Well I suppose there's one good thing about living in Stephen Harper's Big Brother Canada eh? After so many ghastly, grim years he's entirely predictable.
Listen to what he says. Yawn. And then believe the opposite.
Now I'm not too concerned about Harper suddenly gaining fifty seats. But what does worry me a lot is the state of the progressive side. I've never seen our side so demoralized, so stuck in a rut, or looking so BEATEN.
Some have described the situation as trench warfare, but it's worse than that. Because even the First World War was over in four years, and we're heading for SIX.
So in the next two weeks I'm going to discuss some ideas about how to break the stalemate, destroy the Con vote in Ontario, and lead us to a better place.
But all of them depend on ONE thing: the ability of progressives to finally recognize that we need some fresh new thinking, that doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result is the definition of INSANITY.
And that major change is not usually incremental it's traumatic. Like an earthquake or a housequake.
As is often the case, history offers great big neon-bright lessons written in letters 14 feet high, which are nonetheless apparently easy to forget....you simply don’t get a durable change in power in today’s Canada without a structural realignment of the party system, or a period of political upheaval so drastic as to resemble a structural realignment. Stephen Harper is running full-time against a quasi-imaginary “coalition” because he gets that.
Unfortunately too many of us don't get that simple truth. We're still stuck in the past, doing the same old same old. And as a result we're going NOWHERE.
But don't sweat it eh? Once I put on my thinking tuque, the Cons days are numbered.
In the meantime I'll just keep trying to cheer up our side, and dream of the day when we can kick Stephen Harper's big ass all the way back to Alberta.
Oh wait. OMG !!!!! I think I just saw him roar past my house !!!!
Excuse me while I chase after him and try to give him a
Gawd. I just HATE the end of that ad eh? Kicking a Con tenderly is just not my style. And my Mum warned me NEVER to bring one home. I'd rather see them unceremoniously booted into the garbage can of history.
But don't worry we will.
So cheer up eh? The future really does belong to us, I promise you.
And it will be BEAUTIFUL...
Hi Simon,
ReplyDeleteI thought of you as I was getting bent out of shape over our favourite puff-pastry-faced preacher (and that was just a sidebar to Harper's latest Senate appointments!)
As for a united alternative...whatever it takes, it can't happen soon enough.
I have given up pigeon-holing my politics after years as a Dipper, a few more as a Green and even days in my youth as a Liberal. However the machinery in each, paid and volunteer, tend not to see past the next election and, since it's always just around the corner in a minority, I'd like to see how they could broaden their focus - for, guess what, the good of the country.
hi Kenn...I feel exactly the same as you do. I have no time for political hackery while our country burns.
ReplyDeleteI hope that in 2011 we can begin a real dialogue that will finally give a voice to all those who hate the Harper Cons. These Republicans disguised as Canadians.
The way I see it we have no choice. Either we act soon or our country is doomed. I refuse to accept that such a big and young country can live with such small and old ideas.
So I guess that makes me an optimist eh? But lord know it isn't easy... :)