There is an interesting facial reaction when you tell people you write a blog. Maybe the thing around the eyes is pity, at first. They then ask what you blog about. When you say politics, the nose definitely tilts up a bit and the forehead crinkles into a frown. They remain polite but quickly lose interest.
In reading Alison Loat’s compilation of the Samara Institute’s interviews with former politicians in the book Tragedy in the Commons, she notes that bloggers have been classed as something lower than politicians. It seems to be a casual observation. This blogger is still determining if it is worthwhile reviewing the book’s self-indulgent comments by ex-politicians on their years in Canada’s parliament.
One observation that she makes is a particularly congratulatory few paragraphs on MP Jim Peterson’s chairing of the finance committee that fronted for Finance Minister Paul Martin in the draconian financial decisions made by the Chrétien government in 1995. It was one of the most disheartening events to watch after more than 30 years of involvement in Canadian politics.
It seemed that everyone was using others as beards in a string of manipulative moves at the time and the people being bamboozled were the Canadian taxpayers. Jean Chrétien had already gone back on too many of his promises and used Paul Martin as his beard. Paul, in turn, used Jim Peterson and his committee to try to prove that massive cutbacks in government spending were necessary.
Jim Peterson’s parliamentary committee traveled across Canada listening only to the bankers, financiers and elites who wanted lower taxes and less government expenditure. The 99 per cent were ignored. Even Bob Rae in Ontario bought in on the fiction and created the Rae Days that ended the New Democrats brief reign in that province.
Jean Chrétien is now retired and so is Jim Peterson. The voters looked after retiring Paul Martin when his ego sent him after the job of prime minister—the job that his father always wanted.
We well understand the suspicions people have of political blogs. You sometimes think that if these bloggers could just set aside their egos while writing, some might have something to say. You hope that in the very least, they care.
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Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
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