33 Replies to “To Boldly Go…”

  3. Now I read that Western Standard article. Thanks Kate.
    Again, I suggest you read the interview with Dalrymple for some insight into this way of thinking (allowing this kind of thing with Pettigew to go unchecked).
    It’s a clash of ethics with “broad-mindedness.” Now, we can’t call anyone who is homosexual on the carpet because of clearly unethical (and perhaps criminal) behaviour. That just wouldn’t be “broad minded” of us now, wouldn’t it? So what do we do?
    Never, mind nothing here, move along…..

  4. Why are we being so skittish? Its a harmless question that any journalist doing due diligence on this story should ask:
    Mr. Pettigrew, just to clear the air, is your relationship with your driver purely professional?
    The issue isn’t his gayness or not, its if he used public money for personal travel.
    If he has found love with his chauffeur, well congratulations. Its tough being lonely.

  6. Who gives a flying **** or a rat’s ass about where the Ottawa press gallery goes! Congratulations, Kate- you have a column on page 21 of todays’ Toronto Sun Newspaper! (See bestofblogs). Ya hit the bigtime, Baby! Sock it to ’em!

  7. Frontpage: You make the shrewd observation of how political correctness engenders evil because of “the violence that it does to people’s souls by forcing them to say or imply what they do not believe, but must not question.” Can you talk about this a bit?
    Dalrymple Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to
    That was an excellent interview Doug, thanks!

  9. And the thought policing of political correctness is different than the McCarthy-ites and blacklisting of the 1950s, and the Limbaugh-Falwell-Dobson-Coulter-Hannity-etc. etc. etc. is different how?
    TB
    Cerberus

  10. Tuberculosis:
    Beacuse if you don’t toe the line of PC in these fields you WILL lose your job:
    1. Education (at all levels–primary to post secondary)
    2. Main Stream Media
    3. The Arts (my personal experience)
    4. Government bureaucracy (typically filled with people who have been inculcated with psuedo-Marxist values–they don’t realize it)
    5. Any other work environment that is predominantly white-collar with graduates from the humanities.
    Anyone else care to add to the list? I’m sure it goes on.

  11. Toronto Sun no less. We are arriving and Kate the ever level headed spokesperson, will provide a wider respect for the BlogWorld.
    I hope the media avoids m you know who, or were’re dead in the water.
    Still holding on with a death grip and whie knuckles, the Librano fist is ever tightening.
    Ottawa Citizen, today Sept 21/05 enter *Sweeping new surveillance bill*
    Several groups and associations complain loudly..*They were not consulted!*
    Librano stealth!
    Toronto media lawyer, Bert Bruser:
    * group was not consulted on the proposal for an additional new visual recording offence, even though it could have a dramatic impact on those investigative journalists who, for example, stake out politicians or public figures to see if they are engaged in wrongdoing.*
    Is this designed to chop off at the knees, the Grewals of the world? Tapes both audio and visual… eh?
    NOTE: The Paper Name, date, and headline are not as convenient as a link, however it makes one aware of the actual day of issue, so one looking at the comment tomorrow or later is not confused about the issue day and the item can always be located, even if the page reference code changes. Avoids possible errors in entering long complex strings too. Something I am prone to. 73s TG

  12. Barbara Yaffe in yesterday’s Vancouver Sun was quoting a blog but didn’t say which one, again about comments re Pettigrew. Seems that the media have recognized that blogs are usurping the MSM for news and REAL unsanitized info, unfiltered by Liberal bagmen. This could force them into being honest, responsible hacks who chase stories of Saddam’s connection to PMPM/Maurice Strong, Pierre and Bruno, what Volpe eats for dinner, etc. Our gal Kate is leading the charge, and this is one broad who is VERY grateful.

  13. There’s a reason nobody in Ottawa wrote about the “romantic” angle re. Pettigrew.
    The simple reason is: It’s not true. The driver has a wife and kids, and is apparently built tough enough to whip your ass for even suggesting such a thing.
    There’s also another reason: If a minister brought the maximum two staffers on a trip — as he’s allowed to do — and one was a female driver, would ANYONE be publishing stories about whether the minister was shagging his staffers?
    In your opinion, is someone’s homosexuality a reason to cast aspersions on every male in his company — including those with wife and kids?
    Just asking.
    And also suggesting to think twice before shooting bullets at the “left-wing,” “biased,” “Ottawa-centric,” “Liberal-loving,” “MSM.”
    Because sometimes your bullets are blanks and you’re full of crap.

  14. Oh, and by the way, that piece o’ crap article in the Western Standard is also libellous and they should count themselves lucky they haven’ty been served with papers yet.

  15. Obviously OttawaBungle doesnt know his libel law very well.
    Go back and reread the article. They ASK whether this is a possibility and nowhere do they say Pettigrew is gay in a definitive way. They only ask the question. Which last time I looked was what the PRESS was supposed to do.
    This time OB is outa bounds.

  16. Doug:
    Can’t you read? Or do you think by comparing political correctness to “thought policing” I am being complimentary?
    I was there in university when “political correctness” first started making headlines. I remember it started out with some people who felt they were disenfranchised, power-less, subject to abuse and discrimination. And it was true, they didn’t have any power or say in society. They spoke up for themselves and they were right to. But everyone who listened, everyone with power gave those voices the power it has today (or had a few years ago, it is definitely a waning power). It went far beyond the original purposes which was basically “hear us” and “don’t discriminate”. Now, you are right, people have lost jobs, lives affected over the smallest of silly comments. The break point for me was when June Callwood – June Callwood for Pete’s sake – was forced to resign from Nellies – which she founded – because she dismissed a staff member’s concerns about racism. Thought policing, Doug, is not a good thing; ergo, it was a criticism of political correctness.
    The point of my post was right there in the question (which reading back I realize had some typos). How is this different than McCarthy-ism’s blacklisting in the 1950s? Policing thought is not a leftist or a rightist invention, but a tool of authoritarians everywhere always.
    Thus, the warning and reference to Limbaugh-Falwell-Dobson-Coulter-Hannity-etc. etc. etc. who are like political correctness a few years after its arrival in the mainstream. Started out much the same as the PC crowd: a lot of truth to their criticism of the power brokers of society in the mid-1990s (not anymore of course) and the media, but where has it gone from there and where to next? They use all of the same tactics and have far far far more money at their disposal, and have a far far far more widesweeping agenda. People have lost jobs in the US because of them – if that is your criteria Doug – and their power is growing. They are no leftie mind-controllers, now are they? Not communists they. So Dalrymple is full of it. Are we going to see him or true anti-authoritarian, libertarian readers of this site speak up against the new PC in the same way?
    TB
    Cerberus

  20. Tuberculosis,
    Once again you stretch credulity. To equate QUESTIONING political correctness with thought policing is incorrect. Following that line of thought, we should just go along with it and raise no disturbance. How dare conservative stick up for themselves. It’s like telling your child to let the bully keep beating them up.
    June Callwood – June Callwood for Pete’s sake!! Never heard of her before. Gee, what a surprise, the left eating their own. Trotsky was assasinated by Stalin.
    Dan Rather lost his job. That was nominally for incompetent journalism. Who else?
    Canada could have used some Mcarthy-ism. Rooted out some of the leftists that ended up turning Canada into the socialist backwater of today. Mcarty was right. There were soviet spies riddling the US government. The Verona Cables back that up. A few years too late.

  21. New Board Game: Find Bruno.>>>>
    http://www.rapp.org/url/?07UFILD2
    Travel and Hospitality Expenses Reports
    Minister, Parliamentary Secretaries and Their Exempt Staff
    * Hon. Pierre S. Pettigrew, Minister of Foreign Affairs
    * Francis LeBlanc, Chief of Staff
    * Jim Anderson, Director of Policy
    * Megan Cain, Policy Advisor and Parliamentary Liaison for Western and Northern Canada
    * Jamie Christoff, Press Secretary
    * Eric Lamoureux, Policy Advisor and Parliamentary Liaison for Ontario and Atlantic Canada
    * Rachel Landriault, Personal Assistant to the Minister
    * Martin-Pierre Pelletier, Director of Parliamentary Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff
    * Maxime Poulin, Policy Advisor and Parliamentary Liaison for Quebec
    * Jonathan Schneiderman, Special Advisor
    * S�bastien Th�berge, Director of Communications
    * Fran�oise Boivin, Member of Parliament
    * Denis Coderre, Member of Parliament
    * David Smith, Member of Parliament
    * Marc Godbout, Member of Parliament
    * Hon. Dan McTeague, Parliamentary Secretary
    * Glenn Bradbury, Senior Advisor
    * Hon. Roy Cullen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
    * Jean-S�bastien Marineau, Political Advisor
    * Denis Paradis, Member of Parliament>>>>
    >>>>>>>>> more…

  22. “New Board Game: Find Bruno.>>>>”
    Don’t waste your time looking at those stupid government easily-fudged-expense reports. Too much relevant information is missing.
    If you want to find out where Bruno’s expense reports are you may want to call him directly at Foreign Affairs. And if his line is busy you can always send him a fax.
    Just make sure you don’t get him mixed up with R. Labont�, who also happens to be a driver with Foreign Affairs. Now isn’t that a coincidence?
    http://direct.srv.gc.ca/cgi-bin/direct500/SEou%3dFAC-AEC%2co%3dGC%2cc%3dCA?SV=labonte&SF=Surname%2C+Given+name&ST=begins+with&x=55&y=13

  23. Is Ottawabungle really Scott Reid? Maybe he’s Bruno. Heyyyyy Brunnnnoooooooo? Is that you? Where’s the little fop tonight? Aren’t you babysitting? He needs your muscle, man. Can’t be Foreign Affairs Minister and go to scary places without Big Bruno.

  24. “Oh, and by the way, that piece o’ crap article in the Western Standard is also libellous and they should count themselves lucky they haven’ty been served with papers yet.”
    sheesh..can’t even spell ottawabunghole..tsk tsk

  25. Cerberus, I’ll go easy on you. Do you need a coffee? Are you tired?
    It is true that I often can not spell Lynyrd Skynyrd. I had to scroll up to your comment a couple of times and it may still be off.
    I spell on auto-mode and have done so for years. It’s not always accurate, but the meaning is usually clear and it saves a ton of time.
    It’s unfair and it’s wrong but can you play What’s that Smell? Sorry that’s a low blow. but you did call me Paul.. eh? TG

  26. Doctor: Nurse?
    Nurse: yes, doctor.
    Doctor: Nine out of ten doctors agree. There is no cure for TB.
    Nurse: (gasps)
    Doctor: Prep the patient for invasive exploratory surgery, stat!
    Nurse: right away, doctor.
    Doctor: I can tell you now that there is very little left of the brain. It’s probably the size and capacity of a trained squirrel. And for the heart, well, I’m afraid that’s gone too. You see, when that tiny little squirrel brain begins to run on the wheel over and over again, repeating to itself “this is for the good of mankind, this is for the good of mankind” all the time while it goes on hating those around him, then the heart turns to the size of a shriveled black raisin.
    Nurse: How schocking!
    Doctor: Yes, nurse, I’ve seen it before. Mainly in Northen climates past the 49th parallel. The first sign is that patients limp to the left. Then they foam at the mouth and inevitably it leads to the wearing of tin foil hats. Then the last symptom, the sign that the disease is far advanced and the patient is incurable is the Leftist, pseudo-Marxist, poltically correct Moonbat ranting of utter nonsense. Just take a look at the examples here. I think that proves my point.
    Nurse: Good thing we don’t have socialized medicine here.
    Doctor: You got that right, honey.

  27. TonyGuitar: we picked up on the quotation and posted our comments at the same time. I was not trying to correct your spelling. I don’t do that. It wood be particuly hyppocritical of me to critisise some one elses’ speling.
    p.s. Sadly, I have absolutely no musical talent other than my ears and couldn’t even properly hum a Skynyrd tune as much as I loved them. (BTW, when did I call you Paul?)
    TB
    Cerberus

  28. Doug:
    Funny drama. I take my ideas seriously and the topic of authoritarianism very seriously, but I never take myself too seriously. You’ve missed my point entirely in your “dialog” but it’s funny.
    TB
    Cerberus

  29. Enough: enough with the deliberate idiocy for that is the only way I can comprehend your comment. Can’t you read? Where did I say criticizing PC was thought policing? I said the opposite: I was criticizing and am criticizing the authoritarian streak that came out of PC once proponents had any element of power. I am, however, also criticizing the blacklisting that went on the US and Canada in the 1950s, the social/political/economic ostrasism suffered by scores of people – innocent of any crime and not spies or supporters of the USSR – the jobs lost because they might have associated with people who might have been sympathetic to people who might have known of real spies. McCarthyism indiscriminately swept up people who were simply critical of the elements of capitalism or the government (including early civil rights advocates) because there might have been spies… somewhere. It was thought policing. Period. It was anti-free speech. It was anti-freedom of conscience. It was everything Orwell wrote against in 1984. It was authoritarian. It was way worse than the worst of PC.
    The right have the power very clearly now in the US, despite the victimhood posturing many of them still take. The Dobsons, Coulters, Hannity’s, DeLay’s, Limbaugh’s – like the early proponents of PC and like the McCarthy-ites – have some element of truth to their criticisms of current society. Just enough to get them widely listened to, but like the PC crowd their solutions tend just as much to the authoritarian thought-police stripe.
    And Dalrymple’s analysis is wrong and simplistic. The authoritarianism and thought policing that came out of PC is no less inclined to the left or the right. PC tilts to the left, but you kid yourselves dangerously if you think the left has a patent on mind-control.
    TB
    Cerberus

  30. TB, To illustrate how alert and focused we all were last night, I said you misstakenly called me Paul because I couldn,t remeber that it was in fact Doug’s name you used. But we are back on track today… eh Jim? 73 TG

  32. Interesting that we all have such difficulty reading your posts.
    I do not see todays questioning of the excesses of PC as politically correctness. The republicans may have a majority but the loony left owns the media. In Canada the loony left has it all.
    Criticise Mcarthyism all you want but there were spies planted by the Soviet Union. It was a cold war but it surely was a war. Until the day the wall fell the commie sympathizers believed in the Potemkin village of Russia.
    Compare Mcarthyism with the oh-so gentle behaviour of Stalin et al in rooting out his competition.
    “I remember it started out with some people who felt they were disenfranchised, power-less, subject to abuse and discrimination. And it was true, they didn’t have any power or say in society. They spoke up for themselves and they were right to.” That is the reality of conservatives, Christians, those in the west. Funny that you now have no symathy.
    Still waiting for all those who have lost jobs because of the “new PC”
    enough

Proudly powered by WordPress & Skyrocket Themes

MENU

Navigation