I Am Embarrassed

I wrote very similar things in my blog today. I have another one coming tomorrow.
http://www.sitthinkgoodblog.wordpress.com
I’m very angry with our leaders. I’ve actually moved from being passive in my political involvement to taking up my Conservative membership again. I agree with many of their policies, but want to see change in the way things are done — time to infiltrate!
I haven’t even started on the Elizabeth May rumours yet!

Right then (cracks knuckles) I’m fairly certain few will agree with me. So be it.
First, let me open any potential bias. The best thing I ever wrote was a blast against Steven Harper prior to the previous election. I figured calling him the anti-Christ would get people’s attention and read the rest of what I wrote. I was right. Essentially, Steven Harper should go back to his previous job as a used casket salesman and take his plastic Ken doll suit and slither back out of the light from whence he came. After 2 years of non-stop Bush style politics of constantly running for re-election and playing politics to keep the opposition down, the country has finally had enough of that s**t. What exactly has the Conservative government done for the country in their about 3 years in power? Roll back the GST by a percent saving me $0.50 on a toaster? Please… Steven Harper indignat about a coalition booting him out? He’s just mad that he didn’t think of it first. Somewhere I hear the ghost of Frank Miller giggling. He had a perfect opportunity with a new government to show leadership to those that didn’t vote for him, in a bold new economic plan for these times. Instead we get previously announced tax rollbacks on the few, and screw everyone else.
As for winning the election, that’s not the way it works. Yes he came first, that does not mean that he won. He has neither a majority of seats or a majority of votes. In a minority it’s expected that you form a coalition to stay in power. You could correctly argue that a coalition government is MORE democratic as it made up of a majority of seats AND a majority of votes from the last election. Steven Harper didn’t “win” the election, he was simply the lesser of 5 evils. If he is tossed from 24 Sussex it will show that one man holding ALL the power is not the way to go in politics in this country. I would expect a revolt in the Conservative party. A night of the long knives not seen since either the Joe Clark or Diefenbaker coups. This will certainly lead to another Reform style split in the Conservative party and the end of Steven Harper as a leader.
We as Canadians should be ashamed that only 59% could be bothered to vote. I have less respect for you if you didn’t vote than I have for Mr Harper. If you didn’t vote last time, you have no right to complain, no right to join in the arguement.
Now on to the 3 Stooges of the Coalition.
The first thing that popped into my head when I heard this was “at least someone is taking the lead and doing SOMETHING”. Again, the Conservative initative to stop government funding of political parties does nothing to help a GM worker in Oshawa now does it? It does fullfill the Bush doctorane of screw the other side of the aisle at every opportunity. Dion would be best served by getting out of Dodge as fast as possible and let the coalition appoint anyone else as interim PM. Smart man, but not leadership material. May I remind everyone that after Clark lost in the house, the Liberals had to hastily reappoint Trudeau as leader to just get through the election and that seemed to work out alright, so it’s been done. If the coalition gets in and if it lasts only a couple of months it will backfire on them. If it goes over a year it will gain them at Conservative expense. We are repeating the past of Ed, with Jack Layton as a respected leader of a party nobody except my teenage daughter wants to vote for … with the candidate in my riding being spectacularly unqualified to be MP. I respect the NDP as thinkers of innovative ideas that probably wouldn’t work in reality. At least they are trying to think of something new and not just repeat the same old repeating the same old repeating. As for the Block, you don’t have to like or agree with them, but you do have to respect them. There is no hidden agenda with them. They are solely concerned about Quebec and matter that relate directly to Quebec. If they come up with policy that benefits Quebec, but just happens to benefit Canada at the same time, I’d be fine with that. Oh, and I should remind you that the Block was formed by renegade Conservatives.
So now a Haitian born, former TV journalist and social worker, the Gov.Gen. will decide Canada’s future. As a media guy, I should probably fess up that most journalists are empty plastic idiots who drink a lot. Their job is not to come up with ways to benefit the country, it’s to rake up muck that outrages you enough to watch and sit through the next 2.5 minutes of commericals. Anyway, she has 3 options, close this session, an election, or coalition. Closing the session is unprecedented only 7 days in … oh and since the government hasn’t passed any of their financial bills, the business of government will grind to a halt with no money. King Steven will be in his joy issuing Orders In Council and governing as dictator. How democratic with that be? Oh, and he’ll still face non confidence as soon as he opens the next session anyway, so it’ll be right back to square one and a useless waste of time. An election? Just did that, and what would make you think that the results would be anything but yet more of the same? A coalition? Not unprecedented, but rare though legal. The opposition has already proved that they have the will of the house and could form a government. What? A new and untried idea in Canadian politics? Good Gravy! To me it makes the most sense to form a coalition, but this is the Canadian government where sense is never in play. I don’t think she has the stones to allow that to happen. Result? Constitutional crisis.
Again.
I for one was happy to see minority government. Good work usually results when all the parties agree to play nice in the sandbox, with different coalitions forming for different issues. But the Conservatives “our way or the highway” approach has done nothing to bring this country together like a minority can, and you could argue that they have been more divisive than the previous Liberals. Now that the right has gone from 3 parties to 2, we are going to be looking at a never ending series of minorities and coalitions. This is just the beginning baby! Welcome to the world of Italian style politics with 50 governments in 50 years!
Where is this going to lead us? You are already seeing the country divide politically based on geography. The west is overwhelmingly conservative, and Ont Que and the Atlantic leaning to support a coalition. Nobody is supporting Dion. I predict here that you will see a Western Independance party, much like the Block, spring up for the next election. If there is another right wing party splitting votes, that will likely mean Liberal majority or strong liberal minorities.
A coalition could very well work. Again everyone has to work together on what’s important to the country as a whole. It’s never going to last 3 years, but hopefully it doesn’t have to. The economy, while bad, isn’t in recession yet (GDP +1.5% in the last reported quarter). Canada is not facing the mortgage crisis like the US. If Canada is proactive, perhaps we can avoid the worst of it and come out better in the end. It doesn’t have to be that only China will benefit from the world economic crisis.

Craig, great posts. We actually agree more than we disagree. (for instance, I think calling Harper the anti-christ might be a BIT of a stretch )
I think EVERYTHING you said can be best summed up in the very last sentence of your second comment: “5 parties and not a leader from any of them.“
As I pointed out in my original post, Harper is not innocent in any of this. He knew the Liberals were wounded and needed time to regroup, and as a result, he certainly did try to bully through legislation that he knew would never fly if the opposition party was on better footing.
But, let’s not paint the Liberals (and NDP) as “doing something fresh” and in a positive light here. Now, I’m not suggesting you are doing that, but you are clearly anti-Harper and perhaps it’s showing somewhat).
As you point out, “the economy, while bad, isn’t in recession yet …” You acknowledge that we are in a far better place than the U.S. (or much of the rest of the world, for that matter). We cannot be blind to the fact that it was Harper’s government who has led us the past number of years. Perhaps it is his principles (in part) that allow us to be in better shape than others.
The point I’m making is, if we are doing better than others, then why are we suddenly trying to do what other countries have done, with little success? I’m speaking of the bailout.
Anyway, enough ramblings … it will be interesting to see where this all leads!

Seth Godin, a marketing guru (latest book: Tribes), made a very interesting suggestion regarding the U.S. bailout of the auto industry.
Rather than give the money to the Big Three, split up the cash and give it to 20 smaller companies that are doing fresh, creativie things in the automotive field. Even if only five of them succeed, and take the money and create new, incredible cars, we’ll be further ahead.

Interesting posts, Craig. The Liberals like to take credit for turning the economy around, but the reality is Mulroney and Wilson started the ball rolling in the right direction. I will give them credit for continuing that, although some of what they did involved downloading costs to the provinces and, by extension, the municipalities — we are reaping some of the consequences of those choices now.
These times of crisis call for leadership and civility, but what we’re seeing is partisan bickering and aimlessness. I can’t say I’m not biased because I’m now again a member of a political party, but part of that choice is to call for change from within.
Rob, thanks for writing…
Everyone, apathy is not an option, become active, get involved in some way, expect better, rather than being resigned to things continuing along the same path. I don’t care what you’re political affiliation is, demand better.

Give the auto bailout money to smaller companies? Sure. In the long run that might work, there are other ideas out there. Google neil young cars for example. He’s turned a 59 Lincoln into a diesel hybrid that gets 65mpg. He’s aiming for a prize given to the first real world car that can get 100mpg on a set test loop.