the new conservatism as republicanism

[ssflamingo]

I received the following email from a graduate school list serv. The text is attributed to Jillian Skeet. Anyway, it reads as follows: "On June 28, 2004, Canadians face a starker choice than in any election in our lifetimes. Dissatisfaction with the years of Liberal government is driving voters toward the "Conservative Party" and its new and telegenic leader, Stephen Harper. With only weeks to go until election day, we fear many members of the public will not have time to adequately assess the sharp and clear differences between the major parties.

In fact, the "Conservative Party" is not a known and trusted alternative. The Right Honourable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister and a life-long member of the Progressive Conservative Party, made this clear when he urged the Canadian public to choose Paul Martin over Harper. The Harper agenda scares him. Many leading former Progressive Conservatives feel the same.

The party Harper leads has little in common with the former Progressive Conservative Party. But there is a way that Canadians can learn more about Harper's mysterious party: We can look South, to George Bush and the U.S. Republican Party.

Like the Bush Republicans, the Harper Conservatives would take Canada into dangerous territory:

- Bush and Harper favour Canadian involvement in the illegal U.S. attack on Iraq.

- Bush and Harper would take Canada to deficits in order to pour billions into the military. Bush has already taken the U.S. into trillions of dollars of debt to fund militarism.

- Bush and Harper deny the reality of climate change and the threat to the whole planet, and especially Canada, from our continued reliance on fossil fuels.

- Bush and Harper reject the Kyoto Protocol. Harper has said he would not implement this international treaty which Canada has already ratified.

- Bush and Harper would change the protection of human rights enshrined in our respective Bill of Rights and Charter of Rights. Harper has said he would use the notwithstanding clause to prevent the equal application of the marriage laws as they effect single-sex couples.

- Bush and Harper would challenge a woman's right to choose. Harper has said he would allow the issue of access to legal abortions to be re-opened through an open vote in the House of Commons.

- Bush was responsible for more executions than any other U.S. Governor of recent times. Harper has suggested the prohibition of capital punishment would be re-opened in Canada.

We must not sleep walk into electing a Canadian version of George W. Bush. Challenge Stephen Harper on these positions.

Harper tells Canadians we should "Demand Better." First, Canadians must "Demand the truth" about the new Canadian Republican Party, masquerading as the Conservative Party of Canada.

We do not have much time."

i feel the need to add some thoughts on this. i find that the comparisson between bush and harper is a bit condescending/insulting. yes, i understand why it is done. yes, in understand that bush is the most visible symbol of political evil. fine. however, i think that in drawing the comparissons, which smacks of dick and jane book rhetoric to me, there is the (perhaps) unconscious implication that we (the voters) aren't smart enough to realize that these things harper has said are bad and are reasons we shouldn't vote for him. we need to be told that bush has also said them to ensure that we understand their gravity. personally, i'd still be opposed to someone who was pro-death penalty, anti-abortion, pro-iraq, and anti-gay rights regardless of bush's position on these issues.

[BQSupporter]

There is something called copyright ssflamingo, why are you stealing the work of someone else and trying to pretend that it is yours. Those comments are from BlogCanada.com. I think im going to report you.

[ssflamingo]

First of all, anything that is not my own original content is in quotations.

Second, i have never in my life heard of nor been to blogcanada.com.

Third, the content which IS quoted was taken from a university graduate department list-serv and was credited to a Jillian Skeet, whoever that may be.

[falling leaf]

All political lies about Harper! :angry:

[falling leaf]

BQSupporter

There is something called copyright ssflamingo, why are you stealing the work of someone else and trying to pretend that it is yours. Those comments are from BlogCanada.com. I think im going to report you.

I am going to check this out myself.

Can I ask you one question BQSupporter .

My children have taken french in school since age 5 to 16 . I live in B.C there are a lot of children taking here!

Do the children in Quebec have english as a second language?

[falling leaf]

I am going to check out your site BQ supporter .

I live in B.C and my children have taken french since age 5 to 16 in school . Do the children in quebec have english as a second language?

[ssflamingo]

falling leaf. you say these are all political lies about harper. i hate to be blunt but, can you prove this? i would genuinely like to know. i would like these things to be disproven because if they are true and he gets elected then i am terrified of what canada's future might be.

[Bionic Antboy]

First of all, anything that is not my own original content is in quotations.

Second, i have never in my life heard of nor been to blogcanada.com.

Third, the content which IS quoted was taken from a university graduate department list-serv and was credited to a Jillian Skeet, whoever that may be.

You should really provide the source, either append the author's name at the bottom, provide a link to the source, or preferably both. You can add the author's name to the bottom of the original post...

That's really the ethical thing to do.

Now, beyond that...

I'd have to agree with your assessment for the most part. We should judge the man on his words, not the comparison to the current US president. It is tempting though, because there are a lot of, if not parallels, then curious commonalities.

[Reverend Blair]

Given Harper's stand on so many things, the comparisons between Bush and Harper are inevitable. Both men are basically ideologues when it come to the free market and have shown little respect for individual and human rights.

As for the copyright...it's becoming an issue everywhere because in the end whoever owns the website is going to be on the hook for any copyright infringement. I prefer to see links.

That being said though, ss flamingo did clearly state that he received the article in an e-mail, and he did give credit to the author. It's kind of a grey area. I know that many of things I get in e-mails are press releases (mostly from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International) and, although they hold the copyright, they want them published in as many places as possible. On the other hand I get newsletters from Michael Moore and Arianna Huffington too. I have no idea how they feel about copyright infringement, so if I quote them at all, I try to keep it to less than a paragraph.

[Argus]

Given Harper's stand on so many things, the comparisons between Bush and Harper are inevitable.  Both men are basically ideologues when it come to the free market and have shown little respect for individual and human rights.

Let me express my concern at the number of sudden new members who all seem to take the same tack in accusing Harper and the Conservatives of all manner of villainy in a childish, petty and insulting manner with nothing to back it up. NOTHING.

This group is supposed to be for calm and reasoned debate, and discussion about political issues, but it's hard to do that with people who make idiotic, sweeping statements like that above. Harper shows little respect for human rights? What a heaping load of horse shit. Is this ignorant fearmongering the best you people can do? You accuse him of being an ideologue? And whom do you support? That paragon of reason, Jack Layton? You say he has no respect for individual rights? Because he wants to give individual MPs the right to vote as their conscience dictates rather than as he orders them?

Given the near universal ignorance of this splurge in new arrivals I have to wonder how many are the same person masquerading under a number of aliases, or whether some group of zealots from a second rate university political science program have happened upon this web site to inundate us with mindless, hateful crap. :angry:

[Reverend Blair]

I base that on the things he has said, the issues he has remained mute on, and his record in parliament, as well as his pre-elected history, Argus. Those are all a matter of public record. I've garnered them from a variety of press outlets.

Stephen Harper is indeed an ideologue trying to hide from his past record and the record of his party in order to appear slightly less disgusting than he is. Abortion, Arar, racial profiling, native issues, gay rights, Iraq, trade, aid, social programs.

It isn't like Harper just dropped in out nowhere, he has a record. He is trying to hide that record. Why is he so ashamed of his past?

[Argus]

I base that on the things he has said, the issues he has remained mute on, and his record in parliament, as well as his pre-elected history, Argus.  Those are all a matter of public record.  I've garnered them from a variety of press outlets.

Oh really? Then suppose you enlighten me as to where Harper has shown a lack of respect for human rights? I want examples. That's how it works. Making sweeping statements about him not respecting human rights - what is that supposed to mean? Tt's nothing but a pointless insult. I could list out a number of issues on which I believe the NDP or Liberals lack or lacked respect for human rights, but I wouldn't make a sweeping statement about "Paul Martin shows little respect for human rights."

Stephen Harper is indeed an ideologue trying to hide from his past record and the record of his party in order to appear slightly less disgusting than he is.  Abortion, Arar, racial profiling, native issues, gay rights, Iraq, trade, aid, social programs.

What exactly is an ideologue? Someone who believes in a political ideology of some sort? As opposed to what? Someone who believes in nothing? Layton is most certainly more of an ideologue than Harper, so if this is a problem for you why aren't you attacking him?

Find me an average factory worker, fisherman, farmer or forester. How likely is it he'd feel virtually the same as Harper on all those issues. Does that make them ideologues or simply normal people who tend towards traditonalism and conservatism?

[caesar]

More former progressive conservatives are joining Joe Clark in campaigning for the Liberals. These people include a former national vice president, and Dorothy Dobbie, former MP.

They want no part of this new party under Harper.