By Mark Taliano
Never mind the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms which, according to former P.M Chrétien, celebrates and unifies Canada as “un pays de tolérance par excellence”.
P.M Harper recently had more important matters on his plate, namely, the “courtesy call” from Li Changchun, head of propaganda, and Member of the Communist Party of China’s Standing Committee of the Politburo. According to Forbes magazine, Li Changchun apparently “controls what 1.3 billion Chinese see, hear, and speak.”
Possibly, the two regaled each other with media renditions of Plato’s Allegory Of The Cave, but more likely, they shared strategies for moving Tar Sands crude fromAlberta toChina, despite the protestations of radical environmentalists and other extremist groups.
PM Harper and his neo-conservative party certainly did their homework in anticipation of the previously unpublicized meeting. The Economic Action Plan, 2012 effectively guts the Environment Canada budget, cancels the National Roundtable On The Environment and the Economy, slashes the budget of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (by 43%), cuts federal science budgets, ozone monitoring, and on and on., while simultaneously maintaining tax incentives/subsidies for energy companies.Changchunwould no doubt have been pleased.
In 2006, PM Harper accurately remarked: “Canada’s environmental performance is, by most measures, the worst in the developed world. We’ve got a problem.” Seemingly, the problem being described was that the environmental bar had not been lowered sufficiently. Currently the “bar” has been grounded, so maybe the goal is within sight.
There’s nothing new about the strategy of “divide and conquer”, and the fact that it works is a “no brainer”, but it’s still about as sleazy as electoral fraud. Harper has renounced intergenerational responsibility with the rejection ofKYOTO, and he has embracedCanada’s new status as “international pariah”. He pits one generation against another with OAS cuts. He pits the rich against the poor with health care cuts and unprecedented income disparities. He wages war on truth and science. And now, this conflicted country is plunging blindly “back to the future” with its obsession on one private sector to the detriment of others.
PM Harper once promised to “change the face ofCanada.” He has succeeded. The statement also begs a question though: Will we ever recover?
Mark Taliano is a resident of Niagara, Ontario and a frequent contributor of posts to Niagara At Large.
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Niagara At Large 
Mark your article describes a dictator, a person feted by the Canadian Corporate media and a darling of the international oil cartel, those having interests in the “Tar Sands” that is. From day one this person has scared hell out of me and along with Peter MacKay and goons they have built their own empire based on a “Creed of greed and entitlement”.
Lawrence Martin, a journalist with the Globe and Mail wrote a book describing the warped persona and egomania that drives this person much like a Gengis Khan who rode over his peoples with a complete lack of compassion and concern.
It was thought that He is much like a “Republican” but that is far from the truth as some Republican actually care. He is now in bed with the Chinese and it makes sense for it matters not where the oil cartel’s bottom line comes from and that is basically the tenants of the Fraser Institute.
Then to hear our neighbors and/or fellow hard working stiffs whether blue or white collared rant or rave in defense of these goons is depressing and rather disgusting to say the least.
There is a saying “God Bless Canada” well isn’t it more fitting to say “God Help Canada”?
Once again Thank You Mark
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Hello Mark, I enjoyed reading this but I got confused by a couple topic changes early in the article. It started by comparing Harper to a Chinese official and later mentions that Harper is doing nothing to improve our enviornment. Toward the end it summarizes that Harper is following a strategy of dividing and conquering.
Perhaps a paragraph was accidently deleted, but I’d like to know which two groups are being pitted against each other in this situation. If I was to guess, I’m assuming that it’s enviromental groups or concerns that are being ignored in the name of the Canadian economy.
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Matt, here’s a clarification. One of the hallmarks of a closing society is the viification of dissent. When groups don’t agree with Harper et al., they are vilified ( labelling them as extremists, radicals etc.). On one of the video links that I posted on an electoral fraud article, Conservative MP Dean Del Maestro vilifies the Council Of Canadians in much the same way. A divided population is easier to manipulate, and the cons know this (thus the attack ads on TV as well).
China is a very closed society, so I would assume that the Propoganda Chief, Li Changchung also uses that tactic, as well as many others. The groups being pitted against each other in this case would be environmental groups (or any dissenting groups, including unions) and those who subscribe to Harper’s neo-conservative ways.
I’m currently reading Barbara Coloroso’s excellent book, Extraordinary Evil A Brief History Of Genocide. Genocidaires use the same strategy. We saw it in Nazi Germany, Armenia, Rwanda etc.
At the end of the day, it’s very unhealthy for a governing party to regress to such tactics.
In the former Canada, we were known for tolerance and inclusiveness, now we’re becoming known for intolerance and exclusiveness. We drop out of KYOTO, we’re not welcome in the U.N Security Council, and we vilify our own citizens when they disagree with the party line. It goes on and on.
Our current government really isn’t a centrist “Progressive Conservative”
party. It’s more of a Reform Party/Wildrose type government.
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Here’s the clip of MP Dean Del Maestro blasting the Council Of Canadians.
http://canadianawareness.org/2012/03/dean-del-mastro-calls-the-council-of-canadians-a-extremist-group/
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Mark, thank you for the clarification. I think the Harper government believes it’s the best option for Canada right now and doing what they think is necessary to stay in power. Not saying its right, just effective.
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More extremists. Apparently Canada is now host to a multitude of extremists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=680xhvB_Vpc
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Thank you Mark, for your techie ability to include these videos. Otherwise I would have missed them. Fascinating. Fearfully so. A letter to the editor of the G&M this morning, re the electoral officers comments on the Robo calls says “Toto, I have a feeling we are not in a democracy anymore …”. Perfect.
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Waging war on truth and science:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/canadian-scientists-continue-muzzled-harper-government-234902614.html
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/08/pol-war-artist-protest.html
War artist Alan Hardy Mackay : Harper government “… antithetical to the way a democracy should be conducted…”
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Imagine what a Public Inquiry would uncover …
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/06/07/pol-opitz-wrzesnewskyj-etobicoke-centre-seniors.html
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More on Dean …
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For the first time in my life, I am truly frightened for my country, my precious and beloved homeland. As your article states, I wonder if we will ever recover. HARPER MUST GO!
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