Comments on: It’s not because they don’t care, although they don’t

By: Eric S. Smith

Eric S. Smith — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:57:37 +0000

Actual issue: “Grr! I hate Government Forms!”

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:40:13 +0000

Yeah. Privacy issues are essentially a lie or a cover for something they’d like to do regardless.

So pretty much like every issue conservatives claim to have.

By: benfromcanada

benfromcanada — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:22:23 +0000

You’re right, MGK.

By: Sivi

Sivi — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:50:26 +0000

Speaking as someone who worked as an occupation coder for the last full census – we took privacy pretty friggin’ seriously. Bag searches, summary firing for talking about data outside of work, no bringing papers in or out, or anything that could possibly record media…

Yeah. Privacy issues are essentially a lie or a cover for something they’d like to do regardless.

By: Zifnab

Zifnab — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:13:14 +0000

“– God, what a useless government we’ve got. –”

Fuck yeah, tell me about it.
~ The States

If you’re enjoying this, wait till your conservatives try to slap Ronald Reagen on the dime and treat it like this is the most important political event since the end of your last big war (1812? French and Indian?)

The big joke with the Census could be seen up in Minnesota. There was some fear that population treads were going to cost the state a Congressional seat. One of the biggest anti-Census demagogues is Congressional Representative Michelle Bachman. If Minnesota loses a seat, her district is on prime turf for being cannibalized by her neighbors. So if you track her statements, she’s been absolutely all over the map by decrying the illegality of the government asking how many people live in your house while demanding that the Feds give her state more resources to do a proper head count.

If you want Harper to STFU, you have to tie his electoral fortunes to a long form census document. That’ll twist him in knots.

By: Murc

Murc — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:40:56 +0000

I’ve been told by more than one Canadian friend (all Liberals/NDP, for whatever that’s worth) that the Canadian Tories basically think the U.S Republican party have EXACTLY the right ideas, but they know they can’t possibly say that out loud, so they try and sidle into office however they can and then implement their paleocon shit on the down-low.

That’s always seemed about right to me. I just think ‘What would Bush do if he were still in charge and running Canada?’ and that usually gets me to a good approximation of whatever bullshit Harper is up to.

By: Evan

Evan — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:09:19 +0000

Why is it that every time I read about the Harper “government’s” actions, the more I become convinced that they want power just to have it?

Oh, right. It’s because they do. Never mind.

By: Lia

Lia — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:19:18 +0000

And you *know* they won’t be voted out in the next election. It makes me so damned depressed.

By: Aulayan

Aulayan — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:10:56 +0000

A white man born in the 70s? Why, thems theres the guys who we are sending to the new reservations!

By: KenB3

KenB3 — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:59:29 +0000

I was a US census worker and you have no idea how many people just really didn’t understand the whole idea. Some people you can talk to, but there’s always the Becktards who think the government is up to nefarious purposes if you tell them you are white and were born in 1975.

By: PaulW

PaulW — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:39:02 +0000

Try an American government that won’t help fucking create jobs like they used to.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:56:48 +0000

You may be right, but I prefer an even simpler explanation. Elements of the American right object to the census because of its purported goal of expanding Big Government Control of Everything. Pandering to this sentiment, even if there’s only the faintest echo of it in Canada, is a cheap way to “shore up the base”.