At the heart of Flanagan's discourse was the legal question of the efficacy, expedience, and import of prosecuting people who consume illegal material verses those who are actually involved in the production of illegality. It is not unlike the question of dealing with those who consume an illegal product like, say, heroin versus dealing with those who produce it and distribute it. Now, no matter how sensitive an issue is one might need to address this basic legal question, particularly in circumstances of limited legal resources. But it would be impossible for someone as glib and impertinent as Flanagan to actually discuss such an issue. Rather, Flanagan always has a knee-jerk, extremist reaction to any issue. Flanagan never actually wants to discuss an issue, rather he just wants to pontificate as loud as he can to anyone who will listen.Dissecting what happened to a man that the CPC and its numerous wingnut-welfare-funded mouthpieces - the Manning Centre for example - once described as "a major intellectual figure in conservative circles", the blogpost zeroes in on the operating mode of Harper's party and his government.
In other words Flanagan doesn't know when to properly tailor his discourse or just keep his mouth shut. And in the end this is why Flanagan split with Harper. If Harper learned anything during his time in public life it is to say as little as possible and even if one has controversial (some might say offensive) opinions, keep them on the DL. And this is why Harper has always jettisoned political allies who he can't control, and also why his government is a grand exercise in keeping everyone around him quiet. And even those close to Harper who are regularly in the media spotlight are continually coached and controlled concerning government message.
Flanagan fell from grace because he is a man full of deeply offensive opinions who is convinced he is a scholar and a genius. It was inevitable that he would shoot his mouth off in a way that would undermine any authority he may have had. Other Harper allies like Brazeau and Duffy are similarly obsessed with their own perceived wisdom and authority. Meanwhile, other allies are just headed to jail.
We have written much here at DJ! about the MASSIVE publicly-funded millions Harper has invested in the daily production of Con spin and propaganda, to portray himself and his oligarchy in the most media-savvy frame of reference. We've dubbed his PMO the Politburo. Interestingly enough, many CPC websites have been scoured clean of texts and photos that involve Flanagan.
Our Twitter buddy Fuzzy Wuzzy responds to a videorecording of the basic neo-conservative approach to interacting with the media with a different version of its rightwing omerta. Hilarious!
First, from Alheli Picazo - a literal observance of "no comment":
Then:
Duckette later said that he had been instructed by the office of Alberta Premier Stelmach not to make any comments.
So. It's not only scientists that are muzzled by Cons.
3 comments:
Thank you for the nod Janet.
It was a pleasure to recommend your blogpost on Twitter and to refer to it here.
Your analysis, in the long term, is the essential one. You cut to the heart of Harper's CPC operating system. On one level, Flanagan's extreme libertarian view with regard to child sexual exploitation images is symptomatic of the odious arrogance and opportunism neo-cons like him. On a deeper level, it demonstrates the inner workings of a party MASSIVELY invested in attaining power and holding on to it by all means.
Flanagan the individual is no longer useful to them. He has produced an ideology and a playbook of noxious political tactics the Harper, his dauphin Kenney and the CPC will keep on exploiting. May it take them to the hell of their own making before it destroys the rest of us.
When told the words Flanagan and child pornography in the same sentence I said oh it HAS to be him going hard libertarian FREEZE PEACH. His assimilation talks regarding Aboriginal communities reek of that libertarian drivel.
Hearing that it was Lethbridge area Native youth that tagged his asshattery out at home plate made me beam with pride at the familiar family names. Flanagan's been a blot on the local scene since far too long. Former students at the U of C have soooooooooo many nice things to say about him as faculty. Not.
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