Political ad season is in full swing. Most ads are just variations on the same basic themes; there’s the openly low-blow approach, as in this Barrack Obama ad which takes one trivial verbal stumble by John McCain and uses editing tricks to make him appear not just infirm, but dangerously, ominously infirm, and then there’s the ol’ boilerplate ads in which a soothing voice reassures you, in a tone that’s a cross between a tampon ad and someone talking you off a high ledge, that you’re going to have a good life if you just choose the right political product.
Some ads take newer and more creative approaches and manage to pull it off. This inventive and oddly effective Conservative ad manages, through its use of music and images, to subtly, almost subliminally, evoke the biblical-scale sorrows of the last century, and the great wars, en route to addressing the prosaic issue of…tariffs. Truly an achievement.
The best ad I’ve seen this fall, though, is this one, in which John McCain offers his sincere heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to his rival on the occasion of his winning the Democratic Presidential nomination. At first glance, it’s nothing but pure sweetness and decency, a Hallmark Card of an ad replete with a tintinnabulating music-box soundtrack, but on further viewing its mildly sinister tack fairly rumbles and its edges become more apparent.
There is an understated but unmistakable “by-and-by” menace lurking beneath the forthright, kindly smile. McCain’s tone brings to mind certain Irishmen — and some Scots, depending on what part of Glasgow you’ve wandered into — who (and fire up your Irish accent as you read the following) even as they’re butterin’ ya up, and tellin’ ya what a wondrous creation you truly are, are also kinda…well, threatenin’ ya’ at the same time with those very same words. An unspecified, vaguely-alluded-to inevitability mixes uncomfortably with the most heartfelt reassurances that all inevitabilities will of course be comfortable, for such a wonderful person as yourself. Aye, you’re a big strong man. Congratulations on all your success, it’s all so well-deserved; I love to see your smile and your happy, confident ways. With any luck, we’ll surely be encounterin’ each other in the days and weeks and months and years to come, and what a privilege it will always be for me.
/Irish accent.
Its loaded tone, only parsable by a certain constituency, betrays a deeply-rooted, Northwest European approach to discourse in which a full genuflection is roundly delivered in the square middle of an unflaggingly formal “you’re-not-going-to-win-this-one” procedure.
A lot of elder Chinese, too, seem to take that same subtle approach. To see it in a political ad is strange; it has a certain…commutative bloom. It’s certainly a big change from the usual “my-ass-smells-like-a-pumpkin-pie-baked-especially-for-you” paeans to the All-American axe-murderer’s own self-image one typically sees in, say, American Congressional ads.
Watch it a few times — the music gets funnier with each viewing.

The recent shameful treatment of Sarah Palin and her family by the American media and by our own CBC’s Neil McDonald put on open display a disturbing sense of entitlement on the part of some progressives to use questionable tactics, including that of attacking politicians’ family members, without compunction, when the target holds conservative views. It may be the case that the apparent lack of shame in such ongoing, open, unashamed
displays is just the cultural fallout of a received wisdom that holds conservatism as a force for bad in the world and the left a force for good. No matter what the cause, though, something has clearly gone wrong when it gets to the point where the political views of, say, a thoroughly decent, hardworking conservative/right voter who loves his family, gives to charity — maybe goes to church –and who participates in community events and treats everyone he encounters with respect are presented as clear evidence of a bigoted, warlike, racist and misogynist world view, while the political views of any self-identifying leftist, no matter how ridiculous or unrealistic those views, are always presented as being somehow thoroughly grounded in high-minded ideals like peace, justice and fairness.
The idea that the left is nothing but pure, sweet goodness is increasingly being challenged by the more morally-consistent, clear-headed members of the progressive left, some of whom have found themselves, especially after 9-11, unable to abide by the sort of moral blackout wrought by such unexamined self-righteousness. No group of people is immune to ignorance or inconsistency, but one of the differences between the prog/left and conservatives is that, in the Canadian context, Conservatives who espouse openly racist views simply do not rise within their political parties, nor thrive for long in the official grass roots of their party, unless they cease making such utterances. Unfortunately, this is not so much the case on the left, where relatively hateful and even fascistic views thrive comfortably at the official edges.
Progressive Canadian blogger Terry Glavin is among those who are turning the proverbial klieg lights on the darker forces on the left. He does not oppose anyone’s right to express or hold controversial views, but he continues to duly note, with some concern, the ease with which such views may be shrugged off within the progressive political sphere. In this
post he looks at a few Canadian examples, including that of a young New Democrat, later a Liberal, who found a comfortable home in the grass roots of these parties despite his arguably anti-Semitic views.
Glavin doesn’t demonize the young man for his views; he simply notes, with concern, the “utter ordinariness” of such views within certain milieus on the left.
Check out the whole site, including this positive development.

Your lying ears — and videotape — versus Elizabeth May’s stack of Bibles:

Steve Paikin: “I thought I heard you say you ‘fundamentally agree with that assessment.'”
Elizabeth May: “No. I know, it’s funny how it sounds, but I said ‘I fundamentally disagree with that assessment.'”

May goes on to explain that the thousands of people who heard clearly what she actually said, in the clip Paikin played for her just moments before, are, in fact, mistaken:

May: “What happened is, I do have a tendency to talk fairly quickly, and I can remember we taped the segment on the Monk Center and I…”

Paikin: “It was live, actually…”

May: “Yeah…oh, but I watched on TV later…”

Paikin: “Right. We did it live at eight o’clock, and then you watched it later at eleven.”

May: “Okay, so I watched it later at eleven to see how it was and I watched and I thought ‘Oh, what happened there?’ And I remember the beginning of when I’m talking the mic wasn’t on and then it came to me and it ended up raising the volume on one part of my sentence and somebody else said something so I was fundamentally disagreeing with that assessment but turning away so the way it all worked out — and I could swear on a stack of Bibles and if anyone watches it they can see, plus the audience at the time understood what I was saying — I was sitting next to John Duffy, and Andrew Coyne was down the other end, and you were there — and if I had ever said in front of a room full of anybody that I thought Canadians were stupid I don’t think that would have passed without comment, so people at the time and in the moment understood what I had just said, but with the lifting the quote out of context, the putting it on a blog site and alleging that I’d said that, it’s created a bit of a firestorm, but anyone who watched my speech at the launch of the campaign on Sunday morning knows that my firm and passionate commitment is to be of service to people in this country and convince them that democracy works…”

Watch — and listen to — the whole tap-dance. It’s highly instructive, particularly when she describes how, in 2006, she was “devastated” that Harper and Layton “chose to bring down the government of Canada.”

I heard. I just never knew.
Canadian wait times.

Now paying the most we ever have for a gallon/litre of gas.

Excellent chartage and ht to WTRG Economics.

Was going to write a book.
But then no traditional publishers would take it.
Then I realized, it would just feel good to expose all these scum bag banker types for what they are, and opted to write it anyway.
Slated for publication in 2-3 weeks, but here’s an sample if you want a little sneak peak or just a good story on the shenanigans going on in banking at the time.

It’s true!
Came up with some surprising research and thought my friendly northern neighbors might like to know.

http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.com/2008/06/no-seriously-will-we-blame-china.html
But will the socialists of the world turn their ire towards China or keep it on the big, bad US?

Let him tell you himself.
Me, I don’t do “time zones,” so whatever “surgery on Monday” in Australia means at this point, hang in there, Tim.

Terry Glavin writes:
“I’m perhaps especially proud of my friends on the left who have committed themselves to this position, which is heretical and wildly unpopular in many leftist circles these days.
“For me, the key statement in the Solidarity Committee’s position is this one:

“We recognize the conflict in Afghanistan as a liberation struggle, waged by the Afghan people and their allies, against oppression, against obscurantism, illiteracy, and the most brutal forms of misogyny. It is a fight for democracy, and for peace, order, and good government. It is also a struggle waged by the sovereign Government of Afghanistan, a member state of the United Nations, against illegal armed groups that seek to overturn the democratic will of the Afghan people. In Afghanistan, the great global struggle for the recognition and protection of basic human rights – universal rights – is being waged with a particular and necessary ferocity. We cannot and must not retreat from that struggle.”

at 8PM EST.
The show is also hosting a four-person panel discussion on the wider issue of free speech and the Human Rights Commissions.

Did you know that one of the official “accusations” being made against Mark Steyn is that he allegedly believes (based on a published review in with he panned “Little Mosque on the Prairie”):
9. Moderate Muslims are a rarity; Moderate Muslims who are actually funny are an even greater rarity.
Your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen: government commissions are now being used to settle disputes over whether or not “Little Mosque on the Prairie” is funny.

(Sent by a member of the Facebook group “Support Free Speech in Canada– Support Free Dominion!”)
“I would like all people who support getting rid of government agencies like the CHRC, the Status of Women Agency–and others– to participate in the government’s online pre-budget consultation.
“This year’s pre-budget consultation uses a different process — and is frankly a bit more annoying.
“On the first page, you have to put in order what the government’s priorities should be. I feel a bit miffed that we’re forced to make these choices to get to the second page (where we can make suggestions). (…)
“When you press ‘continue’ you get to the ‘good part’ — so to speak. You get to type 50 words to each point. For my #1 priority — I wrote that I think that the government should defund the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Status of Women Agency and the CBC. I wrote for #2 that I want to eliminate unnecessary state interventionism.
“The page says that there were 8000 responses last year. If 1000 people write to say that the Canadian Human Rights Commission should be abolished, they cannot ignore that point.
“I feel giving input on a pre-budget consultation is even more effective than writing an MP. MP’s can’t necessarily do anything about the CHRC, but the Finance Minister sure can.”
NOTE: this online process has a deadline of February 11.

“Material previously appeared here in which a guest blogger made an allegation that Mr. Richard Warman had posted a bigoted attack on the internet against Senator Anne Cools. I have no evidence that this is true and I retract it and apologize to Mr. Warman for it without reservation.”
— Kate McMillan

Small Dead Animals gets results again.
After Someone read this recent post, that Someone promptly sent an email to all Conservative staffers on Parliament Hill.
The stated goal of this mass emailing is to “markedly improve the content of letters other MPs now produce on the subject.”
The email included Jason Kenny’s instant classic response to whatshisname, plus a link to this article.
But I’m a terrible person who shouldn’t be allowed to post here, so I’ll go away now.

However, the “Mohammed Mohammeds” who write in to call me “a speck of dirt on Hitler’s shoe” aren’t Canadian politicians.
Yet…
Give it a couple more years.
Here’s a beaut from a district counsellor in Rotterdam to one of her constituents:

Listen well, dirty madman, WE’LL STAY HERE, hahahahahahhahah, DROP DEAD. I am a dutch moslem, and I shall stay one until my death. I feel pity with your kind, you must live with hatred, really sad. My father and mother have worked hard to help building this country, and I have nothing to do with what others think or say. You are a miserable devil worshipper!!! You have sold your soul!!! Rather bizarre, to believe in the devil and his entourage, and to negate god the allmighty and ruler over heaven and earth. Your kind are the worst terrorists, you have been terrorizing our lives for years here in Holland.

Etc etc.
Note the poor grammar and spelling, unrestrained hysteria and hyperbole, the twisted logic — all very common in Muslim written complaints.

You’d almost think they had a tradition of mass illiteracy or something.

Toronto blogger Mike Brock went to a public forum yesterday, ostensibly a “debate” about the Mark Steyn/Maclean’s case.
Two of Steyn’s belligerent Muslim accusers spoke at the event. The organizers tried to shut Mike up when they realized he didn’t support their cause.
Luckily he recorded the good parts.
One of Steyn’s accusers, a supposedly well-educated young woman, up-talks like a Valley Girl, so it isn’t pleasant listening.
But I’d better get used to it. She and the other law students are determined to be the future leaders of Canada.
If I’m lucky, I’ll die before they achieve that ambition.
PS: more new stuff on Steyn/Levant at my place.
PPS: luckily, there’s another forum set for Calgary that sounds less retarded. I’m guessing Alan Borovoy et al at least know how to speak without sticking unnecessary question marks at the end of their sentences…

“George Bush is forcing Hollywood to put out movies about pregnant girls who don’t get abortions.”

“There was an email making the rounds in Ottawa this week. It was written by an assistant to a federal Conservative Member of Parliament. I don’t know the assistant’s name, or which MP he (or she) works for, but it doesn’t really matter. The note was sent around to all the other assistants in Conservative MP’s offices. It was a simple request, really…”

Continue reading →

Quiz of the day.
Global warming is:
a) the most serious issue of our times, dooming us to certain death any time now, so use paper bags and crappy lightbulbs, you peons!
b) a great excuse for rich people to fly over to Spain for the Climate Change & Wine Conference, to listen to Al Gore speak while enjoying a fine, robust red.
c) obviously a complete load of crap and a total hoax and scam, based on the discordance between a) and b), a disconnect obvious to you and me, but not to our moral and intellectual superiors on the elite Left.