babble is rabble.ca's discussion board but it's much more than that: it's an online community for folks who just won't shut up. It's a place to tell each other — and the world — what's up with our work and campaigns.
"Education" minister got $$$ from Mafia bosses at $1000 fundraiser, says La Presse
May 2, 2012 - 12:09pm
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It was April 6, 2009, and 15-20 people paid $1,000 each to have breakfast with star guest, then-environment minister Line Beauchamp. One of the guests was Domenico Arcuri, described by La Presse as an important member of the Mafia. The cozy breakfast raised $61,500 for the Liberal Party.
Mme Beauchamp's press aide says her boss didn't know Mr. Arcuri at the time, nor does she know him now - but she pledges that he will not be invited to future events.
There's much more to the story, which for now is in French only:
An embarrassing guest
The Twitterverse is having a field day - such as: "I wonder if the Minister will ask the Mafia to denounce violence before their next meeting." And advice to students: "If you want the Minister to meet with you, cut a cheque."
So why are you able to ramble on about students plus Liberal government corruption in this thread after I was scolded for doing so in the other one?
And what about your ethnically insensitive use of the word mafia? Why not use "organized crime" since criminal activities are no longer monopolized by any particular ethnic group?
WTF?
Ok, I can do thread drift too:
Because I'm a Liberal shill, and the Liberals run everything here. Everything. Isn't it in babble policy? Undermine the infallible NDP at all costs! Even if it means talking about the student strike in Québec!! Whoa, where's my ibuprophen? This is starting to hurt!!
Oh I'm sorry, I forgot, the Mafia doesn't exist. Talk of the Mafia is just anti-Italian racist rambling. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Oh, and Israel doesn't commit crimes either. People who single out and criticize Israel are just covering up their deep-seated hatred for Jews.
Come visit Québec sometime. It's just to the right of Ontario on the map. I'll introduce you to some mafiosi. But don't get me wrong, I really do appreciate the information that they don't exist. So will they.
Don't worry I've lived and worked in parts of Northern Quebec which you and Jean Charest have likely never heard of. Various branches of my family have lived there since the 17th century. Surname is one of the oldest in that province. But thanks for the offer. We know you meant well.
ETA: And I know some ethnic Italians who don't appreciate the mafia stereotype anymore than Jewish people would an unnecessary use of the term 'Jewish bankers.' Smarten up, fcs.
Out for your morning stretch Fidel?
I'm totally confused about what is appropriate from one thread to the next. In the thread about student protests, nothing else is mentionable. But in this one, everything from ethnic stereotyping to challenging my ethnic origins is open season. No one knows about Quebec, the Liberal Party's connections to organized crime and student issues but Unionist. It's his personal thread, and hell PQ is his private domain at the same time, so don't piss here.
Saying the word Mafia or Liberal for that matter isn't stereotyping. It wasn't described as a shady breakfast with Italians. As for the other stuff, I suggest ten paces in a reactions thread or something.
For example, what if someone posted a thread entitled: 'Crooked Politicians Funnel Ca$h to Jewish Bankers in Bank Heist of the Century'?
Are they all Jewish bankers bailed out by crooked politicians? No, they are not. It is totally unnecessary to even come close to mentioning the ethnicity of bankers bailed out by crooked politicians. Mafia obviously refers to Sicilian-Italian organized crime gangs of old, no doubt about it.
In the same way, not all organized crime members in Canada belong to an exclusive criminal gang that goes by a specific name. We have numerous criminal factions in Canada who've come from around the world. Some of them have good Anglo-Saxon names, but there is no crime gang called the Saxons or Goths or whatever.
Ask an Italian person how they enjoy being stereotyped in this way.
Anyway that's it for me in this dumb thread. The mods can mollycoddle him again all they want. It's none of my business at this point. Carry on.
In the other thread, you mocked the student movement as providing the Liberal government with a welcome diversion from corruption charges. For that mockery, you don't belong within a light year of that thread.
And Fidel - no one said it was the "Italian" Mafia. No one except you, that is. Check back, my friend.
Prejudice can be very deeply rooted. Don't worry too much about it.
Up there somewhere you wrote mafiosi. And mafia is bad enough. Organized crime would be ethnically neutral, jus' so you know.
Don't try to slip and slide your way out of this. We know exactly what you said even if you were oblivious as to the meaning.
You should look for a course in training for senstitivity to ethnic slurs, or something.
You're telling me you see no crime here?
Can't we all just be friends?
ETA: Cross-posted with Slumberjack
Turns out there are other Mafia names emerging as contributors on that or other occasions to the Liberal party. I'll try to find a way to reference the reports without using any family names. Gotta be very sensitive here to the marginalized organized crime minority.
Can't we all just be friends?
ETA: Cross-posted with Caissa, Slumberjack, and Jesus "Other-Cheek" Christ.
No need to mention Fonzarelli Gagliano either.
Would that be your stereotypical Scottish crime gang?
You want to get to the real root of the problem? Al Capone was a Catholic. The Pope of Rome is German. When was the last time the Pope of Rome condemned Al Capone?
There is no Church. Only conspiracy theorists point to St. Peter's as being the centre of a world "mission" aimed at some sort of sinister extraterrestrial "conversion" of humanity. There is no Pope.
Nihil erat, nihilque est. Amen.
ETA: Oh shit, I forgot to mention: "There is no Mafia." Pass it on. Or else.
Sounds more like a Spanish hybrid, si?
[thread drift] This goes to the heart of long-time posters behaviour and how to deal with it/them. Fidel and Unionist, you are both on the same side. Let's get back to the revolution shall we? [end thread drift]
You're on a roll don't let us stop you. Insert other foot, Monsieur Quebec.
Fidel is being understandably cranky about NDP omerta and the student protests.
No, Caissa. Anyone who discounts and minimizes the student movement in Québec, just because his hallowed Party is silent about it, is not on the same side as me. Being on the same side is not a question of mouthing some meaningless platitudes, like "I'm a social democrat,", followed by the real beef: "but it just so happens I support the Canadian mission in Afghanistan and the bombing of Libya and back-to-work legislation when the workers get too greedy". Not my side, Caissa. Some other side. Let's be extremely clear on that.
ETA: Don't get me wrong, Caissa. I can see the humorous side of all this. Someone who believes Henry Kissinger organized the bombing of the Twin Towers, and that the Taliban are a secret department of the CIA, but doesn't believe that the (shhhh) Mafia exists? I can smile too, ya know.
Maybe we can wrap things up you know. There's room for all reasonable points of view I'm sure.
Sorry but actual Taliban are only about 1/5th of the total resistance fighting the occupation, Monsieur Afghanistan. Your nemesis and full-time Afghan Malalai Joya says your CIA and US Military have been talking with the Taliban all along. Phony war.
Fidel, you need to get on with things. If you're having trouble knowing what to post, here's a healthy guideline: don't accuse North America's biggest challenge to neo-liberalism and one of the most collegial (heh!) mass movements in recent history of being Liberal shills.
Stop your diversions and get back to actual discussion. Cripes do we need another NDP leadership race or what.
Feeling particularly masochistic today?
No. I'll put myself in a trunk in that event.
Sorry Unionist, I did not mean to refer to you or anyone as partisan schills for the Liberal Party. I must have blurted that out somewhere above.
And just to cover all the bases, I will pre-emptively apologize now if I refer to anyone and their dog as Liberal Party concern trolls in the event that I blurt that out in the middle of a possible future heated exchange of words.
I simply must try harder.
Those horses are still too tired.