Jack Layton dies at 61

[Hack&Lube]

Regarding cancer, what is the usual cause of death? What is the pathology here? Death from cancer always seems so sudden. One week ago, Layton was still talking to people, a week later, he was dead.

What is the actual acute cause of death when suffering from cancer? What brings about the "turn for the worse"?

[Sr. Mints]

From the Toronto Star:

[Reggie Dunlop]

I had not known that Jack's father was Robert "Bob" Layton, who was a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister under Brian Mulroney. LINK

Died from Prostate Cancer.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I said that I liked her take on it and there is no real debate that he was working a political angle. If you read the letter rather than just mindlessly spouting off about it you would be able to see this.

It's a shame Blatchford didn't absorb the message Layton conveyed. Instead, she resorted to partisan bickering. Given that's she's considered a legend in journalistic circles for shambolic, disjointed first drafts, it's unfortunate the copy editors couldn't whittle down her missives into a coherent thesis.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I had not known that Jack's father was Robert "Bob" Layton, who was a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister under Brian Mulroney. LINK

Died from Prostrate Cancer.

Always sucks to die from cancer of planking.

[MarchHare]

Preston manning is/was a great Canadian/person trying to make this country better.

Layton is a scumbag with a horrible disease that did everything he could to make this country a worse place to live.

This is just stupid. However wrong and misguided you or I might think Layton's political views were, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that he was genuinely trying to make Canada a better place.

The same is true for Harper.

Just because you don't agree with someone's politics doesn't mean they're trying to ruin the country.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

This is just stupid. However wrong and misguided you or I might think Layton's political views were, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that he was genuinely trying to make Canada a better place.

The same is true for Harper.

Just because you don't agree with someone's politics doesn't mean they're trying to ruin the country.

I agree. Layton would have ruined the country, but not on purpose.

[Calgaryborn]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Usually when someone is "working a political angle", they are doing it with some sort of personal benefit in mind. This guy knew he was dying and knew he wasn't going to gain anything. He asked people to continue working towards something he believed in after he died.

The bashers in this thread sound like ideologues in the vein of Rush Limbaugh.

You didn't like him. We get it.

Layton's personal angle was to be remembered and beloved. He probably had visions of the NDP rising to power and changing Canada for the better. Perhaps his letter would rally the troops to finish the job and he would be immortalized as what inspired them. Maybe he invisioned "Jack" tea shirts replacing "Che" tea shirts in popularity.

I don't begrudge him his letter. Nothing wrong with dying wishes. I just don't see many folks rising to the leadership of a party without convincing themselves that their best interests are the Party's best interests. Jack Layton never appeared to me to be a humble man. He was what he was.

I have no problem with Harper giving Layton a State funeral. There are enough Canadians on side to warrent it and after all funerals are for the living; not the dead. If millions of Canadian's want Layton honoured then by all means honour him.

[Tinordi]

Who was the last active serving federal politician to die in office?

Answer that question and you'll get why we're having a state funeral.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Who was the last active serving federal politician to die in office?

Answer that question and you'll get why we're having a state funeral.

Chuck Cadman in 2005?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Who was the last active serving federal politician to die in office?

Answer that question and you'll get why we're having a state funeral.

Its a nutty, over-the-top gesture that's probably a bit of politicking by the Prime Minister versus genuine empathy or sympathy.

On the other hand, I thought Christie Blatchford's column was dead-on (pun) . . . . but it's one of those "don't speak ill of the dead" kind of moments so the blowback across her windshield is also no surprise.

The whole thing, from Layton's sorry letter with a fist coming out of the dirt to control the agenda beyond the grave through to the PM's call for a state funeral to throw another shovel full on him to keep him six feet under to Blatchford calling the whole thing out . . . . has a rather greasy, unsavoury feel to it.

Fortunately, its easy to ignore. We'll see what happens next week in the world when this is all ancient history.

Bah!! Humbug!!!

Cowperson

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Regarding cancer, what is the usual cause of death? What is the pathology here? Death from cancer always seems so sudden. One week ago, Layton was still talking to people, a week later, he was dead.

What is the actual acute cause of death when suffering from cancer? What brings about the "turn for the worse"?

Often they starve to death.

[Azure]

His policies were more often than not ridiculous, and many of us said that he would have a tough time delivering all the promises he was throwing around during the election cycle. I think he was only successful because people were pretty sick and tired of the Liberals, and Quebec wanted to get the separatists out, but had a tough time trusting the Conservatives, and the NDP promised them more.

I have no idea if he should get a state funeral or not. He is leader of the opposition and served the public for over 30 years. I find his 'dying' letter to be a bit sickening actually, but politicians are a different breed, and Jack was a politician to the core, so from his viewpoint I can see why he would write it.

The best thing Jack did was to help destroy the Liberals, and force them to go back to the drawing board. Hopefully from there we'll get the fiscally responsible/socially liberal party that they SHOULD be.

But either way, as leader of the opposition and someone who has been in government for a long time, I would probably agree with the state funeral.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

I thought this too. I suspect he'll run in the by-election and kick around as a backbencher...maybe take on a critic's portfolio in a couple of years. And then in another 8 years or so when the NDP hold their next leadership convention, he'll take his shot then.

I know nothing about him, really, but that seems to be how things happen in such political families (see Trudeau, e.g.)

I would like to hope that Layton's kid would have the self-respect to wait a bit and try to get through to federal politics trading on his own name rather than on a wave of grief for his father.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Who was the last active serving federal politician to die in office?

Answer that question and you'll get why we're having a state funeral.

That question is easy to flip - Who was the last non-government politician to have a state funeral?

It really is unprecedented, and interesting because the only reason it is happening is that Layton died at the peak of his popularity. If he had made it through a year in opposition and saw it slump as the burdens of managing expectations and a divided caucus wore on, it never would have happened.

Objectively, the funeral itself is nothing but politics. But it is also good politics. People who hated Layton's politics and people who hate Harper's politics both unified on this one gesture in their praise of the other side. Well, mostly.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Regarding cancer, what is the usual cause of death? What is the pathology here? Death from cancer always seems so sudden. One week ago, Layton was still talking to people, a week later, he was dead.

What is the actual acute cause of death when suffering from cancer? What brings about the "turn for the worse"?

Many forms cause a slow starvation of the major organs as the cancer cells use up their share of energy, leaving less for the other cells. After going through the emergency cycles (sugars, then fats, then proteins, then key materials), it'll run out of energy and starve to death. A couple will be quick to the point though and plainly just kill your body's ability to absorb food period. It could have been what killed Layton, as there is an extremely low survival rate after even 6 months.

[GirlySports]

I am surprised with the outpouring of support for Layton with people writing with chalk on the pavement at Toronto City Hall and with the lines and lines of people at Parliament.

With this support, you'd think he'd be Prime Minister!

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Calgaryborn

Maybe he invisioned "Jack" tea shirts replacing "Che" tea shirts in popularity.

Yes, I am sure this is what he had in mind.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I am surprised with the outpouring of support for Layton with people writing with chalk on the pavement at Toronto City Hall and with the lines and lines of people at Parliament.

With this support, you'd think he'd be Prime Minister!

People like these sorts of stories. If some guy could find a way to die, then come back to run for PM, they'd be set.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Calgaryborn

Maybe he invisioned "Jack" tea shirts replacing "Che" tea shirts in popularity.

If you ask me, Jack bears a much closer resemblance to Lenin than Che.