Scott Moe and Danielle Smith are Gen X Premiers. Born in the early 1970s, they no doubt watched Ben Kingsley in Gandhi in their high school social studies class, followed by an earnest discussion of civil disobedience. And when they were in their early twenties, busy being young Reformers, some of their contemporaries were
In Fellini's Amarcord, when the crazy uncle gets up in a tree and won't come down, somebody calls Sister ______, who's a dwarf nun, to come and get him out of the tree. And she does, basically by standing at the bottom and yelling, "You come down right now!"
Not a normal function of government, but maybe it's an idea whose time has come?
This is all more Grade A Steve Bannon 'Flood the field with 'poop' tactics. Make all kinds of noise about war with the federal government, and things that won't happen because of regulations that haven't been drafted yet and people forget what you did last week. And two weeks ago may as well be last year.
You'll notice no one now is asking awkward questions about; why the organization of health care in the province is being set back almost 30 years with no independent evidence recommending that, or exactly what is happening with the public forums about the APP that Albertans were promised and now seem to be canceled, or exactly how we're going to have a zero emission power grid by 2050.
Life is so much easier when you can govern by distraction, rather than having actual accomplishments.
While this is civil disobedience, from a Baby Boomer point of view, these actions lack certain criteria.
Dr. King protested racism and civil rights. Chavez and the workers protested human rights and some were killed on the picket line. Danial Berrigan and some nuns chained themselves to nuclear weapons facilities protesting life lost from Vietnam. Need I go on?
These Premiers are not putting themselves on the line protecting life and systematic social injustice. They are creating turmoil for their lobbyists and economic gain for some of their supporters. They are not concern with the environment.
This is not about protecting the taxpayer from freezing in winter or about freedom and liberty.
This is about power and a tinge of anarchy that sees the federal government that they feel has lost all legitimate control. Yet they are governments rejecting government control as a government seeking total control. Smith/Moe are creating uncertainty and do not do valid citizen consultation.
These are just initial reflects that need more conversation.
And I don't think it's just a "tinge" of anarchy btw.
Melanie Thomas, another Political Science prof from U of C, spoke last week in Lethbridge and expressed genuine disquiet about bona fide fascism unfolding here.
"Yet they are governments rejecting government control as a government SEEKING TOTAL control." Exactly.
This convoluted subterfuge is WHY all this is working, is what "flooding the zone with BS" looks like in practice--one petty, noisy distraction after another with as many in the "unprecedented" category as possible, all the while enhanced by the fact that THIS STYLE ITSELF is in that category!
Embarrassingly AND somewhat surprisingly, many Canadians are succumbing to these same tactics DESPITE having front row seats to the ongoing gong show they've created south of the border. We can absolutely blame social media for making much of our population more distractible than ever before, thereby effecting the critical thinking (such it was) of millions who have become addicted to the sound-bite style delivered to the palm of their own hand. Unprecedented.
So all this noise and fury obfuscates the never more crucial "big picture," all part of a deliberate right wing and/or corporate strategy that can be compared to "subliminal advertising." Remember that?
So with the big picture to surpass all big pictures of climate change, the most serious threat to humanity we've ever faced, big oil and big tech have set the stage for us to literally "amuse ourselves to death," dulling our ability to perceive genuine threat, even when it's right before our eyes.
It's so bad that those of us with perspective (many of the older generation) are watching with bated breath to see whether or not our rule of law will save us and/or our democracy because the jury is still out.
Not "some kind." Full on. And while we're calling it, so are all religions.
QAnon is a good example of a "new" one that many dismiss as sort of a joke but when you think about it, the premise of all "established" religions is the same: an omniscient "being" exists somehow, somewhere (yeah, in people's heads along with all the other "ideas" AND delusions in there) and actually controls what happen! Kind of the definition of an "out there" idea/notion is it not?
Just an observation of THE sweeping statement of all time--that some "god" or other actually EXISTS somewhere other than in people's fertile, indoctrinated minds. Spoiler--HE/it does NOT.
So how it lives on as the now ancient and incomprehensibly revered elephant in the room, even as the never-more-beleaguered concept of TRUTH struggles to raise its precious, noble head above the unprecedented digital din does NOT bode well for our survival. Because the actual truth is simply not that subjective OR that relative. And terrifyingly, climate change lives in that same rarefied air, so we're truly in serious trouble here....
A good starting point would be at least entering the massive social phenomenon that is religious delusion in the DSM where it belongs. After all, mental illness IS supposedly on everyone's radar now like never before isn't it?
I have a deep gut feeling that the UCP have done another big mistake, which is in addition to all the other very big and costly mistakes they did. They need to detract from it somehow. This is a way they are doing that. I really believe that Danielle Smith's time as premier won't last. It won't go to a full term. This is because of how Danielle Smith conducts herself. Political experts know that the Sovereignty Act is not legal. As my power bills go up, I will not blame Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. Nor will I lay the blame on Rachel Notley. I blame the Conservatives in Alberta for this. Ralph Klein's foolish venture into electricity deregulation, shady backroom deals, enriching power company CEOs, power companies, such as TransAlta, for manipulating the prices of power, and economic witholding, which the UCP have allowed to happen. This is going to be a very rough four years with the UCP in power.
Enjoyed this article Lisa. There are many elements of 'change' in the world today. Are many folks hanging-on to the comfort of the past regardless changes?
Reliable grid power supply is a worthy pursuit. Any risk management review would suggest minimizing risk (supply, capacity & stable pricing) by having some alternative generation - perhaps wind/solar/hydrogen?? But given Smith put the brakes on these investment opportunities, reliable power is not her end-game. Not Moe's either. Curiously, while both are currently in power, neither appears to be popular. So, deflect from provincial government performance to a seemingly popular political play by blaming the Feds.
There may be merit in this 21st century with all these changes in play (climate & sustainability, technology, pandemics, aging service delivery models in HC & ED) to perhaps teaming-up with a focus on interprovincial trade? Work together?? Sharing ideas and the wealth of Canada across Canada? Probably strange new concepts when today's political positioning is all about fighting.
The upside?? Average - usually politically apathetic citizens are getting engaged; seeking valid info - sharing this info and organizing against the 'back-to-the 1950's' and "Trumper" destruction crowd? - or the loud minority.
How true, Lisa! I'm looking forward to seeing Daniellas Smith being
carted off to jail for her "civil disobedience" even if I have to wait until 2035!..... her "threat" will play well with her TBA and oil and gas bases.... sigh!
The hypocritical part of this is also how Conservatives claim to be about law and order. They are anything but. Danielle Smith has breached ethics and conflict of interest laws, while Scott Moe did the foolish mistake of drinking and driving, and ended up killing someone. The Sovereignty Act from Danielle Smith is not legal at all, no matter how she tries to reword the title. How exactly are the UCP standing up for Albertans, when we are seeing record levels of poverty, homelessness rising, food bank usage topping the other provinces and territories, hospital wait times increasing, doctors and other healthcare workers being treated like dirt, utility costs going up so much, insurance costs climbing, tuition costs spiking, the environment being disrespected, major amounts of money being wasted on very expensive mistakes, and so much more? It's easy to find a scapegoat, and blame the Liberals in Ottawa. I have a strange feeling that Danielle Smith and the UCP have made some other type of very bad mistake, and they need a detraction for it. We might find out about it, in the near future. We are in for a rough and bumpy ride, because oil prices are headed downwards. 2024 in Alberta won't be good, under the leadership of the UCP.
Hmmmm ..... Lisa, you write, "What’s not normal is the idea that provincial governments will defy federal law."
I respectfully re-write your sentence to read, "What's not normal is the idea that the federal government would knowingly and clearly violate the constitutional allocation of powers."
If the feds wanted to argue "existential threat" they could have inserted the "Peace, Order and Good Government" argument into the federal legislation. People may or may not have bought that argument but at least they would have a constitutional fig leaf behind which to hide (argue).
The Sovereignty Act is a gimmick to blame Trudeau for everything. If the federal conservatives form government then the Act will be put on the shelf and never used.
I am curious if the law, parts of which have been ruled unconstitutional, is only applicable to a favoured government? Shared sovereignty is not being followed by Feds. Someone has to say no. Good for Premier Dani
George Rigaux: The Sovereignty Act by Danielle Smith isn't legal. Also, it isn't the fault of the federal Liberals for Alberta having the most expensive power prices in Canada. The Conservatives did it. Ralph Klein's hot mess of electricity deregulation, and shady backroom deals with power company CEOs, drove up costs. Power companies, such as TransAlta were involved with power price manipulation. The UCP were shafting us further, by allowing economic witholding to happen.
In Fellini's Amarcord, when the crazy uncle gets up in a tree and won't come down, somebody calls Sister ______, who's a dwarf nun, to come and get him out of the tree. And she does, basically by standing at the bottom and yelling, "You come down right now!"
Not a normal function of government, but maybe it's an idea whose time has come?
This is all more Grade A Steve Bannon 'Flood the field with 'poop' tactics. Make all kinds of noise about war with the federal government, and things that won't happen because of regulations that haven't been drafted yet and people forget what you did last week. And two weeks ago may as well be last year.
You'll notice no one now is asking awkward questions about; why the organization of health care in the province is being set back almost 30 years with no independent evidence recommending that, or exactly what is happening with the public forums about the APP that Albertans were promised and now seem to be canceled, or exactly how we're going to have a zero emission power grid by 2050.
Life is so much easier when you can govern by distraction, rather than having actual accomplishments.
While this is civil disobedience, from a Baby Boomer point of view, these actions lack certain criteria.
Dr. King protested racism and civil rights. Chavez and the workers protested human rights and some were killed on the picket line. Danial Berrigan and some nuns chained themselves to nuclear weapons facilities protesting life lost from Vietnam. Need I go on?
These Premiers are not putting themselves on the line protecting life and systematic social injustice. They are creating turmoil for their lobbyists and economic gain for some of their supporters. They are not concern with the environment.
This is not about protecting the taxpayer from freezing in winter or about freedom and liberty.
This is about power and a tinge of anarchy that sees the federal government that they feel has lost all legitimate control. Yet they are governments rejecting government control as a government seeking total control. Smith/Moe are creating uncertainty and do not do valid citizen consultation.
These are just initial reflects that need more conversation.
And I don't think it's just a "tinge" of anarchy btw.
Melanie Thomas, another Political Science prof from U of C, spoke last week in Lethbridge and expressed genuine disquiet about bona fide fascism unfolding here.
Tris Pargeter: This is beyond lunacy. It's sickening to see how Danielle Smith's overinflated ego is.
Even Kenney warned us, speaking of lunatics. There's just no helping some people, particularly those in Alberduh apparently.
Under these ever more disturbing circumstances, anyone who still votes conservative is a dangerous insurrectionist and a threat to us all.
And we thought covid was divisive....hate is contagious it turns out.
"Yet they are governments rejecting government control as a government SEEKING TOTAL control." Exactly.
This convoluted subterfuge is WHY all this is working, is what "flooding the zone with BS" looks like in practice--one petty, noisy distraction after another with as many in the "unprecedented" category as possible, all the while enhanced by the fact that THIS STYLE ITSELF is in that category!
Embarrassingly AND somewhat surprisingly, many Canadians are succumbing to these same tactics DESPITE having front row seats to the ongoing gong show they've created south of the border. We can absolutely blame social media for making much of our population more distractible than ever before, thereby effecting the critical thinking (such it was) of millions who have become addicted to the sound-bite style delivered to the palm of their own hand. Unprecedented.
So all this noise and fury obfuscates the never more crucial "big picture," all part of a deliberate right wing and/or corporate strategy that can be compared to "subliminal advertising." Remember that?
So with the big picture to surpass all big pictures of climate change, the most serious threat to humanity we've ever faced, big oil and big tech have set the stage for us to literally "amuse ourselves to death," dulling our ability to perceive genuine threat, even when it's right before our eyes.
It's so bad that those of us with perspective (many of the older generation) are watching with bated breath to see whether or not our rule of law will save us and/or our democracy because the jury is still out.
The UCP are behaving like dictators. TBA seems like some kind of a cult.
Not "some kind." Full on. And while we're calling it, so are all religions.
QAnon is a good example of a "new" one that many dismiss as sort of a joke but when you think about it, the premise of all "established" religions is the same: an omniscient "being" exists somehow, somewhere (yeah, in people's heads along with all the other "ideas" AND delusions in there) and actually controls what happen! Kind of the definition of an "out there" idea/notion is it not?
Pretty sweeping statement.
Just an observation of THE sweeping statement of all time--that some "god" or other actually EXISTS somewhere other than in people's fertile, indoctrinated minds. Spoiler--HE/it does NOT.
So how it lives on as the now ancient and incomprehensibly revered elephant in the room, even as the never-more-beleaguered concept of TRUTH struggles to raise its precious, noble head above the unprecedented digital din does NOT bode well for our survival. Because the actual truth is simply not that subjective OR that relative. And terrifyingly, climate change lives in that same rarefied air, so we're truly in serious trouble here....
A good starting point would be at least entering the massive social phenomenon that is religious delusion in the DSM where it belongs. After all, mental illness IS supposedly on everyone's radar now like never before isn't it?
I have a deep gut feeling that the UCP have done another big mistake, which is in addition to all the other very big and costly mistakes they did. They need to detract from it somehow. This is a way they are doing that. I really believe that Danielle Smith's time as premier won't last. It won't go to a full term. This is because of how Danielle Smith conducts herself. Political experts know that the Sovereignty Act is not legal. As my power bills go up, I will not blame Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. Nor will I lay the blame on Rachel Notley. I blame the Conservatives in Alberta for this. Ralph Klein's foolish venture into electricity deregulation, shady backroom deals, enriching power company CEOs, power companies, such as TransAlta, for manipulating the prices of power, and economic witholding, which the UCP have allowed to happen. This is going to be a very rough four years with the UCP in power.
All the drama would be hilarious if it weren't so awfully sad. All we have to lose.
Enjoyed this article Lisa. There are many elements of 'change' in the world today. Are many folks hanging-on to the comfort of the past regardless changes?
Reliable grid power supply is a worthy pursuit. Any risk management review would suggest minimizing risk (supply, capacity & stable pricing) by having some alternative generation - perhaps wind/solar/hydrogen?? But given Smith put the brakes on these investment opportunities, reliable power is not her end-game. Not Moe's either. Curiously, while both are currently in power, neither appears to be popular. So, deflect from provincial government performance to a seemingly popular political play by blaming the Feds.
There may be merit in this 21st century with all these changes in play (climate & sustainability, technology, pandemics, aging service delivery models in HC & ED) to perhaps teaming-up with a focus on interprovincial trade? Work together?? Sharing ideas and the wealth of Canada across Canada? Probably strange new concepts when today's political positioning is all about fighting.
The upside?? Average - usually politically apathetic citizens are getting engaged; seeking valid info - sharing this info and organizing against the 'back-to-the 1950's' and "Trumper" destruction crowd? - or the loud minority.
How true, Lisa! I'm looking forward to seeing Daniellas Smith being
carted off to jail for her "civil disobedience" even if I have to wait until 2035!..... her "threat" will play well with her TBA and oil and gas bases.... sigh!
The hypocritical part of this is also how Conservatives claim to be about law and order. They are anything but. Danielle Smith has breached ethics and conflict of interest laws, while Scott Moe did the foolish mistake of drinking and driving, and ended up killing someone. The Sovereignty Act from Danielle Smith is not legal at all, no matter how she tries to reword the title. How exactly are the UCP standing up for Albertans, when we are seeing record levels of poverty, homelessness rising, food bank usage topping the other provinces and territories, hospital wait times increasing, doctors and other healthcare workers being treated like dirt, utility costs going up so much, insurance costs climbing, tuition costs spiking, the environment being disrespected, major amounts of money being wasted on very expensive mistakes, and so much more? It's easy to find a scapegoat, and blame the Liberals in Ottawa. I have a strange feeling that Danielle Smith and the UCP have made some other type of very bad mistake, and they need a detraction for it. We might find out about it, in the near future. We are in for a rough and bumpy ride, because oil prices are headed downwards. 2024 in Alberta won't be good, under the leadership of the UCP.
Dastardly Danielle Smith detracts from her dismal days as premier.
Hmmmm ..... Lisa, you write, "What’s not normal is the idea that provincial governments will defy federal law."
I respectfully re-write your sentence to read, "What's not normal is the idea that the federal government would knowingly and clearly violate the constitutional allocation of powers."
If the feds wanted to argue "existential threat" they could have inserted the "Peace, Order and Good Government" argument into the federal legislation. People may or may not have bought that argument but at least they would have a constitutional fig leaf behind which to hide (argue).
https://www.alberta.ca/drought
Jill: The severe drought is here now. It's not going away, for the foreseeable future. We'd better brace ourselves for the problems this will cause.
Federal disobedience for now but there's more to come. Watch the bills coming in to chance laws. It's already showing up.
The Sovereignty Act is a gimmick to blame Trudeau for everything. If the federal conservatives form government then the Act will be put on the shelf and never used.
This could be very Interesting. https://www.constitutionalstudies.ca/ccs-term/paramountcy/?print=print-search&fbclid=IwAR2RJW8UKqnpREJK6a-0UWtDU1-G1PWKNKGnX9go8eKTBylAM4jqhabpPSM#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Doctrine%20of,the%20extent%20of%20the%20conflict
I am curious if the law, parts of which have been ruled unconstitutional, is only applicable to a favoured government? Shared sovereignty is not being followed by Feds. Someone has to say no. Good for Premier Dani
George Rigaux: The Sovereignty Act by Danielle Smith isn't legal. Also, it isn't the fault of the federal Liberals for Alberta having the most expensive power prices in Canada. The Conservatives did it. Ralph Klein's hot mess of electricity deregulation, and shady backroom deals with power company CEOs, drove up costs. Power companies, such as TransAlta were involved with power price manipulation. The UCP were shafting us further, by allowing economic witholding to happen.
None of the recent court cases have anything to do with the CER.