Canada
Related: About this forumMayor Rob Ford: 'Yes I have smoked crack cocaine'
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-rob-ford-yes-i-have-smoked-crack-cocaine-1.2415533
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Spazito
(50,338 posts)nothing can be done to remove him from office. Bizarre and unacceptable, imo.
arikara
(5,562 posts)This story is getting more bizarre all the time. The only one who makes any sense about this is Jon Stewart.
http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/blogs/2013/11/daily-show-nov4-rob-ford
Spazito
(50,338 posts)it is like the worst soap opera one can imagine. Jon Stewart is great, I love how he gets to the heart of it with biting humor.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)but I don't find it really that bizarre. They are doing what a dysfunctional family full of narcissists does. There is clearly more to the story, and so they are attacking, obfuscating, distracting. They are basically pointing in a zillion directions saying, "Look over there!" in hopes that people (and the press) will look away from what they are hiding. And they are hiding something - expect more to trickle out, continuously. This will not go away until Rob and Doug Ford are gone.
Also, part of the reason it seems so bizarre to normal people is because in these types of families they have their own reality. Just like we often talk about Republicans being completely divorced from reality and making their own reality up, so do dysfunctional narcissistic families. They are acting within the confines of this alternate reality they made up and the rest of us - grounded in ACTUAL reality - are like WTF are they doing? There IS no explaining it unless you are a part of their reality. Basically, it makes perfect sense to me that none of this actually makes sense. If that makes sense to you, lol.
My prediction: more attacks - against the police, against journalists, against other city staff. More denials. Refusals to step down (although there might be a half-assed attempt to take leave to go to rehab if the heat gets to be too much). Mocking of anyone who questions them. There will be more details of fucked up things Rob Ford did, maybe an even more crazy revelation, more circling of the wagons from his brother and followers. Nothing will end unless Rob Ford ends up in handcuffs. Him and his brother must maintain the outside image at ALL costs. If things get really bad and there is overwhelming evidence of something very serious, look for one brother to throw the other one under the bus.
I might be wrong, of course. Time will tell.
Oh, and LOL at 'crackstituents' - great word Jon!!
Saviolo
(3,282 posts)I get why it's funny, and I get that people viewing this absurdity from the outside are lau8ghing about all of this, but damn... I just can't find the humour in it any longer. Living in Toronto under all of this is upsetting, sad, and just... I don't know, it's hard to take.
I feel bad for his family, and in a way I feel bad for him (though I oppose his politics fiercely). He's clearly in way over his head, and he's now backed into a corner in addition to all of that. His behaviour is becoming more erratic, and even his staffers didn't know he was about to make this admission. His brother was even out of the building at Ryerson.
There's no way this ends well. And it's not going to be funny.
arikara
(5,562 posts)if it was my town I'd be very upset. Hang in there, like everything else it will eventually blow over.
Joe Shlabotnik
(5,604 posts)will have to pass some resolution to simply ignore the mayor and try to conduct business as if he didn't exist. That and maybe change all of the locks at city hall.
arthritisR_US
(7,288 posts)
shockedcanadian
(751 posts)Who was behind the recorder when this video was made? Why isn't this question being asked and explored?
Today John Cook from Gawker, who originally viewed the video says that he was unsure of who said the things on the video, but stated on CBC that someone "was egging him on into a political conversation" He also went on to state that there was apparently a second video about a second important figure in Toronto but he did not
see it and the guy offering the video made him swear he would not provide the name.
This guy may not be a polished mayor, but quite frankly, if someone is trying to create a video for political gain it is a major affront to democracy. So as more damaging information comes out, there will be plenty more questions
to answer beyond the fact that he did crack.
polly7
(20,582 posts)An interesting take, though, on why such a homophobic, ignorant man won his mayor-ship in Toronto. I read a long time ago of conservatives actually praising this asshole as 'Canada's Sarah Palin!'
He's a disgrace. Period.
Canada's Sarah Palin...was that supposed to be a good thing for the brand?
Who knows when this is going to end, this guy is the most bull-headed and stubborn guy I have ever seen, definitely the most politician by a country mile. The only one who is even close to him in our time was Clinton, but he only had to deal with one particular incident, Ford is a daily comic strip.
It is sad in all honesty. These secret recordings don't reinvigorate my faith in politics though...
CanSocDem
(3,286 posts)...here and in the U.S. that are completely oblivious to proper decorum. Are we fools for electing them or is there nobody under 60 years of age that has even a hint of impulse control.
From adultery and cheap opportunistic sex, to sexting and e-harassment, to tearful, mass media confessions, to public displays of drunkenness and social hostility, it seems as though 'being bad' is the new 'being good'.
Seriously, I blame television.
.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)and I agree television doesn't help.
Basically the whole system, especially in this day and age of political news teams on 24 hr networks, is set up to encourage narcissists and sociopaths to join. You know that quote: "The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” Also, people see how difficult it is to be in politics and thus don't want to get involved, so the only people who WANT to be involved are exactly the people who shouldn't be. I mean, how many normal people now want to get into politics so they can have all the stupid shit they did in high school or university exposed? The only ones who don't care are narcissists and sociopaths. The current system encourages them, actually.
Back in the old days, people joined in politics to affect change or to provide service to their town/province/country. It was seen as altruistic. Now it's seen not only as a way to get famous, but also a way to be 'set for life' in that politicians have great benefits and get book deals and lobbying positions when they are done. This, as I said, encourages people who are there for the wrong reasons (namely narcissists and sociopaths, imo - oh and the power addicts but I don't know if there is a name for them). These kinds of people inherently have no self control - they are simply there to satisfy their every whim and desire and everyone else be damned. They only care about themselves, they are incapable of caring about anyone else or what anyone else thinks. And that's why you get the buffoons you see currently.
That's my little theory/opinion anyway.
shockedcanadian
(751 posts)I don't think there is a one size fits all answer, human beings are too complex, but I will say this. The only reason these news outlets and media feed it is because we fall for it, society enjoys it and people like to gossip and point at others misfortunes. It's a way of saying "hey look at that idiot, makes my life seem so simple!". Furthermore; and sadly, it improves ratings.
I remember a time when people laughed at the Sun as the tabloid while the Star was a "serious" paper. Guess what? Tor Star corporation lost $70M last quarter, I expect to see more tabloid information being tabled because that's what sells (not to mention they have not liked Ford from day 1), people will go and pick up the Star and read it in between commercials of the Jersey Boys.
Too many factors in our complex and highly connected world where information travels fast and attention spans are not very long to pinpoint all that ails us though some of you have made some valid points.
It is what it is, all one can do is tell their story and be true to themselves, I still believe honesty is the best policy and do my own part to allow others their dignity, even if they don't show themselves to be the best people...
CanSocDem
(3,286 posts)"These kinds of people inherently have no self control - they are simply there to satisfy their every whim and desire and everyone else be damned. They only care about themselves, they are incapable of caring about anyone else or what anyone else thinks. And that's why you get the buffoons you see currently."
And that's why I blame television...
