The Mendacious Mr. Harper

Like many of you, I listened to the tape of Harper's speech, (well, 17 min. of it), to his faithful. Based on some accounts I suppose I should say, the faithful and some former devotees.

What really got to me about this speech, was not what he said, but just how adept he's been about not saying it to the masses. He's carefully scripted when speaking to Canadians because he knows that most of us just don't share his thinking. Said another way, he's lied his way to the position of PM. Sorry, there just isn't any other way to say it.

Now in order to accomplish such a feat, you have to have willing partners and there is no denying that some Canadians have been exactly that. It must be said though, you can also have unwitting partners and I dare say that much of his success has more to do with that group. By unwitting I mean those who only hear the scripts that assure them that he's not what his foes would have you believe. For instance, when speaking to Canadians at large, he gives no evidence of maintaining complete disdain for our system of governance, it's institutions or the very people that are employed to carry out it's duties. His actions show us that this exists, but his words rarely do and that is what most Canadians are aware of.

Subjects like the Court Challenges Program (CCP), the make-up of the Senate and it's role, the judiciary, etc., are carefully avoided in his speeches and if they are mentioned, it's either in a cursory manner or at a time when he requires that particular group to bolster his cause. Example? That dummkopf Del Mastro has taken to calling the CBC a great Canadian institution. Why? Because they refuse, out of ideology, to assist the CBC in their current financial dilemma but they can't afford to have their loathing for the CBC exposed.

In his speech, Harper gleefully demeans the CCP as being set up only to cater to 'left wing fringe groups'. Here's some more:

"Instead of chanting high minded slogans, we are vigorously promoting freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law on the world stage"

Right, like allowing Canadians to remain on death row in the US, or worse, languish at Guantanamo. Or how about covering up the torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities...prisoners we'd handed over and authorities that we had sanctioned.

"Instead of sitting on our hands when our allies are in peril, instead of polling the General Assembly of the United Nations, we are taking principled, unequivocal positions"

Huh? I guess the Liberals going into Afghanistan was sitting on our hands, or is he saying...nah...he couldn't be, could he? Is he saying that we sat on our hands and didn't freaking well go into Iraq? Is he seriously still carrying that around? Really? Canadians want to know!

" I could go on....just imagine how different things would have been if the Liberal left had remained in power over the past few years. Imagine the bloated bureaucracy their day care program would have spawned and of course how little daycare it would have brought. Imagine the stance Canada would have taken when Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists attacked Israel? Imagine how many Liberal ideologues would now be in the Senate, the Courts and countless other federal agencies and institutions....I should say how many more."

First of all, I do imagine how different things might be had the Liberals remained in power. I imagine it often. That said, the guy running the largest, spendiest government ever actually says bloated bureaucracy, and one imagines the stance we would have taken as a nation vis a vis Israel would have been one of measure, not extreme. His attack on our institutions? Well I presume that's an admission that he's stacking them with right wing ideologues. (Have you heard some of the new Senators yet? Yikes!)

He goes on to talk about the compromises the party has had to make. He claims that he is "not talking about compromises about principles or ethics, compromises in the name of expediency or opportunity."

Are you gagging yet?

He's apparently talking about compromises that have to do with facing reality. "When I say that by the way I'm not talking about the reality of a minority parliament. I would never use Parliament and reality in the same sentence."

And that's the money quote in a sense, isn't it? It tells us precisely what he thinks of how this country is designed to be governed. He'd rather not have to bother with all of that nonsense and just get on with doing what he wants and shaping this country as his ideology dictates.

Anyway, you can listen to the rest of the speech for yourself. You get a Harperfied version of what political groups stand for and his finger pointing at who is to blame for the economic crisis we are in. You know. Those crazy irresponsible people who actually believed lending institutions when they were offered credit, are at the top of the list. Libertarians get slagged as does Obama, though he does that in an underhanded way.

Interestingly, it's a kind of mea culpa to his followers. Sadly, it's also a pretty concise dissertation of what the man who leads this country believes. I say sadly because for far too long, the media have ignored this reality. They have been content to present the Harper, Harper himself wanted Canadians to see even though right there, under the lies, the truth was hiding in plain sight.

Will that change now that this tape is out? Um...did they follow the truth when other tape(s) came out? Decide for yourself but if you, like me, are tired of being taken on this fictitious ride, I think it's time we said so.

The mendacious Mr. Harper has had willing accomplices in our media and the last time I checked, aiding and abetting was not meant to go unnoticed. In fairness, there have been a couple of articles written today and yesterday. Will they be the last?

Harper doesn't have the courage to be honest. I wonder if anyone else does?