David Frum, in the New York Times;
Luckily for the Liberals, the Conservative Party split into warring factions in 1993. Consequently, the Liberals were able to return to power that year even though they won only 37 percent of the vote.
Almost everything that Jean Chr�tien did as prime minister over the next decade can be understood as an effort to reverse his party’s long-term problems. He edged to the right on economic issues in the hope of appealing to middle-income voters alienated by Mr. Trudeau’s economic mismanagement. He veered leftward on social issues in the hope of finding a new constituency among wealthier Ontarians and Quebecers. After 9/11, he struck anti-American and anti-Israel attitudes that he hoped would resonate in isolationist Quebec and among certain immigrant communities.
And it was presumably for these same reasons that Mr. Chr�tien set in motion his kickback scheme. As Liberal strength in Quebec has decayed, the Liberals have found it more and more difficult to hold together an effective political organization in the province. How do you sustain a political party without principles or vision? Sometimes you do it with graft.
[…]
Unlike their supposed analogues, the Democrats in the United States or Great Britain’s Labor Party, Canada’s Liberals are not a party built around certain policies and principles. They are instead what political scientists call a brokerage party, similar to the old Italian Christian Democrats or India’s Congress Party: a political entity without fixed principles or policies that exploits the power of the central state to bribe or bully incompatible constituencies to join together to share the spoils of government.
As countries modernize, they tend to leave brokerage parties behind. Very belatedly, that moment of maturity may now be arriving in Canada. Americans may lose their illusions about my native country; Canadians will gain true multiparty democracy and accountability in government. It’s an exchange that is long past due.
(The column requires free registration.)
(* – I first spotted this at London Fog, but have since learned it was coined by Paul Jan�)
Bananadian update – “Fred” and Andrew Coyne have informed me that the first known appearance of “Bananada” was on March 18, 2004, at Andrew’s blog.
Big surprise…
The gross transgression of democratic principle exercised last night by the Liberals, to cancel opposition day, is not even mentioned on the CBC this am.
cbc news
Then you must not have been watching CBC Newsworld. I saw an hour of it on TV this morning while getting ready for work.
” he struck anti-American and anti-Israel attitudes that he hoped would resonate in isolationist Quebec”
PM Green recycles an old election plank: “But let there be no doubt: We are not going to be out there as the handmaiden of any country.”
And which country might you be referring to, Paulisimo?
The only thing I have to laugh at is Frum’s comment that ‘Canadians will gain true multiparty democracy and accountability in government’ and whitewashing the record of the previous Conservative government (the one that was decimated by Canadians).
Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives have been shining examples of democracy. I am not convinced that electing the Conservatives will suddenly cause democracy to blossom. He is truly naieve if he believes that a change in government will be the panacea for democracy that he’s expecting.
Tod,
You are right about it not just being a Liberal problem.
The common thread is:
Where have the PMs (and control of the Federal Agenda) come from, for 35 out of the last 37 years?
True change will come when there is a PM that is committed to the devolution, or let us say re-devolution, of all kinds of powers that belonged to the provinces in our actual constitution.
Keep in mind, Todd, that the Conservative Party of today is the result of the implosion of the Progressive Conservatives. You would be hard pressed to find many MPs who were members of the PCs in the 80s.
And you can’t POSSIBLY believe that a change in government isn’t necessary???
Bananada:
(* – I first spotted this at London Fog, but have since learned it was coined by Paul Jan�)
…who got it from me, who (in turn) shamelessly used my friends J’s “turn of phrase”.
Cheers!
Bandageanada.
PM PM’s, aka Mr. Slithers, 10% solution: Bribe the voters with their own tax money. Banadageanada is bleeding profusely from the Liberals’ Corruption Inc.
Who will stop the bleeding?
Honest Stephen Harper.
I love how he pointed out that the nearest analougues of the Liberal party in other countries, essentially seek power for the sake of itself. Philosophically this in an evil agenda, as it is entirely self serving, and uninterested in a greater good for others outside the party. It is sad that it has had to take this extreme revelation to demonstrate to Canadians the grave flaw in Liberal thinking. Our Liberal leaders did not want to participate in Iraq, I feel primarily because fundamentally the Liberals agreed with the Baathist’s reasons if not their methods of demonstrating power to the Iraqi people. I could be just a little too Byzantine too, and it all boils down to honest and simple cowardice.
PS I have a strong desire as I drive by the liberal party office today to jump out and spray paint “THEIVES” across the windows and replace the graffiti every time it is scrubbed clean. But then again one office in one city wouldn’t make much of an impact.
I thought you all might enjoy reading this dossier on PMPM’s mentor. I am beginning to understand why the Liberals have been demilitarizing Canada.
don’t wait up for democracy to come to Ottawa, ( unless you are prepared to deal with the assholes already there in a way that discourages others from replacing them.
Deep Thoughts
“the new Pope…..is uniquely placed to ……. overcoming……. and eradicating poverty and hunger.”
Paul Martin
In that case, the new Pope does have the moral authority to govern. Mind stepping aside there Paul?
Why not move it on over to:
http://www.rightthinkingpeople.blogspot.com
The loquacity of the writers is refreshing.
The combo of Frum/Steyn is music to a conservative’s ears.
A blog of which right thinking people would hasten to add: Sock it to the grifters (Martin/Chretien, Strong, Boulay, Corriveau, Pelletier, & all the other grifters). Oops, forgot Gagliano & family.
Down with Martin & his band of pirates.
In with Honest Stephen Harper,
so I read the dossier on Strong, it would seem the man is an avowed agent of Loki, meaning Chaos and change, wanting to bring about Ragnarok, a new dark ages or the Christian apocalypse. Aint that special. Considering some of the other groups who also want this to happen it seems the UN and the Librano’s are in predictable company.
Actually, Kate, the first reference to Canada as “Bananada” I can find is on my site, last March — not by me, but by a commenter. You can find it here.
And yes, it seems to be by the same “Fred” who claims credit for it above.
Department of Beating Dead Horses to Death:
Bananada Feb17th 2004
http://fim.ondragonswing.com/archives/005689.html