Le Ransom
link Bloc tells Harper to pay up or face voters.
How refreshing in this day and age of euphemisms and mealy mouthed references that we have a politician who is prepared to be absolutely candid. Most people will agree with the refrain that honesty is what we want to see in people running for political office. Of course this would go against traditions going back thousands of years encompassing scores of nations. Expecting honesty in politics would be as realistic as depending on Al Gore for the weather forecast.
Saying one thing to get elected and then doing the opposite when in office doesn’t even register on the meter of gauging political honesty. That’s for amateurs and newbies. Those people are still on their political training wheels. No, the really brazen ones implement policy and then describe it as exactly the opposite of what it is even when it’s patently obvious that it’s a big fib. Just as a random example, we can point to a certain nation that has run up the largest deficit in the history of the world and somehow, it’s portrayed as the most fiscally responsible government ever. The same administration advertises that they are reducing taxes for the public, while pushing for tax increases and expanding expensive entitlements. One of the best ones is claiming to push for jobs in the private sector, while actually shovelling money at growing and entrenching the public sector through union payouts and cumbersome and invasive agencies. As portrayed in a previous post, it is the brazen technique of nailing a dead parrot to a perch and then claim that it’s sleeping.
So for Gilles Duceppe, the Quebec based leader of the Blockhead Quebecois to brazenly state just what he wants is a refreshing bit of candor. Gives us money or else. That is the platform. How elegantly simple. For centuries, the argument for money to be wheel-barrowed into Quebec was justified by the rationale of maintaining culture, of recognizing the importance of a founding people. The distribution of seats in the federal government was long ago designed so that Quebec would have a dominant say in federal affairs. This of course has led to a string of Prime Ministers with the french connection who have essentially monopolized that office for the past 5 generations. Now, with one of the few effective leaders ever hailing from the West in Stephen Harper, the mafia like reach of Quebec is exerting their influence once again.
Now, they don’t even veil their demands in the righteous cause of culture preservation, it’s just cash. It’s ironic that in France, the home of french culture, the institutions and traditions there are being chipped away by immigration, globalization and common sense. In fact, I was informed by a Quebecois gentleman named Sylvain, that nowadays in France, they don’t call a traditional breakfast fruit, pamplemouse anymore, they call it le grapefruit! So this has little to do with preserving cultural integrity, but more to do with getting a bigger piece of le tarte, par d’extorsion de fonds if necessary. But at least he’s honest about it. I’m reminded of a picture sent to me a while ago in which a hobo is holding up a sign which stated ” need money for beer” and underneath it in smaller type, it read “hey, why lie!” Plus ca change, plus ca meme.