Sunshine and puppies (and Harper hell)
As Stephen Harper kicks the CBC while it’s down, I dream of sunshine and puppies.
As Stephen Harper kicks the CBC while it’s down, I dream of sunshine and puppies.
Rick Mercer rants about Stephen Harper’s hypocrisy. What could be better?
Well I came up with a doozy of an idea recently. The plan: launch a national contest for artists to submit portraits of Stephen Harper that show his “committment” to the arts. This is in the wake of massive cuts to the arts by Harper and his Conservatives and most recently his axing of the National Portrait Gallery. So Rob and Michael and myself are making it happen over at Art Threat. We’ve announced the contest and put together a jury that includes Sheila Copps, the former Minsiters of Heritage!…read more
The image above is taken from the CBC – it’s a map showing Canada’s electoral colours. Under a system of proportional representation, this map would look A LOT different. The Harperites would have less, the NDP more, and Greens would even have a handful of seats. Imagine that! I’ve decided recently to get more involved in electoral reform in Canada in whatever capacity I can. I’m going to start by supporting Fair Vote Canada here and there, beginning with posting this press release received yesterday afternoon: Election analysis determines that,…read more
Canada, A country of immigrants, Founded on genocide, Maintained with white privilege and collective denial, Imagined as “our home and native land,” Visualized as one, Fragmented as many, And managed by violence and repression. That’s what I think when I watch the video below of First Nations blockading a road in Northern Quebec (Algonquin). The police march into them as if they have no entitlement, as if this land belongs to the police and the state that signs their cheques. That’s not my Canada. My Canada would also be a…read more
Recently the Globe and Mail published an angry rant by one of Canada’s finest artists: the very talented and globally celebrated writer Margaret Atwood. Why is she angry? Because Stephen Harper apparently hates the arts and the artists who make the stuff that us “ordinary Canadians” celebrate, interact with and consume every day of our lives, regardless of where we are or who we are. Harper is certainly missing out on a global trend: “new economists” are pointing to a burgeoning new economy called “the knowledge economy” or the “culture…read more
As Harper takes the lead in the polls and everyone in the creative sector braces for an ultra-Conservative chill to ooze over this country, some people have been busy making excellent missives against Harper and his gang of culture reformists. The video below is the most recent. Enjoy.