- Ignatieff's Two Important Attributes, One He Is and One He Is Not: He Is Moderate; and he is Not Harper

Submitted: 7:09am, PST, 13 Jan.'11 The Toronto Star
Hepburn: Liberals see a way to beat Harper, Jan 12 2011, Bob Hepburn, Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/920926--hepburn-liberals-see-a-way-to-beat-harper#article

". . . Harper has twice shut down Parliament, once because he feared he would lose a budget vote and once because he wants to keep secret the documents that detailed Afghan prisoner abuse.

. . . Harper — virtually on his own — ordered the G20 summit to be held in Toronto, leading to street riots, a fake lake and a $1.2-billion bill.

. . . Harper’s far-right leanings, . . . scrap the gun registry, his refusal to fund safer abortions in developing countries and his approval to spend up to $16 billion for fighter jets that Canada may not have needed."

Stephen Harper's politics lie at the extreme Right of Canadian (and any Western Democracy for that matter) politics, and always has. This article sets out a number of issues in which his position demonstrates this, not the least of which is Health Care, transfer payments and Federal government in general, corporate taxes, abortion, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

With the Healthcare agreement expiring in a couple years - if Harper wins, it will be he who negotiates a new deal with the Provinces, something we should all consider, and very seriously.

Harper's objective is to transform Canada and Canadian society into a right wing ideology, by stealth - as long as he doesn't have a majority that is.

If Harper were to get a majority this transformation would be accelerated so quickly it will leave us all with a chill and our children and our children's children with a much different Canada than that with which we were left, one in which much of the social achievements that were made by our fore-fathers through their blood, sweat and tears will have been tore asunder.

The fundamental problem is:

Harper is kept in power by a core (33% , the Silent Minority) of like minded people that provide the funds and blindly support him - as long as he 'delivers the goods' - much to the detriment of Canada and all Canadians as a whole.

Harper and the Con's know this and take the approach that they can do pretty much what they want as long as they don't precipitate a consolidation of the Moderate Majority (66% Canadians that do not buy into the political extremism of Harper and his Con's) that don't want him or subscribe to what he stands for.

People's general impressions of Ignatieff are really secondary to his two primary attributes, one he is and one he is not:

Ignatieff is Moderate; and, Ignatieff is not Harper.

The fundamental issue in the next election is:

Will the (66%) Moderate Majority consolidate to vote Harper and the Con's out of power.

It's just that simple.

excerpt: Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html