Where he wants to take our country???
This is one of the scariest interviews I think I have ever read. To hell with realities or even pretending to represent our country as we are - of discerning a national consensus. The stated agenda of this man and his government is to sell us conservative principles, not only sell them to us but to the rest of the world too. It is, in his mind, the morally correct world view and he is right to insist on it.
This is one of the scariest interviews I think I have ever read. To hell with realities or even pretending to represent our country as we are - of discerning a national consensus. The stated agenda of this man and his government is to sell us conservative principles, not only sell them to us but to the rest of the world too. It is, in his mind, the morally correct world view and he is right to insist on it.
"And I think with the eventual merger of the Reform Alliance and Progressive Conservatives, we’ve achieved an organization that embodies conservative principles but is also pragmatic and trying to reach a sufficient number of Canadians to form a government. But it’s also about, in the success of advancing conservative principles, of moving the country toward the values that you represent and that you demonstrate through the policies and the programs you deliver. And I think that both those things are happening. I also think the party and the government have been moving the country toward conservative principles."
To all the hopeful voices that might wish to register different realities, different perspectives in the next four years, his clear message is: "Don't bother. We've got our answers. Not only will we not be listening; we have a lesson to teach you to correct your wrong headedness."
We can thank the wishy-washy Liberals for the spread of this sort of simplistic thinking and its ultimate rise to power in our country. Harper himself acknowledges their contribution: "we’re greatly helped not just by our own result but by the relative incoherence of the opposition as an alternative for government." The former 'natural ruling party' lost touch with the principles and the passions of our founding fathers ... leaders like MacDonald and Laurier who, in creating and holding this country together found they must fiercely insist on the accommodation of diversity. Harper can get away with demeaning a "nice", consensus-building kind of Canada because no leader since Pearson, no modern political party has represented the kind of courage it takes to absolutely insist that different perspectives be heard and validated. Harper sees consensus building and the accommodation of complexity as weak when, in fact, these are the most challenging, the most sophisticated and, indeed, the most necessary of skills in our ever more complex, ever shrinking world.
Our country -our world- desperately need a voice for the radical centre. A brave, clarion voice for the difficult principles of respect, inclusion and free speech; …the principles necessary to build and maintain balance in a great circle.
What we've got is a linear-thinking, single-minded Harper. God help us.
We can thank the wishy-washy Liberals for the spread of this sort of simplistic thinking and its ultimate rise to power in our country. Harper himself acknowledges their contribution: "we’re greatly helped not just by our own result but by the relative incoherence of the opposition as an alternative for government." The former 'natural ruling party' lost touch with the principles and the passions of our founding fathers ... leaders like MacDonald and Laurier who, in creating and holding this country together found they must fiercely insist on the accommodation of diversity. Harper can get away with demeaning a "nice", consensus-building kind of Canada because no leader since Pearson, no modern political party has represented the kind of courage it takes to absolutely insist that different perspectives be heard and validated. Harper sees consensus building and the accommodation of complexity as weak when, in fact, these are the most challenging, the most sophisticated and, indeed, the most necessary of skills in our ever more complex, ever shrinking world.
Our country -our world- desperately need a voice for the radical centre. A brave, clarion voice for the difficult principles of respect, inclusion and free speech; …the principles necessary to build and maintain balance in a great circle.
What we've got is a linear-thinking, single-minded Harper. God help us.
