Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

On cynicism

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, March 17, 2011 1:04pm - 27 Comments

From Rick Mercer’s latest rant.

Apparently our opinion of politics and the people who practice the art is now so low that no matter what the behaviour, we’re no longer surprised. It’s like going to a family wedding. Why bother getting upset because Uncle Jerry has too much to drink and makes a holy show of himself out on the dance floor?It’s Uncle Jerry, that’s what he does.

Tags: democracy, Ottawa, rant, Rick Mercer

More by Aaron Wherry

exccanuck

So who cares what Mr Wherry writes? Even when, especially when, he quotes himself to the huge boredom of much put upon readers of his drivel. There is a point for discussion – why do this magazine's readers read Mr. W's drivel?

craigola

I care what Mr. Wherry writes, and seeing as you have taken time out of your day to read and respond to at least one of his blog entries, I gather that you do too, at least a little bit. But I suspect that wasn't the answer you were looking for. So, sorry about that.

OriginalEmily1

I loved that rant….sums it up beautifully!

Especially the last line.

katherinemckenna

It really was one of his best.

OriginalEmily1

When he gets wound up, he's really good.

Mike514

I don't have audio at this computer, so I scanned through the comments under the Youtube video to try and get some insight into the video…

Wow. If the comments are to be believed, the Harper government is a Nazi regime supported by bigots and white supremacists, responsible for torture, slander, and forcing people onto welfare.

Thankfully the Macleans comment boards haven't degenerated to that level of discourse.

Aaron, do you have a text/written version you can link to?

Thwim

It was primarily about Harper renaming the Government of Canada to "The Harper Government", and Mercer's comments were about how when he went to school he got taught that health care, the military, aboriginal rights, etc were all things done by the Government of Canada.. and how now they'll be taught that they're all things done by Stephen Harper. He pointed out that while this is no big deal in North Korea, over here it's "offside", and how while Mr. Harper is a very important person, at the end of the day, he's an important person in a temporary job and he should remember that this is our government, not his.

Guest

I really don't like the arrogance of the renaming a government. But living in Ontario & being fed the "McGuinty Government" for so long, I wonder why the outrage now.

Richard_S_Argent

Is that coming from the media or from the Premier's office though? That's the issue.

Guest

Ontario.ca website. A search shows 2507 News releases alone starting with "McGuinty Government". It has annoyed me for years. Looks like only me.

It looks like the issue is who is doing it now!
D.D.S

It would have annoyed me if I lived in Ontario….I do however live in Canada…..Not Harperland………yet
Richard_S_Argent

Fair point, that IS annoying.

cheers!

Thwim

Because people who don't live in Ontario are smarter? :)

Guest

Thanks. I was hoping for a siMple exPlaNation.

Mike514

I see. Thanks.

Lester

We have been bullied in to being complacent. Only 60 % of us went out to vote last election while over a million Egyptians protest when they'd had enough of their dictator. I'm not calling Harper a dictator (at this particular moment) Im just saying we don't vote because we get to the both and are faced witha what if situation and Ill use his rant to paint it perfectly.

You're getting married and have a full guest list. You must put one more set of relatives at the family table. Do you:
Pick your drunk uncle who stares at the gift table and eyes the door planning an escape route with the goods OR
Do you pick your Cousin who is such a tightwad she gave you her used toothpick as a wedding gift.

I DON'T WANT THEM AT THE FAMILY TABLE I don't care if they are my relatives or not. Just like all the asshats we're voting for are the same. Wolves in sheeps clothing.

This didn't make as much sense as I was hoping. Im tired and I love mercer. Hail mercer.
DBM

If the perception that all politicians are unscrupulous liars is built into the polls, and no amount of good behaviour on your part will allow you to escape that perception, do you:

A) try extra hard to be, or at least appear, scrupulous anyhow.

B) Don't go out of your way to appear especially scrupulous because you know it won't work, and might even make people assume you're hiding something. But try to be ethical nonetheless because it's right, and it's what you would want from others.

C) be unscrupulous when it suits you because you know that's what people will assume anyhow. If you're going to wear it, you might as well get the benefit.

Guess which the Prime Minister has chosen?

TimesArrow

C…trouble is many cons would pick B and the real wing nuts think he's picked a.

NorthernPoV

Rick Mercer and Jon Stewart have become "part of the problem".
When they make fun of lefties, everyone cracks up. When they make fun of right-wingers, lefties laugh and right-wingers fume and become more determined.
Lefties laugh and think that they've done their bit. Voting is beneath them.

TimesArrow

Apparently, contrary to his assertions, he really really likes drivel…
TimesArrow

I must have missed the tag line: "Don't vote, it only encourages them" under Mercer's rant.
Thwim

Agreed. Throughout history, the court jester, the carnival, have always been legitimizing aspects of the status quo. They allow it to keep going through the simple expedient of "If you're laughing at something, it's harder to get angry with it"

This is the function that Stewart and Mercer play on the left. They make us laugh at the things we should be getting hopping mad about.

What do they have on the right? Beck and O'Reilley.. urging people to get hopping mad about things.. not laugh at them.

And sadly, it's generally the people who are fed up, angry, and mad that are the ones who drive change. So does it come as any surprise that the change we're seeing is driving us further right, even as we mock them more and more? People who think Stewart or Colbert provide a service by pointing out these things aren't seeing the full picture.

Richard_S_Argent

Taken down by irrefutable logic. Again.

Dammit.

:D

MostlyCivil

"So who cares what Mr Wherry writes?"

II keep seeing this sentence, over and over again. I need to get my irony levels checked.

danby

It would be absolutely irresponsible of the Opposition to force an unwanted election on Canada when Rick Mercer is so cynical
TimesArrow

Mercer is a national treasure.

I sometimes wonder how much he is personally responsible for Harper not quite ever getting his majority?
WJM

If only there had been a cleverly acerbic public wit from Newfoundland with a large audience who could have taken Danny Williams rightfully to task for seven years of doing the same, improper, personality-cultish thing.