Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Belinda Strumpet and Other Whores
Andrew Coyne's article says it all. Canadians can wave goodbye to any last hint of real democracy there.
Never mind what her betrayal means to the Conservatives; the problem for Canada is not just that Belinda Stronach absconded to the Liberals, it's that by doing so, she has helped the most corrupt federal government in Canadian history to continue to subvert democracy there. Colby Cosh points out this quote from Michael Bliss:
Canadians ought to realize that this week's breakdown of their Parliament is far more serious than any of the thuggish revelations from the Gomery commission. As of this weekend, we are in the historically unprecedented situation of having a Prime Minister who is clinging to office by recklessly disregarding the fundamental principles of our democracy. It is a shocking act of proto-tyranny, which justifies the extreme resort of intervention by the Governor-General.
I am not writing this lightly or with any knowledge of or involvement in any party's strategy. Nor do I think that most Canadians understand or perhaps even care about the complexities of the constitutional imbroglio that has unfolded since the opposition began defeating the government in the Commons last Wednesday. Canada this weekend has a government clinging to office against the repeatedly expressed wishes of a majority of the democratically elected members of the House of Commons.
...The defeat of the Martin government on Tuesday came on a procedural, not a confidence motion, but it was such a clear sign that a majority of the House of Commons do not support the government that virtually all constitutional experts are agreed that an immediate test of the House's confidence was required.
Instead of doing this, the government proposed a nine-day delay, offering reasons for the delay so transparently bogus as to affront the intelligence of a 10-year-old. The British Columbia election has nothing whatever to do with the affairs of the Parliament of Canada. The visit of the Queen, a constitutional monarch whose activities are absolutely ceremonial and apolitical, cannot possibly in the 21st century take precedence over the need to resolve an impasse in our elected Parliament.
Paul Martin had a constitutional and moral responsibility to ascertain the confidence of the House of Commons on Wednesday. When he failed in this responsibility he was thumbing his nose at the conventions of responsible government and modern democracy. His government continued to disregard their constitutional responsibilities on Thursday and yesterday, leaving a frustrated opposition to demonstrate its lack of confidence repeatedly by taking control of parliamentary affairs in one vote after another.
Cry for Canadian democracy, not for the whores and criminals robbing it blind.
Update, May 24, 2005: Sorry, folks: the word is in.
Some uncertain pundits advise that employing the word "whore" to criticize Belinda Strumpet is too predictable. So is "water" when you're talking about water; that's the subject, which is why I used the word "whore" in reference to Belinda Strumpet. Language should communicate, not obfuscate. And I disagree with the suggestion that we refer to Belinda Strumpet as a "sex trade worker."
Sorry, folks: the word is "whore."
Never mind what her betrayal means to the Conservatives; the problem for Canada is not just that Belinda Stronach absconded to the Liberals, it's that by doing so, she has helped the most corrupt federal government in Canadian history to continue to subvert democracy there. Colby Cosh points out this quote from Michael Bliss:
Canadians ought to realize that this week's breakdown of their Parliament is far more serious than any of the thuggish revelations from the Gomery commission. As of this weekend, we are in the historically unprecedented situation of having a Prime Minister who is clinging to office by recklessly disregarding the fundamental principles of our democracy. It is a shocking act of proto-tyranny, which justifies the extreme resort of intervention by the Governor-General.
I am not writing this lightly or with any knowledge of or involvement in any party's strategy. Nor do I think that most Canadians understand or perhaps even care about the complexities of the constitutional imbroglio that has unfolded since the opposition began defeating the government in the Commons last Wednesday. Canada this weekend has a government clinging to office against the repeatedly expressed wishes of a majority of the democratically elected members of the House of Commons.
...The defeat of the Martin government on Tuesday came on a procedural, not a confidence motion, but it was such a clear sign that a majority of the House of Commons do not support the government that virtually all constitutional experts are agreed that an immediate test of the House's confidence was required.
Instead of doing this, the government proposed a nine-day delay, offering reasons for the delay so transparently bogus as to affront the intelligence of a 10-year-old. The British Columbia election has nothing whatever to do with the affairs of the Parliament of Canada. The visit of the Queen, a constitutional monarch whose activities are absolutely ceremonial and apolitical, cannot possibly in the 21st century take precedence over the need to resolve an impasse in our elected Parliament.
Paul Martin had a constitutional and moral responsibility to ascertain the confidence of the House of Commons on Wednesday. When he failed in this responsibility he was thumbing his nose at the conventions of responsible government and modern democracy. His government continued to disregard their constitutional responsibilities on Thursday and yesterday, leaving a frustrated opposition to demonstrate its lack of confidence repeatedly by taking control of parliamentary affairs in one vote after another.
Cry for Canadian democracy, not for the whores and criminals robbing it blind.
Update, May 24, 2005: Sorry, folks: the word is in.
Some uncertain pundits advise that employing the word "whore" to criticize Belinda Strumpet is too predictable. So is "water" when you're talking about water; that's the subject, which is why I used the word "whore" in reference to Belinda Strumpet. Language should communicate, not obfuscate. And I disagree with the suggestion that we refer to Belinda Strumpet as a "sex trade worker."
Sorry, folks: the word is "whore."
