Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Letter to Sounder Feb3
To the Editor:
It has been interesting since my last letter to the Sounder. 2 phone calls really liked it and want to meet. 4 phone calls that could best be termed as more than a little rude - obscene and hate filled (am now filtering my calls so leave a message). Several attack e-mails and three public confrontations last time I was out. One of the Laytonites told me there were thousands of deserters and tens of thousand more "refusniks" (draft dodgers) in Canada from the Iraq war. Refused to believe that according to Immigration Canada there were less than 50 deserters, and were no draft dodgers because the American Military has been all volunteer for more than a generation. Another didn't know who Tommy Douglas or Ed Broadbent were, but did know that there were hundreds of Canadian deserters all over the world who had deserted from Afghanistan and that the Canadian government was covering it up. Some just ascribed colorful traits and suggested physical impossibilities, while others seemed concerned for my safety and suggested I move off the Island (much like in-laws).
I should have clarified in my article that Laytonites were only a minority of the NDP - but they are the ones in control of the party. The NDP used to stand for social justice, union rights, and a moderate brand of socialism. The Laytonites are left of Marx with the tactics of opportunists. Anything to get elected, anything for power including bribing the Separatists with taxpayer money for cabinet seats they could never achieve thru elections. Pierre Trudeau approached Ed Broadbent after the defeat of Joe Clarke’s 8-month government offering him an alliance and cabinet seats to avoid going to another election. Ed refused as he believed in democracy and that government should be elected by the people, not decided thru backroom deals. What a difference between that NDP and the Laytonites version.
I was already uncomfortable being an NDP because of the shift from being a party of alternatives to a party of attack ads to cover lack of policy, and a willingness to join the Liberals and the Separatists to bring down a legally elected government. For me the last straw was the deliberate using of a deserter for party policies. They knew they couldn't keep him in Canada, yet they deliberately lied to him. Then they tried to lie to all of us by calling him a War Resistor - I wouldn't want to be him in front of a court martial board with war resistor in my record - they will throw the book at him.
I think that people, especially journalists, should be careful to know when they offer help that they have the ability to deliver the promised help, and that the help they offer won't make the person’s situation worse. Above all people, even deserters, shouldn't be used for political purposes and then tossed away - notice the lack of mention or follow up on Cliff? Especially newspapers that claim to represent the community should use common sense not party policy.
When party policy beats common sense the publication ceases to be a "news" paper and becomes a party propaganda sheet. Looking at what the party has become and realizing that the majority of the NDP would never rise and take our party back I knew I could not continue to go on supporting the party nor could I remain silent about what I saw even though I knew it meant provoking the Lunatics Laytonites. The NDP used to be a party were truth and different views were respected not silenced thru threats and lies, but that was before the Laytonites took control. More details and background can be found on ianlowden.blogspot.com.
It has been interesting since my last letter to the Sounder. 2 phone calls really liked it and want to meet. 4 phone calls that could best be termed as more than a little rude - obscene and hate filled (am now filtering my calls so leave a message). Several attack e-mails and three public confrontations last time I was out. One of the Laytonites told me there were thousands of deserters and tens of thousand more "refusniks" (draft dodgers) in Canada from the Iraq war. Refused to believe that according to Immigration Canada there were less than 50 deserters, and were no draft dodgers because the American Military has been all volunteer for more than a generation. Another didn't know who Tommy Douglas or Ed Broadbent were, but did know that there were hundreds of Canadian deserters all over the world who had deserted from Afghanistan and that the Canadian government was covering it up. Some just ascribed colorful traits and suggested physical impossibilities, while others seemed concerned for my safety and suggested I move off the Island (much like in-laws).
I should have clarified in my article that Laytonites were only a minority of the NDP - but they are the ones in control of the party. The NDP used to stand for social justice, union rights, and a moderate brand of socialism. The Laytonites are left of Marx with the tactics of opportunists. Anything to get elected, anything for power including bribing the Separatists with taxpayer money for cabinet seats they could never achieve thru elections. Pierre Trudeau approached Ed Broadbent after the defeat of Joe Clarke’s 8-month government offering him an alliance and cabinet seats to avoid going to another election. Ed refused as he believed in democracy and that government should be elected by the people, not decided thru backroom deals. What a difference between that NDP and the Laytonites version.
I was already uncomfortable being an NDP because of the shift from being a party of alternatives to a party of attack ads to cover lack of policy, and a willingness to join the Liberals and the Separatists to bring down a legally elected government. For me the last straw was the deliberate using of a deserter for party policies. They knew they couldn't keep him in Canada, yet they deliberately lied to him. Then they tried to lie to all of us by calling him a War Resistor - I wouldn't want to be him in front of a court martial board with war resistor in my record - they will throw the book at him.
I think that people, especially journalists, should be careful to know when they offer help that they have the ability to deliver the promised help, and that the help they offer won't make the person’s situation worse. Above all people, even deserters, shouldn't be used for political purposes and then tossed away - notice the lack of mention or follow up on Cliff? Especially newspapers that claim to represent the community should use common sense not party policy.
When party policy beats common sense the publication ceases to be a "news" paper and becomes a party propaganda sheet. Looking at what the party has become and realizing that the majority of the NDP would never rise and take our party back I knew I could not continue to go on supporting the party nor could I remain silent about what I saw even though I knew it meant provoking the Lunatics Laytonites. The NDP used to be a party were truth and different views were respected not silenced thru threats and lies, but that was before the Laytonites took control. More details and background can be found on ianlowden.blogspot.com.
