71 Replies to “SWTE: The Reluctant Gladiator”

  1. Your points on public responsibility are extemely articulate.
    I would even extend them, arguing that when a past PM (Chretien) muses about the harmlessness of drugs, one should not be surpised at the resultant rise of a drug culture.
    When a sitting PM skates around theft of monies from Canada’s poor (because that is who was hurt most under ADSCAM), he has just punched a ticket that permits our financial traders (ITSCAM) and shoplifting youth to cut their own piece.
    Modern liberalism is an amoral blight on western civilization. It is spread through fear, greed, anger and lies. It has no debts, no obligations, no responsibility, and no conscience.

  2. Once again, great job Kate. Not only was PM never prepared to fall on his sword, he was first in line to push JC onto his. (Not that it wasn’t deserving) Apparently honour is only important when it is politically advantageous. But then again, that has long been self-evident.

  3. That’s exactly what he’s done, publicly announced his responsibility. What’s he supposed to do…fall on Harper’s plastic sword, or cut off an arm, how about an arm and a leg.
    When a conservative takes responsibility for an error what do they do?…Be banished to a back pew so all present can cast glances and ridicule.
    Kate, what makes you happy?

  4. Ron he should have resigned. It happened on his watch as finance minister. That was the responsible thing to do. Gomery notwithstanding, How could a finance minister be in the job for ten years and not know there is some skulduggery going on?? All Gomery did by absolving Martin of any blame, was to make the whole inquiry look like a white wash.
    Lets look at it another way. If Paul Martin was finance minister for ten years and knew nothing about Adscam, what does that say about his ability to run the country??

  5. Excellent. The fact that he still has not answered Duceppe’s question about which Lib candidates got the money speaks volumes. And, as you mentioned, and the media refuse to, the relationship with Earnscliffe, with a branch plant now in Victoria, apparently, will be investigated by the Tories. If we had a real media in this country, Kate, they’d hire you.

  6. Ron, you are a perfect example of a mind rinsed in Liberal solution.
    Re-read Kate’s piece and think upon its meanings. Then consider this: One does not ANNOUNCE personal responsibility, one TAKES it. Let me repeat that, so that you understand what my two, young children already appreciate: Responsibility is about personal loss, about personal consequences. Without the latter, all one has is liberal spin and malfeasance compounded with a lie.

  7. MGK, to be fair to Jean Chretien (!), the drug culture rose long before JC made any mention of drugs.
    I’m starting to think that what this country needs is a Libertarian party. Something well to the right of the Conservatives on economic issues, and well to the left of the Liberals on social issues.

  8. Earnscliffe is the key to the ultimate demise of PMPM tnx for bringing it up again!
    and the 161 million CSL reflagging ships too I suppose.

  10. ZING! Got ’em again, Kate. Good shooting!
    Does anyone besides me find it interesting that there’s a some ridings with NO Liberal candidates, or a very weak cadidate who doesn’t have a chance. See Chuck Strahl’s BLOG. Our riding just got a Liberal on the weekend. A very weak candidate, indicating that they’ve pretty well written off Langly/White Rock.
    Anyone else see the same thing?

  11. The lefties have made sure that everyone in Canada has every right to do whatever but what responsibilities do we have as Canadians? My understanding is that citizens of a democracy or a republic have three responsibilities; 1) answer the call to arms (defend your country if it is attacked) 2) sit in judgement on your peers (jury duty) 3) exercise your franchise (vote). I don’t remember where I read this or if it applies to Canada (maybe it is American). Does anybody out there know where I could find this out?

  12. To take responsibility he would have to apologize to Canada and submit his resignation…if he is responsible. He would apologize for his failure to do his job.
    Anyone who has these expectations of a leader based on how they see him responsible, must have long list of politicians to be held accountable for failure and criminal activity….Bush for instance.

  13. MGK…You can’t invent meanings. Responsibilty is a state or a fact. When you announce it that is exactly what you’re doing, accepting it as a state or a fact. Please clarify this with your 2 small children lest they grow up in the ranks of the uninformed and perpetuate your ignorance.

  15. rebarbarian…since we’re in an election…I can add that one citizen responsibilty is to run for public office. Also, sorry,… to pay our fair share of taxes. But also we should be active, not passive..and like this blog and many other forums keep a eye on government and talk about it.

  16. Kate,
    A very well reasoned and scholarly explanation of the meaning of “taking responsibility”, even if it appears not to have been understood by all.
    MGK
    I see you’re wasting your time with Ron.

  17. MGK
    Don’t follow Ron’s advice your kids will become blathering useless lying say anything mean nothing liberals.
    THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
    Ron your side loves empty admittedly meaningless words.
    I prefer deeds.

  19. Perhaps that’s why some have cynically nicknamed this once great nation of ours “Bananada.”
    I use “Kanbabwe.”
    ——————————————–
    RON: What’s he supposed to do…
    He’s supposed to keep holding himself responsible until the issue is finalised.

  20. Ron, I’ll try to use small words. At the outset, I should let you know that my two kids test in the upper ranges of the top 1% on the Wecshler IQ. Basically, my eleven year old could take you in an intelligent debate.
    But just for fun, let’s test your colour of ‘responsibility’. Today, Ron, I announce that I take responsibility for the elevation of the moon as it appeared in the western sky at 0600 hours. I do apologize if I din’t get it quite right, but I’ll try to do better next time.
    Ron, I’m sure that you will agree that a vote for Paul Martin is a vote for national suicide.
    Since your Great Leader has never taken responsibility for bringing Canada close to its end, his just fate will be visited upon him by ordinary Canadians holding small, folded pieces of paper.

  21. Go to Hell? At SDA I’m already there.
    What would you people do without me? Your mutual admiration society would explode from all the hot air.

  22. An excellent post again Kate.
    Liberal politicians and particularly PM Martin appear to have never been taught the meaning of the words “responsibility”, “integrity” and “honesty”. I thought they were standard Canadian values that Paul Martin loves to rave on about.
    Alex Mills
    Winnipeg

  23. When defending a hopeless case it’s important to bamboozle the jury,
    1. by pointing them in another direction: “Anyone who has these expectations of a leader ….. must have long list of politicians ..”
    2. distract with fabricated irrelevancies: “…criminal activity….Bush for instance.”

  24. Kate
    I suspect that you shot your fair share of gophers while growing up as did I. That helps explain your marksmanship when it comes to less warm and fuzzy rodents!
    Keep it up!

  25. Hmmmm…SDA is Hell?
    Does this mean I can never leave?
    Or does this mean that Ron can never leave?
    BWAHAHAHAHA!

  26. Fine, Ron I will waste more time trying to explain the argument. If someone admits to murdering someone, is that good enough? Of course not, there are consequences to accept, otherwise where is the deterrent? Not one member of the Liberal government has been charged or sued. In fact, the official Liberal position is that ALL FUNDS MISAPPRORIATED have been repaid ($1.4 million, the amount Gomery could explicitly find, even given his extremely limited powers of investigation and terms of reference). Are we to believe the bureaucrats and ad executives cooked this up themselves? The Liberals will not hold themselves accountable, so we will never get to the bottom of this scandal, and indeed an obscene record of mismanagement, cronyism and corruption. Therefore the only way we can hold this party accountable is to defeat them in an election. If they win this time, we will be telling them corruption of OK; that it is standard operating procedure. We will get more arrogance, more corruption and possibly worse criminality. Times are good now, but this government continues to squander taxpayers’ hard earned money, when it needs to be directed to current needs (health, education, law enforcement, anti-terrorism, etc) and future liabilities owing to a bumper crop of retirees over the next 20+ years.

  27. Weasle is one word that comes to mind!
    Public acts of contrition are nice but meaningless when there are no actions of correction taken.
    So self serving public displays are simply another tool of deflection from criticism and a dodge from real responsibility.
    Political preferences aside I don’t think Paul Martin is worthy of any respect! If I was a LIberal I would be embarrassed to no end.
    BY the way do think he will be standing up and “Taking Responsibility” for the leak of policy on the Income Trust and Dividend taxes?
    I’ve heard no claims of Taking Responsibility for EI funding fiascos or the insane over spending on the Gun Registry!
    Sadly there is no hope of PM or the LIberal government taking responsibility for anything they have mishandled. It is up to “Us the Voters” to hold them responsible and force an accounting for their misdeads.

  28. there’s still about $40 MILLION taxpayers dollares gone missing – how about taking resposnisbility for that Mr. Martin. Just becasue the money was laundered, doesn’t mean its now clean.
    Can you imagine how much Liberal theft and corruption would be found if the Liberals were to allow the Auditor General to examine those off-book “foundations”.
    But Paul Martin refuese to let the auditor general do her job – becasue he is a gutless coward and he knows how pissed Canada would be if the truth was to come out.
    “Off book Foundation” = “Another Liberal Party money laundering, organized crime system designed to benefit party insiders, bagmen and other assorted Liberal fartcatchers”
    I hope Mr. Harper makes it a campaign promise to open the Foundation’s books to the light of the AG.
    While he’s at it he could promise to turn the AG loose on Earnscliffe.
    Can you imagine the slime you find by shing a light on Herle et al.

  29. Guys like steve crack me up.

    It does not matter what the subject is it all comes down to the fact that President Bush did it. LOL

    Nice job Kate.

    Keep it going and watch yer back.

    How about an article on Canadas foreign relations under the Liberals.

    Maybe while at the CBC you could do an investigation of how many bodys are on the bottom of the Florida Strait.

    So many of my Canadian friends and neighbours are off to Cuba for their winter
    holidays.

    What is the attraction of being waited on by people who make $500 a month at
    Canadian owned resorts and then get to keep $10 of it, plus tips?
    It boggles my mind when I hear people speak lovingly about the
    free health care and education on Castro’s island prison.

    I try to imagine what it is like, the grinding poverty, the lack of freedom,
    the lost relatives or getting on an inner tube raft to travel 90 miles of
    ocean and it is terrifying and heartbreaking.

    Congratulations once again on the CBC gig.

    Way to go.

  30. MGK…Being proud of your kids is a good thing. I am proud of mine and I honestly don’t care what their IQ is. I love both and don’t rate them or make comparisons. As to debating an 11 year old that’s a bit of a stretch.
    Phil and PPG…You’re right, judgement day is Jan 23rd and the voters will decide. The rest is just talk.
    I don’t want you conservatives salivating too much but my personal opinion is that the Liberals will take a beating in the election. History shows that voters only have so much patience and I believe it’s all used up.

  31. Whose “He’s” Kinsella is referencing? Troll/bot Dfn? No, it’s SSMartin, he of the $$Librano$, AdScam Martin.
    SSMartin now personifies the “two-tier” standard for the office of prime minister: SSMoi Martin only; no others are qualified.>>>
    December 19, 2005 – My hunch? He’s exceeding 1,200 cups of coffee a day, and the legendary “Beatings” have recommenced. So his senior staff have decided to let him say whatever he wants, and damn the consequences.
    …
    The Ottawa Citizen, Monday, 19 December 2005
    Page: A1 Byline: Mark Kennedy
    Source: The Ottawa Citizen
    REGINA – Liberal leader Paul Martin said yesterday that Liberal candidates are entitled to run in this election even if they want to deny Charter rights to gays and lesbians seeking same-sex marriage.
    This appears to contradict a controversial declaration made a day earlier by Mr. Martin, when he said Conservative leader Stephen Harper shouldn’t even be running for the highest political office in the land because of his refusal to protect same-sex marriages as a Charter right.
    But when pressed by journalists to explain why this double standard is acceptable, given that he says protection of the Charter is a fundamental “principle,” Mr. Martin said his higher standard only applies to those leaders who want to run the government. >>>>
    Kinsella : Revenge is sweet.> via kinsella

  33. Martin’s taking responsibility reminds me of Janet Reno’s taking responsibility for Waco and continuing in office.
    “…no Clinton administration figure depends more on image than the attorney general, and none has relied so much on words and symbols as a substitute for action. Reno’s defining moment, after all, was taking responsibility for Waco. Taking responsibility apparently meant doing nothing (except supervising a post-mortem investigation that doesn’t appear to have investigated anything).”
    http://www.slate.com/id/34455/slate.com
    Mark
    Ottawa

  34. Ironically, we should be happy that Comrade Martin did not do the correct ‘responsible’ thing and resign over Adscam. He might have been able to salvage some respectibility. Now the public can see him for what he is – a spineless, dithering fool who will say and promise anything to keep the rusty crown on his head. The crown that will be removed permanently in 35 days.

  35. Ron,
    Congratulations on having all of us who live in your definition of HELL responding to your posting and wasting our time and breath.
    Are you sure your name is not actually Joe Greene, from A. Coyne’s former blog?
    This whole SSM issue, re: “regular” MP’s and candidates vs. the “Prime” Minister is indicative of the entire Hypocrisy of the current PM.
    He is NOT the President of Canada, he is the Prime ( first, primary) Minister of Canada. In a Westminster parliamentary system, his vote is not supposed to be any more or any less important than any other MP. It is his/her job to lead on any particular issue but after consensus is reached, he/she follows the will of the membership (MP’s) not the other way around.
    It is the “responsibilty” of the Minister of any government department to be accountable for all goins on in said department, whether or not you knew all that was occurring.
    An analogy I can use today is Larry Robinson, former coach of the NJ Devils. Larry was not the one on the ice letting in “soft” goals or mailing in the effort as we collect our multi-million dollar paycheque. Yet he TOOK and ACCEPTED responsibilty for the team performance and, with his dignity intact, resigned,
    We have yet to any such act from a member of the current or previous government ( see Stewart, Jane).
    Until we revert back to a proper Westminster system, or admit we are, in fact, a Republic, we are doomed to receive the worst of both rather than the better of both.

  36. Ron: I must say I agree with you about the kids. I love mine and don’t care that their IQs are rather low nor that they have been held back at school.
    (They could also take you in an argument BTW.)

  37. So according to the way Ron thinks by simply announcing his “responsibility” Martin is admonished of any negative consequences of his activities. Wow. Now suppose I go into the Liberal caucus and take out a Colt 45 (oops those are not allowed) I take out a military assault weapon and shoot everyone present, by Ron’s definition all I would have to do is hold a news conference and tell everyone I was responsible for the killings and bingo I have “taken responsibility” for my actions. I guess we no longer need jails.

  38. greenmamba…OK, I’ll take your kids on. I’ve got lots of practice. Discussing politics with conservatives here is a lot like debating children.

  39. Ken: An earlier post of mine may be relevant.
    ‘And further to the constitution: Martin has let a cat out of the bag; he is really President Martin. He said on Dec. 9 that “Fundamentally, the foreign policy of this country, the overall policy of this country, is set by the Prime Minister and I’ll continue to do that…”
    http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=13072
    It has been generally taught that in Canada our government follows the Westminster model of cabinet government in which foreign policy (or any other major government policy) is set by cabinet with the prime minister as primus inter pares. Management of cabinet-agreed policy is the duty of the foreign minister who also has primary responsibility for giving foreign policy advice to cabinet in the first place. Other ministers have the same role in their areas of authority.
    But in Canada over the last 40 years members of cabinet have acquiesced in the prime minister’s personal assumption of policy-making for the government as a whole. They have become mere placemen. Cabinet members did not defend their individual ditches; their authority died in them. Paul Martin has simply spoken the truth publicly.’
    Mark Collins
    Ottawa

  40. wade…I know shooting up the Liberal caucus is every conservatives fantasy. However, its a long leap from money to murder. What Kate failed to mention in her award whining piece is that the only constant is change itself, values and integrity are no exception. We have to adapt to our surroundings…like it or not.

  41. Ron:
    your a puppet to the Liberals, I guess your at home there. How does it feel to know your existence means nothing!

  43. “So according to the way Ron thinks by simply announcing his “responsibility” Martin is admonished of any negative consequences of his activities.”
    Announcing responsibility got Svend off the hook and kept him out of jail and without a criminal record, so it ‘works” nowadays in what passes for justice in Canada.
    Makes me wanna weep with joy

  44. “the only constant is change itself, values and integrity are no exception.”
    Ron
    That is the language of a coward. Ones integrity is not fluid, either you have it or you do not.

  45. More on the constitution and responsibility.
    “PM’s duty to back Charter: Martin” (Star)
    http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1134946211943&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
    Determining if legislation is consistent with the Charter is not the prime minister’s responsibility but rather that of the minister of justice. This does not mean in practice supporting or protecting the Charter in any activist sense. Rather the government’s lawyers try to assess if the desired legislation would survive a Charter challenge. The Charter in this context is usually viewed as a potential obstacle rather than something positive.
    The prime minister’s only “duty” in this context–and the duty is shared by all public officials–is to ensure that court decisions are abided by: unless use of the notwithstanding clause is brought before Parliament by the cabinet (led by the prime minister) for a vote.
    Mark
    Ottawa

  46. Phil:
    “Fine, Ron I will waste more time trying to explain the argument. If someone admits to murdering someone, is that good enough?”
    Wade:
    “I take out a military assault weapon and shoot everyone present, by Ron’s definition all I would have to do is hold a news conference and tell everyone I was responsible for the killings and bingo I have “taken responsibility” for my actions. ”
    Of course not gentlemen, but it would put you in good stead for a $41,000 job escorting the real criminals shopping. Hell, even my kids knew that being sorry was the first step. Taking actions to rectify the situation was the second. Accepting any punishment was the third. It isn’t a hard concept. Ask any NHL, CFL, NBA, NFL etc coach.
    BTW: Ron is a perfectly good waste of oxygen and a major CO2 producer!!!

  48. Oooops, I’m bad. I was going to congratulate Kate on another great column.
    I take full responsibility for this oversight and as such will promise not to rattle poor Ron’s cage and get the little guy upset. At least for today.

  49. Kate, Is the CBC a paying gig?
    Posted by Ron at December 19, 2005 03:11 PM
    Ron,
    I’ll take responsibility for anwering your question. Asked and answered. And no Kate is not telling us how much- though whatever it is it’s not enough.
    There’s a rumour going around (started by me) that they’re thinking of offering Kate Mansbridge’s job. They are in fact making a list and checking it twice.
    All it will take is for Kate to start using expressions like “Conservative dinosaur” ( or if you prefer “Conservative neanderthal”), “hidden agenda” and “so-called war on terror” and the job is hers.

  50. Dear Ron:
    You’re a fuckwit. I was going to refer to you as a fuckflake, but then I realized that in order to produce fuckflakes, you’d actually need to get fucked.
    Only the weak, inane, and unimaginative would bring another�s children into an argument to use as ammunition. There are topics that are off limits.
    While children aren’t one of them, as evidenced by my latest post, at least do it in a manner that works, rather than your spew.
    http://80below.com/archives/108-Beat-your-children-into-submission-and-proper-Latino-behavior..html
    Now, I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to prattle on about how you didn’t bring them in to “use” as anything, but rather only provided an example.
    But, here’s the thing, asslicker. I know what you were doing. I know what you were thinking. It’s not that I’m an omnipotent being, or that I have some paranormal power. The great swami did hear that the rumor mill has it that you can’t maintain an erection for more than 43 seconds though.
    Anyhow, its not any of those things. It�s that I recognize you. It’s that I do what you’re trying to do. I do it just to invoke the response. You do it to advance an issue. You’re failing, miserably, at it by the way.
    As your brain matter resembles the infectious cottage cheese that drips out of the fuckhole of a $2 hooker, I know you will never figure this out on your own. Therefore I feel obligated to help you out a little bit.
    In order to properly get a response, you need to choose an issue that the reader is:
    1. Emotionally insecure about
    2. Proud of
    3. Emotionally involved in
    You came close to hitting all three with the comment about children.
    You also came close to getting laid in your glorious 43 seconds of 10cm hardness.
    You failed.
    But my guess is that you�re used to failing. You�ve been a failure your entire life, squeaking by with an existence that leaves you longing for fulfillment. It�s really not your fault though. The government will help you. Keep telling yourself that.
    It will work for you in the long run.
    Or it won�t, and you�ll die being nothing more than you are now: A wretched excuse for a flourishing component of the human race.
    But that’s OK. Keep trying. Eventually, you’ll hit the hole. One of these days your dick will be wet from something other than your own juice that drips off your hand.

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