Join the NDP, Parrish, they call Americans idiots

[Big Blue Machine]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/20...h_pm040826.html

You don't call Americans idiots. If you must, call them idiots behind their backs, where they can't hear you.

Go to the NDP, the Liberals are going ahead with msissle system with or without you.

[idealisttotheend]

From your link:

"Keep my mouth shut? That's not what 28,000 people in my riding elected me to do," said Parrish.

Thank Jehovah/God/Allah for the ones who still have heart, even if she is wrong. Trudeau, from somewhere above here, is smiling.

[maplesyrup]

Another brain dead proposal from the industrial-military complex - Missle Defence. The only people that will benefit from this will be the defence contractors.

Did you notice that Martin will do nothing about Parrish's behaviour, because she has a lot of support within the Liberal caucus, and most canadians probably agree with her?

[Bakunin]

I think its sensless and not politically correct. If she want to criticize the star war system, criticize it with details and explain why. Calling the bush administration stupid is a personal opinion. We don't need personnal opinion in politics, we need analyse, fact, new idea and good debate.

Calling the bush administration is a personnal attack. If she say its not a good idea to spend allot of money on a project that first we don't know if it will work, how much it cost, and if its a good investment. Then she would have a lot more credibility, but to the place of debating, she attack peoples personnally in the hope that if we think thei are stupid, their idea are stupid.

[maplesyrup]

It should not be an insignificant detail to the government that Parrish fought and won her battle not in the trendy peacenik trenches of downtown Toronto but in the 905 suburban belt that held the key to the survival of the Martin government in the last election.

This is the last paragraph of an article by Chantal Hebert in today's Toronto Star.

Parrish has staying power, and I would fathom she more support in Canada than anyone wants to admit, including a lot of support in the USA. I heard the talk-back comments on the CBC yesterday, and a lot of Americans called in to support her, and stated that they wished they had politicians of a similar nature in the US, that would speak out forcefully on the issues of the day.

Canadians need to stop kowtowing to the Americans, and Canadians need to stop being afraid of them as well. They are not the friggin' Gods of the Universe.

[playfullfellow]

She may not like the Americans or their policies but the way she worded it is not very professional. As a politician, she should have attacked the program, not the people behind it. If you want to call someone an idiot, then do it in a public debate where that person or group can defend their position. She knew she screwed up, look at the way she begged the media not to print what she said.

[I miss Reagan]

Did you notice that Martin will do nothing about Parrish's behaviour, because she has a lot of support within the Liberal caucus, and most canadians probably agree with her?

Yet you, nor Canadians, are anti-american. Right.

Canadians need to stop kowtowing to the Americans, and Canadians need to stop being afraid of them as well. They are not the friggin' Gods of the Universe.

Once again...

And who really is the "idiot - An unlearned, ignorant, or simple person, as distinguished from the educated; an ignoramus."

[Big Blue Machine]

She should keep her comments to herself, and join the NDP. They make comments like that.

[August1991]

Canadians need to stop kowtowing to the Americans, and Canadians need to stop being afraid of them as well. They are not the friggin' Gods of the Universe.

That's a defendable argument although with 300 million people, I'd like to know which Americans you mean specifically. I can't believe that Canadians are afraid of all of them.

Or MS, is it just the current US federal government (and the odd US corporation) that you mean?

As to Parrish, if she posted comments here like she makes them to journalists, she would risk being banned. We all know what happens to debate when it descends to name-calling. In this case though, she referred to the "coalition of the idiots". She didn't blankly say, "W is an idiot." I see a difference.

Kimmy raised the point that an insult attracts attention and the true message gets lost. That's true but how else to attract attention? There are not many politicians who can attract attention by presenting their message well. Parizeau did it recently.

[kimmy]

How to get people's attention focused on issues without resorting to cheap, attention-grabbing ploys?

That's a very good question. If I knew how the answer to that question, I would be rich.

Parrish's remarks obviously attracted attention, but the attention is focused squarely on her. It polarizes the discussion into two camps ("You go, girl!", "Woo-hoo, stand up to the Americans!" vs "She's an American-bashing dimwit" "It's disgusting for our representitives to act like this.") Left out of the picture is any mention of what she's actually talking about.

If Parrish was smart enough to know that her remarks would get some media attention, she also has to be smart enough to know the nature of the attention that she's inviting. Her pleading with the reporters to not use the remark (whether sincere or sarcastic) certainly proves that she recognized the sort of effects her comments would have.

What would be more constructive? I just don't know. A nice, honest debate in the House of Commons, maybe. Of course, Joe Canadian has no interest in reading about that. Ultimately it's Joe Canadian's own fault that tactics like this are required to get his attention. Joe Canadian would rather watch some sound-bites on the evening news, and in that respect Carolyn Parrish has certainly got her audience pegged. If the Americans are idiots, Joe Canadian's not exactly Mensa material either.

-kimmy

[Black Dog]

Did you notice that Martin will do nothing about Parrish's behaviour, because she has a lot of support within the Liberal caucus, and most canadians probably agree with her?

Yet you, nor Canadians, are anti-american. Right.

For the umpteenth time, what does criticizing the Bush administrations policy have to do with anti-Americanism? What is this anti-Americanism the right is always banging on about? Is it bigger than a bread box?

I think in the particular case, her Parrish's "idiot" comment was not directed soley at W or Americans in general, but anyone who supports missile defense (including Harper and the Cons).

[maplesyrup]

I do not honestly believe there is anyone posting here who hates Americans. They may hate some of their current moronic idiotic administration policies or plans, but come on. I think we have jingled that chain long enough.

I actually think Parrish did the right thing, she has put missle defence on the front burner - what's the matter NDP, someone stealing your thunder?

[maplesyrup]

I think in the particular case, her Parrish's "idiot" comment was not directed soley at W or Americans in general, but anyone who supports missile defense (including Harper and the Cons).

Let's not forget PM Paulie who got this thing going in Canada to begin with, didn't he? Or did Chretien? Anyways it was a Liberal, that's all I know.

[kimmy]

For the umpteenth time, what does criticizing the Bush administrations policy have to do with anti-Americanism? What is this anti-Americanism the right is always banging on about? Is it bigger than a bread box?

I think in the particular case, her Parrish's "idiot" comment was not directed soley at W or Americans in general, but anyone who supports missile defense (including Harper and the Cons).

...and many of her own party, including the Prime Minister and Defence Minister.

-kimmy

[Big Blue Machine]

Canadians should realize that every anti-American comment hurt the relatonship. So if Canada is in time of need, the US won't be there for us.

[Slavik44]

Why can't parish say what she wants, why should anyone have to word what they say, I want to know what a politician is thinking not what their writers scripted up for them because they think I will like it, atleast you ahve an Idea of who parish is, you may not like it or agree with it and that is your prerogative, bu tI still respect the truth much more then a load of concocted trash formed on an analysis of public opnion polls.

[Guest eureka]

Idiots are those unfortunate souls with IQs below 25. I think that those who are supporting the Military/Ondustrial interest in sipporting the Star Wars proposals are promoting a "tale told by idiots." The "Sound and the fury" is coming from them in trying to persuade a gullible public that their rich "friends" are doing it for public security.

Give us a few moew like Paeish. There are some in the USA also but their voices are drowned or not reported.

[maplesyrup]

Senator Parrish

[playfullfellow]

What Parrish did was loss control of herself and her mouth at the moment. Personally, I couldn't care less whether she likes Americans or not but this is the second time she has shot off at the mouth. This shows a lack of control on her own part. By her own statements after the fact, she couldn't even remember saying the coalition of idiots. It seems a lot people here who are on her side say they want a politician to say it as they see it but a lot of you screamed for heads when some Cons viewed their personal views on abortion and gay rights. They were called bigots and all sorts of names. Calls for dismissal and public appologies were called for all over the place. Now that a politician has made a public statement showing her utter disregard for diplomacy, it is fine just because it is anti american. You can't have it both ways.

[takeanumber]

She's entitled to speak her mind.

(What happened to the Cons complaining that backbenchers were gagged, uh? Guess their 'principles' only applies to opinions that they agree with.)

Anyway, her comments arn't helpful, but at least they're reflective of many Canadians, who really don't want anything to do with Bush and his shield. Moreover, it's bad enough that we're going to be in the business of 'acceptance', but we'll have to kick some money into it. And you know 2.5 billion dollars might be a fraction of the cost, but it's still a lot of money.

(Unless the Cons don't think 2.5 bil is a lot of money, which would be funny given their incensesant (sic) nandering about the 'boondoggle'.)

I don't personally agree with her.

I do think she's a little flaky.

[caesar]

Canadians should realize that every anti-American comment hurt the relatonship. So if Canada is in time of need, the US won't be there for us

Who cares. We were there for them after 9/11 and recieved only scorn from Bush and Co. I do not need nor want Canada to kow tow to the USA instead of standing by our own principles. Nor do I want the Bush administration to decide how Canadian taxpayer's money is spent. We have our priorities; they have theirs.

The USA administration thinks they are all powerful and all knowing; they antaganize people around the world; not Canada. We are not attracting terrorism to our country.

[August1991]

We were there for them after 9/11 and recieved only scorn from Bush and Co.

Huh?

I do not need nor want Canada to kow tow to the USA instead of standing by our own principles.

Trudeau first used the term "kowtow" in reference to Mulroney and the US. Great usage. In French, it's faire la courbette. I always wonder which term he chose first.

The USA administration thinks they are all powerful and all knowing; they antaganize people around the world; not Canada. We are not attracting terrorism to our country.

So, the US is the cause of the current terrorism in the world? We Canadians have avoided terrorist attacks because we are nice to everyone. Lesson? The US should be pacifists like we Canadians.

(Editor's Note. We Canadians are rich like Americans. Will that be a problem? Or will these poor, exploited people come and rape only American women?)

[Big Blue Machine]

We shouldn't say that terrorism isn't going to come to Canada. We just have a smaller chance of terrorists attacking us.

[August1991]

We just have a smaller chance of terrorists attacking us.

Are we a smaller country? Or do you mean that we have smaller people?

[mirror]

All you people who have attacked Parrish for stomping on a Bush doll would have had a lot more credibility if you had equally attacked Par Robertson with the same venom for suggesting that Chavez, the President of Venezula, be killed. Unfortunately some of you didn't and that says a lot about your seriously screwed up value systems.

The more I see and hear about Carolyn Parrish, our Independent MP, the more I am beginning to respect her. It seems like our Independent MPs like Parrish and Cadman are (past tense for Chuck Cadman unfortunately) developing more credibility that a lot of their respective former party hacks.