of recession governments should increase spending on infrastructure and services in an attempt to create jobs, stimulate the economy and build infrastructure for future development. He does not see that Steven Harper's anti-Keynesean federal government budget cuts should actually CREATE JOBS in the long run. Here's why.
How can cutting the number of, say, federal slaughter house inspectors increase jobs, you say? Let's walk through the economic logic step by step..
What will the effects of such cuts be, in statistical, epidemiological, terms?
Well, for starters, more food borne diseases like listeriosis and salmonella. Which will, of course, through the famous "Multiplier Effect", spread economic activity throughout the economy. Think of the employment created for 9-11 call centers, ambulance drivers, hospital emergency room doctors, nurses, gastroenteric specialists, lab technicians, funeral home employees, morgue attendants, grave diggers and embalmers. What do you say to THAT, Mr. Corbett? Are Harper's cuts really job killers or job creators? Time for a moment of reflection here, Mr. Corbett. Learn to step back and see the Big Pic. Learn what the REALLY important priorities are in a Free Market Economy..
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
RIP: 29 March, 2012
Rest in peace: 29 march 2012
- Katimavik, Canada's "domestic Peace Corps". Katimavik, after a feisty start, a turbulent adolescence and a promising early entry into maturity, fell victim to the Harper government's 2012 annual budget's cuts.
http://www.katimavik.org/our-history
1977 — Genesis and ideals
Katimavik (which means “meeting place” in the Inuktitut language) is founded. The initial driving impulse was to educate youth and spur lifelong civic engagement through community service. In its first year, Katimavik mobilized 1,000 volunteers, who worked on projects in more than 80 communities.
1977-1986 — Maturity and growth
In its first glory years, many Canadians discovered other regions of Canada for the first time. They learned languages and acquired skills, while growing in body and mind.
In 1985 — Katimavik honoured
As its alumni ranks swelled to 15,000, Katimavik’s influence also grew. During International Youth Year, the United Nations honoured Katimavik with an award for its environmental involvement.
By 1986 — Over 17 000 volunteers
Katimavik contributed to the education of over 17 000 young Canadians by engaging them in volunteer service, community involvement, cultural discovery, the practicing of Canada’s official languages and environmental protection.
1986-1994 — The difficult years
Katimavik’s federal funding was interrupted. The program survived, much diminished, as an outdoor recreational and training centre in the Montréal suburb of Île-Perrot.
1994 — Rebirth
Katimavik’s budget was reinstated, and in 1994, 66 participants from Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick took on projects in six communities. Annual participation has since grown to over 1,000 yearly in some 90 communities.
1999 — International recognition
Katimavik took part in the IANYS conference in El Paso. A five year strategic plan was being deployed and to help guide Katimavik into the new millennium and the first Meet Your MP events were held on Parliament Hill.
2000-2001 — Two new leadership programs established: Leader 16-19 and Leader Plus 22-26.
2004 — Katimavik participated in the International Association of National Youth Service (IANYS) international conference in Accra, Ghana. Katimavik signed a partnership with Vancouver Island University that provided university credits for our volunteers.
2005 — University credits
Capilano College in North Vancouver, British Columbia, recognized the Katimavik program by awarding credits to students who successfully complete the program.
2006 — ROI proven
Katimavik was able to report that each dollar spent by the Katimavik program generates a return of $2.20 in each of the communities that work with our volunteers.
2007-2008 — Program modernized
Several modifications were made to the learning program. The objective is to allow Katimavik to more efficiently and scientifically measure the progression of each youth’s personal development progress.
2008-2009 — Competency model adopted
Katimavik restructured the learning program for volunteers. Instead of focusing solely on improving skill-sets, the new model favours the development of our volunteers’ personal, social and professional competencies.
2009-2010 — 6 month programs introduced
Starting in September 2009, Katimavik offered the following programs: “Eco-citizenship and Active Living”, “Second Language and Cultural Identity” and “Cultural Discovery and Civic-Engagement”.
2009-2010 — Post-secondary credit
Cégep Marie-Victorin (QC, 2009) and George Brown College (ON, 2010) recognized the Katimavik program by awarding credits to students that complete the program.
2010-2011 — A renewed focus on community impact
The communities that host Katimavik groups are selected based on criteria that reflect the areas of impact targeted by Katimavik: social services, poverty reduction, formal & non-formal education (focus on literacy), arts, culture & heritage, sports and leisure, environment & sustainable development - media & communications and social justice .
En passant, the actual rationale - aside from ideology - for Katimavik's demise is not evident since "each dollar spent by the Katimavik program generates a return of $2.20 in each of the communities that work with our volunteers". Thus the $15 million program produced $33 million through economic stimulation in the communities served. Cutting it "saved" the Harper government a NEGATIVE sum of $15 minus $33 million for a net LOSS of $18 million. Quite impressive for a penny pinching government.
One suspects ideology played a role in the Harper government's decision. Katimavik supported initiatives in "environment and sustainable development.. and social justice".
- Rights and Democracy (né Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development). Founded in 1988 by the Conservative Mulroney government, Rights and Democracy was an internationally recognized and appreciated independent agency of the Canadian federal government that monitored human rights and promoted democracy abroad. As an "independent agency", Rights and Democracy reported directly to Parliament and not to the Government of the day. In recent years, the Harper government succeeded in planting its moles within the organization either to mold it to the Conservatives' foreign policy agenda or to sow discord in its midst thereby providing Harper an excuse for delivering the final coup de grâce. The Harper government, for example, disapproved of the Centre's moderate, middle-of-the-road stance with respect to Israel, preferring instead to take sides and issue the current Likud government a carte blanche on its Palestinian policy. Members of Rights and Democracy have been inaccurately accused of "frequenting" members of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. Such behavior at first appears rather naughty and partisan until one stops to note that the "frequenting" occurred at public meetings involving hundreds of participants of all political stripes. Such accusations are a bit like saying that Rick Santorin is gay because members of a gay organization attended some of his speeches! Maybe they just came just to hear what he was saying about them..
Ed Broadbent, former NDP leader, recently spoke on CBC Radio about the killing of Rights and Democracy. Listen to the 6 minute audioclip.
http://www.cbc.ca/homerun/2012/04/03/rights-and-democracy/
- Katimavik, Canada's "domestic Peace Corps". Katimavik, after a feisty start, a turbulent adolescence and a promising early entry into maturity, fell victim to the Harper government's 2012 annual budget's cuts.
http://www.katimavik.org/our-history
1977 — Genesis and ideals
Katimavik (which means “meeting place” in the Inuktitut language) is founded. The initial driving impulse was to educate youth and spur lifelong civic engagement through community service. In its first year, Katimavik mobilized 1,000 volunteers, who worked on projects in more than 80 communities.
1977-1986 — Maturity and growth
In its first glory years, many Canadians discovered other regions of Canada for the first time. They learned languages and acquired skills, while growing in body and mind.
In 1985 — Katimavik honoured
As its alumni ranks swelled to 15,000, Katimavik’s influence also grew. During International Youth Year, the United Nations honoured Katimavik with an award for its environmental involvement.
By 1986 — Over 17 000 volunteers
Katimavik contributed to the education of over 17 000 young Canadians by engaging them in volunteer service, community involvement, cultural discovery, the practicing of Canada’s official languages and environmental protection.
1986-1994 — The difficult years
Katimavik’s federal funding was interrupted. The program survived, much diminished, as an outdoor recreational and training centre in the Montréal suburb of Île-Perrot.
1994 — Rebirth
Katimavik’s budget was reinstated, and in 1994, 66 participants from Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick took on projects in six communities. Annual participation has since grown to over 1,000 yearly in some 90 communities.
1999 — International recognition
Katimavik took part in the IANYS conference in El Paso. A five year strategic plan was being deployed and to help guide Katimavik into the new millennium and the first Meet Your MP events were held on Parliament Hill.
2000-2001 — Two new leadership programs established: Leader 16-19 and Leader Plus 22-26.
2004 — Katimavik participated in the International Association of National Youth Service (IANYS) international conference in Accra, Ghana. Katimavik signed a partnership with Vancouver Island University that provided university credits for our volunteers.
2005 — University credits
Capilano College in North Vancouver, British Columbia, recognized the Katimavik program by awarding credits to students who successfully complete the program.
2006 — ROI proven
Katimavik was able to report that each dollar spent by the Katimavik program generates a return of $2.20 in each of the communities that work with our volunteers.
2007-2008 — Program modernized
Several modifications were made to the learning program. The objective is to allow Katimavik to more efficiently and scientifically measure the progression of each youth’s personal development progress.
2008-2009 — Competency model adopted
Katimavik restructured the learning program for volunteers. Instead of focusing solely on improving skill-sets, the new model favours the development of our volunteers’ personal, social and professional competencies.
2009-2010 — 6 month programs introduced
Starting in September 2009, Katimavik offered the following programs: “Eco-citizenship and Active Living”, “Second Language and Cultural Identity” and “Cultural Discovery and Civic-Engagement”.
2009-2010 — Post-secondary credit
Cégep Marie-Victorin (QC, 2009) and George Brown College (ON, 2010) recognized the Katimavik program by awarding credits to students that complete the program.
2010-2011 — A renewed focus on community impact
The communities that host Katimavik groups are selected based on criteria that reflect the areas of impact targeted by Katimavik: social services, poverty reduction, formal & non-formal education (focus on literacy), arts, culture & heritage, sports and leisure, environment & sustainable development - media & communications and social justice .
En passant, the actual rationale - aside from ideology - for Katimavik's demise is not evident since "each dollar spent by the Katimavik program generates a return of $2.20 in each of the communities that work with our volunteers". Thus the $15 million program produced $33 million through economic stimulation in the communities served. Cutting it "saved" the Harper government a NEGATIVE sum of $15 minus $33 million for a net LOSS of $18 million. Quite impressive for a penny pinching government.
One suspects ideology played a role in the Harper government's decision. Katimavik supported initiatives in "environment and sustainable development.. and social justice".
- Rights and Democracy (né Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development). Founded in 1988 by the Conservative Mulroney government, Rights and Democracy was an internationally recognized and appreciated independent agency of the Canadian federal government that monitored human rights and promoted democracy abroad. As an "independent agency", Rights and Democracy reported directly to Parliament and not to the Government of the day. In recent years, the Harper government succeeded in planting its moles within the organization either to mold it to the Conservatives' foreign policy agenda or to sow discord in its midst thereby providing Harper an excuse for delivering the final coup de grâce. The Harper government, for example, disapproved of the Centre's moderate, middle-of-the-road stance with respect to Israel, preferring instead to take sides and issue the current Likud government a carte blanche on its Palestinian policy. Members of Rights and Democracy have been inaccurately accused of "frequenting" members of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. Such behavior at first appears rather naughty and partisan until one stops to note that the "frequenting" occurred at public meetings involving hundreds of participants of all political stripes. Such accusations are a bit like saying that Rick Santorin is gay because members of a gay organization attended some of his speeches! Maybe they just came just to hear what he was saying about them..
Ed Broadbent, former NDP leader, recently spoke on CBC Radio about the killing of Rights and Democracy. Listen to the 6 minute audioclip.
http://www.cbc.ca/homerun/2012/04/03/rights-and-democracy/
Monday, March 19, 2012
no smoking gun but we see where the smoke rises
Check this out! Peter Mansfield on CBC news, March 15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6CT-I2Nw-o
This is interesting. The noose tightens. The wiggle room contracts..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6CT-I2Nw-o
This is interesting. The noose tightens. The wiggle room contracts..
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Decline and Fall of Canadian Science
At the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference
Feb. 16 to 20 in Vancouver, one of the panel discussions was titled "the muzzling of Canada's federal
scientists."
http://www.embassymag.ca/page/printpage/scientist-02-29-2012
Many of the participants appeared openly surprised, puzzled or worried by recent modifications in protocols relating to Federally employed or supported scientists' media access. In the past Canada was often seen as a model of governmental transparency. We find these recent changes a bit ironical, not to say hypocritical, given the fact that the Harper government was elected on a platform of "law and order, transparency and responsible government". Ironic, too, since Canada is headed in the direction the US followed under the Administration of George Bush, jr when climate science supporting the global warming hypothesis was ignored or devaluated. Today, under the Obama Administration, the US has become more open, while Canada, traditionally the more liberal and open society, is becoming more closed, controled, defensive.
Dr. Francesca Grifo, one of the panelists on "The muzzling of Canada's federal scientists" discussion and senior scientist and director of the Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists warned that re-establishing open communicatons will be an ardurous process. "The longer that this [restricted access] goes on, the more deeply embedded it becomes in the culture in the agencies, and the harder it is to turn back," she said. "You don't want a situation where a scientist is scared to open their mouths when something is desperately wrong, that can hurt lives in a very direct way." Dr. Grifo's warning needs to be taken very seriously, we feel. In the turbulent times ahead, it will be essential that we have confidence in our officials and leaders. We will be facing, in the next few decades, several critical transitions: from our current cheap oil economy to the "post peak" oil economy, the divisive challenges of climate change adaptation, global demographic pressures on dwindling non-renewable resources.. Failing an abiding confidence in our leaders, we will only face a future of political and social chaos..
Here is a link to the full panel discussion at which Dr Grifo spoke:
http://hosting.desire2learncapture.com/StellarJay/4/watch/28.aspx
It is interesting to note that, while the government was invited to participate in the panel, all invited participants declined (!!) Very telling piece of behavior that..
Now what does Harperite "transparency" look like in practice, the transparency they promised us before they were elected? Well, in the past, reporters could call up an Environment Canada scientist, chat, and arrange an interview. Now calls are required to pass through a "filter" called "Media Relations". Good Lord, shades of the former Soviet Union, wouldn't you believe it! This is Canada we're talking about folks.. The idea seems to be: "no news is good news", "what the public doesn't know won't hurt them" (it will hurt them, of course, but we are dealing here with ideologues, no different - in reality - from those who oversaw the decline and fall of the Soviet Union).
En passant, it is interesting to note that the "muzzling" / "filtering" process imposed by the Harper government actually succeeds in introducing several new levels of beauracracy to science communication - and this from a rabidly anti-beauracracy government so keen to cut services to the most disadvantaged members of society! Will wonders never cease? What the hell is going on with these guys? Did they never heard the words "consistency" or "integrity"..
Canada has recently lost its "PEARL" of arctic science research, the world renowned Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory. Once again, one wonders about the possible motivations for the irrational destruction of critically important data gathering infrastructure: "no news is good news?", "what the public doesn't know won't hurt them"..
http://forums.canadiancontent.net/news/104697-feds-cut-funding-key-science.html
"This loss comes at a highly significant time when Arctic conditions are changing rapidly: Witness the recent rapid loss of permafrost, the appearance of the first large Arctic ozone depletion last year and many other harbingers of significant Arctic change," the researchers said in a statement Tuesday.
"Without PEARL there will be no continuous active measurements in the High Arctic of many atmospheric quantities scientists believe greatly affect both our Arctic and the whole planet."
internal blog link: sep 19, 2011 http://transparencycanada.blogspot.com/2011/09/environmental-transparency-what-you.html
http://www.embassymag.ca/page/printpage/scientist-02-29-2012
Many of the participants appeared openly surprised, puzzled or worried by recent modifications in protocols relating to Federally employed or supported scientists' media access. In the past Canada was often seen as a model of governmental transparency. We find these recent changes a bit ironical, not to say hypocritical, given the fact that the Harper government was elected on a platform of "law and order, transparency and responsible government". Ironic, too, since Canada is headed in the direction the US followed under the Administration of George Bush, jr when climate science supporting the global warming hypothesis was ignored or devaluated. Today, under the Obama Administration, the US has become more open, while Canada, traditionally the more liberal and open society, is becoming more closed, controled, defensive.
Dr. Francesca Grifo, one of the panelists on "The muzzling of Canada's federal scientists" discussion and senior scientist and director of the Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists warned that re-establishing open communicatons will be an ardurous process. "The longer that this [restricted access] goes on, the more deeply embedded it becomes in the culture in the agencies, and the harder it is to turn back," she said. "You don't want a situation where a scientist is scared to open their mouths when something is desperately wrong, that can hurt lives in a very direct way." Dr. Grifo's warning needs to be taken very seriously, we feel. In the turbulent times ahead, it will be essential that we have confidence in our officials and leaders. We will be facing, in the next few decades, several critical transitions: from our current cheap oil economy to the "post peak" oil economy, the divisive challenges of climate change adaptation, global demographic pressures on dwindling non-renewable resources.. Failing an abiding confidence in our leaders, we will only face a future of political and social chaos..
Here is a link to the full panel discussion at which Dr Grifo spoke:
http://hosting.desire2learncapture.com/StellarJay/4/watch/28.aspx
It is interesting to note that, while the government was invited to participate in the panel, all invited participants declined (!!) Very telling piece of behavior that..
Now what does Harperite "transparency" look like in practice, the transparency they promised us before they were elected? Well, in the past, reporters could call up an Environment Canada scientist, chat, and arrange an interview. Now calls are required to pass through a "filter" called "Media Relations". Good Lord, shades of the former Soviet Union, wouldn't you believe it! This is Canada we're talking about folks.. The idea seems to be: "no news is good news", "what the public doesn't know won't hurt them" (it will hurt them, of course, but we are dealing here with ideologues, no different - in reality - from those who oversaw the decline and fall of the Soviet Union).
En passant, it is interesting to note that the "muzzling" / "filtering" process imposed by the Harper government actually succeeds in introducing several new levels of beauracracy to science communication - and this from a rabidly anti-beauracracy government so keen to cut services to the most disadvantaged members of society! Will wonders never cease? What the hell is going on with these guys? Did they never heard the words "consistency" or "integrity"..
Canada has recently lost its "PEARL" of arctic science research, the world renowned Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory. Once again, one wonders about the possible motivations for the irrational destruction of critically important data gathering infrastructure: "no news is good news?", "what the public doesn't know won't hurt them"..
"This loss comes at a highly significant time when Arctic conditions are changing rapidly: Witness the recent rapid loss of permafrost, the appearance of the first large Arctic ozone depletion last year and many other harbingers of significant Arctic change," the researchers said in a statement Tuesday.
"Without PEARL there will be no continuous active measurements in the High Arctic of many atmospheric quantities scientists believe greatly affect both our Arctic and the whole planet."
Public ethics is in deep water, folks, and sinking fast.
internal blog link: sep 19, 2011 http://transparencycanada.blogspot.com/2011/09/environmental-transparency-what-you.html
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
So this is governmental Transparency, eh?
Lest we forget, Steven Harper was elected on promises of "responsible government, Law 'n Order, and transparency". And what do we get? An unenviable record of electoral dirty tricks that would even neo-conservative tactician Karl Rove would be proud of.
During the last election, people in contested ridings received automated phone messages ("robocalls") purporting to originate with Elections Canada. Victims were told that their voting stations had been changed and were directed to new (non-existant) locales. Impersonating officials of Elections Canada to prevent voters from exercising their right is, of course, illegal.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/least+ridings+affected+robocalls+opposition/6212336/story.html
During the last election, people in contested ridings received automated phone messages ("robocalls") purporting to originate with Elections Canada. Victims were told that their voting stations had been changed and were directed to new (non-existant) locales. Impersonating officials of Elections Canada to prevent voters from exercising their right is, of course, illegal.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/least+ridings+affected+robocalls+opposition/6212336/story.html
We suspect that neocons
stoop to the level of negative ad bashing because they have nothing
to put on the table: no program, no ideas, no vision. Just maintaining
the dying, suicidal status quo on life support for a few more years at
which time the boomers will all be dead
in our graves. A sad commentary on a generation - who were given so much! - and our times..
To
conceal the intellectual vacuity of their positions on pressing issues like climate change, alternative energy, environment, rising disparity in income.. reactionaries turn - instinctively it seems - to the ad
hominen / personal attack, to the victimization of scapegoats or to delusional national projects (historically, imperial wars were often used to this end).
Given that no less than 34 counties and some 79 individuals have come forward to date with complaints, one suspects that this issue is not going to go away very soon. We may be dealing with a breaking Watergate type scandal.
internal blog link: 14 dec, 2011, Dirty Tricks, the New World Order
http://transparencycanada.blogspot.com/2011/12/dirty-tricks-new-world-order.html
http://transparencycanada.blogspot.com/2011/12/dirty-tricks-new-world-order.html
Friday, February 24, 2012
Krista puts her hoof in it again
Kista Erikson at Sun News has taken ombage at the fact that Québécois film director Philippe Falardeau's Oscar nominated film "Monsieur Lazhar" received - gasp! - money from the Federal government (hence - double gasp! - from the taxpayer).
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/02/17/sun-news-network-attack-on-monsieur-lazhar-is-just-goofy/
Montréal Gazette writer Brendan Kelly finds her behavior "goofy" but we think there may be more here than meets the eye. Look behind the goofiness and find, perhaps, a political motivation..
Ironincally, Mr Kelly himself appears to find the trace only to lose it again. Thus he writes quizically:
"What an outrage! Apparently our tax dollars went into this film. Actually I really have no clue why the folks at Sun News are so outraged. Is it ’cause the film is in the French? That the main character is an Algerian refugee? That it takes place in that noted communist hotbed Montreal?"
Yes, Mr Kelly we are suggesting that Krista lost it - unreflectedly or with premeditation (we do not know) - exactly because the film is in French, the main character is an Algerian refugee (both the fact that he is Algerian AND a refugee can be held against him), and that it takes place in a "communist hotbed" like Montréal.
If such an interpretation is true, one can only speculate. However, it does tie in with the rightwing, redneck, reactionary, populist tone of the Harper government in all its doings and gestures. If true, a new level of hypocrisy of neoconservative thinking would be revealed. We all know that the Harper government has made significant overtures to immigrant communities - at least during electoral campaigns, apparently in an attempt to tap into two potential sources of votes within immigrant communities: 1- the immigrant business community and 2- the conservative / reactionary social attitudes of many New Immigrant communities. This would constitute a delicate balancing act indeed because many Canadian rightwingers appreciate neither immigrants nor their particular brands of reaction (Islam as the One True Faith, outside of which there is no salvation, for example). At the limit, one might argue that the populist ideologues are attempting to play off one group of bigots against another so as to muster the intolerance of both against a common enemy ("the Left": liberals, moderates, social democrats, Québécois nationalists, feminists, "secularists"..) We note however that such hypocrisy and internal division would are, by no means, foreign to populists if their past actions are any judge. One need only consider the state of US politics before John F Kennedy and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Traditionally, the democratic party was the "natural ruling party" founded on an unholy alliance of "Jim Crow" - anti-black - local and state politicians in the South and northern working class / immigrant / labor union voters.
Another example is found in Québec during the "Grande Noirceur" - the Great Darkness, the reign of Québécois Premier Maurice Duplessis (reigned 1936 - 1959). Dupessis promulgated a nationalistic, patriotic - Québécois patriotism, anti-State and anti-labor message. Government spending was cut to a minimum as were labor safety regulations. Result: extractive industries (mining, forestry) payed next to nothing in royalties and taxes, environmental regulations were nil, the death toll from industrial accidents for Québécois workers was four times that of neighboring Ontario, Québécois were among the most uneducated and underpayed Canadians. New immigrants - Italian workers in Montréal - actually earned $200 per annum more than unilingual French Montréal citizens, circa 1960. In return, the Québécois were promised they would go to heaven for all eternity while their oppressors, "les Anglais et les Juifs" - the English and the Jews - would burn in hell for all eternity. The irony is that the greatest turn out of voters for Duplessis' Union Nationale party was in wealthy Westmount where the rich Anglais business owners lived! The populist voice often speaks different messages from both sides of its mouth..
Once again, we observe what can only be called the "prostitution of religion" to serve Ceasar. I recall conversations with people that grew up in Québec under the Duplessis regime. At election times, nuns in school would have kids recite the follow ditty:
Bleu est pour le ciel, Rouge est pour l'enfer
Blue is for heaven, Red is for hell
Blue was the color of the Union Nationale party, Red that of the Liberal party. Kids were told to instruct their parents they would go to hell if they voted the wrong color!
Do we not see echos of these attitudes in today's political scene..
We are witnessing a disturbing trend in contemporary societies: a rejection of the "Universalist" perspective of the Enlightenment. Universalism is a deep, "intuitive" ethical or philosophical insight which demands a recognition of the shared humanity or "human nature" of all people and groups of people, a common humanity expressed variously in different socio-cultural, historical environments.
Unfortunately, with the rising tide of reactionary thought and values, it is now becoming acceptable - even excpected in some quarters - to reject "cultural or moral relativism". We are warned in ominous tones and grandiose gestures that such "relativism" poses great moral risks for our collective security. Although what, exactly, is so evil about possessing the capacity to see complex entitities like people, nations, cultures, political views, other religions.. in their complexity and mulitiplicy is never explained. In this game, facts don't count but the "Great Gesture", the knowing - or insinuating - look. One does not argue or debate, one POSES. Politics as theater - some call it demagogy.. I even recall hearing reactionaries calling for a ban on Einstein's Theory of Relativity apparently because it contains the word "relativity" and therefore would, presumably, incite people to think "relatively". Reactionaries, as decades of social psychological research has shown, choose to live in a simplified - not say "mutilated" - world of Black / White, Good versus Evil dichotomies. At its worst, this mutilated and mutilating thinking projects a delusional / paranoid Manichean world view, a full blown retreat from reality into an all embracing, self-reinforcing, autoreferential delusional system: a social or collective psychosis. (All White, all Good) "fortress America" - or "fortress Russia", "fortress Islamic Community".. - is ringed in, surrounded by the omnipresent, omnipotent, insidious corrupting forces of Total Evil, attacking from both within and without. When mass paranoia develops around racial / ethnic / religious identity, we can only speak of "neotribalism" at its worst..
I am currently studying Fascist thought / ideology because I recognize the danger it represents to all that I hold good and valuable and noble in Western culture. One of the common threads in fascist / reactionary thinking is the duping of exploited classes so that, adopting a totally "inauthentic", "alienated"stance toward the world, they identify with the values of their oppressors and support those values to their own detriment. (footnote 1)Truly, truly twisted! As we wrote above: ".. the Québécois were promised they would go to heaven for all eternity while their oppressors, "les Anglais et les Juifs" - the English and the Jews - would burn in hell for all eternity. The irony is that the greatest turn out of voters for Duplessis' Union Nationale party was in wealthy Westmount where the rich Anglais business owners lived! The populist voice often speaks different messages from both sides of its mouth.." Indeed it does, it does indeed..
For Krista's commentary on government funding of the film "Monsieur Lazhar":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiUaPaDkAME
Internal blog link An earlier story on Krista's bullying populist attack on dance artist Margie Gillis:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8403090612918247270#editor/target=post;postID=1372087197201984404
footnote 1 - "Inauthentic" is an insight drawn by Existential philosophers of the 20th century (Camus, Satre) to describe the modern consciousness. We claim to be "for the environment" yet buy SUVs! "Alienated" is Karl Marx's description of the relation of the industrial worker to his labor the results of that labor. The worker does not "own" the "fruits of his labor", his work does not express his personhood or value. It has become "alien" or "foreign". Work is no longer a blessing but a curse, at best a mere economic necessity. Social psychologists use the general term "anomia" or "anomie" to describe the sense of confused disorder, meaningless and insignificance resulting from a preceived lack of common norms, goals or values. In general, anomia is one of the major breeders of fascist, reactionary thought and movements.
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/02/17/sun-news-network-attack-on-monsieur-lazhar-is-just-goofy/
Montréal Gazette writer Brendan Kelly finds her behavior "goofy" but we think there may be more here than meets the eye. Look behind the goofiness and find, perhaps, a political motivation..
Ironincally, Mr Kelly himself appears to find the trace only to lose it again. Thus he writes quizically:
"What an outrage! Apparently our tax dollars went into this film. Actually I really have no clue why the folks at Sun News are so outraged. Is it ’cause the film is in the French? That the main character is an Algerian refugee? That it takes place in that noted communist hotbed Montreal?"
Yes, Mr Kelly we are suggesting that Krista lost it - unreflectedly or with premeditation (we do not know) - exactly because the film is in French, the main character is an Algerian refugee (both the fact that he is Algerian AND a refugee can be held against him), and that it takes place in a "communist hotbed" like Montréal.
If such an interpretation is true, one can only speculate. However, it does tie in with the rightwing, redneck, reactionary, populist tone of the Harper government in all its doings and gestures. If true, a new level of hypocrisy of neoconservative thinking would be revealed. We all know that the Harper government has made significant overtures to immigrant communities - at least during electoral campaigns, apparently in an attempt to tap into two potential sources of votes within immigrant communities: 1- the immigrant business community and 2- the conservative / reactionary social attitudes of many New Immigrant communities. This would constitute a delicate balancing act indeed because many Canadian rightwingers appreciate neither immigrants nor their particular brands of reaction (Islam as the One True Faith, outside of which there is no salvation, for example). At the limit, one might argue that the populist ideologues are attempting to play off one group of bigots against another so as to muster the intolerance of both against a common enemy ("the Left": liberals, moderates, social democrats, Québécois nationalists, feminists, "secularists"..) We note however that such hypocrisy and internal division would are, by no means, foreign to populists if their past actions are any judge. One need only consider the state of US politics before John F Kennedy and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Traditionally, the democratic party was the "natural ruling party" founded on an unholy alliance of "Jim Crow" - anti-black - local and state politicians in the South and northern working class / immigrant / labor union voters.
Another example is found in Québec during the "Grande Noirceur" - the Great Darkness, the reign of Québécois Premier Maurice Duplessis (reigned 1936 - 1959). Dupessis promulgated a nationalistic, patriotic - Québécois patriotism, anti-State and anti-labor message. Government spending was cut to a minimum as were labor safety regulations. Result: extractive industries (mining, forestry) payed next to nothing in royalties and taxes, environmental regulations were nil, the death toll from industrial accidents for Québécois workers was four times that of neighboring Ontario, Québécois were among the most uneducated and underpayed Canadians. New immigrants - Italian workers in Montréal - actually earned $200 per annum more than unilingual French Montréal citizens, circa 1960. In return, the Québécois were promised they would go to heaven for all eternity while their oppressors, "les Anglais et les Juifs" - the English and the Jews - would burn in hell for all eternity. The irony is that the greatest turn out of voters for Duplessis' Union Nationale party was in wealthy Westmount where the rich Anglais business owners lived! The populist voice often speaks different messages from both sides of its mouth..
Once again, we observe what can only be called the "prostitution of religion" to serve Ceasar. I recall conversations with people that grew up in Québec under the Duplessis regime. At election times, nuns in school would have kids recite the follow ditty:
Bleu est pour le ciel, Rouge est pour l'enfer
Blue is for heaven, Red is for hell
Blue was the color of the Union Nationale party, Red that of the Liberal party. Kids were told to instruct their parents they would go to hell if they voted the wrong color!
Do we not see echos of these attitudes in today's political scene..
We are witnessing a disturbing trend in contemporary societies: a rejection of the "Universalist" perspective of the Enlightenment. Universalism is a deep, "intuitive" ethical or philosophical insight which demands a recognition of the shared humanity or "human nature" of all people and groups of people, a common humanity expressed variously in different socio-cultural, historical environments.
Unfortunately, with the rising tide of reactionary thought and values, it is now becoming acceptable - even excpected in some quarters - to reject "cultural or moral relativism". We are warned in ominous tones and grandiose gestures that such "relativism" poses great moral risks for our collective security. Although what, exactly, is so evil about possessing the capacity to see complex entitities like people, nations, cultures, political views, other religions.. in their complexity and mulitiplicy is never explained. In this game, facts don't count but the "Great Gesture", the knowing - or insinuating - look. One does not argue or debate, one POSES. Politics as theater - some call it demagogy.. I even recall hearing reactionaries calling for a ban on Einstein's Theory of Relativity apparently because it contains the word "relativity" and therefore would, presumably, incite people to think "relatively". Reactionaries, as decades of social psychological research has shown, choose to live in a simplified - not say "mutilated" - world of Black / White, Good versus Evil dichotomies. At its worst, this mutilated and mutilating thinking projects a delusional / paranoid Manichean world view, a full blown retreat from reality into an all embracing, self-reinforcing, autoreferential delusional system: a social or collective psychosis. (All White, all Good) "fortress America" - or "fortress Russia", "fortress Islamic Community".. - is ringed in, surrounded by the omnipresent, omnipotent, insidious corrupting forces of Total Evil, attacking from both within and without. When mass paranoia develops around racial / ethnic / religious identity, we can only speak of "neotribalism" at its worst..
I am currently studying Fascist thought / ideology because I recognize the danger it represents to all that I hold good and valuable and noble in Western culture. One of the common threads in fascist / reactionary thinking is the duping of exploited classes so that, adopting a totally "inauthentic", "alienated"stance toward the world, they identify with the values of their oppressors and support those values to their own detriment. (footnote 1)Truly, truly twisted! As we wrote above: ".. the Québécois were promised they would go to heaven for all eternity while their oppressors, "les Anglais et les Juifs" - the English and the Jews - would burn in hell for all eternity. The irony is that the greatest turn out of voters for Duplessis' Union Nationale party was in wealthy Westmount where the rich Anglais business owners lived! The populist voice often speaks different messages from both sides of its mouth.." Indeed it does, it does indeed..
For Krista's commentary on government funding of the film "Monsieur Lazhar":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiUaPaDkAME
Internal blog link An earlier story on Krista's bullying populist attack on dance artist Margie Gillis:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8403090612918247270#editor/target=post;postID=1372087197201984404
footnote 1 - "Inauthentic" is an insight drawn by Existential philosophers of the 20th century (Camus, Satre) to describe the modern consciousness. We claim to be "for the environment" yet buy SUVs! "Alienated" is Karl Marx's description of the relation of the industrial worker to his labor the results of that labor. The worker does not "own" the "fruits of his labor", his work does not express his personhood or value. It has become "alien" or "foreign". Work is no longer a blessing but a curse, at best a mere economic necessity. Social psychologists use the general term "anomia" or "anomie" to describe the sense of confused disorder, meaningless and insignificance resulting from a preceived lack of common norms, goals or values. In general, anomia is one of the major breeders of fascist, reactionary thought and movements.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Steven Harper - Québec separatists' best friend??
bumptious: crudely or loudly assertive; pushy
The idea might seem a bit bizarre but there is an argument that Harper's populist tub-thumping style may end up driving Québec into the hands of the seperatists, reviving what many consider a "dead issue"..
Quebecers, on the whole, see themselves as (squishy soft) "social democrats" on many issues such as abortion, gun regulation, social programs, crime and punishment of adolescents.. Many of us find the recent destruction of the long gun registry repellent and offensive: the gun registry was, after all, created by the activism of Quebecers after the Montréal Polytechnique massacre of 14 female students by a misogynist gunman, 6 december, 1989. The fact that Harper, in good populist funk, went so far as to take part in a celebration - !sic! - of the long gun registry destruction really did not sit well with many Quebecers: it's hard not to feel it as salt deliberately rubbed in an open wound..
Populist, redneck, neocon triumphalism - or just bumptious naïveté?
Justin Trudeau, son of former PM Pierre Trudeau and himself Federal Liberal MP, recently shocked Canadians in a French language CBC interview. Trudeau said he was saddened by the right wing direction Canada was taking under the Harper government. He went so far as to say that if things continued this way he might consider the separatist option: this from a son of arch-federalist Pierre Trudeau! (Obviously, this has separatists chuckling under their breath; I've heard them on the radio..) In the French language clip below the juicy part begins at 13 minutes.
Quebecers are feeling increasingly under-represented, misunderstood and unheeded. The longterm effects of Harper's populist bumptiousness are hard to predict but separatist leader (Parti Québécois) Pauline Marois seems ready to make hay while the sun shines..
In her open letter Madame Marois addresses what many Quebecers feel most offensive in the Harper government's handling of the deregistration process (aside from that damned celebratory cocktail party), the mean-spirited refusal of the Feds to turn over to Québec the portion of the long gun registry applying to citizens of the Province (my translation):
"We have proposed, with the Provincial government, the creation of a Québécois gun registry. To avoid prohibitive expenditures, the elected members of the Assemblée nationale have unanimously requested that Ottawa preserve the registry data relating to the Province of Québec. Unfortunately, your government has announced its intention to destroy these data. The people of Québec have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to create these files which are indespensible to the creation of a Québécois gun registry. Transferring these files to Québec will cost your government nothing. All that we are asking your government is the freedom for Québec to act in its own interests.."
Indeed! But Mr Harper seems far more occupied with short term political gain but populist tub thumping and bumptiousness may be this country's undoing.
Watch out Mr. Harper, what goes round, comes round..
Watch out Mr. Harper, what goes round, comes round..
Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind / Qui sème le vent récolte la tempête
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