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What's Your Political Stripe
- Are you more like George Bush or Nelson Mandella? Pope Jean Paul II or the Dalai Lama? Take a 5 minute test and find out where you fit. Email me your results if you want along with which Alberta Party you support today; PC, Liberal or NDP. I'll compile the results and post them here; anonymously of course.
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Ralph Klein has gone and it is time to retire Ralph's World. Thanks to all of you who have supported this venture by contributing material and through your comments. It has been fun.
Should we get another blog underway? Let me know your thoughts by e-mailing me at johnnyslow@gmail.com.
John Slow
January 1, 2007
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Season's Greetings
From the management and staff at Ralph's World we wish all our readers a happy Hanukkah, a happy Ramadan, and a very merry Christmas.
To those politicians we poke away at please remember that it is only your policies we don't agree with.
Peace on earth!
Monday, December 12, 2005
Mark Norris and Grassroots
The Edmonton Journal recently published a story headlined "Norris backers ante up $1M". You can read the story by clicking here.It is a story of 106 Albertans who have ponyed up $10,000 each to help Mark run for Ralph Klein's job. The names of these generous fellows are listed in the story. The Journal had asked for the names of the donors and they were provided.
Full marks to Mr. Norris for providing the names and for the Edmonton Journal for asking for them and making them public. In a province where financial contributions are so skewed toward the Tory party in power, it is critical that Albertan's know who is contributing the money. Mr. Norris challanged the other contenders - Lyle Oberg, Ed Stelmach, Ted Morton, Jim Dinning to name a few, to disclose the names of the big shooters supporting their campaigns. Don't hold your breath for this to happen.
One thing that struck me as odd though was Mr. Norris's comment that his was a grassroots movement. My picture of grassroots doesn't have millionaire businessmen with $10,000 cheques in it. It's populated with more "ordinary" citizens. People who work hard for their $50,000 a year instead of people who work hard for their $500,000 a year.
The reality here in Alberta is that the Tory Party is the party of the wealthy businessman. The businessmen do their part by giving millions to the Tories and the Tory party does their part by bringing in legislation that keeps business taxes low, weakens the unions, allows the environment to be polluted, charges minimum energy royalties and provides captive consumers to the gas, electricity, insurance, and healthcare corporations.
The grassroots businessmen who gave so generously to Mark will likely give generously to Lyle, Ed, Ted and Jim. We will likely never know if they do or not. But they are businessmen and that's just a cost of doing business in our fair Province of Alberta.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
The Ant & The Grasshopper & The CEO
I feel blessed. I do believe I am on the same e-mail distribution list as one of our most esteemed citizens in Alberta.
Let me explain.
Rick Bell of the Calgary Herald wrote an article covering a speech by EnCana CEO and prominent federal Conservative fund raiser Gwyn Morgan; - the esteemed citizen I'm referring to. You can read Rick's article by clicking here and smile back at Gwyn by casting your eyes to the left.
In his speech Mr. Morgan used a Canadianized version of the old Ant and the Grasshopper story. Here's how he put it as described in Bell's article.
He (Mr. Morgan) illustrates his world view telling the fable of the ant who works hard and achieves while the grasshopper plays. The ant stays warm in winter while the cold hopper calls a press conference covered by the CBC which broadcasts to clueless Canadians stunned at the plight of the lazy insect.
The NDP and others demonstrate, the Liberals tax and fine the affluent ant who moves to the States and is a success.
A couple months later, the fat grasshopper gobbles the last of the ant's food while the ant's house, which the hopper now inhabits, crumbles and the government calls a commission after lack of funding is seen as the problem.
To conclude this parable, the grasshopper dies of a drug overdose and the NDP blames it on the government. "How Canadian is that!" states a pleased Morgan.
This sounded strikingly similar to an e-mail I had received a few days ago from a friend on mine who swings with those on the extreme right of the political spectrum. After a little searching I found that e-mail. Here it is.
To:johnnyslow@gmail.com
Hey Johnny. Stick this in your commie pipe and smoke it!
THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER
CLASSIC VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his
house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a
fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant
is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so
he dies out in the cold.
THE END
THE CANADIAN VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. So far, so good, eh?
The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate, like him, are cold and starving.
The CBC shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper, with cuts to a video of the ant in his comfortable warm home with a table laden with food.
Canadians are stunned that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.
The NDP, the CAW and the Coalition Against Poverty demonstrate in front of the ant's house. The CBC, interrupting an Inuit cultural festival special from Nunavut with breaking news, broadcasts them singing "We Shall Overcome."
Sven Robinson rants in an interview with Pamela Wallin that the ant has gotten rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his "fair share".
In response to polls, the Government drafts the Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti-Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the summer.
The ant's taxes are reassessed, and he is also fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as helpers.
Without enough money to pay both the fine and his newly imposed retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.
The ant moves to the US, and starts a successful agribiz company.
The CBC later shows the now fat grasshopper finishing up the last of the ant's food, though Spring is still months away, while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he hasn't bothered to maintain it.
Inadequate government funding is blamed, Roy Romanow is appointed to head a commission of enquiry that will cost $10,000,000.
The grasshopper is soon dead of a drug overdose, the Toronto Star blames it on the obvious failure of government to address the root causes of despair arising from social inequity.
The abandoned house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders, praised by the government for enriching Canada's multicultural diversity, who promptly set up a marijuana grow op and terrorize the community.
THE END
That's the e-mail. Look's kinda familiar don't you think.
Here's a summary of the ant and the grasshopper story for those that like to keep their perspective of life in simple tablular form. Colour has been used as a visual aid to help readers remember what is right and what is wrong.
| Conservative Ant | good |
| Liberal Grasshopper | bad |
| Canadians other than conservatives | bad |
| CBC | bad |
| NDP | bad |
| CAW in particular and unions in general | bad |
| Poverty elimination groups | bad |
| Inuit in particular and aboriginals in general | bad |
| Sven in particular and gays in general | bad |
| Taxes | bad |
| Roy Romanow | bad |
| Toronto Star | bad |
| Immigrants | bad |
| Multicultural diversity | bad |
I'll keep you posted on any other e-mails that Gwyn and I get.
Update December 10th - 9:30 AM: An alert reader just e-mailed me that the Ant and Grasshopper story has just been posted on the Charles Adler website as one of "Chuck's Favorites". You can check it out here. Nice to see the Conservative boys talking with one voice these days.
