Niccolo Macchiavelli tells it like it is . . .
Turf him!
So, what is the opposition to do?
With Harper’s economic update now before the House of Commons, the opposition caught him red-handed plotting to do them in. He planned to create a one party state by killing off any effective democratic opposition in the government of Canada. He tried to destroy the opposition by depriving it of democracy’s life blood – money.
More significantly, he signaled his intention to impose his long held hard-right views on the nation. His first two steps in dealing with the economic crisis were to freeze the wages of civil servants and take away their right to strike for three years. There was no provision for any stimulus to get people working again or to save jobs.
The update also contained an overriding lie to the Canadian people that Canada would continue to run surpluses.
So now he is on the ropes. If the Grits, ND’s and Bloc get together and convince the Governor General they can govern in a coalition government, the Harper government is toast. In that event, it will be left to the Conservative Party to dispose of their leader’s remains. And dispose of them they will, if the Harper government falls.
Yesterday Harper caved on the party financing portion of the update. But is that enough to ward off a likely-to-succeed Commons defeat of the government and its replacement by a coalition of opposition parties?
The beauty of the situation to the insurrectionists is that they have a perfect overriding public interest issue to advance in convincing Canadians that bringing down the Harper government is the right thing to do. The policy presented by Harper in the update is not only dominated by a big lie, it is not in the least a stimulus to the economy to save and create jobs. The attack on the opposition parties very existence – grubby politics in the minds of many Canadians – does not even have to be mentioned.
So what should the opposition parties do?
They should do him in, that’s what they should do! If he did not destroy the opposition this time around, he is likely to try again through equally devious means. Time and again he has shown that when dealing with political foes or even friends who happen to be in his way, he acts with ruthlessness, meanness and poor judgment. His attempt to bankrupt the opposition parties to destroy parliamentary democracy in Canada is one of those instances.
Furthermore, he has always been ideologically driven by the ideas of people who are largely responsible for the current weakened state of the global economy. He is a deregulation, unrestricted markets, anti-labour, pro-big business, private medicine poster boy. As such, his government would likely prolong the coming of economic recovery rather than hasten it.
It is instructive to remember these words of Niccolo Macchiavelli in The Prince ( a work that no doubt Harper has committed to memory):
". . . men must either be cajoled or crushed; for they will revenge themselves for slight wrongs, while for grave ones they cannot. The injury therefore that you do to a man should be such that you need not fear his revenge."
In Harper's case cajolery won't work.
If the opposition does not take this golden opportunity to give him the boot, it will be a decision that it together with millions of Canadians are likely to regret – big time!
10 comments:
You are certainly right about Mr. Harper's motivation.
It goes farther than just the political parties he is .attacking. He is out for blood, against unions or any workers who do not support his ideology.
This is a fight to the death. Mr. Harper has made some mistakes, and he will not make them again. This will be the only chance to make Mr. Harper a footnote in Canada's history
You got that right Stevie Boy. They better get him now and do him in good. Canada is much better off with him out of the picture. He is a menace.
With respect, Darryl, for an excellent and well-written post - I disagree with Macchiavelli. The reality is that you should never leave a man or especially, a woman, with nothing left to lose. Some people are wolves in sheep's clothing - do them a grave wrong - and they will do whatever it takes to get even.
The reason I emphasized the case of women, is, that the saying "Hell hath no fury" didn't pop out of a vacumn.
That's true. As Bobbie McGee said, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose . . "
But Harper was trying to destroy democratic government as we know it. His penalty must be so severe that he will not try it again. Make no mistake, if he is able to try it again, he will, because he is a true zealot. Therefore he should be rendered politically disabled. The Opposition does that by defeating him, forming a coalition government, and let the Conservative do the rest - which they will very gladly as a result of what has happened.
very well said ...as always...
I can say only Amen..
It took some hard learning but eventually the good side/and the larger side/ of Canada came together and showing the door for this pathological Creature ..
Bravo!!!
I am saying all over in posts I AM BREATHING AGAIN!!!
marta
Thanks Marta. The battle is not over quite yet. Harper may get a respite by proroguing the House until January, and the coalition has to stay together. I believe it will because Harper tried to destroy all of them. In addition, given that he is a true right-wing zealot, the constituencies of the Bloc and NDP will not tolerate a deal with the Harperites. Certainly neither will the Grits, because they have always been Harper's major target. I agree with Chantal Hebert who tonight said, the Harper government is 100% finished either this year (this month) or next year (next month), when the House resits. Note today that Stockwell Day and one other Tory Minister did not participatein the Conservative standing ovation for Harper.
Early on when Harper was in the opposition, my mental impression was that he was a political punk a#s who did nothing but throw daggers. Nothing constructive. My deep gut feeling from his comments was that he was somehow dangerous, and I quietly dreaded the day he might become PM.
Looks like my fears were well-founded. I think Marta's assessment of Harper as a pathological creature is an understatement. For the life of me I cannot understand how so many people are blind to his behaviour patterns, and support him as if they were cheering for their favorite hockey team.
You were right Jimbo. He is a zealot, and zealots are always dangerous because they cannot exercise discretion as reasonable people do. People miss it because they are too busy trying to survive to be analytical. As a result they are too trusting of cool appearances. See the movies 'Bob Roberts' and 'A Face in the Crowd' and you will see what I mean. But now I think the Canadian people are going to get Stevie boy's number big time!
Utterly, utterly delicious.
I wonder if there's not an undercurrent of political jealousy to this affaire, given that Canadans have been riveted for the last six months to the US election.
Perhaps Harper, apart from being politically sadistic, needed to pull the focus home... 27% or so of voters bothered to come out for the Canadian election; no telling how many were glued to their TV on the eve of the New USA...
Writer, I think Harper has his share jealousy and envy. Even gluttony from time to time, judging by his photos. Arrogance, meanness and ideology are his prime motivators though, and that's why he is in the soup he is in.
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