Thursday, December 04, 2008

Shut Up Derrick Lee - On Ongoing Blog Post Series

Liberal MP Derrick Lee, meanwhile, compared Harper's move to suspend Parliament to the burning of the Reichstag in Germany by the Nazis.

posted by calgarygrit at 8:45 p.m.

16 Comments:

  • And thus it begins......

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:57 p.m.  

  • While it is clear that the Nazis used the burning of the Reichstag for political advantage, I'm not aware of any evidence to suggest they burned it down themselves.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:04 p.m.  

  • Is there a way we can take out existing Liberal MPs from nominations? At least with the Cons, you can fight sitting MPs in nominations. I am not sure how it's done in Liberal circles. He's my MP and Scarb-Rouge River is a very safe seat.

    By Blogger mezba, at 9:21 p.m.  

  • Mezba,

    Not sure how it works in the Liberal Party, but in the NDP even incumbent MPs must be nominated by their riding associations to run again. After Bev Desjarlais was the only NDP MP to vote against same sex marriage, she was defeated in the following nomination meeting by Niki Ashton, who has since become the MP for Churchill.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:28 p.m.  

  • Yah know, I am really sad by this. When the Adscam thing was going on
    Derek Lee was a very good spokesperson for the LPC. I used to really respect him.


    This is why we needed a prorogation, way way too much heat, or fire in this case.

    By Blogger wilson, at 9:32 p.m.  

  • It sounds like Derek didn't have his speaking points in order, although his reference was spot on, it was evoking the Nazis the problem.
    He was referring to the burning of the Reichstag building in 1933 that set off the "enabling act." It's the "enabling act" where the elected head person can run things without parliamentary interference.
    The comparison Lee was trying to make is that Harper was inciting the "fear" of separatists and socialists taking over govt that it required an "enabling act" to prevent it (exactly what he got when GG gave him "breathing room.")
    Incidentally, if one wants to use history as an example, the Nazis Hitler had just won an election but without a majority, so after the fire, they went to the people, making up the communists were coming, won a majority, suspended civil liberties, passed the "enabling act" and essentially as know history shows gave Hitler dictatorial powers.

    So tell me what you think Harper's natural inclinations are? No, I am not saying he is a Hitler but "removing the right to strike" is removing of civil liberties, and using the economic crisis (that he doesn't respond to in other ways)as his excuse. Also funding of political parties, and removing that funding is all about reducing civic engagement and lessening democracy.

    I see Harper and his crew as very dangerous, and more so now that he "got what he wanted." Playing with this guy is playing with fire.

    By Blogger susansmith, at 10:47 p.m.  

  • Actually its Derek Lee.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:05 p.m.  

  • Disregard...I should learn to read first.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:05 p.m.  

  • PMSH will continue doing what he has been doing. Letting Dion screw up the Lib party.

    He's got his aim on Duceppe right now. Notice how only the federalist parties were invited to help with the budget?

    Today Cons are at 20% and Bloc at 37%,
    numbers haven't budged in Quebec, but Cons went up in Ontario ALOT.

    By Blogger wilson, at 11:26 p.m.  

  • janfromtheburce: "removing the right to strike" is removing of civil liberties"

    What was it Trudeau did right after saying "just watch me"?

    Oh, right. War Measures Act. I guess that's different?

    What did Trudeau enact? Wage & Price controls? That's also different?

    Pot meet kettle.

    By Blogger Candace, at 11:53 p.m.  

  • Not a fan of removing the right to strike, but is there a PSAC contract renewal or something coming up? It seemed so out of place and character (3 year expiry?) that I assumed the government knew something I didn't. Regardless, while the suspension is distasteful, it doesn't remove a civil liberty. It removes the protection of labour legislation that holds the common law "right to fire" back. And the Nazi comparison is odious, by the way.

    By Blogger matt, at 12:58 a.m.  

  • While there are elements of truth in Lee's metaphor, it's so loaded that it sounds shrill. If we're going to call him names, let's leave them at something like King Stephen, which is playful but less shrill. It alludes to the undemocratic actions taken on the infamous 4th of December, without becoming a story in itself.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:27 a.m.  

  • Besides, we don't want to be the side that unnecessarily escalates this. Beyond the odiousness, shrillness and strategic ineptness of using Nazi metaphors, it doesn't talk things down - or calm down our side to plan better for the next few steps.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:30 a.m.  

  • Lee compared our government to Nazis?

    Um ... why wasn't that the headline in the newspapers?

    By Blogger Robert Vollman, at 10:29 a.m.  

  • [just looked at the Wikipedia article on Derek Lee]

    He appears in promotional videos for the Church of Scientology?

    Who the hell is this guy? He's looking like a promising source of future gaffes for the Liberals.

    By Blogger saphorr, at 10:42 a.m.  

  • "janfromtheburce: "removing the right to strike" is removing of civil liberties"

    What was it Trudeau did right after saying "just watch me"?

    Oh, right. War Measures Act. I guess that's different?

    What did Trudeau enact? Wage & Price controls? That's also different?

    Pot meet kettle."

    It is different, if only because Trudeau was last in the PM chair almost 30 years ago; the October Crisis you mention was in October 1970.

    That was 38 years ago! Eeesh -- Time to move on.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:33 p.m.  

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