Monday, March 04, 2013

Stephen Harper's Great Arctic Betrayal


From the moment he came to power, he announced that he would like to be known as Great Arctic Leader and Lord Protector of the North.

He decreed that henceforth everything from government stationery, to the nose of his plane, should be embossed with the words "The True North Strong and Free."

He warned us the Russians were coming. But that his warrior government would stop them if we bought those fancy jets. His propaganda machine hummed heroically. 

But that was then, and this is now.

“Recent Northern exercises and operations highlight the fact that conduct of these activities can cost from five to seven times more than if they were conducted in Southern Canada,” noted the Jan. 31 planning document from army commander Lt.-Gen. Peter Devlin. “The Army will have to limit/reduce the scope of its activities in the North, thus directly impacting on Canada’s ability to exercise Arctic sovereignty.”

Now the Great Northern Strategy is going south eh? And so is the military.

Part of the 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron, the jets have come to Tampa from Cold Lake Air Force Base in Cold Lake, Alberta, for annual spring pilot training. The Canadian base, said Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Doyle, is aptly named. "The planes like the heat, they don't like the minus 20 as much," said Doyle, the squadron commander.

Because dammit, it's cold up there !!#@#!

Now Stephen Harper isn't worried about the Russians invading the Arctic  He's too busy selling it to the highest bidder. 

The federal government plans to hold a call for bids for oil and gas discovery licenses for the Bent Horn lands off Baffin Island in Nunavut...Chenier said the federal government is also calling on industry to nominate lands to include in an eventual call for bids for exploration licenses in the Arctic islands.



Because sovereignty is nice but Big Oil is better eh?

And as Jimbo Flaherty prepares his new austerity budget.


The Cons have a bigger enemy in their sights....



And of course, because Great True North Leader's Great Artic Strategy was always just a snow job.

Just another way of making Harper look like a patriot, even as he sells us out to foreign interests.

Just another great betrayal.

Just another phony photo-op...



Welcome to The Great White Harperland eh?

Now SMALLER than ever. 

And even MORE ridiculous.

Great Polar Bear God of the Great White North what are we going to do with those Con klowns? 

Oh yes, I remember. Laugh at them. Melt them down to size.

Make them look like the phonies they are.

So much for our Arctic sovereignty.

So much for Great True North Leader...



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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

where is he today? march 4, 2013 the day of his and others' arrest?

Anonymous said...

Having spent 6 years living in a couple different communities on Baffin Island I can certainly vouch first-hand about all the words and speeches and bravado and little results on the ground and in the lives of the people there.

...and they do say it's a dry cold, eh? So not that bad once you get used to your eyelids sticking together :)

Simon said...

hi anonymous...I'm not sure I know what you're talking about. As far as I can see the Cons are still at large. And unless the police crack the Robocall scandal first, I don't expect to see them jailed until shortly after the next election. Yes, I know it's a long time to wait. But you know what they say. Just thinking about it is half the pleasure...

Simon said...

hi Way Way Up...you know sooner or later we're going to have to decide whether we are a real country or not. Because a real country guards the sovereignty of ALL of its territory, and is capable of protecting and rescuing ALL of its people. I admit I'm still haunted by the story of that kid in Labrador who froze to death in an ice field, because the armed forces couldn't spare a helicopter to go look for him. In that regard I thought the story of our military training in Tampa to be both ironic and hilarious. And of course it all just confirms my view that the Cons are pathetic...

P.S. I was planning to visit the north one day. It's such a spectacular place, and I like the people too. But after your story about what happens to your eyelids, maybe I'll visit Tampa instead... ;)