you see this question come up all of the time: why doesn't the working class organize itself better, anyways?

it's maybe an example of how sometimes answers are so obvious that you can't see them. or maybe an example of the disconnect between intellectuals and workers. but, it's actually not hard to figure out if you've ever had to work these kinds of jobs.

they're simply too busy working.

bakunin realized this and suggested that revolts had to come from the unemployed. and, if you look carefully at successful and unsuccessful revolts, you'll see he was mostly right.

i think the more important question to ask is why it is that we continue to rely on neo-colonial economics to create goods.

even up here in canada, it would not be difficult to create greenhouses to grow coffee in. and, because the process can be mostly automated, the decrease in costs [both in terms of production and in terms of transportation] should actually cut the price.

but, instead of focusing on food security, we're signing global trade agreements that are seeking to cement mercantilist relationships that don't make any sense.

you don't need to listen to the hippies, either. ask investors and major food-producing corporations. they'll tell you the same thing.

see, why do they sell us young "thugs"?

why don't they sell us young "respectable educated professionals"?

you don't have to change the means of expression. it would maybe be nice if you could introduce a topic of some relevance. but it's really not necessarily a major overhaul in presentation, despite possibly having large changes in cultural outcomes. and, i don't mean putting them in a suit and putting them behind a bank teller, either. there's enough bling floating around already, and it's really a part of the problem. a respectable educated professional could be a doctor or an engineer - but it could also be a history major, or a student of musicology. it's just not a fucking thug.

then, we sit around and wonder what's wrong with the kids. it's really no secret. they're what they're raised to be.

i've heard some beatles and floyd interpretations that are actually pretty good, but this really just underscores how simplistic the piece is. that said, this does have a lot more potential than is present here. the key is in breaking up the monotony and repetition in the melody. it makes even the most boring mozart piece sound interesting, and mozart is really a pretty low bar in 2015.

it's good enough to be the soundtrack to a kids movie, but that's about it.

http://www.youtube.com/comment?lc=ofkygx89dBAuEPi0CpuUB6ftpAi5w0GIFVeMXVt2JsI

indeed. when real men want to kill people, they join the army.

the reputable telephone pollsters, almost without exception, had the conservatives somewhere in the (27,33) range at the start of the campaign - that's about 30%, +-/3. today, the reputable pollsters have the conservatives in exactly the same range. you'll see the odd 25-26 or the odd 34-35, pretty much randomly - outliers. there has been no statistically measurable change in conservative support, and therefore no reason to draw conclusions about a bump that hasn't actually happened. but, there has been a pretty big movement between the ndp and the liberals.

i think that, in the end, this will hurt them. they've finally shown themselves for who they are. but, even so, they don't go much lower than 30.

this was always an election between the ndp and the liberals, and this is still true. but, the split is brutal. if he's winning, it's on the worst split, yet; we've never seen them split 30/30 like this.

there's no culture war. there's just a huge split in the opposition.

i mean, you lose 10% over the previous election and that's a successful tactic?

www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-conservatives-barbaric-cultural-practices-1.3254886

RareRationalism
I would not deem it 'a war', but I would deem it a cultural reawakening.

jessica murray
lol.

i repeat: there is no evidence that this tactic is working.

maybe harper can dust off some old borden signs, as a part of this "cultural reawakening" and put them up in downtown vancouver.

HARPER: FOR A WHITE CANADA

bet that'll go over well in the vancouver and toronto ridings he's required to win to form a government.

just don't tell anybody about the underground railroad, though. warps the narrative.

--

ok. found the question.

" As you may know, the Government of Canada has issued a direction requiring people to show their faces when they are being sworn in as Canadian citizens. This direction means that face coverings, such as niqabs or burqas, are not permitted during Canadian citizenship ceremonies. Do you support or oppose a requirement that people show their face during Canadian citizenship ceremonies?"

support: 82%
oppose: 15%
don't know: 4%

what is the main reason you support?

1) For identification purposes 29%
2) It's just a cultural practice / doesn't infringe on religious rights / freedom 8%
3) For security reasons / concerns 6%
4) Disrespect for our cultural norms / social practices (showing ones faces, beign unmasked, etc.) 14%
5) To follow our laws / rules 11%
6) Discriminates women / detrimental to women / sexist 2%
7) Shows that one adopts Canadian culture / becomes a Canadian citizen 12%

so, this is actually a leading question.

first, they tell you it's against the law. then they ask you if the law should be followed. well, do you believe in law or not? most people don't follow the issue all that closely - of course they agree with the law. there's two responses, then - those that agree the law should be upheld, and those that have some kind of "values" based response - although whatever values these are, they are not canadian values.

for those that are simply saying the law should be followed, we have: 1, 2, 3, 5. that's 54. these people are not actually in opposition to anything except people breaking the law; and that takes the total up 69% opposed.

4,6,7 are the real opposition that the conservatives are supposedly trying to mobilize, although 6 is contentious. and, unsurprisingly, that adds up 28% - the conservative base, +/- a bit.

no wonder there's been no poll movement.

this isn't a winning strategy for the conservatives.

Kevan Brown
You shouldn't have pointed that out, it was keeping them busy and distracted.

jessica murray
i find the narrative embarrassing.

this morning's nanos poll puts the liberals at 43% in ontario, and 34% nationwide - and the conservatives at 30% nationally. the supposed conservative uptick in quebec is gone; it seems to have just been randomness in the data.

it would be nice to hear the media pick up on the idea of canadians rejecting the racist electoral strategy of the conservative party.

it took me by surprise when mulcair came out in favour of the tpp a few weeks ago out of a clear attempt to appear more centrist; now, he's changed his mind as a clear electoral strategy. he's in favour of it if he thinks it will win him votes, and opposed to it if he thinks it will win him votes.

in principle, i think that opposing the tpp is the correct electoral strategy. it will get them the most seats. but, what will they actually do?

see, i'm not opposed to people changing their minds; i'm not into "strong leadership", i'm into fact-based analysis. but, the result of the party changing it's mind twice now, both times obviously to position themselves to win votes, is that i still don't know where they stand. this was one of the first questions i put down: where do they stand on this?

if they are to be taken at their word, the fact that they haven't read it means they actually don't know what their position is on the deal. if i'm really into fact-based analysis, that actually sounds good in principle.

but, i couldn't imagine them claiming they support it, then rejecting it. i could imagine them coming up with an obfuscated position that makes it seem like they oppose it unless you're paying close attention, and then supporting it. as it is, the only specifics i've heard are with supply management. so, does that mean he'll support it if it has some language about supply management that he likes, forcing maude barlow to issue a press release correcting his language? i don't have a crystal ball or anything, but the future is sometimes easily predictable.

give me a flow chart. put your conditions down. tpp is not conscription; you can't do this, not necessarily thing, it's too complicated. give me your conditions and let me see if i agree with them....

www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-tpp-trade-ndp-1.3255051

i'm going to call in and report thanksgiving.

www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/02/canada-conservatives-barbaric-cultural-practices-hotline#comments