Train Tours and Deregulation Fueled Epidemics

The cross-country train thing that Elizabeth May is doing is nice to see. I think it says some fundamental things about the origin of this country and what binds it together, and how things change. But it also has a good message about green transportation.

I wonder how much sway they have over the schedule of the Transcontinental - apparently it's a regularly scheduled one. My experiences on that beast have been that they are invariably delayed by many hours - sometimes tens of hours as they go across the country, but perhaps things have changed in the latter decade or so.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, I continue to hear reporters talk about the Liberal inability to fill the schedule with event, press or public. They seem to have some severe organization issues. I'd speculate that those who would normally organize such things are waiting to precipitate Dion's failure so they can bring their guy in (read: Ignatief or Rae)

I'm amazed at the things the Conservatives do and the inability of voters to see thru' the charade. I mean a minister joking and making light of one of the western world's worst bacteria contaminations of the food supply, and I see little sign of it impacting their support.

Frighteningly, I heard a reporter speculating that with stronger parties on the left, the threshold of popular vote required for a majority may be as low as 35%. That's pretty scary. The more I think about it, the more I think that our only hope is some coalition forming that can depose a Conservative minority. If a majority happens, we're all really, really screwed.

The same push towards deregulation (or at least hollowing out of food safety inspection infrastructure) that allows the Listeria epidemic also allows the sub-prime mortgage fiasco. If our conservatives start pushing that even further, who knows what sort of mess we'll find ourselves in.

Maybe I'll look into this vote-swapping thing. I don't think it's going to have much impact, but the tiniest oportunity to ensure that we aren't beholden to ideologs is attractive.