It seems "grassroots" Canadians are in a fury over Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament.
Or so says the Toronto Star.
And what's the Star's evidence of this fury?
Well, it seems more than 28,000 people have joined an anti-prorogation Facebook page.
OK that's impressive.
It certainly shows that lots of people on Facebook disagree with the prorogation.
But clicking a link on Facebook is no measure of emotional intensity.
And it's emotional intensity which fuels "grassroots fury."
You need such intensity to pick up the phone and complain to your MP or to a radio talk show host, you need such intensity to get citizens marching on Parliament Hill or to attend rallies. You need such intensity, in short, to mobilize the grassroots.
So far I don't see any evidence of such emotional intensity among Canadians when it comes to shutting down Parliament.
And that's not surprising. The fact is, people rarely get all that worked up about process or procedural issues.
It's the kind of thing which excites constitutional scholars, political columnists and partisans, but nobody else.
Maybe I should start my own Facebook page on this. Something like:"Canadians With No Emotional Intensity."
You know, Gerry, I have wondered ever since I got back from the States what it would take to get people in Canada riled up enough to spark a revolution. I haven't seen anything since 2004 that would come close to that. This Facebook thing is just another example of that. We can't even have a good assasination up here.
The three Amigo's that tried to hijack parliament last year should have charged with treason if nothing else.
I have some ideas on how fix a couple of problems in this country but I doubt they will ever happen considering the lack of emotional intensity you have metioned.
Maybe I should start my own Facebook page on this. Something like:"Canadians With No Emotional Intensity."
I think you already have with Libertas Post.
If homeontherange is any indication, it's as intellectually vacuous as it is devoid of intensity. I mean please, a vote of no confidence and a perfectly legitimate attempt to form a gov't. in a parliamentary system is treasonous? That's as nonsensical as calling this crowd libertarian, or the temporarirly unflabby Charles Adler unbiased and non-partisan.