A Brief Foreword by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper
As a die-hard reader of newspapers, one of the first places I like to go to in the few good newspapers we have left is the ‘Letter to the Editor’ section.
Harper and Putin glad-hand only two short years ago over deals they were negotiating over corporate interests for both countries. It was only a year earlier that Harper posted Putin and other G20 leaders in Toronto while police in the streets rounded up and jailed numerous Canadian citizen protesters, who were never ultimately charged with anything. One of the Toronto area cops supposedly protecting Harper, Putin and others told a Canadian citizen on the streets of our country – “You don’t live in Canada any more.” So where does Harper get off lecturing Putin on freedom and democracy?
There you can often find a letter or two from one of our fellow citizens , in as few as two or three paragraphs, can get to the core of a story or series of stories carried on the regular news pages on an issue of concern to people in our region of the world.
Here is one I read in The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, this March 29th, 2014, focusing on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s saber-rattling rhetoric over Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s actions in and around Crimea and Ukraine that I think pins the tail on the donkey. It was punched out by Judith Ince of Vancouver, British Columbia.
“Stephen Harper rips into Vladimir Putin’s energy-based “one dimensional” economy, his pitiful failures in governance and transparency of information, his politics of division, his alienation of youth, and his failure to work together with his opponents.”
“Doesn’t our PM realize that the same description applies to him?That is Judith Ince’s full letter, and it only took 49 words to pack that kind of punch. What do you think? Maybe we ought to share some of the best, butt-kicking editorials we find in the media on this site with each other on a regular basis as a trigger for more discussion and debate on Niagara At Large on issues of concern to people in our greater Niagara region.
And by the way, and just as a footnote here to the letter above, it is not my intention, and I don’t believe it is the intention of the letter writer, to make light of the bullying tactics of Putin on a number of fronts, and the threat those tactics now pose to the people of Ukraine. What is being questioned here is the hypocrisy displayed in the utterances of Harper and some of the other leaders of countries we fancy to be more open and democratic in the so-called western world.
(NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
The corrupt, but democratically elected Ukraine government was ousted by a CIA orchestrated coup. Now, neo-nazis control levers of power in Ukraine. Crimea was smart to overwhelmingly opt to go with Russia for better pay, better pensions etc. Now the Ukrainian people are about to be colonized by IMF banksters and a neoliberal “austerity” program which will syphon money out of the country and dig the economy into a bigger hole. Once they default, or sooner, the U.S will move in with military bases and point missiles at Russia.
Judith is right. Harper should keep his sabre-rattling comments to himself. Not only is he in no position to judge Russia, but his comments could make a bad situation worse…
LikeLike
Read that too in The Globe. Dead spot on. We now have another huge Omnibus Bill in the works, and the Unfair Elections Act will likely pass with discussion cut short and apathy then setting in over the summer. It is the Hijacking of democracy full speed ahead.
Of all the nefarious things Harper has done, aside from labelling the Federal Government of Canada the Harper Government, is cancelling the astute, scientific, and informed Long Form Census, and relying on Kijiji Quackery to try to explain employment statistics. Way to go, Harperites. you are bears of little brain, but huge ambition.
LikeLike
As I read this article I remembered a book I have here in my bookcase, a book written by a Globe and Mail(?) Journalist Lawrence Martin, This book entitled “Harperland” delves into all the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of what seems to many Canadians as a very disturbed individual. An Individual bent on destroying the Canada we love and a country that “once” was respected in and by every country on this planet.
This book empathizes that this individual is basically a one man show and that the Conservative ministers along with the backbenchers dare not open their mouths without first getting the OK from the same HARPER.
Is HE basically a dictator? I truly feel that this individual’s sick ego puts him in a class similar to a “NERO” an emperor who fiddled while Rome burned.
What he has done to Canada and to the planet will take decades if not centuries to erase (if it is even possible) and many sane Canadians do not trust him, his gang of stooges and the sorry lot who by supporting his policies are cutting their own throats as well as the futures of their own Children and Grand Children. “This” Conservative party of HARPER AND MacKAY was formed and enabled by the lies, deceit, gutless morals and infamy and they both wear their stripes as less than honest brokers.
LikeLike
Without a doubt or equivocation the most secretive, manipulative and un-democratic government ever conceived in Canada. We have in essence been bamboozled by a bunch of red necks who are bound and bent on foregoing any semblance of decency and fair play. They are an affront to our parliamentary system in every way whether it is this UN-Fair Elections Act, the gigantic omnibus bills which include everything but the kitchen sink or the governing of one area of Canada instead of all of Canada. He seemed OK when we had a minority government but oh did he quickly change once he had a minor majority. To think that he is governing as if he actually had a majority when in fact he won with 29% of the votes. Had he run on the changes he implemented he would never have been elected. And now we find out the huge amounts of our money he has spent defending his outrageous bills and legislation using high paid lawyers outside of government when we have thousands on the payroll in government. The attempted end run placed in the hands of our Supreme Court. The Sousa/Adams affair (pardon the pun). The elections Act. And on and on it goes. Where are our old Progressive Conservatives. It’s just a damn shame.
LikeLike
Not much to add except agreement, particularly with Joseph’s commentary. How have we let our nation become hijacked by this immoral, unscrupulous megalomaniac & why don’t his own party members revolt? What does he have over their heads?
I’m not even a major fan of Trudeau but their dirty attack ads against him are about the most childish tripe I’ve ever seen which, to me, indicates they are truly soiling their delicates in fear of him & his family name, not to mention he at least seems to have a modicum of charisma. There isn’t even an election in immediate sight but they must spend millions slandering their opponents. They perpetually harp on Trudeau’s lack of judgement while Harper is leaving a trail of disgraced Senators, assistants & other appointees who have a fine legacy of corruption & overspending. Whose judgement should be questioned?
What has he accomplished?
Gutting environmental regulations.
Promoting the tar sands & pipelines.
Elections Act.
Hawkish foreign policy…by a chicken hawk. He reminds me of the Pillsbury dough boy but less charismatic.
Ruining Canada’s international reputation in SO many ways.
Surreptitious dismantling of heath care.
On & on & on.
Wake up people.
PS Stevie – stop murdering Beatle’s songs. You can’t sing!
LikeLike