Grump...

Today's Ottawa Citizen has a big headline: "Most Canadians support Harper". They cite polls as evidence.

Faugh. I hate polls.

Stupid right-wing newspaper.

See why I avoid politics? See?

They make me care too much.

The fajrdrako summary of recent Canadian political events...

nina_ds asked me what was going on in Canada and I answered her, then decided to repost it here in case anyone else is curious. After all, it's not every day something happens in Canadian politics that is actually interesting. Sit-up-and-take-notice interesting.

Here's my quick-simple version of events, and remember that (a) I ignore political news as much as I possibly can, so I'm hardly an expert on any of it, and (b) I am not unbiased. It is, after all, the unfolding history of my country that's going on here. Commentary and correction from my more politcally-astute friends is welcome.

1. We had a federal election in October, possibly the most boring election ever held anywhere. The Conservatives ended up with enough seats in Parliament to from the Government, with their leader, Steven Harper, as Prime Minister. Again.
   
   
2. Steven Harper announced the new Budget last week. It was so stupid and useless that it was about to trigger a non-confidence motion in Parliament. Significant details: it didn't address the Recession, which is on everyone's mind, and Harper tried to cut funding to political parties.
   
   
3. Here's where the tricky and unusual bit comes. Usually a vote of non-confidence means a new election. But we just had a big, expensive (and did I mention boring?) election in October. So instead of that, the Liberals and the New Democratic Party decided to join together in what they called the Coalition. There are more Conservative seats in Parliament than either NDP or Liberal, but put the Liberals and the NDP together and they have a party with enough seats to hold power. The Bloc Quebecois (which is most of the remainder of Parliament) agreed to support this amalgamation.
   
   This move would topple Harper as PM and make Liberal Leader Stephane Dion the new Prime Minister.
   
   With me so far?
   
   
4. On Wednesday, the evening before this was going to happen, Harper appeared on television to beg the people of Canada to keep him as PM because, well, anything else was unCanadian. (He used the word 'illegal' and hinted at the word 'treasonous'.)
   
   
5. The next morning, Harper went to Governor-General Michaelle Jean and asked her to suspend Parliament - because if Parliament can't sit, they can't form the Coalition government and can't boot him out of power.
   
   
6. The Governor-General agreed to this and Parliament is prorogued, which is the technical word for the suspension. Parliament can now not sit until the end of January. Till then, we technically have a government in power, the Conservatives, but nobody can do anything.
   
   
7. Harper is now writing another, better Budget speech to present at the end of January, hoping it won't get him ousted.

(no subject)

thefridayfive:

1. Do you like the look of your country's currency (bills and coins)?
   
   Yes, of course. Especially when it's in my wallet. I like the $5 bill best, possibly because I like Sir Wilfrid Laurier. I also like the artistic designs on the backs of the bills - again, the $5 is particularly nice, with kids playing hockey, skating, tobogganing - and a snowflake. With trees. The best of Canadian winter, in nice colours: blue, green, white, and a touch of warm orange.
   
   
2. Regardless of their actual value, do you like bills or coins better?
   
   Bills. They're easier to carry, more colourful, and worth more.
   
   On the other hand, I like finding pennies on the street - for good luck. The idea makes me smile.
   
   
3. What is your favorite foreign currency? And why?
   
   I'm (sadly) not familiar with a lot of foreign currency. Money is not an interest of mine. I like Maltese currency because it reminds me of a wonderful trip - though I believe they use Euros now. I like Euros because I like the concept of European unity.
   
   
4. 4. Do you collect coins or bills? Elaborate.
   
   Absolutely not. Sometimes people give me coins as gifts, becuase they think they're cool. I have a bit of a conceptual dislike of money - its connotations of greed and inequality - and don't generally find money interesting.
   
   I do have a box full of foreign coins that I use as a bookend, mainly because I can't think what else to do with them and can't quite bring myself to thrown them away.
   
   In 1967 my parents gave me some Confederation silver dollars which I still have. That's the closest I've ever come to collecting money.
   
   
5. Do you think human society could make do completely without money? Explain.
   
   Of course human society can do without money. We survived without money for hundreds of thousands of years. You might argue we didn't have civilization then - but we certainly had society. Money is a useful tool, but exacerbates a lot of suffering. I'd like to see a better system come into play than the fragile house of cards that is modern economics.
   

The truth...

Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on. - Winston Churchill