Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Shameful Self-Abasement

The Toronto Star reports that there has been a furious social media backlash against shameful propaganda displays like the following, as the Ontario government seeks to break a 10-year-deal with the Beer Store:



Here are some samples of the jeering responses by voters:
“Cannot believe they are back at their stupid photos. Thought the general mocking of the gas station selfies would have maybe taught them something?” said a tweet from Barb Hickey, a self-described “political junkie and rebel” in Toronto.

That was one of several references to a previous social media campaign in which Conservative MPPs pictured themselves filling up at gas stations before a federal carbon tax took effect on gas prices.

“Nope, not needed, won’t change my mind. Spend as much time on health care and education as you do on booze,” wrote Frances Mote, a human resources consultant.

Health Minister Christine Elliott came under fire from well known emergency physician and media personality Dr. Brian Goldman for tweeting a picture of Andrew’s Convenience in her Newmarket riding and touting the “choice and convenience” of wider beer and wine sales.

“What in the Sam Heck is a HEALTH MINISTER doing tweeting this,” Goldman said.
Meanwhile, the province continues down its chaotic path. A mere year after its election, the Ford government has done much, much damage, aided and abetted by a coterie of supine cabinet ministers, of which the above Caroline Mulroney is but one. You can read more about the whole sorry set of collaborators in this editorial.

7 comments:

  1. Ms. Mulroney has no sense of personal integrity. But we've known that for awhile, Lorne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess she is only doing what comes naturally, Owen.

      Delete
  2. .. its important to look at the 'failure of politics' at many different levels. Obviously, Doug Ford represents one of those levels & your post illuminates this. Michael Cooper (Alberta) yet another distinct level & David Climenhaga (Alberta Politics) nailed that down very politely. I mentioned Jason Kenney & Rona Ambrose while commenting to another top drawer indy blog yesterday.. and included Justin Trudeau for good reason. Andrew Scheer permeates another level & receives absurd levels of free media.. or free pulpit time to insult Canadians via his pithy evangelical nonsence. How much further can 'public servants' lower the bar. What is the bar anyway.. and where ? Elected MP Tony Clement could claim that 'honor' but it seems it was a 'personal failure' about his wienie, though it fooled Andrew Scheer completely. Dean Del Mastro went to jail. Rob Anders faded out / slept / insulted / was re-elected many times. John Baird faked and blustered. Sack of hammers Peter McKay lied.. and lied some more after selling out to Stephen Harper.. who is a damn clever liar in his own droning right.

    In my view.. we in Canada need to start taking on the challenging task of reinventing our governance and remediating the current disaster status. Triage its called at the first stage.. and in doing this as we DEMAND our political public servants support OUR wishes to attain these goals. That's right ! The people we elect.. and the people who pimp them (political parties) have to perform for us or be cut from the herd, graded.. culled harshly as required. We must see and read appropriate RESPONSE.. by political personages via main media. The current status quo in our legislatures and parliaments.. is rushing the patronage troughs. Not an election promise I recall, ever. Yet that is a fact.

    Today I launched a pirate guerilla indy campaign accordingly.. no prisoners, no nice manners.. haul your sails & show a white flag or take my fire. I stsrt via Facebook & Twitter primarily. Alberta is imploding due to pollution, BC.. its environment at extreme risk, Ontario in despicable shape, bound for worse.. I have detailed how Nova Scotia is failing over pollution with just one example.. Quebec dumps raw sewage into the St Lawrence.. who else wants to take raking fire? I plan to dish it out as earned. My strategy ? Lateral Solution - ie the solution may be found by stating or framing the question effectively, no matter how contraversial.

    GroupThink is very effective.. so is 'strength in numbers' - look at how Bellingcat solves conundrums or mysteries.. At one point, a missing race yacht disappeared in a vast ocean.. thousands contributed by searching a small specific manageable segment of the ocean.. very very carefully.. looking for a distinct white hull shape among the wavelets and spume.. same with the Russian assassins who murdered a diplomat.. a huge group of people focussed on passport shots & identified them in short order. Witnesses aboard a departing aircraft described a scenario identically when 'the authorities' presented a completely different & fabricated 'report'. We find abducted children via Amber Alert.. When main media gets embarrased enough, perhaps they'll cooperate. Here we go.. bottom line.. does this country belong to all Canadians.. or just the vested few... ? Lets see what we find out !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Best of luck in your endeavours as described above, Sal. We need as many people as possible filled with passion, commitment and a sense of the possible if the sad state of conventional politics is ever to be upended.

      Delete
  3. .. what is the damage (the butcher's bill) if Trudeau & Butts have actually handed a 4 year shot to the Scheer idiots ? Or a dead heat ? Or a minority Liberal bit of nonsense ? Just think of the crazy backroom deal making.. a big dash of NDP prop up & a sprinkle of potential indy's.. like Philpott and Reybould-Wilson ? How does that serve Canadians ? Its more kabuki theatre and posturing.. horse trading ? In grave times of climate change, runaway energy pollution on a massive scale ? This is more like a fall fair 'scary house' with tilting floors & warped mirrors, leering goblin heads .. and we are led out the back door near the Tilt a Whirl .. by the John Deere tractors.. a ripoff. We clutch our prepaid tickets to ride.. wondering where to win a stuffed polar bear..

    ReplyDelete
  4. Here in Quebec we can buy our beer at grocery stores or depanneurs (corner stores). It's really convenient and I believe we have lower prices in general. We still have to buy hard liquor in government run shops (SAQ). To Caroline Mulroney I say it's fairer to the consumer to do things like us in La Belle Province.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know that Quebec has a long tradition of corner store sales, Anon. However, I believe the significantly lower price you pay for beer is mainly due to lower levels of taxation on alcohol. In contrast, Alberta, which privatized the sale of alcohol, has higher prices for beer, a function, I believe, both of taxation and markup.

      Delete