Friday, February 19, 2016

Parting Company with Decency and Human Rights for Political Expedience

The CBC's Neil Macdonald writes of the contortions the Liberals are going through to be seen as not agreeing with the Tories even as they support the Tory condemnation of the BDS movement.

BDS is the "boycott, divest and sanction" movement that opposes Israel's subjugation of the Palestinian people. Leading BDS are the United Church of Canada and the Quakers.

When it comes to Israel the Liberals wouldn't say "shit" if they had a mouthful - and they do. Stephane Dion,  master of weasel words after his performance supporting the sale of $15-billion worth of war wagons to the Middle East's real supporter of terrorism, Saudi Arabia, casts the BDS leaders as well-intentioned buffoons.

So, the Trudeau government intends to join with the Conservatives next week and condemn the United Church of Canada and the Quakers, along with every other organization and individual participating to any degree in a boycott of Israeli goods and services.

Blanket government condemnation is not a very sunny thing to do, and the Liberals, quivering with outrage, are making it clear they really don't want to do it.

But they are going ahead because, apparently, they're being bullied, the poor daisies.

It's just not fair, the things you can be forced to do when you have a parliamentary majority.

There is no doubt, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion declared in the House of Commons Thursday, that most of the organizations and individuals supporting the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement are doing so in good faith, believing it will somehow force an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and its control over Gaza, and maybe some sort of peace deal.

...In speeches supporting their motion, one Conservative MP after another conflated BDS with "the new anti-Semitism," "attacks on national origin," growing hatred of Jews everywhere, desecration of Jewish cemeteries, intimidation of Jewish university students, hatred of peace, and just plain old hatred.

Dion, trying hard to walk in Liberal sunshine, protested that no, some BDS supporters are respectable people, some in fact are Jewish themselves, and should not be ostracized. We must all speak to one another respectfully, he protested.

It's spineless, pandering crap like this that reminds me how great it can feel to have ditched the Liberal Party of Canada.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dion has turned out to be useless as Foreign Affairs Minister at Global Affairs. I believe he's scared of his own shadow, and merely repeats the US propaganda line. I thought he was supposed to be an intellectual, but any need to explore new vistas in a bold way left the man years ago. He'd prefer to write screeds in a back office and let others interact with humans based on his policy notes, which are now also suspect as being of the extremely shallow variety.

The Mound of Sound said...


I think Dion has become a dead loss for the Liberal government but I suspect that's not upsetting anyone in JT's office. Dion as Trudeau's whipping boy. Perfect.

Unknown said...

I'm starting to think Mound, that the Liberals are just cowards. The BDS support is a moral issue , so is selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.There turning out to be sychophants who are afraid to go against the US and Israel. My concern with the Liberals was how they would be in Foreign affairs. I see I was right to be concerned. Dion is pathetic! I guess having guts and courage are not inherited attributes. Pierre trudeau had guts and courage, his son doesn't.

the salamander said...

.. puck, football, hot potato, wedgie.. that's the fool's game from the Harper sucksessor .. and what those ashats like to call 'holding Government to account' .. But wait ! There's more ! Emerging from her cozy bedroom cometh michelle Remplestiltskin .. "I hope that all of my colleagues in this place will find their spine, stand up, and do that." .. What? Oh.. its a free 'twofer' .. somehow, playing to the Jewish Vote scores with The Base .. or maybe its a threesome.. and points score with the shiny unicorn Rapture Rump Vote.. aka the ingnorant.. flat earth, nobody walked on the moon & man used brontosaurus to plough the prairies.. oh some 4-5 thousand years ago.. these creepy partisan gasbags would fit right into background wallpaper behind The Donald, Cruz or Mitt the Romney.. et al.. forever n ever aymen..

And by the by.. wherefore art thou Jason Kenney ? And with the Humpty Dumpty Duffy Trial about to come to a crescendo & the obligatory half year for a judge to pass a stone, retire or actually determine a verdict.. perhaps the cowardly one, Stephen Harper will emerge, see his shadow.. or not.. and retire with no immunity and no clear legal case advanced against him.. or his cabin boy Ray the Novak.

btw .. I see your estimable Indy Journo colleague Lorne at Politics & its Discontents.. was kind enough to promote my hint re Big Energy getting into the school curriculum business.. same greasy thugs who run the National Energy Board of course.. More of the spineless partisan doughboys n girlz still sucking teat, long after mommy Harper crawled into her cupboard or closet or bolthole from the comming storm.. Its all part n parcel with these mailroom wannabe's, dinosaurs & Contrarians .. Keep up the fantastic work Mound .. !

The Mound of Sound said...

Pamela, Justin has me convinced that he's all Margaret and precious little of Pierre. He seeks to accommodate some pretty odious types from Netanyahu to the House of Saud to the Bitumen barons of the Calgary Petroleum Club. Like it or not, he's neck deep in neoliberal instincts.

When the going gets tough, Trudeau throws Dion to the lions. It's painful to watch Dion jump through his prime minister's hoops. He'd better get comfortable with it because I suspect he'll be called upon again and again.

The Mound of Sound said...


Hi, Sal. Yeah I read Lorne's post. Astonishing how deeply Big Fossil will insinuate itself, even to shaping the minds of our children, and with government's approval.

Anonymous said...

"Pamela, Justin has me convinced that he's all Margaret and precious little of Pierre. He seeks to accommodate some pretty odious types from" Here we go again with the female bashing again. Pray tell, what is Justin's mother? Is it not possible Trudeau Jr. is doing just what he is being told to do? His advisers for example? Anyone with an inkling of brain, knew just what Justin was going to be after his campaigning as a PM of this country. Get it?....the country had no other choice in getting rid of Harper. Get it....? My suggestion to you is, begin coaching him yourself since you are all and mighty.

The Mound of Sound said...

Why is it all the best remarks come from "anonymous" commenters? Get it?

Anonymous said...

Because they get down to the nitty-gritty? Like The Donald Amigo. Get it? Smile though your heart is breaking. Your funny!

The Mound of Sound said...

"nitty gritty" - really? I don't think that's been said (outside of WalMart) for maybe 20 years.

"Your funny." My funny, what? Do you not know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'? Get it?

Anonymous said...

You found it! WalMart? What is that?