In the early years of this century, I spent my “leisure” time at work listening to a new internet phenomenon — radio via the wire leading from the back of my computer. In this case it was a program called “Rant with Levant” — a sometimes raucous daily program from Ezra Levant. I loved it.On one occasion I was listening to Mr. Levant interview the estimable Andrew Coyne who was engaged in his own rant against western Canadians who had separatist sympathies. I don’t remember the list of epithets hurled on our heads, but it included “idiots, stupid, ignorant, ungrateful” and others besides. While not particularly sympathetic to the cause of western separation (at least at that time) I had had enough and phoned in at the first invitation. I pointed out to Mr. Coyne that he, who had not lived through the turmoil and devastation of Mr. Trudeau’s National Energy Program, had some gall insulting those who did. Further, from his holy nave, he did not have to watch as the federal government under both national parties continued to squash opportunities for growth in the West. And finally, as a ranking member of the Laurentian Compact, his protests that “We allowed you to form the Reform Party” simply indicated what a moronic pinhead and self-righteous prick he was. I don’t think I said the last bit, but I was pretty worked up by his arrogance.A recent article by Rupa Subramanya has once again provoked my pique against eastern Canadian provocateurs. I hasten to clarify that, unlike Mr. Coyne, I am a big fan of Ms. Subramanya and generally agree with her views. She slipped up this time however.Everything was going swimmingly in the article until this contentious statement,“And herein lies the crux of the matter: Canadians themselves are just as complicit in this decline. A deep-seated culture of socialism, long ingrained in the fabric of the country and predating Trudeau, has sadly fostered a mentality that seeks the easy way out — in this case, looking to Uncle Sam to solve our problems instead of confronting the mess at home.”Speak for yourself M’lady. We political luddites from out West never voted this preposterous poseur into power and we certainly are not looking to Mr. Trump to solve our problems. Laughing along with his “51st State” joke is not acquiescence to what the less manly parts of our fair Dominion believe he is saying. Mostly we are delighted that Mr. Trump accelerated the leave-taking of Mr. Trudeau. Now what we want is a “reformation of manners” among the voters of southern Ontario and the Laurentian triangle.Very few westerners outside of the effete regions of the BC Lower Mainland supported the idiotic swooning over the part time schoolteacher/snowboard instructor. Electing the guy who didn’t think much about macroeconomics, who believes that budgets balance themselves based on heart symbols, who wouldn’t support medical benefits for veterans, who channeled Marx by stating that Canada is a post-national state, and who was elected because of his hair style and sock choice was your fault and not ours. I reject the notion that “Canadians” must own up to this ten-year exodus into poppy and weed-induced slumber. This slumber, like the one induced by Pierre père, who was arguably more destructive to Canada than his son, is on you folks in the east. In the next election, then, please judge our putative leaders using criteria a little more serious than haberdashery and unicorns. You have had your mulligan so smarten up! Because if you don’t then Mr. Coyne may again have to suffer the migraines of western separation and we can’t have that, can we?
In the early years of this century, I spent my “leisure” time at work listening to a new internet phenomenon — radio via the wire leading from the back of my computer. In this case it was a program called “Rant with Levant” — a sometimes raucous daily program from Ezra Levant. I loved it.On one occasion I was listening to Mr. Levant interview the estimable Andrew Coyne who was engaged in his own rant against western Canadians who had separatist sympathies. I don’t remember the list of epithets hurled on our heads, but it included “idiots, stupid, ignorant, ungrateful” and others besides. While not particularly sympathetic to the cause of western separation (at least at that time) I had had enough and phoned in at the first invitation. I pointed out to Mr. Coyne that he, who had not lived through the turmoil and devastation of Mr. Trudeau’s National Energy Program, had some gall insulting those who did. Further, from his holy nave, he did not have to watch as the federal government under both national parties continued to squash opportunities for growth in the West. And finally, as a ranking member of the Laurentian Compact, his protests that “We allowed you to form the Reform Party” simply indicated what a moronic pinhead and self-righteous prick he was. I don’t think I said the last bit, but I was pretty worked up by his arrogance.A recent article by Rupa Subramanya has once again provoked my pique against eastern Canadian provocateurs. I hasten to clarify that, unlike Mr. Coyne, I am a big fan of Ms. Subramanya and generally agree with her views. She slipped up this time however.Everything was going swimmingly in the article until this contentious statement,“And herein lies the crux of the matter: Canadians themselves are just as complicit in this decline. A deep-seated culture of socialism, long ingrained in the fabric of the country and predating Trudeau, has sadly fostered a mentality that seeks the easy way out — in this case, looking to Uncle Sam to solve our problems instead of confronting the mess at home.”Speak for yourself M’lady. We political luddites from out West never voted this preposterous poseur into power and we certainly are not looking to Mr. Trump to solve our problems. Laughing along with his “51st State” joke is not acquiescence to what the less manly parts of our fair Dominion believe he is saying. Mostly we are delighted that Mr. Trump accelerated the leave-taking of Mr. Trudeau. Now what we want is a “reformation of manners” among the voters of southern Ontario and the Laurentian triangle.Very few westerners outside of the effete regions of the BC Lower Mainland supported the idiotic swooning over the part time schoolteacher/snowboard instructor. Electing the guy who didn’t think much about macroeconomics, who believes that budgets balance themselves based on heart symbols, who wouldn’t support medical benefits for veterans, who channeled Marx by stating that Canada is a post-national state, and who was elected because of his hair style and sock choice was your fault and not ours. I reject the notion that “Canadians” must own up to this ten-year exodus into poppy and weed-induced slumber. This slumber, like the one induced by Pierre père, who was arguably more destructive to Canada than his son, is on you folks in the east. In the next election, then, please judge our putative leaders using criteria a little more serious than haberdashery and unicorns. You have had your mulligan so smarten up! Because if you don’t then Mr. Coyne may again have to suffer the migraines of western separation and we can’t have that, can we?
