Blogging from Calgary has a pretty good take on the fallen fortunes of Ralph Klein.
And with his habit of backing down when push comes to shove, perhaps it’s not a moment too soon;
The paper argues that the equalization program should be changed by including all provinces in the formula that establishes how much provinces that receive equalization should get from Ottawa. Adding Alberta’s revenue-raising capacity to the mix would vastly increase the average because of its rich oil industry, boosting the program from $9.4-billion to $15.1-billion a year, according to the report.
Michael Cere sees a Liberal in the “Trudeau/Chr�tien tradition”. It doesn’t sound like a compliment.
Mr. Ignatieff proclaims that Canada is his kind of country and Canadians are his kind of people. His big insight about our national spirit is that Canadians are “a serious people.” But he complains that we really “haven’t taken ourselves seriously enough.” He really has been away too long. What about the good-natured humour and self-effacing modesty that adorns most Canadian achievements? The stellar Canadian virtue is that Canadians don’t take themselves “too seriously,” even when they serve with heroism.
If official bilingualism sticks in your craw this is the website for you.
Schnauzerspotting: This is just too cute not to share.
Leave your own in the comments.
Spanglishenese… the answer of the future. Spanish, English, and Chinese all rolled up into one big garbled ball that no one can make sense of unless they are from East LA.
If French was so genuinely important to Canada’s way of life it wouldn’t require all these laws to enforce it’s use nor would we have to spend billions of dollars on an artificial need of the language.
Most people who had any smarts would take the moment to realize that bilingualism was brought in as a sop to Quebec and it is Quebec which is the only province that opposes bilingualism in their province.
It is so bad that in this country now it isn’t as important that you are honest and smart to be a politician but that you speak french – as a result we have a bunch of french speaking crooks and ignoramuses in Ottawa
“The thing about bilingualism is that it’s a choice – you don’t like the fact that you can’t get a government job because you only speak English? Get off your lazy butt and learn French.
Posted by Ian H. at April 6, 2006 09:40 AM ”
This just shows ignorance of the issue. This has been used as a tool to divide and conquer this country by the French in Quebec. THEY refuse to speak English, even though they know how to do it. The REFUSE, even though they know it is divisive and disruptive not to mention archaic.
The majority in this country speak English, even if their native tongue is otherwise. In order to smooth the machinery of government and save untold billions of wasted dollars in duplication of services, we should have a policy of one language. Now, at this point, it should be English as most of us do speak that language.
I have no problem with anyone learning multiple languages anywhere and anytime. It is a mark of proper education that we know as much as we can and to be able to speak with as many as we can , so learning multiple languages is desirable.
However, when it is government policy, it inherently is discriminatory and wrong. Not to mention expensive.
Many examples above, especially in our Military illustrate that fact.
IF we had a majority of French speaking citizens in this country, then the language should have been French. The reality , however, is that most of the country speaks English. The language of commerce and politics is English and is a globally accepted language for many aspects of trade and political interaction.
In light of that reality, we should have one official language to which all who come to this country should adhere and that is English. To do otherwise divides us culturally and politically. A division we no longer can afford. ( If we ever could)
Have you noticed the arrogance of the French in a mixed social group will not speak English even though they are capable and that is the only language that is understood by all people in the group.
I was thought it was only good manners to use the language everyone understands when you are in a group and I still think that is right and proper.
Wm M
The Catholic School System is a large employer of teachers – not quite as big as the Public System, but it is large and a very nice system to be in. The connection with Francophones and Catholicism has always been there. Most French Immersion Schools are found in the Catholic system – not all, but most. The odds of a non-catholic teacher being employed by a Catholic School are about zero to very slim. Perhaps if a non-Catholic was fluent in French, the odds might be a little better.
My point: A person who is Catholic and who is fluent in French (better yet along with other languages) is highly employable – both by the Catholic Board and by the Public Board. It is even moreso the situation for principals.
An Anglo who is not Catholic or not fluent in French has considerably reduced employment opportunities.
Perfesser Iggy is being prepped/prepared & Appsed for the leadership of the Libs.
“Big Money” & “Big Lawyers” are placing their bets on “Iggy”. >
“…break would be more carefully targeted to average families, said Robertson, a tax expert with law firm Fasken Martineau.
“I think individuals would be saying ‘wait a second, the government is telling me that Canadians are overtaxed, so why are they giving 17 per cent of the tax break. . .to big business,’ ” said Robertson, whose study of tax breaks is based on a briefing note he prepared several weeks ago for Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff. +
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/04/05/1521630-cp.html
+
Notice name >>>>>> Alfred Apps
Don’t know if this has been picked up by anyone else yet, if so I’m sorry. But this is starting to gain heat – NBC Dateline is making their own news (again). Malkin has picked up on this.
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004920.htm
Libby decides to take Bush and Cheney down with him…
The latest filing in the Libby case is a doozy, according to CNN this morning.
If Libby was being truthful in his testimony about this, and if Cheney wasn�t misleading him in his assertion that President Bush authorized Libby to leak selected portions of the NIE to the press (specifically Judy Miller), then I think we�ve discovered a very good reason for Fitz to have met with the President�s attorney just prior to Libby�s indictment.
But that�s the least of the revelation�s implications:
A former White House aide under indictment for obstructing a leak probe, I. Lewis Libby, testified to a grand jury that he gave information from a closely-guarded “National Intelligence Estimate” on Iraq to a New York Times reporter in 2003 with the specific permission of President Bush, according to a new court filing from the special prosecutor in the case.
Life is good. 🙂
Steve just wet his pants.
Re ET’s comment (11:04 a.m.) that “Ignatieff has strong overtones of the Philosopher-King elitism of Trudeau, except that he is not isolationist, as was Trudeau” is true–and I wish he’d get that aw-shucks smirk (aka smile) off his face, which is trying to say to the Canadian public: “I’m just a regular guy.” He’s not. His father was George Ignatieff, the distinguished Canadian diplomat, and his mother, Alison Grant, is the sister of George Grant, the great Canadian professor and philosopher, author of “Lament for a Nation.”
Lament for a nation, indeed, especially if the Liberals get back into power anytime soon–which is looking like a slimmer and slimmer bet as they totally mismanage their role in opposition. I don’t mind that Michael Ignatieff comes from such a distinguished and patrician family–and I think it is generous of him to run for political office if he really wants to serve his country rather than stay in the hallowed halls of academe to be wined and dined by the elite–but I wish he’d stop trying to play the “I’m just a normal guy” schtick. He’s not just a normal guy–and as he hasn’t lived in Canada for a protracted period of time, it’s as though he’s dabbling in our politics. I’m not clear that he would have been parachuted into his riding, usurping the duly elected local Liberal candidate, had it not been for his privileged background and the people he “knew.”
The Liberals, of course, think they have “a catch” in him and, again, as ET has pointed out, he’ll probably be backed by a lot of of the monied and Canadian elites, like Paul Desmarais and company. But I’m not sure the Canadian public is going to buy this package, especially now that the CPC is truly reaching out to “regular,” “normal” Canadians who have to make ends meet on their limited incomes, which the Liberals have taxed to the max for far too long.
I’m feeling a little bit of summer already, basking in the glow of the CPC’s impressive showing in Parliament over the last three days. The Liberals couldn’t see it coming because they were so busy admiring their reflections in the mirror. The definition of narcissism?
$$$$$$$$$ or $ ?
Tories to grant new auditing power
OTTAWA (CP) – The Conservative government will grant new powers to allow the auditor general to scrutinize the way aboriginal communities spend federal cash, The Canadian Press has learned.
A government source said that new task for the auditor general will be included in omnibus ethics legislation the Tories intend to introduce next week. The official, who asked not to be identified, said the new stipulation in the Federal Accountability Act will be groundbreaking. +
Federal budget must deliver
TORONTO (CP) – Prime Minister Stephen Harper must “act immediately” on a multi-billion dollar deal to alleviate native poverty inked by his Liberal predecessors, and the upcoming budget is the place to start, Canada’s most powerful native leader said Thursday. +
via cnews
The reality (re bi-lingualism) is that it has nothing to do about choice or laziness.
A read through J. V. Andrew’s “Bi-lingual Today, French Tomorrow” and William Gairdner’s “The Trouble With Canada” lays a foundation for what has/is happening. Are these writings the be-all on the issue…no…hell of a place to start though.
Well said, new kid on the block.
Michael Ignatieff’s also a new kid on the block: He’s sure not used to sitting on the back benches. I wonder how long he’ll be willing to wait to grab the brass ring. I posit he’s only the sitting member for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, a largely working class riding, because he was assured he’d soon–politically speaking–be sitting among the champagne socialist, Rosedale brand hotsy-totsies, aka Libranos. (Literally, he’s already there at their dining tables, in their salons, and all over their media sites.)
However, with PMSH’s recent strong showing–lately, I LOVED his seduction line (but he should have left a pregnant pause before the comment about his wife!)–it may be a long, too long, wait for Ignatieff.
Hope springs eternal!
Att Fellow Bloggers: Vijay has the bumpf on Iggy @ $1,000/plate. BTW, have you had your chance meeting with Iggy? RSVP +
Iggy power brokers
April 6th, 2006
People didn�t trust me when I said that Iggy is pulling the best talent our party has, but here it is. This is just a small fraction of what he has in his bag. He is going to be the first candidate to raise the maximum permited amount and it will happen before many others reach their first million!
Posted in Politics | No Comments �
Iggy announcement tomorrow details
April 6th, 2006
A buddy of mine who hates politicians said he is going to donate to Ignatieff because he doesn�t see him as one.this guy is a IT wizard who has made millions. He had a chance meeting with Iggy and was impressed with his abilities. That reminds me to ask fellow bloggers, if you hear of any $1000 a plate dinner fundraisers let me know. Just curious. +
http://www.vijaysappani.com/myblog/
Getting back to Mark Collins’ post of Harland’s assertion of UN success in establishing the Government of Afghanistan, I have one question: How many divisions did the UN have in Afghanistan to make it happen?
Hope and Innocence
CERC ^ | January/February 2006 | Donald DeMarco
Posted on 04/06/2006 6:33:15 PM PDT by Coleus
We are all aware of the fact that media images and reality do not always coincide. In fact, the image that the media presents to us can be the polar opposite of the reality it replaces.
…
Why would Dr. Bruner find the curling of a fetal hand around his finger to be the �most emotional moment of his life�? A medical doctor who is schooled in science and skilled in surgery is usually not given to sentimental indulgence. Did Dr. Bruner touch the root of life, life in its purity, life uncontaminated by the doubts of a self-indulgent adult world? Did he feel, for that brief moment, like a god whose creature, unlike Adam, welcomed his life-giving touch? Photographer Michael Clancy said, �Samuel Armas made more of an impact on this world before he was born than most of us make in a lifetime.� This is a humbling thought for most of us. It is not our achievements that count so much as our love for and dedication to life. A child, indeed, shall lead us. The life of the living is paramount. Little Samuel, by a simple gesture, put this point back into focus for us. And this is why his hand is appropriately called the �Hand of Hope.� +
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1610641/posts
To weigh in on the bilingualism issue, which I may have done on another post a few months back: The Official Bilingualism policy in Ottawa is/was a total farce–and was simply instituted in order to put Quebec and Quebecois in the ascendency in Canada. Trudeau performed quite a coup (notice le francais here!) by usurping English-speaking/Anglophone “power” in Canada, the group, afterall, which by far represented/represents the largest demographic group in Canada: Hey, whatever happened to democracy, the True North Strong and Free?
Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a great idea to learn another language: many Europeans speak four and five languages with ease. But to force the issue, especially as a political tactic to ensure that the French minority in Canada was to ride past the rest of the English pack, was Machiavellian (‘sound like Trudeau?). And so far, it’s worked.
By being such wimps, Anglophone Canadians have fallen way back from the bilingual pack and most of our federal jobs–with their elevated salaries and overblown perks–are now in the hands of bilingual Francophones, many of whom speak just as good English as French.
Which brings me to my story. I worked for the feds in the early ’70s and was sent on French Language Training in order to fill the “bilinual” job. I, along with the 15 others in my FL class, some from as far away as New Brunswick and Alberta (they were put up in hotels and had all of their expenses paid, plus trips home, seeing as the course lasted nine months) were paid our full salaries, while someone else, presumably, did our jobs back at the office. One shudders to think about the cost of these courses, with our salaries, the salaries of our three teachers, the cost of renting the conference rooms of a downtown motel, where our classes were held, and all of the expenses of the participants from out of town/province. And we were just one “cell.” There were many others dotted throughout Ottawa.
Nine months after beginning my course, I passed the language test and was deemed officially bilingual. My first day back at work, I greeted my Francophone colleagues with “Bonjour! Comment ca va?” to be answered in English. Every time I spoke to them in French, they answered me in English. Guess how long I continued to speak French?
There was no time at which a follow up was done to see if the French Language Course had been in any way effective: no questionnaire, no follow-up interview or phone survey: RIEN, NOTHING, NADA. Thousands and thousands of dollars and resources down the old sink hole.
Isn’t this example just typical of the Liberal waste of resources, which has been happening ad nauseum for WAY TOO LONG? Set up, too, so that “they” win and everyone else loses.
People of Canada: Isn’t it time to “stand on guard for thee?”
I think with the new CPC government, we may just have a shot at relearning how to stand on guard for our country. Up till now, we seem to have forgotten how to do it.
The American Eagle is in flight: watch for consequences! ~
Venezuelan Mob Attacks US Ambassador
The US ambassador to Venezuela was attacked by a mob today�and Venezuelan police did nothing to stop it: US Ambassador�s Car Pelted in Venezuela.
Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pelted the U.S. ambassador�s car with fruit, vegetables, and eggs on Friday, and a group of motorcyclists chased his convoy for miles, at times pounding on the cars, a U.S. Embassy official said. No one was hurt.
Embassy spokesman Brian Penn said Venezuelan police escorts did not intervene as the car Ambassador William Brownfield was riding in was pounded on by protesters and hit by produce.
�We�re being attacked by groups of motorcyclists while we�re traveling in an embassy car,� Penn told The Associated Press by cell phone shortly before the motorcycles stopped chasing the four-car convoy. �It�s a very violent demonstration by a small group of people who appear to be organized by the mayor�s office,� Penn said.
He said the protest started when Brownfield made a visit to a baseball stadium in southern Caracas to hand out bats and other donated equipment to a youth league. During the event, a Chavez supporter who wore an identification badge of the pro-Chavez mayor�s office walked up and said the people in the area wanted Brownfield to leave, Penn said.
He stayed and finished the event, by which time a protest by a few dozen people had formed outside, chanting �Go home! Go home!�
Penn said the barrage of fruit, vegetables and eggs began when the convoy finally pulled out and drove through an adjacent market. �They were throwing fruits, eggs. Our car is stained all over. The ambassador�s car has been hit,� Penn said. �They were pounding on the cars, including pounding on the ambassador�s car while they were driving. There was no one stopping them.� +
via LGF
THis is an excellent paper on Bilingualism & Multicult thinking & its effects of deconstruction of society. This is just a portion. If interested I have included the site if one wish’s to presue more on the topic or paper.
However, these discursive struggles rarely occur in such linear fashions; it is more usual for “synchronic tensions” (Collins, 1989, p. 134) to occur simultaneously between various discourses. Thus, in the Canadian ethnocultural context there exist concurrent struggles between competing concepts like anglo-conformity, biculturalism, multiculturalism, and non-differentiated Canadianism. Multiculturalism poses a particularly strong challenge to a socio-political order that would exclude those belonging to ethnic minorities from participation in mainstream institutions of Canadian society. “The liberal demand to include the excluded in the name of cultural pluralism carries within itself the seeds of a far more radical demand–the demand for a cultural redefinition and reconstruction of the sphere of inclusion itself, i.e., the sphere that sets the cultural boundaries of the public realm” (Bridges, 1991, p. 7). However, notwithstanding the Canadian state’s allocation of symbolic resources to minority groups through legislative and administrative vehicles (Breton, 1984), the latter are largely unable to gain effective control of the dominant discourses of society (Itwaru, 1991). Traditional socio-cultural elites, in maintaining their substantive control of key institutions such as the mass media (Royal Commission on Newspapers, 1981), are able continually to reinterpret public symbols in their own favour. Thus, having deconstructed exclusionary social structures, the alternative discourses of multiculturalism then lose ground to the dominant discourses of elites, which proceed to reconstruct symbolically parts of the old order in which certain types of people were legally considered subservient to others (Patmore, 1990, pp. 7-28). This paper, through an analysis of the competition between various Canadian discourses on ethnocultural terminology, will consider the manners in which processes of construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction take place.
http://www.cjc-online.ca/printarticle.php?id=167&layout=html
What really happened to Ron Brown
WorldNetDaily ^ | 4/7/06 | Jack Cashil
Bubba at Ron Brown’s Funeral
Before and After Bubba [Clinton] saw the camera
Comment:
There has never been a doubt in my mind that Brown was murdered by the Clintonistas.