tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post3756349894707183330..comments2024-03-28T19:18:40.387-04:00Comments on Northern Reflections: It's More Than The EconomyOwen Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-59385304171213784782011-11-12T15:21:45.904-05:002011-11-12T15:21:45.904-05:00Your last sentence gets directly to the point. The...Your last sentence gets directly to the point. The right's policy positions really can't with stand thorough scrutiny.<br /><br />But debate is not what they crave. What they want is a state which stands for a particular set of religious principles. <br /><br />Jefferson, Adams and Munroe knew that such a path was fraught with danger.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-51929759147793677172011-11-12T14:40:08.920-05:002011-11-12T14:40:08.920-05:00If voters in Mississippi had defeated simply a law...If voters in Mississippi had defeated simply a law declaring abortion illegal, by a 3 to 2 margin, then I would be happy. But that's not what the vote was on. The vote was on creating the legal person for a fertilized human egg. <br /><br />The voters that voted in favour are so incredibly deluded or incredibly insane that it stuns the mind. Do they have not even the slightest idea of the repercussions of legal personhood? It's not simply "something that will prevent evil abortions". "Person" isn't just some colloquial term for a real human being or a PC-term to replace "man" (legal personhood predates women being "persons" f.ex). It's a specific legal concept found throughout the entire body of law. I doubt even the republicans bothered to find out what a vote of yes would really have done. At best it would have tied up SCOTUS until it was overturned for being unconstitutional.<br /><br />They just wanted a crazy idea out there, claim it for the right, and move the Overton window. Move the public discourse over to the right, and move the right discourse over to the insane, and claim victory because you have a block of voters that will vote how you tell them without thinking about what they're voting for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-39732681130776492602011-11-10T20:42:34.587-05:002011-11-10T20:42:34.587-05:00It's really interesting, Philip, that this rej...It's really interesting, Philip, that this rejection of hard right legislation is occurring across the U.S., and is not limited to one state or region.<br /><br />Despite all of the noise from Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, perhaps people have simply had enough.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-68841245073202772982011-11-10T16:51:33.866-05:002011-11-10T16:51:33.866-05:00Republicans in the US, like to think they represen...Republicans in the US, like to think they represent the core values of the majority of Americans. They are fooling themselves. Very radical right types have taken over the party. This last weeks defeat of Republican backed positions should tell them something, although they are not good listeners. You could have also mentioned the recall vote of the author of the draconian immigration legislation in Arizona and the defeat of the Maine governments effort to do away with election day registration.Tossing Pebbles in the Streamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04354065895900279070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-59692267727682773922011-11-10T12:52:39.749-05:002011-11-10T12:52:39.749-05:00The results in the States are heartening, ck. What...The results in the States are heartening, ck. What's disheartening is that often there is a ten year lag between us and them. <br /><br />If that pattern holds, we're going to have to live with Mr. Harper for a long time.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-91211452636435157182011-11-10T11:24:22.855-05:002011-11-10T11:24:22.855-05:00It's nice to see that Americans, slowly, but s...It's nice to see that Americans, slowly, but surely, are wising up. Too bad I can't say the same for Canadians, who are retreating backwards, thinking Steve Harper is just, oh so dreamy!<br /><br />While folks in Ohio recently put the breaks on union busting by the Republicans, here, in Canada, union busting is high on the menu of many Canadians. How often have I heard naive statements like "We don't need unions, now that we have labour standards?" Naive, because labour standards are being clawed back, here in Canada. Also, once unions are neutered, who and what do they think the Cons will go after next? Of course, it'll be non-unionized workers. <br /><br />Other nasty comments we hear from Canadians are things like "time to break the backs of unions". <br /><br />Folks are also gung ho about the new Omnibus crime bill. They honestly believe that locking everyone up will keep them safe. When one tells them that even Texas Conservatives are realizing those very dumb on crime measures don't work, either they can't say anything or those who are bolder say that perhaps Texas just wasn't tough enough. Or worse yet, they'll find something to say that dumb on crime works. <br /><br />As for pushing through bills with time allocation, well, sadly, Canadians don't understand parliamentary procedure or democracy. Ergo, they dont' care. <br /><br />They still have an arrogant complacency that things are going just peachy keen for Canada, thanks to their saviour Harper. Worse, many think we should be on our knees thanking the lord we have a prime minister like Harper. <br /><br />I wonder what it will take for them to wake up? When it's too late, I fear.ckhttp://sistersagesmusings.canoreply@blogger.com