Sept. 12, 2006: #2 Bud Talkinghorn - NDP

The long shadow of radicalism at the NDP convention

Poor Jack Layton. He tries so hard to appear moderate. Most of the time, by muzzling his caucus, he can control any bozo eruptions, like "Let's invite Sheik Nasrallah to open the conference." However, the rank and file delegates had had enough of Jack's sandblasted PR wishy-washyness. No, it was time to mount the barracades and march shoulder-to-shoulder with the true democrats--Castro, Morales and Chavez. Layton would be Lenin's clone if you pasted a goatee on him, but the smash-the-state laddies knew he was an imposter. It was true socialism's time to reign. The Globe and Mail reporter on scene, Bill Curry, stated that the majority of the committee recommendations were hard left. There were committees that called for positive recognition of the aforementioned threesome. Others wanted the workers to rise up and take control of private businesses. That the state should nationalize railways and all other transportation systems was a given. It was the strong support for those measures that caused a prized candidate to quit the party. Paul Summerville was the former chief economist for RBC Dominion Securities, who ran under the NDP banner in Toronto. Here finally, was a top drawer economist, who would sanction NDP spending polices. Unfortunately, he couldn't stomach the anti-capitalist message that the party was sending out. A prominent Quebec NDP candidate criticized Layton's mealy-mouthed stance on key issues. Another top Quebec candidate, Carl Hetu, denounced Layton for neglecting Quebec since the last election. He also has resigned from the party.

None of this dissension was reported by the CBC's The National of course. If it had occurred in the Conservative ranks it would have been the top headline. Rather, the reporter focused only on the Afghanistan mission. Not surprisingly, the vast majority wanted it to end, and right now ... so does the CBC, so there. Sychronicity achieved. Mr. Summerville's defection wasn't mentioned even in passing. I have always believed that the thrust of most CBC programming has been inspired more by the NDP's ideology, than that of the Liberals. The Radio Canada section, on the other hand, has been / is today, a nest of Quebecois separatists. Read Curry's column in Saturday's Globe and Mail (Sept. 9) to get the real lowdown, which, if widely-reported, could doom the party to the furthest fringes of Canadian politics. CBC knew that instinctively, so kept mum.

The NDP is facing other obstacles to power, as well. The sizable Jewish support of the party is not happy that the NDP has chosen to champion Hamas and Hezbollah over Israel. Layton must be in a tizzy over these overt loony-left outbreaks. Try as the CBC might, word of this no longer "secret agenda" of the NDP will get out. The Conservative and Liberal policy wonks are already sharpening their pencils. Those socialist dogmas will appear in the next election. I can see in my mind's eye billboards with Layton in his best Lenin-in-profile portrayal--maybe a little shadow on his upthrust chin-- and the caption: Vote NDP, Show solidarity with your oppressed brothers, Hamas and Hezbollah." Then even the dullest voter will be able to see that Vladimir Layton is not fit to assume the top position of PM, nor is his party to be trusted with the nation's wallet. Vast government projects didn't make it in any Communist country, and they all had secret police and the army backing them. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has destroyed his economy, despite having vast oil reserves. The smart money always is ahead of the game, and their billions are parked safely away in foreign institutions. Foreign investment has almost dried up. If you envy the glorious peasant revolution of Chavez, then by all means vote the NDP in to power.

The CBC segment immediately following the NDP report was on the 60th anniversary of Mao's ascendance. No mention was made of the millions murdered by Mao's edicts. Maybe the CBC was merely trying to be droll with that juxtapositioning. Surely they weren't trying to make a sly connection between Mao and Layton. That would be downright heresy.

Maybe I should have entitled this, "Jack picks up some very heavy baggage at the convention."

© Bud Talkinghorn