ReeferMadness

Oh, gawd. Really? I thought the purpose of democracy was to vest power in the people. And representative democracy (which in theory we have) would vest power in the people's representatives. Do you know who the people's representatives are? No, they're not the hangers on in the PMO who actually make all the important decisions. Harper is accountable to parliament? If that's a joke, it's not funny.

You're avoiding the question. Do you mind if the Harper government lies to the people? Regardless of who winds up with more money?

I'm fully aware of the reality, hence the line about about parties undermining the system. However, the other half of that reality is that the rules are still premised on the system as I described it. Which is why it's fundamentally broken. The parties have gradually entrenched power into the PMO. And the population, partly due to apathy, and partly because their understanding of our political system is mainly based on what they glean from American television, has stood idly by and let it happen. And that's why you think you should have some direct say in who the PM is. And if people are going to be pissed because a doofus they didn't vote for replaces the doofus they did vote for, that's good. Maybe they'll wake the hell up and demand a better system.

What colour is the sky on your planet? The Conservatives have more money because most of the wealthy support them. Because their policies primarily support the wealthy. See how that works?

Hahahahahahahaha!!!! And they said Harper had no sense of humour.

Stability - Dictatorships are very stable. If you think that stability is more important than representative governance, you and Stalin can agree on that point. Your statements about pizza parliaments and Europe show a depth of ignorance that is quite typical. It's common for PR systems to create coalition governments. Most of the countries in Europe with PR systems have, on average, fewer changes of government than Canada. Coalitions are stable, except when paired with an undemocratic, FPTP voting system. Energy - The high Canadian dollar, a direct result Harper's moronic focus on commodity-based economy (mainly energy), has already hollowed out the manufacturing sector. It will recover, regardless of the party that gains power, as the price of oil will not recover anytime soon. Immigration - Wow, you're gutsy. Lots of people associate statements like yours with closet racists. Good on you for not being afraid to be associated with them. Quebec - Zero credit can be given to Harper for the period of stability we've had where Quebec's separatist community has been subdued. Harper and Canada have both been lucky that this has occurred.

It seems like you don't understand our system of governance, which isn't surprising because the parties have undermined it to the point where it doesn't work. You're not supposed to vote for a PM. The PM is supposed to be chosen by the people's representatives, one of which is your MP. Who is supposedly your representative to the government, not (as actually happens), a shill for the government back to you. Oh, and the best part? The PM is supposed to be accountable to Parliament. I know that last one sounds hilarious, given what actually happens. Our system has broken to the point where it is no longer recognizable. And Mr. Harper is responsible for more than his share of the damage.

Maybe. As citizens become less engaged and knowledgeable, democracy becomes less relevant. The real enemy of freedom isn't tyranny, it's apathy.

Huh. Or maybe people have pretty much figured out by now what the parties are about and recognize that the campaign is mostly empty theatre. And Conservative attack ads.

You mean the way you ignored the lengthy list of Conservative scandals and started talking about Liberal issues from 40 years ago?

So, you think it's OK for the government to be dishonest with the people by pretending to to hand out a bunch of money while knowing it will mostly be clawed back in 10 months time.

I rest my case. It doesn't matter how sleezy, how underhanded, how corrupt, how crooked this bunch are. You'll vote for them anyway. You probably even buy the line that the UCCB is putting money in people's pockets. Did you know that the money that is being distributed right before the election is mostly being clawed back at tax time through the cancellation of the child tax credit?

Wanna see Conservative MP's in action? Check out this video.

People seem puzzled by the contempt I have for the current bunch of knuckle-dragging sleaze balls. It would be one thing of the current crop of Conservatives were merely a bunch of people with wrong headed policies. It's one thing to espouse policies that favour business over all else; the poor, the arts, the environment, the health of the citizens. However, it's quite another thing to be willing to do what the current crop of degenerates has done in order to keep its grip on power. They've cheated on elections, gagged scientists and public officials, bent the election rules in their own favor, centralized power in the PMO to levels unprecedented in the recent past, stripped MP's of what little influence they had, and worst of all, politicized institutions that were designed to be non-partisan, including the Supreme Court, the GG, Elections Canada and the Parliamentary Budget Office. In doing so, they are undermining the fundamentals of democracy in this country. So, those of you who worship at the Holy Order of Small Government or the Church of the Conservative Party can go ahead and lie to your selves. Tell yourself Harper's not as bad as Trudeau or what he's doing really isn't all that bad. And the best you can do is be "disappointed". Spend the tax dollars you think you're saving like the 30 pieces of silver it is. There are prominent conservative voices in this country who are principled enough to see Harper for who he is and call him on it. People like Andrew Coyne, Joe Clark and Preston Manning. I may not agree with these people on policy. But at least I can respect them for having the integrity to call it like it is.

Oh. "disappointed". I don't recall words anywhere near that mild being used back when the right wingers were foaming at the mouth about the Liberal scandals. Are you "disappointed" that your heroes have been repeatedly caught cheating at election time? To the point where one of them went to prison? Are you "disappointed" that somehow the the Conservative database was used in an attempt to disenfranchise voters in the robocalls scandal? And that somehow only one low level scapegoat was left to take the fall? Are you "disappointed" that your majesty's chief of staff was paying off a corrupt senator? And somehow "forgot" to mention it to the chief crook? Are you "disappointed" that hundreds of millions of our dollars have gone into thinly disguised Conservative advertisements? I guess you can only manage to go from disappointed to upset when there is a government that helps poor people. And acts to save the planet from destruction. And refrains from tax giveaways to multi-billion dollar corporations. And manages to avoid trade deals that favour corporations over its own citizens. Until then, I'm disappointed that you are merely disappointed.

How long is a piece of string?

Maybe your meandering diatribe has a point but you've managed to keep it safely hidden. Right wingers across this country were foaming at the mouth with outrage over the misdeeds of the Liberals. Curiously, they can't seem to work up any outrage that the crew that came in to clean things up has not only failed but has been worse. The Prime Minister's own chief of staff was caught red handed paying hush money to a corrupt senator appointed and protected by the PM. And we're all expected to believe that the PM, a notorious control freak, was kept in the dark. How does it get any worse than that?

The cheques are just another example of slimy Harper underhandedness. What they've actually done is replace the old child tax credit with the UCCB. It's a bit of sleight of hand that allows them to give money in a very obvious way while taking it back in a way most people won't see. It's beneath contempt. It works because most people are too busy or not interested enough to pay attention. It makes me despair for democracy. If people aren't bright enough or can't be bothered to see through this transparently dishonest behavior, what hope is there to elect an honest government?

I could try but I still couldn't match the people who will support Harper no matter how corrupt he gets.

Just in case all you people who worship at the throne of Stephen Harper forgot, here is a handy list of Canadian Government scandals. The portion of the list that is allocated to the current bunch of ethically challenged ideologues is impressively long, though still incomplete. It doesn't include Del Mastro's criminal election fraud, for example, or Peter McKay's misuse of a military helicopter.

Hogwash. They created the problem with a poorly conceived and ill-timed cut to the GST. Then they proceeded to abandon their own core principles with the stimulus plan. And the stimulus plan itself with the most partisan process in living memory. Principled and thinking conservatives have no time for this government. The very best they can come up with is that they think maybe it wasn't as bad as the LIberals. And even that line is highly dubious.

Huh. All of them, maybe, in living memory. I'm trying to think of the last Federal cabinet minister that went to prison. I'm drawing a blank. Although Mulroney should have.

Huh. Maybe cuz the Liberals had a string of surpluses. Which they gave to the Conservatives. Who promptly turned it into a string of deficits. But hey, they're the competent financial managers, right?

Sorry, to what government are you referring? Can't be the Harperites.

Sounds like you've finally woken up to the fact that the Harperite bunch are as corrupt as any administration Canada has had, at least on modern history. The bunch that rode into Ottawa preaching accountability and pledging to change things are a raving band of hypocrites. The first step is acceptance so this is progress.