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Rob Ford's Toronto

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waterloowarrior said:
Marcus Gee: How Rob Ford’s dirty talk could spell his final demise http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...al-demise/article15453533/#dashboard/follows/
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In regards to the Marcus Gee piece, I agree that this could be the downfall moment. Which saddens me, because as ridiculous as it was for him to say that on live TV, this smacks of all the stuff we always bring up when we talk about the oddly dichotomous and prudish nature of US decency laws - totally cool with guns and violence but a little sex or dirty language and they go apeshit. I'd hate after literally every other thing that the mayor has done (not one of which would appear more virtuous on my personal scale of depravity than this whole "pussy" remark thing), some bad language is what brings him down. He's done SO MUCH WORSE. Now, the "paki" thing, THAT would be fine if that's what got him. That's a million times worse in my book.
 
Peepers said:
Very surprised to read Christie Blatchford latest take on this story:

Christie Blatchford: Rob Ford’s downfall leaves sobering questions about Toronto police probe
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com...obering-questions-about-toronto-police-probe/

Blatchford is one of the biggest pro-cop journalists in the city. It is extraordinary to see her raise these questions about the investigation by police.

Blatchford says it pains her to have to agree with Clayton Ruby. Police routinely make arrests mid-transaction. They could have swooped in and placed Ford and Lisi under arrest and secure Ford's vehicle while awaiting a search warrant. They do this all the time. But not with Ford?

I hope that other journalists will start asking the same questions that Blatchford has raised.

The day after the second release of bombshell details from the ITO I would have expected that Bill Blair would have come under fire from the media. Instead Bill Blair very deftly changed the channel by picking today to announce the result of a major international child porn investigation.
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I love how you're still trying to "Don't you hate pants?" this forum regarding the supposed corruption of the police.

As for Blatchford, she just discovered that her love of the police isn't as strong as her love of ideology.
 
Don't you hate pants! Hahahaha. My read of the BlatchFord article was that because the cops didn't stop him we'll never know what was in those envelopes and maybe he was innocent but we've tarred and feathered him anyway. It didn't seem like an attack on the police force (who she presumably loves just slightly less than the troops, "real americans" and unfettered capitalism).
 
juniorfox said:
In regards to the Marcus Gee piece, I agree that this could be the downfall moment. Which saddens me, because as ridiculous as it was for him to say that on live TV, this smacks of all the stuff we always bring up when we talk about the oddly dichotomous and prudish nature of US decency laws - totally cool with guns and violence but a little sex or dirty language and they go apeshit. I'd hate after literally every other thing that the mayor has done (not one of which would appear more virtuous on my personal scale of depravity than this whole "pussy" remark thing), some bad language is what brings him down. He's done SO MUCH WORSE. Now, the "paki" thing, THAT would be fine if that's what got him. That's a million times worse in my book.
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Have to disagree with you on this one. Blatant sexism is as bad as blatant racism, and believe me, this was sexism. Equivalent to (or worse than) if he said "suck my dick" to any male present. Total objectification of his wife, as well. A zero-class move all around.

EDIT: I mean this with all due respect. It's worthwhile to talk about these things and everyone has their own opinions, and there's no right answer I don't think.
 
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Adaax said:
Have to disagree with you on this one. Blatant sexism is as bad as blatant racism, and believe me, this was sexism. Equivalent to (or worse than) if he said "suck my dick" to any male present. Total objectification of his wife, as well. A zero-class move all around.
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You know I considered this before I posted. I'm not saying he's not a chauvinist. I'm just not sure I'd equate the referring to female genitalia as "pussy" as being chauvinistic as opposed to just vulgar. If he'd CALLED someone a "pussy" or said "let's go get some pussy" thus reducing an entire gender to its genitalia, I'd be with you one hundred per cent. Saying "suck my dick" to a male would have been horribly homophobic. Saying "I have a dick" or "my wife sucked my dick" again would just be using a vulgar descriptor for a penis. Referring to a vagina as a pussy is certainly uncouth, but I don't think in that context that it's sexist. It's just classless and vulgar. Interesting discussion to have though.

EDIT: Oh I totally got that I didn't take offence. I too think it's worthwhile to discuss these issues.

EDIT 2: I'd also like to clarify that I'm solely referring to his remark this morning. The way he used it on St. Patrick's Day is absolutely misogynistic not in the word itself but in the context of how he was using it to harass and abuse a woman (that she was his subordinate only adds to that)
 
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Some of the handwringing over the word 'pussy' has been a little silly today. I always thought it one of the more benign euphemisms for what he was talking of. It's just that his usage was so blunt, coarse and clueless to any sense of propriety, to the office he holds. And so disrespectful of his wife. Funny that after everything it could be one of the stronger nails in his coffin, but identity politics trip up a lot of public figures anymore, it's our present moral minefield. I tend to think it worse that the staffer's name keeps being repeated in this context, all over the news everywhere, even though she denied the story to Doolittle soon after it began being reported.
 
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Adaax said:
Have to disagree with you on this one. Blatant sexism is as bad as blatant racism, and believe me, this was sexism.
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What he said wasn't sexist. It was crude.

Adaax said:
Total objectification of his wife, as well.
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What? How is saying, I have a great sex life with my wife objectifying his wife?

I'm not defending him, what he said was crude and vulgar, but it wasn't sexist or objectifying anyone.
 
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Adaax said:
Have to disagree with you on this one. Blatant sexism is as bad as blatant racism, and believe me, this was sexism. Equivalent to (or worse than) if he said "suck my dick" to any male present. Total objectification of his wife, as well. A zero-class move all around.

EDIT: I mean this with all due respect. It's worthwhile to talk about these things and everyone has their own opinions, and there's no right answer I don't think.
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I agree.
Ford was also referring to his staff telling the police that he had sexually harassed another staff member, and a security guard.
Whether he actually did or not, we don't know.
But it is not 'nothing'.

Also, this wasn't the thing that will bring Ford down. It is this added on top of everything else.
 
juniorfox said:
In regards to the Marcus Gee piece, I agree that this could be the downfall moment. Which saddens me, because as ridiculous as it was for him to say that on live TV, this smacks of all the stuff we always bring up when we talk about the oddly dichotomous and prudish nature of US decency laws - totally cool with guns and violence but a little sex or dirty language and they go apeshit.
Click to expand...

Except the cops were watching Ford hang out with gun and drug runners to begin with - which got us this info. Apparently there is a whammy coming up...
 
newearthling said:
I agree.
Ford was also referring to his staff telling the police that he had sexually harassed another staff member, and a security guard.
Whether he actually did or not, we don't know.
But it is not 'nothing'.

Also, this wasn't the thing that will bring Ford down. It is this added on top of everything else.
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I believe the Hacking Scandal, the VICE article to be true. That is enough to get any ordinary citizen in a lot of trouble.
 
Really curious on the provincial angle. Anyone care to weigh in.

Does the city get its mandate from the province? Can the province actually pass legislation that says that's it, time for a new mayor?

What are these 'tools' it may give the province? Will Hudak stand up for Ford or cut him lose?

Is this akin to the Federal government saying a premier has to go?

Is there any historical precedent for this?
 
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