More Harold Albrecht Propaganda

I just received a mega pamphlet from my Canadian Member of Parliament, Harold Albrecht. He had been sending me regular “updates” but these were not as easily mocked as the pamphlet I first mocked here in April.

But when you send a mega pamphlet to all of your constituents on the public dime, you are risking more ire. Seriously, unfolded this thing is as big as a full newspaper page with both sides filled with propaganda. But there’s one thing extroverts and talkers never seem to get. The more information you put out there, the more likely there is something to hang yourself on.

The first thing I noted was that Albrecht says, “Improvements move forward despite Ignatieff flip-flops”. Firstly I’m not convinced that what Albrecht calls improvements are really improvements. That might be a matter of opinion. But in his whole article that follows he only shows that Ignatieff (the opposition leader) changed his mind once. That plural of flip-flop becomes important here. Of course Albrecht is eager to paint Ignatieff as someone who changes his mind often and thus (presumably) can’t be trusted. But Ignatieff only changed his mind once, Albrecht, so hold your horses. Do we judge Britain poorly for changing their minds and demanding a halt to Nazi invasions?

This whole flip-flopping thing is a thing Conservatives think is bad. Why? Because they are also small c conservatives and thus by definition are against change. Should we not also call out conservative leaders for being stubborn dinosaurs? In a straight out popularity contest I think that flip-floppers might actually beat stubborn dinosaurs. So be careful how you paint the opposition.

Then, under a section entitled “Empowering an Innovative Economy” He chooses to lead with the story that national consultations were held on the digital economy. This is the infamous James Moore consultations that led to Bill C-32 that ignored the public’s bad opinion about Digital Rights Management or DRM. DRM is enshrined in this bill as the one and only gatekeeper of everything digital. Any “right” that may be given by this piece of potential legislation can be taken back by software in the DRM. So you have no rights under DRM and to make it worse any effort to circumvent the DRM is considered criminal.

I’m tempted to use the Seinfeld bit about the rent-a-car place that didn’t hold the reservation. ‘Listening and acting on the consultation is really the important part – anyone can just consult.’

But let’s say we make a big show of consulting with PETA and vegetarian groups before going to Newfoundland. They try their best to influence us in the way they want. Next we go to Newfoundland and go on an all seal meat diet and go everywhere in our freshly made harp seal fur coats. Then we say we have only done this after long consultations with PETA and vegetarian groups.

PETA and the vegetarian groups are going to be pissed. Before releasing Bill C-32 James Moore basically said that those who opposed the bill would be radical extremists. He knew from the consultations that a large group of people were going to be pissed and attempted to get them first.

There’s more to mock in the mega pamphlet. Albrecht’s 13 hour last day before summer. Better work hard one day, what with all that tough holidaying around the Olympics. Or the present given to veteran Harry Watts. Since he gave you the photo op you’re lucky he accepted the gift of a photo he probably already had with Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands, but this one was signed by PM Harper and two other conservative MPs. What a treat.
But I can’t mock the whole mega pamphlet without being wordy and thus letting opponents get some of their own jabs in. So if you read this far, thank you. I’m still many, many words away from writing a mega pamphlet.