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Thursday, January 24, 2008

There are Lies and Then There are Damn Lies

Today I nearly fell off my chair after visiting the federal Conservative website and reading a press release issued this week. The funniest part of the whole site (funny in a rather sad way) has to be the verbal diarrhea they espouse on regular basis.

I have to admit to visiting various party sites on a somewhat regular basis. Not only is it good research into what these guys are up to but it helps solidify my personal opinion of the total lack of credibility these guys have and the political crap they heap on the public with apparent glee.

On visiting the Conservative site earlier this week I was taken aback by the fact that the site, at the time, prominently displayed no less than 6 large pictures of Stephane Dion but only 3 small pictures of the PM could be found after searching around the page. For a minute or so I thought I might have visited the wrong web site but this was not the case as the sea of blue there indicated in no uncertain terms.

Mind you each of the Dion pictures was accompanied by very cutting and often inaccurate attack commentary. In fact a quick trip to the site's press release page showed 16 anti-Dion releases but only 1 lonely pro-Conservative story. Doesn’t it say something about a party when it’s more concerned with trashing the opposition than highlighting its own merits? Then again, I guess you need to actually have some merits before you can brag about them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not a supporter of the Liberal party of Canada any more than I’m a supporter of the NDP, Conservatives or any other federal party. I’m more of a supporter of localized political groups who actually attempt to address REAL issues rather than those that turn everything into a political game and an opportunity for personal or electoral gain.

Sorry, I digress.

Speaking issues, today’s Conservative news release really sparked my interest and I admit, more than a little ire as well.

A key section of the release reads as follows:

With his priorities clear, Prime Minister Harper has followed through on his promises. Whether by providing direct support for parents to help with child care, taking real action to get criminals off our streets or allowing the hard-working taxpayer to keep more of what they earn, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has proven that he is a man of his word. He believes that government works best when it delivers on its promises and only promises what it can deliver.

Well folks, I guess I stand corrected. It seems you don’t really need to have merits in order to brag about them.

I love the line, “…government works best when it delivers on its promises and only promises what it can deliver”

Really?

Why then did the Harper government promise never to tax income trusts and then cause billions of dollars in losses to investors when they did?

Why did Stephen Harper promise to remove non-renewable resource revenues from the equalization formula but then back out on the promise and even deny he did so?

Why did Stephen Harper promise to station a 650 person rapid response battalion at 5 Wing Goose Bay and increase the military presence in St. John’s, only to do nothing of the sort?

Why did the Conservatives, while in opposition and on the election trail, push for a full inquiry into compensation for those affected by Agent Orange, fight to have custodial management put in place to protect Atlantic fish stocks and…

I could go on and on although by now I believe I’ve made my point and most of you are probably already adding some of your own favorite broken promises to the list.

It’s one thing to have government spin doctors bend reality a little, we’ve all come to accept that as one of the realities we face, like it or not. It’s quite another for a party, especially a governing one, to presente abosolute lies to the electorate on a regular basis.

There are those who will say that the great thing about a democracy is that the people get what they ask for by voting a party to power or voting them back out. The problem these days is that more often than not the public really has no idea who or what they are voting for thanks to the regular diet of lies fed to them on a regular basis.

It makes me wonder just how much control the public really has over the direction of the Country or if Canada is really a democracy after all, and that my friends is NO laughing matter.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great Article Patriot!!

I'm so tired of being lied to with impunity.

I'm also so sick of the mainstream media that always sugar coats those lies with terms like "flip flop" or "backtracking". They are so afraid of litigation or losing access to the political inner circles that they refuse to call it like it is, a LIE!!!

NL-ExPatriate said...

Ahh but Patriot didn't you know that hope springs eternal in a democracy even though in our democracy it is hopeless.

That is to say while you may feel like you have a choice and are involved in the democratic process by marking your x for one of the national parties.

The truth of the matter is that you are a mouse voting for a selection of cats.

Consider that all of your choices on the ballot are the same in their desire to get elected and what they will do to get elected. I'm referring to the national parties line. If any national party wants to get elected in our systemically flawed democracy they must tailor their policy and campaign literature in such a way that they buy votes in the majority provinces with the minority provinces money.

What we need is a national party that has a party line to do what's in the best interest of the majority of the members provinces of the federation even if it means losing any chance of winning due to Ontario and Quebecs overwhelming majority of 181 out of 308 seats in the HOC.

So in essence what need to happen in order for this federation to work in it's current configuration is to have a federation party comprised of 10 separate provincial parties who all have an equal say in determining a national federation parties policies. With some exceptions for specific provinces or regions which don't conform or concern the best interest of the majority of the members provinces of the federation.

You can be excused for having bought into the hopeless situation we have found ourselves in for the last 58 years because up until now with the official registration of the NLfirst party you have not had a choice. In that all of the national parties have to do what's in the best interest of the majority provinces and any MP you elect has to show solidarity with the party or get booted and toe the national party line.

Why do you think Harper's national conservative party accepted verbatim what the Ontario Chamber of Commerce recommended with regard to the O'Brien report and the equalization formula changes.
Yet rejected the recommendation to include user fees like the O'Brien report recommended because it would not be in the best interest of getting elected in the majority provinces even though he changed the formula to a per capita basis which discriminates against the minority provinces.

I always get a chuckle when I see that old anti confederation poster with the canadian black widow spider beckoning the NL black fly into it's web with the headliner.

"Welcome into my parlor"

What in fact it should have said was

"Welcome into my Parliament"

Where we will create Benedict Arnold's out of your MP's use our own people against us and cause us to eat our own.

Anonymous said...

better yet, why not separate and go it alone. I bet Canadians would even contribute to the cause. I know I would, just to be rid of the lot of ya.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Anon for reminding us that the canadian sheep who blindly follow their leader and appreciate being lied to would like those of us who are not so easily led by the nose to leave.

You're not exactly an intellectual giant are you?

Anonymous said...

Lies and Ass Covering is a common practice, especially with the Conservative fascists.

They've been caught in so many webs of deceipt lately it's clear that they can't keep their stories straight because of all the lies.

They blame government workers for every thing that doesn't go their way and start firing them left and right.

The latest lie, about not knowing Afghan prisoners were no longer being turned over to authorities there is just another example but one that they couldn't win.

We now know they did know about it but they first tried to blame the military leadership. In other words another NLer.

This time somebody figured out that trying to blame Hillier and perhaps firing him was a no win situation.

How do you spin firing a very popular general at war time and for what reason? That he did what the government refused to do, keep prisoners from being tortured.

I guess they were smart enough to finally say they "could not deny that they knew" which is still not the same as admitting they did know and lied.

What a bunch of lying fasciests

Calvin said...

January 24, 2008 4:48 PM, I couldn't agree more with anyone here,Ex-pat.

Up till now we as a nation have always complained about our short coming's due to our lack of representation in the canadain house.With the creation of the NLFirst Party we now have a choice in whom we send to Ottawa .The only problem I see ,is will we have the nerve to send seven of our own to Ottawa ,or will we again cower befor canada so we can bitch and argue.

As for the anon,January 24, 2008 10:43 PM,it is thought's and word's such as this that have created the Canada we now have .As a canadain I find you an embarrassment to what I would want my Canada to be .Befor we leave ,I would at least like to say that we have gotten something for what we have given canada .I hope and prey that Newfoundland and Labradour would want to stay in our country.And,I find it appauling that a canadain would say anything like this.

The time has come for justice and accountability on both sides of the fence.Newfoundland and Labrador must be given what it has brought with it into confederation.A strong Newfoundland and Labrador,is a strong canada.

My first and only question as a canadain is "Why is one province given what it need's to thrive and protect it's culture ,but we cannot or will not do the same for those that do not have the same level of representation in our governement"

As a canadain ,I feel we should hang our heads.We all have dark Horse's.Even Canada.

And the article was very well done Myles,good for you.

Anonymous said...

Well the way I see it. It is going to be an uphill battle.

Considering the fact that the original Press Release which was sent out to all NL news outlets as well as all of the main Stream Media outlets MSM and it didn't get any coverage to my knowledge other than a passing mention on VOCM and one paragraph on the 11 page in the western star.

OH well nobody said it was going to be easy and anything worth while is definitely worth the effort.

Are you up for the challenge?
Call 709-722-NLFP for a good time that will help you sleep at night and die with no regrets :)

We need a few good NL'ians!