Well. The Conservatives are pressing forward to pass legislation that will require mandatory jail sentences for those selling drugs, even in minor amounts. Including so-called "soft drugs" like marijuana.
The right side of the political spectrum, for the most part, will cheer this as evidence of the difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals - that is, those on the right who don't truly understand what the result of this will mean.
Those who do - and I have some understanding as a lawyer, will know it will mean two things:
a) Increased government spending. Serious increases. Already, drug prosecution expenditures have increased to record levels never before seen - and with no discretion, Courts will be clogged. The ability to make plea bargains will effectively be taken away, so more and more trials, and more and more appeals = increased government spending. Money that could be spent on health care, or other useful endeavors, will be spend on drug prosecution and the added jails which will be required.
And it won't work. Witness the American experience. Hard line, mandatory jail sentences, and drug use and trafficking is worse than ever. It doesn't work. It appeases those who have a simple idea of the "cause and effect" of jail - but, those in the know, know it won't work.
b) Increased rates of criminal behaviour. Yup. You hear me. Jails do two things.. they keep you off the street for a little while, and then, they teach you how to be a criminal. The don't rehabilitate. You get to spend day after day with other criminals. They become your peers. You are surrounded on a day in and day out basis by others who, for various reasons, found committing criminal offenses a reasonable life choice. Criminals become "normalized". You compare notes, you discuss what you did wrong - and you maybe learn how to perfect your craft or how to learn a new craft.
Jails take people who may have been teetering on the edge of society - and assure that for the rest of their lives, they will be marginalized members of society. Not all, certainly, but a good portion of them will forever be branded and see themselves as "criminals".
For all the media coverage of those committing crimes while on probation, there are many, many more who use probation as a tool to help them get their lives back on track. I know. I've seen it. Not all of them, by any means, but enough to know that probation serves a purpose.
So - you might ask - am I somehow the only Conservative who knows these things? No - I'm certain the Prime Minister knows it. His aids, his advisors, and the Attorney General knows it. But - here's the thing.. polls are neck and neck, boyo.. and gosh darn, but putting the bad guys in jail is a great way to solidify your base and get the vote out.
The Liberals know it too.. hence their support of the bill - which is actually even more pathetic - for tough guy Michael Ignatieff, the guy who was putting the Conservatives on "probation" to let this go, shows just where his principals lie. Whereever they can buy a vote - that's where.
Politics is sick. It's no longer about doing the right thing - it's about pandering to votes and getting and holding power.
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The Liberals know it too.. hence their support of the bill - which is actually even more pathetic - for tough guy Michael Ignatieff, the guy who was putting the Conservatives on "probation" to let this go, shows just where his principals lie. Whereever they can buy a vote - that's where.
It really is impossible for Conservatives to argue coherently within one system of thought, isn't it?
You've got a big Blogging Tory banner on your blog, so you are a partisan. Why, for the love of God, can't you stick to arguing a weakness in principle without getting distracted by some tangential point? This is why most Conservatives remain confused and raging; this quality of dissent is about the best they can expect. "We're stupid and unprincipled but everyone else is worse."
Politics is sick because of garbage like this.
Do you have a point, anywhere, in that diatribe except for a complaint about why I'm not more committed to my party.
Seriously.
And.. just out of curiousity, do you have any position on the topic at hand. I mean, I know I'm a fascinating individual, but, somehow, I don't really think that my personal issues are of that much relevance, except, apparently to you.
The point is - there is a piece of shit legislation going through.. and while one might expect a Conservative to support the "jail 'em all" mentality.. it's a little more shocking for a Liberal leader apparently intent on forcing an election to step in line with the Conservatives.
Don't you think? Or is that the problem, Ti-Guy - that you don't, "think".
There are three points - that evidently evade you, so I'll break it down, because, as you have made very clear in the past, you have difficulty understanding anything but the simplest of discussions:
a) The Conservatives are bringing in bad policy;
b) The Liberals - who pretend to be watch-dogs of bad Conservative policy, are, in fact, supporting it;
c) The reason they are both doing so - is to pander to votes.
If you believe that any of points a), b), or c) are not valid, feel free to explain your position.
If you just want to engage in an argument - why don't you stroll over to Canadian Cynic and tell them you're in favor of free speech or something equally subversive.
Do you have a point, anywhere, in that diatribe except for a complaint about why I'm not more committed to my party.
That wasn't even remotely my point. You don't really try very hard to understand what someone else is saying, do you?
I don't really think that my personal issues are of that much relevance, except, apparently to you.
I'm only here because you've been showing up at the Liberal blogs I read most often, where you've been attempting to unfocus discussion in just this way "They're all awful. Everything and everyone is exactly the same!" *yawn*
I realise it's difficult for Conservative partisans to be self-critical and to be comfortable with dissent and it's regrettable that they won't have a long stint in power for their supporters to develop that habit. For that, you have my sympathies.
Now, I'm off to write my Liberal MP and excoriate him for supporting this stupid legislation.
Roblaw - I'd definitely recommend just ignoring Ti-Guy. S/he will always insist that you are an idiot and that your arguments are irrational.
My your own business, child.
Exhibit A
Pipe down sweetie; adults trying to talk. Go write something for your blog.
I'd like Rob to answer this: Why has the perception that crime is worsening persisted for so long among Conservatives? I know Harper has lied about it ('pay no attention to the evidence; Canadians feel it in their guts'), but it's something that mystifies me.
If the answer is anything other than the observation that Conservatives are stupid and/or dishonest and no sensible Conservative has the balls to set them straight, I'd like to hear it.
You're what, 47? and morbidly, disgustingly obese. I'll estimate ten more years until you die from the massive coronary eating all those McD's fries will give you. Enjoy the future you've created.
To answer your question, honestly, I think it's posturing. It is appealing to the ignorance of the masses for political points. And there is no excuse for it.
..there, made my point, and didn't seek to establish any Liberal moral equivalencies (which if I understand is at least part of your complaint).
That being said - I continue to consider myself "conservative", as in my heart I believe that resonates most closely to be belief as to what is in the interests of the broader society.
That doesn't mean that everything the Conservatives do should get a free pass.. but you are right, that most of the weakness and lack of principal that I see in the Conservative party is mirrored in the Liberal party and to a lesser degree, in the NDP party.
My problem, I suppose, is that there is a frustration with just what anyone stands for. I used to be Liberal, used to vote Liberal, and over time, I found their policies more and more offensive, and disingenuine.
So - I've moved to the Conservative point of view, but, to be honest, I'm also have some heartburn over the same sorts of issues that pushed me to them in the first place. A lack of principal and fundamental honesty.
So - what are you to do?
Me - I guess I blog and complain and engage in discussion.. and who knows, I've said it before, maybe there is a new party out there waiting to be formed.. but the cynic in me says what the people need, they won't vote for. The electorate is so spoiled, that they will not vote for someone unless they tell them what they want to hear.. that there is more than enough money for everyone to have a upper-middle class lifestyle, that hard work and sacrifice is an anachronism, an outmoded concept who's day is done.
Look at what's happening right now. Sure, the lion's share of the blame can go to the banks and mortgage companies who's greed blinded them to the reality of the bursting bubble.. but, more fundamentally, we also have people buying houses they can't afford.. running up credit cards for things they don't need, people who complain like hell about lost union jobs, but who will flock to Wal-Mart to buy foreign made clothing..
We all expect solutions, provided We don't have to sacrifice to obtain them.
It's like the last election, really. To be fair to Dion, the public was screaming for a "greener" policy. He gave it to them - but, really, was forced to say, "this is going to hurt".
Result? Oh, wait, if it's going to hurt me - forget it. I thought someone else was going to pick up the tab.
Ok. Rant done.
W
Joshua.. why don't you go back to playing Warcraft in your pyjamas and leave this discussion to adults..
Curiously, Joshua considers himself a "progressive" and on his lame little myspace page, he goes on about how we need to embrace diversity.. yet, here he pops up from New Mexico of all places attacking my physical characteristics, somehow as a response to a political discussion.
Hmm.. guess it's a good thing I'm not gay or a person of color, then the little fascist would really have something to criticize.
Oh - for those of you who are curious, Joshua's favorite movies are:
Fast & Furious
Ghostbusters
Star Trek
Back To the Future
The Breakfast Club
'nuf said.
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