Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Shameless Birds of a Feather


Back when it was revealed that the Conservative Party was using a manual to obstruct and manipulate the work of parliamentary committees, I wondered to myself who else but the CPC could be so petty, vindictive and shameful in their conduct?

The answer: The Republican Party!

Turns out that the GOP has its own little manual of dirty tricks. Disingenuously entitled the "Presidential Advice Manual", this 103 page tome contains, among other things, tips on how to disrupt peaceful protests at Presidential speeches and events.
The document also recommends drowning out protesters or blocking their signs by using what it calls "rally squads." It states: "These squads should be instructed always to look for demonstrators. The rally squad's task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform. If the demonstrators are yelling, rally squads can begin and lead supportive chants to drown out the protestors (USA!, USA!, USA!). As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event site."
The document offered advice on how to recruit members for such squads: "The rally squads can include, but are not limited to, college/young republican organizations, local athletic teams, and fraternities/sororities."

What amazes me is not that the CPC and the GOP use whatever means they can to gain advantage, but rather that they have the unmitigated gall to put their contempt into writing. Truly sad.

5 comments:

Dante said...

The democrats are are more idealistically aligned with the conservatives with the liberal being further left of the spectrum. The republicans would never be elected here.

Anonymous said...

what amazes me is the open contempt Harper holds for the voters in Canada beginning with his first day in office.
Canada's New Govenment has adopted many a disgusting Repug tactic but Steve's contempt for voters is unique to him and a broad hint of the true character of a man with serious ego problems. He continues to demonstrate by his actions that he is a man who believes he is above all.
That's not leadership. That's mania.

Anonymous said...

dante - the republicans have been elected here - it's called the CPC party under Harper here in Canada. Harper has brought the republican party to Canada - he uses the same strategy firm, same lingo, same, same, same.

Red Canuck said...

Dante - I agree with the basic premise that the "core" Republicans are likely further to the right than any of our mainstream parties. But it's hard to characterize the Dems in the same way. In a bipartite system, the Dems seem to have the widest umbrella when it comes to their "ideology" (in fact I'm starting to doubt that they have a common "ideology"). On the one hand, you have true social liberals like Kucinich, and on the other some of the old Dixiecrats who were as right wing as most of their GOP counterparts.

In any case, the similarities in tactics used by the right both north and south of the border is unsettling to say the least.

Red Tory said...

The similarities are unmistakable and while the CPC are not quite as bad as the hardcore of the GOP by any means there's a strong mental affinity between the more fervent supporters of both parties. SDA isn't all that much different from LGF in the nature/tone of the postings and the themes they like to play on. Support the war (which ever it is), denounce Gore, denounce liberals of all kinds, denounce global warming, denounce environmentalists, denounce feminists, denounce Muslims, gays, racial minorities of all kinds, denounce secular humanists, etc., etc. A lot of denouncing... Oh, and the liberal media. Can't forget that one.