Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Monday, April 16, 2012

Impact of Charter polarizes us still

Since Pierre Trudeau still remains unavailable, the Liberals will be dusting off Jean Chretien Tuesday, and hauling him onto the trading floor of Toronto's Bay Street to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Joining the 78-year-old former prime minister on Tuesday's stage will be the (almost) 64-year-old (interim) leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Bob Rae.

This is an old-timers' league. This is not the future.

The barely-breathing Liberals do not need another poll to remind them that the federal NDP leadership victory of Thomas Mulcair was the worst possible outcome for their party, the latest survey showing them bottoming out at 19%, their lowest national popularity score ever.

But what to do, what to do? How does the party get some positive ink?

Surely one cannot ask son-of-PET, Liberal MP and Papineau pugilist Justin Trudeau, to re-enter the boxing ring so soon after his first-round pounding, yet (admittedly) remarkable third-round TKO over Tory Sen. Patrick Brazeau.

But wait!

Have someone put out a call to le petit gars de Shawinigan. After all, wasn't he heard whining last week that the usually history-conscious Harper government had not approached him to participate in any official anniversary-related activities relating to the Charter?

"I don't know why they don't," Chretien complained. "The first of July, I never refused to celebrate it because John A. Macdonald was the prime minister (at the time of Confederation).

"It would be ridiculous to say, no, he was not a Liberal." Yes, it brings tears to our eyes, too. It's almost elder abuse.

But let's cut to the chase here, and lay out why Pierre Trudeau and his then-justice minister, Jean Chretien, so sorely wanted this Liberal-crafted Charter in the first place.

As many scholars have noted over the years, the only part of the Charter that truly concerned Trudeau was the section dealing with the mobility and language rights of French Canadians.

In other words, all Trudeau really cared about was the enforcement of "official bilingualism" on the rest of Canada -- the costly and ire-raising policy that, along with uncontrolled multiculturalism, continues to polarize our nation 30 years later.

Merci beaucoup for that.

Original Article
Source: toronto sun
Author: --

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