Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Turd Of The Day

Last time I checked, or lived "out there" for that matter, Alberta was PART of Canada. Speaking of living "out there", far as I could figure being an "Albertan" was pretty much defined by an us vs them mentality. I confess, I never could really quantify the "difference" between people in Alberta and say, the dreaded easterner. In other words, I found it all to be much fabrication, an imaginary boundary of divisions, fueled by narrow minded politic ans finding identity in creating teams. Call me naive, but as someone who has visited virtually all of Canada, including the north, I've always felt there is FAR more that unites us than divides, entirely disheartening to think of any province before the greater whole.

With this backdrop in mind, I found this turd of a column completely typical, completely caveman in its "provincial" attitude:
Meddling Dion got off lightly

For four long and glorious days Public Enemy No. 1 waltzes around Alberta.

He's allowed to promote his devious plan to suck $15 billion a year out of the country's "700 large final emitters" - a large number of whom form our hydrocarbon economy heartland.

And nobody lays a glove on him.

Meddling Dion? For cripes sake, the man is a Canadian, a national leader, how is it "meddling" to visit part of HIS country?? "He's allowed" to promote his devious plan, like a foreigner invading. I hate making generalizations, so take this as a partial opinion, but people like Neil Waugh represent the absolute WORST, and sadly it is people like him that are "allowed" to spread their nonsense to a fairly receptive audience.

Stephane Dion can tour Alberta for as long as he wants, it's HIS country. Anybody who wants to deal with GHG emissions is targeting Alberta, just like anybody who wants to deal with decreasing salmon stocks is targeting British Columbia, just like anybody that is targeting gun violence is targeting Ontario. Don't come into my backyard and preach your plan, it's your fault that 40% of the problem orginates here, back off buddy, who do you think you are? What an affront that a Canadian tours Canada pumping his ideas.

Wouldn't it be nice, if one day, Canadians could shed their insecurities and regional NARROWISM, coming to realize that there is a strange irony in watching the world get smaller, while we cling to our false perceptions based on nothing more than distance and stupid lines. Small people in a big country, surely we can do better.

13 comments:

ottlib said...

I have found that most modern Conservatives seem to have a persecution complex. An us-vs-them attitude.

It would seem a large segment of "the West" particularly a significant segment of Alberta shares that complex.

Perhaps that is the underlying reason why the Conservatives seem to own the vote in that province at both the provincial and federal level.

But as you say Steve, how dare Mr. Dion, a man who would be Prime Minister, tour a part of the country he may be governing in a few months?

What chutzpah!!!

Steve V said...

I actually get part of the alienation sentiment, but much of that inbalance is historical now, I'd rather look forward that use crutches from the past to find some pseudo identity.

Anonymous said...

If you want to talk about regional alienation, the area which many feel this sentiment the most is Newfoundland. Not Alberta, nor Quebec.

Mark my words. Stephen Harper will be responsible for the emergence of Newfoundland nationalism. Nothing wrong with that in this regard, hoser.

Anonymous said...

The most telling part of the quote is "And nobody lays a glove on him." This is what's really bothering him: Dion did the courageous thing and got grudging respect for it.

Anonymous said...

I have found that most modern Conservatives seem to have a persecution complex. An us-vs-them attitude.

And I find that most liberals want to get enough people in our democracy together to vote to steal the rest of the peoples money and get them into power. All the while telling everyone that it is good for them.

ottlib said...

anonymous 9:54pm

Thank you for proving my point.

Jeff said...

good post steve. as long as we have a PM bent upon neutering the federal govt, it will only get worse.

let's hope his days are numbered.

Frankly Canadian said...

I made this comment on Garth's latest blog and it kind of fits here as well. It speaks to the media's so called journalism in Alberta.
I can not believe my eyes that a reputable ,or what used to be when I lived in Alberta for twenty five years was, is reporting as news. To have such slanderous words towards easterners and Ontarians, and who ever else who can not be as prosperous by hard work and grit. What gets me is the attitude that Alberta is where it is solely by pulling up the boot straps, by no help from anyone else. I seem to remember when I lived there that Mr. Chretien was the one who launched a huge developmental grant to get things really rolling in the tar sands. Also another thing that gets me about the whole attitude out there is that when king Ralph Klein was elected he demolished hospitals and cut wages from teachers, police, firemen, and all other civil servants, only to pay for programs that helped the businesses. I have been to Calgary lately and what a third world province, the roads are all still the same congested grid lock system, and if you need to go to a hospital wow it's crazy the wait times, and the main thing is people are just so darn busy with themselves the compassion and friendliness seems to have left the city. You couldn't pay me enough to live in that province again, similar to you couldn't pay me enough to destroy the planet the way Albertan's are doing now. The real question is how did we get so divided on our views(east vs. west). I know their has always been friction and debate to some degree, however with this type of journalism by The Calgary Herald, is producing a whole new type of division, what next, will these journalist consider Alberta to be a unique society.
That was the comment I made earlier tonight, however your statement that their is more that unites us than separates us is what it means to be Canadian. The freedom to differ to debate heck even to hold referendums, your spot on for this one Steve, we can do better.

Gayle said...

Neil Waugh is an idiot and is not taken seriously by anyone who does not already agree with him. (He also writes the hunting/fishing column for the Sun)

He used to have a place of honour at Klein's media conferences and then they would meet up later at "Martini's" on 109 Street across from the Legislature to drink beer and talk about stupid liberals.

For a slightly different take on Dion, here is the editorial in today's Journal

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=0f68d6ee-385c-465b-b227-84e5899bf30c

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... $4 billion on carbon capture and storage, and public transit to remove 1 million cars from Alberta's roads.

Another $2 Billion dollar fund for future public transit by 2020...

Yep, Alberta has just made the single largest investment into global warming and the environment in the history of the country, but we are still bastards eh?

At least we Albertans as tax payers can see where our money goes. Not watch it drift off to Federal coffers and the oblivion of a Liberal run natinal program.

"Liberal" and "Functional National Program"... there's two words that pose a dicotomy.

JimBobby said...

Whooee! Hey Joe Calgary, good work on AB's part. I just gave Cherniak a bit of whatfor when he was holding up Albertans as environmental miscreants.

How do Albertans feel about Harper reviving the NEP so he can give $850 million to Nova Scotia for NOT drilling? You guys worked hard to squeeze that money out of sand. Now, Harper's giving it away to those layabout defeatists down east. Does Harper represent the west? Or does he represent Canada?

How do Albertans feel about Harper's cap-and-trade proposal that will have high emitters (AB and SK) paying low emitters (ON and QC)? A tax shift at least gives back part of the money collected from AB. Cap-and-trade has no offsetting money coming back to AB. Do Albertans favour the one-way wealth transfer proposed by Harper or would they rather get a portion of what they shell out given back to them?

BTW, doing nothing is not an option proposed by anyone except maybe the Alien Albert Separatist Party.

JB

Anonymous said...

Alberta haws had an industrial carbon tax for more than a year of $15 tonne AND has carbon cap and trade within Alberta.

The fund from the carbon tax is now in the millions and this money will be used for environmental research and initiatives.

We don't need or want a national program to clean up our own backyard. Alberta is already doing more than any other province and in fact Calgary was awarded the honour of being the most environmentally sustainable major city in the world.

How about focussing on your own smog in eastern cities - we NEVER have a smog day here.

Steve V said...

"Alberta haws had an industrial carbon tax for more than a year of $15 tonne "

Why all the fuss then??

I agree, Calgary has done an excellent job. I also like what Okotoks has done, there are plenty of great examples of Alberta leading the way.

"How about focussing on your own smog in eastern cities - we NEVER have a smog day here."

Last time I checked, this isn't about just "smog". That said, it's not like this shouldn't be a focus.