Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

Categories: Capital Read, Inkless Wells

Hey look: a Rights and Democracy timeline

by Paul Wells on Friday, January 22, 2010 10:01am - 28 Comments

Obviously I’ve gone from zero to obsessive on the controversy at Rights and Democracy in a very short time. (See posts over the past few days.) I just think it’s a microcosm for the social and cultural change the Harper government is trying to express and accelerate across the country in dozens of ways, sometimes indelicately, often with zero scrutiny. Here’s my column in this week’s print edition (an issue you should see on paper, incidentally, for the art department’s wonderful display of Mike Petrou’s fine reporting from Haiti). The column’s a bit dense, I’ll admit, because I want it to serve as a reference point for my journalism and the work of others. The only analysis comes in the last three or four paragraphs, but it’s in that bit that I hint at the real significance of the past few months’ events.

Tags: Rights and Democracy, self-promotion

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Dot

I haven't been following the blog debate as closely as others (sadly, I tune out on the Israeli/Palestinian issues, and I'll admit I know what part of Jerusalem I was in when I visted it ages ago, along with the west bank etc, trying to make sense of things) so after reading your column, I did come back to find out what you had written here. Now it makes more sense when you qualify it as "I want it to serve as a reference point for my journalism and the work of others".

btw the CPAC streaming video from Wed's event is online. Blog of your thoughts?
Trillium

I do not like this constant emphasis on religion:

'Van Pelt said, “Canada’s new debate and that of the world will be one of faith and belief. It will be one of a religious character.”'

No, it won't.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

'Van Pelt said, “Canada’s new debate and that of the world will be one of faith and belief. It will be one of a religious character.”'

*shudders at the thought*

Trillium

Yeah, we already did that for centuries in the western world. Stakes, wars, torture…we need to get away from that, not go for more of the same.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

nor does it appear to be going well anywhere else that it has been enthusiastically pursued.

D-R

"often with zero scrutiny"

HIDDEN AGENDA!!!

Here I thought Wells would be all over the US cover-up of GITMO murders. I guess there's not much point caring though.
http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

Thanks for this, Wells, it was very useful in providing some backstory to what's happening now.

The first I heard of this was TorStar article complaining about conservatives hijacking the board, which is ridiculous, and Petrou had a couple brief posts that didn't explain much in way of background.

I wish Cons spoke more often about what they are trying to do rather than keeping quiet because the only way conservatism is going to grow in Canada is if people know what its all about, what it represents.

Mike T.

The last thing conservatives want is having people know what they're about and what they represent.

TedTylerEzro

Yep that's Mike T. Always bringing up the level of debate, unlike those conservatives.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Style Style

Ridiculous!

Reader

It has zero chance of growth if Mr. Harper and his colleagues continue as they have.
Trillium

The reason Cons DON'T speak about what they're trying to do, is that they know Canadians would be appalled and turf them out.

MJH

It's Harpers "hidden agenda" again. Wow, very scaaarrry! What a joke!!

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

Liberals believe that if you assert a falsehood repeatedly enough, eventually people will start to believe it. They governed that way for over a decade.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Style Style

The Conservatives very generously sent ten-percenters contrasting their position on this issue with the Liberal position. But did anyone thank them?

http://intensedebate.com/people/danby danby

Don't worry – I'll show my gratitude at the polling booth

http://intensedebate.com/people/tedbetts tedbetts

Thank you very much for this and similar efforts Paul. You are doing an amazing journalistic service.

Not just because it highlights Harper in a negative way, but because there is so much spin and non-transparency and, frankly, so much information, and the bigger picture of what this government is doing, its legacy – whether you like it or not – is difficult to grasp. And this information is nowhere.

At first, I was concerned about civil servants speaking out against their government's appointments. I may not like this government, but I wouldn't challenge Harper's right to fulfil his mandate.

But as the details of what he is doing, how he is doing it, and how he is avoiding accountability are in many ways frightening.

It is very very much a part of what the democracy demonstrations are about this weekend. Much more than prorogation.
Reader

Check out the notice of vacancy in this week's Canada Gazette, Part I.

<http://canadagazette.gc.ca/index-eng.html>
John W.

This just highlights the need for the press to take a cold, factual, documented, unbiased examination of what we can realistically expect if the Harper Government were to receive a five year majority.
catherine

I just think it’s a microcosm for the social and cultural change the Harper government is trying to express and accelerate across the country in dozens of ways, sometimes indelicately, often with zero scrutiny.

Yes!! And kudos to you for highlighting and discussing this.

MJH

These "social and cultural changes" are badly needed and should be supported.

catherine

Well, let's get it out in the open and discuss it then. Why hide it? We should hear whether Canadians are inclined toward more religious influence in government.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

Who's talking about "religious influence in government"? And are you suggesting that religious people not be represented democratically?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

What the world needs now is theocracies, sweet theocracies
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is theocracies, sweet theocracies
No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another democracy,
There are democracies and monarchies enough to move
There are communists and guerrillas enough to rule,
Enough to last till the end of times.

What the world needs now is theocracies, sweet theocracies
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is theocracies, sweet theocracies
No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another republic
There are republics and freedom movements enough to grow
There are libertarians and anarchists enough to shine
Oh listen, lord, if you want to know.

What the world needs now is theocracies, sweet theocracies
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is theocracies, sweet theocracies
No not just for some but for everyone.

No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone.

Mulletaur

Nice one, Nich.

Richard E.

The hijacking of the Rights and Democracy organisation by those with a partisan
pro-Israeli agenda is a disgusting travesty and an affront to the very values the
organisation was founded to uphold. It's very clear that underhanded (non-transparent,
hypocritical, Machiavellian, undemocratic) tactics were used to smear and undermine
previous president Remy Beauregard. It's also clear that by subsequently appointing
the senior legal counsel of B'nai Brith Canada to the board, Canada's Conservative
elite have (yet again) shown their partisan colours, wading in with flat feet to
push ideological agendas at the expense of good people trying to do a good job.
Qv Mr Beauregard himself, qv the slew of resignations from longstanding Rights and
Democracy members appalled at these goings-on. Think also of Linda Keen, nuclear
safety watchdog president fired in 2008 (for trying to do her job well, and
independent of government manipulation). Think Richard Colvin, professional diplomat
savagely attacked by the Conservatives for having the gall to continuing to raise
issues re the rights of Afghan detainees after attempting to muzzle him had failed.
Consider Parliamentary Budget Office funding cut by one million dollars after the
office's independent head, Kevin Page, had the gall to contradict government figures.
(And thus threaten the latitude for spin). Et cetera. There have been so many cases
like these that the current administration's respect for Canada's democracratic
system itself is called into question.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

How is having a pro-Israel agenda an "affront to the values" of Rights & Democracy? Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East and the only one that affords its citizens any real human rights. Being pro-Israel should in fact be one of R&D's fundamental values.