It's pretty pathetic to hear Harper use the "thugs" to justify the security expenditure. Equally sad, the PMO with its strategic outrage, as though ALL of this wasn't entirely expected. Truth of the matter, every piece of broken glass, every burnt out vehicle, every arrest, every financial impact to businesses, every single bit of ugly imagery rests with this government.
You didn't have to be a genius to KNOW that hosting an event, in the most INHOSPITABLE security location IMAGINABLE would bring these type of results. Everybody knew that violent protesters would mar proceedings, and the upheaval would overshadow whatever "benefits" argued. Everybody knows, because past examples are endless, as predictable as the sun rising in the east.
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of travelling through Alberta's Kananaskis Country. Why is that relevant? Because, that is where the last G8, hosted by Canada was held- a remote, isolated location, chosen preciously with "thugs" in mind. One road in and out, nestled in the mountains, pristine, "showcasing" Canada, but above all secure and easily dealt with from a security standpoint. That G8 was held in the aftermath of 9/11, and yet security costs came in around 1/5 of this mess, with far less damaging scenery.
This weekend was the culmination of irresponsible planning and complete amateurism. Close your eyes, and you'll never imagine a WORSE venue in this country to hold such an event. That the Harper government signed off and PROMOTED downtown Toronto represents the height of incompetence. Even if one is being kind, and considering the added G20 hosting, you are still left with a horrible decision to choose this particular site. Ask a thousand security experts, I'll bet this location ranks NUMBER ONE as least desirable.
Dmitri Soudas in a lather, Harper casting scorn on protesters, GIVE ME A BREAK. This is your doing Harper government, you don't get to deflect blame onto others, because YOU provided the OPTIMAL playground. There was ZERO showcasing, no upside, nada, nothing, only a tarnished legacy and displaced people and businesses. A farce, and half a clue predictable at that.
19 comments:
back Steve. Great post and so very true but the Reformer Con supporters are too blinded by brain washing to even wonder for themselves.
Why Toronto especially when they did not want it there a in the first place. I hope that Toronto citizens will punish them severely at the polls.
Hope you had a great vacation.
OOps, should have read Welcome back Steve.
I note NP is trying to argue these events are great for world leaders to meet face to face. That stuff misses the point completely, it's WHERE they met.
Thx :)
Location location location... or bad location
Completely agree with your post.
All the goodwill the police had yesterday has completely gone away now with their stupidity at Queen and Spadina
This was all deliberate on the part of the master tactician, Steve, hisself.
He got the desired result. Read over at my place, Dammit Janet's, Fillibluster's and Creative Revolution.
Agents provocateurs
Here's a powerful bit of footage, protesters singing O Canada while police stand guard over them, and when the song is done, the police open fire and charge the protesters.
See it before it disappears, help it go viral.
http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DHeb9BXjYcII%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded%26has_verified%3D1
Who in the PMO gave such insistence that this should be held in Toronto, because the Mayor told them not to go there and so did a councillor, and more than once......Security people have said it would be a nightmare, and it should have stayed up with the G8.
Gee Steve you sure do know how to make an entrance. I hope when I return from my trip to Alberta in August it will a LOT less dramatic.
Check out a journalist - or punk depending on your political point of view get beaten. Note this shows what looks like OPP arm flashes, same organization who several years ago broke heads in the same park.
http://vimeo.com/12883752
This last 36 hours has shocked & sickened me, the punks, the police, and some comments (both right & left) have left me wondering what has happened to this country?
annie
Bingo. That gets lost in the shuffle, but people warned the Cons not to hold it there, even when Toronto was given no choice, alternate sites were recommended. This is the classic case of the Cons plowing ahead, IGNORING experts and input, and just basically moving ahead with single minded zeal.
I'm not shocked by any of it, in fact I expected a complete and utter clusterfuck.
McGuinty is not blameless, either. I fear the end of his majority: +NDP = -LPO = +PC
Great Post,
I can`t believe there are still conservative supporters refusing to admit that this was a colossal mistake on Harper`s part, instead arguing that the actions of a few violent agitators legitimized the security expenditure - which was over 3 times greater than the next most expensive.
It`s strange that conservatism has become so much about obedience to authority (well conservative authority) that they can`t even see when their own leaders are screwing them.
Slinger, the strangest thing is that they think they are libertarians. Thewy thinkl that once they gut government they'll be free, I think the We Say So Corporation will have something to say bout that.
It all STINKS !! I do believe there were agent provocators in the play ... lots of the details are unexplainable.
have You seen any " Black bloc "
person was confronted by Police??
I wondwer how many was actually detained ??
The Dear Leader is the greatest manipulator.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be hosting next year's meeting, and I have no doubt he will stay true to his word and France will host this meeting at 1/10th of Harper's pricetag.
And that bullshit that Harper and the PMO spewed about the 'thugs' legitimizing the $1.4 billion for security? Our homegrown semi-professional anarchists are amateurs compared to France.
Remember, these are a people who got so ticked they ended up beheading their entire nobility, and they celebrate the bloodshed as a national holiday. A 'minor' French protest involves nationwide general strikes, marches with 250,000+ protesters, and at least 3 nights of rioting and widespread vandalism afterwards ...which makes TO's 4 burnt cop-cars look like a joke.
Regardless of Sarkozy having to dealt with real protests, I'm certain he will be successful ...just by NOT holding the meeting in Paris.
Next time Canada hosts the meeting in 8 years, hopefully the Grits are in power then. I say they should return the favour and hold the meeting in Calgary, preferably right in Harper's old riding.
...oh, welcome back Steve!
Is it up to 1.4 billion now?
Thx.
I've heard $1.4 billion and now up to 900 protesters total on the local radio noon newscast. Sorry I don't know where the pulled those figures from, I figure they're just parroting what CP sends them.
Oops, by that I meant 900 protesters arrested over the weekend.
Let's not forget how it's all about image for so-called leader Steve. No votes lost in greater TO, footage of masked protesters/some dumb vandals raises ire of core CON (along with a lot of other Canadians) supporters; case of backward logic leading to immoral conclusion (spending money necessary because of these)... Harper is nothing but calculating, and spending. That's another part of the big lie that his performance has been dutifully covering up, media eating up his 'tough stand' on deficits, all the while wallowing in the one he created (remember that $13B rainy day fund? Long gone, but don't ask the media...) Do we really need a new, tax-payer subsidized right-wing media channel when we have so many compliant mouthpieces already (nevermind rightwing radio, truly the monster under the bed)?
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