Saturday, March 18, 2006

Harper's dark side and V for Vendetta












I was enormously relieved to see that the dumbos in the MSM, have finally discovered Stephen Harper's authoritarian tendencies. Whew! Just in time. The candle of freedom still flickers in Canada's dark night. I just wonder whether their presses are still rolling. And why it took them so bloody long.

I've been warning people about Harper's dangerous tendencies for at least ten posts. Although I'm sure I mentioned them in the other 40 posts I deleted by mistake. I just can't remember. What I do remember is that the tipoff came from the parson himself, Preston Manning.

Manning was in a jovial mood that day, reminiscing in a TV interview about the time when his Reformers first arrived in Ottawa, and chuckling about his rocky relationship with his then Chief policy wonk Stephen Harper. According to Manning, Harper could never understand why his finely crafted Calgary School policies had to be approved by the grassroots. He would rage and sulk about that. He felt the rabble didn't know anything about policy matters, so they shouldn't be consulted or have any say in the matter.

"I always told him the same thing," Manning said. "Stephen, it's their money."

But Harper wasn't persuaded. He eventually parted company with Manning and went back to where he felt most comfortable. Writing essays about firewalls and other crazy right-wing stuff at the National Citizens Coalition.
Now he's Prime Minister and appears to have changed his spots. But don't be fooled. He's still the rigid ideologue, still the policy wonk he always was. Except now he's drunk with power. People like that are bad news whether they come from the left or the right. They think they own the truth. They think they are so clever, and that everyone else, including their followers, are fools.

Harper certainly fooled those Reform rubes out west. They thought they could help shape policy, but it turns out only Harper can do that. Oh sure he'll throw his base a few doggy treats to keep them quiet. Bribe them with his GST and his big-screen -TV- so -called-childcare- parent- bonus-plan. Puff them up with faux pride in our military. Let them chew on the bloody bone of gay and lesbian rights. But when it comes to policy those rubes are just along for the ride. I wish I could really savour their pain with a little Chianti. But they might still get something out of this. Their majority. Our abyss.

And if that happens only this guy can save us.











Oh boy am I looking forward to this one. I'm sorry Alan Moore is upset. But I loved his comics when I was a boy and I just know I'm really going to enjoy this film. Talk about the right movie for these crazy times. I know some people think it's a bad film. I know the anarchists are upset because the movie makes it appear as if V is fighting for democracy, instead of just smashing the state. But boy do I love that masked man!

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

Oh Please sir have mercy!

"Oh not tonight...."
Yeah I love the insolent face of freedom smirking at the fascist beasts. And all those witty remarks he makes, before he mows them down. But most of all I love the raging anger beneath the smirking mask. Because I feel like that too. I may smile and laugh a lot. But underneath I burn.

I'm so fucking angry about having had to spend so much time and energy fighting the right-wing hordes over the years. And their crazy creepy visions of a neocon world. I'm sick and tired of seeing them slash social programs and victimize the weakest members of society like the poor, the homeless, single mothers and children. Just to make their rich friends richer. I'm tired of their bloody so called wars on terror for power and oil. Sick of the way they're torching the planet, their campaigns of fear, their torture,and their lies.
And of course, I'm burning molten mad at finding myself in the 21st Century having to fight off legions of medieval wingnuts trying to steal my rights.Trying to make my life, and the lives of my brothers and sisters, even more of a living hell of stinking prejudice and bigotry. I'm tired of having to battle them with my pen and my fists. But I'll do whatever I have to do, for as long as it takes, to make sure that we win and they lose.
So imagine how I feel about the prospect of a right wing homophobe policy wonk posing as a tyrant.
"Remember, remember the fifth of November...."
Wouldn't that be a great day for a federal election?
Oh Yeah. Z is for Zorro. V is for victory.
I'm fighting for a kinder, gentler, better world.
But sometimes I can't help feeling that the only verdict really is revenge.
Oh please sir have mercy!
No. Not tonight...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, boy from Montréal: check out Martin Bilodeau's review in today's 'Le Devoir' - talk about glowing!

Scott in Montreal said...

Alan Moore's Swamp Thing was an instant classic. I never did get my hands on a copy of #34 though...

Simon said...

Uh Oh...First off Rabbit I've never agreed with anything printed in that pretentious little rag Le Devoir. Even back in the days when Claude Ryan was in charge. So if they say V is good, it must be..er..I don't even want to think about that. Besides Bilodeau is insane so it may be OK. But you WERE prophetic about C.R.A.Z.Y. !!
Two, the Swamp Thing was a classic, I've never been able to look at a broccoli the same way since. But I also loved the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It was practically all my boyhood heroes gathered together in one comic book, not to mention all that louche atmosphere and opium dens...
As for Harper, Bruce I don't know what to think. I'm sure he'll fuck up too. I just hope it's before the election, and not after it!
But I'm very afraid. He has a plan.
The other parties don't even have a clue. He could strike while the iron is hot, take advantage of the Liberal chaos, and his growing support in Quebec --and win a majority. And then god save us all!

Anonymous said...

Splutter, splutter... stone my suffering separatist soul: suppurating somnambulantly sermonising simon...
(trying to ruin my Saturday morning read are you, boy?)
Bilodeau is not my preferred reviewer but this piece was worth a look, even if it meant a sashay over to the other side of the tracks for you...

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

Yes I too have been warning of Harpers authoritarian tendencies which the Blogging Tories politely refer to as being autarchic, while most of us would call it good old fashioned autocracy, like Stalin. Sans the moustache.