Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Flawed Conservative logic: Anti-semitism and weightism

Now is the time when we juxtapose at A BCer in Toronto.

The Conservatives want you to know that Liberal MP Irwin Cottler is a big whiner for being pissed off the Conservatives sent taxpayer funded flyers to his riding all but accusing him of anti-semitism:

Federal Conservatives say Liberal MP Irwin Cotler is pretending to play the victim as he attempts to wring an apology for a flyer they sent to his riding that he says accuses him of being anti-Semitic.

Quoting a conservative columnist, Tory MP Pierre Poilievre told a Commons committee on Tuesday that politicians live to be unjustly accused of something because “the opportunities to play victim are too tempting.”

“I think that puts some of this into its proper context,” Mr. Poilievre said.
But if you imply in a tweet that A Conservative may be a few pounds over their ideal weight, well, how dare you, apologize immediately, how dare you pick on me, shame!
Mr. Del Mastro: Mr. Speaker, I am in fact saddened to rise on this point of order because I had hoped members in the House would not sink to this level. However, this morning the member for Scarborough Southwest made an entry on Twitter that I find particularly demeaning, discriminatory and unbecoming of a member of Parliament. This morning in the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, I had to put up with the abhorrent behaviour of a partisan chair who pays no attention to the rules governing parliamentary committees whatsoever. However, during that meeting I provided the respect that each member is in fact due. The member for Scarborough Southwest wrote on her Twitter, and I apologize as I will have to use my name, “In committee this morning, MP Del Mastro should grow up not out.”

I hear some people in the House laughing and that is unfortunate. I apologize for not being perfect and perhaps my stature does not meet the criteria that some members in the House set, but I have actually battled that problem since birth. I apologize for not actually fitting into the requirements. I am still hearing the chastising going on. It is this kind of arrogance and elitism that will be the downfall of the Liberal Party if this continues. I am giving the member the opportunity to apologize. The actions of the members in committee this morning do nothing to discourage me. They only encourage me. I would ask the member to take the opportunity to apologize for what she wrote. She may wish to consider that a number of her own constituents are less than perfect and she represents them as well.
So, if you're scoring at home, according to Conservative logic, say something unkind about an MP's girth on twitter is arrogant elitism that requires a self-aggrandizing sob-story speech in the House of Commons and for every media outlet that will have you.

But if an MP, a leader in the Jewish community respected across the country for his character and integrity, opts to defend himself from scurrilous accusations of anti-semitism that call his very character and life's work into question? Well, he's just a whiner that's playing the victim-card and should shut-up.
“I think that puts some of this into its proper context."

Indeed, Pierre.

Indeed.

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7 comments:

Big Winnie said...

Poilievre is the worst kind of politician around. The only time you see/hear him is when he is spreading falsehoods/half truths and asked to refute the truth. However, he comes off as a pompous, arrogant man who does nothing for the betterment of government.

McLea said...

arrogant man who does nothing for the betterment of government.

Which distinguishes him from everyone else in government how?

Seriously, I'm embarrassed by the amount of attention I pay to politics. Just listen to these idiots. It's no wonder why nobody cares.

kenlister1 said...

well put Jeff. I can say that when i met him in 2008, it gave me great pleasure to wave at him with only one of my fingers.

A Eliz. said...

Polivier, comes from Alberta, as most of them do. He is repugnant, not fit to be an MP
This whole party is driving some people crazy ..people do not care because they do not hear about it on the news. Most of the Media sucks up to the Cons, any way.

CanadianSense said...

Jeff,

It is my understanding that we have a serious gap in the truth.

A)Liberals claim Israel asked them to stay at Durban 1 - repeated in HOC

B)Firsthand proof Israel asked them to leave from top official.

Who do we believe Israel or the Liberal version?

I will go with Ambasssador from Israel who wanted EVEYONE to walk-out.(much more credible)

Jeff said...

Actually CS maybe you should read what the person that led Israel's delegation to Durban I, the then deputy foreign minister, has to say on this:

"The Israeli government never asked any country, including Canada, not to participate or to leave Durban."

"Not only during Durban I, but also in the many months of preparation prior to the conference, no one worked harder than MP Irwin Cotler, supported by the Foreign Ministry of Ottawa, to combat anti-Semitism and the Israel bashing, which unfortunately succeeded in hijacking the focus of what should have been a crucial gathering of international commitment to combat all forms of racism. Even to indicate that Irwin Cotler would lend his hand to anti-Semitism is a gross distortion of what happened in Durban."

http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/story.html?id=2314416

CanadianSense said...

Jeff,
I just read the article again that supports the LPOC version of the event.

How do we explain the divergent views of history?


This version makes much more sense.

Mr. Baker's explanation for the apparent inconsistency between his request for Canada to pull out of Durban and Rabbi Melchior's request for Canada to stay is that in between the two appeals, the Liberal government had already indicated it intended to stay.

"No inconsistency was possible [between himself and his deputy foreign minister] because my instructions came from Melchior, who asked me as the person on the spot to persuade the delegations to walk out. We tried to get the Canadians to walk out but when it became clear they were going to stay, we asked them to try to work from the inside."

http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=9ec31d5b-a693-4d04-a4eb-1e5c2a917003&p=2

No one is suggesting the LPOC is not a friend of Israel.

I think the flyer tried to brag who was a better friend.

The CPC pointed out some gaps or inconsistency.

I am aware in some cases both the CPC and Lib have made factual errors on the flyers.

I do think the LPOC are upset because the CPC have learned to play the ethnic card as well or better.

They have spent a great deal of time and energy in working on the issues that matter.

Peter Kent is evidence of it.