heureusement, ici, c'est james

In his latest stroke of genius, Charles Adler marched in lockstep with the Conservative martyr brigade, heroically "telling it like it is" by suggesting "blacks" and "natives" have some kind of cultural problem that keep them at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and that our "the tyranny of politeness" is what keeps us from talking about it.

He rejects the findings of a report that indicate the policies of Mike Harris had something to do with the spate of current violence among Toronto's underprivileged.

His defamatory claptrap quickly reveals, however, that he wouldn't know tyranny if it came up and bit him in the ass: "Does anybody have the moral courage to talk back to this kind of larceny, this kind of deceipt, [sic] this kind of rhetorical manure? Are we really a free people?"

Larceny? Decei(p)t? You'd think Charles had been poked in the bum. Something scared him, anyway - for a man who's had it well all his life to suddenly stand up for freedom in this sewer of Canadian tyranny. (though perhaps a free person might also take advantage of their right to education and learn how to spell.)
So what are his constructive suggestions? They don't exist, short of hinting that "blacks" and "natives" should... er... take advantage of their freedom. Stick that nebulous concept up your policy pipe and smoke it.

But being constructive wasn't nearly as important as masking his racism in the rhetoric of moral superiority: "if this country were a tyranny, run by a dictator, I could understand how we could just feel we have no choice but to keep sucking on this multicultural lollipop until we gag. But I thought as a young child growing up in Canada that we a choice on speaking the truth or not speaking it. I thought that's what separated us from all those other countries where societies are under the thumb of the evil man with his evil secret police force and corrupt judges and lying media lapdogs."

Lying media lapdogs? Truth? Tyranny run by a dictator? Have you looked around recently? Are you sleeping?

Yes, Mr. Adler, let freedom ring. If only you could discover something worth talking about first.

Labels: Charles Adler, cons, mainstream press, racism, slow learners

I'm tired of watching the so-called "mainstream press" descend into a black hole of barely-literate political smut. Here's another vitriolic serving of self-righteous editorial slop from another of CanWest's finest:

"counter to the theory that ailing times for an economy are obituaries for a government, there's a good chance Prime Minister Stephen Harper may be leading the recession-defying exception that disproves the rule."

He says Harper isn't responsible for the Canadian economy, because the problem started in the States, a place where the top 10 per cent of their population "now command a share of national income not seen since 1928 -- the year before the 1929 Wall Street crash that ushered in the Great Depression."

If we aren't responsible for our "national" economy, why should we bother pretending we have any control at all? Why not just enjoy the ride and hand out loose government change to the provinces just to pacify us - make us all feel a little better?

Like a growing majority of editorial writers, Don Martin has taken a pass on that relic of the past known as logic-based evidence, opting instead to reinforce political and economic cliches, furthering the character assassination of Stephane Dion in the process.

He casts "economist Harper" against "ivory tower Liberal leader Stephane Dion" who, according to Martin, was "demanding measures long on rhetoric... and short on specifics."

Surely justifiable, with all the undeniable evidence of economic success since Harper applied his Calgary-school orthodoxy. How is it, Mr. Martin, that money from a tax cut spent on goods made in China will benefit Canadian manufacturers?

Nevermind. Harper the economist said so. He also says we have enough of a nest-egg to save us from a deficit, too, even though this diamond in the rough pointed out that "Ottawa itself is only projecting nominal surpluses of slightly more than $1 billion for the next two years, and that was before the global stock market crash."

And there was Dion, suggesting we save our money and make a targeted investment in green technology. What fairy-tale planet it he on, anyway?

"What's confounding Liberals is how to one-up this government on fiscal management when they've become the party aiming billions of dollars at fighting climate change and poverty, with only afterthoughts for economic stimulation."

Yes, you smarmy, fatuous jerk. Poverty and climate change are just aesthetic expenses, far removed from the economy - fuzzy cosmetics aimed at making suburbanites feel better.

Do the world a favour and read a book.

Labels: Don Martin, economy, mainstream press, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper