It was National Post political columnist Andrew Coyne who used the term. He wrote that “Toryism, in its current incarnation, resembles less an ideology than a pathology.”
If too many Conservatives look up those big words, Postmedia Publisher Paul Godfrey will be getting demands to fire Coyne. Obviously this guy is smarter than he let’s on. We have noted various times that news reader Peter Mansbridge brings out the best in Coyne when he appears on the CBC 10pm newscast. It is just as an apologist for the Conservative Party of Canada, that you figure he is intellectually dishonest. This latest statement is redemption.
But if he puts down people who use the political labels of ‘left’ and ‘right,’ by suggesting they are quarantining themselves. He is wrong. This writer is proud to declaim his left-wing beliefs and usually finds that people who ridicule the labels are extremists of the right wing.
According to his biography in Wikipedia, Coyne and this writer agree on only one thing: we both believe in a strong federal government. Like most London School of Economics graduates, Coyne wants more market based economic solutions but does not seem to know how that is done. He rattles sabres in support of the War on Terror without seeming to know much about the enemy. And in promoting proportional representation for the Canadian parliament, Coyne should be careful what he wishes for. He can bend his loyal knee to the Brit royals if he wishes but it just shows how some people need an occasional reality check.
Yet, Coyne knows that the current conservatism in Canada, as practiced by Stephen Harper and his friends, is more of a disease than a philosophy. That seems to be fair comment. He also stipulates that none of the other parties are disease free. That also seems fair.
But there are writers who are trying to do something about it. Sure, writing a blog is a long way from having much influence on world affairs but we bloggers are often read by people who agree with us. We have the e-mails to prove it. As much as there are Liberals who do not like this blog for knowing too much about the Liberal party, they are stupid to think that the party could not be better.
It is too bad that Andrew Coyne has laboured for Péladeau’s Sun Media and now works for Godfrey’s Postmedia. Both media chains are dishonest with their readers. They have a strong editorial bias that corrupts both news and editorial. Keep writing honest stuff like this recent article Coyne and you might get a better offer from the Globe and Mail.
-30-
Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]