Stephen Harper and the Slogan from Hell

Yesterday I wrote about how Stephen Harper is invoking a clause in the anti-terror act to try to prevent a court from revealing his family's secrets, in a case brought by a former RCMP officer.

And today the Judge in that case reserved her decision. 

But that's not the only secret Harper is trying to conceal. 

He also doesn't want us to know how the Cons came up with the slogan they are now bombarding us with: "Strong, Proud, Free."

Strong. Proud. Free. And a state secret. The genesis of the Harper government's "Strong Proud Free" slogan that is currently bombarding Canadian television viewers is considered a cabinet confidence and will be sealed from public scrutiny for 20 years.

A request by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act seeking any background rationale for the tagline, which is being used to punctuate all the latest taxpayer-funded advertising, has come up empty.

And with good reason, because it is just his latest attempt to brainwash us with our own money. The invoking of cabinet confidentiality is absurd. 

"Using cabinet confidentiality on something that should be so benign is ridiculous," said Mathieu Ravignat, the NDP Treasury Board critic. "They've been caught using a partisan tagline and they're hiding behind cabinet confidentiality to avoid the political fallout."

And it is the shameless slogan from hell, more American than Canadian, and the slogan of a police state.

One that nobody can escape because it is EVERYWHERE... 



From Stephen Harper's speeches, to the porky propaganda ads now running during the playoffs. Every government department has been commanded to repeat it.

You hear it on the radio, you see it on signs, it's all over the internet.

And even Environment Canada's weather page directs you to this Canadian Force's ad on Harper's propaganda channel...



Which by also echoing that slogan, subliminally and otherwise, makes our Canadian Forces look and sound like Harper's Army.

It is a deliberate attempt to use government money to promote the message of a political party, which in itself is an affront to democracy.

And of course what makes it even worse, is that the slogan couldn't be more fraudulent or more Orwellian. Because in this foul Harperland we are neither strong, nor free, nor proud.

Not strong because Stephen Harper's economic policies are leading us to disaster...



Despite what he might try to brainwash us into believing. 

Not free when his Cons are trying to turn us into a police state with their totalitarian Bill C-51...



And definitely not proud. For how can we be proud of a country that Harper and his political thugs have turned into a pariah nation in the eyes of the world? 

A belligerent petro state with a government that is doing nothing to fight climate change, the greatest threat we face.

But is prepared to send troops to Ukraine, to train neo-nazis.

The Canadian government is confident that troops from Petawawa won’t end up instructing Neo Nazis and far right extremists when they begin their training mission in Ukraine this summer, but a former diplomat is warning it will be difficult to weed out such extremists as their militia units are now being integrated into Ukraine’s regular forces.

Even if it increases the threat of that other great threat, nuclear war.

For the sole reason of pandering to the Ukrainian-Canadian vote...



Just like Stephen Harper pandered to the Indo-Canadian community this week, by following Narendra Modi across Canada like a convert or a groupie...



Even though Modi is a Hindu extremist who has been accused of enabling mass murder, and whose supporters are persecuting Christians, Muslims and other religious minorities in India.

And to be proud of all of the above, you'd have to give up on the idea of Canada. And wallow in the gutter with Harper and his Cons, who are clearly showing that they will do ANYTHING to try to snatch themselves another bloody majority.

And the good news? 

Polls show that the more Canadians are bombarded with those porky action ads the more they hate them...



And judging from the reaction I'm seeing every time one of those ads is played, they are going down like a lead balloon with hockey crowd. 

So we can use that slogan against them in the coming election. We can portray it as hollow and Orwellian. Contrast its boasts, with the grim reality, while at the same exposing the Harperites as nothing more than shabby Con artists. 

And in the meantime we can stand up to Great Ugly Leader's plans to turn us into a police state by attending demonstrations like these today.



For every act of resistance counts.

And of course, most of all, we can join forces and fight for the day when we will be truly strong, proud, and free again.

The day when the truth will replace the Big Lie, and decency will replace bestiality.

The day we defeat the monstrous Harper regime.

And take our country back....



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