Wednesday 28 July 2010

The systemic erosion of democracy (more)

This is how it starts. A narcissistic sociopath takes control of a political party and proclaims: "We can create a country built on solid Conservative values [...] the kind of country I want to lead." Here are a few more quotes:

"Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed."

"Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs."

"The writer is the engineer of the human soul."

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas."

"Print is the sharpest and the strongest weapon of our party."

"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
The first pronouncement is from Stephen Joseph Harper. The rest are from Joseph Stalin.

Notwithstanding his tactical deployment of tricks perfected by contemporary Republican operatives, Stevie Spiteful's strategy is eerily similar to Stalin's view.

Of the Stalinist regime, Alexander Solzhenitsyn said: "In our country the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State."

Yesterday's display in Parliamentary committee of the contempt which Harper and his thugs have for Canadians is breath-taking. Tony Clement reprised his Attack Parrot™© role, but it was Stockwell Day who cranked it up to a new level of sheer political chutzpah with this:
“Do you think it is right that you can threaten your neighbour with jail time if she doesn’t tell you if she has mental issues or not?” he wrote. “Or who does what chores in the house? Or whether she is a Jew or not? Don't you find that one even a little bit chilling?”
What I find chilling is the sustained campaign of propaganda and disinformation Stevie Spiteful's PMO has waged on every issue it has shoved down the throat of the electorate since the ReformaTories formed their first minority government in 2006.

And as the continuing debacle over the G-8/G-20 demontrates, the Cons' electoral promise of transparence and accountability in government is nothing more than a typical Con job.

The only obstacle to a Canada controlled by Harper's steel fist and administered by his cowering cadre of lying bullies is a purposeful response by Canadian voters.

More crumbling away: Who needs to get nasty feedback or pesky facts entered into the public record?

Federal civil servants won't get to fill out a workplace survey this year because the Conservative government has axed it. [...]

A Statistics Canada official broke the news to colleagues last month in an email obtained by The Canadian Press. "I regret to inform you that plans for the 2010 Public Service Employee Survey are cancelled," Geoff Bowlby, head of the agency's labour statistics division, wrote on June 2. "We received notice from Treasury Board secretariat yesterday evening that funding for the project was not approved for this year. [...]

Neither Treasury Board President Stockwell Day nor his department were immediately able to say how much the survey cost. The government solicits voluntary feedback from its workers every three years to improve programs and services. The survey gives a snapshot of workers' demographics, skills, career expectations and concerns.



ADDED by fern hill: A plug for the Facebook group, Canadians Rallying to Unseat Stephen Harper, which today passed the 5,000 member mark. We've been raising money and placing newspaper ads to raise awareness of just this issue. Totally grassroots, volunteer. Check it out.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"a purposeful response by Canadian voters".

Well I think those of us who care deeply, a minority of Canadians that feels as if it is shrinking even more, is what we are thinking deeply about. No more party politics, whoever has the best chance of beating the thugs will get my vote. And that just feels so wrong, because I'm not sure what we're trading. Given our lousy choices of the top 2 parties, I want to see something that I actually value and treasure. But nobody is getting any volunteer hours from me. They put me in this position, they can bloody well own it. Of course in the ballot box I can still change my mind, my perogative.

Anonymous said...

Word has it from some of his old U of C'ers Harper was obsesses with Stalin in university so why should this come as a surprise. Harper is a good student and understudy of this man he's had an obsession with for years. The lessons are clear. He is out to destroy Canada like some sick game to see how far he can take Canada down a dark path before they wake up from their apathy and or trust in government.

He is a very sick sociopath.

Anonymous said...

And they've just axed the questions about unpaid work in the Census. I hate this government!!

Beijing York said...

dBO, you really did find a spectacular photo - it captures his contempt and arrogance perfectly.

deBeauxOs said...

eh. That pic was not taken by Stevie's State Photographer.

Wall Flower Studio said...

I'm jumping on your bandwagon as what you've written here, and most eloquently, are things that have been going through my mind for some time. Sadly, Fascism is alive and well in Canada. Happily, people are beginning to wake up to that fact.

Anonymous said...

Stalin and Goebells too! Check out http://harpercrusade.blogspot.com/2010/07/we-are-at-war-and-we-must-mobilize-our.html

Read them all, I especially liked Politics of Fear because Edie gave us Lennon's Revolution to listen to.

Anonymous said...

Karen! I love your work, absolutely LOVE IT!
And I am so envious you live in Haliburton (waah!)
My gramps had a cottage just outside @ Eagle Lake, man do I miss that. There was a gorgeous glacier fed spring water hole in between the two, wish I could remember where.

Hey dB and fern, sorry for the Drift :]

Wall Flower Studio said...

Thank you, Toe! That's very kind of you!(Big Grin!)Eagle Lake is a beautiful. We're a little closer to Minden, but when we were moving up from Toronto, we looked at houses over there. If you get a chance, come on up!
Sorry to go off topic. Great blog. These issues need to be addressed, and quite frankly, I'm grateful to know I'm not alone in my feelings about our current gov.

Anonymous said...

Hey Karen, check out Bread n Roses @ http://breadnroses.ca/community/index.php where I hang out. You may or may not like it, but you can go see. And uh, oh, btw, if that TOAD is a Tree Fog, I'll eat my toque. Just sayin'

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