Michael Harris writes that the Harper Party keeps moving closer to its own self destruction. Last weekend, the Manning Conference stripped Mr. Harper naked. He is no longer the leader of Canadian conservatives. Preston Manning himself -- in polite language -- called Harper a dictator:
The man who laid the foundations for Stephen Harper’s political career in 1987 has urged the prime minister to restore democracy. Yikes! The only place you need to restore democracy is somewhere that it doesn’t exist. Was it possibly the gentlest way of telling someone they were a dictator?
Harper's objective is not to establish a conservative hegemony. It's power -- pure and simple. And the so called "Fair Elections Act" is a plan to retain power. Manning saw through the facade:
The elder statesman of Reform/Conservative politics in Canada said out loud what a lot of Canadians have been thinking for some time: Time to restore democracy, Mr. Prime Minister, not subvert it.
Give Elections Canada the power it asked for, rather than diminishing the power the CPC wished EC didn’t have in the Robocalls investigation. How do you improve elections by reducing the powers of EC? How does it help an investigation to inform the target of the scrutiny — unless you’re in favour of evidence disappearing?
Mr. Harper has no clothes. And he has nowhere to hide. And -- just as he failed to foresee the Great Recession -- he doesn't foresee the coming implosion.
5 comments:
We have been warning this for years? Harper is a fascist dictator from way back. Trying to get through to people has been, an exercise in futility.
There have been books written on, Harper's Northern Foundation. Harper has a very, very shady political past.
Lots of people haven't been paying attention, Anon. But the most recent Manning meeting suggests that they're beginning to take notice of what the man is really all about.
On Preston Manning; "He was specific, however, about what should be done: talk up strengths on economic issues,..." -from;
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/03/01/preston_manning_sees_danger_in_putting_politics_over_policy.html
"The son learned at his father's knee: Never mind the label, use it to win and then create an individualist, sink-or-swim Canada of personal responsibility, success, or failure. Too bad about the failures; God will sort them out." -from;
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2013/03/11/Preston-Manning-Speech/
Seems like Harper learned well from Manning and also 'The Calgary School' he aligned with those ideals because for him they make sense. Power and the quest for it went straight to his head and also inflamed his ego into a vicious holier than thou attack dog that ruthlessly molests anyone or any political philosophy that disagrees; you are either attacked and ridiculed or shut out completely. Hmmm this is a cruel god indeed these men follow. Every thinking reasonable person knows this brand of economic political policies called modern conservatism or whatever it's called is utterly destructive of real social values, environmental stewardship and espouses the almighty dollar over life itself. How can that be right or religious?
And Harper is a good example of how an inflamed power hungry maniac treats his elders. He if he was normal should be making an ally of people like Manning instead he alienated him in a juvenile rabid grab for power early on and continued to attack Manning and even Manning's wife when he was still jostling for power and position early in his rise to power and prime minister.
Harper alienates those he should be allied with and this is what will destroy the throne he has made for himself in Canada under the conservative banner, nobody likes totalitarian kings, not even Manning.
mogs
In Manning’s book; Think Big: My Adventures in Life and Democracy; he states;
“At this point, I did not fully appreciate that while Stephen was a strong Reformer with respect to our economic, fiscal and constitutional positions, he had serious reservations about Reforms and my belief in the value of grassroots consultation and participation in key decisions . . .”
He was referring to Tom Flanagan (at the time a key Reform Party policy advisor) and Stephen Harper’s (Reform’s chief policy officer) insistence that the Reformers immediately adopt the position (Tom and little Stevies’s position) to vehemently oppose the Charlottetown Accord. Manning who was the Reform leader at the time wanted to first consult the Reform Party membership, even though he supported opposing the Accord. However it became apparent that Tom and especially little Steve disdained the idea of involving the grassroots of the party in decision-making. Whereas the elder statesman Manning firmly believed “…in the value of grassroots consultation and participation in key decisions….” Not so Harper.
Showing early Steve’s dictatortorial and bullying mindset and he also had the all-important lust for power. The 1996-97 Stephen Harper and Tom Flanagan: Our Benign Dictatorship essay basically sums up the fact that Tom and little Steve concluded anyone with a majority government in Canada could in effect be the elected dictator, as Steve has executed with the aplomb of a true despot. This suited Harpers mindset perfectly a position made in heaven for himself, everyone would have to listen to him and do as he says because he and only he knows what is right for Canada and Canadians, no-one else. And he will brook no interference from the people of his own party even because they are merely the dirt upon which the anointed leader walks and are servants at his beck and call.
Just think the young CPC members living for the day they can kneel before the Harper imperium, kiss his hand and vow everlasting allegiance to his agenda. What a waste, trained seals I can feel sorry for but these people live to serve Harper ouch.
mogs
Your two comments provide some interesting insights into both Harper and Manning, Mogs.
One gets the impression that Manning knows he -- like Dr. Frankenstein -- has had a hand in creating a monster who has run amok.
As for Harper, his contempt for people -- particularly voters -- has been there from the very beginning.
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