Thursday, December 18, 2003
Robert L. Stanfield
The death of Robert Stanfield, who led the federal Tory party from 1967-1976, symbolizes the end of an era in politics. Stanfield was undoubtedly a well-intentioned and decent men; I've never heard of anyone who knew him speak ill of him. Not once. We wrote about Stanfield on the National Post editorial page today, and my views on him are pretty much summed up in that piece.
Whatever one might think of his Red Toryism (I dislike it quite a lot) it is easy to forget that Stanfield almost stopped Trudeaumania dead in its tracks, losing to PET by only 2 seats in 1972. If he had won that election, there's little doubt the size of government would not have grown as fast, nor would taxes have risen as quickly or by as much.
And the political nostalgist in me does lament the death of the men who came from Atlantic Canada and essentially hijacked the PC Party in the 1960s: Dalton Camp, Finlay MacDonald, Stanfield and their ilk. They are all gone now, and their disciples -- Joe Clark, Flora MacDonald, Lowell Murray, and others are now being relegated to the sidelines in the new Conservative Party or are not particpating in it at all. Canadian politics is indeed changing -- for the better in my view.
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The death of Robert Stanfield, who led the federal Tory party from 1967-1976, symbolizes the end of an era in politics. Stanfield was undoubtedly a well-intentioned and decent men; I've never heard of anyone who knew him speak ill of him. Not once. We wrote about Stanfield on the National Post editorial page today, and my views on him are pretty much summed up in that piece.
Whatever one might think of his Red Toryism (I dislike it quite a lot) it is easy to forget that Stanfield almost stopped Trudeaumania dead in its tracks, losing to PET by only 2 seats in 1972. If he had won that election, there's little doubt the size of government would not have grown as fast, nor would taxes have risen as quickly or by as much.
And the political nostalgist in me does lament the death of the men who came from Atlantic Canada and essentially hijacked the PC Party in the 1960s: Dalton Camp, Finlay MacDonald, Stanfield and their ilk. They are all gone now, and their disciples -- Joe Clark, Flora MacDonald, Lowell Murray, and others are now being relegated to the sidelines in the new Conservative Party or are not particpating in it at all. Canadian politics is indeed changing -- for the better in my view.
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What to do with Saddam
The world of political commentary has been deluged in the past two days with pieces on what to do with Saddam. Wm. F. Buckley is just one of dozens to weigh in on the subject. I liked Buckley's piece because he spares us from all the legalistic minutia and cuts right to the chase. Saddam's trial:
"should be of the order we'd have given to Adolf Hitler if he had been taken alive. Exhibit him, make him dwell on what he has done, satisfy the Iraqi people that we share their concern, and that having dispatched an army to their country to contain and disarm him, we will back the Iraqi court that sends him to the gallows. If anybody around wants to plead his cause, go ahead. There will always be fever swamps from which they can make their nescient calls."
Hear, hear.
My view on this is pretty much the same. Let the Iraqis deal with Saddam's fate. He should be tried publicly and if the Iraqis decide on capital punishment, fine. If they don't, thats OK too. (I favour the former; preferrably in Firdos Square in Baghdad by his old statue.)
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The world of political commentary has been deluged in the past two days with pieces on what to do with Saddam. Wm. F. Buckley is just one of dozens to weigh in on the subject. I liked Buckley's piece because he spares us from all the legalistic minutia and cuts right to the chase. Saddam's trial:
"should be of the order we'd have given to Adolf Hitler if he had been taken alive. Exhibit him, make him dwell on what he has done, satisfy the Iraqi people that we share their concern, and that having dispatched an army to their country to contain and disarm him, we will back the Iraqi court that sends him to the gallows. If anybody around wants to plead his cause, go ahead. There will always be fever swamps from which they can make their nescient calls."
Hear, hear.
My view on this is pretty much the same. Let the Iraqis deal with Saddam's fate. He should be tried publicly and if the Iraqis decide on capital punishment, fine. If they don't, thats OK too. (I favour the former; preferrably in Firdos Square in Baghdad by his old statue.)
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Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Latest curling column...
is up online. It's regarding what to buy the curler on your Christmas list.Check it out.
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is up online. It's regarding what to buy the curler on your Christmas list.
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Sunday, December 14, 2003
On Saddam's capture
We have to remember above all else that this is a day for the Iraqi people. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to be Iraqi freedom fighter Ahmad Chalabi today, going to confront Saddam for the first time. I am so happy for him and all the others who dedicated their lives to fighting this tyrannical murderer.
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We have to remember above all else that this is a day for the Iraqi people. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to be Iraqi freedom fighter Ahmad Chalabi today, going to confront Saddam for the first time. I am so happy for him and all the others who dedicated their lives to fighting this tyrannical murderer.
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