A most astute analysis of BC Politics. Yes it is our favourite sport next to hockey but Campbell has gone beyond the usual "party fun" with a campaign of lies and mean-spiritedness the likes of which we have not seen in living memory. FWP
On Wed, 6 Feb 2002, Ed Weick wrote: > Mike Gurstein: > > > Campbell didn't so much win the BC election (the Liberals lost the > previous > > BC election largely because of fear and loathing for Campbell personally) > > rather, the NDP (mild Social Democrats) imploded after 8 years, with a > > completely discredited Premier (under charges for corruption), an > exhausted > > and demoralized set of MLA's, and a party which had completely run out of > > ideas and energy. > > > > Keith's dog running for AB-NDP (Anything But the NDP) would have won in a > > similar landslide. > > > > What's interesting of course, is that a similar implosion destroyed the > > previous right wing Government (complete with Premier under charges for > > corruption) 8 years hence. The lurches from right to left to right are a > > (sad) characteristic of BC politics and are a source of appalled amazement > > to many (most) BC taxpayers, and in the current instance are causing very > > serious concern in all political camps in the Province. (Campbell's > > approval rating is currently roughly half what it was six months ago at > the > > time of the election.) > > I once worked with a former Secretary General of BC Federation of Labour > whose take on BC politics was that you have to look at it as entertainment. > You'll go nuts if you take it seriously. > > Keith Hudson: > > > What puzzles me is why your comments should have been triggered by the > > quote of Keynes to Hayek (below). When Keynes was saying that some > > politicians want planning in order to serve the devil, he was agreeing > with > > Hayek's apprehensions that the Labour Party in England might bring in a > > sufficient level of planning which would then bring about the sort of > > totalitarian society that was taking place in Stalin's Soviet Russia. I > > don't understand why this should have triggered your characterisation of > > Gordon Campbell's "cut, slash and burn" policies as not planning. They > > sound like de-planning to me, or perhaps de-over-planning. > > As Mike Gurstein suggested I was commenting on Campbell as an ideologue. > Much like the planners in Russia, what his government is doing is driven by > a punitive and destructive ideology that makes little sense in terms of BC's > present realities. It's gone beyond the norms of politics as entertainment. > > Ed > >
