On The First Anniversary

On this, the first anniversary of Harperland, the Globe and Mail opines:

On most of the issues that matter, on the economy, on reining in public spending, on addressing the long-term structural challenges of Old Age Security, on immigration and on the sustainability of health-care funding, the government headed by Stephen Harper got it right.

Michael Harris quite correctly, sees through the ruse:

The curtain has been well and truly whipped away from the PM’s self-promoting deceptions and he is revealed for what he is: a power-tripper on a mission to give Canada an extreme makeover that only the super-rich and the semi-comatose could endorse. And he is doing it with virtually no debate, creating something of a new phenomenon in Canadian politics; sole-source public policy.

The Globe used to be known for its insightful commentary. Now, with the exception of Lawrence Martin, it has settled into smug self satisfaction -- ignoring  the growing contempt Mr. Harper has shown, not only for Parliament, but for Canadians in general. Harris runs through the catalogue. But there is one absolutely stark example of Harper's arrogant disregard for Canadians:

Parliament voted unanimously to end the combat mission in Afghanistan. No mixed message, no subtleties, no hedging. Yet the PM now says “all options are on the table” and that Canadian special forces may stay in-country beyond the unanimously agreed upon end of the mission. The point is unmistakable: Harper sees himself as above the institution that used to be the pinnacle of our governance. He had to choose between Parliament and the Pentagon and chose the Pentagon.

Canadians have no reason to celebrate today. But they do have reason to rebel. The questions are: Will they? And when?