"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Monday 10 October 2011

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "It Aint That Simple":

The comment you have chosen to print is but a short addendum to a longer previous one that you elected not to share.

A Board of Directors votes on issues and the majority holds sway. No different from any form of democratic government. But a Board of Directors is usually far more knowledgeable about the matters on which they vote.

You have a wonderful sense of what politics should be in a democracy. But the fact is that potential voters have become more and more disengaged from and disgusted with the entire process. In last week's Ontario election 49.2% of eligible voters cast ballots, the lowest percentage ever. The Liberals had 37.62% of votes cast, the Conservatives 35.43%, the NDP 22.73% and the Green Party 2.94%. I will let you do the math to determine what percentage of votes cast represents the will of the people. Less than 20% of eligibles voted in the barely minority government.

It was also very interesting to see that the blowhard Toronto mayor, who was supposed to gather in all sorts of Conservative votes in his city, produced not a single seat. It should be obvious that a big man with an even bigger voice making outrageous statements is not going to be a positive influence for very long. And so it came to pass.

The  Department Director who in my opinion is doing a good job is Leisure Services. . The report card recently issued by Christopher Watts dealt quite accurately with members of Council and the mayor.
One cannot expect high performance when four out of nine are well below failing grade.

Politics and politicians have become things and creatures generally less than admired. Some seek office in order to give something back of themselves to their community. Many others are attracted by a message their egos rattles around in their heads. They like the concept of power. I am sick and tired of seeing a news story start: "So and so has come to power." The only acceptable word is "responsibility." "Power" should be treated as a weasel word.

You talk about good working relationships and trust, about bringing out the best in people. What if there isn't very much of this "best" to start with? If you follow American politics could you please show me where there is any good working relationship and trust. Politicians and their parties to the south of us act like two of packs of rabid dogs. What was a once great country is losing its political, financial and moral way.

And even though we aren't nearly as bad as them we are also in a decline

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My commenter will note a slight edit of his post. Protocol demands it. I generally  don't publish a comment unless I can publish the whole but I sense this writer's  need to explode about the recent election and I do not disagree with the opinion.

The election  was indeed a lack lustre affair.  A bit like my views on  war. Nobody wins. The  losers makes the most mistakes and run out of machines and manpower and finally lose the  public's support.

No war is glorious or triumphant. Nor was the result of last week's election.

Politics have been on the decline for a long time. For many reasons.

Rob Ford is the Mayor of Toronto because he told people what he really believed. Toronto voters  had had their fill of  effete bafflegab. They picked Ford because he was the one who was real.

It's the reason  municipal politics is most satisfying.  People can have  influence even after an election. As long as they are kept informed of what is happening.

The new media is the means of renewal. It's an exciting prospect which can only grow and  improve and have  an increasing influence. 

Stephanie did not win nearly enough votes in the Riiding of Nickel Belt  to make the effort worthwhile.  But she did enjoy the experience, gave a good account of herself and learned what she could never have learned otherwise.

We were guests on election night in the home of  Pat Robertson, the Green candidate for the Riding of Sudbury, who had  initially resolved to be an independent candidate from outrage over current social conditions.

It's  a driven and passionate person who chooses that route  The Green Party attracts  candidates of passionate conviction.  It does not reflect in votes..

What the passionate people need  is  to infiltrate the traditional parties and make them be what they claim to be. It would not be easy. It would take however long it would take. However long that might be, it would be  shorter  than displacing  them  in the political spectrum.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Evelyn:

May this brilliant day bring health and happiness to you and your entire family.

Happy Thanksgiving!