- There are Lies, Damned Lies and Harper

Posted: 11:40 AM on October 23, 2010 The Globe and Mail
If Stephen Harper’s an economist, I’m the Queen of Sheba, Gerald Caplan, The Globe and Mail,Oct. 22, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/if-stephen-harpers-an-economist-im-the-queen-of-sheba/article1769401/singlepage/#articlecontent

Rationality and truth plays little part in the Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada politics.

Harper and the Con's are supported by a core of die-hard (right-wing, extremist) supporters (33%), epi-centred in Alberta. These supporters do not require logic. They will support Harper no matter what, as long as Harper leads the cause, that is.

So, with Harper and the Con's the intention is not to explain but to rouse their die-hard supporters, not to inform but to provide material for spin, not to convince but to provide an excuse, not to justify to all Canadians but to dupe.

As long as the Harper polices do not consolidate the opposition then Harper and the Conservative party can take these positions, and do and say pretty much whatever he wants, and 'Canada be dam[redacted]ed'.

Simply put, Stephen Harper and Stockwell Day, Tony Clement, Jim Flaherty, John Baird, and the other Con's are not interested in the least what the facts are, what the truth is.

Throwing out numbers and asserting 'statistics' they fail to substantiate is only to present a facade of rationality based government - in a word a 'Con'. To call them on it each time is a mug's game, they simply ignore the realities they are being confronted with and go to the next 'Con'.

Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party are right wing extremists, with an ideological agenda.

All Harper polices are solely ideologically based, what furthers the cause, what benefits this small core of die-hard right wing extremists.

Ideologically based decisions will always conflict with the truth and reality, by the very definition of "ideological". 'Extremist' just refers to the degree.

The foundation of accepting such decision is a "top-down" power structure, i.e. - it is right because I say it. This was, of course, the method of rule in the Dark Ages. It is anti-democratic by its very top-down nature (compare Tom Flanagan referring to Harper's decision on eliminating the Long Form from the census: "I think it was an exercise in bad government to suddenly spring this on the public without any previous discussion, no consultation at all . . . You don't deal with the public that way in a democracy." Montreal Gazette).

We cannot simply push the blame on Ignatieff and the Liberals for this Con scourge.

This is not Harper's Canada, it is not the Liberal's Canada.

This is our Canada, each and every one of us.

The media have a vital part to play by shining the light of truth on the very dark corners of the Harper government - to shine the light brightly and relentlessly.

But, it is up to us to stand up and be counted and say "I want my Canada back". If we shirk this duty, we lose, and our children lose and our children's children will suffer.

Let us not leave our children with the resentment that we were ever given a turn at the helm.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html