Generational Divide: Time to Fight for Canada's Survival

We are living in unprecedented times my fellow citizens and voters.
A time, where our sitting Prime Minister, Stephen Harper & his
neoConservative government have incurred the biggest backlash coast
to coast of any government that has sat in Canada's history. And all of
this is occurring in the midst of an election Mr. Harper himself called,
albeit illegally. See here and here for more on that.

Without a doubt, the rallying assault of voices against Harper & his pack of neoConservatives has been strengthened and boosted by the global world we all inhabit. Canada is one of the jurisdictions with the highest Internet access of
any around the world. It has made joining ranks and spreading the anti-Harper and neoConservative word all the more effective and risen this to a national pastime over the course of this campaign. At least amongst those who have climbed on board this wagon and know that the very survival of Canada is at stake in this election.

The Generational Divide: Who Represents "Our" Voices

What makes this election different too is that the many Internet campaigns,
the media and information available have brought more and more younger and more diverse voters into the political and electoral fray, something we should all be thankful about. Politics for too damn long has been an old white man's game to the exclusion of any other voices, to the detriment of the needs, interests and issues of those who don't have the luxury of running for
office, of soliciting funds from other rich white men who attach strings to
their support.

The generational divide is nowhere more noticeable than by taking a look at
the mainstream media, with the big "old boys" club using their club and might
to promote Stephen Harper for Prime Minister in their editorials. If there was any doubt in my mind, that has been resolved: the mainstream
corporate media (MSM) has ceased to have relevancy, credibility,
or retain a single shred of an idea about the public's thirst for
new leadership amidst an awakening of the deceit, bigotry and
unethical conduct of Stephen Harper and his neoConservative government.

Quite simply put, the corporate media has ceased to be viewed as a legitimate
media and information source in Canada by a growing number of citizens,
especially those on the other side of 40 because they serve their
neoConservative and corporate masters and have forgotten their purpose in
a free and democratic society - to provide news & information to the public,
for the public, in the public good. See Who Killed Canada for more.

Mainstream media is dead in Canada, I don't think they know it yet and no
amount of blogging by their beleaguered journalists is going to change that.

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The Truth of a Person's Character will Always be evident by their Actions

It is the duty of men to judge men only by their actions. Our faculties furnish us with no means of arriving at the motive, the character, the secret self.
We call the tree good from its fruits, and the man, from his works.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

* What exactly is happening, why are Harper & his neoConservatives melting
down in front of our eyes?
* How have things gone off the rails so quickly?
* Why is it not only public opinion is rapidly shifting, but also those
closely watched polls of voters?

These are some of the reasons and all of them are related to Harper's character
and judgement:

Harper heads a Party for White, older Rich folks who already have Theirs - The neoConservatives really only resonate with a very small
bunch of people - older, richer, whiter, more small c conservative, those
who feel like crime is running rampant (it isn't) and people aren't being
punished hard enough (they are). It's called fearmongering, and the
Conservatives are masters at creating problems where there are none
to scare people. People who don't like those "junkies," people who take what
they read in the Vancouver Sun as gospel and who are perhaps too intellectually lazy to move beyond the pablum of the masses brought to them by the corporatized media. Because there is so much more than the crap these corporate hacks put out for their political masters. Last night I watched one of Harper's media appearance, making a big deal about nothing over Dion's brain fart & the whitewash in the background (his supporters) was an indication of what a narrow appeal Harper & his Conservatives have. From coast to coast, it's a party made by white men, for white men. Check out the candidates to see if I'm exaggerating.

Lack of Respect, Dignity & Voice for Canadians (Ie. Arrogance of
the Elite) - Harper & his neoConservative backroomers, who include more than a few Americans, have made THE biggest mistake of any election anywhere by muzzling and directing candidates not to attend All Candidate forums and debates, and preventing them from talking to local media, constituents and voters. To deny the people of Canada the right and opportunity to meet with, to hear from and see candidates in action is one of the grossest breaches of democracy I have ever seen in my life. And this neoConservative strategy proves that this is a one-man government, ALWAYS and FOREVER. If the Conservative candidates won't meet with and face voters now, during an election, what makes anyone think they will have one minute to spare listening to the needs & issues of Canadians if they get voted in. Will they even be allowed to? Just look at the numbers of neoConservative candidates who are failing Canadians during this election and these are only the ones being reported.

Manipulation & Lack of Judgement - Harper, while sitting as Canada's Prime Minister, is alleged to have listened to and approved plans for his Conservative members to offer a million dollar life insurance policy to Chuck Cadman, while he was dying from cancer, to swing his vote their way. Then, when caught, Harper is alleged to lie about it & denies his VERY OWN words. Then, to deflect from his abysmal judgement, he files a lawsuit against the Liberals (on taxpayer's dime, no doubt), accusing them of deceit. And now we have it, Harper's own expert has confirmed that the audiotape was not tampered with, was not edited, or in any
way altered. This means only one thing - Stephen Harper, as Prime Minister of Canada, knowingly approved a plan for his people, other neoConservatives, to offer money to a dying man to influence his vote in OUR CANADIAN PARLIAMENT.

What I'd like to know is where the hell are the RCMP in this? Maybe instead
of operating as Harper's neoCon private police force they can investigate the fact that our Prime Minister quite possibly, allegedly, may have committed a few criminal code violations, ones that had the possibility of impacting an entire nation of Canadians.

" Under cross-examination in August, Mr. Harper said he believed Mr. Zytaruk had altered the tape.

“He asked me a question about the insurance policy for $1-million. And my answer was that I did not know about that. The answer is not contained there,” Mr. Harper said under oath."

Hear for yourself exactly what Harper told Mr. Zytaruk during the interview and ask yourself, why is Harper keep Dona Cadman, Chuck's widow, away from the media and voters so strenuously and using the RCMP has her bodyguard and private police force to do so.
Read more about "the Chuck Cadman bribe controversy" here.

I think it is fair for voters & Canadians to ask what kind of moral and ethical compass does Mr. Harper have?
Is this really the kind of person that we want in our leader, as Canadians? Or to represent us internationally?
Don't Canadians deserve better?

Zero Openness, Transparency & Accountability - Although he knew he was calling an election, Harper waited until just days ago, over a month in,
to release the neoConservative "party platform," which is a whole lot more of nothingness for most of Canada. Over 1.5 million Canadians went to the ballot box before the neoConservative party even released their party platform. In fact, Harper waited until after the advanced polls closed to release his platform. If that does not offend you as a Canadian and demonstrate the
neoConservatives lack of commitment to fairness and democracy, AND a profound contempt for the people of Canada, I don't know what will.

Harper is the Washington's Toady - Harper's role as a handmaiden to the Bush regime and it's continuing plan for assuming more control of Canada's natural resources and cracking open our country and systems to American corporate greed and domination make Harper the most dangerous Prime Minister Canada has ever seen, except for Mulroney, also a Conservative, who foisted NAFTA on us, which has been hurting us ever since. And let's not forget the Liberals involvement as well.

To be crass, Canadian politicians used to have balls, used to stand up proudly and independently protecting and representing Canada as a sovereign nation on the international stage and especially in Washington, DC. We were never anyone's bitch until the neoConservative swing that has seen our "leaders" on their knees, groveling at the feet of the American hegemony that is causing the ruin of our entire global village. Yet even when faced with that, Stephen Harper misled to the Canadian public and denied the Canadian economy was in trouble.

Harper is fast tracking Canada's "deep integration" into the United States under the Security & Prosperity Partnership (SPP), the North American Union (NAU) and now apparently he's also working to integrate Canada into the European Union. Lets get this straight, with an election ongoing, our sitting Prime Minister, Harper & his people, our people (?)have been holding secret meetings for months and have come up with a draft agreement with the European Union that would see Canada become part of the EU, opening up our country to even more corporations eager for access and ownership of our natural resources and to corporatize our systems & Harper doesn't even bother to tell us about it, won't release the draft agreement & hasn't told us about his meeting with the EU on October 17th, 3 days after the federal election?

Is this in the best interests of Canadians?
Shouldn't we have an opportunity to know more?
Shouldn't we have an opportunity to voice our opinions about our continuing status as a sovereign nation?

The Gas Tank is Running on Empty - Harper & the neoConservative gene & talent pool is so low that it stretches the imagination that he could even develop a roster of Cabinet ministers. My God, hasn't Canada suffered enough humiliation and indignity with the likes of Tony Clement, Maxime Bernier, & Jim Flaherty? If these were the best Harper could do last time, what does this say about Canada to the rest of the world? It's an embarassment and a disgrace to Canada and as citizens, we deserve so much better than these clowns and idiots. Not to demean the former, or the latter, who might not want to be associated with the likes of those neoConservatives.

There are many clever souls who have been keeping running tabs on all the BIG and little things and reasons Canadians shouldn't vote for Harper & his neoConservatives and they are making it easier for all of us to access that information too:

100 Reasons not to Vote fpr Harpers' Conservatives

Exclusive: Harper Running Deficit... NOW
Mikewatkins.ca

Conservative leader Stephen Harper continues to claim that Canada is enjoying a surplus, yet his Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty this calendar year has racked up an operational deficit in six of the past seven reported months, totaling over $23 billion dollars, or $20.3 billion for this fiscal year to date. In either case these amounts are unprecedented during this decade

sCandelpedia

Fifty-two important reasons to drive out Harper's Tories

The Straight Slate to Stop Stephen Harper
Editorial. October 9th 2008. Georgia Straight.

The stakes are so high that we're urging a vote for the candidate
with the best chance of defeating Stephen Harper in your riding.

Excerpt:

Harper has aligned Canada closely with the United States in this competition for scarce energy resources. Harper has also taken several steps to bring Canadian economic, climate-change, and military policies in line with the debt-saddled superpower to the south. Last February, for instance, the Harper government quietly signed a deal with the Bush administration to permit U.S. troops to enter this country in an emergency.

The relatively high price of oil has also been the catalyst for an international investment frenzy in the Alberta tar sands, causing widespread environmental destruction. To appease the oil industry, the Harper government has provided millions of dollars in subsidies and muzzled government scientists to prevent them from commenting on the environmental effects of tar-sands developments.

Harper, the son of a former Imperial Oil executive, once described the Kyoto Protocol to limit greenhouse gases as “a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations”. The Conservatives, like their Republican counterparts in the U.S., have refused to cap greenhouse-gas emissions to curb climate change.

Meanwhile, Harper’s Security and Prosperity Partnership with the United States and Mexico is another step along the road to continental integration. Some of Harper’s ideological friends at right-wing think tanks like the Fraser Institute have also promoted a common North American currency. Don’t be surprised if Harper moves in this direction if he wins a majority government.

In previous elections, the Georgia Straight has recommended the best candidates in each riding. Because the stakes are so high this year, we’re joining the cross-country grassroots movement to promote strategic voting and deny Harper a majority. We have examined the polls, looked at previous voting patterns, and assessed the impact of each party’s campaign in B.C. in 2008. After doing this, we’ve recommended the candidate with the best chance of defeating the Conservative.

Vancouver Kingsway
Don Davies (NDP)

It’s not likely that the Conservatives will take Vancouver Kingsway. Davies, a lawyer and former political aide in Alberta, is hard-working, humble, and understands the legislative process. The NDP’s high standing in the polls in this region suggests it could pull off an upset in this riding if people vote strategically. In 2004, New Democrat Ian Waddell would have defeated David Emerson in Vancouver Kingsway by 1,126 votes if the anti-Emerson and anti-Conservative vote coalesced around the NDP. Davies’s main competitor, Liberal Wendy Yuan, is a businesswoman who wouldn’t be a disaster, unlike Emerson. Green candidate Doug Warkentin is earnest and knowledgeable, but probably doesn’t stand a chance of winning this time.

Should Canadians be worried about Conservatives not taking questions?

By Susanna Ng. Georgia Straight. Also see Chinese in Vancouver.

Surprise: Gays Don't Vote for Tories
XTraWest.

Yes, I’m Scared Of Stephen Harper!

Vive le Canada.

Harper's government as acolytes to the American Empire and neo-conservatives values have taken a fatal hit.

Harper’S Political Death Watch

Stephen Harper: Bulking Up Pentagon North

Vive le Canada.

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From their mouths to our eyes & ears:

Jim Flaherty - neoConservative Minister of Finance:

On the homeless
"I will make homelessness illegal and jail people who persist in living on the street. It will be illegal to live on the street it will be illegal to live in public places... on the streets and in the parks." Jim Flaherty, Deputy Premier of Ontario, (Montreal Gazette, A10, Feb 15, 2002)

On aboriginals and ‘real people’
"The federal department of health delivers health-care services only to aboriginals -- all the provinces have the responsibility for delivering health-care services to real people in real towns, hospitals, doctors, nurses.” (Toronto Sun, Jan 23, 2002)
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Canada Vote Swap

This group is a forum for those who oppose Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party. It is imperative that they do not obtain a majority in the 2008 federal election. To prevent this from happening, those on the broad left and those concerned about the environment must cooperate.

The campaigns to stop Harper
Election race narrows as Liberal Party polls within 4 points of Conservatives.

Senior Editor Paul Jay sat down with Rick Salutin to discuss the sudden rise in the polls of the Liberal Party, just days before the Canadian election. Salutin talked about the fact that the Conservative Party of Stephen Harper has never really represented a majority of Canadians' values and as such many Canadians have been looking for a reason not to give them a mandate to see-through their vision of the country. Rick also talked about the vote-splitting which allows the Conservatives to get into office in the first place and summarizes some of the innovative ways that Canadians are organizing to overcome this electoral phenomenon that the Canadian party system presents.

Go to The Real News website to read more & find out how you can join the campaign to stop Stephen Harper & his neoConservatives.

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Who Killed Canada - A 2008 Election Primer

Mel Hurtig & John Riddell - The Dream of Canada

Mel Hurtig - Pay the Rent of Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada

At no time since the Great Depression has the gap between rich and poor been so wide and the outlook for poor people been so grim. Hard-hitting and outspoken, Hurtig builds a compelling portrait of Canadian society under the rule of the “neo-Neanderthals.” He puts together the latest and most reliable statistics with stories told by people on the front lines of the poverty wars.

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A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the sound of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. - Jawaharial Nehru

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. - Aristotle