In praise of socialism

Socialism – how delightful it has re-emerged. Just as politics was starting to look mundane, with political parties arguing over who is more beige, suddenly ideology is back in the mix. Who ever thought politicians lacked principles, boy were you wrong! Why just look at Jack Layton walking into Parliament today with a copy of Socialism for Beginners under his arm. And then in Question Period, there was Gilles Duceppe speaking passionately about separatism while subtly, one could say silently, thanking his good graces for having a federal pension.

The summer break has treated everyone well and has ushered in a whole new tone. Why, just last June, Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper were at each others' throats arguing over something as innocuous as a “blue ribbon panel on EI reform”. Today, Michael was praising Stephen for his “new found love of socialism” for introducing improvements to EI. Clearly, Michael was so moved that Stephen had listened to him.

I have to confess a certain cynicism leading to today. There I was waiting for another commentary by Preston Manning lamenting the absence of democracy by conjuring up memories the 1988 Reform Party platform for more grass, more roots and more politicians working for the voters. Although, Preston is too diplomatic to say, but his commentaries have made clear his disappointment that not only has Stephen abandoned democracy, but that Stephen has quashed the very platform he was so instrumental in creating two decades ago. Looking forward to Preston nauseating inner voice, you can imagine my delight when Stephen showed that he has been listening, that he has been consulting with voters all summers. He heard the call. The call said “Make Parliament Work!”. Stephen delivered.

Hindsight is 20/20 but I should have seen it coming weeks ago. The rain finally left Ottawa sparkling, the humidity evaporate - one could say that the air around Parliament had cleared. There was Jack Layton walking up Parliament Hill to meet with Stephen Harper, and behind him stood scores, at least three, Liberals all dress in their golf shirts and Mexx suits and red blouses with signs of encouragement. Of course the media got it all wrong (don't they always?), and reported that these were protesters, but have you ever seen such a finely tailored group of protesters?

Perhaps in this new atmosphere of co-cooperativeness, the decorum, pomp and respect will return to Parliament. Poor Peter Milliken has had to work so hard to teach Members how to behave. Now, the Members can work on their wit and the elegance of the speak, instead of their scowls and non-profane retorts.

Such praise for socialism must be the invisible hand of J.S. Woodsworth at work.

Because government has no business supporting the culture of the nation

Big government spending, big government bailout to poorly run corporations and big tax cuts - the impact had to be felt somewhere eventually. The Conservatives showed exactly what their priorities are, or at least where the priority is not. Culture.

This is a war on culture. Last year it was the slashing by the departments of Heritage and Foreign Affairs of arts programs that promoted Canada globally. Six months ago, the Conservatives crushed the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography because they wanted underground committee rooms. Just last week, Harper's right-wing brethren, Gordon Campbell, took the axe to the B.C. arts community. Today, the Conservative government put the nail in the coffin of the National Portrait Gallery.

According to this government, only government records should be saved for prosperity. Although, that will likely be down graded once the government decides to tackle that burdensome deficit they created. After all, archives and libraries are only high on government lists when it comes time to cut funding.

It is a shame that the former Liberal government had to dilly-dally so much that the $11 million was squandered on the renovation of the former U.S. embassy. Had the renovations continued, or if you added in the money the Harper government wasted shopping around the idea of decentralized national cultural properties, we would have a national portrait gallery by now.

But art is for the rich, not for the nation.

This government has its priorities. It is not culture. It is not the economy. It is getting tough on that declining crime rate.

Apparently the Liberals cannot do better...

September 1, 2009 - Michael Ignatieff's speech - Liberal Caucus: We can do better :

Stephen Harper doesn’t get it. We do.

For more than a century, we’ve built our prosperity on our natural resources. But if we’re to prosper in the next century, we have to turn our resources into products and technologies the whole world wants to buy.

We can’t get there unless we have the vision and ambition to build a competitive, compassionate future for Canada.We can’t get there unless we open up new markets for Canadian exports in countries like China and India.

We can’t get there with Stephen Harper.

Stephen Harper has been prime minister for four years, and he’s never visited China. We’ll be there next week. After that, we’ll plan a trip to India.

September 2, 2009 - Ignatieff scuttles China visit:

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is cancelling a week-long trip to China
due to his self-declared threat of a fall federal election, The Canadian Press
has learned.

It's bad but...

Stephen Harper, I am not a fan. Michael Ignatieff, I once was. His treaties on ethnic nationalism was written in a in simple style that made it easy for any student to read. But since he made the jump to politics, he has failed to impress that he can be more than a critic.

Take his rally-the-troops speech to the Liberal caucus:

But we have a secret weapon: Stephen Harper’s own record. The worst unemployment record in two decades; The worst deficit in our history; And last quarter, the worst performing economy in the G7.

Stephen Harper didn’t see a recession coming last fall. Now he’s missing something bigger: what we’re going through is more than a recession—it’s a fundamental restructuring of the global economy.

Stephen Harper doesn’t get that.

He doesn’t get that Canada’s in a race—that we’ve got to position our country to compete in the twenty-first century. We’ve got to make Canada a world leader again, and we’ve got to do it now.

Yes, Stephen Harper is bad. A majority of Canadians did not vote for the Conservatives less than 11-months ago. In that last election the opposition parties were banging the boards shouting that a recession was coming and Stephen Harper did not care. But more people voted for the Conservatives than any other party.

The Conservatives introduced a do-nothing “fiscal update” clearly failing to see the harsh economic environment. The Liberals were given the chance to form government and they walked.

Through out the winter and spring, the Liberals hummed and hawed, and eventually supported the budget that created that large deficit they are now complaining about. The Conservatives gave large hand outs to some large corporations with no guarantee on their return. Other corporations they were willing let die. Then the Conservatives gave up on economic stimulus, and focused on crime and punishment bills. Meanwhile the unemployment rate soared. The Liberals allowed it all to pass. When the Liberals finally decided to stand tough for the unemployed, they agreed to a blue-ribbon panel to discuss EI that would meet throughout the summer.

Throughout all of this, both parties remain mired in the polls.

Stephen Harper’s record is not a secret. The Liberals record of passivity is perhaps a little less well known.

Allan Blakeney has often preached that if a great policy does not pass muster with the public than it is not a good policy. This applies to the bad record of the Conservatives. Despite this government’s desire to prove government does not work, the Conservatives have not raised the ire of Canadians. At least, not enough to piss off enough voters.

By the same token, no opposition party has galvanized the imagination of Canadians to the point that the Conservatives may be defeated. Standing up against the Conservatives for what happens south of the border is not the call to arms that will galvanize Canadians:

Right now, while Americans are fighting for a public health care system, Stephen Harper has refused to utter a word in defence of our own.

Liberals proudly support public health care in this country—and, unlike the Conservatives, we’re not afraid to defend it.

Oh – and on a side note – all those cuts to the welfare state and downloading to the provinces in Paul Martin’s 1995 budget which was part of the huge healthcare problems of the late 1990s to this decade – that is not exactly defending healthcare.

As much as I want to see Stephen Harper out, I also want a government that works.

A matter of opinion...