IntenseDebate - DaveFromToronto

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Futures market · 1 reply · +8 points

Forcing an election would only work for Harper if he managed to win a majority. An election that led to another Conservative minority government would put Harper right back where he is now: the opposing parties would renew their demand to view all of the Afghan documents, and Harper would either have to comply or try another stalling tactic.

The real question is whether (a) the Afghan documents actually contain a smoking gun - are the Conservatives complicit in war crimes? (b) they just show that the Conservatives were trying to gain a partisan political advantage by hiding behind claims of "national security", or (c) there isn't anything significant at all and the government was just being secretive. (Presumably, this last would be because they simply do not trust their opponents, in particular the Bloc, not to betray their country.)

If it's (c), the government will compromise; if it's (a), the government will force an election and will throw everything they have at it, not caring how badly the country is damaged as a consequence. If it's scenario (b) - which to me seems the most likely - I have no idea what Harper will do.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - The next great leader · 0 replies · +1 points

You're being too hard on your generation. It's not as if older people are profoundly realistic thinkers or exceptionally mature (I'm 49; trust me on this). And the only reason why people my age didn't spend a lot of time on Wikipedia or on social media when we were younger was because they didn't exist. (Hey, when I was growing up, we didn't even have banking machines, fer crissakes.)

For what it's worth, I tend to think that history will judge my generation more harshly than yours. For example, it was my generation that was responsible for steep increases in tuition fees that make it harder for people your age to get a start in life (without incurring enormous student debts). And it's people my age who will clog up the economy by all getting old all at once.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Toronto Proroguing Pro... · 1 reply · +5 points

I was worried about the speakers - they went on a bit too much about issues that were tangential to the reason why most everybody was there. Duff Conacher was the best at staying on message.

I disagree with Jack - I think that the protest needed to be as gentle and as nice as possible, so as to drive home the point that the protesters weren't rabble rousers or members of the so-called chattering classes - these were ordinary Canadians, coming out in great numbers to protest the undemocratic behaviour of the Harper government. It's the size of the crowds, rather than the message, that makes the point. Anything that is ungentle might scare some people off.

I was pleased to be part of the rally, and I am proud to be a Canadian and to live in a country where people can congregate peacefully and safely.

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - EKOS Weekly: Zoooooooo... · 2 replies · +1 points

What's interesting about all of this is that the Conservatives have gained traction in the polls despite not really doing much of anything. Other than the PM playing the piano.

People criticize the Liberals for not offering a real alternative to the Conservatives, and this criticism is justified. However, providing a platform, and promising to stick to it if elected, would be good for voters but bad bad political tactics. Consider:

- The Conservatives could steal the good bits and implement them.
- The Conservatives could unleash attack ads to slam what they perceived were the bad bits.
- Any honest, thought-out policy would require some tough decisions on how to deal with the deficit and the recession. Raise taxes? Cut spending? What happens next? But any pre-election hint of tax increases or spending cuts would be like painting a target on one's back.

I also believe that the Liberals had no choice but to actually oppose the Conservatives and threaten an election, even though nobody really wants one. The alternative was to be portrayed as the Tories' lapdogs.

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Favourite Lesser-Known... · 0 replies · +1 points

There are so many. Some have already been mentioned here: How Not To Be Seen, the Fish Slapping Dance, the funniest joke in the world, the Pither cycling tour. ("Mother! So this was all a dream." "No, dear, this is the dream. You're still in the cell.")

Some more:

- the flying sheep sketch ("Notice further that they do not so much fly as plummet.")
- the Exploding Blue Danube Waltz
- the Battley Townswomen's Guild re-enacting the Battle Of Pearl Harbor
- the department store sketch in which everybody has to get into the tea-chest and sing
- the Four Yorkshiremen sketch from the Drury Lane album ("Cardboard box? You were lucky.")
- the duelling announcers who battle over control of a single microphone

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Gleeps: · 3 replies · 0 points

The interesting question (for me, at least): will the additional seats make it possible for Harper to obtain a majority without any representation in Toronto or Quebec?

While there are some in the Conservative camp who would rejoice at the notion of seeing these two parts of the country shut out of Parliament, I can't help but think that a government that can afford to ignore entire regions of Canada is not a desirable thing. It didn't work out well when the Liberals had a majority with no representation in large parts of the West; this won't work out well, either.

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Prime Minister Billy S... · 3 replies · +2 points

You have to give our Prime Minister credit for having a lot of nerve. (And I'm not somebody who gives the Prime Minister credit for anything very often.)

It's ironic that a man who reportedly has difficulty collaborating with anyone would choose to sing "With A Little Help From My Friends".

And I still find it fascinating that Mr. Harper's music preferences are those of an earlier generation. The PM was eight when Sergeant Pepper came out; he is actually younger than three of the four (original) members of R.E.M., to pick an example at random.

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - In fairness, how many ... · 2 replies · +1 points

I'm confused. Didn't the DNA evidence prove, conclusively, that she was who she said she was?

As for whether she is entitled to damages - well, that's up to the court to decide. But having the wrong height listed on a driver's license is not necessarily conclusive evidence of anything. (Mine was wrong for years until I finally got it corrected.)

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Democracy as war · 3 replies · +1 points

Ironically, most of the Conservatives' bump in the polls is probably because Canadians genuinely don't want any more elections. This, obviously, gives an advantage to the party in power. If the Conservatives attempt to exploit this advantage by calling an election, they'll lose it.

The deep strategy would be to try to figure out how to get one of the other parties to force an election without appearing to have pressured them into doing so.

15 years ago @ Macleans.ca - But he used to be a wr... · 0 replies · +1 points

As an example of what I'm talking about, here is a quote from neurologist Robert Burton, author of "On Being Certain":

"I suspect that retreat into absolute ideologies is accentuated during periods of confusion, lack of governmental direction, economic chaos and information overload. At bottom, we are pattern recognizers who seek escape from ambiguity and indecision. If a major brain function is to maintain mental homeostasis, it is understandable how stances of certainty can counteract anxiety and apprehension. Even though I know better, I find myself somewhat reassured (albeit temporarily) by absolute comments such as, 'the stock market always recovers,' even when I realize that this may be only wishful thinking.

"Sadly, my cynical side also suspects that political advisors use this knowledge of the biology of certainty to actively manipulate public opinion. Nuance is abandoned in favor of absolutes."

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