Layton's Last Letter

[BubberMiley]

Thank God the Internet exists to provide an alternative, "progressive" viewpoint.

Again, I had to give up reading the comments sections of news articles on the Internet.

[August1991]

Why can't some people understand that those of us who have done well by this system want to make sure that the benefits we enjoy are shared out to those at the lowest income levels, including those in other countries ?

MH, but does taking from the rich and giving to the poor achieve your noble goal?

If so, then surely Warren Buffet would first argue for a UN tax to take his money and give it to the poor in Haiti, or people in Somalia or elsewhere in Africa.

Had I been in Layton's position, it wouldn't have been my choice to pepper my adieu to the general public (and that's what it was; not a letter specifically to NDP supporters) with partisan attacks. I'd think that, by that point in my life, I'd want to be just a little more humble and cast a wider obesrvance of life a bit farther beyond the narrow borders of the campaign trail...

My thoughts too. I suspect that Layton didn't write the letter. At most, he approved it.

[August1991]

Oh my God I can't believe some of the stuff that I have read here and on that other thread about Jacks death.

The man just died,is there anything that's off limits when someone dies?

Some real low people here,I'm not mentioning any names you know who you are!

In this thread, the issue is Layton's last letter. On your death bed, what letter would you write?

Would you write a Hallmark card?

Cancer is a terrible disease,Gods strength for those fighting and their family members supporting them!

I will agree with bambino above. I was impressed with one point in the letter: Layton gave courage to others facing a cancer diagnosis. Edited August 24, 2011 by August1991

[g_bambino]

Once again, unless you can show how she criticized and mocked the mourning over Diana, Princess of Wales, and the other nameless stars and politicians the day after they passed away...

You'd have to have said it once for it to be said once again. And I never mentioned anything about Blatchford mocking anyone. But, regardless:

Held out as evidence of Canadians' great love for Mr. Layton were the makeshift memorials of flowers, notes that appeared at his Toronto constituency office and on Parliament Hill, and in condolences in social media.

In truth, none of that is remotely unusual, or spontaneous, but rather the norm in the modern world, and it has been thus since Princess Diana died, the phenomenon now fed if not led online. People the planet over routinely weep for those they have never met and in some instances likely never much thought about before; what once would have been deemed mawkish is now considered perfectly appropriate.

Certainly, Canadians liked Mr. Layton, but the public over-the-top nature of such events — by fans for lost celebrities they never met, by television personalities for those they interviewed once for 10 minutes, by the sad and lost for the dead — make it if not impossible then difficult to separate the mourning wheat from the mourning chaff.

Christie Blatchford: Layton's death turns into a thoroughly public spectacle

...your claim that she wasn't "upset" that someone she disagreed with was praised doesn't hold up.

It's not up to me to prove the negative of your claim; it's up to you to back up your assertion that "conservatives", for which Blatchford is evidently your poster child, "get so upset whenever someone they disagree with is praised." It appears, especially in light of your very quick resort to mockery, you can't.

[c/e]

Edited August 24, 2011 by g_bambino

[Guest Derek L]

MH, but does taking from the rich and giving to the poor achieve your noble goal?

If so, then surely Warren Buffet would first argue for a UN tax to take his money and give it to the poor in Haiti, or people in Somalia or elsewhere in Africa.

You’ve gotta love it when other people decide to “make things fair” with other people’s (my)money…….I always wonder how many homeless people these fair minded people have taken into their homes for a shower and a meal…….perhaps they could set an example for the “rich”...

My thoughts too. I suspect that Layton didn't write the letter. At most, he approved it.

I seem to have read that Brian Topp (admitted) "helped" Jack write the letter..........I'll try and find where I read it.....

[Guest Derek L]

Here we go:

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Politics/20110823/layton-adviser-front-runner-ndp-leader-110823/

Union big-wig..........Or maybe Libby Davies or Mulcair

As a CPC member, I'd enjoy one of these choices.......

The ones I might fear, and would make sense for the NDP, would be a Doer or a Dewar......maybe Romanow if he was ten years younger....

[Michael Hardner]

MH, but does taking from the rich and giving to the poor achieve your noble goal?

That's a broad description that could apply to anything from Communism to minimal welfare.

[Michael Hardner]

You’ve gotta love it when other people decide to “make things fair” with other people’s (my)money…….

Overly simple. We're not talking about Robin Hood here, but a modern economy where the wealthy are given special consideration and attention from government in all kinds of legislation, tax reform and trade deals.

[cybercoma]

I haven't read all the comments, but if you want low, read these from so called 'progressives' - pretty damn sick

http://mooseandsquirrel.ca/2011/08/22/13:28/rip-jack-layton-if-your-supporters-will-let-you/

If you're going to broad-brush that entire side of the political spectrum with the comments of a few insensitive pricks, then there's no point in having any sort of conversation with you. I'm sure if I trolled around Twitter and the Conservative blogs, I could find so-called 'conservatives' saying, 'good riddance' or 'he deserved it' or 'now for the rest of the socialist scum'. I'm not going to bother though because those aren't the ideas of the Conservative Party and they're not the ideas of the average conservative either, so there's no point. If we took every stupid comment from people and attributed to the entire party, can you even imagine what the conservative side would be like? It's a stupid exercise and not even worth considering.

[cybercoma]

It was only "quite political" if you consider "love," "optimism" and "fairness" politically charged buzzwords.

Nothing like dumping on hope, love, fairness and optimism to show one's true colours. Edited August 24, 2011 by cybercoma

[cybercoma]

If so, then surely Warren Buffet would first argue for a UN tax to take his money and give it to the poor in Haiti, or people in Somalia or elsewhere in Africa.

Maybe he should, but then Warren Buffet doesn't live in Haiti or Africa, so perhaps his taxes should go to helping those that are struggling in his own backyard first. Of course, he did already say that in his letter to the media recently. Actually, I think his argument was that the taxes for the rich weren't fair because they had dropped nearly 10% in the last decade, making them quite a bit less than what the average working-class or small-business owner pays. Since you're so against the use of "fair", I'll let you figure out a different way to describe his arguments.

Edited August 24, 2011 by cybercoma

[cybercoma]

You'd have to have said it once for it to be said once again. And I never mentioned anything about Blatchford mocking anyone. But, regardless:

Calling people that are mourning the loss of someone they considered a leader, someone they looked up to and inspired them, calling them "mourning chaff" is ridiculous. Who is she to say that their mourning is not as genuine as anyone else's? Of course his family is going to be hardest hit by the loss, but that's not to say others can't mourn the loss of someone that inspired them and touched them in other ways. Blatchford's comments are completely inappropriate. If she wanted to do an op-ed piece on public makeshift memorials, internet culture and the loss of public figures, it would have been more appropriate not to chastize specific mourners in the process.

[Boges]

I would like to point out how hilariously ironic it is that Christie Blatchford is getting a deluge of hate mail from her column where she simply points out that Jack was a politician until the end and that this pattern of grief porn when famous people die is troubling.

I thought love was better than hate?

[cybercoma]

Overly simple. We're not talking about Robin Hood here, but a modern economy where the wealthy are given special consideration and attention from government in all kinds of legislation, tax reform and trade deals.

People seem to be forgetting corporate welfare. How much money is spent on companies from tax-breaks at the federal and provincial levels, right down to municipalities spending on infrastructure to woo them? That's not seen as taking from the poor and giving to the rich though. It's "job-creation" and people should be thankful.

[cybercoma]

I would like to point out how hilariously ironic it is that Christie Blatchford is getting a deluge of hate mail from her column where she simply points out that Jack was a politician until the end and that this pattern of grief porn when famous people die is troubling.

I thought love was better than hate?

Love is better than hate and that's what makes her comments completely inappropriate. If all her article said was what you posted above, it wouldn't have been a problem, but she took it too far with comments like "mourning chaff". Is she really surprised that people don't take too kindly to calling mourners chaff?

[Peter F]

I would like to point out how hilariously ironic it is that Christie Blatchford is getting a deluge of hate mail from her column where she simply points out that Jack was a politician until the end and that this pattern of grief porn when famous people die is troubling.

I thought love was better than hate?

People the planet over routinely weep for those they have never met and in some instances likely never much thought about before; what once would have been deemed mawkish is now considered perfectly appropriate.

Yeah, she should have written that on November 11th.

[Boges]

Yeah, she should have written that on November 11th.

Unless you're a vet or someone who lived thought WW2, you probably shouldn't weep over the death of someone who died in the 40's.

However to compare Jack Layton to a soldier that died in WW2 is totally offside.

[BubberMiley]

Unless you're a vet or someone who lived thought WW2, you probably shouldn't weep over the death of someone who died in the 40's.

It's comforting to know there are weeping police to guide us.

[Peter F]

Unless you're a vet or someone who lived thought WW2, you probably shouldn't weep over the death of someone who died in the 40's.

However to compare Jack Layton to a soldier that died in WW2 is totally offside.

Nice try but I havn't compared anyone to anyone cept'n Blachford to herself. Easy to do cause she has two faces.

[g_bambino]

Calling people that are mourning the loss of someone they considered a leader, someone they looked up to and inspired them, calling them "mourning chaff" is ridiculous.

I think it's the open weeping and blubbering by people over someone their only connection with was through a TV screen that's ridiculous. It was ridiculous when the previous Princess of Wales died, it was ridiculous when Michael Jackson died, and it's ridiculous in the wake of Layton's passing. Breaking down and sobbing over a mound of soggy teddy bears and wilting flowers is not the only way one can express upset over the end of a certain individual's life. Perspective and self-control seem to be going extinct.

[BubberMiley]

Breaking down and sobbing over a mound of soggy teddy bears and wilting flowers is not the only way one can express upset over the end of a certain individual's life. Perspective and self-control seem to be going extinct.

You must be popular at funerals.

[g_bambino]

You must be popular at funerals.

I don't tend to go to funerals for people I know only through television.

[BubberMiley]

Where are these examples of people blubbering over a TV screen?

[CANADIEN]

Unless you're a vet or someone who lived thought WW2, you probably shouldn't weep over the death of someone who died in the 40's.

And why not? War is a tragedy, and WWII more so.

However to compare Jack Layton to a soldier that died in WW2 is totally offside.

He hasn't.

The only thing Ms. Blatchford has shown is her own cynicism.

[cybercoma]

I think it's the open weeping and blubbering by people over someone their only connection with was through a TV screen that's ridiculous. It was ridiculous when the previous Princess of Wales died, it was ridiculous when Michael Jackson died, and it's ridiculous in the wake of Layton's passing. Breaking down and sobbing over a mound of soggy teddy bears and wilting flowers is not the only way one can express upset over the end of a certain individual's life. Perspective and self-control seem to be going extinct.

Well, I'm glad we have people like you and Blatchford to tell others when they can and can't feel a sense of loss. Maybe her next column she can mock those that cry at movies. After all, it's just characters written into a script and actors on a screen that you have never met. It's ridiculous to cry at a movie. Edited August 24, 2011 by cybercoma