its funny reading the comments on political youtube vids the last few months...And today is no different.
I just watched a vid on why older folks are leaning to the left center and the younger gen is leaning right...off the table. Its pretty simple math though. The schools don't teach our kids to read or do simple math anymore but are instead in favour of blue ribbons. Schools don't get funded the way they used to so no surprise kids simple skills leave a lot to be desired, then add social media and what do you get the attention span of a knat, 30 sec or less. How did we get to this scary place? According to CUPE (in 2018 myth buster) Federal spending on PSE was half or less than in 1993. Remember the term "the dumbing of america" from the 80's...well here we are (have a look over our shoulder and the southern border for an era check).
I first voted to stop Mulroney and his free trade Nafta deal, in part because he just seemed to comfortable in his suit and tie, and he was telling me to pull up my socks. Well im no scholar, but the math he was "splaining" sounded, if you really listened, as though he was going to solve our problems by spreading our wealth, jobs and hopes across the americas (including mexico). Now thats all fine and good but that also required spreading the poverty from other places to here...maybe it wasn't poverty, maybe it was mismanagement or both. I'll leave that up to you to figure out, bought a home lately?
That brings me to today's news, that the con party leader Pierre held a rally last night in edmonton alberta that had a rough estimated crowd of 10k or more bodies (damn impressive as canadian politics go). It will be interesting to see how or if that turns into seats, but thats kinda beside the point i have no crystal ball. the vid I saw was discussing why the older gen was leaning center left and the youngsters were leaning to the right. commentors seemed baffled as to why this is...well Ill try to clear that up for you here. Firstly if you were there last night the white heir-ed guy (pun intended) that introduced Pierre, was non other than the infamous Stephen Harper whom brought you such hits as the record of 181days of prorogued parliament, the gutting of our veteran affairs offices (half or more across the country) I have no idea who he thought that would help, but don't think it did. That guy really made the country happy..not! But he wasn't done (these things may not be in the correct order but thats not he point). Some other gems Harper was responsible for were un-protecting 1200 waterways, firing civil servant scientists and researchers that kept us environmentally safe from things like the polly mine pond leak (at one time i made jewellery, cast gold and silver, nothing that came outta that tailings pond was good, in any way). That white haired old guy also did his best to erase some of our questionable history (his preverbial book burning). I remember reading about it but didn't think much of it until the research I was doing on a first nations chief suddenly disappeared...it was just gone and hasn't been seen since. if youre irritated now read on. After his various omnibus bills and proroguements...people were not happy. He tried to force a law to prevent protestors from picketing his office in Calgary (a group of people larger than 2 or was it 3, talking crap outside his riding office was to be a criminal offence) in the name of "making things better".
His con predecessor (mulroney) brought you "Nafta" (thinning out your wealth and wages and spreading the poverty), lets not forget the GST (which was a half percent more than the previous tax which folks voted him in to reduce) again, "making things better" for canadians. I will give credit to Harper for cutting the GST but it really only benefited the wealthy imo, as it didn't make me any better off. The younger gen don't know who the credit for their misery ought to go to...so how can you blame them for not knowing and falling in line with con catch phrases and the boy who never had a job or was it that he couldn't keep one??? doesn't matter unless youre going to lead a country of 30mil or so or does it. We parents could blame them but really its our fault (insert Dunning Kruger syndrome perspective here). I can still envision the image of Pierre out glad handing the Ottawa and carstairs Ab. protestors and that freedom parade to where???/ To where merica is today???? I'm sorry, but really? I don't think flaunting health regs, more cops, tax cut for investors, no more vaccines, the measels and ugly american style politics is a particularly wise position. Considering the cons for literally years, think and have said canada is broken...we have survived strikes, plagues, Freedom to fascism parades, and now tru...well, you know, the orange man...Sure JT had some dick-ish moments and made mistakes, but he got us here, and we didn't die or starve for the most part...we remained whole-ish until a few days ago.
Many years ago there was a pretty good guy named Jack Layton, he was the leader of the NDP and he was super "*issed" at all the none sense Harper was producing like it was a job. He almost won by taking a very aggressive stance and finished the election as the official opposition in 2011...Sadly he died and was replaced w a corp lawyer kinda guy, that tanked the party. Jag Sing, has done a great-ish/bad job of keeping the libs in check, "without" tipping the apple cart, unfortunately they spent to much time doing that job to put together a road map to a more progressive and prosperous canada. Sadly we here "in the great white north" still have issues with "the other" (especially on the prairies) so the likely hood of a guy sporting a badge (of his choice of god) everywhere he goes (and being brown probably) doesn't help...but that doesn't mean he couldn't win, it just means itll be harder. I thought they did a great job of torching the libs feet, although turning the heat up might have helped things to move a bit faster and farther.
Now the Libs, yes they kinda sucked and were bad at a few things. They did a crap job dealing with Harpers unfinished biz, a bit of their own and took a beating for it and still, managed sunny ways to a degree, I'm still waiting on election reform though. With great bitterness and displeasure I'll almost quote Mr. Harper, Marc Carney is the right man for this financial-esq job right now. Now Mr. Harper said that a life time ago, but again Mr. Carney is the right man for where canada is today. Ya he's older, and from the prairies and still, I really don't think he'd screw us in the present. He's got $$$ and is also suffering at the hands of "dare I say his name". Sure he's finance guy (which ya is kinda scary) but he's no school boy with no real tangible work experience, like one of the aforementioned leaders...He solved/navigated the financial task at hand for britain recently, and 20ish yrs ago for canada so he well skilled to do it again, only with even more experience than before.
Preston Manning, Stephan Harper and Pierre have and always will stand and sing the same songs with the idea's and likes of merica's great "Pumpkin King (yes when someone threatens to boot F my door I think im allowed to be petty like that).... We need progressive not regressive...I'll take Heir Harper at his word the first time, Mr. Carny is the right man for the job (hes a money guy with a proven track record). oh lest we forget, the cons sold off Petro Canada bringing us higher gas prices, which was good for us right?...then 20yrs later right after he's elected prem on a recind the carbon tax platform, Kenny says the Fed carbon tax really is the best option consider whats at stake (only said it once on cam and it was the day after he'd won)...Pierre picked it up, spun it, and ran to the freedom to be a fascist parade and anywhere else folks would have him.
