Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Stephen Harper and the Hockey Doctrine
















As we all know Great Nerd Leader likes to pose as a hockey fan, a hockey book writer, and a road hockey warrior.

And wherever he goes a shiny set of goal posts seems to follow him.

Like here on the tarmac of some airport, where his former flunky Dimitri Soudas is seen letting in an easy one...



















Because the orders from the PMO are quite clear. Any shot that's on net goes IN. And if looks like it's going wide, move the net so it doesn't. 

But of course, there's a sinister purpose behind everything Harper does. It's just too bad it takes someone from the Guardian to bring this to our attention.

The Harper hockey doctrine operates on more than a simplistic down-home, one-of-us approach to populist politics; it's part of a larger communications strategy. The more Harper turns up at hockey events, the more his face is plastered across a bunch of sports channels that otherwise would rarely, if ever, talk about politics. The more that happens, the more he's seen by a new crop of viewers who would have otherwise rarely, if ever, cared about him. Not that they have to, either, because the association has been made: Harper = hockey, hockey = Canada, Harper = Canada. Or, at least, that's the intent.

And to point out the dangers of Harper's re branding of our national myths and our slavish support of the Monarchy:

There is a lot one can choose to take from Canada's past – one full of interesting stories about how this place came to be – but history is there to teach us when we need it, not to be rammed in our faces as part of a moralising search for warped nostalgic national character. Which is effectively what we're getting – not history, but historical pastiche: a medley of images and myths that are credible only on the basis of their repetition and vaunted placement in skewed narrative that is leaning more toward the political and away from merely just being. It's not identity or sense of nationhood, it's political messaging.

Yup. As I said, it's too bad that nobody in our own slavish mediocre media bothers to point this out. So the brutalization of Canada continues.

Everyone ignores this warning:

As MIT lecturer Peter M Senge wrote, when past meanings are continually imposed on present situations, "yesterday's meaning becomes today's dogma, often losing much of its original meaningfulness in the process. When this happens collectively, societies become governed by shadows, hollowed out myths from the past applied as inviolate truths for the present."

Great Nerd Leader stickhandles his way to another majority.

Because progressives are divided.

And we get the country we deserve...

6 comments:

Just Call Me Rick said...

Yeah, Harper keeps mentioning that he's currently writing a book on hockey....for the past 6 years.

Is there any propaganda vehicle that these guys haven't exploited? These guys would've done very well 75 years ago in Germany.

sassy said...

I will not repeat the rumor that SH is going to dedicate the book to himself and, that on the acknowledgment page, he will thank himself for all the support and patience in editing. There will also be photos on HisSelf on the back cover, the front cover and on the first page of every chapter.

Stewart said...

I'm sure that would be the case Sassy. The photos, oh the photos. He needs those to prove to himself just how magnificent he really is. Perhaps posed in a different jersey in each photo, to show he supports all the teams and not just one. Thus demonstrating his never ending commitment to democracy.

That shot in front of the jet is outrageous. Their propaganda is nothing if not blatant.

Sadly it seems to go over with just enough people in this country and the Cons have it down pat.

"Look at him, hon, he's just a regular person like us". The Bush strategy all over again.

Simon said...

hi Rick...now don't be so cynical. I know he's taken a long time, but I'm sure it will be a very thick book, and full of pictures....of himself. And no there is no propaganda vehicle that those Cons won't exploit. Remember, they have 1,500 people working in their War Room, so every little thing is carefully calculated for maximum political advantage. And like all fascists they are masters of the Big Lie...

Simon said...

hi sassy...only on the first page of every chapter? No I don't believe that. I think there will be a picture of him on EVERY page, along with the outrageous claim that he practically invented the game. He's lied about everything else so why not that? I still can't believe that nerd has fooled so many Canadians, but that's Con Canada...

Jim Parrett said...

Glad to see you're not underplaying the value of how simplistic, even iconic, images appeal to sports fans, especially Canadian hockey fans. All those Con attack ads targeting Iggy during hockey and football games were brilliant. I think they swung the election to a Con majority. After all, attack ads are like blood sport, one side is 'bad' (Libs); the other side 'good' (Cons). Now, Harper has taken that success to the nurture stage, where he is 'proving' his hockey cred through photo ops. Like you intimated, with no opposition to challenge this bit of Harper nonsense, this bit PR sinks into the psyche of the easily coerced. Next election, those attack ads will not only resonate but will be collected and discussed among hockey aficiandos like they are hockey cards, spreading the legend of Stephen Harper, hockey god.