By Will Ross
Published: Sept 13, 2015
I BELIEVE in a world where the people hold the power, not the corporations. I don’t believe Stephen Harper carries the same agenda. When I look at the global economic and political landscape, I think we are foolish to believe anything but that Canada has been in a depression since 2008. One need only to look at the wool that has been pulled over our eyes regarding any sort of economic recovery ever having taken place to realize that our middle and lower classes are currently under siege. We have been surrounded and the corporate army at the gate is digging in, waiting to starve us out. Stephen Harper is a valiant pawn in that army, always moving forward, towing the line, side-swiping anyone who may try and flank him any chance he gets. The Harper government does not work for the people of Canada, they work for the few who wish to own the people of Canada.
The fact is, Stephen Harper and the conservative agenda are firm believers in Milton Freidman’s Chicago-style economics. Take away all regulation, and the companies will regulate themselves due to changes in the demand and the market. The reality of the situation, however, is that these companies will regulate themselves only for maximizing profit and minimizing deficit. They do not care for our environment, and I don’t believe they ever will. Here in Squamish, the Woodfibre debate ties right into this not only here in our Howe Sound but also in the grand spectrum. What are they putting into our ground to get the gas out to even ship it here to be liquefied? Why should we trust an MNC whose sole mandate is to maximize profit for their shareholders to tell us what they are doing is safe? Shouldn’t we, the people, and our government be passing laws to ensure that they do, not scrapping them and giving them more freedom to destroy without consequence? I want a government with teeth when it comes to what is right for Canadians and our environment. Not just any teeth, but a set of fangs Vlad the Impaler himself would be jealous of.
Harper has taken away many of our rights as Canadians in passing Bill C-51 and is making it increasingly more fearful for Canadians to use their right to protest anything that he has done. I look to vote for a party which will revoke that bill if given a majority in the house. The time is now for us to stand up against the few who wish to control the many, and indebt us into submission via a global economic lie that has been indoctrinated in all of us since we could walk and talk. One need only to look at the average household debt in Canada creeping up and up to realize that this is happening. It becomes increasingly difficult for people to think for themselves, and rationalize about the bigger picture when we are all struggling to keep a roof over our head and food on our table. The guise of jobs, growth, and economy is empty promises designed to manipulate us into thinking that somewhere down the line, things will get better. Harper does not care about you, he does not care about me, and he sure doesn’t care about our future grandchildren. I urge everyone to consider this, and instead of buying into his fear, terror, and attack-opposition campaign to think for yourself, look at the bigger picture, and make the change to bring Canada back to being a shining light of hope in the world. STOP HARPER’S REGIME.
Will Ross is a professional musician, writer and local activist.
Matt Blackman says
Anyone who thinks Harper has done a good job of managing Canada’s economy should look at these 6 charts (see link below). And it would seem crystal clear that after 6 years of federal budget deficits, that he the conservatives cut spending so that he could brag of a $1.4 billion surplus thanks to some very creative accounting sleight of hand, and the sale of General Motors shares after April 1, 2015 so they could book the proceeds to help boost the budget bottom line even though the shares were sold at a loss to taxpayers of $3.5 billion!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canada-to-sell-final-73-4-million-shares-of-gm-from-bailout/article23814942/
6 charts show Stephen Harper has the worst economic record of any Prime Minister since World War II
http://www.pressprogress.ca/6_charts_show_stephen_harper_has_the_worst_economic_record_of_any_prime_minister_since_world_war_ii
He also has one of the worst records on climate and the environment of any G-7 nation. According to an article in December 2014, an Ipsos Reid poll that found 59 per cent of Canadians disagree the Harper government is “doing a good job in protecting Canada’s environment”.
http://canadians.org/blog/how-does-majority-view-harpers-environmental-record
Tom Green says
I agree. A very complicated mess Harper is responsible for with no honest desire to help the people and therefore the country. This is our chance to make a change for a better life and a better future. Harper must be stopped NOW. Please vote and vote responsibly to make the changes this country needs.
heather gee says
To my mind, this says it all :
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/harperman_34/?bFEWHcb&v=64155
Wolfgang W says
Vulnerability comes with longevity and vulnerability to criticism especially so for longevity in politics, but choosing the state of the economy as the main thrust for the author anti-Harper article?
Canada in 'depression' since 2008? Does Will Ross even know what the term means? Whether you check the statistics of the Bank of Canada, the World Bank or those of any other credible data source, Canada's post- 2008 growth performance compares indeed well with other rich-world countries. Yes, I have also read the almost breathless presentation of statistics in this thread of comments 'proving' how badly we are doing as a country in comparison to others and even worse, how badly Harper compares in terms of economic achievements to other prime ministers. Serious stuff – until you realize that those stats are the product of a leftwing think-tank and highly selective. Seriously, how can you make comparisons without also taking into account how long each PM's term was (very short in the case of Martin's and leading a minority government just like Harper did in his first term ) and the very nature of the economy they dealt with (from a post-war-adjustment-to-a peace-time economy in the case of King to global/disruptive during Harper's term.)? Oh, what about the more credible G7 or OECD stats? To be 3rd out of 7 of the world's richest countries, the leaders with economies far larger and more diversified than ours, none (except the US) with natural resources to speak of, is 'bad'? Being in the first tertile (10th) of the 34 OECD countries is cause for alarm?
All right then, so what about the fact that we are now technically in a recession? Unless one is clueless about the composition of Canada's exports or has lived in a bubble for the past quarter century, one would know that as a big raw material producer and exporter (and still for some time into the future), Canada is particularly vulnerable to slack demand for commodities in what has become a truly global economy. The collapse in the price of oil and weakness in other raw materials due to sluggishness of some of the world's economic powerhouses and related factors are the real reasons for the slower Canadian economy and our weak loonie. What about loss of manufacturing jobs? Undeniably true and it began well before the Conservatives' term, shortly after 2000, and not all because of a shift to China. Our emphasis on producing parts for others and shifts in production and location of our automotive customers in the US have a lot to do with it. The following link to the renowned British magazine 'The Economist' tells you why our politicians, no matter what their hue, prefer to be silent about the details http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21662567-puzzling-weakness-manufacturing-new-rustbelt
I know, bashing the Conservatives' economic record is both an important part of Justin's and Mulcair's platform, but that doesn't make it any more plausible, they'd have as little control over the quoted facts as anyone else in Ottawa. On that note, also keep in mind that if the Tories were in opposition, they would use exactly the same tired old line, but use the selective statistics of a rightwing economic think-tank to back them up and then point to 'socialist-liberal' economic mismanagement instead. Just as predictably in our system, whatever challenger then gets elected, intones the usual chorus of laments soon afterwards about not being able to deliver the goodies they promised, because the previous holders of office 'left everything in such a mess'. That such politicking still works in today's 'information society' does not say much for that society nor the electorate's grasp of the issues. Which brings me to the call for 'voting responsibly' by another commenter. Indeed – but it does not logically follow from that, as I believe the commenter concludes, that the promises of the opposition will magically materialize let alone that manna would be falling from heaven simply by them being in office. 'Voting responsibly' should be characterized by careful evaluation, free from the influence of propaganda employed by either side, and the final decision being reinforced by a good dose of pragmatism.
As I said at the beginning, no government comes through a long mandate without warts and blemishes, and if the writer of the article must criticize its economic policy, the critique would at least have better grounding if it concentrated on the need for driving diversification more aggressively into other economic sectors to help seeding and opening new opportunities for Canada and our educated young. Offering only foaming-at-the-mouth rhetoric reminiscent of yesterday's class-warfare as an argument against the incumbents and the 'evil' of corporations does add neither substance nor address the challenges faced by all countries, not just ours, through the relentless global economic integration as well as the world wide demographic changes and movements we experience, and the resultant pressures and disruptions these produce.
I did, however, enjoy the author's' colourful rhetoric and clarity in referencing the charming 15th century Wallachian prince 'Vlad the Impaler', in legend more popularly known as 'Dracula', and the kind of fangs he would like his government to have to make even the Transylvanian vampire jealous. He should know that the purpose of Dracula's fangs is to suck blood and with it the very life out of his unfortunate victims. – Would anyone care for such government-fangs eventually also getting a taste for the contents of their wallet and sucking it dry to finance a variety of ideologically driven pet projects if Will Ross and his friends had it their way??
Linus says
Wolfgang, the question of Harper’s financial incompetence vs. global market fluctuation is at least somewhat debatable. What cannot be disputed is that Harper’s PMO and party have shown an UNPRECEDENTED disregard for our democratic institutions (campaign overspending, robocalls, the Unfair Elections Act, Bill C-50). “Unless one is clueless about [basic democratic principles] or has lived in a bubble for the past quarter century, one would know” that these are blatant attempts to fix elections. I hope you’re not suggesting that this assault on democracy is just typical politicking. Your critique would have had “better grounding” had you made some mention of this.
Wolfgang W says
Assaults on democracy? Blatant attempts to fix elections? You’re right Linus, within the time frame you mention, we have witnessed assaults on democracy and the fixing of elections in far too many countries, but to suggest that Canada is among them is nothing short of politicking. Nothing prevents you and others who feel the same way to vote for a change on October 19th, and with the comfort of knowing of that vote being respected, something which cannnot be said for many other places. Where will that leave your argument then?
Linus says
Nothing except a fraudulent robocall sending me to a false polling location. Michael Sona, a Conservative campaign worker, was convicted of “wilfully preventing or endeavouring to prevent an elector from voting.” The judge in the case said it was very unlikely he acted alone. Thousands of misleading robocalls were received in 40 ridings across Canada – many in closely contested races – in the 2011 election. The source of the call lists was the CPC database. These facts (not suggestions) are undisputed. Does that sound like your vote is being respected? A history of CPC election fraud is a long read.
Wolfgang W says
Your vote will most certainly be respected within the framework of a Canada governed by the rule of law, and that was the thrust of my response to your previous post.
Yes, the robo calls were despicable and indefensible, and are, among other, part of the ‘vulnerabilities, ‘warts’ and ‘blemishes’ I alluded to in my first post with regard to the incumbents. I did not feel the need to elaborate on it further within my argument to refute Will’s and Matt’s musings about the Canadian economy in the confidence that others like you would be only too eager to do it instead.
In all this, we should however keep in mind that actions of individuals are theirs alone, no matter whether in politics or in the corporate world, which is a long established principle of jurisprudence. Nevertheless, media and public – rightly or wrongly – tend to stick misdeeds foremost to the organizations or institutions such wayward individuals are associated with, and it is therefore rare for them to ever be exonerated from blame in the court of fickle public opinion. Is this really the best base upon which to formulate decisions? Will we have this discussion again a few years from now, when the proverbial shoe may perhaps be on the other foot?
newport_observer says
There is so much relentless stupidity in this article that it is hard to know where to start. But let’s focus on: “I think we are foolish to believe anything but that Canada has been in a depression since 2008.” As Wolfgang correctly points out above, that is a ludicrous statement, completely contradicted by the data. In fact Canada was one of the least badly-hit countries during the 2008 crisis and had grown faster than most advanced developed countries since. (If you don’t trust Canadian-sourced stats, go check out the GDP growth numbers for Canada from the IMF here: http://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/index.php ). The tragic thing is that objective truth seems to count for very little these days, and no doubt this article is being shared on Facebook by a wide range of muddle-headed people looking for confirmation bias. Reality is that Canada in general, and BC in particular, is astonishingly successful and an aspirational place to live for people in other countries all around the world – as witnessed by the steady flow of high-skill immigrants year after year. What I think self-entitled people lucky enough to be born here – like Will – really mean when they complain about the economy is that their personal circumstances don’t match their over-inflated expectations. Solution: move somewhere cheaper or go find a proper job.