This week, we were treated to a surreal commercial of Stephen Harper standing in front of a monitor with the Netflix logo on its screen.“Something you may not know about me is that I love movies and TV shows,” he said. "I’m 100 per cent against a Netflix tax.”
What was that again? And where did it come from? Tom Walkom writes:
What’s puzzling is that he was speaking to a non-issue. Neither the Liberals nor the New Democrats have said they would tax digital services such as Netflix, a U.S. company that delivers movies online to Internet users.
So who is Harper vowing to protect Netflix users from?
The short answer is no one. The longer answer is that this doesn’t matter. In choosing to highlight Netflix, the electioneering Conservatives are trying to create reality, not reflect it.
In this Conservative reality, what Harper’s political opponents actually say isn’t important. All that matters is what voters think they said.
Conservatives have adopted Dr. Goebbels' playbook chapter and verse. Saying makes it so. And repetition turns falsehood into reality. That strategy was on display in this week's debate, when Mr. Harper claimed that the opposition parties would put an end to income splitting for seniors. It's true the Liberals and the Dippers are not happy with income splitting for families with children -- because the policy only benefits 15% of Canadians.
But Mr. Harper happily conflates the two policies. Details don't matter. Just as, in the last election, the details about the cost of those F-35's didn't matter. It was people like Kevin Page, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who paid attention to them.
Little lies and big lies. Mr. Harper believes they pave the wave to victory. And, in the past, they have.
10 comments:
Here is a court case that is not MSM material, what else is new?
It implicates the minister and deputy minister of justice of not doing their duties as laid out by law. In order it seems to not inform the house that bills harper is ramrodding through parliament are illegal in that they violate:
"This site is about an action commenced by Edgar Schmidt asking the Federal Court to declare the legal meaning of three provisions that require pre-enactment examinations of proposed legislation by the Minister of Justice or the Deputy Minister of Justice (Canada). These provisions are
section 4.1 of the Department of Justice Act
section 3 of the Canadian Bill of Rights
section 3 of the Statutory Instruments Act
The action is on file with the Federal Court in Ottawa as File T-2225-12."
From Edgar Schmidt's webpage: http://charterdefence.ca/index.html
After filing in 2012 the case is finally going to be heard this September:
"Trial date! Sept 21 to 25, 2015
06/30/2015
"I am absolutely delighted that the Federal Court has set a trial date for September 21 to 25. Finally this matter can be heard and decided. We were informed at today's pre-trial conference of the trial date and also told that the judge assigned to the trial is Justice Simon Noël.
For those of you in the press or in the public who want to be there, book those dates!" - Edgar Schmidt from his blog page at the same website.
The courts have generally not ruled in Queen Harper's favor so this should be an interesting show down or should I say ho down? I hope Edgar gets satisfaction.
https://emkaydeeblogs.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/queen-harper.jpg
Remember, Mogs, that Harper closed the research department at the Ministry of Justice. He's not interested in knowing whether or not his legislation will run afoul of the courts.
Regarding the Netflix lie, Owen, I couldn't help but think how much of a further debasement of democracy and contempt for the electorate that Harper's ploy represents. Clearly, he thinks there are those among us who would make their electoral choice based on a streaming service. If he is right, I hope that mentality represents a minuscule proportion of the voting public.
Also, Owen, I think this is Harper trying to come across as interesting. Here is a man who as PM of Canada with all of what he has access to and all of the people he rub shoulders with on the world stage should lead a very interesting life. Instead he remains dull as dishwater.A secretive, painfully dull, despotic wanna be.
Let's hope that those who believe him can be counted on the finger of one hand, Lorne. However, the Netflix episode proves again that Harper believes he can say what he wants to say and get away with it.
I agree, Pam. The man requires a ticket to get into his events. But he pretends to be someone who enjoys the company of ordinary folks. He's clearly delusional.
Putting words into his opponents' mouths seems to be a standard practice associated with Harper's personal brand of cleverness.
I've seen performances where he has worked himself into a lather and has come close to foaming at the mouth in a staged exhibition of insincere indignation over the adoption of some or other stand on an issue that he has, by implication or innuendo, attributed disingenuously to his opponents.
Until I realized that Harper party supporters of my acquaintance were giving me the same treatment, I had assumed that this particular type of messaging was something designed for and directed towards Patrick Muttart's chosen segments. Now I know better. Most, if not all, of Harper's supporters are among "the least informed and least engaged" voters who "don't go looking for political news and information" and are best approached by smashing into their flat foreheads with a load of morally certain and "brutally simple" nonsense.
The contempt that Harper harbours for his base - his "friends" - is likely beyond imagination.
Harper thrives on ignorance, John. And -- let's be honest -- ignorance has taken him far.
lets hope he goes to far, and the whole thread falls apart
I've always believed that the lies you tell eventually catch up with you, Steve. It's long past time for Harper's lies to catch up with him.
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