As IF Times

link Japan warns of extreme nationalism in China row.

What images pop into our heads when we see the word ‘extreme’ used to describe the players in any political conflict?  Are we talking fist pumping, belligerently chanting mobs or are we talking skirmishes amongst meek bureaucrats with bad comb-overs?  We hear this word applied to so many things today, it loses any meaning at all.  It’s like new and improved or hypo-allergenic, the label is useless.  Over the past year or so, the ‘extreme’ description has been particularly worn out in the political world.  For instance, it’s the standard label that’s employed  by liberals when characterizing conservatives.  The criticism of recently elected Republican candidates sponsored by the Tea Party in state primaries relied heavily on the depiction of  extreme.  What does that even mean?

If we’re talking about law and order and the candidate proposes lopping off the hands of thieves, of stoning adulterers, of caning miscreants, well I guess that could qualify as extreme.   If this same candidate proposes that certain social norms be adopted such as head to toe coverage by a drop cloth for all women, or the prohibition by women to drive, the banning of women from schooling or to be seen in daylight, well, some may think that’s extreme also.

Recently, Noam Chomsky, a notorious lefty who thinks that white lines on a black road constitutes racism, expressed his views on the rise of the ‘extreme’ right in America.  http://progreso-weekly.com/2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1597:chomsky-warns-of-the-rise-of-the-extreme-right-in-the-us&catid=37:neighbors-to-the-south&Itemid=56

Our man apparently thinks that the opposition by the masses to wrongheaded and damaging government policies is extremism.  Of course, in the eyes of such as Chomsky, the very idea of having elections as a means of political expression is extreme.  It would be much more expedient to have the rulers issue dictates to the mouth breathing hoi polloi. 

Of course, it’s hard to argue the extreme positions of most conservative candidates for office.  They make easy targets with their deluded notions of self reliance and hard work: of balancing income column A with spending column B and of decreasing the influence of government in peoples’ daily lives.  There are even some conservatives that think laws should not be enforced according to race or ethnicity.  That’s just crazy talkin’!  Surely this is the beginnings of a new Weimar Republic.

Rand Paul, the republican candidate for Kentucky was labelled an extremist for this comment in reference to coal mining in some hills in part of that state,

“…I don´t think anybody will be missing a hill or two here and there…”

This of course is vinegar in the eyes of the environmentalists and so the Sierra Club”s Cathy Duvall, responded thusly,

“…We are working to get the word out that we can’t let these extremists run our government…”

And he probably doesn’t recycle either.

In California, the green nuts have curtailed the flow of water into one of the most fertile parts of that state, endangering people via reduced crop yields and bankruptcy of the farmers because of a small fish called the delta smelt.  It’s possible that allowing fish to take precedence over people may be seen by some as extreme, but I haven’t heard any dare to use that word here.

For the enlightenment of all conservatives, I wouldn’t be too worried about being labelled an extremist especially if it came from liberals.  I’d be more worried that they labelled you a moderate.

link Liberals have ‘internal issues’ to tackle: Ignatieff.

Something fun to write about in Canada for once.  This story illustrates the kind of game playing that politics has evolved into on both sides of the border.  Rather than genuinely deal with issues that may affect the people who voted them in, politicians plot at every opportunity to pounce on some event which would give them procedural advantage to take power.

According to dictionary.com, there are a number of descriptions for politics:

1.  the science or art of political government

2. use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control…

In addition, there is to play politics which means:  to deal with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way, as for job advancement.  No normal person cares about politics per se. To most, it’s just a bunch of lawyers playing slappy slap among themselves.  Occasionally they posture in mock indignation about some issue which if nothing else, is great theatre.  Politics is most interesting when we observe how we’re being sold something we didn’t even know we needed.  Global warming legislation and related taxes is a good example of this.  If you think politicians are in it for altruistic reasons, have a look at who supports the next particular piece of legislation.  Someone always benefits…and it’s seldom Joe or Josephine citizen. 

How apt for what we’re seeing today in governments at all levels but particularly at the national levels.   In our case, the aspirant Prime Minister Ignatieff finds himself not able to corral the gang in his own party to manipulate the ruling Conservative party into  appearing out of touch with the electorate.  Like the democrats in the U.S., the Liberals in Canada wanted to isolate and paint the opposition as socially out of step on issues surrounding health and abortion. 

To his shock, members of Ignatieff’s own party did not support this tactic: