12.30.2011 12:18 PM

Simpsonian Memorial

We’re not BFFs – he’s said I’m a “gadfly” and I’ve called him a “boring old fart” – but I admire Simpson, a lot, for his annual mea culpa column. If only more members of the commentariat did likewise.

So, I plan to! Being back in BC, I’ve been doing some understandably Western-focused columnizing this week, the results of which show up in the Sun papers over the next few days. Once that’s done, I plan to write up all of my pundit face-plants from 2011.

If you remember any that particularly rankled you, send ’em along. It’s time to ‘fess up!

17 Comments

  1. William says:

    My own mea culpa was underestimating the strength of the NDP here in Quebec.

    I thought they might take 4-5 seats in May, wow was I ever wrong.

  2. William says:

    The Tory decision to build more prisons is a recognition that 40 years of the every-boya-good-boy pop psychology approach to crime has failed, just as their initiative to make immigration and citizenship more meaningful is a recognition that multiculturalism has grown out of control.

    ————

    Evidence says crime rates are falling but when do the CPC ever listen to evidence.

    Good of you to post that here. You and your fellow astroturfers have been peppering it all over the G&M today.

    At least it’s being viewed by more people than the 20 or so who would normally see it.

    If Canada is a conservative country, why isn’t the NP profitable?

    • Jon Adams says:

      …And why isn’t Sun News on a channel in double-digits on the dial? (Unless it’s in Saskatchewan, where someone had the wry humour to put the Sunshine Girl Network on Ch. 69.)

    • Paul says:

      It does not matter one iota that crime rates are falling and I’m sick of hearing this flawed argument re: building more prisons. The fact is that our federal prisons (and provincial jails) are old, crumbling, unsafe and overcrowding is getting to the point where questions are being raised about whether being confined to one constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment.”

      It is not uncommon for people that were sentenced to do time, but were let off with house arrest because “we couldn’t find a place in a facility for them.”

      The crime bill and its mandatory minimums are flawed, yes. I would imagine that those issues will be addressed for example by police and Crowns refusing to lay charges or prosecute the first-time-offender “18-year-old kid with seven pot plants” that the hug-a-thug crowd keeps holding up as their only example (conveniently leaving out the enhanced sentencing for true scumbags, pedophiles, etc. contained in the bill…)

      Regardless of whether crime rates are falling or not, there are still crimes being committed and I (and victims) want scumbags that are sentenced to hard time to actually DO the hard time and not be back out in a couple of months to victimize someone else.

      Sure, it’s not glamorous to spend money on prisons but unfortunately some government has to do it.

      • Bill says:

        Completely agree with you Paul. If you do the crime you should pay with time. The standard of living has improved, which in turn has reduced some crimes. We are about to enter a period of reduced standard of living for many years. Crime rate will spike big time. Anyone that commits a serious crime should pay a very serious price in my world. This country has to grow some balls and start thinking of the victims first. The current system is a joke, kill someone or rape them and be out in less than 10 years……..fucking joke.

    • Pete says:

      Or more simply. We are not a conservative Country no matter how much butter Harpercrite and his cronies put on their bread. The national Pest has never been profitable and now its satellite papers are going to start charging for online reading.

      Meanwhile the big boys, G&M and La Presse continue to be stable, informative and free on line.

  3. AmandaM says:

    While I do hope that this bit (“Mr. Rae has been impressive as interim leader; lacking anyone remotely as good, the party might properly conclude that he should carry on through the next election.”) is included in his mea culpa next year, I have to admit that my distress over Rae being interim having a terribly negative effect on Premier McGuinty’s fortunes in October was incorrect. Mr. Rae was nowhere to be seen in September, and for that I am glad. As for leader, I am following Mr. Garneau closely. I’m a fan.

    I never dreamed that there would not be another negotiated Health Accord, and that Mr. Flaherty would simply impose a structure unilaterally. I just don’t think like those guys do. I’m an IPW, not a CPO (thanks, Terry Fallis!), and so this kind of “divide and conquer” behaviour just doesn’t occur to me. While two years of expensive negotiations are out, so are national standards for health, as is equitable accessibility for all Canadians. A real disappointment.

  4. Bill says:

    AmandaM,

    It’s funny how you left leaners can’t seem to get over that fact Harper is doing a great thing here. He is trying to control health care costs. All this talk of unilaterally imposing is bullshit. We elected him to lead, so carry on I say.

    • Pete says:

      Harper is not controllling health costs as much as he is taking a hands off approach to the eventual two tier health program many provinces want to implement. That will be on his resume however come next election.

  5. Tim Sullivan says:

    Simpson still has not jumped off the CBC building he promised to jump off if Sheila Copps resigned because of her GST gaff. She did resign, as she had promised. Simpson, you’re up.

    • The Doctor says:

      For most of us rational, sentient beings, “resign” meant “I’m quitting”. As in, not coming back. Instead, Copps “resigned” and then immediately ran again in her same uber-safe seat.

      If I “quit” my job today, and then immediately report back for work tomorrow morning, most people would take the position that I really hadn’t quit my job.

      Ergo, Sheila Copps was mendacious scum in this particular instance. Plus she had to be dragged kicking and screaming to even tender her phantom resignation-that-wasn’t-really-a-resignation in the first place. Talk about lame.

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