As much as we respect Judge Sotomayor’s achievements, we are alarmed by the prospect of the law of the land being deliberately passed through a prism of individual experience rather than resting with the Constitution.
Archive for May, 2009
Quote of the day
Thursday, May 28th, 2009The Hypocrisy File – It’s not bad if liberals do it.
Friday, May 22nd, 2009Monte Solberg writes:
Of course it was absolutely fair when the Liberals ran attack ads against Stephen Harper when he became the leader of the Conservative Party.
I mean it was clear at the time that a smart, ambitious resident of Canada like Harper could potentially be the prime minister, and therefore his past views could be relevant.
Apply the same brilliant logic to the case of Ignatieff and you instantly see that it is unfair to hold him to the same standards.
Unfair because who could ever have expected that a Canadian who lived in the U.S. for eons and spoke of the United States as his country could ever hope to be prime minister?
Ah yes, it reminds me of this, back in 2006:
In a press release that was sent out Wednesday morning, the Liberals insisted the ads are not personal attacks.
“They all refer to specific policy positions and actions that Mr. Harper has taken during his time in federal politics,” said the statement entitled ‘Fact Check.’
“Holding a leader accountable for their past positions and quotations is an important part of political discourse.”
Quote of the day
Monday, May 18th, 2009Efforts to contain greenhouse gas emissions seem prone to this sort of flim-flam. The Democrats’ evident determination to use global warming to mask a transfer of wealth from one part of the country to another mirrors the ill-starred Green Shift proposed by former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, which began as a means of fighting emissions and ended up as an anti-poverty program financed by Alberta for the benefit of more Liberal-friendly parts of the country.
It’s unfortunate but perhaps not surprising. So much of the climate debate is wrapped up in emotion, posturing and evangelical zeal, it makes a natural habitat for politicians on the make.
Some questions for Michael Ignatieff
Monday, May 11th, 2009Up to 2,000 protesters from the Tamil community have completely moved off the Gardiner Expressway more than six hours after their impromptu march onto the highway, crippling traffic in the city on a busy Mother’s day Sunday.
Organizers tell CP24 they have spoken with Liberal party leader Michael Ignatieff’s office and that he promised to bring up the issue with caucus and look at political and economic sanctions against Sri Lanka.
Michael, are we to understand that you and your Party were unaware of the plight of the Tamils prior to this illegal protest?
Michael, do you realize that by your actions you have legitimized the use of illegal activities to further a group’s political agenda?
Michael, do you think this short-sighted submission to the demands of these demonstrators will have a positive long-term effect on civil discourse in this country?
Quote of the day
Saturday, May 9th, 2009There is a Conservative vision of Canada out there – one where the size of federal government as part of Canadian society is reduced to its absolute minimum, one where provinces and municipalities are more empowered depending on the services delivered, one where the rearing of children is a duty and responsibility worthy of support at all levels, one where individual responsibility takes precedence over tribal and societal desires. But that particular vision of Canada rarely gets articulated, either because its adherents take such a vision for granted or because they’re afraid of the effort needed to sell it to the rest of the nation.
Words do matter
Monday, May 4th, 2009In this enlightened age of political correctness there has been a push to cleanse our language to ensure no one is offended. Watering down language and introducing new words for old ideas seems to be most common among those on the left. Since the idea of socialism lost favour, the left now like to refer to themselves as progressives. The small ‘l’ liberal ideal of individual freedom has now morphed into quite the opposite meaning: more state control and collectivism.
Raymond Ibriham writes in Words Matter in the War on Terror:
Knowledge is inextricably linked to language. The less accurate words are, the less accurate the knowledge they impart; conversely, the more precise the language, the more precise the knowledge. In the war on terror, to acquire accurate knowledge — which is pivotal to victory — we need to begin with accurate language.
Now, don’t get me starting on the term human rights.
Update: We can also add global warming to the list of language being cleansed. Hat tip to Kate.
Quote of the day
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009He said if elected leader — and if the voters in 2011 hand the Tories a government — he wants to make every vote in the legislature a free vote. Party discipline, he said, sometimes prevents politicians from representing the interests of their constituents.
“There’s kind of like a lobotomy process you’re expected to go through when you walk through the doors of Queen’s Park,” Klees said.
“It’s offensive.“
Where the Liberals stand on the Canadian HRC
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009While most Canadians I’ve spoken to and read are increasingly concerned that the multitude of Human Rights Commissions across this country have over-stepped their bounds and have in fact trampled the idea of free speech, it’s interesting to note that at the federal Liberal Party convention in Vancouver today, the Liberals have passed a motion:
I suppose that means the Liberals are okay supporting “a threat to our democracy“.