Stephen Harper and the Neoliberal Conspiracy

If you ever wonder how we could end up living in a world where the richest 80 people on Earth are now as wealthy as the 3.5 billion poorest people.

Or wonder why the top ten percent in Canada are wealthier than the rest of us.

Or wonder how the sinister ideologue Stephen Harper has managed to change this country so much.

Here's an excerpt from Donald Gutstein's excellent new book: Harperism: How Stephen Harper and his Think Tank Colleagues Have Transformed Canada.

And welcome to Steve's World and the neoliberal conspiracy. 

The combined firepower of neoliberal think tanks over forty years has reshaped the Canadian climate of ideas to such an extent that it will take years — perhaps decades — for those views to change again. On top of these ideological underpinnings, Harper has fundamentally modified the relationship between state and society.

The theme is simple: we must remove obstacles to the attainment of a state governed, not by duly elected officials, but by market transactions, because the market and economic freedom are more fundamental than democracy and political freedom.

Where you get to understand the nature and size of the monstrous machine we must fight. And understand why Harper's insane obsession with balancing the budget, is just a cover for so much more.

Harperism is more than fiscal conservatism. While he’s cut government’s ability to look after its citizens, Harper has inched forward in his quest to remove obstacles to the market state: replacing scientific understanding of the environment with market signals, weakening the role of trade unions in the labour market, bringing private property rights to First Nation reserves, and undermining the effectiveness of non-profit organizations critical of business and the market. The opposition parties may not even be aware of the extent to which the changed climate of ideas will constrain their actions.

And if you wonder what the followers of the Church of Savage Capitalism Triumphant have done to us with all their grubby "free trade" deals. Or where all the good jobs have gone.

You can watch this new video from Operation Maple...



And what I take from all of the above, are just more reasons why we need to build a mighty progressive movement, to fight for our vision of a more equal and better world.

Because a movement not only helps defeat the enemy, it can also force the progressive parties to stand for real change. 

For there will be real change or there will be REVOLUTION.

And a movement is a first step in that direction.

I saw its potential in Scotland last summer, I saw it in some Occupy places, I saw it in the streets of Montreal...



And it was AWESOME.

So we should take that first step too.

Start a Great Stop Harper Movement, even if for now that just means putting one of these stop signs in your window.



To let people know how we feel about the Con regime and its depraved leader, its monstrous accomplices, and its foul ideology.

And tell Canada and the world that we're coming to help save them.

By fighting harder than we ever have.

To get that crazy Con monkey off our backs...



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