Archive for the 'Politics' category

One of the things I hate the most in the world is when people are commenting on topics they obviously do not master at all. I respect others’ political opinions, but when fallacious and gratuitous accusation are made about our politicians, it bugs me. They are already discrediting themselves so much when they are involved in real scandals, let’s not suggests they are responsible for the scandals for which they have nothing to do!

With the Grenier document about the Option Canada illegal spendings, I hear people accusing Jean Charest. Excuse me, kids, but keep smoking your joints or drink your beer while thinking of changing the world by buying fair trade coffee and wearing hemp hats. Jean Charest was in 1995 the leader of the now defunct Progressive-Conservatve party of Canada, following the defeat destruction of the party by Kim Campbell which held only 2 seats at the parliament. The leader of the No side was Daniel Johnson, a political figure that decidedly did not influence Quebec a whole lot. Jean Chrétien and his government was probably the most active for the No side, especially towards the end. Jean Charest was a dummy in 1995. So stop accusing him of being involved with Option Canada. He probably didn’t even know that existed.

While we’re at it, why not accuse Alexa McDonough of the NDP… she at least had 9 MPs.

Making such accusations is like suggesting Stephen Harper was involved in the sponsorship scandal. Come on!

The people who are making such comments, I imagine them PQ supporters (or better, Quebec Solidaire!), frustrated, ready to believe any conspiracy theories that would reinforce their convinctions. The problem though is that they invent these conspiracies, and the even come to believe them to be true!

As one would say (I don’t remember who said it first… at least I’m humble enough to admit it):

“Culture is like jam, the least you have, the more you spread.”

It rhymes in French.

Well, let me tell you, ignorant spreaders, get informed before saying dumb things!

Now, if you want to hit on Charest, go ahead. I, for instance, find he’s a very clumsy politician. During the last provincial elections, he acted like an amateur, with his last minute improvised income tax cut promises. Furthermore, we have been able to see how much this government has no idea how to lead when in a minority situation. It’s not very professional to keep the majority of the chamber, the opposition, in the dark when comes the time to write a budget! To put an unstable government in jeopardy is what Jean Charest succeeded in doing. Great job, Champion.

brem

Thierry informs me that Joseph Facal started a blog: JosephFacal.org!

It’s certainly a welcome news. I’ve been waiting for a long time for this to happen! I was reding his chronicles at Le Devoir and on Bazzo.tv, but now, it will be ever more awesome!

This ex-PQ minister is now teaching at HEC Montréal and is a political analyst for Quebec medias. He has a center-right line of thoughts. For him, money doesn’t grow on trees and one must first generate the money and manage it well before using it. The common sense in other words.!

He signed the manifesto Pour un Québec lucide.

His only flaw is to be sovereignist..

Welcome on the blogosphere Mr. Facal.

Also, Mr. Facal doesn’t completely close the door to leading the Parti Québécois following André Boisclair’s resignation. Personally, I would prefer Mr. Facal without the party line, as a political analyst. However, I believe that right now, he would be the best man to bring the party out of its ideological slump. But are the PQ members ready to listen to him? After all, they kicked Lucien Bouchard out of the party and he is the prime author of the Pour un Québec lucide manifesto. I believe Mr. Facal has a much better future outside the PQ.

brem

In Montréal, we’re having a hard time explaining what could have possibly happened. France, this country upon which the Quebec model was based since the quiet revolution, this rock on which we lean on for our national emancipation, this symbol of liberty and socializing democracy is now leaning even further right than before.

It’s absolutely unbelievable. How could the French reject such a project bringing people together as the one Ségolène Royal was proposing? This friend of Québec, sympathizer of the successful leader of the Parti Québécois, André Boisclair, had everything in her hands to win. Being female, she should have had a head start on Sarkozy, this ambitious and macho specimen of alpha male, from female voters. Where were you feminist ladies? Didn’t you vote?

After the crumbling of the Parti Socialiste of Lionel Jospin in 2002 and the second turn with Le Pen and Chirac, we could understand that the French had no choice but to elect the politician who represented the lesser of two evils.

But facing a real choice, this year, in front of a right closer to the extreme than the center, in front of a neo-liberalizing Nicolas Sarkozy, playing on the insecurity of its citizen, as did George W. Bush following 9/11, and by using the violence in the suburbs as an excuse to establish a police state, how can we explain the failure of the only decent choice as we understand it on this side of the Atlantic ocean?

Really, dear French cousins, we do not understand you. You are a mystery to us. Furthermore, if we look at the geographic analysis of the vote, we realize that regions outside of Paris, the east and the south-east are among the most mysterious.

For the legislative elections, vote right left this time!

brem

You must have realized this was a parody and satyre of what we usually find in Montreal newspapers when we talk politics in Québec. I simply transposed it to the result of the French presidential elections to try to show how absurd some comments can be. And just for the fun of it. Really.

Sorry, it’s late, and I’m starting work in a new place tomorrow morning, so I won’t be able to translate this article until tomorrow evening.

Don’t forget to go vote between 9h30 and 20h.

brem

Curzi under fire.

Poor guy, he gets vindicated like a bastard, a dog by that woman. But he’s never been elected. Poor him.

If he gets elected, he’ll have to get used to it!

brem, still laughing out loud.

via Antagoniste