Liberal blogger says no apology necessary for ignoring Douglas Jung, because Jung wasn't a Liberal
According to this Liberal blogger, Stephane Dion's gaffe at the Chinese Canadian Liberal Association dinner when he said that Liberal Arthur Lee was the first Chinese Canadian member of parliament, elected in 1974, is not really a mistake at all. The first MP was really Douglas Jung in 1957, but since Jung was a Conservative, and since Stephane Dion was speaking to a roomful of Liberals, it was understood that the only MPs that count are Liberal MPs.
In trying to understand just how Stephane Dion and his people could ignore the fact that Douglas Jung was the first Chinese Canadian member of parliament, I've leaned towards some sort of fact-checking error.
A very embarrassing fact-checking error, but otherwise something innocent.
But a comment from a Liberal blogger, BigCityLib, makes me wonder if there is something else to this:
Since he was speaking to Libs, and Lee was the first Chinese Liberal MP, I don't see how this is in error.
Now recall Stephane Dion's words to the Chinese Canadian Liberal Association:
Do you know who is Arthur Lee? Arthur Lee. He has been the first MP of Chinese origin. He was under Trudeau in 1974. It took time, eh? Only in 1974, the first one.
Nothing in there about Liberal MPs.
The first one? Douglas Jung, a Chinese Canadian who fought for Canada in World War II, training for the dangerous behind-the-lines work in the Pacific theatre in Operation Oblivion and then parachuted into Borneo, who represented Canada at the United Nations, who won an amnesty for Chinese immigrants who had fled to Canada under false names, he doesn't count?
Why?
Because Douglas Jung was a Conservative under John Diefenbaker? Because Douglas Jung would never consider running for the Liberals whom he said discriminated against his people?
Is it OK to ignore Douglas Jung, to erase him from a discussion of Canadian history, because he wasn't a Liberal? Because he didn't like Liberals?
How do you justify that sort of thing?
For BigCityLib, it's OK because Stephane Dion was talking to a roomful of Liberals, and for Liberals, the only MPs who count are Liberal MPs. For Liberals, the only historical milestones that count are those that are achieved by Liberals. For Liberals, rewriting history to assign those non-Liberal achievements to Liberals is fine, as long as you are talking to a roomful of Liberals.
Now M J Murphy (I wonder who revealed his identity, eh?) is not in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition or a member of Stephane Dion's staff or working in the Liberal Party research group. Like me, he's just a blogger. But it's an interesting sampling of Liberal Party thinking. It's OK to lie about history, as long as the lie props up the Liberal Party's image as the party of visible minorities, and as long you are lying to a bunch of Liberals.
And it's OK to lie to Liberals, because all Liberals are participating in the lie and are fine with it.
That is so twisted.
Thanks to BigCityLib, I wonder if that "mistake" was a deliberate decision to ignore historical truth, and indeed rewrite history, in order to maintain some sort of fiction that exists in the Liberal mind.
Of course, the Liberals will say that this was a mistake, or that it was misinterpreted, or whatever, assuming they say anything at all. They might not, given that Liberals like BigCityLib don't believe that they anyone an apology for ignoring Douglas Jung.
It was a case of a Liberal lying to other Liberals in order to make the Liberal Party look good, so what's the problem?
But then lying is a harsh thing to accuse someone of. Here's another explanation. Arthur Lee might have been the first Liberal of Chinese descent to be elected as a member of parliament, a full 17 years after the Progressive Conservatives under John Diefenbaker marked that achievement with the election of Douglas Jung. But since the Liberals assume that they are first at everything, especially when it comes to visible minorities, and that nothing good happens in Canada unless the Liberals are behind it, someone just assumed that the first Liberal MP of Chinese descent was the first MP of Chinese descent for any party. Is arrogant stupidity a better explanation?
Of course, these generous explanations have to ignore the fact that Stephane Dion was in the House of Commons on June 11 when Bloc Quebecois MP Meili Faille spoke to the 50th anniversary of the election of Douglas Jung as Canada's first MP of Chinese descent.
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Comments
Who's writing Dion's speeches?
They're obviously not adept at history or research.
Arthur Lee was the first "leader of a political party" of Chinese origin. Certainly something of note.
Posted by: Kitchener Conservative at July 24, 2007 10:41 AM
Slow news day, right?
Posted by: bigcitylib at July 24, 2007 10:48 AM
Bigcitylib:
Dion said he doesn't lie. He lied here. What else is he lying about? just asking....
Posted by: jeff at July 24, 2007 10:57 AM
bigcitylib:
I should have said:
What eslse is Dion lying about? We don't know...we can't understand him!
Posted by: jeff at July 24, 2007 10:59 AM
Ah, when are you going to write about some important issues?
Your latest sleuth/rants have been silly and not terribly interesting. Running out of real material to discuss?
I just can't believe the garbage lately.
Posted by: Sara at July 24, 2007 12:02 PM
Hey Sara - You can't intelligently discuss an issue, so you turn to insults. How typical. How Liberal.
Posted by: Barbara at July 24, 2007 12:16 PM
Haven't all fascist organizations tried to rewrite history to suit their ‘progressive’ agenda?
Posted by: missing link at July 24, 2007 12:21 PM
From George Orwell's 1984
"If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happened—that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death." —pg 32
Posted by: Calgary Junkie at July 24, 2007 12:55 PM
Sara/bigcitylib:
Dion says he doesn't lie! Now he is caught lying. Please explain. Was Dion lying about lying? Please answer....someone?anyone? Where in the hell is Cherniak when you guys need him....
Posted by: Jeff at July 24, 2007 01:31 PM
Let's not blame Dion. He's exhausted.
I heard he nodded off into a bowl of steamed rice.
Posted by: Levesque at July 24, 2007 02:15 PM
And what was P.E. Trudeau doing during WW2 when Douglas Jung parachuted into Borneo?
Posted by: D.G. Topping at July 24, 2007 02:20 PM
Dion and Liberals consider Chinese-Canadians who are also Conservatives as sub-human, and not worthy of mention. Only Liberal Chinese are good Chinese according to Dion.
Canada doesn't need somebody like Dion.
Posted by: Wing at July 24, 2007 02:49 PM
Red Tory's take on this -
"Okay, I went and checked it out. Well, it was certainly a boneheaded mistake/oversight on his part and that of his staff, but it seems like a bit of a stretch to claim that he insulted all Canadians, all Chinese and all veterans in the process.
So now we have another Liblogger stating that this was "a bone headed mistake".
Maybe he didn't insult all Chinese Canadians. Thats up for them to decide. But what is insulting is this "leader" deliberalty ommitted a historical fact for partisan political gain, or because of sheer ignorance just because the MP in question wasn't a Liberal. Who would have ever expected a Political Science teacher like Dion to have a working knowledge of Canadian political history? Yet more proof that Dion isn't a leader.
Posted by: Forsooth at July 24, 2007 03:07 PM
Why is everyone so shocked? Dion's so delusional he actually thinks people believe he's Canada's Kyoto saviour. Can we just have the election ASAP so we can turf the twit.
Posted by: at July 24, 2007 04:05 PM
Forsooth — You neglected to convey the whole conversation:
Me: Gee Forsooth, didn't Stephen Harper send a letter to the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres (OFIFC) wishing them greetings on the celebration of India’s Republic Day in 2004? Why yes, I believe he did. Was that an insult to aboriginal peoples, to south Asian immigrants, to people of Indian decent and to all Canadians? What kind of "leadership" was that? Where was his research?
You: ...you are absolutley correct. That was an insult to all of the above. And Harper's leadership ability and research was thus sorely demonstrated that day.
Context, my son… context.
Posted by: Red Tory at July 24, 2007 06:13 PM
And RT, you still have no excuse for Dion, other than to say along the lines that "everyone makes mistakes". Of course Harper was wrong in that case, as is Dion here. If this had been Harper, Liberals everywhere would be storming the castle. Have the integrity to admit that much at least.
Semantics, Dad...semantics.
Posted by: Forsooth at July 24, 2007 06:52 PM
 
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