Sunday, April 15, 2012

Wildrose: Noxious Weed

In the most obvious of ways, whatever Albertans decide is really none of my business, that's the way our federation works. That said, the potential victory of the Wildrose will have ramifications for the entire country, in my view contributing to and exasperating regional tensions in a wholly unproductive way. A supposedly progressive campaign between two highly intelligent woman has really devolved into a superficial personality contest, content replaced by simplistic sales jobs, if this is "change" consider me unimpressed, populism has seen better days.

Again I have no say in how people choose their own direction, but that doesn't disqualify from somewhat informed commentary. Having been exposed to certain tendencies in Alberta, I've always found the over cooked "pride" an almost admission of insecurity. My view, when truly arrived, one doesn't have to continually pat themselves on the back, needlessly pick fights to contrast and rally, a true swagger just is, it doesn't require continual projection and reaffirmation that requires a "them". I see a Redford stressing the relationship with the rest of Canada, she strikes me as "statesman" in approach, sophisticated enough to understand how to work within a team concept. On the other hand, Wildrose seems to be thrive on uber-provincialism, reminiscent of other "firewall" manifestations and all the bullshit narratives that narrow view exploits.

How Alberta deals with the oilsands will be a paramount consideration moving forward, all sides can agree on this reality and much of the subsequent debates during this campaign find their nexus in the sand. And yet, here we are on the cusp of having climate change sceptics manage the store?? Flanagan thinks it's all sun spots, Smith thinks there is a fierce scientific debate about warming, I'm not in the mood to be kind, this party reeks of backwater nonsense that hasn't even evolved to accept the most basic of premises, I actually think KOOKY applicable. Imagine moving forward on the environment in Alberta when people question if you are actually convinced there is a problem? The international optics will be dreadful and the inter-provincial tensions will bulge, I for on will have ZERO confidence in anything coming out of Edmonton. A recent report confirms other provinces doing the heavy lifting to offset oilsands emissions, which is fine, "overall" is important, but only if a sense we truly are in this together. There will be no together with Wildrose, what there will be is needless friction and frankly alarming perceptions. The Canadian Sarah Palin isn't exactly a welcome advancement from where I sit, but since part of the SELLING narrative is "who cares what anyone else thinks" anyways, a certain symmetry.

The world is a very simple place in Wildrose land, the solutions are easy, the goodies slick, the presentation disarming and pleasant. I see something else beyond the hoopla, something which will amplify threats to the federation, something which will return us to abrasive relationships at a very critical time, something that will contribute to regional drift and narrow realities, something which will make Canada a little more of a farce than is already it today. But, what do I know and who cares anyways right.

22 comments:

Dave Brodbeck said...

"this party reeks of backwater nonsense that hasn't even evolved to accept the most basic of premises..." You work under the assumption that they accept evolution....

Steve V said...

Sadly, fair point.

JimmE said...

This: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-tennessee-climate-law-20120411,0,665705.story may seem unrelated, but it is not. While Not For Profits can't engage in political or lobby efforts, foreign corporations can funnel money from anywhere and alter the political landscape.

Shiner said...

The sad thing is that the "us vs. them" mentality doesn't fade away after an election. I have little doubt a Wildrose win will just result in another Alberta dynasty. An electoral win doesn't, and shouldn't, mean that everyone rallies around the winner defensively but I don't doubt that's exactly what will happen after the Alberta election. Suddenly the Wildrose menu of stupidity becomes the pool of ideas for "true" Albertans, ammunition for the never-ending one-sided war against evil Ontario and Quebec. It's already started, the way Albertan pundits have jumped to the cause of the Wildrose has been something to watch.

Omar said...

It is not surprising that a people who unconditionally and overwhelming support the rank amateurism and buffoonery of the Harper regime would embrace this particular provincial sideshow. If Wildrose does win power then I think we can all safely say that the inmates have truly taken over the asylum.

Steve V said...

I believe you are right Shiner.

Anonymous said...

Seeing as how, Harper is permitting China to buy up the tar sands.

Seeing how Harper is allowing China to bring their own people over here, to work their huge tar sands projects.

Also, how China is bringing, thousands upon thousands of their own people to build the Enbridge pipeline.

China does not want Canada, to refine the dirty oil. China pays their people, starvation wages, and child laborers pennies a day.

They will refine the oil in Canada, by one of their own company's, or Harper may give China a Canadian refinery. China may take the dirty tar to China, and refine in their own country.

I hope the people of Alberta wake-up, what is going to happen to them too.

Herr Harper favorite henchman, Gordon Campbell thieved and sold BC's assets and resources. He shipped BC mills to China, as well as our raw logs. This put 131,000, BC mill people out of jobs. China also owns BC mines. They are bringing their own people, to work those too.

Do people now realize what Fadden of CSIS warned??? China is making huge inroads into Canada. Seems he is exactly right. Campbell handed BC to China, will all BC's vast resources. Harper is handing Canada to China, on a silver platter.

China owns our resources, and our jobs. And, people are sleeping right through, this treason of Harper and Campbell's.

Who benefits the most from the tar oil?/ The giant oil company's, Harper, and to a lesser degree Alberta.

Harper is no Conservative. He is a Neo-Nazi Reformer, of his Northern Foundation Party, from 1989. The skinheads organized, Harper's evil dictatorship party.

Welcome to Fascist, Dictatorship Canada.

sharonapple88 said...

Well, the first minister conferences should be interesting with Smith in it. I suspect Smith and Harper should have a good relationship.

Steve V said...

We don't have First Ministers Conferences anymore remember ;)

Anonymous said...

People deride this province.....yet they keep moving here. It's not really just Abertans voting....many voters here from across the country are voting as well. Why would I consider voting NDP when the candidate doesn't have the decency to even come to my riding? Why should I vote Liberal when they aren't even running a candidate in my riding? How is this the fault of the Alberta voter?

weeble said...

Your conversation and comments are highly relevant to our federal government. Many of the policies that the government is putting forward are set in Alberta and follow their agenda.
The new 1-stop environmental process is all about making it easier for Alberta. But Harper knows where his votes lie and will continue on this path. The fact is that the Wildrose party speaks to him, its leader followed his path and would set in place a strong united front for future generations.
Its scary when AB cannot even approach the centre...and even scarier when I hope that the Conservatives are elected....oh my, what has the world come to.

sunsin said...

"yet they keep moving here"

So do the maggots in a rotting corpse.

And like maggots, they live and prosper off the death of something else. Unlike maggots, they aren't part of a natural system that will give them a regular supply of dead matter.

Perhaps we'd better just recognize the First Nations claim to ownership of all subsurface resources, perhaps in return for the right to impose a modest tax on revenues. That would finish the Alberta problem for good and all, and the natives couldn't possibly misuse the money more grossly or mess up the environment worse.

Steve V said...

Way

People keeping moving there because it's a fantastic place to live, lets not confuse what I'm saying here.

sharonapple88 said...

We don't have First Ministers Conferences anymore remember ;)

Just checked -- the last one happened in 2008. Normally, (meaning in the previous three-four decades) they happened every 1-3 years.

Remember the time when Stephen Harper said he'd have a better relationship with the premiers than the Liberals did? Oh, those innocent days of 2005-2006.

Omar said...

.."because it's a fantastic place to live".

Perhaps I'll get my African-Nova Scotian brother-in-law to drop by and write up a comment attesting to what a wonderful place Alberta (Edmonton) is/was to live. Because for him and his Canadian/Venezuelan/Chinese girlfriend (she looks very Native) it wasn't such a grand experience. The racism those two endured, both overt and the more subtle variety, makes me wonder just how they managed to last the almost two years they did out there before they came home. There are big problems out in that part of the country when it comes to tolerance and I for one am not terribly shy about voicing my opinion about it.

Steve V said...

Sadly, what you described could happen almost anywhere in the country. Not sure I'd make that kind of sweeping generalization, look who was just elected mayor of Calgary for instance, a double whammy of tolerance.

liberal supporter said...

Racism? In Alberta? The land of "we don't serve your kind here, it's against my conscience"?

Omar said...

Yes, sadly it could happen almost anywhere in the country, and from time to time it does. But it's more prevalent there, Steve. It just is. Those periodic white pride parades and demonstrations that Alberta occasionally hosts don't happen by accident.

Omar said...

"Joan Crockatt turning intolerance into a virtue."

There you have it.

Steve V said...

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/17/halifax-murder-victim-raymond-taavel-had-a-lovely-joyous-presence/

Omar said...

Hey, if you want to be some sort of apologist for bigoted westerners who shroud themselves in a veneer of supposed libertarianism then fill your boots. For the time being it's still a free country.

Anonymous said...

Funny. The most racist people I've met out here aren't actually Albertans but Quebecers.