Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Baker off the deep end...again

There have been times I've liked George Baker. There have been times I've gotten a good laugh out of George Baker. There have been times I've respected him and times I thought he might have pushed a point too far. And towards the end of his useful political career, when he finally got appointed to a brief stay in cabinet, where I wondered if his spine vanished like a cheap magic trick.

More often than not since he was appointed to the Senate, I've wondered if they've limited the amount of oxygen that gets pumped into the chambers, which would certainly help explain this story. Where he explains just how tragically misused Atlantic Canadians, and Newfoundland and Labrador in particular, have been and that this continued abuse by Ottawa was going to lead to the creation of a separatist party.
"We can't remain in the Confederation in which we're discriminated against and not respected for the great contributions that we make."

Followed by...
"This should be reason enough to . . . have a Bloc Newfoundland and Labrador running in the next federal election if this keeps up. And a real campaign to get them all elected."

You absolute moron. You complete, delusional, blind, dimwitted fool.

Every election - every goddamn election - some group of halfwits gather at a kitchen table and start spouting off after a couple of dozen Black Horse about how Newfoundland and Labrador would be better off if it left Canada. So they go form a separatist party or an independence party or a nationalist party and manage to get two or three victims to run.

And they're lucky if their families vote for them.

Newfoundlanders do not want independence. What crazed maniac would take a look at the economic and political reality of the current world and decrees "Now is the moment we strike for Newfoundland Independence!"

I swear to God, stuff like this is the reason Mainland Canada makes fun of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at times. And they're right to do so. We make it too easy sometimes.

The young people of the province, who I'm sure Baker is about as in touch with as he is with reality at this point, do not want independence. I don't know what the hell they want, but I'll bet good money it's not freedom from Canada. That's because they're Canadians. Sure they're Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. But they're also, more importantly in many cases, Canadians.

They like being Canadian. They like the options and opportunities that's involved with being Canadian. It's a bigger world out there and I don't know if Baker is deliberately or delusional oblivious to it, but it is. The notion of Newfoundland independence or a (shudder) Block NL dies a tiny bit every second the province remains in Canada. And thank God for it.

Baker proves once again the theory I've always had about Newfoundland nationalism; the best proof against it is to just look at the politicians we keep electing over the years. Most of them are rogues, fools or both.

You know what, I want Baker recalled. He's managed to achieve something I didn't think was possible, but he is likely too stunned to sit in the Canadian Senate.

Last Five
1. Blue House - Blue Rodeo
2. Julia - The Beatles
3. Red confederatres' red confessions - Hey Rosetta!
4. Long time comin' (live) - Bruce Springsteen
5. My my, hey hey (live) - Neil Young*

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Simply put, I'm Canadian before I am anything else.

My province would be leaving without me, should it ever even imagine departing from our Dominion.

Those, like the Senator or the current federal Liberal leader, trying to play in the dying embers of separatism by dabbling in their "national unity" nonsense, do so at their peril.

Regards,

Anonymous said...

George is a great Canadian(TM)

Reid said...

George Baker IS Jerry Boyle.

"If you can mark an 'X' you're my kind of people!"

towniebastard said...

The only thing depressing me more than Baker right now is the sheer volume of people over on the Telegram website agreeing with him.

I have a thought on how to deal with this, but I will post it later when I'm calmer and better able to resist the urge to burn the province to the ground and start over...you know, repopulating it with sensible people.

Anonymous said...

I had a prof for a 4th year Canadian history course from Nova Scotia and even though it was a CANADIAN history course, it seemed all he talked about was Atlantic Canada. This was fine up to a point. I did learn a lot but it did seem at times that he took every opportunity to play up the whole "the Atlantic provinces were hoodwinked into Confederation" angle which really got tiresome after awhile.

I have quite a few Newfoundland relatives through my mother's side of the family though and I don't get a sense that TROC is resented by Newfoundland in general.

towniebastard said...

Yes, except Russell's sentence was one of beauty, awe and wonder. This is one of seething rage. To be honest, I'd prefer to be able to do what Russeell does well than what I apparently can do well.

SBB said...

I think that there is some beauty, awe and wonder in a well crafted insult. Especially when it comes from someone that has some regret for having to give it. That is a big part of what makes it effective and what makes people like you. Which in turn gives your insult more power etc etc. Keep aspiring to the higher ground, and punt some $^#$&#^&# when they need it.

Anonymous said...

He's talking about a federal Bloc - that's not separatist - it's regionalist. Didn't we have one of those political parties from out west a while ago... now they rule the nation? I'm surprised the conservative right isn't applauding.