Look! Look!!!!! Look at me, how tough I am!!!!

Some people never really grow up.  They never reach that self-actualization zone where they know who they are, and are comfortable there.

They are the ones who buy expensive showy cars so that others will notice them.  Their sense of their own existence is determined as how they see themselves reflected in others eyes.  They constantly position themselves where they will be noticed, and their actions are meant to garner praise, admiration, and awe.

They feel real only when they believe they are affecting the lives of others.  They talk tough, like they are in control all the time, like they are a force to be reckoned with, like they are a man’s man.

Their language always gives them away.

"The entire planet has been able to witness that Canada is now a major actor when it's time to intervene in natural disasters," Harper said.

So is that why we are helping Haiti?  So the entire planet can witness our greatness?  The disaster, it seems, is but an opportunity for Stevo to flex the countries big, tough, muscles.

And tough we are, according to him.

The purchase and use of C-17 transport planes is an example of the "hard power" requirements of the type of relief work soldiers are now doing in Haiti, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said during a tour of the country.

We used to be wimps, he tells his audience (presumably the entire planet), back when those soft on everything Liberals ran the show.  Hell, even Canada’s policies were soft.

Harper said there was a "time when that kind of heavy-lift aircraft didn’t fit Canada’s soft power policies. But our government bought them for the hard power requirements of today’s world. Now we’re using them for relief work.

But fear not.  No longer will we be wimps in the eyes of the world.  Captain Everything is here to make sure of that.

"What is the moral of the story? To do soft power, you need hard power. You need a full range of capabilities."

I suspect, however, that Steve who has to be the centre of everything, all the time, is really trying to show Canadians, the world, the universe, and everything what a tough guy he is.  What a man’s man.

And they're all gonna look at him.

***more (and better stuff) here.  About Harper's lie in this matter, and an explanation of hard power and soft power.

Because this is what we need in these hard economic times

More VERY IMPORTANT photos of the Prime Poseur.

Sorry, no phone call photos today, folks.

Here he is, the Big Guy, making sure we know how he really, really cares about Haitians by taking time to have his photo taken.  Ms. Clinto doesn't seem to be buying it.


Oh, Look!  Here he is, getting off a plane (!!!) in Davos, and there he is again, sitting (!!!) at the world economic forum in Davos.

Good job he made time for those very important photos.  How else would we have critical information?

Steve Harper: spending our tax dollars on his self-promotion.

Harper still shamelessly cashing in on Haiti's misery

A few more REALLY IMPORTANT photos giving us good value for our money as our tax dollars are spent to project the image of a hard working, compassionate PM who just doesn't have time for Parliament.

Lots of time for photo ops, though.

Miserable failure on that compassion thingy.

Bad shot of Harper there with Haitian PM  Jean-Max Bellerive.  Makes Steve's thighs and hips look positively lard-heavy.  Heads will roll.

But look!  A photo of Steve...on the phone, having a very important phone call with a very important person - Obama!

Can't get enough of those phone call photos!  Especially with Obama.

See? Steve's wearing a different tie.  Well worth our tax dollars.

Meanwhile, in news Canadians don't give a shit about:

The new RCPM Complaints Commissioner knows fuck-all about security, crime, policing, or justice.  He is, however eminently qualified as he has experience as a Conservative organizer.

And the federal office charged with prying the lid off government secrecy has been without a permanent leader since June and is unlikely to get one for several more months because such a commissioner has to be approved by the House and Senate, which, as you may have heard will not be sitting until March.

Because Steve is just too damned busy to worry about guarding democracy.

Monster of the week: Pat Robertson

From Bruce, we get –


Monster of the week: Pat Robertson for his comments on Haiti:

ROBERTSON: [S]omething happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you get us free from the prince.” True story. And so the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.” They kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free.

But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle, on the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island.

They need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.




Boundless Christian compassion.

Go to Bruce’s place for the Hatian Ambassador to the US having his say.  It’s excellent.

For Slime Minion of the week, I ripped off CC.  That award goes to Rush Limbaugh for tellin’ it like it is about them thar uppity black folks:

Don't give Haitians a penny, says rightwing US shock jock

Amid the rash of appeals for Haiti donations has come a call from one of the most prominent voices on the American right for people to hang on to their cash because Barack Obama might steal it.

Rush Limbaugh, the most popular radio talkshow host, who is sometimes described as the real leader of the Republican party, says Americans should not give a penny to a population struggling for survival after the earthquake.

and more Rush (but not that cool music stuff), also stolen from CC:

Hostile to Haiti: Rush Limbaugh is classless in attacking hemisphere's poorest country
Wednesday, May 20th 2009, 7:25 PM

Reacting to ex-President Bill Clinton's appointment as UN special envoy to Haiti, radio personality Rush Limbaugh had this to say yesterday:

"I'm just gonna tell you, if I was named envoy to Haiti, I'd quit government. Envoy to Haiti? You can't even pick up a prostitute down there without genuine fear of AIDS."

CC adds: And if anyone knows third world, immuno-compromised hookers, well ... I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.