Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FELDSTED: Politicians lead by example, and the example they display is horrendous on a good day … borderline slander and constant attacks set the stage for chaos


De Niro, Biden latest targets of suspicious packages also sent to Democrats, Trump critics.  Trump, in a rally Wednesday and tweet early Thursday, assigns primary blame to media coverage ~~ Associated Press / CBC News ~~  Oct 25, 2018

Police intercepted suspicious packages addressed to actor Robert De Niro and former vice-president Joe Biden on Thursday, and investigators said they were similar to crude pipe bombs sent to former president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and CNN.....



I do not often comment on American politics, but make an exception because Canada politics is headed down the same path. Most of our MPs represent the party they are attached to instead of the people who elected them. That will have bad long-term consequences. We want our MPs act like someone we would like to invite for dinner when they are on the job in Ottawa.

The media picks up its cues from political parties, and their representatives. The anything goes, no holds barred, partisan bickering is over the top. Endless disparagement of opponents, innuendo, demeaning commentary, borderline slander and constant attacks set the stage for chaos.

When common courtesy, common sense, decorum, polite and respectful debate, ethics and honesty are trampled on the floor by competing political factions, the stage is set for chaos.


Elected representatives are intended to be the voice of the people and when they resort to actions and behaviours that mirror the worst in human interactions, they lose respect and bring out the worst in the people they claim to represent.

The barrage of verbal bombs and shelling in congress and the senate lead to real bombs being sent to some of the most vocal. Waging all-out verbal war transforms into real all-out war. What else can the political class expect?

The media and elites have joined in the fray and engage in the same sort of behaviour they observe in congress. Congress and the senate are leading the way to a bigoted, brutish, intolerant society of thugs where the strong rather than ideals win the day. The thugs are now joining the fight and their tactics are more direct. Why bother with verbal assassination rather than employ the real thing?

If the security of elected representatives is at risk, it is because they caused it. 

The chasm between Democrats and Republicans is deeper, and wider, than that which existed between Rebel and Union forces in the 1861-67 civil war. Those who have studied the history of the American civil war will recall bands of brigands on both sides, who waged a war within a war, that employed terrorism and actions against non-combatant civilians that no proper army would allow or condone.

Politicians lead by example and the example they display is horrendous on a good day.


John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GORDON F. D. WILSON: When The Trick Masquerades as The Treat

Thirty-seven years ago, Halloween 1987, I became the leader of the BC Liberal Party.   British Columbia was badly polarized. Social Credit held one side and the NDP the other. It had been twelve years, 1975, since Liberal MLAs Garde Gardom, Pat McGeer, and Alan Williams had walked away from their party to join Social Credit, one year after the lone Progressive Conservative MLA Hugh Curtis had abandoned his party to sit with Bill Bennett, the son and heir apparent to long-serving BC Premier, WAC Bennett.   An unwritten agreement by the biggest Canadian political shareholders, the federal Liberals and Conservatives, decided that if British Columbia was to remain a lucrative franchise from a revenue perspective, they couldn’t risk splitting the electoral vote and electing the real enemy, the NDP, so no resources would be used to finance either a Liberal or Conservative party provincially.   “There are two sides to every street,” I was told by a very prominent Canadian businessman who cont
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH: You Have To Be A Bit Crazy

  Ward and his wife Carleen celebrating his win on election night.   In March of this year, I took on the role of Campaign Manager for BC Conservative candidate Ward Stamer.  It’s the third time I’ve had the opportunity as I took on the role for Peter Sharp in 2013, and for Dennis Giesbrecht in 2020. Now let me tell you, in the past, a BC Conservative campaign team generally consisted of myself, the candidate and one or two helpers – and very little in the way of a campaign budget. Thankfully, a benefit of having spent 30+ years in the broadcast media afforded me the ability to do ad copy and write candidate speeches, and prep both Dennis and Peter to deal with the media – it’s also something I have always enjoyed. That was part of my duties this time around as well, however having a team of a dozen and a half volunteers meant that for the first time we had people available to ID our supporters, put together and install campaign signs, distribute campaign literature, and help out at ou
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH: As a BC Conservative member, and campaign worker, I will again state that the fact these errors were found -- AND brought to light BY Elections BC -- shows the system IS working

Sadly, two and a half weeks after the BC provincial election campaign, those who want to undermine our political process are still at.  PLUS, we also have one who doesn’t even live in our country, never mind our province. I speak of the buffoon running for President of the United States, who has poisoned the well when it comes to faith in the electoral process. Just today alone, comments such as the following, were being made of posts that I shared online: ... all the votes they keep finding has just favoured NDP on in all critical ridings and soon they will flip another riding in favour of NDP, Come on. ... Elections BC has ridiculed British Columbians, and I no longer have confidence or trust in their process and competence regarding the results Then there are others online, with comments like these – who are claiming fraud in the October 19th election: ... Who is the oversight for Elections BC? They should be investigated for election fraud! ... Fraudulent election ... should be red
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more