![[small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg]](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WGczmWu7Wwc/SdCJyy2LN1I/AAAAAAAABWE/ABYCkbJaKaQ/s1600/small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg)
I will be blogging more in detail on a few of the themes I’m most particularly concerned with (“How do we Care?”) a little later on this evening or even tomorrow. We just had to be busy this week-end with other commitments and errands.
I think even Iggy’s speech was very good and was very well received in the room as well as on Twitter. Of course, there are a few exceptions like Harpercon cheerleaders and sadly, even a few progressives who still insist on nit-picking. I think, over all, for many skeptics who, in spite of knowing about Steve and his Harpercons evangelical Christian Fundy ways, couldn’t see many differences between Steve and Iggy, much of this speech should fix that.
One example would be was when he spoke of the changing role of Government; networking instead of a PMO commanding all from top to bottom. If that doesn’t distinguish him from Steve “hiding the documents” and proroguing when he needs to run away and, not to mention, his dictatorial ways in even a minority situation.
There were other examples in the speech, differentiating himself from Harper as well. Don’t take my word for it: judge for yourself and watch it if you missed it earlier.
I would say that the one of the most powerful speeches of today and perhaps arguably of the event would be that of Robert Fowler, former Canadian Diplomat and the Special Envoy of UN Secretary-General to Niger as well as a hostage in Niger. Watch and listen his speech here if you missed it. Yes, he was critical to both of the main political parties where foreign policy was concerned.
While I don’t think Iggy’s poll numbers will change instantaneously overnight, it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks or even the next months. If Iggy and the Liberals continue to remain consistant with the ideas given in Iggy’s closing speech this afternoon and continues to build on them, they may well survive or perhaps even do better than surviving.
Also, sadly and predictably enough, check out the corporate media like Astral Talk Radio stations, pundits, National Pest, Many Grope and Fail Columnists scrambling about, spreading their sunshine about the events, touting the whole week-end a failure and nit-picking.
Hell, Check out CJAD’s Gang of 4 tomorrow morning; Tommy Schnurmacher, Kim Fraser and Trudy Mason (with the help of Brian Lilly, surely) all go hysterical coming down with a severe case of Librul derangement syndrome as they always do whenever the opposition succeeds at something. Any bets, English Montrealers?? I’m debating whether I should listen to it for a laugh or will they piss me off like anyone who wishes ill on someone or a group. And yes, Tommy will spout some stupid attempt at his idea of a “joke” and they will all cackle hysterically, no doubt as they always seem to do when they promote St-Stevie and denounce teh Big Bad Libruls, or for that matter, the Big Bad Left of center.
Sadly and predictably, they won’t be alone in the festivities. There will be other talk radio hosts and columnists spewing even more toxic venom.
It has already started over at the Blogging Romper Roomies. Although, I never dreamed one of them would actually have the audacity to slam Robert Fowler and go in so far as to blame him for his own hostage taking.
Others, naturally, are touting this week-end a failure.
John Ibbitson, one of the king Harpercon cheerleaders over at the Grope and Fail touted yesterday’s discussion on potential carbon taxes as souring the mood, thus, doing what corporate media does best these days: tell Canadians how to feel and think. I didn’t notice the talk of Carbon tax “killing” the event, as Ibbitson puts it, but, again, you decide.
I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the corporate media hacks haven’t already published some whiny piece, chipping away at Iggy’s closing speech or anything else about the events.
well ck, i guess we’ll be agreeing to disagree to a degree. i had initially expected the entire thing to be a bit of a clusterbunny exercise. and i was quite pleasantly surprised on a few points. the organizers did a very good job mobilizing the online aspect. where i had expected a non-stop self congratulation i was amazed as i sat and took in mr fowler’s speech. there were a few shots of the audience that were priceless, a little bit of pooping the pants in that room. some of the panel discussions that i caught were quite good and offered a range of ideas and opinions. so there was much good.
there was also much bad. i didn’t follow the twitter stream but the on site chat was very heavily moderated. i tried a few things with it, i posted a yay liberals post and it went up in a flash. i posted a longer more nuanced and questioning post and it went up but took ten minutes. i posted a critically toned question that didn’t betray any sort of bias but was not a softball and it did go up but took a while. i posted a number of direct criticisms, one of which was posted. and during the tedious, droning by iggy at the end absolutely nothing went up that wasn’t fawning leader praise. that struck me as very weak but hey, their party.
as for iggy’s speech, i felt it was a huge letdown. after all of the quality discussions and varying points of view he burbled on with platitudes and nonsense. a truly uninspiring effort and it showed he really didn’t take up any of the actual challenges that the conference laid out before the liberals. then there was the objectionable use of the ‘own the podium’ tripe, that made me angry. he droned on to compare some of the speakers to gretzky, lemieux and crosby, well good thing i had nothing in my mouth ‘cos i would have spit it out. the best he could do was draw a comparison to pampered, multi-millionaires who no longer dwell in canada? what an asinine fool. whoever popped that nugget in his much touted bullet point speech needs a swift cuff to the ear. his speech was empty, tedious and the low point of what i saw. my mind is made up about the liberals. they need to be razed to the ground and a useful party that actually serves the greater canadian population needs to replace them.
a very good conference for a very dull and worthless party.
ck Reply:
March 28th, 2010 at 9:02 PM
PSA, I have a feeling you’re never ever going to like the Libruls these days, even if they did something nobel prizey thingey to help man kind.
Dull and worthless party: ARe the Harpercons worth that much more?
As for the chat, I have a very slow connection for some reason, so…it’s, I guess, whoever has the most bandwidth. But most of my activity was on Twitter.
Robert Fowler, I felt was the most compelling, largely in part because of his experiences; this man knows what he’s talking about.
I think we should keep an open mind about the Liberals and yes, even Iggy; he’s not going anywhere until he loses a general election; that is a fact. Nothing, but nothing is more terrifying than a Mike Huckabee, Tammy-Faye and Jim Baker, and Kirk Cameron types running the country.
Forget the N.D.P.; unless they and the Liberals can agree to form a coalition (which I think would be best, and we should be lobbying for this), the N.D.P will never, ever govern. It’s as simple as that. Canada just isn’t that far to the left, much to my (and I imagine, many others) chagrin.
If there is no coalition, then I still contend as I will always, that they are far less frightening than Canada’s answer to Mike Huckabee, GW Bush, Kirk Cameron and the Bakers
I enjoyed his speech. Some people mentioned Carbon Tax, but the party did not need that so soon. The Globe and Mail is not any better, as the trolls are out en masse.
I would like to see Harper and company going to something like this..he does not have the guts…especially since he would make sure that everything would include what he agreed with and everyone there wast to his thinking.
ck Reply:
March 28th, 2010 at 8:51 PM
NO Eliza, the Harpercons and their cheerleaders just want to bitch and bitch and when they’re done: Bitch some more…Yeesh! IN fact when I see one of today’s cons looking happy, the first thing I wonder is if they ran over some small animal.
if the liberals are to survive and more importantly be of any value to this country, they really need a hell of a lot more of the robert fowler and a great deal less of the ignatieff. i do think that the liberals are a lost cause at the moment. i am also pretty damn sure that the next time at bat, they will indeed lose a general election. the problem remains that they are pandering grifters. i don’t need them to do nobel prize thingies, i need a political option that i can trust. i don’t trust them. i don’t trust harper’s con jobbers and i don’t trust ignatieff’s brown nosers.
if you’ve read my stuff you know i have no love for the fundagelical waterheads. but the one thing we do know is where those creepy buggers stand on things. they are ugly but predictable. i have never gotten the sense that the post chretien liberals actually did stand for anything but feathering their own nests, at any cost and by any means. in some regards i trust them less than harper’s simpletons. there’s no there there, no ethical centre, no core. they’re as solid as innertubes. after all of the compelling talk, ignatieff got up and sputtered a few empty platitudes and a freeze on corporate tax give aways. that was the sum total of what he got from the experience, more empty slogans and a half baked stump speech.
i find it damned hard to choose between the tent show preachers and the greasy used car salesmen. i won’t give my vote or support to either breed of lowlife. i’m also pretty damned sure this country will opt for the known devil, so we wait until after iggy hands harper a potential majority? i guess that’s the plan.
ck Reply:
March 28th, 2010 at 10:36 PM
No, I know you don’t like either or. But the next election will come right down to those 2 choices: Iggy or Harper and as mentioned, staying home is the equivalent to a Harpercon vote as low voter turn-out in Canada generally favors the incumbent. I think you know that too.
I know what Harpercons are capable of and what they stand for and why I campaign f getting them out of office.
Don’t know if I sent this video:
It’s in French, but he speaks slowly and the language is simple. Let me know if you need translation help.
Folks who tell me that if Steve implemented everything he wanted during a majority term that he would be a one term PM. The above video; that campaign sign suggests something else far more sinister.
in the absence of effective and coordinated opposition, harper’s been able to rule pretty much as though he had that majority, the sign is relatively true regardless. sure he hasn’t had full licence to do as he pleases but he hasn’t been forced too far off. i think the difference is largely to do with the pace at which he screws things up. i guess we’ll just have to hope that harper punches out a toddler on camera, that’s about the best hope iggy has.
ck Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 7:37 AM
Harper can and does screw things up, but he also has a propensity for bouncing back as I’ve pointed out. I gather you’ve watched the video. Good. I hope more people see it.
You brought up the point that Harper with his minority has managed to do dictatorial things. Now, just imagine him with a majority. I remember one commenter over at some other blog, forget which one asked me if I really thought Harper would go all socon totalitarian that he wouldn’t get a 2nd term. To which I responded with the video. She’s assuming there would be an election past 4 years or so.
One thing I had learned over the years, especially the past year. With continued apathy and no one doing anything or even showing up to the polls at election time, anything can happen to us. We take too much for granted.
Oh and as I’ve said many times, Steve has corporate media in his pocket. Example: the morning show on C (conservative)TV already started pointing out Robert Fowler’s speech as damning to the Liberals. I heard the whole speech; he wasn’t exactly flattering with the Harpercons neither.
Iggy mentioned freezing tax benefits to corporations. A good thing. Many Canadians are fed up with the corporate welfare so executives can continue to jet set on their 6 figure salaries and gold plated pension plans. Harpercons told media that that would stop job creation. HA! Layton pointed out awhile ago that these banks and oil companies did nothing to serve their communities nor did they create jobs.
Check out the Harpercon media today. I already predicting the midmorning show on CJAD later this morning.