journal features

Toronto's politics are disturbingly amateur

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 2012.11.30

So this week we lost our Mayor because it seems he doesn't know how to use of his position in an appropriate way.

I don't know if it's a can't-tell-right-from-wrong thing, but he manages to make a lot of unnecessary problems and enemies for himself.

The low caliber of people who throw their hats into civic politics is, I believe, the reason that the city is functioning with such an appalling lack of focus on the major issues of the day. While we deal with the longest commute times in North America, the city does things like build a cycle lane, then tearing it out, then rebuilding it, then tearing it out. And they close Ontario Place so the #1 destination for kids is gone: why - to nuture the idea of a casino being built in its stead. Like I say, it takes a special breed of incompetence to let things veer this badly astray.

rand()m quote

Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

—Hermann Goering