Way more fun than "Deal" or "5th Grader"

Howie Mandel (a joint Canadian / US citizen) and Jeff Foxworthy (a true blue American but a hero to all of us rednecks rich and poor around the world) must read the news like many of us, and both must be wondering, are we Canadian rednecks to have gotten into this game of brinksmanship? And how did we ever get to this -- a standoff between not the bourgeoise and the proletariat (which Marx and Engels predicted) but between two groups of rednecks? Both sides, quite frankly, are demonstrating a "glorious lack of sophistication," as Foxworthy calls it.

Or was this the Opposition's plan all along, just biding their time before striking like the Massasauga snake? You have to wonder.

That's the state of Canadian politics this Friday. And here's the latest:

It's being reported this afternoon that the Liberals will try for a takedown of the Conservatives after all. There also appears to be agreement that Dion would be a caretaker PM until the Liberals can hold a convention. Imagine that.

Meanwhile, in an act of chastisement, the government has apparently backed down slightly and will have the party financing issue dealt with in a separate motion. That's as it should be -- changes to election rules, as well as who runs the elections agency are traditionally done with all party support; and this was a case of changing the rules after the fact without opposition consent, an unwritten but well established constitutional convention.

That does not change the fact that the opposition parties have to get better at grassroots organizing and funding that would more than overcome whatever subsidies the parties do get. However, the heavy-handed way Harper wanted to deal with the Green Party which does not have seats in Parliament at all was totally unacceptable in my view. I do not believe this was about the Liberals, NDP or the Bloc -- it was about silencing what the Cons still believe is a fringe movement but which clearly has more and more public support. After all, they got 6.8% of the popular vote. Does that sound like a "fringe" party?

It is truly possible Harper hates Elizabeth May that much?

Still it doesn't mean the government should be saved. Its broadsided attack against federal civil servants as well as virtually no help for businesses, especially small business which creates the most jobs, should be an insult to most Canadians. Even those who would normally support the Conservative cause are saying the time to help is now and there is little to none.

Also, the fact that the party of "fiscal restraint" has been anything but. It has raised program spending by 25% while slashing revenues when all the winds were blowing to a huge worldwide meltdown. Does that sound like a prudent manager of the economy?

That's why the government has to be brought down. Responsible government should mean literally that, not just that it responds to the legislative branch.

****

While I welcome any possibility of getting the Cons out of government, there are two things that need to happen for me to support the idea of a coalition government fully.

First, we need definitively to move to a better election system. Whether that's single transferable vote or some form of PR the votes of Canadians need to start counting. Second, eliminating poverty among children and seniors must be our top priority. Whatever we do to get the economy back on track there will be no point unless the most vulnerable in our society can enjoy the new prosperity when it ultimately returns. A country with a trillion dollar GDP (one of only about a dozen in the world) should not have this kind of disgrace.

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