03.06.2014 10:44 AM

Two Sun hits: on Harper copying Trudeau, and on how we can punish Putin for the invasion of the Ukraine

Here, on the Reformatories adopting Justin’s position on pot and MP expenses – after previously mocking him on both.  Holy flip-flop, Batman:

 

And here, about seven minutes in:

21 Comments

  1. dave says:

    Good to know that our government, on behalf of us Canadians, is against the breaching of some other country’s sovereignty. Since we have this principled stand, I will expect immediate action from our principled leadership. We have cancelled military exercises with Russia, I imagine we will very quickly be cancelling military connections with a number of other regimes which have breached other countries’ sovereignty.

    I catch some programming on RT, and saw the bit the other night the steely disclaimer by Abby Martin (I love her madly, madly). Last evening I watched a CNN interviewer(guy with a Brit accent) wetting his depends with delight as he interviewed an RT on air news reader who had quit on air to protest the Russian troops stationed in Crimea coming off base to ensure order; the interviewer’s self righteous arrogance was as bizarre as I’ve seen on North American run media. He’ll keep his green card for sure.

    I am waiting for the Power and Politics panel to tell us dumbies about the political affiliations of the self appointed cabinet in Kiev…the one that first banned use of Russian in Ukraine, then, within hours, followed their orders to reverse that ban…for now.

    A Russian my age has seen the results of the invasion by Nazi’s on his homeland, knows that the West hates his country, especially its government, surrounded his homeland with nukes, kept up the pressure and thereby kept Stalinists in power about 3 decades longer than they had to be, saw his country dismantle the Warsaw Pact and lose its buffer states against Western expansion, saw NATO not only continue but expand and march to his homeland’s western borders thereby adding power to the present autocrats in the Kremlin, – now sees the West, which has invaded and occupied other countries with impunity time and again now squealing about Crimea, readying to move NATO even closer to Russia, and Western leaders and media bringing back all their cold war rhetoric.

    Seems to me there is a lot of two faced bs flying around here.

    • PP says:

      Yup, your analysis on the situation in the Crimea seems to agree well with that of this analyst: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/05/clash-crimea-western-expansion-ukraine-fascists. This article is well worth reading, especially by those who seem intent on cheering on Baird and Harper’s loud beating of their chests (please, someone tell Canadians that their government is supporting a coalition in Kiev that has fascists and former Nazi supporters, it just might blow their minds).

    • Mark says:

      Dave, they did not ban the use of Russian in Ukraine. They repealed a 2012 law that had made Russian a official regional language in certain regions of the country. It was felt by some that the 2012 law came at the expense of the Ukrainian language. A new law is being drafted.

      The Russian language is not in any danger in Ukraine. It’s understood and used by millions of Ukrainian citizens across the country, whether they’re ethnic Ukrainians, Russians, Tatars, etc. There are Russian-language papers, TV, and other media. There are Russian-language schools. In fact, most of the posters and banners that I’ve seen from the Maidan in Kyiv were written in Russian. The Western city of Lviv even proclaimed a day of “Speaking Russian” in solidarity with their fellow citizens in the East.

      The Russian language also remains protected under Ukraine’s constitution:
      Article 10: “ In Ukraine, the free development, use and protection of Russian, and other languages of national minorities of Ukraine, is guaranteed.”
      Article 53: “ Citizens who belong to national minorities are guaranteed in accordance with the law the right to receive instruction in their native language, or to study their native language in state and communal educational establishments and through national cultural societies.”

      Russian-speakers from Eastern Ukraine have also been recently voicing the fact that they are not being suppressed:
      Russian-speaking writers Kharkov asking Putin not to interfere in the affairs of Ukraine for their rights; no one suppresses (google translate).

      You express a bit of paranoia regarding the enemies of Russia. Can you perhaps understand why Ukrainians, having been invaded over the years by Mongols, Poland, Russia, Austria, Germany, etc. might get a bit nervous about Russian troops (once again) occupying their territory? How is it Ukraine’s duty to be a “buffer” for Russia? Let Ukrainians determine their own future.

      • dave says:

        I’ll take your point about the language legislation. I read a couple of articles that told me about half dozen initiatives of the new cabinet that looked to be aimed at minorities. Perhaps I misread them. I still have doubts about the snipers, the coup itself, the soccer hooligans, and the new cabinet choices.

        I also appreciate your comment about Ukrainian distrust of Russia. Both Russia and Ukraine trace their modern roots to the old Principality in Kiev. I think that Ukraine has been an independent entity only since the early 1990’s, so that would add an extra edge to their existence as a nation state. I have read a bit of Taras Shevchenko, so I have a taste of his attitude toward all things Russian. If he is the national poet (statue of him on thee Manitoba Legislature grounds) then more than a few people in Ukraine would share Shevchenko’s attitude.

  2. Holy Flip Flop indeed! After spending so much money on Radio advertising slagging Trudeau. I guess the Conservatives have been getting an earful on the advisability of tossing kids in prison for what even Conservatives consider to be a misdemeanour. But one cannot help wondering just how advisable it is to ditch their position. It is probably far enough in advance of the election, but right now it will bite their credibility on the ass. In essence it says ‘ Ignore verything the Conservative Party has had to say for the last two months.’

  3. Francesca says:

    I just saw Hillary Clinton in Calgary. She talked mostly about the Russian intervention in Ukraine and also about the energy industry.

  4. Francesca says:

    I just saw Hillary Clinton in Calgary. She talked mostly about the energy industry and the Russian intervention in Ukraine.

    • Jon Adams says:

      But did Hillary bring up the energy industry or Russian intervention in Ukraine? And for god’s sake, where did you see her?

  5. Lance says:

    An Opposition party was able to be influential on the Governing party on policy. I don’t care where the idea comes from as long as it is a good one. And if Trudeau can take credit for it, oh well, right?

  6. MississaugaPeter says:

    Canadian politics is becoming a lot like American politics. There are Red states and there are Blue states. And elections are decided in a few states. The 65 seats in the Burbs are Canada’s few deciding states.

    I guess the Conservatives feared that they were going to excite too many youth and pot smokers in the Burbs to vote against them, and thus, they had to neutralize the issue. They did not do it because it is the right thing to do or because their base wanted it. They did it to neutralize the issue. Just like abortion, even though most Conservatives are against it, by allowing the status quo, they neutralize the issue.

    The Liberals talk “middle class” to the Burbs. The Conservatives will buy the Burbs with income splitting. Yes, hipsters and single urbanites will be pissed they do not get a break, but they are not deciding the next election. Almost all two income and two person families (where one works) will get some kind of tax break. That’s the Burbs.

    Let’s face it, the Conservatives don’t need Quebec or Toronto to get a majority. As long as most of the west and rural Ontario stays Blue, 2015 will be decided in the Burbs.

    The question is: What are the Liberals and NDP going to say in 2015 when income splitting is introduced and they realize that slamming it will cost them the Burbs and the election? Now that marijuana is neutralized, income splitting is the issue that will determine 2015 victors.

    It’s unfortunately a narcissistic world out there, and most folks will forget senate scandals and election fraud if they are promised more of their money.

  7. Ryan Spinney says:

    The Tories haven’t decriminalize or legalize anything, they’re basically recognized what police are already doing, giving fines instead of jail time for minor offences.

  8. Al says:

    Where is Warren’s BIG ANNOUNCEMENT that he keeps promising? Two false starts, and no follow-up.

    Is it related to Putin? Has Daisy been appointed Putin’s official spokesperson and Comms agency in Canada ????

  9. dave says:

    By the way, my Liberal acquaintances, here’s one from a paranoid leftie.
    This morn on my radio I listened to Lyndon MacIntyre puffing the ‘Fifth Estate’ programme on CBC tv tonight.
    The programme will say that Mike Duffy lobbied for a long time, back a couple of dozen years or so, for a senate appointment.
    Then in 2008 he got hold of that tv tape of Stephane Dion struggling to understand an odd question from an interviewer in Halifax.
    Duffy ran the ‘struggling’ part on his news programme, and repeated it several times…5 days before the election.
    The ‘struggling’ was held against Dion.
    The Conservatives squeaked a minority in the election. (Sort of like the meddling by the upper echelon of RCMP in the 2006 election giving us a Conservative minority, rather than a Liberal minority).
    10 weeks after the election, Duffy appointed to the senate.
    MacIntyre was careful to say that their research did not find a connection between the two.

    But, from time ot time, people have wondered why the PMO treats Duffy the way that it does, asking, ‘What does Duffy have on Harper?’

    Ah, it is so much more fun to be a conspiracy nut.

  10. steve says:

    If you had mentioned the revival of the “your with the child molesters” warrant less search of everyone and everything you would have had a triple. Go to the OpenMedia web site and sign the petition. Last time when Vic lead the charge it took 120,000 signatures. With airshow at the wheel it might take more because he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

    BTW I did not post a link because when I do my comments go into the web cache for some reason.

  11. dave says:

    Gomery report, best reason to never trust your tax dollars to Liberals. Nothing to do with drugs. Economy people, economy.

  12. Lance says:

    Disgusting bit of patronage, Toews being appointed to the bench.

    Liberal, Conservative……..when does it ever end?

    • davie says:

      Political parties have control of way to much in our communities. The new election bill in the House of Commons gives even more control of our electoral system than they already have

  13. Sally Johnson says:

    Perhaps the crux of the problem:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/opinion/londons-laundry-business.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0

    Thank you for caring dear friend of Ukraine and freedom.

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