suck·er-punch /(sŭk'ər-pŭnch')
–verb (used with object) Slang.
to strike (someone) with an unexpected blow.
Harper’s biggest and most blatant sucker punch to date has got to be the one he delivered to an unsuspecting public by promising never to tax income trusts (in order to get elected). Upon entering office he turned around a delivered a $35 billion blow to the groin of the 2.5 million Canadians who had taken him at his word. To paraphrase an old expression: once sucker punched, twice shy. That doesn’t bode well for the new platform of policies that Harper has concocted over the summer in an attempt to delude voters once again with a newly re-invented version of Canada’s New One-Two Punch Government. Maybe Stephen Harper derives his political doctrine from P. T. Barnum, famous for saying that there’s a sucker born every minute.
I don’t suppose Danny Williams likes being taken for a sucker when it come to the Atlantic Accord. Just ask the foreign oil companies he negotiated the Hebron deal with, which is in stark contrast to the type of deal that Jim Flaherty would have negotiated on bended knee with industry, such as the Bruce Power Nuclear deal where he sold off all the upside and kept all the operational downside.
That pretty much sums up the seeds that Harper has sowed with his litany of broken promises: he has sold off all his political upside and kept all the downside. I have only mentioned the two most prominent of the many broken promises of our sucker punching Prime Minister. There’s a website dedicated to this formidable task of keeping tack of Stephen’s non-accomplishments at Trustbreaker which at last count was up to 42. Harper’s September throne speech will no doubt provide fodder for many new entries in the days leading up to the next election
Friday, August 31, 2007
So just how many people has Harper sucker punched in his quest for power?
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9 comments:
It appears that harper is a novice at everything he tries. Here he is showing his considerable prowess with a surrogate Canadian in the form of a punching bag. Did he not learn as a young child growing up that you don't fight with your tongue clenched between your teeth?
I guess he probably ran around as a child with scissors in a similar fashion, and now we have a him as our Prime Minister and he doesn't even know that he should be running around with the "bunny ears up".
This guy is not only dangerous to himself, but every Canadian who believes in democracy and true accountability rather than some bogus Accountability Act that seems to be written in way that allows 18 pages of blacked out documents to stand as adequate justification for the $$35 billion loss in average Canadians' heard earned savings and the 70% of Canadians who don't have employer pensions and will now find themselves without an important retirement savings vehicle at their disposal. Don't worry about what happens after 2011 since all the large public sector pension funds (i.e. OMERs, Caisee Teachers, AIC, PSP, BCIC) will have bought them all long before 2011.
And they call this a Tax Fairness Plan? If that's the case, then:
"Please sir, less fairness. I am being smothered to death with your fairness."
Wow, Harper sure is a tough guy. Decisive too.
And just like Brian Mulroney before him, he's handing everything of value in our country to the Americans on a silver platter while pandering to Quebec. Not surprising when Mulroney is one of Harper's advisors.
This should be very very familiar to anyone over the age of 40 - ie the actual voting public.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.
Just how many bad decisions does it take to get these guys out of there--I guess more than this!!!!
When I am out talking to the public about any of Harper`s unfortunate policies , their response is always underwhelming--a lot of blank stares , looks of "who is this guy'--how would he know more than an elected official , especially the Prime MInister or The Finance Minister--when will this guy go away & leave me alone ( & this is my relatives).
The thing that scares me the most is that what if some of these were actually promises kept--maybe the trust tax was meant to appease soemone else other than the Canadian public .
What if the sale of public buildings was meant to give a leg-up to the purchasers.
What if the SPP is just a way of keeping us in the good books of George Bush.
A lot of what iffs & promises that may have little to do with our well-being & more to do with the well-being of those in high corporate positions.
The question is , for how long will this be tolerated--time is running out --this appears to be a true democracy no more.
Dr Mike
Anonymous said:
"Did Harper not learn as a young child growing up that you don't fight with your tongue clenched between your teeth?"
I've heard of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Perhaps this is Harper's way of biting off his tongue to spite his blithering nonsense and pathological lies. Sounds like a plan. Just need someone to deliver the operative blow. Oh right, that's us, as we will be afforded a ring side seat in the next election.
I’m so disappointed and unhappy with Harper that I’ve forgotten why I ever disliked the Liberals. I didn’t like Trudeau one bit, but now I think we should start a club called “Canadians With a Begrudging Respect for Pierre Elliot Trudeau”. PET did accomplish the Charter of Rights, and that over time will be more and more important. In fact, Flaherty has been a flagrant abuser of Charter rights—due and democratic process, and equal treatment of similar businesses and similar citizens.
The Liberal guy we owe big time is the little guy from Shawinigan—Jean Chretien. Jean knew how to make a dollar dance. Not only did he and his friend Paul clean up the big deficits left by the Mulroney Tories, they made a silk purse for CPP investments from a pigs’ ear of pay-as-you-go funding. CPP is now standalone, self-funding and huge.
So, what’s my point? Where are the Liberals? The Tories had a highpoint in the polls of 40% in late March. They were on the verge of calling an election. The Tories have been sliding at a rate of 1.5% per month since April. But where are the Liberals? The Liberals have been stalled at 31% +/- 2%. Praise the Lord for the old Liberals but for Heaven’s sake, when are these Liberals going to move it.
How bad does Harper have to get before the Liberals will get going?
I agree with several points made above by Dr Mike and others .. it's a hard slog talking to people about these issues .. especially Income Trusts .. but I zero in on the fact that individuals are fully taxed on IT distributions .. usually to glazed eyes and blank looks.
The other point is my frustration with the Liberals .. they had it all and squandered it .. from Ralph Goodale musing about taxing ITs .. to Mr Dithers lackluster performance .. and all I heard from senior Liberals at a recent public meeting was "we don't have any $ .. these new political donation rules are killing us" .. enough already .. if you can't beat Steve, Tony, John and Jimbo .. you don't deserve to be back in power.
I'm voting Green again btw!
nineofiveland said "I'm voting Green again btw!"
Don't do that. Not until you're convinced that the Green can whup Tory assk in your riding.
But I'm with you. In my riding I'm looking at joining (horror of horrors!) NDP because the local Lib riding association is incompetent. The Lib candidate is good but the local LIb goats have chewed out all the grassroots. You can’t win an election without workers.
So I'm going to work and vote strategically to whup Tory assk out of my riding. Lib, Green, NDP or whoever it takes. ABTA – Any Backside except Tory Assk.
Guys ,
I respect your right to vote however you like , but how is voting Green or NDP going to help our cause??
We need to place in power whoever will reverse the trust policy implemented by Jimmy & Steve--where do the GReen & NDP stand on this issue??
The NDP was complicit in removing the trust tax free status--these guys are not our friends.
The Green are a bunch of great people--Elizabeth May is a sweetie--we nearly elected her in our riding in the BY-election in London--unfortunately , she does not have the power to change any policy.
The Bloc are a non-choice.
The Libs are the only party with the power & the will to change the policy--just about the only hope we have.
This is tough for me as well--I have always voted PC & Cons--for 35 years nothing else--some things about the LIbs make you hold your nose but it appears to be the only choice we have if we want to reverse this trust disaster that Flaherty & Harper have wrought upon us.
We must look at this thing realistically & do what we need to do for the cause no matter how distateful it may appear on first glance.
I am lucky here in my riding in Ontario--The Libs have an excellent candidate (Suzanne van Bommel--Elgin-Middlesex-London) & a fine organization & I can easily throw my support behind her.
Anyway , good luck to us all--we will need it.
Dr Mike.
On Garth`s blog today--this was posted in response to increased Media momopolies & the narrowing of independent thinking & reporting.
"Is there the political will in Canada to bust up the concentration of ownership? The financial side of the restructure would be relatively simple. I suggest: (a) 10% limit on any one owner, (b) and majority ownership by residents of the province in which the newspaper or media outlet is and (c) income trust to widely distribute the earnings of the media entity.
By Katie Kephalos on 09.03.07 7:10 pm
Katie , this is one of the best political shots for our trust movement that I have seen to date--beautifully done--makes us proud.
Dr Mike.
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