Friday, January 31, 2025

Trump 2 The Revenge Tour: Son of Sharpie-gate

What a shameful day - 67 people die and Trump makes it all about him. 
This is really just another "Sharpie-gate" -- remember in 2019 Trump insisted that he hadn't made a mistake when he panicked Alabama about a hurricane warning, by inviting reporters into his office just to show them a doctored hurricane map with a half-circle added over Alabama. It was pathetically obvious what he had done with a Sharpie pen.
So today, reporters got to see Trump babble and argue at a press conference, then sign a so-called "Executive Order" to blame Obama and Biden for the American Airlines-helicopter collision. 
I presume he used another Sharpie pen, too.
The American media should be ashamed to "cover" such tripe:

not to downplay the ugliness of this but this is the equivalent of busywork. they are giving him executive orders to sign so that it feels like he’s doing something.

[image or embed]

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) January 30, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Mayor Pete says it:

the headline is not “trump blames deadly plane crash on DEI” but “trump seizes on deadly plane crash to attack minorities”

— David Mack (@davidmackau.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 10:45 AM
View on Threads

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Turn-around? The Liberals are rebounding

 
Yes, I know, I know, the Foreign Interference Commission report is more important than a polling bump - and if you want some good reporting on that report, see Dale Smith and Wesley Wark and Scrimshaw. And the tariff questions. And the Ontario election.  All way more important.
But I just had to share about this polling - it's so delicious.  
Because the Liberals are turning it around:

Major and Straight-Line Decline in Conservative Advantage over Past Month 
Rising national anxiety lifting Liberal fortunes? 
...The lead initially started narrowing after Justin Trudeau announced his retirement. The acceleration of this trend became clear in our polling about two weeks ago. It was contemporaneous with the entry of Mark Carney to the race which appears to be a factor. It was also reinforced by the dramatic announcements of potential 25 per cent tariffs from newly inaugurated Trump and repeated discussion of annexation of Canada. This seems to have captured the attention of Canadians, particularly the more recent recruits to the Conservative fold. Since then, that trend has continued and, in a roll-up of the past six days (since our last report), this gap has narrowed further to a remarkably thin three points. 
This dramatic and perhaps unprecedented movement has been focussed among women (where the Liberals now lead handily), the university-educated, and self-defined middle-class voters. Perhaps more importantly, the Liberals have erased a 20-point gap in Ontario and now have a slight lead. They are also much more competitive in Quebec, they lead in the Atlantic, and they are faring much better in British Columbia. In short, the race has morphed from a pro forma Conservative coronation to a highly unpredictable horse race....

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

"Gargle my balls!"



Well, yes, maybe it's hopeless but we can still laugh.

"Gargle my balls" is the revolutionary slogan this country needs.

— Pete Kotz (@petekotz.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 11:18 AM

The correct reply is “gargle my balls”

[image or embed]

— BeardlessMountainMan (@capnrickysully.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 6:56 PM
View on Threads

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

"Gather together to greet the storm"

 
A dreadful day.
Remember how MAGA was all wearing gold diapers last spring when the news "came out" about Trump's shitty smell and his diapers? 
Well today, Elon Musk - America's 12-year-old billionaire - gave Trump the Nazi salute at an inauguration rally. 
Twice.

People with eyes: "Elon Musk make a Nazi salute." Historians who have studied the rise of fascism: "Elon Musk made a Nazi salute." Mainstream Media: "Elon Musk made a heartfelt gesture that was misconstrued as a Nazi salute."

[image or embed]

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) January 20, 2025 at 9:23 PM

I would be more inclined to give Elon the benefit of the doubt over the Sieg Heil salute if he hadn't just endorsed the closest thing Germany has today to the Nazi party

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
And I fully expect by tomorrow the Nazi salute will be all the rage among the MAGA.

Monday, January 20, 2025

Distractions from Teh Stupid


Since Trump was elected, and the Tech Industrial Complex supported him, and here in Canada we saw Poilievre get to majority territory in Canadian polls, I have been consumed with worry about our democracy. 
But now I wonder, is it possible that their stupidity will save us all?
So today, and whenever I get totally disgusted with Trump and Poilievre and the awful MAGA disaster that is the United States, I will take refuge in scrolling non-political social media and commentary. 
Like these, for example... 

Terrible Maps is often hilarious:

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Weekend funny stuff: Trump freezes his inaugural off, plus some random posts and animal crackers

First, some funny posts about Trump's inaugural -- we might as well laugh, I guess. 
Most of us aren't even going to watch, on Monday or ever again. I think the marches and objections and outrage that we saw from 2016 to 2020 will be much reduced now -- the congressional Democrats are totally demoralized, and the American "resistance" is convinced there is no point because Americans aren't listening. 
So it could be that for a while,Trump and Miller and Elon and their boys will be able to get away with just about anything they want. 
Trump may reach America's gag reflex at some point, but I'm not sure anymore what it will take - maybe when he tries to get the Supreme Court to cancel the federal elections in 2026 and 2028, maybe that will that do it? We'll see...
View on Threads
And yes, Washington is freezing over on Monday....

Friday, January 17, 2025

Today's Roundup: announcement from Carney, betrayal from Smith, revenge from Trump, incompetence from the tech bros, and a Roomba story


Carney announces and Canada is deciding. 
I just hope Carney realizes quickly that he's not going to find any friends in Canada's media
Then again, neither will Freeland.

In the race to become the next PM - and maybe the next one after that - Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre did interviews in their respective safest places. That Carney chose Jon Stewart and Poilievre chose Jordan Peterson tells you almost everything you need to know www.thestar.com/politics/pol...

[image or embed]

— Bruce Arthur (@brucearthur.bsky.social) January 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM

Poilievre and the CPC have scheduled an all-hands working retreat this weekend to come up with nicknames for Mark Carney. Marxist Mark and Communist Carney are already being focus grouped with select groups of Grade 5 students.

— Barney Panofsky's Best Intentions (@mynamesnotgordy.bsky.social) January 16, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Here's a fascinating story:

2018 article regarding 2008 crash and Mark Carney's rescue efforts. #MarkCarney2025 www.independent.ie/business/the...

[image or embed]

— Jodie Turner (@jodieturner.bsky.social) January 15, 2025 at 7:06 AM

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Today's News: It's Carney vs Freeland

Wow, a thousand views of my last blog post, and 500+ "likes" on my Thread post about it! 
Just goes to show how much interest there is in Mark Carney, I think. 
Canadians really know very little about him, so that Jon Stewart interview was our introduction to someone who might well be the next Prime Minister of Canada, for a while I guess. 

Eric Grenier / The Writ
Liberal race firms up
Some big names are out, but the two biggest names are still in.
...Most of the news this past week came from potential candidates who have withdrawn their names from consideration. Arguably none of them were in the top tier that consists solely of Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney, but some of them were just below that tier — candidates who had a real shot if one of the two frontrunners declined to run or flamed out on the (short) campaign trail.
... A second tier made up of Joly, Anand and/or Clark would have added an interesting dynamic to the contest and given party members some viable alternatives to the top two.
The decisions of François-Philippe Champagne and Steven MacKinnon not to run, combined with Joly’s, mean there will be no significant candidate from Quebec. It’ll be the first time that a contested Liberal leadership race hasn’t had a candidate either born in or representing a riding in Quebec among the top finishers since 1958.
It also means that there will be a bit of a gap between the frontrunning candidates and the rest of the field — at least at first...
And people who thought the Liberals were toast are now liking Carney a lot (though of course, the bar for preferring the personable Carney over the grumpy Poilievre isn't really that high!)
View on Threads

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Today's News: Carney has an outstanding interview with Jon Stewart


I hadn't thought very highly of Carney before seeing this interview - and yes, I do believe now that he has the political skills and smarts to attract Canadians and beat Poilievre!

Monday, January 13, 2025

Think Canada is a pushover? Think again...

Canadians will never give up the best country in the world to join the U.S.
...To Donald Trump, from one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world – and make no mistake, that is what we are – to join the United States?
I can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world – when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony.
We’ve also built a strong social safety net – especially with public health care – that we are very proud of. It’s not perfect, but it’s based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us should be protected.
This may not be the “American Way” or “the Trump Way.” But it is the reality I have witnessed and lived my whole long life.
If you think that threatening and insulting us is going to win us over, you really don’t know a thing about us. You don’t know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we signed up – both times – years before your country did. We fought and we sacrificed well beyond our numbers.
We also had the guts to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a completely unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.
We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds.
We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.
...Mr. Trump has accomplished one thing: He has unified Canadians more than we have been ever before! All leaders across our country have united in resolve to defend Canadian interests.
...The current and future generations of political leaders should remember they are not each other’s enemies – they are opponents. Nobody ever loved the cut-and-thrust of politics more than me, but I always understood that each of us was trying to make a positive contribution to make our community or country a better place.
That spirit is more important now than ever, as we address this new challenge. Our leaders should keep that in mind.
I am 91 today and blessed with good health. I am ready at the ramparts to help defend the independence of our country as I have done all my life.
Vive le Canada!

Friday, January 10, 2025

Writing about the fires: "Her grief rose upwards and joined the blackness of the sky"


This puts the LA fires into perspective, I think. I hadn't realized the numbers were so large:

These numbers blow my mind: Population of LA County: 9.33M Population of California: 38.97M Population of the US: 334.9M 1 out of every 36 people in the US lives in Los Angeles County. There are 22 US states with populations smaller than LA County. These fires affect all those people.

— Peggy K (@peggyk.bsky.social) January 9, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Quinn Cummings
...we watched the TV until it was too overwhelming, at which point we’d…continue to watch it. If there was a fire in Griffith Park, the news might tell us faster than the alerts and we needed to know. Our family in the Palisades had no report on their house yet but they were starting to get the first reports of what had already been lost throughout the community. They had been happy there.
In less than a day, nearly every touchpoint had been decimated.
I thought about Hawaii, about North Carolina; I thought about how there is not a place on earth where humans have lived where the lesson of how easily peace of mind can be taken from you has not been learned.
The sun blazed orange against the black sky.
At two, my friend who lived in Altadena texted me:
It’s gone.
Quickly, I called her.
The kids were safe but the house and everything in it – her writing, her husband’s work, irreplaceable family keepsakes, the piano they’d had since before they were married – was obliterated. I had read the word “Keening” often enough and I sort of understood what that was, but I was wrong. To keen is to have the grief and the horror pulled from you, its claws dragging and scarring you every inch of the way and then you breathe in, and the tearing begins again. My friend was being torn apart alive, again and again. Her grief rose upwards and joined the blackness of the sky. I said nothing, because there was nothing to say. ...

Thursday, January 09, 2025

"I didn’t have Trump becoming an open-border activist on my 2025 Bingo card, but here we are."

The quote is from David Moscrop's excellent piece today: 
 David Moscrop /
It’s Time for Canada to Get the Bomb (Not Really)
Threats against Canadian sovereignty from the incoming Trump administration should, however, focus the national mind on a plan for managing...whatever it is we're facing.
...Donald Trump is threatening to annex Canada with “economic force.” At a press conference earlier this week he said he wouldn’t use military force — what a relief! No, he’d stick to the economic tools in his toolbox as he takes aim at the border, which he called an arbitrary line. (I didn’t have Trump becoming an open-border activist on my 2025 Bingo card, but here we are.)
Politicians in Canada came out to say no way to Trump’s proposition-threat. Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Doug Ford, Mélanie Joly, etc., etc., etc. Their statements are all variations on a theme: Canada is a sovereign state and will remain so. And that’s mostly and probably true.
Probably...
Moscrop then lists the areas that Canada needs to get serious about - sovereignty, culture, economy, national defense. He concludes:
...It’s time to surface assumptions, unspoken anxieties, worst-case scenarios and taboos about Canada’s relationship with the US and place in the world, and then debate them in plain view. Who do we want to be and what do we want to protect? With whom do we wish to do business and to what extent? How many baskets should we arrange for our eggs? Is this country worth defending and, if so, why, how, and to what extent and consequence?
If we can’t come up with answers to these questions, then that will be an answer in and of itself. But I think we can and should come up with answers — and we don’t even need the bomb to do so.
More responses to Trump's crazed babbling:

Tuesday, January 07, 2025

Dark Justin is unleashed



When I saw this Trudeau tweet just now, I couldn't believe it. 
Now that he has resigned, I think he feels unleashed -- he no longer has to parse his words, be cautious, be "prime ministerial". 
He can be as patriotic as he wants to be. And make no mistake, he wants to be.
Trudeau even dragged Poilievre into the fight: Because this is serious, I think

"There isn't a snowball's chance in hell Canada would become a part of the United States." (Prime Minister Trudeau) Believe me: the main, but unspoken, reason behind Trump's threats to Canada is he wants its Water, a key natural resource of our's, essential for our future, but lacking in the U.S..

— westcoastlouisa.bsky.social (@westcoastlouisa.bsky.social) January 7, 2025 at 3:28 PM
But Ed hasn't recognized yet that authoritarians like Trump never respect any limitations, including whatever a bunch of Democrats in Congress might not want to happen.

Today's News: Comments and analysis about Trudeau's resignation


Guess he's Justout Trudeau now.

— LunarLiv (@lunarliv.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 10:17 AM

Is it just me, but has the transition from “Trudeau must resign immediately” to “How dare Trudeau betray and abandon Canada by resigning at this incredibly perilous time” from certain voices and media out there been absolutely lightning fast? I’m starting to suspect some bad faith out there…

— Brent Toderian (@brenttoderian.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Here's a roundup of commentary:

Monday, January 06, 2025

The rumour mill is buzzing about Trudeau tonight

   
The rumour is that Trudeau will resign today.
That typing you hear tonight is dozens of Canadian political journalists getting a jump on their "end of an era" political obits. 
But doesn't it strike you as odd that there is nothing - NOTHING - actually causing Trudeau to resign except for increasingly inexplicable "Trudeau fatigue" and falling poll numbers -- for a leader that crowds of Canadians still greet with enthusiasm? A leader respected around the world? And he is feared by Maple MAGA. And Elon. And Putin. And Trump. Who all worked so hard to undermine him.
Trudeau hasn't always been right, but he has always tried to be.
View on Threads
I just hope Trudeau doesn't leave right away -- the usual Canadian pattern would be for him to announce a leadership convention in April or May, then stay on as Prime Minister until then. 
There is no particular reason for him to rush off right away -- no health issue, no scandal. 
And better to stay as PM until a new leader has a chance to get better known across the country. Also,
Trudeau really needs to stick around until the Foreign Interference report comes out the end of January. And until we see what happens with Trump's tariff threats. The longer we avoid an election, the more the Liberal programs (dental care, pharmacare, daycare, school lunches, Indigenous reconciliation, plus Ukraine support) will be entrenched, reducing the risk that a new Conservative government would immediately dismantle them.