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Archive for September, 2008

Conservatives guilty as charged!

( Politics and Media )

TORONTO — Ahh… people say the most wonderful things during elections, don’t they.  It’s a time of clear-thinking, honest articulation of where parties and politicians stand on various issues that allows each voter to gain insight into how potential future governments would operate.  With such fresh, fact-based insight, the voter is thus empowered to make […]

Canada - EU pact would be collossal win on both sides of the Atlantic

TORONTO — Canada and the European Union are set to launch formal talks aimed at “integrating” the Canadian economy into the EU, according to an article in today’s Globe and Mail newspaper.  I’ve commented many times in the past, and only slightly in jest, that Canada should join the E.U.  The advantages of some sort […]

Strategic voting is anti-democratic

TORONTO — Strategic voting is all the rage in some circles as voters who support parties they believe will lose, try desperately to keep victory out of reach for the party they most dislike.  At the end of the day, their party still loses and so does democracy.
Canada is governed by a parliamentary democracy.  At its […]

The greatest risk to democracy comes from voters

( Politics and Media )

TORONTO — So, one of the best (and worst) things about living in a rich, western democracy is talk radio.  There may very well be good talk radio in Tajikistan too, but since I don’t talk any of the local languages, I wouldn’t know.  Still, my guess is the smart money’s being laid on the […]

To mock in real time

TORONTO — Yesterday, I commented on the Pooping Puffin conundrum regarding an animation on a Conservative Party of Canada website.  Today, I write to confess that I’ve explored the Notaleader.ca website and found it, well… enormously fun.  Whether you’re a Conservative Party supporter, a Liberal Party supporter, or support someone else or no one at all — […]

Danny Williams is not Stephen Harper’s best friend

TORONTO — Apparently Danny Williams, the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada are not best of buds.
I just watched Williams address the St. John’s Board of Trade (the local chamber of commerce) luncheon and slam Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper big time.  The speech was beamed live into the nation’s homes […]

Puffin stuff… and who shouldn’t drink the Kool-Aid®

TORONTO — Yesterday’s Puffin-sized speed bump that interrupted Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s message of the day serves as a good example of why it’s essential that communication teams include senior members who do not drink from the same Kool-Aid® as everyone else.
A federal election campaign has just begun in Canada and, for a short time […]

Taliban acknowledge perfect storm strategy

( Politics and Media and Strategy )

TORONTO — The Globe and Mail today reported that a Taliban spokesman has acknowledged they intend to actively target Canadian Forces operating in Afghanistan during the current Canadian federal election.  On Monday, I warned that exactly this would happen.
The election, coupled with the rising death toll which is closing in on the psychologically significant 100 […]

Why this may be the last election for Canada’s Green Party

( Politics and Media )

TORONTO — The “consortium” of Canadian television networks that broadcasts the national leaders’ debates during each federal election campaign has decided that Elizabeth May, leader of Canada’s Green Party will not be invited to the borefest during the current campaign.  No surprise.
Still, the Green Party has hired a lawyer to argue its case — saying it has […]

A perfect storm of violence: election season may be long and bloody for Canadians in Afghanistan

Sadly, the Canadian casualty count in Afghanistan may rise dramatically over the next six weeks if the “perfect storm” comes to pass.
TORONTO – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper dropped the writ yesterday, calling a (federal) general election for October 14.  This 37 day campaign will be far shorter, much less glamorous and considerably less expensive […]