Friday, July 21, 2017

Still Neanderthals


The Conservative Party of Canada is still the same venomous bunch they were under Stephen Harper. Michael Harris writes:

The truth is the CPC still thinks that the Highway of Hate is the road back to power. They believe that the Omar Khadr case is the perfect, partisan political issue — both to punish the Liberals and to raise money from their base.

What is that hardcore after following the crushing defeat of 2015? These are the people who liked the idea of banning the hijab, loved the Barbaric Practices Act and wanted to see Omar Khadr rot in jail for the rest of his life — his child soldier status, his experience of torture, Supreme Court rulings and Charter of Rights be damned.

Of course, CPC HQ denies that cashing in on Khadr had anything to do with setting up a special website dedicated to whipping up public fury about the apology and payment to Khadr by the Trudeau government.

In fact, when the Khadr settlement was announced, it was Harper who led the charge:

It was the former PM who telephoned the American “victims” of Omar Khadr in order to apologize for the fact that the government of Canada paid Khadr $10.5 million.

Then Michelle Rempel appeared on Fox News:

The first duty of anyone appearing on Fox News is to say something really stupid. Rempel was quick to oblige. She told the Fox-struck nation and host Tucker Carlson that the Omar Khadr case was “not a partisan political issue”.

She was followed by Peter Kent, who took to the pages of The Wall Street Journal with the headline, "A Terrorist’s Big Pay Day, Courtesy of Trudeau."  Like Harper before him, he informed the Journal's readers that the Conservative Party was onside with Republican policy -- whether it be about Gitmo or the Iraq War.

One can only conclude that the Harperites are in charge. They were Neanderthals in office. And they're still Neanderthals.

Image: Breaking Science News

16 comments:

Lorne said...

To compound the manifest undesirability of the Conservatives, Owen, a story in today's Star has Andrew Scheer asking whether anyone in the Trudeau government gave a 'head's up' to the U.S. before announcing the Khadr settlement. Apparently, national sovereignty is not an important concept to him and his party.

Owen Gray said...

The Conservatives see themselves as Northern Republicans, Lorne. And it's becoming increasingly clear that -- like their cousins -- they're intellectually and morally bankrupt.

Dana said...

The Whore of Nose Hill and The Scud Stud's Eunuch Brother. What a pair.

Owen Gray said...

Two of Harper's most adoring acolytes, Dana.

Anonymous said...

What is going on in Quebec, that saw such a gain in Conservative seats, Owen?

Dana- LOL!

Owen Gray said...

Quebecers saw that Harper believed he could win a majority without Quebec's help, lovingit. So they decided they weren't going to give him any.

Anonymous said...

Self-righteous claptrap.

This entire issue boils down to constitutional values and rule of law, which I see no side really defending.

The Cons want to capitalize on this red-meat issue. So do the Liberals. They don't defend law and order. They say they had to settle or Khadr would've cost the government more.

Both the Libs and Cons (Dems and Reps) want to suspend parts of the constitution in the name of fighting terrorism. Probably for corrupt reasons that involve looting and payola. Just like the infrastructure banks. Just like the free-trade and investor-protection treaties that limit democratic government so oligarchs can collect rents on their mountains of money.

There is a lot of skepticism on the right -- and the center -- about these gouging carbon-pricing schemes. Many people expect more Robber Baron looting. Make energy too expensive to use. Like in Ontario. Green corruption caused skyrocketing electricity bills. Now people don't care. They just don't want to hear any more about this gouge-and-leech Robber Baron green, which has the support of many neoconservative (New Classical) economists.

Real Green will use post-war mixed-market policies that collect high taxes on those mountains of money and make green energy cheaper than dirty energy. It's the only option left. The people are all gouged out.

Snowflakes like to moralize, as ever. Like Christian fanatics before them, they believe their values are right and true. So why no ram them down people's throats?

I say real conservatives believe in constitutional values, law and order and democracy. Or else they're not conservative (i.e., institution-preserving.) Snowflakes are crazy. Liberals believe in nothing.

-CC

Owen Gray said...

So do you favour the Khadr settlement, CC?

BJ Bjornson said...

“The truth is the CPC still thinks that the Highway of Hate is the road back to power.”

Sadly, they may not be wrong. Sure, they lost last time, but they’ve been non-stop on the attack ever since, and as we’ve seen south of the border, the conservative base is never more happy then when they feel they are sticking it to the liberals.

Steve said...

I think its blowing back when John Ivison is critical of the Cons creating friction with the USA.

John B. said...

I think that each side definitely is attempting to cash in on the Omar Khadr spectacle. We should all cash in on this opportunity by taking our examination of the case all the way back to the swindles that his dad and mom orchestrated under the post-national noses of the pandering politicians and bumbling or complicit bureaucrats who enabled them. We'll just have to ensure, if it's possible, that we don't allow any of the current squabblers to lay any of the yet to be discussed sins-of-the-father on the kid.

Have we established what a "snowflake" is and isn't? I've got to know so that I can determine whether to include it on the list of all the other things I might either be accused or accuse myself of being.

Owen Gray said...

There's a lot of mileage to be made from the politics of grievance, BJ.

Owen Gray said...

Ivison's views are consistent, Steve. But they're also narrow.

Owen Gray said...

Khadr's case is most definitely a case of the sins of the fathers, John. Plenty of fault can be found with Khadr's father -- and those who vetted him. But justice demands that the child be responsible for his own transgressions, not his father's. Unfortunately, sometimes the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.

As for snowflakes, CC likes to deal in in sweeping generalizations -- not a wise policy. He's been here before.

Unknown said...

The House That Harper Built: Built to Last

Owen Gray said...

Unfortunately, Pam, we can huff and puff but it's hard to blow down.