A few days ago Jennifer Smith over on Runesmith's Canadian Content reported that Stephan Harper has redecorated the lobbies behind the benches in Parliament. (It's the place where lobbyists used to hang out back in the olden days.) The full description can be found on the Green Party website [Model Parliament]. What may have been the most fascinating part of the afternoon was my time in the Government Lobby. Behind the curtains that run along the last row of benches on both sides of the House, are doors to long skinny living room areas. One is called the Opposition Lobby; the other the Government Lobby. In my pre-Green Party leader life, I have spent a lot of time in both. The Government Lobby was a frequent work space when I was Senior Policy Advisor to the federal Minister of Environment back in the mid-1980s. And I frequented both lobbies when I was with Sierra Club of Canada from 1987-2006. It did not strike me until I walked into the Government Lobby to await my turn as Speaker that I had not been in there since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister.
It used to have some paintings on the wall. Past prime ministers, certainly a formal portrait of the Queen. Landscapes. I know there was the occasional photo of current Prime Ministers, but when I walked in this time, I felt chilled to the bone. Every available wall space had a large colour photo of Stephen Harper. Stephen Harper at Alert. Stephen Harper in fire fighter gear. Stephen Harper at his desk. Stephen Harper meeting the Dalai Lama. Even the photo of the Queen showed her in the company of Stephen Harper. None were great photos. None were more than enlarged snapshots in colour. They didn’t feel like art.
Jennifer wrote to her MP, Garth Turner, to see if this was true and if someone could supply pictures. The title of her latest posting, Ask And You Shall Receive, tells it all.Not only did Garth Turner MP take pictures, he posted them on his blog [Let me count the ways…]. Cool. I stole some of them so you can see what's become of our government.
We need to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan and send over Stephan Harper, permanently.
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ReplyDeleteLol. You beat me to the punch Larry. I was about to make a post on this myself. I've been intrigued by Harper's weirdness since I saw the Christmas cards he sent out, the ones with a picture of him staring at pictures of himself. Some psychologist needs to sit down with this guy and break down the messed up Freudian drama that's playing out in his head.
ReplyDeleteI'm torn. I can't decide whether he's an arrogant joker who does these things to intentionally disrespect his country and government (it would be interesting to know, for example, whether he also likes to urinate on the Speaker's throne, charter of rights, etc...), or whether he's just a self-loathing little boy desperately trying to convince himself he's important. Either option is scary for Canadians.
Anyone care to explain what makes this twisted mind tick?
I hope you will soon kick your twisted right-wing assholes out of office, just as we in the US had damn well better do with ours this November.
ReplyDeleteSteve LaBonne says,
ReplyDeleteI hope you will soon kick your twisted right-wing assholes out of office, just as we in the US had damn well better do with ours this November.
I'm praying for you.
Is there any particular twisted left-wing asshole that you prefer right now?
Sadly, the one I preferred (Edwards) just dropped out of the race. I'm neutral between, and unenthusiastic about, Clinton and Obama; all I care about is that whichever one gets the nomination had better damn well win in November. I don't even want to think about having to survive four years of John "perpetual war is good for you" McCain.
ReplyDeleteWell, no sooner do I say that than I see one news story about Hillary saying not a word about WalMart's union busting while serving on their board, and another about Bill cozying up to the dictator of Kazakhstan in order to do a favor for one of the big donors to his foundation. Guess I'm now an Obama supporter by default.
ReplyDeleteOur politics makes me sick.
Hmmm ....
ReplyDeleteDo you really think Obama's hands are that much cleaner? That's certainly the impression he'd like you to have.
No illusions, he simply doesn't sicken me quite as much as the Clintons do. But I have no real expectations for the next Democratic president anyway, other than being a little less likely to start new wars, and appointing non-insane Supreme Court justices. But those are enough to make even the likes of these two greatly preferable to any Republican. Such are the appetizing choices liberal voters get to make in the US nowadays...
ReplyDeleteIf you like to move a few miles further north I can help you get settled. :-)
ReplyDeleteDon't think I haven't thought about it. But I believe sane Americans have a duty to stay and fight. And after all, you wouldn't want the loons who control the large militaristic country to your south to have no domestic opposition at all. ;)
ReplyDeleteSteve LaBonne says,
ReplyDeleteBut I believe sane Americans have a duty to stay and fight.
Isn't it interesting that so many Americans feel this way but they're delighted when foreigners abandon their home countries to emigrate to the land of freedom? Maybe you should tell those Mexicans and Cubans they have a duty to stay home and fight?
:-)
The Mexicans are here to make money (and good for them- not a thing wrong with that). Our political system has degenerated to the point where it has only a modest advantage in democracy and honesty over Mexico's, so they'd have no reason to come here for freedom. ;)
ReplyDelete