Just got back from taping an appearance for tonight’s not-so-appropriately-named “Live at 5:30” news program on CH Hamilton (which I’m told is channel 11 most places, including Toronto). The Toronto Sun’s Lorrie Goldstein and I debate (again, “ish”) what’s going on in Bali and what Canada’s role should be. Lorrie keeps rightly pointing out how complex the issue is, which probably means it shouldn’t be dealt with in 8-minute television double-enders, but there you have it. If you miss it at 5:30, it re-airs at 11:30 (at which time, I’m assured, it’s still called “Live at 5:30”).
All posts by Chris Tindal
A Pox On All Your Houses
This is what happens when we let ourselves get drawn into overly-negative attack rhetoric that has more to do with political games than democratic progress. Let’s do our best to stick to the issues and stay positive.
Peter MacKay Thinks You’re Un-Canadian
That is, if you oppose even the current nature of our military involvement in Afghanistan. Further, in MacKay’s twisted logic if you think that Canadian troops should be protected from implication in war crimes, then you’re somehow not “supporting the troops.”
“What is immensely clear is that the bombast and the blast coming from the member for Bourassa does nothing to demonstrate that his party or that member support the troops.
These scurrilous allegations that somehow Canadian soldiers are complicit in war crimes is beyond contempt. It is reprehensible. It is un-Canadian for that member to make those kind of allegations in this place.” – Peter MacKay
I wonder what you have to do to be declared doubleplusuncanadian. These comments from a minister of the government are shameful and disgraceful, and show a disrespect for our soldiers, Parliament, democracy, you, and me. They would be beyond belief if Stephen Harper hadn’t already set the tone. And don’t even get me started on this nonsense from John Baird.
Oh, and by the way, “scurrilous” is defined as “abusive: expressing offensive reproach.” Uh-huh.
(h/t Sean In Saskatchewan)
Arrogant And Overly Optimistic
The Globe and Mail printed a particularly silly and, I’d say, irresponsible news story a few days ago. It goes like this:
MONTREAL — Justin Trudeau appears to be a man in a hurry, judging from his profile on Facebook. For several weeks, he has presented himself on the popular website as a Member of Parliament – despite the fact he has never been elected.
It took no time for critics to pounce on the mistake. On the site of Radio-Canada, which first brought the error to light, one woman said it showed that the younger Mr. Trudeau was as arrogant as his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Another writer on Justin Trudeau’s own Facebook page accused him of being overly optimistic.
Mr. Trudeau was picked as the Liberal candidate for Montreal’s Papineau riding in April, but the seat is currently represented by Bloc Québécois MP Vivian Barbot.
A spokesman for Mr. Trudeau claims the fault lies with Facebook, the social-networking site with some 50 million users. Mr. Trudeau changed his status online to politician last month, and, when asked what he was running for, he wrote Member of Parliament.
The title appeared as his current position. Mr. Trudeau wrote to Facebook after the error was reported in the media, and the reference was removed at midday yesterday.
“Facebook lacks clarity, perhaps, but I wouldn’t make too much of it,” Mr. Trudeau wrote on his page about the slip-up. A spokesman said Mr. Trudeau meant no disrespect to Ms. Barbot.
If I were Trudeau, I’d be mighty annoyed. What the reporter apparently didn’t bother to check was that this is true for every single Canadian Facebook politician profile, including mine. So Trudeau’s spokesman’s “claim” is correct, and could have been verified in about a minute. But then, of course, there wouldn’t have been any story to print, since that sort of defeats the whole point of trying to manufacture a mini-scandal.
Since I’m not Trudeau, I’m just annoyed that he’s getting all the attention. How come no one’s looked at my profile and accused me of being arrogant and overly optimistic? *pouts, stomps out of room*