“Warren Kinsella's book, ‘Fight the Right: A Manual for Surviving the Coming Conservative Apocalypse,’ is of vital importance for American conservatives and other right-leaning individuals to read, learn and understand.”

- The Washington Times

“One of the best books of the year.”

- The Hill Times

“Justin Trudeau’s speech followed Mr. Kinsella’s playbook on beating conservatives chapter and verse...[He followed] the central theme of the Kinsella narrative: “Take back values. That’s what progressives need to do.”

- National Post

“[Kinsella] is a master when it comes to spinning and political planning...”

- George Stroumboulopoulos, CBC TV

“Kinsella pulls no punches in Fight The Right...Fight the Right accomplishes what it sets out to do – provide readers with a glimpse into the kinds of strategies that have made Conservatives successful and lay out a credible roadmap for progressive forces to regain power.”

- Elizabeth Thompson, iPolitics

“[Kinsella] deserves credit for writing this book, period... he is absolutely on the money...[Fight The Right] is well worth picking up.”

- Huffington Post

“Run, don't walk, to get this amazing book.”

- Mike Duncan, Classical 96 radio

“Fight the Right is very interesting and - for conservatives - very provocative.”

- Former Ontario Conservative leader John Tory

“His new book is great! All of his books are great!”

- Tommy Schnurmacher, CJAD

“I absolutely recommend this book.”

- Paul Wells, Maclean’s

“Kinsella puts the Left on the right track with new book!”

- Calgary Herald


Punk politics

Since I am the only person in this newspaper — and, possibly, the world — who has been a member of a punk rock band while simultaneously advising a prime minister, my editors believe I am uniquely qualified to columnize about the latest controversy to batter the sterling reputation of the Harper Government.

“You’re in that ridiculous punk band which has a name we can’t even publish in our family-friendly newspaper,” said my editors, wearing Sun standard-issue sleeveless tops and six-inch pumps. “And you were a willing accomplice to the socialistic, secular humanist tyranny of the Chretien dynasty.

So we order you to write about this evil Vancouver punk band that has upset poor James Moore. Failure will result in being subjected to continuous exposure to Theo Caldwell interviews of Jeb Bush.”

Aye aye, said I. One opinion column coming up.

Here’s the skinny, for the uninformed: A not-bad, spiky-headed combo from B.C., Living With Lions, has put out a record with a naughty title, Holy S—. The album’s cover has been done up to resemble a Holy Bible, and the liner notes depict what looks like poop ascending to what looks like heaven. The waxing is subtitled “The Poo Testament,” which made me laugh out loud.

As the Sun’s expert on the important interface between punk rock and politics, I can solemnly advise that punk bands — and, in fact, most rock and roll bands — have been cheerfully mocking organized religion since Jesus was a little feller. For said bands, the jackpot arrives when your transparently obvious efforts to scandalize someone actually result in some prude being scandalized, thereby facilitating massive album sales.

Enter the prude of this little morality tale, Heritage Minister James Moore. Now, I personally like Moore, even if he is a dirty rotten Tory. In the past, I found that Moore was a pretty easy-going fellow, with a sense of humour and an appreciation of the arts — characteristics that made Moore stand out among the grim Philistines who populate the Harper regime.

The controversial part wasn’t Living With Lion’s album title, or the multiple poo references. The controversy was Moore’s department gave money to an organization, which in turn gave Living With Lion’s record label some dough to put out Holy S—.

Moore had a, um, s— fit when he learned that 13,000 Canadian tax dollars had been used to offend the delicate sensibilities of, er, my editors and the federal cabinet. He has accordingly ordered the usual inquiry, probe, investigation, blah blah blah. Living With Lion’s record sales, in the interim, will go through the proverbial roof.

The real scandal, here, is not that Moore helped fund “The Poo Testament” (I just laughed again, I’m sorry). The scandal is that Living With Lions, a punk band, took the money in the first place.

As my colleague and fellow punk aficionado Brian Lilley has previously written, no self-respecting punk band should ever, ever take anything from government.

Punks, you see, are generally unenthusiastic about governments (viz., Murder the Government by NOFX). They do not like rules or rulemakers (viz., Anarchy in the U.K. by the Sex Pistols). To violate punk’s do-it-yourself ethos, and accept baubles from one’s oppressors, is to commit the greatest of the punk sins. Living With Lions should hang their grimy, safety-pinned heads in shame.

James Moore, meanwhile, should take a frigging Valium. As a goodwill gesture, I plan to invite him to our band’s next album release party.

If we’re lucky, he’ll show up and be outraged by us!

 



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