[JWBF]

Never underestimate the appeal of demagogues/fascists and the willingness of mainstream society to go along with them. The Rob Ford buzz is disgusting.

Externalization.

 

[JWBF]

Yeah, I was taking a moment to read into some reactions of the death around the web, and thought I'd check in here. Glad I did -- that aforementioned comment gave me the first big laugh of the day. Somehow, even in death, this man is still managing to terrorize some of you guys. He'd truly be proud.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of revisionist history -- it bothered me when Jack Layton was made into a saint -- but I haven't seen much revisionist history this time around, except from some public figures (like Towhey, who criticized this man endlessly less than a year ago). Pretty much every piece has made a point to acknowledge his troubles and flaws, but the reality is that there's a lot of love for the man too, even if that's at odds with how everyone here feels. Its not revisionism - over a third of the city supported him back when he dropped out, and most of them still do. And they're perfectly entitled to celebrate his life and share their opinion of his mayoralty.

I wonder now if anyone will try to represent those same group of voters, or if things will just go back to usual politics at the next election. Will be interesting to see, even though I expect its the latter.

Yep, people are free to have their opinions but their own facts.

 

[sweetlou]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...-council-seat-leaves-dynasty-in-question.html

The future of Ward 2 and the Ford dynasty.

Is Peter Leon still available?

Seriously, Ward 2 has had no useful representation at city hall for more than five years now. I'd love to see city hall appoint someone if only to keep the spectre of Doug away. He obviously hated being councillor - well, he avoided actually doing anything for the "good, honest, hardworking people" of Ward 2. And why would Doug run again? Why would Mama Bear push him? He lost the mayoral election even with the full aura of ailing St Rob of Etobicokus. He certainly won't win in 2018.

 

[JWBF]

He was the former mayor and a sitting councillor. It's appropriate for the city to recognize the death of its chief magistrates via a civic funeral or other reasonable gesture. The office still deserves respect, regardless of whether he does.

Former/EX-mayor is the point; councillor, yes, and a show of appreciation, yes, in Ward 2.

 

[riffraff]

I'm not sure I can remember dealing with a more obtuse group of people than the people on here! Where have a made a single comment on the sex ed. curriculum? That came from some other guy who couldn't read...not me.

I''ve never had any trouble reading or understanding Adma. You on the other hand start by saying "your hands are shaking" as you write your reply. In a long rambling response worrying about the provincial deficit you mention the sex ed stuff numerous times and say the premier has other duties, and that you don't think your son has gotten to that part of the curriculum yet. You say you could expand on the financial scandals for pages.

This has been a very controversial issue and the province did a major roll out to explain the changes and I'm sure you would have gotten information about it when you enrolled your son. There are segments of the community who see this provincial initiative as a "Major Scandal" even tho the traditionally conservative Catholic School Board teachers accepted it.

Don't list the scandals, just what you'd cut from the provincial budget to reduce the deficit but not here in this thread.

It doesn't help when you have to resort to insults and threats to Members about stuff that doesn't belong here anyway.

 

[JWBF]

Don't list the scandals, just what you'd cut from the provincial budget to reduce the deficit but not here in this thread.

It doesn't help when you have to resort to insults and threats to Members about stuff that doesn't belong here anyway.

Agreed, this not a provincial forum and the comments are just a diversion from the matters at hand.

 

[L23]

Do what I did, put the idiot on ignore and just get on with the thread without him.

 

[JWBF]

The FF Nation are really losing their shit and revising things accordingly. They do have a point towards the hypocrisy of death but still don't understand democracy:

I Hate The War on Mayor Rob Ford
1 hr ·
Joe Warmington, true friend to the Fords, Ford Nation, and the Respect for Taxpayers legacy.

"I will have more to say in the days ahead. For now, I will say the organized campaign to bring down Rob Ford was a disgusting witch hunt. The safe injection site supporters with so much compassion for people battling drug problems showed him none. In fact, they tried to turn his problems into anchors to drag him down.

Many media outlets lowered their standards and set a value on gotcha pictures and videos by paying in the tens of thousands for them, which in essence set a bounty. Much of the coverage on the Ford story was chequebook and crusade journalism disguised as investigative reporting.

Some politicians even went against the will of the people and democracy itself to try to bring him down.

Now they’ll all line up to pay tribute to him."

 

[John_Dee]

Rob Ford was a mirror for many people. Not that he had much in the way of redeeming social qualities or graces, nor that he could persuade with any great skill. He fed the narcissism of a select percentage of Toronto who felt angry no one wanted to listen to their socially-backward ignorance. He was "them", and that's why they liked him.

Very well said, Zang. This is basically the source of Ford's so-called "charisma:" His rabid fan base saw themselves in him, which is why their reaction to any of the well-deserved complaints directed at their boy are so over-the-top. You're not merely criticizing Ford, you're attacking them. Why, that's positively sacrilegious! Gasp!

Rofo was a man of genuinely subhuman intelligence, but he had a demagogue's instinctive grasp of how to play his followers, and the beauty of such a set-up is that such people generally want to be played, so it doesn't matter how obvious and crude their chosen Pied Piper happens to be. The fact that Ford's fanboys actually have some legitimate grievances mixed in with all the hate, petty resentments and need for scapegoats just makes the situation all the more unfortunate.

 

[JWBF]

Do what I did, put the idiot on ignore and just get on with the thread without him.

I don't need ignore, I'm married.

 

[JWBF]

Oh yah, here is another interesting if not just disturbing post:

 

[TOBorn]

One Jamaican newspaper's report on the demise of Rob Ford:

TORONTO, Canada (AP) — Rob Ford, the pugnacious, populist former mayor of Toronto, whose career crashed in a drug-driven, obscenity-laced debacle, died Tuesday after fighting cancer, his family says. He was 46.

Ford rode into office on a backlash against urban elites. He cast an image sharply at odds with Canada's reputation for sedate, unpretentious politics.

But his tenure as mayor of the country's largest city was marred by revelations about his drinking problems and illegal drug use. He was repeatedly videotaped and photographed while intoxicated in public.

His statements and actions became nightly fodder for TV comedians and an embarrassment to many of the suburbanites he championed.


http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Former-Toronto-mayor-Rob-Ford-has-died

Jamaica Observer

*edited to save you the click.

 

[Videodrome]

CP24 @CP24
Rob Ford's former chief of staff Dan Jacobs tells CP24 that funeral details will be released this afternoon.

Former chief of staff. I will have to get used to that.

 

[JWBF]

One Jamaican newspaper's report on the demise of Rob Ford:

TORONTO, Canada (AP) — Rob Ford, the pugnacious, populist former mayor of Toronto, whose career crashed in a drug-driven, obscenity-laced debacle, died Tuesday after fighting cancer, his family says. He was 46.

Ford rode into office on a backlash against urban elites. He cast an image sharply at odds with Canada's reputation for sedate, unpretentious politics.

But his tenure as mayor of the country's largest city was marred by revelations about his drinking problems and illegal drug use. He was repeatedly videotaped and photographed while intoxicated in public.

His statements and actions became nightly fodder for TV comedians and an embarrassment to many of the suburbanites he championed.


http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Former-Toronto-mayor-Rob-Ford-has-died

Jamaica Observer

*edited to save you the click.

Sounds like someone from a Canadian feed.

 

[EagleEye]

Former chief of staff. I will have to get used to that.

Soon to be unemployed like many before him. At least he can DJ.