Saturday, February 21, 2015

Stephen Harper and the Big Freeze



His icy contempt for Parliament couldn't be more obvious.

Despite hailing new anti-terror legislation as fundamental to the fight against “the most dangerous enemies our world has ever faced,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not attend either of two days of debate on the bill in the House of Commons this week.

Or maybe he's just confident he's done enough for now to scare Canadians into supporting his fascist bill. 

Because he knows Tom Mulcair can't stop him...



Patrick Corrigan/Toronto Star

No matter how bravely he tries.

But what must be driving Stephen Harper crazy or crazier, is that his monstrous march to a another bloody majority, appears to be stalled, or in a deep freeze.

The only thing hot about Canada right now is the dead heat capturing the political landscape. There are some movements, but they are more of the twitch variety than structural movements. At the fringes, the electorate seems to be lurching around like a drunken monkey, but the new normal of a deadlocked Conservative/Liberal race seems to be a stable undercurrent. 

The Conservatives and Liberals are in a statistical tie at thirty two points each, with the NDP trailing at 18.

Many Canadians may support the war and his foul anti-terrorist bill, but that doesn't mean they support him.

He's not getting any bangs for his bucks. Or votes for his bills and his bombs.

And unless Harper is unable to provoke a terrorist attack on Canada before the next election...



Which is a risky strategy as Paul Wells pointed out the other day:

Security is a risky basis for an election campaign. If you say, "It's a dangerous world, and we need a competent government," it's very easy for you to seem to be saying, "I would sure like the world to do something dangerous right now, because I need to win an election here." That was a problem with the soldiers-in-cities ad the Martin Liberals failed to quash in 2006. The economy is safer: We're boring and managerial, the other guys are drunken sailors, vote for us. I expected Harper to play it safe.

The focus will sooner or later return to the economy. Where the Cons are extremely vulnerable... 



And Harper and his hapless stooge Joe Oliver are just babbling as the economy slowly collapses. 

Annual economic growth has fallen in every single year since 2010. Forecasters, including the Bank of Canada, are lowering their growth forecasts for 2015 to below 2 per cent, a far cry from the almost 2.5 per cent they were forecasting only a few months ago. The Canadian economy is in a deep freeze, and the only thing Oliver and Prime Minister Harper can think to do is more of what they’ve done: cut spending.

The unemployment rate is stuck between 6.5 and 7 per cent. The labour force participation rate is at its lowest level since 2002. In January, the increase in employment was due primarily to part-time and self-employment. Full-time employment actually fell. And we can expect things to get worse in the coming months, as we begin to see the direct impact of falling oil prices on employment.


In fact Oily Joe is so out of it, he's not only lost the surplus, he's forgetting to pay his hotel bills.



Or getting involved in a frightful scandal with no less than Guy Giorno.

Even as Dean Del Mastro pleads screams for help...



And the Mike Duffy trial is now just over a month away.

Which explains why Harper would rather talk about other things, and why his propaganda team is trying to make it look like he's still heading for victory.

Instead of being frozen solid, like most people in this country.

By speeding up Great Leader himself in this latest video...



And all I can say is I prefer my version eh?



Yup. He's running hard and getting nowhere. The war will not save him.

His record of corruption and incompetence will catch up with him.

It may appear like a horror story right now.


But it will have a happy ending...

Please click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.

19 comments:

  1. Simon your stating that many Canadians may support the war and Harper C-51 bill, but that doesn't mean they will vote for him is a really good point. One I hadn't made myself. I thought their support meant a vote for Harper. Not so. Now I feel better.

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    1. hi Pamela...some of those who support the bill are now supporting him, but most who support the bill are not. For if they did he would be heading for a crushing majority, and so far there are no signs of that. Fear is fighting hope, but hope still lives....

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  2. A $ 50 million "multi-cultural mosque" to be built in Fort MacMurray! WOW! Makes you wonder where all the money is coming from?

    2015 .........recession in both Alberta and Newfoundland........????????????????????

    and the list goes on and on and on!

    Now going out to enjoy the sunshine........have a great weekend EVERYONE!

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    Replies
    1. hi Kathleen...a super mosque in Fort MacMurray? Hmmm let me guess. Surely the money must come from Harper's friends in Saudi Arabia. You know the terrorist enablers and fellow oil pimps. Have a great weekend...

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  3. Anonymous11:27 AM

    The second video should win an Oscar for best sound and screamplay in an International short - very funny.

    Harper is all about staying in control. Every photo-op is for a vote. He cannot appear in public without the flag flying (it is the flag of Canada and all its citizens not the copyright flag of the Harper Government) all very manipulative and narcissistic. I don't think he can eat a donut and drink a coffee without wearing Canadiana/military bomber jacket etc. and have Canada's flag waiving in the background. Were those snowmobiles that escorted PM his anti-terror security detail? This PMO video reminds me of his Titanic-op of Harper searching for the Franklin and also his Artic sharp-shooting footage. All costly vignettes attempting to show a more appealing leader. Who pays for all of this scripted imaging? If the CPC and PMO pays or the Canadian Government pays ultimately this is a costly propaganda exercise all Canadians have paid for. Not democracy. Harper is often more Putin than Putin - kind of ironic.

    Bill

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    Replies
    1. hi Bill...thank you I'm glad you enjoyed my little video. I quite enjoyed making it, although since I threw it together in about ten minutes, as usual, I'm always left wishing I would have taken more time to refine it a little more. I had some great fart sounds lined up, bust somehow I forgot to use them. ;)
      And you're right, as far as I can see Harper has given up governing, everything is a campaign photo-op and it's all about security. I do believe all those other snowmobiles behind him were his security detail, who I have seen up close several times and resemble the entourage of a Banana Republic dictator. And yes, all that propaganda is paid for by you and me. He really is trying to brainwash us with our own money...

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  4. As part of Harper's over-controlled messaging, I'm wondering how long before he and his Harpercons start referring to opposition members of Parliament as the "home-grown radicalized jihadist-loving opposition".

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    Replies
    1. hi David...well you won't have to wait long. He is already describing the opposition as soft on terrorism, and when you put all the names he uses together it does read very much like that sentence you wrote. This is going to be there filthiest and craziest election campaign this country has ever seen...

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  5. Would any of you really be surprised if during the election campaign the RCMP announce the arrests of some "radicalized Muslim youth" brought in for questioning? Youth that are not charged with any crime, but had been watched by the RCMP for months, or even years. I would question the timing of such arrests, wouldn't you? To try to scare Canadians into voting Con on the eve of the election? Naw, that could never happen. 8-)

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    Replies
    1. hi david...that has already happened with a recent arrest. I can't recall the case right now, but many have questioned why the person in question was dragged before the cameras, when the case had been dormant for two years, and the suspect was collaborating with police. And yes we can expect all kinds of surprises in the weeks leading up to the election...

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  6. Harper was a no-show at both days of debate because he felt it was more important to be in Vancouver:

    http://www.theprovince.com/Stephen+Harper+joins+Lunar+Year+celebration+Richmond/10827388/story.html

    *

    Politicians from all parties target the ethic voter and Harper is no exception. But in Harper's case, he blatantly curries favour with the Chinese-Canadian media eg. the Fairchild Group

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Group

    Read chapter 4 (Replacing the Media) in the recently published "Kill the Messengers" by Mark Bourrie.

    https://twitter.com/isotelusrex

    Kill The Messengers: Stephen Harper's Assault on Your Right to Know
    by Mark Bourrie (2015)

    http://www.amazon.ca/Kill-Messengers-Mark-Bourrie/dp/1443431044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423175880

    Listen:

    Mark Bourrie - Kill The Messengers (Feb. 5)
    https://soundcloud.com/am1150/mark-bourrie-kill-the-messengers

    ReplyDelete
  7. e.a.f.10:48 PM

    Actually the "great economist" was in B.C. once again proving he isn't an economist at all. he's the good guy looly pop, handing out freebies for foreign corporations. You see the "sparkle pony/photo-op" queen, also know as Premier Christy Clark has a lot at stake with LNG. She promised us we would make trillions and have 100s of thousands of jobs except nothing has happened. So "great warrior" stevie has ridden to the rescue and said he will lower royalties even further if foreign corporations will just come and buy Christy's gas, LNG. That is why hide in the closet was in B.C. Giving away Canadian tax dollars to foreign corporations while cutting services to Canadian Veterans. Greater Vancouver does have a huge mainland Chinese population, but not all of them vote, not all of them live in their homes, not all of them are Conservative. Stevie's just trying to save Christy, just like he "saved" el gordo.

    Speaking of ice, perhaps P.M. harper could go back to the Artic, find a nice chunk of ice and sit on it until he freezes to death. at this time he is of no use to this country. Him freezing to death would be better than the rest of us perhaps being burned to death by pollution, exploding tankers and pipelines.

    Yes, I'm sure "warrior" leader would love something like some jihadists to fire off a few rounds. But really, he in my opinion, is the great jihadist. As I understand it, jihadists create terror and Stephen Harper has created more terror in Canada than any prime minister in the 1900s or 2000s. He sends people to war, then terrorises them by not providing adequate care upon their return. He says 1,200 murdered Canadian women are not "on his radar". For the rest of us that means there are anywhere from 300 to 600 murderers walking the streets of this country and that is terrorising, especially if you are female.

    Mr. dress up likes to wear armed forces type jackets but the guy hides in a closet when guns are fired and hasn't spent a day in the military. Let him try serving in the military for awhile and then he can come back and talk to us about war, if he survives and isn't suffering from PTSD.

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    1. hi e.a.f....yes I see your province has been blessed by Great Leader, which of course I celebrate for it takes him as far away from me as is humanly possible. ;)
      But yes, it's ironic that he should now be consumed with terrorism, since as you point out, nobody has done so much to terrorize this country and assault its democratic values as he has...

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    2. Anonymous10:38 PM

      EAF sad but true Steve is a coward that is why he cloaks himself with "Security" um me personally have had enough of that school-room chicken shit hide in the closet bully named Stephen Joesph Harper. He better not show up on my level playing field because I will kick his Lilllie Ass all the way back to his parents house in the big TO [Toronto Ontario]...

      I said before and am repeating myself here "I with help am suing Stephen Joseph Harper for violating The Canadian Constitution, The Canadian Bill of Rights and Harper's worst nightmare The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."

      Mogs Moglio

      PS: I know I'm being spied on by my own government as well as the USA NSA well you know what fuck them I am not afraid.

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    3. Anonymous10:39 PM

      EAF sad but true Steve is a coward that is why he cloaks himself with "Security" um me personally have had enough of that school-room chicken shit hide in the closet bully named Stephen Joesph Harper. He better not show up on my level playing field because I will kick his Lilllie Ass all the way back to his parents house in the big TO [Toronto Ontario]...

      I said before and am repeating myself here "I with help am suing Stephen Joseph Harper for violating The Canadian Constitution, The Canadian Bill of Rights and Harper's worst nightmare The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."

      Mogs Moglio

      PS: I know I'm being spied on by my own government as well as the USA NSA well you know what fuck them I am not afraid.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous1:05 AM

    Keep on hitting him right in the closet Simon. 95% of Canadians approve your message.

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    Replies
    1. hi anon...thank you I will. I am so tired of that filthy regime, and having to follow its nefarious activities. But I couldn't be indifferent to its crimes, and I console myself by saying that the day he is defeated I'm giving up politics... ;)

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  9. Christy Clark's fudge-it budget....

    The fudge-it budget
    http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_3beb9690-b94e-11e4-8b17-4f9b960341cc.html

    [snip]

    If there is one thing that we cannot predict, it is the future. What crystal ball would the Liberals using? The LNG is a wait-and-see scenario. How far into the future that might be is anybody’s guess.
    The government seems to be counting its money while it is still at the table. Kenny Rogers in the song The Gambler said it best.
    If the train hasn’t reached the station and loaded passengers, how can they figure the destination and predict whether or not it will arrive as planned?
    The budget is supposedly balanced and yet basic costs of essential services go up. Hmm, makes sense, doesn’t it?

    http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/02/18/BC-Budget-2015-Unfair-Tax-Burden/

    http://www.policynote.ca/11-things-you-need-to-know-about-bc-budget-2015/

    ReplyDelete
  10. e.a.f.5:29 PM

    David,
    for a good anaylisis of the budget in B.C. read the Integrity B.C. article about it. it clearly demonstrates the financial situation for families in B.C. are just a bunch of B.S. as "explained" by the "photo-op" queen. Another good place to read about the B.C. Lieberal budget is Northern Insight by Norm Farrell.

    With the increase, once again in B.C. medical premiums the B.C. lieberals have found their own source of funding, the premiums. They take in more in B.C. medical premiums than they do in corporate taxes. premiums are the same whether you make a million a year of $29K a yr and have a family of 4. As always, in B.C. the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

    ReplyDelete