Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Harperland and the Progressive Journey to Victory



It's been pretty grey and wet where I live. It gets dark before you know it. Soon it will be winter in Harperland. In all its grim horror.

But on the positive side I have a few days off, so I can take a short break from blogging, recharge my batteries, and try to figure out where the hell we're going eh?

Because on the gloomiest days I can't help feeling that progressives might be drifting towards disaster.

I say that because I still can't forget how a proposal to change TWO words in our national anthem. A very reasonable proposal.

Was greeted with howls of outrage, and a barrage of misogynistic comments, that shook me to my core.

Not just because the women who came up with the idea didn't deserve to be attacked like that. But also because it symbolized for me the ferocious resistance to change that afflicts so many in this country.

And that's too bad, because as my buddy Sébastien always says, you never step in the same river, or float on the same lake, twice...



And since I've been following in the idealistic wake of that amazing guy for almost half my life, I know he's almost never wrong eh?

And that we need to understand that the times are changing, and that the game of politics as Susan Delacourt points out in her excellent new book, is becoming more like consumerism.

And that whether we like it or not, and I don't, if we can't move with the times, we will be left behind.

We need to communicate our message of change more effectively so as to cut through the clutter, and inspire as well as inform Canadians. We need to be smarter, and more creative than we have ever been, and attack the Cons harder than we ever have before.

We have to do all we can to make sure we don't split the vote, and hand the Harperites another victory.

We need to understand that if one progressive party does win a minority, it will depend on the other to stay in power. Or form a coalition. So they shouldn't spend all their time attacking each other.

And most of all we need to understand that doing the same old thing over and over again, and expecting a different result, really is INSANITY.

Which is why I find this so encouraging.

Because although it's a small thing, and it's probably too little too late, in the rancid staleness of our political scene, it's so new and different it stopped me in my tracks eh?

Like the sight of a balloon stopped Shorty the cat...



Because quite frankly at this point, I will follow any balloon, any new idea, any party, and any leader who will lead us to victory over the Harper Cons.

And I could never be as narrowly partisan as this. Or accept that a real progressive could EVER vote for the Cons after what they've done to Canada.

The very idea fills me with horror and disgust. And I will always do my best to try to unite progressives rather than divide them.

Because if these Canadians are reacting to the scary things in a haunted house.



That's EXACTLY how I feel at the thought of five more years of Stephen Harper.

So I'm keeping all my options open.

But I'm sure we can discuss all this when I get back, and I'll pick up where I left off.

Still looking for the pony in the heap of manure. Still so thankful to all those who read this little blog, and encourage me so much.

Still paddling furiously up stream.

Still heading out of darkness. Hopefully.

And into the light of a better Canada...



Have a great week everybody !!!

See you in a few days...

Click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.

8 comments:

Steve said...

http://thinkingaboot.blogspot.ca/2013/10/lisa-christensen-gets-axe.html
Hi Simon this is bell media no affect has one

Anonymous said...

Nice post Simon. Also, a nice post by Lauren Strapagiel. Why not make the lyrics of the national anthem all inclusive? Why all the hand wringing and fainting?

And, as Ms. Strapagiel points out, 'God, you're next'.

Kev said...

Hi Simon While we may be paddling upstream against a ferocious current as long as we keep paddling we will eventually reach our destination

Anonymous said...

Let's put an end to the charade! Oscar Rob Behiels for Prime Minister! A fine, upstanding example of oilberta manhood if there ever was one! Dump the effeminate little weasel and get a real, uncloseted he-man misogynist! At least he doesn't wear a toupee and look like a day-after-the-soiree drag queen!

Simon said...

hi Steve...I must admit I don't listen to the radio, but all I can say is that any radio station that recruits its "talent" from Sun News must be totally desperate...

Simon said...

Thank you I'm glad you liked it. And yes I have no idea why there was such a fuss over making an anthem more inclusive. As I said in the post I found the stream of outrage very depressing. People need to remember that a country is a dynamic project, not something frozen in stone. And if we can't even change a couple of words in an anthem we're not thinking big enough...

Simon said...

hi Kev...yes I believe that too. Sometimes I have some moments of quiet despair, and there's a hint of that in this post. But it never lasts long. I'm not exactly sure where we're going, but pretty sure I'm heading in the right direction. I know how to navigate by using the stars, so I just follow the brightest one... :)

Simon said...

I saw that story on Dr Dawg's blog http://drdawgsblawg.ca/2013/10/camrose-dentist-as.shtml and it really is shocking. We really need to remind that sherriff that he's in Canada not Alabama. And of course, we need justice. But rather than choose between Behiels and Harper, I say fire them both...