Boxing Day Round Up
Starting with that old favorite “Mamma don’t let your babies grow up to be politicians”
Canadians think politicians don’t get along well, that they’ve accomplished little in the past year, and few would want their kids to grow up to be one.
In a move that the bunker is really curious as to how Stephen Harpers base is gonna put a supportive spin on:
Canadian military faces $190 million in cutbacks
All three arms of service will be affected to help pay for defence strategy amid federal deficit
A few days ago when Flaherty came out with his “we’re gonna dig out the axe and we’re gonna cut deep” I saw a couple of Conservative sites with comments like ‘he’d better keep his hands off the military‘ – I’ll be watching those same sites to see what they say they’ll do now…… as well as suggesting that withholding their vote in the next general election might be a good place to start.
– and last, but certainly not least, a survey in Britain says that 93% of them don’t have church in their Christmas plans – this is, of course, blamed by some on political correctness. According to one columnist:
…….political correctness is the reason for the low attendance figures.
She said: “Political correctness is surpressing Christianity. You can no longer say what you think because you be accused of offending other faiths.
The same person also said
“If you’re not going to church on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day then why are you celebrating Christmas?
“What does Christmas mean if you are not going to church?”
Let me be the first to start a list to help her out with that:
- family
- friends
- children
- good food (with friends and family)
- good drink (with friends and family)
The bunker is given to wonder if somewhere back in history unhappy Romans were heard to mutter, “if you don’t trade places with your slaves on Saturnalia why are you celebrating anything!!”
I wonder how much they spent on their advertising campaign this year – even though there wasn’t an election.
And Jesus was born in a stable, not a church. But it’s not like we go to the hospital to celebrate each other’s birthdays, either. Are these bloggers all… really old, by any chance?
“Who let all these brown people into the country?” “Where am I?” “Why is everyone so rude?”
Politicians are like music – the greatest politicians/musicians are old, and we usually curse 98% of todays politicians/music as dumb, uninspiring, or lazy. As long as a politician/musician can wake up every morning and look themselves in the mirror, they should keep doing what they’re doing.
I consider seeking elected office to be honourable and respectable (within reason – as with any endeavor, there are some people who should never, ever even consider it). I am always bemused when I hear folks say “They’re all a bunch of crooks anyways”. My own uncle, at a dinner last week muttered that exact phrase when I mentioned Harper might prorogue Parliament. I wanted to ask my uncle a few things:
-did you vote? (I know he did)
-who did you vote for? (I know who he voted for – or more generally I know he voted blue)
-why’d you vote if they’re all crooks? (durrrrrrr)
-do you pay taxes? (of course he does!)
-should our politicians be held accountable? (of course they should!)
-do you think attempts to evade accountability and avoid scrutiny by the people elected to hold you accountable and scrutinize your actions are acceptable? (of COURSE not)
-so why just dismiss them all as just crooks rather than have an intelligent discussion about this particular political issue? [include reminder that I know he voted blue last time around]…………..(durrrrrr)
Alas, I didn’t ask him these things (but I have included his answers in the brackets regardless……I know my uncle). It was a Christmas dinner and I know better (it came out in conversation with my dad, that’s usually what we talk about when we talk).
That’s generally how it goes with most people. You’ve all been there (any reader of stageleft is better informed than the average economic cog), and know what I’m talking about. I ask myself (and anyone who I think might be able to give me a good answer) if it’s a bad thing to WANT to seek elected office. If so many folks think so little of ‘politicians’, why do they keep voting for them? Does seeking elected office automatically make one a ‘politician’?
What is a ‘politician’? One who engages in political dialogue? One who makes policy? One who is elected to office? One who plays a particular political game? One who leads? One who take orders from ‘leaders’? One who votes on legislation? One who kisses strangers’ babies?
Is it possible to seek elected office and not be a ‘politician’? Is it possible to hold political views, seek elected office, and not be ‘politician’? (at least not in ‘that way’?).
I am often told IRL I am an arrogant SOB. I can live with that. I am also often told by people that they would vote for me. I can live with that. Is that what makes someone a ‘politician’?
As we’ve discussed before, I believe that many politicians start out with high ideals and a sincere desire to do something for the people they represent – then they get elected and discover that they have become not the representatives of the people who elected them but pawns. They start selling little pieces of their ideals and plans to be included in this committee or that commission, or to have a word in someone’s ear about some other thing…. all with the intent of doing good things of course….and the system gobbles them up.
I concur SL. But is this a universal phenomenon?
Not all are gobbled up Throbbin but, unfortunately, they appear to represent the exception as opposed to the rule.
Happy New Year SL, Balb, and everyone else!