In my personal experience, the trouble with trying to talk politics with a supporter of Stephen Harper is they will immediately dismiss you as a leftwing hippie if you question Harper’s stance on … anything. That’s precisely what he wants, and it’s a shame it’s what he gets.
It was announced last month that if re-elected, he’ll make it a convictable offense for Canadians to travel to what he considers a “terrorist hotbed.” And he’ll also boost military reservists to 30,000 people in 4 years.
Contrary to popular propaganda, Canada is not constantly under fire from abroad. We can all agree terrorism is horrible, but since the year 2000, it has killed fewer Canadians on Canadian soil than vending machines. Likewise, moose have killed more Newfoundlanders than terrorism in Canada.
This article is not bandwagon-hatred of Harper. I’m simply a Canadian citizen infuriated that my prime minister is condescending enough to think I’ll fall for what he’s really doing: trying to scare me into voting for him.
Harper’s weird “Travel Ban” announcement and promise to beef up military is his way of seeming tough on terrorism, because his opponents seem relatively weaker against it. All this talk of terror and war is just Harper deflecting from questions about the state of our economy.
Not once, but twice during the MacLean’s debate, he claimed Canada has a balanced budget. We don’t. The Parliamentary Budget Officer doesn’t lie, and says Canada will run a deficit of $1 billion this year. And while Harper claims otherwise, that makes this his eighth deficit in a row. He has the worst financial track record of any prime minister since WW2. Numbers don’t lie, unlike Harper.
Mulcair and Trudeau are trying to make him accountable for Canada’s struggling economy, but instead of addressing their questions, Harper is making the conversation about terrorism, not the economy. And oddly enough, hundreds of thousands of Canadians still think a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for a solid economy … despite wild news headlines like 2013’s, “Canada can’t account for $3.1 Billion in anti-terror funding, Auditor General finds.” That’s the epitome of financial irresponsibility.
I’m not sure what voodoo magic the Harper Government made work, but there are plenty of people who think that Mulcair is too leftwing, and Trudeau is too young to be fiscally responsible. The facts don’t lie: Harper is responsible for EIGHT DEFICITS IN A ROW!
Harper is full of plans for national security, and little else, from what this voter can tell. The reality is Mulcair and Trudeau aren’t weak on terrorism because they are in disagreement with Harper on his travel ban … or Harper’s other anti-terrorism incentives, like Bill C-51. They’re just smart enough to know this travel ban won’t work. To quote Tom Mulcair, “I don’t know of too many flights between Toronto and these war zones. Most terrorists are going [to terrorism hot spots] through other countries, so the ban won’t make a big difference, practically speaking.”
People respond to fear and Harper knows it: it’s a primitive survival instinct. But the only thing to really be scared about here is another 4 years of this man’s bullshit and outmoded values. While Harper slashes funding to things like CBC to try and balance the books, Mulcair and Trudeau speak of actual remedies for our economy. For example, Trudeau – putting wisdom over looking good – wants us to eat 3 more deficits while he doubles spending on infrastructure that will, in the long run, truly reignite our economy.
apologies, please, i don’t know where to post this
—
could anyone tell me if there is an activist/ video editor (/web?) out there, who would like to make a short piece (i have the content organized, and a ‘concept’, but am also easy to work with new/better ideas) – the intent is to quickly point out a deluge of facts about the Harper government, to encapsulate it into a short that could aid in his political demise.
for fun and for viral ambition with serious intent and serious consequences.
sooner than later is better, there’s a ton of content to figure out how to present well. thanks for passing this on to any message boards that may have such readers… i am writing from st. john’s, thanks gtron
THE SKY IS FALLING, THE TERROISTS ARE COMING! God. Play another hand, Harper. This is getting old like your values …
Yip. Yer bang on: I think you sound like a leftwing hippie. Terrorism is real bro. This is post 9/11. Just because there haven’t been any real attacks in Canada in my lifetime, doesn’t mean one isn’t brewing! I want to keep it that way, so, Harper gets my vote. The other two think you can end terrorism by being friendly or some crap.
Ugh! Why do media even post comments anymore! Just let the articles stand so we don’t have to be infuriated by people like Trev here.
As a former Harper supporter, I respectfully think you’re being led along by the nose, Trev, with the Prime Minister’s spin machine…
There are better ways to track and neutralize potential ISIS supporters and other lone wolves, with judicial approval, but nothing that has been announced since Mr. Harper won his majority that would be terribly effective in accomplishing those goals. The current government needs to make moderate and apolitical Canadian muslims feel welcome enough that they will talk to the authorities if they see anything suspicious.
Bill C-51 and this proposed amendment to the criminal code will do nothing to avoid alienating the groups of Canadians that we need to get under our wing if we want to catch terrorists before they act to harm Canadians…
Canada has listed terrorist groups operating in many corners of the globe. What do we do with this new legislation? Harper has not told us what areas will be listed as no-go. Will Canada’s Sikh community be prohibited from visiting grandparents in India because militant Sikhs still operate in that country? Will our Filipino or Thai communities be slated for extra scrutiny at the airport because small muslim extremist groups still carry out bombings in their home countries? Will Canada’s Chinese community become, with a stroke of the pen, a “subversive element” overnight because the Chinese government tends to engage in industrial espionage and other forms of digital spycraft?
As principled conservatives and libertarians, we must always fear and be skeptical of an expanding government. Hayek in the Constitution of Liberty said that the people must be reluctant to give the government any power which it has not historically wielded in the preservation of man’s natural rights to life, liberty, and property. We are entering a new age of international travel and digital communications. The state argues that, because these are (relatively) new fields of human interaction, they are unwieldy, uncontrollable, and inherently dangerous. They must therefore be subject to incredible amounts of surveillance and big-government meddling. This does even pay attention to the fact that many of the extremist threats in Canada are home-grown; individuals who were corrupted over time. No Hollywood scenarios of evil terrorists smuggling semtex through customs.
I believe that this is a smokescreen by a government that has abandoned its mission of promoting liberty in its desire to win the votes of “low information voters.” It plays fast and loose with Canadians’ right of movement. This law will certainly be challenged in court and will cost taxpayers thousands of dollars if the government chooses to defend it in the courts. I see nothing that would uphold such a law as constitutional, which means that this would be wasted tax dollars when it is inevitably struck down by the Supreme Court!
If I see no reason to believe that the government has anything substantial to commit to the cause of liberty come October 19, I will be staying home that day and will urge all liberty-minded supporters of the Conservative Party of Canada to do the same.
Well said, Frank. Couldn’t have said it better.