[i][/i]
NDP candidate "resigns" after calling a war crime a war crime
Sun, 2015-08-09 20:49
#1
Left Turn
NDP candidate "resigns" after calling a war crime a war crime
Sun, 2015-08-09 20:51
#2
Left Turn
The NDP's shameful opposition to any candidates who speak their mind with any semblance of balance on Israel-Palestine continues apace.
[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/09/morgan-wheeldon-ndp-israel-nova-... Wheeldon, NDP Candidate, Resigns After Israel Remarks Surface[/url]
An NDP candidate whose controversial comments about Israel and Canada were featured on a Conservative attack website has resigned.The Huffington Post Canada has learned that Morgan Wheeldon, who was set to run for the NDP in the Nova Scotia riding of Kings–Hants, handed his resignation on Sunday after the party asked him to resign or be fired. His name has vanished from the national party’s website and his own website has been stripped of its content.
Judy Swift, the riding president, told HuffPost: "We don’t have any comment on that right now."
Wheeldon’s campaign manager, Ramona Jennex, said he had offered his resignation, but she declined to elaborate.
"What I do know so far is that there has been an issue that has been brought forward, and Morgan is in the process now of making a decision on which way the campaign will go," she said.
Wheeldon is featured on a Conservative Party of Canada website calling Israel’s action against Palestinians a war crime — comments he made on a Facebook post in August 2014.
Sun, 2015-08-09 22:18
#3
A product of the system, which sucks ass.
See having an opinion outside of the party platform can get the party burned, especially if its controversial. It can throw the party off message, draw attacks from other parties, turn off voters, and so on.
And if that leads to the NDP losing, we have a huge nightmare on our hands.
It why Mix Member Proportional Representation is deseperately needed, to put an end to this bullshit dishonsest, winner take all system once and for all.
I will say party insiders have way too much fucking power in the NDP, its a nessary evil for now, because of our current political system, but if it doesn't change after we have MMPR then I'm moving to another, likely new party.
Sun, 2015-08-09 22:38
#4
Imagine - calling Israel's slaughter of the Gazan people a "war crime", and thinking you can still run for the NDP.
I would have turfed Wheeldon just for being stupid. What could he possibly have been thinking??
Meanwhile, the pro-Zionist NDP leadership and their abject apologists are at least consistent. They oppose democracy and freedom in the Middle East, as well as within their own party.
Sun, 2015-08-09 23:14
#5
Benny Morris, perhaps the leading historian of Israel's founding says that ethnic cleansing is basically part of the birth process for Israel. Now of course his conclusions are really hard to take as he also argues that the process did not go far enough.
Mon, 2015-08-10 00:18
#6
Ridiculous, now they look really stupid. It's hardly a difficult position to defend. Even Bibi has had to apologize profusely. If the party strategists had any brains, heart or courage, they could easily have turned this into a foreign policy advantage - the burned alive baby Ali story has been allowed to run full bore in all Canadian markets and everybody is primed and ready for a repositioning on the Israel file. I'm sure something nuanced and suitably restrained could have been formulated that all parties could live with. Canadians would have cheered for the NDP at some very long overdue censure and intestinal fortitude demonstrated at long last over recent Israeli actions - an adept politician could easily have had his cake and ate it too with this. Very badly played - never mind the appalling ethical behaviour that has just been demonstrated for all to see. I'll enjoy forwarding this.
'Palestinians, meet the possible new government of Canada. Sounds a lot like the last one already doesn't it?. And they're the opposition!'
How any intelligent and aware individual - like a Linda Mcquaig can handle subordinating herself to the NDP's goofy and godawful policy gobbledygook on Israel, NATO or Ukraine is beyond me.
Are Indigenous NDP candidates prepared to 'sell' these same, anti-Palestine positions?
Mon, 2015-08-10 01:25
#7
Imagine - calling Israel's slaughter of the Gazan people a "war crime", and thinking you can still run for the NDP.
I would have turfed Wheeldon just for being stupid. What could he possibly have been thinking??
Meanwhile, the pro-Zionist NDP leadership and their abject apologists are at least consistent. They oppose democracy and freedom in the Middle East, as well as within their own party.
So how come you didn't vote in the 2012 NDP Leader election?
Mon, 2015-08-10 02:46
#8
The NDP's shameful opposition to any candidates who speak their mind with any semblance of balance on Israel-Palestine continues apace.
[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/09/morgan-wheeldon-ndp-israel-nova-... Wheeldon, NDP Candidate, Resigns After Israel Remarks Surface[/url]
An NDP candidate whose controversial comments about Israel and Canada were featured on a Conservative attack website has resigned.The Huffington Post Canada has learned that Morgan Wheeldon, who was set to run for the NDP in the Nova Scotia riding of Kings–Hants, handed his resignation on Sunday after the party asked him to resign or be fired. His name has vanished from the national party’s website and his own website has been stripped of its content.
Judy Swift, the riding president, told HuffPost: "We don’t have any comment on that right now."
Wheeldon’s campaign manager, Ramona Jennex, said he had offered his resignation, but she declined to elaborate.
"What I do know so far is that there has been an issue that has been brought forward, and Morgan is in the process now of making a decision on which way the campaign will go," she said.
Wheeldon is featured on a Conservative Party of Canada website calling Israel’s action against Palestinians a war crime — comments he made on a Facebook post in August 2014.
It goes without sayiing that no one who replaces Wheeldon will have any strong personal convictions about anything, and not significantly disagree with the Cons or Liberals on any major issue.
Well, it wasn't a winnable seat anyway.
Mon, 2015-08-10 06:25
#9
As I said in the other thread, criticism of Israel is not tolerated. And this from the supposed progressive party.
Mon, 2015-08-10 06:57
#10
alan smithee
The Israel lobby is probably more powerful than the oil lobby. Which would explain the immediate condemnation of any criticism of Israel by all political parties and their members.
To acknowledge the big pink elephant in the room is political suicide. (apparently)
Mon, 2015-08-10 07:03
#11
Left Turn
[b]Derrick O'keefe tweeted:[/b]
https://twitter.com/derrickokeefe
1. Not wise for NDP to cave in to CPC attacks on candidates. Turn the tables: Harper is the real extremist on the Middle East. #elxn42
2. What ousted NDPer said (on Fbook) was that it looked like Israel was committing war crimes. Not actually "controversial" @althiaraj.
3. @Amnesty just released major report on Israeli war crimes in Gaza. So quoting @Amnesty now enough to lose right to seek elected office?
4. Harper has declared Canada BFFs w/ Netanyahu, a serial war criminal. That's "controversial," outside global consensus re: Mideast.
5. What is the end game of this social media Mideast McCarthyism? Only myopic, boring & unpricipled people allowed to run for NDP. #elxn42
6. @MorganWheeldon looks like the type pundits claim to care about involving in #cdnpoli. Early 30s, young family. They didn't deserve this.
7. Imagine an engaged intellectual like Pierre Trudeau trying to get nomination papers signed by any party today.
8. "Hey, sorry, but that thesis you wrote on Marxism.." "I didn't even finish it." "OK, but then you posted on Facebook about meeting Mao."
Mon, 2015-08-10 08:04
#12
Palestinian-Canadians would be within their rights to boycott this election as well. If any segment of the electorate could be described as being completely unrepresented, even invisible to the stoogeocracy and the power seekers, it would have to be them.
Mon, 2015-08-10 11:00
#13
I believe this to be dumb politics as well. To me it looks like more and more people are getting angry at what is being done to the Palestinian people. if the NDP would differentiate themselves from the Cons and the Libs on this issue it may help them electorally.
Mon, 2015-08-10 11:09
#14
It's too late for the NDP to do an about face. It would seem too much like pandering once again for their own benefit. If they changed their current anti-Palestinian views while gutting out and getting rid of the current leadership and advisors, then perhaps there might be something in that. But nobody should hold their breath.
Mon, 2015-08-10 11:35
#15
“Our position on the conflict in the Middle East is clear, as Tom Mulcair expressed clearly in the debate,” Lavigne said. “Mr. Wheeldon’s comments are not in line with that policy and he is no longer our candidate.”
. . . .
A supporter defended Wheeldon Sunday, tweeting that the entire matter is “a Harper smear.” Wheeldon replied: “I am disappointed in Canadian democracy today, but I remain hopeful.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/federal-election/2015/08/09/ndp-candidate-re...
Mon, 2015-08-10 13:12
#16
A product of the system, which sucks ass.
See having an opinion outside of the party platform can get the party burned, especially if its controversial. It can throw the party off message, draw attacks from other parties, turn off voters, and so on.
And if that leads to the NDP losing, we have a huge nightmare on our hands.
It why Mix Member Proportional Representation is deseperately needed, to put an end to this bullshit dishonsest, winner take all system once and for all.
I will say party insiders have way too much fucking power in the NDP, its a nessary evil for now, because of our current political system, but if it doesn't change after we have MMPR then I'm moving to another, likely new party.
That is my hope as well. If we get PR then I will be looking to like minded people to form a party that will actually speak truth to power. I don't ever expect my views to be centrist in a politcal spectrum but I am tired of the idea that the parties control the gates to parliament and no MP is allowed to speak for the 25% to 30% of the people who agree with me on many issues. On Israel and Palestine I think way more than 30% of Canadians when presented with the evidence would agree that the IDF has committed war crimes and that view is specifically banned from being heard in the H of C. And they call it Democracy.
Mon, 2015-08-10 14:10
#17
Nothing has disheartened me more this election than this. But hey - ten more weeks to go!
Really, on top of being wrong, this is stupid politics. My only hope is the decision was made in a panic at the riding level and doesn't represent the national party. Wheeldon's handling this with a lot of grace and tact, for which the NDP should be grateful. It doesn't deserve it.
The NDP can't permit Conservatives to vet its candidates. Unless they cross very obvious lines of conduct and party policy they need to be supported. It's a bit hollow, making fun of Conservative automatons playing back the same talking points, when the NDP shits itself over its own articulate and thoughtful candidates.
Mon, 2015-08-10 14:22
#18
ikosmos
Nothing exposes social democratic schitzophrenia like foreign policy. So this is probably deep Conservative strategy, in the absence of any policies that the public can support from the Con zombie tomb. Attack the other guy and distract attention from your own apalling Xenophobia.
The NDP should watch Conservative candidates more carefully and see if they can't provoke a misogynist, racist, or bigotted remark from the zombie bench. Shouldn't be too hard.
Of course this is shitty as hell, but the campaign is so very long, both sides will have to show that they are willing to throw people under the bus "for the cause". Elections, in this sense, are a glorious opportunity for political parties to cap dissidents and throw their lifeless corpses to the curb. Win win. At precisely the time when a diversity of opinions ought to be part of the public domain, we see the opposite. Ain't capitalism grand?
And people say US politics is shallow. Bwa ha ha ha. So it is. So are we.
Mon, 2015-08-10 14:42
#19
some good points, Jeff Wells, but several recent NDP moves like this, including the sitting MP and candidate in Laval-Vimont being suddenly dumped and of course Beatrice Zako in Montreal-Papineau having the rug pulled out under her, months after the Party had said her involvement with Option nationale was not a deal-breaker (turns out it was)
and
of course I always disagree with ikosmos and think his pro-Putin campaigning should be shunned here, but on this issue his position is particularly wrong-headed, given the single-party regime emerging in his favoured state; zero dissidence there
Mon, 2015-08-10 14:51
#20
And don't forget Paul Manly, who was also eliminated for challenging Israel.
Mon, 2015-08-10 15:23
#21
Morgan Wheeldon, Kings-Hants NDP Candidate, Resigns Over Israel Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/morgan-wheeldon-kings-hants-nd...
"...Brad Lavigne, an NDP campaign advisor, said Wheeldon's position didn't reflect the party's position. 'Our position on the conflict on the Middle East is clear, as Tom Mulcair expressed clearly in the debate. Mr Wheeldon't comments are not in line with that policy and he is no longer our candidate,' he said..."
'I'll take no lessons from anyone on defending the right of Israel to defend itself' - Tom Mulcair, Macleans debate
Mon, 2015-08-10 15:42
#22
'I've Been Smeared' - Wheeldon
http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/1450277/ive-been-smeared-former-ndp-can...
"I've been smeared. I've been called an anti-Semite and everything I said has been taken completely out of context,' says Wheeldon.
'In one stroke, without discussion, without trial, Morgan Wheeldon has been found guilty and removed from the running, thereby denying my riding representation from one of the most articulate, thoughtful, refreshingly genuine and well informed candidates this riding has seen in years,' Kings Hants NDP member Andria Hill-Lehr wrote..."
Mon, 2015-08-10 16:25
#23
The Zionist cleansing may not be over yet. Wheeldon is gone (like Manly before him), but what about Marotte and McLaren?
[url=http://www.cjnews.com/canada/ndp-candidates-under-fire-comments-about-is... candidates under fire for comments about Israel[/url]
[Hans] Marotte [NDP candidate in St-Jean], a lawyer and former well-known separatist, is flagged on the [Conservative] site for a statement he made in his 1990 book Un Pays A Faire (A Country to Make): “When a Palestinian comes to ask me to sign his declaration of support for the Intifada, and tells me how happy he is to have my name on his list, I see how important it is that we not close in on ourselves.”
[...]
[David] McLaren [NDP candidate in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound], meanwhile, is quoted as saying it isn’t principled to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is like picking a side in “a telephone booth packed with dynamite.”
Only chief inquisitors Ann McGrath and Brad Lavigne know for sure what the fate of these unmasked Jihadist enablers shall be. And the Lord's work is never done. Who knows how many others Mr. Harper will expose?
Mon, 2015-08-10 16:41
#24
The NDP doesn't even get support from the very people that they support in the Middle East. I'll beat the workers show up in close races with the NDP where they will still be attacked for being too soft on Palestian terrorists.
(JNS). A group of Canadians living in Israel has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper win re-election this October.
“As Canadians, we believe Harper is good for Canada, he is good for the Jewish community, he is good for Israel, and he is good for the world. We want to help him stay in office,” said the leader of the campaign, Dan Illouz, a strategic consultant and CEO of Di Consulting.
The crowdfunding campaign (http://jewcer.com/harperisrael) hopes to raise $20,000. The group plans to use the funds to send 10 people to Canada just prior to the election to get out the vote for Harper Canadian Jewish communities.
http://jpupdates.com/2015/08/08/canadian-israelis-raise-over-2000-in-cam...
Mon, 2015-08-10 16:54
#25
The Zionist cleansing may not be over yet. Wheeldon is gone (like Manly before him), but what about Marotte and McLaren?
[url=http://www.cjnews.com/canada/ndp-candidates-under-fire-comments-about-is... candidates under fire for comments about Israel[/url]
[Hans] Marotte [NDP candidate in St-Jean], a lawyer and former well-known separatist, is flagged on the [Conservative] site for a statement he made in his 1990 book Un Pays A Faire (A Country to Make): “When a Palestinian comes to ask me to sign his declaration of support for the Intifada, and tells me how happy he is to have my name on his list, I see how important it is that we not close in on ourselves.”
[...]
[David] McLaren [NDP candidate in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound], meanwhile, is quoted as saying it isn’t principled to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is like picking a side in “a telephone booth packed with dynamite.”
Only chief inquisitors Ann McGrath and Brad Lavigne know for sure what the fate of these unmasked Jihadist enablers shall be. And the Lord's work is never done. Who knows how many others Mr. Harper will expose?
Uh oh. The B''nai Brith is on the warpath. Tracking down any libel against Israel (you can't libel a state legally). With McCarthyite precision they will track down any and all deviations from Zionist political correctness. Candidates beware. And it will continue that way until someone stands up to these bullies and says, enough.
Mon, 2015-08-10 17:07
#26
Svend Robinson was punished for deviating from the correct Zionist line.
Libby Davies was bullied into submission, and never mentioned Israel again until she retired.
If people of such calibre went down without anyone supporting them, I'm not optimistic that anyone today will stand up to the McCarthyites.
Mon, 2015-08-10 18:44
#27
A product of the system, which sucks ass.
See having an opinion outside of the party platform can get the party burned, especially if its controversial. It can throw the party off message, draw attacks from other parties, turn off voters, and so on.
And if that leads to the NDP losing, we have a huge nightmare on our hands.
Is it just a product of the system, though, or is there something more going on here.
Would an NDP candidate be turfed like this if someone found, say, a year-old facebook post supporting a carbon tax instead of a cap and trade? Or a candidate in a rural area who didn't support the gun registry ? Or perhaps someone who once said that they support senate reform rather than abolition, would she be immediately disqualified from ever running for the NDP?
Also, what is the evidence that this guy's opinion is going to turn off voters? I think there are a lot of people out there who might agree with his opinion, maybe even more so than the number who disagree. And a lot of people who also don't care.
Mon, 2015-08-10 18:50
#28
The Zionist cleansing may not be over yet. Wheeldon is gone (like Manly before him), but what about Marotte and McLaren?
[url=http://www.cjnews.com/canada/ndp-candidates-under-fire-comments-about-is... candidates under fire for comments about Israel[/url]
[David] McLaren [NDP candidate in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound], meanwhile, is quoted as saying it isn’t principled to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is like picking a side in “a telephone booth packed with dynamite.”
McLaren has no chance of winning Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, from what I know he isn't well known and was just thrown into the lions den to be a Candidate .
Mon, 2015-08-10 20:03
#29
Not the point.
Mon, 2015-08-10 20:10
#30
Could any of these MP's from the past even run for a party today?
http://www.jta.org/1986/03/07/archive/behind-the-headlines-pro-arab-and-...
Fife indicates that more than 60 Canadian MPs are part of the Canadian-Arab World Parliamentary Association– an organization formed only since 1982. The group has been active in promoting trips to the Middle East, for which the Arab Information League picks up the tab.
A number of the MPs, such as Marcel Prud’ homme, want Canada to recognize the PLO as the main voice of the Palestinians. Official Canadian government policy, however, denies this possibility until Yasir Arafat renounces terrorism and recognizes Israel’s right to exist.
“But Bob Corbett, a New Brunswick Tory MP and chairman of the pro-Arab Parliamentary Association, subscribes to the notion that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, He sees little difference between PLO terrorists blowing up a school bus and Israeli planes bombing a Palestinian refugee camp, “write Fife.
Mon, 2015-08-10 20:16
#31
I assume that's a rhetorical question.
Mon, 2015-08-10 20:59
#32
Left Turn
Svend Robinson was punished for deviating from the correct Zionist line.
Libby Davies was bullied into submission, and never mentioned Israel again until she retired.
If people of such calibre went down without anyone supporting them, I'm not optimistic that anyone today will stand up to the McCarthyites.
Those of us in the Palestine solidariy movement called foul when Libby Davies was bullied into submission. And we will continue to call foul when the NDP silences those with any semblance of blance on Palestine. This thread is part of that.
Mon, 2015-08-10 21:15
#33
Those of us in the Palestine solidariy movement called foul when Libby Davies was bullied into submission. And we will continue to call foul when the NDP silences those with any semblance of blance on Palestine. This thread is part of that.
I understand that, Left Turn, and I'm part of that same movement.
What I meant to say is that we lost, and they lost. And I also meant to say that there's no sign of improvement today. There was a ray of hope when the NDP Youth forced Mulcair to make some pretend mealy-mouthed statement about Gaza during the last invasion. But overall - nothing.
Tell me I'm wrong - give me some evidence. I'll gladly change my tune.
Mon, 2015-08-10 21:18
#34
I know not remotely the point but he wona three way contested nomination against strong candidates so something's out there...
The Zionist cleansing may not be over yet. Wheeldon is gone (like Manly before him), but what about Marotte and McLaren?
[url=http://www.cjnews.com/canada/ndp-candidates-under-fire-comments-about-is... candidates under fire for comments about Israel[/url]
[David] McLaren [NDP candidate in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound], meanwhile, is quoted as saying it isn’t principled to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is like picking a side in “a telephone booth packed with dynamite.”
McLaren has no chance of winning Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, from what I know he isn't well known and was just thrown into the lions den to be a Candidate .
Mon, 2015-08-10 21:19
#35
Now there's another:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/jerry-natanine-clyde-river-mayor-won...
Natanine expanded on the decision to CBC, saying that it "turns out whatever was in my social media was questionable, and didn't fall well with the headquarters."
In particular, he pointed to several Facebook posts in which he showed his support for Palestine in their long-standing conflict with Israel.
"I often side with the Palestinians because of all the hardship they are facing and because nothing is being re-built over there," he said.
Natanine says he was told NDP headquarters was concerned his opponents might use those posts to suggest he was anti-Semitic.
A post on Facebook by Jerry Natanine on February 14, 2014. Natanine said that his pro-Palestine Facebook posts were the reason for his failed bid to win the NDP nomination in the upcoming federal election. Nunavut's NDP riding association had no comment. (Facebook)
Mon, 2015-08-10 21:47
#36
I know not remotely the point but he wona three way contested nomination against strong candidates so something's out there...
From what I recall from the nomination process, the other candidates had failed several times at either at the last couple of federal or provinical elections.
I think the riding will likely go Liberal if Miller doesn't win.
Mon, 2015-08-10 22:34
#37
swallow
some good points, Jeff Wells, but several recent NDP moves like this, including the sitting MP and candidate in Laval-Vimont being suddenly dumped and of course Beatrice Zako in Montreal-Papineau having the rug pulled out under her, months after the Party had said her involvement with Option nationale was not a deal-breaker (turns out it was)
and
of course I always disagree with ikosmos and think his pro-Putin campaigning should be shunned here, but on this issue his position is particularly wrong-headed, given the single-party regime emerging in his favoured state; zero dissidence there
Several others, yeah. Now the Conservatives are targetting Linda Hossie for daring to suggest that perhaps not every single barrel of oil from the tar sands needs to be dug out and used, so will the cabal running this party dump her next?
Mon, 2015-08-10 22:40
#38
Now the Conservatives are targetting Linda Hossie for daring to suggest that perhaps not every single barrel of oil from the tar sands needs to be dug out and used, so will the cabal running this party dump her next?
That would be good. Once every single person of conscience has had their ass kicked out of the newly purified NDP, then perhaps we could gather a flock of decent folk and accomplish something in this country.
But as I've intimated before, I'm not optimistic. The sycophants are too numerous. And repetitive defeat and humiliation doesn't appear to discourage them in the slightest.
Mon, 2015-08-10 23:04
#39
Left Turn
Those of us in the Palestine solidariy movement called foul when Libby Davies was bullied into submission. And we will continue to call foul when the NDP silences those with any semblance of blance on Palestine. This thread is part of that.
I understand that, Left Turn, and I'm part of that same movement.
What I meant to say is that we lost, and they lost. And I also meant to say that there's no sign of improvement today. There was a ray of hope when the NDP Youth forced Mulcair to make some pretend mealy-mouthed statement about Gaza during the last invasion. But overall - nothing.
Tell me I'm wrong - give me some evidence. I'll gladly change my tune.
No one that I know holds out any hope that the NDP's overall position on Palestine can be changed. That said, I still believe in calling out the NDP when it takes shameful positions/actions on Palestine. I don't do it out of any hope that the NDP's position on Palestine can be changed, but rather to point out that the NDP is an inadequate political vehicle for those who care about Palestinian rights, and that a better political vehicle is needed.
Mon, 2015-08-10 23:07
#40
some good points, Jeff Wells, but several recent NDP moves like this, including the sitting MP and candidate in Laval-Vimont being suddenly dumped and of course Beatrice Zako in Montreal-Papineau having the rug pulled out under her, months after the Party had said her involvement with Option nationale was not a deal-breaker (turns out it was)
and
of course I always disagree with ikosmos and think his pro-Putin campaigning should be shunned here, but on this issue his position is particularly wrong-headed, given the single-party regime emerging in his favoured state; zero dissidence there
Several others, yeah. Now the Conservatives are targetting Linda Hossie for daring to suggest that perhaps not every single barrel of oil from the tar sands needs to be dug out and used, so will the cabal running this party dump her next?
I believe your comment is about Linda McQuaig. Anyways it was on the front page of the Edmonton Journal in big bold headlines. Like there was any chance that all the oil sands would be dug out anyways.
Mon, 2015-08-10 23:22
#41
but, wait, was the picture wrong?
Mon, 2015-08-10 23:30
#42
but, wait, was the picture wrong?
What picture?
Tue, 2015-08-11 00:05
#43
but, wait, was the picture wrong?
What picture?
Was it the one I posted?
http://rabble.ca/babble/election-2015/ndp-candidate-resigns-after-callin...
Tue, 2015-08-11 13:18
#44
When people sign up to be candidates of political parties, this is really what they're in for as far as expectatons go:
Tue, 2015-08-11 14:04
#45
Now the Conservatives are going after a new candidate: Matthew Rowlinson
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/11/hans-marotte-ndp-conservatives-c...
The Tories are also promoting on social media a purported 2008 quote from NDP London West candidate Matthew Rowlinson, saying that in Jerusalem there is “ongoing ethnic cleansing of the city’s
Palestinian inhabitants.”
So is there a difference between Wheeldon's and Rowlinson's comments?
Tue, 2015-08-11 14:09
#46
alan smithee
I dream of a world without Israel. How many wars and would-be wars vanish from existance without that rogue Apartheid state?
Tue, 2015-08-11 14:57
#47
Now the Conservatives are going after a new candidate: Matthew Rowlinson
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/11/hans-marotte-ndp-conservatives-c...
The Tories are also promoting on social media a purported 2008 quote from NDP London West candidate Matthew Rowlinson, saying that in Jerusalem there is “ongoing ethnic cleansing of the city’s
Palestinian inhabitants.”So is there a difference between Wheeldon's and Rowlinson's comments?
Purge them all! How dare they open up the party to criticism by Harper and Netanyahu? Purge them!!!
I don't always agree with Michael Laxer, but he absolutely nailed it this time:
[url=http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2015/08/ndp-candidate-axed... candidate axed over Israel comments shows triumph of neo-conservative dogma[/url]
It would seem that, as with climate change, any serious discussion or criticism of Israel is now essentially forbidden in mainstream politics in Canada -- including within the NDP.
On the heels of backtracking on a perfectly reasonable and, in fact, scientifically factual comment made by star candidate Linda McQuaig about the tarsands, the NDP has now, quite literally, erased the candidacy of Morgan Wheeldon in Nova Scotia over comments he made critical of Israel's attacks on the Palestinians. [...]
In 2015 the diversity and contrast of positions and policies between any of the major parties is more narrow than at any other time in our country's modern political history.
More dangerously, though, it allows the Conservatives and the neo-conservative movement, more broadly, to set the limits on what is and what is not allowed to be said, criticized or debated.
The consequence is that, no matter who gets elected, on certain issues like Israel or fundamentally tackling climate change, one variation or another of the Harper government and neo-conservative position and vision is what Canada is going to get.
Tue, 2015-08-11 15:49
#48
Agree with his general point, but there is no comparing climate change and Israel in terms of "permissible" opinion.
Tue, 2015-08-11 15:50
#49
I dream of a world without Israel. How many wars and would-be wars vanish from existance without that rogue Apartheid state?
I dream of a world without conservatives holding power..
Tue, 2015-08-11 16:04
#50
Or pathetic alternatives..
Wed, 2015-08-12 09:57
#51
Dr. Dawg weighs in:
[url=http://drdawgsblawg.ca/2015/08/mulcairs-purge.shtml]Mulcair's Orange Purge[/url]
Up to now I’ve been supporting the NDP in the run-up to October 19, even if I quit the party last year over the Manly mess. Now…I dunno. Yes, we have to get rid of Harper: that’s imperative. No, young Justin would just give us more of the same, with different clothes and hairstyle. That pretty well leaves the NDP. But at what point do we progressives have to start listening to our consciences?