We know where it comes from, the diseased mind of Great Ugly Leader himself. We know what his filthy Cons have done to our country.
But what more can you say about a government whose essence is personal cruelty?
Stephen Harper’s hard-right Conservatives are not suited to governing this wonderful country, an easy enough observation on an ill-considered austerity-budget day but true on any day of the year.
What an extraordinary thing to live a pleasant life in a western nation and yet fear your own government. But the Canada Revenue Agency’s new audits of environmental charities like Tides Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation and Environmental Defence in the midst of their continuing warnings about the effects of the climate-poisoning Alberta tarsands project are terrifying.
What more can you say about the hapless Con stooge Peter Kent who would threaten an institution like the Royal Ontario Museum?
Thornhill MP Peter Kent tweeted this on Monday about Environmental Defence: “Disappointing ROM joins partisan enviro activists defying CRA regs. Charities can’t take sides if they want status/benefits.” Given the audits, what is this but a veiled threat?
What else can you call them but the most diseased and anti-democratic bullies this country has ever known?
The Conservatives are like porcupines in that they shoot out quills that hook into the flesh of an opponent, they’re like drones in that they target individuals rather than concepts. If they were a Shakespeare play, they’d be Coriolanus, in which the punitive Roman leader calls his citizens “measles” who “tetter” him. But probably the best definition is this.
The hallmark of Harper conservatives is that they take everything personally. They don’t just oppose Liberals, they hate Justin Trudeau. They don’t just oppose some Muslim fundraising, they hate that benighted teenager Omar Khadr. Governments should be generalists, asking, “What is good for the nation?” Harperites are vengeful, asking, “Whom shall we make suffer?”
And what else can we do but vow to fight them harder than we have ever fought any Canadian government before?
You know when I first started this blog eight years ago and called the Harperite cult the worst bullies I had ever seen, a lot of people thought I was exaggerating. I wasn't taken seriously, I was ridiculed for that belief, until I sometimes questioned myself my own motives.
Had my loathing for bullies coloured my beliefs? Had the fact that I had to start fighting them from the age of twelve made me see bullies hiding behind every tree?
Why did so many Canadians not see them as I saw them?
So now when I see people like Heather Mallick and so many others also calling them bullies, I admit I feel vindicated. But it's no consolation for what they have done to my country.
Although this does help. (PDF)
The latest Nanos weekly tracking on the national political environment suggests that the percentage of Canadians who would consider voting Conservatives is at a new low. In the week leading up to the federal budget 36 percent of Canadians would consider voting for the Conservatives, 55 percent would not consider voting Conservative and the rest were unsure.
With an accessible pool of only 36 percent (which trails both the Liberals who are at 48 percent and the NDP at 42 percent), the Conservatives trail both of the other major political parties. Twenty seven percent of Canadians would consider voting for the Green Party and in the province of Quebec, 33 percent would consider the BQ.
Because it tells me that slowly but surely more and more Canadians are seeing the Harperites for the absolute monsters they are.
And it gives me more confidence than ever that we will defeat them in the next election.
But it also makes me wonder how far the Harper Cons will go to intimidate their opponents? For surely those monsters and their depraved leader are now so desperate they are capable of ANYTHING.
And how long can the opposition parties keep playing the same old parliamentary game as if were living in a normal democracy?
When do we stop playing that game and start building a united movement?
For what all of this tells me is that we are still living in denial. Still refusing to believe that it could not happen here.
When it seems obvious to me that we are facing a threat like this country has never faced before, and we must find new ways to mobilize the population if we are going to stop those foul bullies from walking all over us.
And in the meantime, we must never be afraid to speak out no matter what they do to try to intimidate us. For we are not just fighting for our democracy, we are fighting for the very future of our country, and surrender is not an option.
Oh boy. I know I've said the same thing for eight long years. And believe me I'm tired of saying it. But what else can anyone say?
Except now more than ever.
Fight them, fight them, fight them.
Don't let them win...
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You know when I first started this blog eight years ago and called the Harperite cult the worst bullies I had ever seen, a lot of people thought I was exaggerating. I wasn't taken seriously, I was ridiculed for that belief, until I sometimes questioned myself my own motives.
ReplyDeleteRemember the wise words of that great sage "Anonymous":
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
I too have been critical of Harper and his Conservatives since they were a minority government, suggesting to others they had a hidden agenda, that they would tear Canada asunder, that rights and freedoms would be trampled. All along those criticisms were dismissed, but with every passing week, these "prognostications" have proven to be accurate.
DeleteThe Canadian people are the proverbial frog in the pot of water. Slowly turn up the heat and we won't notice what's happening until we're well and truly cooked.
hi anon...they have tried to get me, but unfortunately for them their little feet got caught in a mousetrap and I think that's all I'll say at this point. You don't think I'd take on that criminal regime without protecting myself do you? I learned that very early in my blogging career. They have also tried other ways to try to intimidate me, but I don't scare easily. I'm also not paranoid. Although I must confess I do like this quote from that other anonymous sage." In Harperland paranoia is a higher state of consciousness." And when I say they're going to prison, I'm not kidding... ;)
Deletehi Noah...it's a strange feeling isn't it. On the one hand you're glad to be vindicated, on the other you wish you weren't. But yes, they are a criminal regime, within a criminal conspiracy, and Canadians have been sitting in that pot and slowly getting cooked. I can only hope that having lost their lower extremities the pain will wake them up....
DeleteAs we all know, the BC Liberals work for Harper. BC is key for Harper to control. Ex BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell is Harper's favorite henchman. Mind you, Harper is no Conservative nor are the BC Liberals, Liberals. My belief is all of them are of, Harper's fascist dictatorship. BC has vast natural resources that, Harper wants to get his dirty hands on.
ReplyDeleteThe groundwork done by Harper and his henchmen. The CNR sold to the U.S. Campbell's first election lie, the BCR was not for sale. Henchman Campbell lied, thieved and corruptly sold the BCR to the CNR. Gordon Campbell thieved and corruptly sold everything out of BC, he got his dirty hands on. Because BC is very important to Harper to control. Harper and Campbell did a lot of dirty work, behind the BC and Canadians backs. Harper very nearly burst into tears when, Campbell was forced to resign for his second election lie, the HST wasn't on his radar either. Campbell lingered around, to do more dirty work for Harper. Harper then rewarded the evil Campbell the post of, High Commissioner to the U.K. Campbell twice lied and cheated to win his elections, just as his good buddy Harper did. Clueless Christy Clark is, merely Harper's mouth piece. She too is accused of cheating to win as well.
Both the evil Harper and the evil Gordon Campbell attended Bilderberg meetings. They were likely chosen, as the two evils that were vile sociopaths, evil enough to destroy Canada.
Two Americans Wenzel and Parker, directly participated in two Conservative campaigns. Front Porch Strategies were accused of, the robo-calls that came out of the U.S. Harper's election Majority was rigged so, they could get the NAU on the way.
Big business is pushing for the NAU. They only want one single government to deal with, rather than three. They are also demanding a, huge cheap labor pool, which they would have with the merge of the three countries. Meanwhile, Harper has brought over thousands of foreigners for big business to exploit. They are paid half of Canadian wages. Canadians are being laid off their resource jobs, being replaced by Harper's cheap foreigners.
The three Amigo's are having another meeting very shortly. Harper has been very sneaky as usual. He is working on the TPP, which is another Corporate give-a-way. They will also discuss the NAU.
If Harper could manage it? There wouldn't be a next election. If not? He has all his ducks in a row, to cheat to win the next election. The Fair Election Act, how disgusting is that? They may as well have stuck with Harper's robo-call scam, they used the last election. Elections Canada can not look out for democracy in elections anymore. Harper has lined up his, judges, courts and the Police. He controls all.
As we all know? We have American Police operating in Canada, exempt from Canada's laws. Not that Harper cares about Canadian laws. He has broken most of our laws. Obama has been hammering out a Health Care Plan similar to Canada's. Our Health Care will likely be slashed. Harper encouraged Canadians to shop across the border. He even nicely made it easier to, even bring more goods over. Flaherty is now, going to bring Canada's cost of living, in line with the US cost of living.
Don't know for sure of course. However, I smell NAU big fat rats.
All the Cons are partisans, but is there anyone who is more HYPER-PARTISAN as Pierre Poilievre, Minister of State (Democratic Reform).
ReplyDeleteThat his ministry is called "Democratic" reform has about as much truth as saying Leona Aglukkaq is the Minister of the "Environment".
In the Con mindset, 2 + 2 does equal 5.
hi David...It's hard to say who is the most hyper-partisan Con, but the dick head Poilievre is definitely a contender for that title. He's a professional politician, a Reform groupie, he once dated the Con attack hog Jenni Byrne, so what do you expect? I have been extremely amused to see that since Parliament returned he's been trying to subdue his predatory instincts, but happily that won't last... ;)
DeleteI agree with you on almost every point, but they have almost 2 years left in their mandate and the damage that they can do going forward may well take DECADES to undo. They have already disposed of almost 100 years of scientific research and documentation, allowed a huge industry in their own backyard of Alberta pollute the land and water to the point where much of it is unusable by humans. They govern by greed, pettiness, exclusion and are now attempting to govern by fear and dishonesty. They have been caught cheating in 3 elections, but where is the accountability? And they are currently spending untold thousands of dollars to try to turn the popular vote against Justin Trudeau using half truths and outright lies. It goes on and on and won't stop until they are removed from office! I fear for the future of this country under their continued leadership.
ReplyDeletehi Richard....I don't disagree with you, they are a criminal regime, and the damage they have done will take a long time to repair. But in a war like this one it's important to stay optimistic and look at the big picture. And that picture tells me that although the field is covered in bodies, they are the ones who are bleeding now. Harper has taken advantage of the good nature of Canadians, but they are waking up, he is the most detested Prime Minister in modern Canadian history, and sooner or later the chickens, or in his case the bats, will come home to roost. ...
DeleteHow DO we fight? What can we do?!! Signing petitions has not helped, nor has sharing on Facebook! You want to fight them and so do I and thousands of others but we don't know what to do. Those of us who oppose him are like sheep without a shepherd. There's no one to lead us. Where do we go from here? We know that the country is being destroyed and we stand helpless and watch it happen. Is there anything more frustrating! I know that there are tons of Canadians who don't even know what's happening to our country. Too many people don't bother to vote because they say that it's useless, that whoever wins will just end up doing what they want anyways. How does one deal with people like that? Their votes are so important. They are probably the ones who put Stephen Harper in power because they did not go out and vote against him, therefore making their vote count. Nevertheless, we need to remain positive in the face of this dilemma. Perhaps dissension and strife will arise among the Cons. The way I see it, Stephen Harper is destroying the party. Voters are starting to turn against him. In that sense, time is on our side. Perhaps more of the population will turn against him. We can hope!
ReplyDeletehi anon..you outline the problem brilliantly, and it is a depressing situation. I'm hoping that our progressive parties will take the lead in creating a movement or that failing that the unions will. But by simply writing that comment, or sharing your views with your friends and neighbours, you are taking a stand and helping spread the message. And most importantly you recognize that we must remain positive. At this point time is finally on our side, and if we work extraordinarily hard to turn out the vote, we will destroy him and and his filthy regime. One thing we need to do is boil all of this down into a simple message an I'll have more on that soon...
DeleteSimon, you have hit the nail on the head. A "simple message" for the people! Simplicity is the key here! People have time to read a simple message! They come home from work tired after a long day, many of them spend all day on a computer, and they need to rest. So a "simple message" they will have time for. The right word placed in the right place can move mountains in people's minds. Words are so powerful and they can have such a huge impact. I look forward to reading what else you have to say on this. Thank you for being there. Do you know that you're like a light in the dark? I'm so grateful that I found your blog!
Deletehi anon 12:06...Thank you for your kind words. And yes it t does have to be a simple message that sums up the evil of the Cons and our hopes for something better. Unless it is simple and powerful it won't cut through the clutter of our modern society. As I said above, I hope I'll have some video examples soon. But in the meantime I encourage you and others to come up with your own simple messages. Try thinking of one that can be expressed in about thirty seconds, and I'll gather them so we can discuss them, and I'll take the ones we like the most and put pictures and music to them. We need to be able to convince those who are still fooled by the Cons that they have made a terrible mistake. But the good news is that with every passing day our job is only getting easier...
DeleteHi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI have been enjoying you since you started at the Star. You used to make peoples heads explode regularly. You have tossed a few bombs lately, but I like to see things blow up real good regularly. In the mass market I cant think of any people aside from Thomas Walkom, Linda McQuaig and yourself who dare point out the emperor has no clothes. To his credit Christopher Hume does a good job on the clown prince.
Another example. if you watch the morning Network Shows, and the evening news. ABC is Diane Sawyer soft and cuddly morning to night, where as Nora O'Donnell has an edge in the morning and the evening news still has at least ten minutes of hard news, although half that is a promo for sixty minutes. Nevertheless in the USA it might as well be called the wall street news.
The reason Harper has not been frogged marched out of Parliament is that the mainstream media are bootlickers. An echo chamber of spin that means 30% of the population never has to think critically. Will you ever see a progressive assassination like Rex Murphy does for the Conservatives Daily? The SUN and the POST might as well be working for the PMO. Although Andrew Coynee is testing the ice. CTV question period should be renamed Conservative Apology Hour.
I am 55 years old and hate what Harper is intentionally with great skill and cunning doing to Canada. He is making it like an American Republic. He is importing all the Frank Luntz lizard brain Pavlovian tricks that serve so well south of the border. Last week alone he made Mulroney blush at least three times, the Temporary workers for the Oil sands, the oxy moronic Orwellian Fair Elections act, and sending the CRA out to eliminate environmental charities. How about the Fraser Fascists and Manning Center for vote suppression Mr Harper?
The RCMP, Bank of Canada, CBC and now the CRA seem to be no longer independent institutions, this is so dangerous. When you disable a countries shock absorbers, get ready for a big crash. The tar sands is a KGB style exploitation selling out for pennies on the dollar. The Canadian economy under Harper has gone from a big girl value added economy with about 35% of activity upstream, to a 17th century hewer and carting nation having just 17% intelligent activity.
I would like to see you write a definite column documenting how Harper is Republicizing Canada, and how he is doing it. That would be great big girl to me.
Or you could just write about food objects that look like famous people.:)
( have known he was evil from the first minute. I told my neighbour he looked like Hitler. She frowned at me as though she thought I was crazy. What I really meant was that he had something of Hitler about him. I was right all along and I knew it. That's why I have loved your blog all these years. I knew you were right.
ReplyDeletehi anon...He really is evil isn't he? I knew we were in trouble when the first thing he did when he came to power was order his minions to erase the words "women's equality" from every document of the Status of Women. It stunned me and made me realize that this was a hard-right government like this country had never seen before. Then we went on to kill a national daycare program for no good reason, and I realized that a man who would target women AND children right off the bat wasn't just bad he was evil. And lordy he sure has lived up to our worst nightmares hasn't he? But as I like to tell everybody, the day him and his un-Canadian Con gang are defeated will be one of the greatest days of our lives. I hope you're prepared to party for DAYS, because I certainly am... ;)
DeleteIf you watch the CBC documentaries on Putin and politics in Russia and then dig out your history books and look at the rise of hitler, you will see how Canada may well turn out if harper, oil cann stevie, continues to control the government. He is doing its slowly, slowly, slowly. he started by de funding womens' groups and just continued on. e'ven the attacks on the Veterans and 11 suicides of members of the military in the past two months has changed anything, nor has their been a sustained attack on harper for all of these things. So we get the government we deserve. if you don't like what is happening and harper is re elected it might be better if you started looking for another country. this one might be finished, as we knew it.
ReplyDeletehi e.a.f... I don't know what I'll do if the Harperites are re-elected. I have thought about moving to Scotland to help them build the kind of kinder, gentler society that we want here. But the truth is I love this country to much to abandon it to those Con beasts, so whatever happens I will stay on and fight them. And although I have some days when I despair, I remain convinced of the strength and goodness of the Canadian people so I know that if we are strong and smart we can defeat them in the next election...
Deletethe current changes being made are to ensure oil can stevie doesn't loose the next election. with more and more control over the government, how we vote, how things are run, will make it increasingly difficult to unseat oil can stevie.
DeleteOf interest is thecullenreport.blogspot.ca
ReplyDelete