Herewith fledgling's first guest post of the new year - make that first guest post, period. The author is Phil Jackson, a noted authority on (among other things) health policy, British punk and post-punk music, Indian cooking and the legacies of Marxism. To my mind the post exemplifies the kind of intelligent, incisive curation of writing and images for which this blog strives.
At least a minimal awareness of current affairs in Canada will be required to appreciate the critique embedded here.
And so prorogation… and the new Holy Tunic.
“ Driven by the contradictory demands of his situation, and being at the same time, like a juggler, under the necessity of keeping the public gaze on himself, as Napoleon’s successor, by springing constant surprises – that is to say, under the necessity of arranging a coup d’état in miniature every day – Bonaparte throws the whole bourgeois economy into confusion, violates everything that seemed inviolable to the Revolution of 1848,… while at the same time stripping the entire state machinery of its halo, profaning it and making it at once loathsome and ridiculous. The cult of the Holy Tunic of Trier he duplicates in
The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. Karl Marx 1852
Audacity is just the word for it (at last, a blogger who cares about words!). No doubt the public is disgusted, and it's tempting to believe that Harper and Co. (truly Pro Rogues at this stage) will pay down the line for this insult and breach of trust. But this erstwhile Yank is not at all sure. I'll pass your comment along to the likewise-appalled author of the post.
Posted by: Deborah Esch | 01/04/2010 at 01:39 PM
The sheer audacity to prorogue parliament - AGAIN!!!
And for what? So the MPs can party like it's 2010 over in Vancouver? Or to duck questions about prisoner detention in Afgahnistan.
Canadians no longer need to point the finger down south to exemplify a failed regime. We only need to look in our own ski slopes.
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!!!!!!!
@donpower
Posted by: @donpower | 01/04/2010 at 01:28 PM