…he says the right thing now. The problem is, Peter MacKay from 2 years ago feels he is also emboldening the terrorists. The USSR didn’t manage to conquer Afghanistan, so why would the Taliban forces that beat them be defeated by a USA led force that (from what I understand) is not even as large? Why is diplomacy an art that is lost on Conservatives?
Foreign Affairs minister Peter MacKay ridiculed NDP leader Jack Layton for suggesting talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan. MacKay, spouting the popular right-wing talking point, said such talks would only embolden the terrorists.
“Taliban Jack” Layton? It seems Taliban Peter MacKay is going to give Stephen Harper quite a headache this week. And that’s fine with me, because it should make electing Elizabeth May that much easier for the people of Central Nova.
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UPDATE: Since I wrote this last night, an interview with Mike Duffy and Elizabeth May has partially made it onto YouTube. In it, she responds to Duffy’s set up question for Peter MacKay, and takes him to task for what she says was an untrue framing of the Green Party’s platform on NAFTA.
UPDATE: The following video is out of context, and ironically, Jiminalberta (the YouTuber who posted it) tries to unfairly frame May as “bonkers”:
I hope someone else comes forward with the complete interviews, or Jiminalberta fixes his caption at the least. [UPDATE: Jiminalberta has instead gone on to call May a "lunatic" in the comments. Fortunately the entire audio is available here instead.]
Another YouTuber has posted the entire video! Here is May’s real stance on NAFTA renegotiation.
The blogosphere is taking note of Duffy’s ethical standards, or rather the lack of them.
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Hat tip to Scott T.
@hotmail.com
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.efc.ca/images/efcfreet.gif)
Louise | 07-Oct-08 at 5:55 pm | Permalink
The Soviets pull out of Afghanistan because the great communist experiment was collapsing from the inside. Too few Russians gave a shit about maintaining their empire and fighting for the advancement of the proletariat. When your country can’t put bread and milk on the grocery store shelves, and is all the while filling the newspapers and radio broadcast with mind numbing rhetoric about the glorious superiority of communism, there was not much motivation to fight for it. It had nothing to do with the Afghans, other than perhaps that the US sided with them for the purpose of beating back the Soviet empire.
mike | 07-Oct-08 at 6:08 pm | Permalink
Wow, I like her spirit. No other politician would have talked to a reporter like that, and its about time one of them did. Good for E. May. The more I watch her the more I’m impressed with her passion and true belief in her cause.
seven star | 07-Oct-08 at 6:21 pm | Permalink
When i saw that last night and May gave it to him, I lol’d for sure. It was funny how they ran out of time though so Mike didn’t have to respond.
Elizabeth May takes Duffy to the wood shed… That’s a big assed wood shed! | Befuddled Canuck | 07-Oct-08 at 8:42 pm | Permalink
[...] little Update for Ya’ll, as Saskboy suggests, always a good idea to have the rest of the story, here at least is the audio of [...]
Befuddled | 07-Oct-08 at 9:24 pm | Permalink
I did a little sleuthing and em pee threeing and have added the MacKay intro audio, thanks for the suggestion.
Saskboy | 07-Oct-08 at 9:46 pm | Permalink
Thanks for doing that Befuddled.
Saskboy | 07-Oct-08 at 10:11 pm | Permalink
“It had nothing to do with the Afghans, other than perhaps that the US sided with them for the purpose of beating back the Soviet empire.”
Louise, you don’t think swords cut both ways?
Mike, I agree, if more politicians did this, they might get fewer interviews, but it would smarten up the media eventually.
Seven Star, yeah, I wonder how much time left they really would have had otherwise, or if it was intended to be a 120 second interview.
Brian C. | 07-Oct-08 at 10:38 pm | Permalink
Good lord, May better had hope that most Canadians don’t see how arrogant she really is! Moxie, spirit, let’s simply call it elitist arrogance. If you have non-standard views, don’t insult the interviewer for finding the views non-standard but win them over with logic. Her arrogance continues to do May disservice.
Saskboy | 07-Oct-08 at 10:50 pm | Permalink
Sorry Brian, but Duffy was the one who was arrogant. May simply didn’t take it for granted, and pointed out that the questions matter. They especially matter when they are asked in a way to belittle and marginalize the ‘askee’.
People like Bill O’Idiot, Roy Green, and Rush Limbaugh have people so badly trained as to what a non-biased question sounds like, that some have lost their radar. May’s radar picked up Duffy’s missile, and shot it down!