Sunday, November 02, 2014

Harper's War: Will the Fear Factor Trigger an Early Election?



Well there he was at the funeral of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, the humble soldier who served his country so long and so well.

And where his sister tried to rescue some humanity from her brother's senseless death with this moving message. 

“Patrice’s message is to go home tonight, look at those who contribute to your happiness, to your life, and have gratitude for the love they give you, for the help they give you,” she said. 

“And he would tell you also ‘Love them, share with them your help in the way you can.’ And this was what Patrice was doing, trying to be a better man every day of his life. .

Only to have Stephen Harper ruin the uplifting mood with a snarling message of his own.

“Someone dear to you has been taken away by the revolting actions of a person motivated by a barbaric ideology, an ideology contrary to the values of justice, freedom and compassion that we share as Canadians.”

Trying to convince Canadians that ISIS terrorists are attacking us, and that only he, a Great Warrior Leader, a soldier's best friend, can save us.



Even though Patrice Vincent helped injured soldiers and veterans, who the Cons have betrayed so miserably, so I doubt he was Harper's friend.

Even though Harper is the last person in Canada who should talk about "justice, freedom and compassion." 

When he has violated all those values so savagely.

And even though the man who killed Vincent, like the one who killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo in Ottawa, was not an ISIS or Islamic terrorist, he was a homegrown madman. 



It may be tempting for some to blame Islam for Couture-Rouleau’s conversion from beer-drinking average Joe to kaffiyeh-draped murderer. Yet fundamentally he was a single and singularly troubled human whose apparent knowledge of his adopted religion amounted to bumper-sticker praises of Islam on Facebook.

Martin Couture-Rouleau was a textbook lone wolf—a man with a big mouth and nothing to lose.


But then of course we know what Harper is trying to do; trying to justify his war, inflame patriotic emotions, and scare people into voting for him.

And so far the Fear Factor seems to be working.

The impacts of the tragic deaths of two Canadian soldiers appear to be affecting the political landscape in a highly significant fashion. While not entirely unexpected, the clarity and significance of the effects may be altering the political calculus around an early election.

It's boosting Harper's numbers...



The race has tightened significantly with the Liberal lead now cut in half and the Conservative Party now clearly ahead of the NDP. While his approval rating remains mired below 30 points, Mr. Harper has seen some softening of his disapproval, suggesting that some of those sitting in the disapproval camp are moving to “not sure”. Mr. Mulcair and Mr. Trudeau, meanwhile, have seen modest declines in their approval numbers.

It's making more Canadians put security ahead of civil liberties...



Stampeding them into the hands of those who would turn us into a police state.

And of course, as EKOS suggests, it's increasing the chances of an early election.

Because Harper must surely know that this mix of emotion, anxiety, and war fever won't last. The Fear Factor will fade just like it did after the 9/11 attack.

Canadians will understand that those soldiers were killed by madmen not real terrorists.

War fever will also fade as more Canadians come to realize the futility of the bombing campaign.

And the even better news is that even if Harper is sorely tempted to strike soon, he will find it very hard to justify an early election. 

As long as his job approval ratings remain so low...



Because any advantage he could get by going sooner rather than later, would be demolished by the fact that so many Canadians don't trust his motives.

But all of this does show that we live in dangerous times, that fear is the enemy. And that the opposition will have to be careful not to fall into a trap and give Harper an excuse to call an election.

While reminding Canadians that by joining in a bombing campaign Great Strong Leader has made our lives more dangerous, as the British government is reminding its citizens. 

Britons travelling abroad are being warned that they could be targeted by extremists seeking revenge for UK air strikes against Islamic State (Isis).

Not safer as he would pretend...



As I've said before, I think that Harper's sordid record and the desire for change will in the end seal his fate.

But in a time of war.

No beast is more dangerous...

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9 comments:

thwap said...

Just keep hammering home that Mister "Great War on Terror" harper hid in a closet when the chips were down. Gutless, hypocritical coward.

Omar said...

Harper knows his hiding in the closet is not good for him. It's why he apologized to his caucus members for having done it. Harper the loud mouth, Harper the bully, Harper the coward. When the chips were down 'he couldn't take a hit'. THAT hockey analogy is something *every* Canadian knows and understands. Not a leader. Not worthy of 'wearing the 'C'.

Morlock said...

Read chapter 2 of the Qu'ran and you'll know why Canadians are radicalizing.

It's a warning against the Reformers who come to corrupt the Earth.

Anonymous said...

Somebody needs to come up with the pics of harpie and/or baird in his own uniform getting the Victoria Cross or the 'murkan C.M.H. for his unwavering heroism in his military service to Canada or the 'murkans or wherever he served under live fire. harpie must surely have had a great reason to dive into the broom closet when the shooting started. Maybe he had his gold plated Uzi in there that nuttyahoo gave him as an engagement gift.
That'll show all us yammering lefties what kind of a real hero harpie and his houseboy baird really are by gawd!!!

rumleyfips said...

There's lots of potential problems on the horizon for our little leader. His new military robes may not be enough to cover the slime.

Canadians will have a hard time forgetting Deano if he refuses to go quietly and can't be bought off.

Military, ex-military and family members are organising to oppose little Stevie.

Jason Kenny senses blood and has picked up a dagger.

The icebreaker failure will escalate and the F35 fiasco will become a metaphor for lack of leadership.

Low oil prices could send a wave of unemployed economic migrants out of Alberta in a bad mood.

With a myriad of sink holes ahead polls could lead the careless to a mistake.

Anonymous said...

How can people be so blind? Harper sold Canada to Communist China as of, Oct 1/2014. Harper and Jason Kenny are bringing over cheap foreign labor. They just added Romania and Bulgaria, to their list of cheap labor. Climate change has become a huge issue and becoming worse each and every day. However Harper's resource barons, are bottomless pits of greed. They demand the cheap foreign labor to exploit. They line up at the trough and squeal for more money.....Harper gives them another $60 billion in tax reductions. Harper thieves from us, to give to them. The resource barons, don't believe in climate change either. Harper and his resource barons will use every dirty tactic in the book, to keep right on polluting.

It is now obvious, Harper cheated to win the election. Harper is also a traitor doing acts of treason, selling Canada to Communist China.

e.a.f. said...

P.M. "lets go to war and kill'em all, but I hide in the closet" harper, is a coward. The economy is not improving. those ships the federal government were to build, well out here in B.C., they haven't even ordered the steel, so we know that isn't going to happen.

if harper is smart he will call the election prior to Duffy's trial and use the proposed legislation as his "centre" piece for the election. Of course, there will be those who trot out the he hide in the closet, yet sends Canadians to war.

When oil drops to $85 a barrel no one is making money. Companies will close up until better times. LNG, won't make any money, because as oil drops in price so does gas. That does not bode well for b.c. where the premier, ms. photo op is banking on it. If all those B.C. workers have to come home from Alberta; B/C. will look like a waste land. There is no industry left, to speak of, its just service industry stuff. Wages are low. B.C. has a projected deficit of $60 to $100 BILLION, so if the oil business tanks, B.C. won't be voting for harper and his herd. They will want any social programs there are to be had and that doesn't come with voting con.

The Del Mastro "factor" may or may not play a part in things. It depends upon if he remains in Parliament. We still haven't heard the last of the audits from the senate. If things do not improve economically in Canada, people may not care about harper and his terrorist scenarios. Their terror is unemployment, no income, no hope.

Unknown said...

" Someone dear to you has been taken away by the revolting actions of a person motivated by a barbaric idealogue contrary to the values justice, freedom and compassion that we share as Canadians" Harper is that person he just described.

e.a.f. said...

Pamela MacNeil, that is a great line! Thank you.