The 2011 Canadian Federal Election Thread of Hidden Agendas

[Boogie]

Jumping the gun a bit here, since the Writ hasn't dropped.

Today the Harper Government (TM) here in Soviet Canuckistan tabled the year's budget.  To which all of the opposition parties promptly replied: "You can take your budget and shove it up your ass."

Which pretty much means we're heading to the polls, as the Conservatives are signalling they're not about to make any changes to make the budget palatable to the Opposition.

My gut prediction at the start here:  Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

[Smooth Groove]

We just let you think that your votes mean anything.   

[Mandark]

Wasn't there a big brouhaha in the last couple years, where Harper's coalition shrank and there was a bunch of procedural stuff about whether there could be something like a vote of no confidence, and the Queen of England was going to have to get involved cause you guys never had a proper revolution?

[Joe Molotov]

Boogie, you know what you have to do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_of_Canada

[Madrun Badrun]

My gut prediction at the start here:  Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Don't you vote conservative?  I'm blaming you for this.

[Phoenix Dark]

governments droppin' writs
in canadian cities
governments with writs
in our cities
in canada

[Human Snorenado]

Vote for the Canadian equivalent of the Tea Party.

[Madrun Badrun]

Vote for the Canadian equivalent of the Tea Party.

No one in Canada is that stupid.

[Great Rumbler]

I think I've found the party that Boogie needs to vote for:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_of_Canada

[Boogie]

Wasn't there a big brouhaha in the last couple years, where Harper's coalition shrank and there was a bunch of procedural stuff about whether there could be something like a vote of no confidence, and the Queen of England was going to have to get involved cause you guys never had a proper revolution?

Harper's government isn't actually a coalition; there are no opposition party members in the cabinet.  But otherwise, yeah, the Opposition ganged up and was going to vote down the Conservatives and propose their own coalition government, then the Canadian population became introduced to and sick of the word "prorogue" in the span of a week, and when the dust had cleared, the Liberals had turfed their leader and decided not to bring down the Conservatives.

The story since then has mostly consisted of the Conservatives being assholes, but not big enough assholes for anyone outside of the political establishment to care or get upset, and the Liberals have been doing a gawdawful job of demonstrating that they would be a viable alternative.  But at least Dion is gone, thank God.

[Boogie]

My gut prediction at the start here:  Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Don't you vote conservative?  I'm blaming you for this.

I have voted this conservative in the past.  This time it's Grits or spoiled ballot, depending on whether Iggy can manage to not embarrass himself or not.

[Boogie]

Well, it's official.

Budget was voted down yesterday.  Governor-General dissolved Parliament this morning.

  @ at Harper's press conference, said Liberals have a "Hidden Agenda" of a coalition.  Cribbing the same language the Liberals used against the Conservatives for years.  Well played, Harper, well played.

Election date is May 2.

[Dickie Dee]

I think I've found the party that Boogie needs to vote for:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_of_Canada

Even better:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Law_Party_of_Canada

[Boogie]

Now, it being election season, it is natural that my 20-something facebook friends will post election-related material.

One such vid was a clip by the Canadian equivalent of Jon Stewart (sort of) encouraging young Canadians to vote.  Now, the comments to this vid turned into a mini debate with me vs. a friend of the friend who posted the link.  Mostly consisting of her fearmongering against the conservatives as if they were Republicans and me saying "now, I'm not voting for them, but you're being silly".

It ended up with her posting this:

"Well oppression is rooted in north american society, much is done without conscious decision making as it is so heavily ingrained within both males and females. What ever their intentions may be, it does not erase the fact that this unfortunately still happens, and rather wide spread. Awareness is the key to erasing these oppressions and microaggressions. a society run (intentionally or unintentionally) about hate or being better than others is not as progressive as i would prefer. that much is true. capitalism unfortunately breeds oppression, some embrace this more heavily. moreover, harper is not future oriented enough same with the liberals. id like my future to be thought of, not just the elderly. balance is the key here."

can someone tell me what the fuck that means?  What the fuck is a "microaggression"?  How is oppression any more "rooted" in North American society than it is in ANY society in human history?

I swear to God, the only thing that could get me to vote for the Conservatives in this election are the people most adamant that I shouldn't vote for them.

[Phoenix Dark]

Sounds like one of those "America is taking over Canada through a clever media manipulation campaign to make us sympathetic and supportive of their every decision" Canadians

[Boogie]

Sounds like one of those "America is taking over Canada through a clever media manipulation campaign to make us sympathetic and supportive of their every decision" Canadians

Well, that, but more "I'm an ultra-left-wing York Master's student who is obsessed with postcolonialism and completely out of touch with reality".

As soon as she made the post I quoted I was all "oooookay, I'm wasting my time here"

[Phoenix Dark]

My basic rule on facebook discussion: make a response to the original comment, then a retort if they respond. But after that walk the fuck away. Don't want to ink up someone's wall with a bunch of text.

Your example is far more worthy of discussion than the stuff I deal with, like "check this video out. Is Obama born in Kenya or is he born in America? Yall i dunno..."

[Boogie]

My basic rule on facebook discussion: make a response to the original comment, then a retort if they respond. But after that walk the fuck away. Don't want to ink up someone's wall with a bunch of text.

Your example is far more worthy of discussion than the stuff I deal with, like "check this video out. Is Obama born in Kenya or is he born in America? Yall i dunno..."

I'm just waiting for her to say something like "and another example of Harper's oppression is the G20 in Toronto..."

and I'll be like "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu  "

edit:  her follow up to me saying "yeah, we're just going to have to agree to disagree here"

her: "oh for sure we agree to disagree. I mean i just spent the last two years of my masters taking a big long look at oppression so its in the forefront of my mind. also being a female, i get it all the time. i am not sure if you are part of a minority group, but speaking from experience, its not very fun!"

ie.  If you're not a member of a minority group, your opinion is worthless.

[Mandark]

Tell her that while she acts like part of an oppressed group, her traditional white feminist perspective (eg, calling herself a "woman" rather than ciswoman) is the sort of privileged, bourgeois intellectualism that created backlash movements like womanism, and that she is actually reifying the very imperialist kyriarchy which she claims to problematize.

I imagine that would go over well.

[Boogie]

Tell her that while she acts like part of an oppressed group, her traditional white feminist perspective (eg, calling herself a "woman" rather than ciswoman) is the sort of privileged, bourgeois intellectualism that created backlash movements like womanism, and that she is actually reifying the very imperialist kyriarchy which she claims to problematize.

I imagine that would go over well.

<3 you, Mandark...

[Boogie]

but this is definitely the weirdest of my four election campaigns.

The candidates seem more interested in hosting sing-alongs than anything else:
[youtube=560,345]WX47ku7jhWE[/youtube]

[youtube=560,345]6JBclUmEGeI[/youtube]

[Phoenix Dark]

i raise you
[youtube=560,345]VTkUeb6zQFA[/youtube]

[youtube=560,345]m8wz0jrb79Y[/youtube]

[Boogie]

i raise you
[youtube=560,345]VTkUeb6zQFA[/youtube]

Now that's just not fair.

That being said, Harper does have his Beatles down pat:
[youtube=560,345]JOt2Qp0H9G8[/youtube]

I think he has the malek vote all wrapped up...

[Madrun Badrun]

Youtube has everything.  Someone find a Chrétien music video. 

[Phoenix Dark]

haha I wonder what Fox would say if Obama sang about getting high with a little help from his friends

[Boogie]

Youtube has everything.  Someone find a Chrétien music video. 

....I....really don't want to.. please don't make me....

[Joe Molotov]

I wish Arsenio Hall still had a late-night show.

[Boogie]

This thread is now about the misadventures with my new wacko left wing facebook friend.

She posts this article, with the commentary "would you vote for this fascist?":

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/harper_criticized_for_unfriending_teen_from_rally/2464194e

Then comments on her own link: "total racist".

Now, granted, this is some obsessive, hyper-partisan sketchy behaviour, there.

But....racist?  Because the person in question happened to be muslim?  come on.

When I replied that "The Liberal Party isn't a race", she came back with:

"Also I'm rather confused as to how they found her name, found her on facebook, then remembered her in a conceivably larger crowd.....Also their worry about flash mobbing JUST SO HAPPEN to have occurred around a teen of a minority. Once again this federal rapist is on the lose. I don't even hate conservatives, they could be great. But Harper himself. Total rapist, WHO TRUSTS A MAN WITH EYES SO CLOSE TOGETHER!!! lol"

 

In any case, while she is busy declaring Harper to be a racist, the Liberals had to sack a candidate in Quebec who was a founder of a white supremacist group:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/liberals-sack-quebec-candidate-who-founded-white-supremacist-group/article1973542/

[Boogie]

So he's a racist rapist?

Apparently.


Oh, and the RCMP managed to get itself involved in the election story:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/rcmp-admits-it-overstepped-bounds-by-ejecting-people-from-tory-events/article1973812/

The RCMP is taking responsibility for ousting people from recent Conservative campaign events in southwestern Ontario, acknowledging it broke the rules in doing so and saying it’s reminded Mounties to stick to their jobs.

Way to go, boys!   

[Madrun Badrun]

Suggest to her that she pry his close eyes apart with a knife.  When she agrees, arrest her.  You could be the second RCMP election scandel story!

[Joe Molotov]

So he's a racist rapist?

Not just a rapist, but a federal rapist!

[Mandark]

Wait, you friended her?

You realize this means the thread's going to quickly devolve into everyone telling you to bang her, right?

[Boogie]

Suggest to her that she pry his close eyes apart with a knife.  When she agrees, arrest her.  You could be the second RCMP election scandel story!

Great idea.

Except for the part where I become a party to the offense myself via counseling her to commit it.

That's not such a great idea.

[Boogie]

Wait, you friended her?

You realize this means the thread's going to quickly devolve into everyone telling you to bang her, right?

Well yeah, now it is.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Wait, you friended her?

You realize this means the thread's going to quickly devolve into everyone telling you to bang her, right?

Well yeah, now it is.

We're going to need pictures first before we go down that route.

[Madrun Badrun]

Suggest to her that she pry his close eyes apart with a knife.  When she agrees, arrest her.  You could be the second RCMP election scandel story!

Great idea.

Except for the part where I become a party to the offense myself via counseling her to commit it.

That's not such a great idea.

Well to be the next scandal story, you need to get your hands a bit dirty.

[Madrun Badrun]

[Boogie]

(Image removed from quote.)

image no worky for me.

[Madrun Badrun]

http://twitpic.com/4hsili

[Boogie]

Only English language debate of the campaign on now.

Should have put this on a weekend so I could make a drinking game out of it...

[T234]

Real Talk

How would you feel Boogie if reefer were legal in the US and Canada, and instead of Canadians trafficking their sweet Glorious Natural Product mostly to the US, it was only grown enough to satisfy local demand?

You guys would then have all of the manpower you ever wanted to squash meth out of Canada. It would be a utopia. Glorious reefer from the north pole to the southern tip of Mexico.

/Real Talk

[Madrun Badrun]

This debate is terrible. 

[Madrun Badrun]

also fuck cbc for playing a 30second ad everytime my live stream cuts out. 

[Boogie]

This debate is terrible. 

It really is.

Real Talk

How would you feel Boogie if reefer were legal in the US and Canada, and instead of Canadians trafficking their sweet Glorious Natural Product mostly to the US, it was only grown enough to satisfy local demand?

You guys would then have all of the manpower you ever wanted to squash meth out of Canada. It would be a utopia. Glorious reefer from the north pole to the southern tip of Mexico.

/Real Talk

I am indifferent, personally, towards the legalization of marijuana.  I will say that the legalization of it in Canada without it being similarly allowed in the States would be bad.  (due to the nature of the black market trade, our weed is taken south in exchange for guns and cocaine.  So I think that making weed legal in Canada but not the States would simply allow criminals to export more weed to the States, and therefore import more cocaine and guns into the country.)

and for political reasons, I think that it won't be legalized here until and unless it is in America.

I will also say, in regards to manpower, the largest drug units in Canada already devote the majority of resources towards harder drugs like meth, heroin, and cocaine.

[Madrun Badrun]

Ya you can`t have something like weed being legal in one country and illegal in another and still keep the largest undefended border as open as it is. 

I`m thinking Harper is actually doing the best here.  Atleast he isn`t making an ass of himself like the others.

[Boogie]

I`m thinking Harper is actually doing the best here.  Atleast he isn`t making an ass of himself like the others.

I don't think he's doing "the best", but he's holding his own very well for it being a 3 vs 1 most of the time.

edit: except for when Jack gets snarky at Iggy. 

[Madrun Badrun]

Best is highly relative here.

[Madrun Badrun]

[Boogie]

Duceppe:  "Multiculturism doesn't fit with Quebec"

WHAAAA?

[Madrun Badrun]

I totally missed what Dueppe was talking about on two categories of refugiesÉ

[Madrun Badrun]

Just repeat the words layton, that`s all he wants


Layton dodged that like a ninja.

[Madrun Badrun]

`With the bling and everything else`...that was bad.

[Boogie]

I totally tuned out almost all of the last third of the debate   

[Madrun Badrun]

Same.  I`m not embarresed about it though.  The first two thirds were mud slinging and not much else.

[Madrun Badrun]

I don`t get why in this modern age putting up links to some of the factual information isn`t part of the mediators job.  Instead of calling eachother liars, give me a god damn link.  If you say such and such a bill was rejected by another party give me a link.  If there is a dispute about something which is objectivly varifiable, then it should be verified instead of politicians calling eachother lairs.  And if they had to be accountable for this kind of thing, then they wouldn`t make the accusations in the first place.   

[Mandark]

[Madrun Badrun]

That exactly

[T234]

I wonder how our Canadian brothers in the struggle for legalization are doing.

[Madrun Badrun]

it will be legal in 90 days, unless new laws are passed.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/ontario-court-strikes-down-canadas-pot-laws/article1983105/

of course this will never happen.

[T234]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT

Is this currently the top priority of the Canadian Funky Parliament?

Haven't been this interested in something from Canada since Trailer Park Boys. Have NEVER been this interested in Canadian politics.