JOHN CHUCKMAN

POSTED RESPONSES TO A COLUMN IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

If Harper is serious about Pacific trade, then there isn’t even an issue here.

The obstacle of course is the United States, which takes exception to major Chinese investments, a ridiculous position based on militarism and not economics.

So far as Canada’s genuine interests go, substantial Chinese investment is an excellent investment in future relations with this economic powerhouse.
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“Nothing like a Chinese State owned outfit, buying up large tracks of our energy resources…’

Since Alberta is already owned – virtually lock, stock, and barrel – by the United States, some diversification can only be good for Canada.
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“What a hot potatoe.”

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the comments, she’s back!

Ericka from Americka.

And just like good old Dan Quayle, she can’t spell “potato.”
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“A lot of the West’s animosity of Chinese is pure racism. We don’t like Chinese unless they’re under our thumb.”

There is some truth there, undoubtedly, but it is far from the whole story.

The fact is that Alberta is in many ways an extension of America.

Going back to the days of offering Crown Lands, I believe something on the order of half the takers were Americans crossing the border.

The Alberta oil industry is virtually owned by Americans.

The towers in Calgary are filled with Americans.

Alberta’s only serious market, except for gas in Canada, is America which puts a crimp in producer prices.

The government in Alberta even sometimes styles itself in American fashion – for example, its website speaking of “the executive branch” when of course there is no such thing under a parliamentary government.

And note Preston Manning who runs an outfit that is a miniature replica of one of America’s “think-tanks,” institutions which are little more than well financed propaganda mills and sinecure positions for those who’ve served the imperial cause well.

And just so Manning, playing president of a propaganda mill financed by some of America’s most right wing oil boys.

Albertan views on the Senate too have nothing to do with genuine democratic interests. They reflect a desire to copy America’s most paralyzing and corrupt political institution.

Our Dear Leader has made many statements over time reflecting his obsessive American bias, and he too is a protégé of good old Preston Manning.
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“All the regular welfare unemployed lefties out in force today.”

Why are people who have a different point of view to yours characterized as “welfare lefties”?

Your views are rendered stupid simply by your choice of words.

You write without ever informing yourself of anything, and you write with contempt as well as ignorance.

 

 

 

JOHN CHUCKMAN

POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY PRESTON MANNING IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

Another pathetic secular sermon from Preston Manning.

The preacher has never quite been left behind by the manipulative, career politician, having blended into an unpleasant Right Wing identity with roots in Texas and the Midwest.

I recall a few years ago, as CBC Radio was quietly adjusting to unpleasant new realities in Ottawa determining its destiny, Manning received a brief show called “This I Believe.”

Each spot was introduced by Manning’s scratchy, whiny little voice and featured a notable Canadian giving a little lesson or sermon about something he or she believed.

It was pure dreck, annoyingly sentimental and at the same time virtually meaningless to anyone not sharing the person’s love for this or that often trivial notion.

Interestingly, the idea was lifted – lock, stock, barrel, and even the very words of the title – from the United States.

And that source, the United States, remains an enchanted one to Preston Manning, despite all of his protestations about Canada.

He is the self-appointed president of a self-created think tank, which just happens to be paid for by American oil money.

He is the man most responsible for Stephen Harper’s rise to destructive power, having selected him as a protégé many years ago.

And just like the American Right Wing they both so desperately admire, Manning wallows in a strange pool of vague religiosity, patriotic kitsch, and homespun notions which softens and disguises his relentless drive to push the people of Canada in a direction they really don’t want to go, towards American interests, American values, American special interests, and American hypocrisy.

Readers may enjoy:

http://chuckmancartoons.blogspot.ca/2009/09/canadas-harper-vision-thing-flag-over.html

JOHN CHUCKMAN

POSTED RESPONSES TO A COLUMN BY PRESTON MANNING IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

Political gravity has shifted in the country?

Harper through years of work has increased his support from about 30% to 39.6%.

Almost two-thirds of Canadians still reject this man and his party.

The only real lessons from the election are three.

One, we have a serious democratic deficit in Canada when less than 40% of votes turns into a majority.

Honest and conscientious men concerned with our affairs would work towards correcting the situation, not crow about it.

Two, dirty and unethical tactics do achieve some success in politics. The United States is rife with them. Now Harper has introduced them to Canada, debasing the decency of our politics.

As an interesting sidelight here, we get a hint here of how little a role religion – both Harper and Manning being religious – actually plays in genuine ethics.

Three, leadership matters, and the Liberals did not have any.

They appointed a weak man who missed almost every opportunity to respond forcefully to Harper’s half-truths, evasions, and outright dishonesty.

This weak man also sneered at a coalition which would have long ago stopped Harper, and he was inept enough to end up being accused of plotting to have one. Pathetic.
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“Preston just keeps looking better and younger every time his photo appears…”

Preston had a complete make-over at some point, maybe as part of his initiation as president and CEO of the one-man institute founded by himself.

Hair dyed.

Eyebrows skillfully dyed to match.

Dumped the granny glasses and fit-up with contact lens

New wardrobe.

Possibly a few needle-loads of botox.

Coaching on how to look at the camera without making people laugh at the results.

I do think he missed the chance to turn up the back collar of his jacket, a la 1959 rockers. That would be in keeping with his newly-learned smile, rather suggestive of an early Elvis snarl.

Bet with his self-appointed institute job he has a shiny car, maybe something sporty like a pink and black convertible.

The guy’s clearly now a regular chick-magnet.

But when he opens his mouth or takes his quill pen from the inkstand, we hear or read the same old crotchety noises.

What was it Obama said during the campaign about putting lipstick on a pig…?

JOHN CHUCKMAN

 

POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY TOM FLANAGAN IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

“We are stuck between a majoritarian political culture and the reality of minority government…”

Tom Flanagan shows a remarkable lack of imagination in political affairs.

There are many steps we can readily take to break up the political logjam in which we find ourselves, but they all require some courage and imagination to do things in new ways.

First, of course, we could have coalition government, a perfectly normal practice in parliaments all over the world. This would end, overnight, the embarrassing and destructive politics now at work in Ottawa.

Second, we could change the way we vote, getting rid of our primitive first-past-the-post system. A number of countries have also made this change, thereby extending the value of a vote and the meaning of democracy.

And there are still other measures possible, but none of these interests Tom Flanagan.

Why would that be you may ask? Especially considering he styles himself a political scientist?

The answer, of course, is that Mr. Flanagan functions first and foremost, not as a political scientist, but as a flak for right-wing causes.

Real political changes almost certainly would not favor the right-wing, and I must say rather anti-democratic, agenda Mr. Flanagan tirelessly serves.

Why do I say anti-democratic? Just look at his advice to Harper and his past newspaper pieces.

He supported Harper in proroguing parliament for the explicit purpose of not getting to the bottom of the abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan.

He ranted against coalition government, impugning intentions he knows perfectly well were democratic in nature.

And there are many such pieces to a puzzle whose picture is that of a tight-lipped, right-wing American who wants to import Gingrichism into our national institutions.
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“The West are using this “the West wants in” just to they can cry like little blubbery babies. It’s tiresome and worn out.”

Amen, Amen, Amen.

That is a truly dishonest slogan, and the repetition of it is an authentic example of whiney baby American politics.

Alberta represents just under 11% of Canada’s population. By what jerry-rigging would it be possible for 11% of a population to substantially influence national affairs? The argument is simply anti-democratic.

But since Alberta was extensively settled by Americans looking for free land at the turn of the last century and since its big contemporary industry, hydrocarbons, is almost totally an American-dominated enterprise with experts, executives, and financial people constantly shipped up from places like Texas and Oklahoma, we see a constant re-inforcement of America’s attitudes and whiney-babyism.

And that ongoing, quiet process includes institutions endowed by oil money, which end up with spokesmen like Tom Flanagan or Preston Manning or our dear Prime Minister, former National Citizens’ Coalition flak, Stephen Harper.

JOHN CHUCKMAN

 

POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY PRESTON MANNING IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

Gee, where’s Preston’s picture?

The thing I enjoy about Preston’s columns is his new cool-guy look, clearly an effort to recapture his lost youth of the 1950-60s.

It is the only thing I enjoy about Preston’s columns.

His words are always tedious pontificating.

But I must say it is nice that some oil company with more money than it knows what to do with or Christian fundamentalist crackpot group gave Preston his very own little institute in which to play chief executive.

It’s so much better than having him in active politics.

Remember, Preston’s legacy to the nation is that nasty cretin we call our prime minister.

JOHN CHUCKMAN

 

POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY PRESTON MANNING IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

“Let’s give Albertans the future they desire and deserve”

Why do Albertans “deserve” a different future than the one they now have, one which by world standards is pretty exceptional?

More flatulence from Canada’s Sunday School teacher of Right Wing politicos.

Though I have to say: Gee, Preston, I do like the new, cool-guy look in your official photo.

Does it indicate, perhaps, you are undergoing the Middle-Age Crazies?

JOHN CHUCKMAN

 

POSTED COMMENT TO A COLUMN BY PRESTON MANNING IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

Preston Manning is personally responsible for bringing up Harper as his political protégé.

So far as I know, it is the only political act of substance for which Preston Manning can claim any legitimate credit in his entire lamentable career.

And it is precisely Mr. Harper’s mean spirit, his divisive political practices, and his selective ethics that have altered our Parliament for the worse.

Now, that good old Preston is endowed with a pseudo-academic, mini-institute of his own – a personal propaganda platform, courtesy of oil money – he can play the philosopher, above the fray.

What a bad joke this man is.