Lookalike: The Two Faces of Warren Kinsella

Sharp eyed as ever, the corgis couldn't help but notice the strong resemblance between the two faces of Warren Kinsella: The one that wrote "As both a Catholic and an Ontario Liberal" when addressing an issue of interest to a Catholic audience, and the one who wrote "Look at me, folks. I am a latté-sipping, Kyoto-loving, One-World Government Secular Humanist." when addressing issues of interest to a Jewish audience. Could these faces be related?

Small boy under political fire

A small child today came under intense attack from candidates in the Calgary Centre by-election, after he claimed that the Most High Emperor Obama was not, in fact, clothed in threads of scarlet and finest gold but was rather not wearing any clothes at all.

Ontario to get a woman premier?

So Kathleen Wynne has thrown her hat into the ring to replace Dalton McShifty as chief architect of Ontario's economic ruin. Could she be Ontario's first female premier?

The corgis don't think so. In the words of Austin Powers... that's not a woman, it's a man, man.

Farewell, Dalton

Couldn't let the moment pass without chiming in, although most that can be said has already been said. From the Liberal side of the fence, we're hearing what a great man he was, and how Ontario is a better place after nine years of McGuinty-ism. And if you come from that perspective, why wouldn't you say this? He's been an absolute poster child for the nanny state. He garnered many many Liberal votes, and if you are a Liberal, then that's what matters. The price of those votes doesn't matter, because it's just taxpayer's money - not their own. They'll never have to pay.

And in the end, this is the McGuinty legacy in a nutshell. He's not changed too much on a practical day to day level, except to turn Ontario from a manufacturing province to a welfare one. But he has changed the culture of the province. Ontarians now expect their government to tell them what to do and what to think - and their government to pay for it as well - to a far greater extent than we did ten years ago. He's proved that promises count for nothing - first on taxes, then on Caledonia, and most recently by even turning his back on the Big Labour that brung him.

The tide of socialism has washed large over the province and it will take a very long time and a lot of hard work to reverse it.

Tim Hudak is emphatically not the man for that job. The Ontario PCs should take the chance they've now been offered to get a new leader, a new team, some new discipline, new policy and new message. There's a chance for the amateur hour to end now, and they should take it.

The Completely Not New Kinsella Duality

WK has a post up equating what he calls "anti-Muslim" writing - in other words, any objective discussion of concerns about radical Islam - with the topless photos of Kate Middleton recently published in France.

This is ironic, coming from a man who flew into an apoplectic rage because someone called his girlfriend a "squeeze." Somehow I doubt he would be so free-speechy if someone published nude photos of La La, despite his implication that this would be fair game.

After 17 Years, I Finally Figured Out Canadian Policing

This article about why British police remain unarmed contains a simple statement that suddenly explained for me the jarring difference between police officers in my old country and police officers in my new one.

"Arming the force would, say opponents, undermine the principle of policing by consent - the notion that the force owes its primary duty to the public, rather than to the state, as in other countries."

That completely different philosophical understanding explains everything. It's why we see so many cases of police beating people up, why police in Canada are so often rude, ignorant and thuggish. I couldn't understand it when I got here, but this is it.

Lookalike: DNC Edition

This poster turned the tide on socialism in Britain in 1979:

So its interesting to see Republicans handing out these at the heart of American socialism, the DNC.

Lookalike

Sharp eyed corgis will have noticed the uncanny resemblance between the pot-banging, mentally challenged character Ruprecht, played by a con artist who is in turn played by Steve Martin in the film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and the pot-banging leader of the Parti Quebecois, Pauline Marois.

We Get Spam

To: corgis .at. Doggerelparty.ca
From: Richard Warman
Subject: Urgent Confidential Business Proposition

Sir,

Am Richard Warman, Barrister at law and currently representing estate of recently deceased Mr. Section Thirteen former dictator of Ottawa, Canada.

I am trusting you with this most confidential matter of utmost urgency knowing you are of good character Bd morals and will benefit magnificently from proposal I am put to you.

During his lifetime I was Mr. Thirteen's closest friend and advocate and he rewarded me handsomely for this. Between us we accumulate large sums of money and vast holdings of hurt feelings. Am also in possession of quantities of offence and large tract of political correctness.

Now Mr. Thirteen has passed away, peace and glory be upon him, and I need your help to transfer the funds and grievances to a more friendly country. As you may know Canada is country in state of civil war with mobs ruling large parts of cities and racial massacres occurring every evening at half past five. Am urgently in need therefore of your help to transfer Mr. Thirteen's great and noble portfolio of human rights to a better and freer country.

If you are willing to help me move Mr. Thirteen's forty year of accumulation to a friendly regime such as Syria or Zimbabwe I look forward to your confidential response.

Am sincerely yours trusting in spirit of atheism and also Allah you will assist me in most worthwhile scheme.

Richard Warman
Barrister and Attorney, Ottawa Canada

Ontario's Liberals and The Catholic Schools

"As Both A Catholic and An Ontario Liberal" begins a post by former David Dingwall entitlement Warren Kinsella today. When I expressed the view (perhaps overstating, but then, what's Twitter for?) that this was oxymoronic, Kinsella simply called me a "moron". So, given that Liberals don't like to debate any issues around religion and would rather simply call religious folks "morons" while at the same time somehow claiming to also be religious, I thought I'd unpack some thoughts in a brief post.

I don't like what the McGuinty folks have done with the mandating of the "Gay-Straight Alliance" title in Catholic schools. Not because I'm opposed to these clubs however, or even this name. In fact, I personally think anyone who believes what you call such a club will have any effect at all on homophobic bullying in schools has totally forgotten what it's like to be 14. Kids don't care about this nonsense at all.  Kids who are going to bully will still bully. Kids who don't like the kids who go to a GSA won't like them any more or less because it's called a GSA. There's the story of the British troops in the Falklands who called the locals "Bennies" because their woolen hats made them look like a character in a television soap opera of the day. When their COs insisted this disrespect should stop, the troops switched to calling them "stills" - because they're still Bennies. Parents can do far far more to stop bullying than anyone else. Government is at the very bottom of the influence list.

Homophobia is on the wane at all levels in our society, as it should be - and indeed as the Catechism also says it should be. These kinds of social changes happen not because of politicians' efforts, no matter how well meaning. They just happen over time and they will continue to happen over time. Solving issues of bullying in schools comes down in the end to wise and decent parents, teachers and principals. What McGuinty is doing is simply shameless window dressing and more "look at me, I'm so compassionate" Premier Dad stuff - and the debate it's launched distracts nicely from not having done anything on the deficit yet. 

The real issue is that this is a very thin end of a wedge - a major assault on religious freedom that is coming to North America. Led by Obama in the US and the Liberal parties of Canada, this is going to get much, much worse. McGuinty is floating a trial balloon here on an emotive issue, one where he knows the majority will take his side. It's his first slice of salami. The question is, what's next?

And of course, Catholic schools are uniquely vulnerable because they straddle the state and the church, taking taxpayer funds. If taking government money, goes the argument, you have to abide by government policy - even if that directly contradicts your religious beliefs, as it does in this case. And this is a valid argument. Sometimes governments are respecters of freedom. The Liberal party, and people like Kinsella, are long documented enemies of freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, however, and so taking their taxpayer dime from them puts one on the road to serfdom. 

When John Tory lit the fuse on his famous exploding faith schools plan, I always felt that it was a bad idea precisely because most faith schools don't want the shackles of state control. A far more optimal solution, for all concerned, in my view, was the partial tax credit for private education that was in place before the nanny statists took over in Ontario. Let parents choose, and if they choose privately funded schools - on faith or any other grounds - then provide some financial recognition that they are not using the services for which they are paying taxes. It's not total funding of private or faith schools by any means, but it provides what is in my view the best balance between the interests of the majority in a state education system and the rights and freedoms of religious groups to educate their children in their respective traditions. The level of such a tax credit can be debated to achieve the right balance.

But to get to any kind of fair resolution on this stuff, you'd have to be dealing with people willing to debate and not dictate - and in Queens Park, and on Twitter, it seems we only have dictators for the time being.

"Failed" Charge of the Light Brigade a Myth

Sir,

With the benefit of one hundred fifty eight years of hindsight, is it not time to take an honest look at the glorious leadership of Lord CaRaedigan, as he led his troops into the Battle of Balaclava? Despite what was so obviously a great military victory on this occasion, history persists in the falsehood that the Charge of the Light Brigade was in some way a "failure". Much of the blame for this can be laid at the feet of the ignorant and illiterate Alfred Lord Tennyson and other so called professional writers, all of whom must have been under the influence of laudanum to have so grievously mischaracterised the great events of CaRaedigan's leadership.

As my great-great-great grandfather was a close advisor to and confidant of the great leader, I can personally attest that in fact the Charge was a great success, and has served as inspiration to me in my own humble career in public service.

Sincerely,

Tim Armstrong

The Liberal Approach to Scandal

Kinsella has an interesting defence of the Ornge debacle. In essence it says "we told the opposition that we had put Liberal cronies in a position to abuse the public trust and bilk the taxpayer, so that makes it all right."

You know, come to think of it, he does have a point. If you put a McGuinty Liberal crony in a position to bilk the taxpayer, then we really should assume that they will.