Well here is exactly what I was worried about when a conservative government took over in Canada.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...r05242006.html

Well yes, the job of the free press is to ask any questions they want, not ones that are easy for you to answer.

Oh great, you get decide what reporters ask the questions, and i am supposed to feel that i have an honest and accountable government. Go fuck yourself Mr. Harper.

Yes. They have no interest in democracy or the institution that are meant to guarantee it or keep it in check. It is now time to remove these people from office.

I am so dissapointed and disgusted with Canada right now.

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

Were you disappointed when the press was forbidden from publishing material that was embarrassing to the prior government?

Matt

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De duobus malis, minus est semper eligendum

Just for curiousity, are you aware of ANY material our press has declined to publish that might be embarrassing to the previous Liberal Government? If anything our mass media was particularly 'pro-Conservative' during the last election cycle in their passion for publishing anything even remotely critical of the previous Liberal government (and soft-balling the Conservative track record in precisely the same type of scandal that the Liberals were guilty of - Mulroney's government is generally considered the most corrupt adminstration in recent Canadian history).

On that basis, I'd be inclined to be highly skeptical of such an assertion. Trashing the Government is a national sport up here and our media is rarely reticent in so doing.

Media-muzzling is a very new phenomena. It would seem to be a pattern up here that every new Conservative government up always tries to import the latest in political-control techniques from the USA. Unfortunately, they are always successful.

This is absurd.

If Harper is an idiot, does that make all Canadians complicite?

Same goes for Bush. Just because he's a moron (and he certainly is one), doesn't mean that all Americans are evil or idiots.

If you are referring to the media blackout on the sponsorship inquiry my answer would be yes and no. Yes I was emberesed that the judge was so stupid that he did not realize the info would get out anyway, but no, for i understand that media blackouts are sometimes reasonable when one is expecting to get a fair trial. The press was not banned because the government feared emberessing info, the doors to the proceedings were open to the general public for all to hear and see, which they then blogged about consistently over the net. I do not see the relation between that media blackout and Harper refusing to talk to the national press because they are asking tough or uncomfortable questions.

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

Because Canada in general will not do anything about it or most likely even care about it, ( i hope i am wrong), yes it does make all Canadians complicit for not holding the prime minister responsible for this action he has taken.

And yes, in a democracy all citizens are responsible for the actions of their government. Americans are certainly responsible for George Bush and Canadians are certainly responsible for Harper.

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

Your view of politics as 'total war' I do not accept.

What do you mean? Please elaborate...

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

The most obnoxious development of 20th century warfare was the doctrine of 'total war' - which holds that every single civilian is a soldier in wartime. There is no distinction between soldiers and civilians any more. WW2 supplies ample evidence of this (US firebombing of Dresden is a specific and notable example - there was no pretence of Dresden being a 'military' target - it was entirely a 'civilian' target - the US/British assertion was that there is no real difference).

You are stating that every single Canadian is a Conservative supporter because Harper is PM.

Same difference. The mentality is that of 'total war' and is at the root of our problem with fanatical partisanship these days. I should like to think that Canada might avoid the present outbreak of toxic partisanship in the USA, but your post suggests otherwise.

You may fear the Harper government, I'm afraid of you.

Well at least i know where you are coming from now. I never meant to suggest that all Canadians are conservative supporters, (in fact the opposite is true, most are not).

I only meant to suggest that in a democracy we have a greater responsibility to hold our leaders accountable, regardless of what party we align with, and i fear that the winner of 'american idol' will occupy more of Canadians time than this news story.

Hopefully the press does not let this one go.

lol...do you really fear me?

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

If you judge a nation by the one idiot who is the most successful manipulator, then absolutely, yes. That is 'total war' mentality and identifies the enemy.

(My enemies are not defined by 'left' and 'right' - those labels are far too facile to have any substantive meaning - I fear the fanatics regardless of the object of their fanaticism).

Well of course I agree with that. I was just dissapointed in the PM (not really unexpected) and would also hate for his actions to reflect on all of Canada. Its just frustrating.

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

To people outside of Canada Harper's actions will definitely reflect on all of Canada. Same goes for any country. But with a bit of luck he'll only have one term at it anyway.

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"There were no D-Day Heroes in 1973" - Cold Chisel Khe Sanh

Actually unless he does something really stupid or spectacular noone really knows what is happening inside the Canadian political system, except of course for Canadians and those with ties to Canada. That is one of the benefits of being Canada. Boy do I wish we had that luxury.

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The universe grows smaller every day and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure... - Klaatu

True enough. Now the Gomery Inquiry is over things will settle down and as you say, unless Harper does something really stupid things will bubble along nicely. Of course having a few Members of Parliament pinched for corruption would liven up interest. Or if Harper was accused of trashing the constitution and appointing cronies to plumb positions, that would get a bit of attention from the rest of the world. But none of that is likely to happen.

Just as well we've all got the US political system to fascinate us - it's like a giant political soap opera

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"There were no D-Day Heroes in 1973" - Cold Chisel Khe Sanh