democracy

CAPP has re-invented itself as Canadians Advocating for Political Participation.  In interviews on CBC, CAPP spokespeople said they were continuing to organize now that Parliament was back to ensure that people across the country, whatever their politics,  continue to demand accountability from their politicians and get more engaged in the political process . I am hoping it will be the beginning of a democracy movement that will go much farther and start demanding political engagement by citizens in the political process. 

It was magnificent.   After three weeks of online and off line organizing, tens of thousands of people across generations and political persuasions took to the streets in 65 cities and towns across the country and around the world to stop the erosion of democracy in Canada.

It was magnificent.   After three weeks of online and off line organizing, tens of thousands of people across generations and political persuasions took to the streets in 65 cities and town across the country and around the world to stop the erosion of democracy in Canada.

Thanks to Tor Sandberg of rabbletv, here is a speech I gave to the anti-proroguing rally in Toronto.  There were about 10,000 people there and another 15,000 at least across the country'

On Saturday,  January 23  at 1 pm in more than 60 cities and towns, Canadians will hit the street to demand a real democracy in this country.  What started as a protest against the prorogation of Parliament is starting to look like a democracy movement.

Voters in both the United States and Canada are reacting to a broken system.  In the US by voting down the Democratic candidate for Senate in the most Democratic state of Massachusetts and in Canada by this unprecendented uprising.

Am I the only one who saw Stephen Harper's nose grow on the National last night?  As he responded to Peter Mansbridge's question about how he had changed, he said that partisanship was now really the terrain of the Opposition.  Perhaps he hadn't consulted with his old pal Tom Flanigan who explained in today's Globe in a piece called Polarization, Ad Hoc Alliances and Fear of Election how completely partisan Harper's strategy is. Harper is in perpetual campaign mode, says Flanigan.  Maybe this time, Harper has outsmarted himself.

Today famed British journalist and environmentalist George Monbiot wrote an open letter to the people of Canada pleading with us to clean up our act on the environment.  In his usual incisive prose he wrote:

Canada's tactics have caused shock and revulsion everywhere. They are dragging your good name through the mud. Stephen Harper and Jim Prentice threaten to do as much damage to your international standing as George W. Bush and Dick Cheney did to that of the United States."

We are trying George but our government doesn't listen to the people of this country, only to the oil companies.