Loving Hating the "BC Free Press" Website


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These folks are a riot.

In a March 2004 story on their website, I found this darling line, “BC is once again plunged into darkness by the NDP. They are fueled by a motivation not uncommon to terrorists – the fanatical belief they occupy a higher moral ground than everyone else.”

I think by definition the political party at the opposite end of the spectrum from where you are is horrible, its ideology is flawed, they have a warped sense of human nature, and their values are inadequate. But I must say, regardles of whether the NDP does or does not actually believe they are morally superior to everyone else, if they were, they aren’t therefore terrorists. Moral superiority may be a necessary condition for being a terrorist, but it is far from sufficient.

Silly rhetoric like this is dangerous. It must be stopped. As much as I abhor, for example, Gordon Campbell’s neocon philosophy as morally lacking and societally toxic, he is far from a terrorist just because his morality leads him to enact neocon society-demeaning policy.

And I don’t want to even get into the astoundingly sad comparison that the NDP beliefs are “fanatical” in any way remotely like suicide bombers or hijackers.

The email address of the unnamed editor of that website is editor@bcfreepress.bc.ca. Let “them” know if you think they’re being irresponsible. And maybe suggest that they put their actual names on their site if they wish to display any integrity or be seen as credible.

Here’s the whole article [with context] in case it evaporates off their website. It seems to have no permanent weblink. And as of today, none of their 2004 content is copyrighted. Whoops.

NDP READY TO PLUNGE B.C. BACK INTO DARKNESS

BC FREE PRESS, March 2004 – It’s a toss-up. In recent memory, which is the sleaziest bunch to run a government? The federal Liberals or B.C.’s NDP? It depends how you define sleazy.

Jean Chretien’s/Paul Martin’s Liberals have probably pork-barreled more money to friends and insiders than all of Canada’s combined provincial governments. The extent of federal corruption is enormous, and it will continue until Canadians decide to chance the devil they don’t know rather than the devil they’re sick of.

Previous NDP governments in BC were also very adept at pork-barreling and corruption, including cover-ups like the NCHS Bingo scandal where charities and nuns were ripped off.

But the NDP also bring a different kind of sleaze, best represented by Joy MacPhail’s recent accusations against Liberal MLA Richard Stewart. These accusations were not spelled out, but were implied. They are of a highly personal nature, and have little or nothing to do with the running of government.

This is the kind of sleazy politics the NDP excel in. Slash and burn. It’s not about policy or public business. It’s about innuendo, speculation, rumour – character assassination. Joy MacPhail is a master at it – ruthless dissection of her opponent regardless of the harm to her target or her target’s family. If the NDP’s new Leader Carole James had any leadership qualities, she would have gone public with an apology and a statement that her party will not engage in that brand of politics. But instead, James continues to hide in the shadows like a jackal waiting to feed on wounded prey.

Only after feeling the heat from an appalled public and a threat of a lawsuit from Stewart, did MacPhail back off, offering a weak apology for her accusations. But not before enormous damage was done. Egged on by MacPhail, former Liberal MLA Elayne Brenzinger, now an independent, has also launched an attack on Stewart. Stewart is outraged and has promised to defend himself in the courts.

In the meantime, BC is once again plunged into darkness by the NDP. They are fueled by a motivation not uncommon to terrorists – the fanatical belief they occupy a higher moral ground than everyone else.

Take no prisoners. The end justifies the means – any means.

B.C. was an economic pariah for a decade under the previous NDP government. Joy MacPhail, Jenny Kwan, and Carole James are ready to send us back.

Finis

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Stephen Elliott-Buckley

Post-partisan eco-socialist. at Politics, Re-Spun
Stephen Elliott-Buckley is a husband, father, professor, speaker, consultant, former suburban Vancouver high school English and Social Studies teacher who changed careers because the BC Liberal Party has been working hard to ruin public education. He has various English and Political Science degrees and has been writing political, social and economic editorials since November 2002. Stephen is in Twitter, Miro and iTunes, and the email thing, and at his website, dgiVista.org.

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