PIK Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 (edited) This union just don't get it, the gravy train is ending and time to get use to it. RoC is sick and tired of listening to the constant whinning. This just shows how pathic they have become. http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/iphone/news/latest/story.html?id=8235225 OTTAWA - Canada's largest public service union is risking a strong public backlash after its latest protest against budget cuts backfired spectacularly Thursday when an online stunt saw the prime minister targeted for crude racist and sexist attacks. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) launched the harper-says.ca website on Thursday, which allowed users to imagine Stephen Harper's secret thoughts and attach them to a photo of the prime minister. But the site, part of its Harper Hates Me campaign, was taken down within hours due to what PSAC claimed was an inability to moderate the comments efficiently. Users could create their own "thought bubble" above a photo of the prime minister and anonymously submit their creation. Before the page was removed, some entries compared Stephen Harper to Adolf Hitler, had him pondering nuking Quebec, discussed putting student protesters in cages and imagined Harper trying to choose between eating, beheading, selling or jailing the recently donated pandas from China. Just after 5 p.m., PSAC tweeted an apology "to everyone who was offended by the Harper Says website. The website was contrary to PSAC policy and values," it conceded. Ian Lee, a former Tory candidate for Ottawa Centre and a current professor of business strategy and public policy at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, said PSAC is "risking a backlash" because, unlike in the U.K. or the U.S., where personal commentary can get quite vicious, Canadians "don't tolerate personal attacks against the family of a politician ... that's a no-go zone." While he stopped short of suggesting that PSAC encouraged or incited the comments, CTV political analyst Scott Reid called the website "spectacularly bone-headed." "Whatever the technicalities are, the reality is if you set up a space for people to riff off of the word ‘hate,' you're going to get extraordinarily ugly commentary," said Reid, a former communications director for Paul Martin. "And, from a purely political perspective, they couldn't have done themselves more harm or their opponent a greater service than to create this kind of idiotic forum," he said. Lee said PSAC should have anticipated that users would take the opportunity to air their opinions about the Conservatives and that, given the anonymity of the website, the posts would likely border on the inappropriate. "The subject is very emotional - I understand why public servants are angry - but all the more reason why somebody should have been moderating that website to make sure that the really nasty stuff - the stuff that went over the line - never saw the light of day." Harper's spokesman, Andrew MacDougall, responded to the site with this tweet: "re: PSAC: the Prime Minister thanks the members of the public service for the work they do each day on behalf of Canadians." "He's playing it very cool - that is to say, he's not responding in a flamboyant, emotional way - I think he's coming off looking better for it," said Lee. More...... Edited April 13, 2013 by PIK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 (edited) Lee said PSAC should have anticipated that users would take the opportunity to air their opinions about the Conservatives... Sorry, why is any of what's quoted as being written on that site being given the dignity of qualification as an opinion? There's nothing opinionated about any of it; it's nothing but mindless vitriol. [ed.: -] Edited April 13, 2013 by g_bambino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy baty Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 Union thugs and their nest eggs of member dues need to stay heck out of politics. Period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyeball Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 I agree, and ditto for corporate lobbyists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIK Posted April 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 Sorry, why is any of what's quoted as being written on that site being given the dignity of qualification as an opinion? There's nothing opinionated about any of it; it's nothing but mindless vitriol. [ed.: -] No it is not , this is from the higher up in the unions, not some punks. These whinners could be future leaders. And if trudeau ever gets in , he will sell us out to the big unions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleipnir Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 Sorry, why is any of what's quoted as being written on that site being given the dignity of qualification as an opinion? There's nothing opinionated about any of it; it's nothing but mindless vitriol. [ed.: -] I agree - looking at some of the meme seems the author of the article is blowing it out of proportion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Squid Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 Thugs? Who got beat up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 No it is not , this is from the higher up in the unions, not some punks. These whinners could be future leaders. And if trudeau ever gets in , he will sell us out to the big unions. No it wasn't. The issue with the site was a lack of proper moderation allowed anyone to anonymously insert whatever commentary they wanted for the pictures. Some of that commentary was deemed inappropriate and so the union took it down. How is this a big story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 (edited) This union just don't get it, the gravy train is ending and time to get use to it. RoC is sick and tired of listening to the constant whinning. Maybe you could bring in some cheap Indian bureaucrats to take over, huh? Edited April 14, 2013 by Argus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 I never saw the site but what's the bid deal? Harper has a very thick skin and it wouldn't bother him and the fact that when the Tories came to power they hired thousand of workers, mostly likely to make themselves look good , only to fire them all now.. I'm not surprise of the backlash of attitudes from the workers, union or not and I'm sure the same attitude is out there with other Canadians. I also remember that the Tories gave many workers pay raises after the last election, so the union is reacting to the government giving in one and then taking it away, when it benefits the Tories. I guess they feel used by this government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIK Posted April 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 (edited) The big deal is is not harper's skin it is the miltant selfish baby like union members that does shit like this. I did not read all of it ,but it seem they stepped across the line when it comes to thier families. Edited April 15, 2013 by PIK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 I agree, and ditto for corporate lobbyists. I can't believe I agree with you on something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 I agree - looking at some of the meme seems the author of the article is blowing it out of proportion. Well, no doubt the more scandalous comments were highlighted, since scandalous sells. But, I did say what was quoted shouldn't be qualified as opinion, as Ian Lee supposedly said it was: "Lee said PSAC should have anticipated that users would take the opportunity to air their opinions about the Conservatives and that, given the anonymity of the website, the posts would likely border on the inappropriate." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIK Posted April 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 No it wasn't. The issue with the site was a lack of proper moderation allowed anyone to anonymously insert whatever commentary they wanted for the pictures. Some of that commentary was deemed inappropriate and so the union took it down. How is this a big story? What is big about it , is how low people will go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyeball Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 I can't believe I agree with you on something... I can't believe this is the thing you agree with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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