Pillaged Prosperity + Squandered Government Surpluses = Austerity For The Masses

Protests are happening all over the world. Protests against governments. Protests against corporations, bankers, oil companies, the 1% who profit while the rest of us pay the price for the constant boom and bust that unfettered greed produces. In a way, we're even protesting against our own stupidity for buying into an economic system that rarely serves the 99% well.

Here in Canada, Stephen Harper has miraculously remained untouched and unscathed despite wantonly squandering record government surpluses in an unscrupulous spending spree not designed, as advertized, for economic action but simply to promote himself and his ministers for electoral gain. You don't get 8 million dollar gazebos from a fiscally responsible government.

Aided by government, corporations, banks and wealthy individuals have pillaged prosperity and literally sucked the wealth out of the global economy. Now you have a perfect storm of broke governments and a broke global economy passing the pain down to the people. Paying the tab are the most vulnerable in society who have never seen a penny of government vote buying nor even the tiniest trickle down of global prosperity. The ongoing protests in Montreal are just another indicator of the resultant public mood, its anger growing worldwide.

We've had boom and bust economies and boom and bust governments for as long as anyone can remember. Governments use the threat of diminished economic growth to blackmail and frighten us while pillaging the public purse for the purposes of buying votes. But why do we allow government to have access to unlimited power? Why do we let them use our money to fund a never-ending election cycle under the guise of an economic action plan?

The only action plan Stephen Harper has ever put into effect is the one that keeps him in power. We all pay the price while he sits back just out of reach sheltering himself behind minions and ministers and media surrogates. Protests mean nothing to him. He prorogues parliament then organizes his own supporters and counter-protests the protests against him. The only thing that can ever touch him is an election and he's even figured out how to rig that system the good old Republican vote suppressing, robo-calling way.

If we can ever get rid of Stephen Harper, can the government that succeeds him be called upon to reform the very framework that allows Canadian politicians to distort democracy for their own personal gain? Can we ever have a sustainable government that simply governs and does not use government as a corrupt arsenal for electoral domination?

People are hungry for reform but how can we prevent another opportunistic "reformer" like Stephen Harper from betraying the public trust yet again? Election after election we play musical chairs with a new crop of eager politicians who rally the electorate with a battle cry and a promise to fix what's broken in government. Election after election nothing changes.

The same principles that might create sustainable economies could also create sustainable governments but it will take much more than protests and public anger to force politicians to change the way they govern. Reform will require a sustained challenge to the status quo and despite growing unrest, we're still no closer to forming a plan to make that change happen.

If only it were possible to make politicians sign a legally binding contract that would force them to deliver the reform they promise. We have to follow the rules, pay our bills and live up to our commitments, why shouldn't they?

If They Knew Then What They Know Now...

A little blast from the past for your post long weekend viewing pleasure...

Okay Everyone, Get Out There and Appreciate Your Sweet Selves!

It's a long weekend. Your life is waiting for you out there. Go and get it! Have a Great Victoria Day Weekend!

Can Canadian Politics Ever Be More Than Just A 17th Century Puppet Show?

You often hear the term "Punch and Judy" politics. For those unfamiliar with the term, Punch and Judy is a singularly nasty and violent puppet show which became popular in England during the Puritan era of the 17th century when most other forms of entertainment were outlawed.

From OldWoodToys.com: It’s easy to see the appeal for children of the Punch and Judy shows – characters of all stripes, silly, nonsensical plots and dialogues, quaint, decorated, little stages. Often a live dog, Toby, sat in front of the stage with a ruff around his neck and a hat on. Punch, furthermore, could commit the most heinous of acts and get away with it! Throw the baby out of the window, whack his wife with a big stick, kill off the authorities that come to take him to jail, chase the ghost away, and, his greatest triumph, vanquish the devil himself, all with a merry grin. Pleased as Punch. There was very little in the way of plot that the street watchers had to follow - Punch must contend with a shrewish wife and a screaming baby so he murders them both and is then forced to defend himself from the law officials and do-gooders who try to get him to the gallows. Whether he succeeds in overcoming them is the suspense of the drama, though the fun is in watching how Punch dispatches them all.

Some might argue that we are now in another kind of puritanical era where the only entertainment we want to watch is reality television and political puppet shows. Nothing but arch characters and predictable Survivor Island tactics. The media is now Toby the dog with the ruff and hat, watching the action and barking nonsensically.

Some say this is the way it has to be. This is what people want, what they expect. But I reject that narrative. Why can't politicians talk like human beings? Imagine if you and everyone in your life talked to each other the way politicians in Ottawa do, the way reality show participants do? What kind of life would that be? Maybe we should be asking why politicians can't be more like real people. Or at least the people who have an agenda to be sane and reasonable and work together for the greater good. I think if a politician or a political party dropped the puppet show for real, not just for show, well, that could be a true game changer.

The Only Politician With Real Credibility On The Oil Sands Is...

Not Thomas Mulcair. Nor any of the other politicians currently lobbing this political football back and forth. If you want to meet a politician who will engage in real debates and real conversations, the only person doing that consistently is Elizabeth May. We need real solutions not political posturing and poll pleasing chess games that result in acrimony and antagonism within our federation.

Compare and contrast Ms. May's approach with that of Mr. Mulcair:

"We do not in the Green Party focus on one sector at the expense of others, we're looking for solutions that make sense for the whole country and indeed Alberta is a big part of the solution that lies ahead..." ~ Elizabeth May, Calgary Enterprise Forum, November 2009.

You can see numerous examples of Ms. May's consistent, principled approach on the Oil Sands on YouTube in various venues where she tirelessly debates even the likes of Ezra Levant.

We need sensible, sane, and honest discussion on this issue. I invite other like-minded politicians to join Ms. May in a chorus of sanity on the Oil Sands.

Conservatives Say You Can Never Get Rid Of Poverty So Why Bother?

You can't get rid of disease but people still try. You can't get rid of prostitution but people still try. You can't get rid of aging but people still try. You can't get rid of drugs but people still try. You can't get rid of crime but people still try. You can't get rid of religion but people still try. You can't get rid of ignorance but people still try. You can't get rid of violence but people still try. You can't get rid of war but people still try. You can't get rid of abortion but people still try.

For better or worse, the impossibility of a task has never deterred people from trying. If we put the same force of political will, thought, discussion, money and manpower into the task of getting rid of poverty as we do in a host of other so-called lost causes, imagine what we could accomplish together. Poverty lies at the heart of a myriad of social ills that hurt us all whether we've ever experienced poverty in our own lives or not.

If we really believe in equality and social justice, don't we have an obligation to keep trying? Why does it have to be a class war, an us against them narrative? Why can't it be all of us together looking for ways to make things better for everyone? What benefits the poorest Canadians, benefits everyone. If we took the position as a society that Canadians living in poverty are our greatest untapped resource to build our economy and our communities and our future, why would we not reach our hands out and say, "Come along with us. We can do great things together."

From The People Who Brought You The Walkerton Tragedy: "We Don't Give A Damn About Our Reputation"

If you're wondering why recent antics by Harper's Ministers of Fear are giving you a sick feeling of Déjà vu, there's good reason. Everything old is new again apparently. These old dogs have learned no new tricks, they've just learned trickier new ways of selling their old ideas to a new, bigger audience of Canadians. Here are just some of the greatest hits being re-issued for your listening pleasure:

Workfare - Big Brother is Watching

The arrogance of the Mike Harris Ontario government seemed to grow to breathtaking proportions as almost daily we were greeted with reports of more service cuts, more fights with unions (any union) and totalitarian approaches to Aboriginal nations (Dudley George), the poor (seniors and welfare) and even fashion (introducing the now ubiquitous black sci-fi OPP garb). The disdain for your basic human rights was reminiscent of Animal Farm, one of George Orwell's lesser known novels - "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others". "If we'd been deterred by Charter challenges, we wouldn't have proceeded with any aspect of our welfare reforms." - Dan Miles, Spokesperson for Ministry of Community and Social Services summed up the government's arrogant and horrifying official position (as reported in Now Magazine Vol 20 #47 Jul 26-Aug 1 2001)

Understanding the Harper Government’s Assault on Canada’s Environment and its Consequences

In Ontario the pursuit of an agenda very similar to that being followed by the Harper government was, eventually, instrumental in the defeat of the Harris/Eves Progressive Conservative government in 2003, but not before enormous costs had been incurred to the environment, health and safety of Ontario residents. Unfortunately there seems little hope that the current federal government will deflect from the same path before it is too late.

The Harris-Harper Wolf Pack : Social Darwinism Makes a Cozy Den in Ottawa

Flaherty, Clement and Baird: These three politicians are key elements of the new ideological class of conservatism that began to dominate Ontario’s provincial party at the start of the nineties. In distinction to the oldguard, which called for lower taxation and limited privatization, the new class represents a much sharper social darwinism. As outlined, they are fanatical boosters of privatization, punitive law and order measures, and the destruction of social welfare infrastructure.

Mike Harris and Preston Manning: Bad American Policies Done Stupid

The solution to Canadian problems isn't warmed over failed American and British ideas. The solution is Canadian ideas and the best, not the worst, that the rest of the world can offer. Or as your Mom used to say, "if your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump after them?" For Manning and Harris, looking south and seeing the Republicans jumping off a bridge, the answer is yes. For the rest of us let's hope the answer is different. I think it is, because unlike some in the Conservative party I don't think Canada is a third rate socialist country - I think we're one of the best countries in the world, with the know how to make our country the sort of country we all want to live in. So let's toss Harris and Manning's idea in the trash basket and go back to making Canada a country that isn't a warmed over hash of ideas which have already failed in the US.

Stephen Harper, Format Shifting From "Your Friend" Into "The Punisher"

I've had the thankless task lately of breaking some really bad news to my Conservative friends. Stephen Harper doesn't love them anymore. This is something they find impossible to believe and when the truth of it sinks in, they go through all the stages of grief right before your eyes and still they can't quite believe it. It's like one of those shocking betrayals where you get the news from a third party by text message so it doesn't quite seem real. I hate to burst their bubble and it's a tough job but somebody has to do it.

My task was made just a little easier yesterday by the spin stylings of some charter members of Harper's Ministry of Fear, Jim Flaherty and Dean Del Mastro. Why you ask? Aren't they good soldiers of the Conservative cause? Well, the funny thing is, even conservatives need employment insurance from time to time and they also like to back up their iPod music on CD. So you can imagine being called "picky job seekers" and "format shifting thieves" was not well received, even by them.

You have to realize that people like you and me expect to get punished by this GOVERNMENT but conservative voters still view it as an opposition party led by Steve Harper, their friend, the guy who slayed the big bad Liberals, the guy who was gonna be their pal for life, their protector and meal ticket. This is the spin they were sold and they bought it in good faith. Stephen Harper was the honest politician. He was going to give them good, honest government. The problem is, all he's giving them now is GOVERNMENT with a capital G and extra reverb. He's not their Conservative freedom fighter anymore, he's the fuzz. He's the punisher. Steve's not buying them a beer anymore and he's not just bringing in punitive laws for non-Conservatives, he's writing them for everyone.

The truth is, when you elect an all-powerful, majority government and they decide to get tough on the population, everyone pays. Doesn't matter what flavour of government it is, if you give your favourite politicians too much power, you will regret it. Governments don't just create laws and policies that make their partisan supporters jump for joy, they also create laws and policies that will piss off their supporters eventually. Why? Well, unless you're a big corporation, your opinions don't matter that much once you've given a bunch of politicians the keys to the kingdom. I know it doesn't make much sense. You're the one that gave them the power, shouldn't they care what you think? They do, sort of. At least they care come election time. That's why spin was invented.

That's why this GOVERNMENT has had their spokes-ministers laying the groundwork to shape your opinion. People on EI aren't good Conservatives like you and I. No, they are lazy and shiftless Liberals and they deserve to be pushed around. Those bums need to be taught a lesson, right?

Anyone who backs up their files on CD is a sinister, bootlegging, criminal mastermind who pays for socks but steals shoes. Well, that spin was lame but you get the idea.

Instead of arguing with my Conservative friends about whether Stephen Harper is a good guy or not, I'm just letting his GOVERNMENT speak for itself. You don't receive a "get out of jail free" card when you vote Conservative. You lose your job and you need EI, you have to follow the same rules everyone else does. You get caught "stealing" copyrighted music. Bam, you're in the slammer with the rest of us. The party's over and we're all going to be paying the tab from now on.

You might argue that it's easy to be a critic but I do have some ideas about how we can fix this in the future. Electoral reform. It's the only way all voters, not just Conservatives, can be sure that the good politicians they think they're electing don't format shift into a bad majority government accountable to no one, not even the people who supported them.

Beyond Partisanship: You Will Not Divide My Country For Your Cynical Power Agenda

The greatest threat to Canadian unity has, and always will be, political ambition. I don't care what party you belong to, hands off my county. I will not not let any politician involve me in a partisan war against my country. I will not let politicians carve Canada up and divide the spoils for their unsustainable partisan agenda. I'm a Canadian first and last and always. My country before my party.

To be Canadian is one of the best gifts life gave us.

There are many views – and lively debates – on how our nation could be improved. But we should never doubt that our diversity is a strength, a source of cooperation and a better life for all, from coast to coast to coast.

And although Canadian unity can never be taken for granted, we must always keep the faith alive. Some predict our nation’s explosion, arguing that it is too centralized, others that it is too decentralized.

And all the while, millions and millions of human beings around the world dream of being Canadian. We have built an admirable country, thanks notably to the powerful contribution of Quebeckers.

Together, we must keep improving Canada and showing the world how a great, diverse nation can keep moving ever closer and closer to the dreams and aspirations of all people of good will.

Long live Quebec, long live united Canada!

Stéphane Dion, April 24, 2012

Is The MSM Hungering For A Political Industrial Complex In Canada?

It's interesting to note that the Canadian Media never called the NDP "dead" en masse when it sat at 20% in the polls. Sure, plenty of people wish for their political rivals to disappear. Lots of them cheered when the Progressive Conservatives went poof. Funny thing though, when a tree falls, you just don't know where it will land and what sort of long term, unforeseen damage will result. Down went the PCs, up came Stephen Harper's Republican-Inspired New Conservative Party. Then everyone started lamenting the old PCs, wishing they were back. Now the Media seems to be conducting a co-ordinated PSYOPS campaign on the Canadian public, working overtime to convince them that a 2 party political system is inevitable. And why is this a good thing? Why would we want a 2 party system divided between the right and the left, leaving nothing but a barren wasteland in the middle? Surely the irony is not lost on anyone that the NDP only exists because we've had that kind of system in the past and Canadians were not happy with it. That's why the Green Party of Canada came into existence. Canadians want more choice in their politics, not less.

So why is the Canadian Media so hell bent on killing the Liberal Party? Like Stephen Harper, they get their ideas South of the border. In the US, where the 2 party system reigns supreme, they call th1s... The Political-Industrial Complex By JP Sottile, Reader Supported News And the news media is, perhaps, the key cog in that grinding machine. The more contentious the election, the more dichotomous the debate and the more heated the rhetoric ... the more enriching the whole process becomes to the seedy squatters currently occupying the Fourth Estate. By generating more heat than light, the news media generates more revenue than facts. How? By filling all those nifty commercial breaks with lucrative political advertising.

Media professionals and advertising agencies and consultants all make money off of "us versus them." They all make money off of the status quo. So do the ad buyers and local station executives and owners. And, as national and statewide campaigns become more and more expensive, the cable networks and broadcasting's big four - ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX - all rake in the cash. Your donations are more likely to end up in the pocket of some cigar-chomping chump than in the needy hands of some eager, motivated canvasser.

When you wonder why nothing gets done, or why problems only seem to get worse amidst the din of hyperbole and bickering, think of it all as a daily drama. It is a soap opera. And why were they called "soap operas?" Because those quickly-crafted melodramas were designed to hold your attention just long enough to sell you soap. Dish soap and laundry detergent and hand-repairing cleansers. That's the point of all the drama and tension. It sells soap. And that's the point of the Political-Industrial Complex. All that drama and hyperbole ... it sells soap. For the media professionals who sell it to us all, it's money in the bank. Literally.

Those Crazy Liberals, They Just Won't Quit

Another day, another media moron writes an article like this. When I think about the future of Canadian Liberalism, I don't look to the current upheaval in Greece or the demise of the old Progressive Conservatives. I look to the West and every other unlikely Liberal outpost all across this great country of ours. They chop up our signs, ridicule us, call us names, tell us we're crazy, tell us we'll never win and still we persist. Nothing anyone says or does ever dampens our spirit. Because it's not about winning, it's about ideas. Those campaigns aren't powered by money, they're powered by people. Election after election, we keep coming back. So to all you vultures out there waiting for us to give up and go home, hope you packed a lunch, you're gonna be waiting a long, long time.

Parenting, The Unpaid Work That Powers The World

 

My Mother hates Mothers Day. Her assertion has always been that many of these so-called feel-good holidays are just constructs of card companies and retailers designed to make people part with their hard earned money. When we would come home from school with our Mothers Day crafts, remember the clay ash tray with your little hand print in it, my Mother would say, "What the hell am I going to do with that? I don't smoke." Her belief was that you should appreciate your parents every day of the year, not just once a year. She'd rather have us do our chores and behave ourselves than give her a smarmy greeting card and some cheesy knick-knacks that served no purpose other than to gather dust on the shelf. After my parents split up and she was raising us on her own, she liked Mothers Day sentiments even less. Then one year, instead of giving her a Mothers Day card, we waited and gave her a Fathers Day card instead. That she liked. It was funny and unexpected and came from the heart. No fake sentiment, no conventions, just a genuine attempt to get her to laugh. My Mother is actually much more of a drill sergeant than my Dad and her disciplinary skills were put to good use keeping us all in line by herself. She used to say she had to be tough because she was outnumbered and she was charged with the awesome task of keeping us from killing each other. So to all the single parents out there, doing double duty every single day of the year, it might not seem like it now but many years from now your kids will show you what a great job you really did.

How I Became A Post-Modern Canadian Liberal

My parents belong to the generation just before the baby boomers. They found themselves young parents in the midst of the turmoil of the sixties and while they yearned to be a part of that generation of change, they had to content themselves with watching the sixties unfold on television and in the newspapers while changing diapers, earning a living and paying down their mortgage. But in response to those times, they made a profound decision that shaped my life and my way of thinking.

What my parents did, in their own lives, in their own small way, to try and be part of that new generation of change, was to change the way they raised their children. They tried, as best they could, to raise us to be free from prejudice of any kind. They wanted us to grow up to be as uniquely individual as possible. This commitment to raising free-thinking humans required that they would have to defy a lot of social conventions that were prevalent at the time.

We did not learn the religious beliefs and traditions that our parents had been raised with. We did not go to church, something which was pretty much compulsory for "decent folks" in those days.

Our parents never talked about their political beliefs to avoid influencing our thinking before we were old enough to think for ourselves. We were raised to be free agents, to question rather than just to follow the crowd.

We were taught the principles of equality and social justice. We had to share and be respectful. We were told not to judge others but to try and understand what might have happened to make them the way they were.

Whenever we misbehaved, we were always asked, "How would you like it if someone did that to you?"

We were taught about responsibility and consequences and the truth. My parents never hesitated to answer any question we posed to them as truthfully as they could. This meant that no subject was taboo. Suffice it to say kids ask the darndest things.

We were told that the class system was something that existed only if you believed in it. Having no money wasn't what made a person poor. You could never be poor if you had your self-respect and you treated others the way you would like to be treated yourself. Your actions were what defined the kind of person you were, not how much money you had in your pocket.

Right about now you might be thinking my parents were kindly saints of some kind. Far from it. My parents were tough. They were sparing with sympathy. They did not baby us if we were sick. They pushed us to get well. We were pushed to achieve, to keep our promises and to live up to our responsibilities. Don't quit. Don't say you can't. Get the job done.

If you came home crying because some other kids had teased you or pushed you around, you'd usually be told something like, "Life can be mean, you need to toughen up. Stand up for yourself. Believe in yourself. Don't let them make you cry."

Now here comes the tricky part. My parents were tough-minded but they did not believe in violence as a way to solve problems. Violence was a last resort and there were a lot of conditions applied to the circumstances under which you could fight back.

We were encouraged to use intelligence and reason in solving problems first. Think before you act. Use your brain not just your fists. Generally you were encouraged to ignore people and walk away whenever possible, while acknowledging there might be times you'd have to stand and fight. "Never throw the first punch. Be ready to defend yourself if you have to but never use undue force." In other words, you could do what was necessary to get your opponent to back off but you couldn't beat them to a pulp.

I can honestly say I was in no way appreciative of my unconventional upbringing while I was living it. In fact, there were times when I bitterly resented my parents. It was challenging to be fair to other people when you felt you were not treated fairly yourself. Given the upper hand, it was hard not to beat the crap out of another kid who'd been bullying and taunting you for weeks. Sharing your toys with other kids who never shared anything with you seemed a mighty injustice. Walking away when kids called you names was nearly unbearable, especially for someone like me who has a brain bursting with witty comebacks and biting sarcasm.

I often wished my parents had just let us be "normal" and wondered what was so bad about being like other people. What was so bad about fitting in? What was so bad about going to church and believing in a god of some kind?

Most of my early conflicts in life came from getting into altercations over religion. Atheism was not well received as a lifestyle choice in the early sixties. In those days when you registered at a new school you had to fill out an information form and you had to identify what religion you followed along with your home address, phone number and the name of your doctor. Writing "none" instead of a religious faith usually resulted in an awkward phone call to my mother who had to explain and justify her non-religious parenting choice.

These kinds of conflicts resulted in what we would now call "teachable moments" wherein my parents could explain the concept of non-conformity and the dangers of hive mind thinking. Being an atheist in a Christian world also gave me a rare perspective on what it means to be "different" in a society that often wants everyone to be the same. All I had to do to blend in was pretend to be the same. It would have been so easy and doing otherwise was certainly a character builder that I did not fully appreciate until I was much older.

Somewhere along the line, I began to see myself as being a warrior in service of free thought and individuality. Why should I do something just because other people were doing it and wanted to force me to do it too? Of course this backfired a little for my parents because with my new respect for non-conformism also came a healthy disrespect for authority just as I was becoming a nasty teenager. Hence the adoption of my favourite phrase, "You're not the boss of me." This challenge necessitated a new conversation with my parents on the concept of citizenship. "With freedom comes responsibility." I should've known there was a catch.

Eventually society evolved and caught up to me. Coming of age in the late 70s, I was uniquely prepared to fit in with the new world order. I was an engaged young person and when I was old enough to vote for the first time, I was excited to get out there and do my thing. So I earnestly set about to become informed in order to make the right political choice.

The first thing I noticed when talking to the various political partisans who came to court my vote, was how much those conversations reminded me of my first encounters with religious zealots. Many of the campaign workers I met had been well prepared to forcefully recite a script but seemed unable to explain or defend the policies of their party. This was disappointing to say the least. After a lifetime of resisting the hive mind of religion and social conformity, I was not about to succumb to the hive mind of politics.

My first experience with politics was so distasteful and off-putting that I came pretty close to walking away from politics altogether. Then one day a politician knocked on the door who really knew how to talk to me like a human being. He made eye contact, talked to me like a respected equal and took the time to have an honest conversation with me. During that conversation I got the best advice I've ever gotten about politics. Don't just vote for a party, vote for the whole package. Learn what each party is offering, look at the person who is running in your riding and make your choice based on the big picture. It's not always about which party you want to win, it's also about the kind of person you want to represent you in Ottawa.

It would be unreasonable to expect and untruthful to claim that the Liberal Party of Canada has always been the perfect embodiment of all my personal beliefs but as it turns out, over the years, more often than not, the person I've wanted to send to Ottawa to represent me has been a Liberal.

Lately I've been reflecting on why politics matters in my life. It would be so much easier to walk away and forget the whole thing. Of course, given what I've just told you about my upbringing, you can probably understand why I'm still here and why I'll never give up. In my own life, in my own small way, I keep trying to be a warrior in service of free thought and individuality.

Liberal Shenpa: The Fear We Will Cease To Exist

In a recent Hill Times article, Martha Hall Findlay said she feared she would have no political home if the Liberal Party of Canada merged with the NDP and that a lot of Liberals she'd talked to felt the same. Many other Liberals have said a leader is needed to rally the membership and nothing can be done before that happens. With the chorus of voices crying out in the social media wilderness it might seem Liberals are lost and confused and spinning off in different directions.

Fear is a very natural human reaction when something you care about is threatened or at risk. We worry. We fear. We get angry. We look for someone to blame. We curl up in a ball and block it out. We stand on street corners shouting that the end is near. None of these reactions will prevent what we fear most from happening. Fear without action causes an anxiety that is relentless and can even be unbearable.

In the same article Gerard Kennedy expressed his frustration that the party is so focused on leadership that the necessary focus is not being put to bear on rebuilding the party. I agree with this sentiment and I think networking with other Liberals and being pro-active is the best antidote for Liberal Shenpa.

So take a deep breath, lean into that fear and hold the line. I'm here with you and so are many others. Get out there and tell the world we're still here and we're not going anywhere.

Below are my favourite Tweets today that should give you some indication of how much fight is left in the Liberal Party.

Dear Bionic Liberal: Why So Zen? You Were Much More Fun When You Were Mean!

Don't worry kids. It's all part of the plan. Stay tuned for the unveiling.