Here's a free political lesson: If you want to attack an opponent you have two basic options. You can attack them for a) all the bad and dangerous stuff they do or b) for all the good and harmless stuff they do.
Yes, that's right, in politics you can actually attack somebody for doing good and harmless stuff!
How is this possible, you ask?
Well, let me give you three recent examples of ways in which Prime Minister Stephen Harper has come under assault for doing things any rational person would see as completely innocuous.
Case Number One: Oh My God!
What Harper Did
The Prime Minister, like millions of other Canadians, belongs to a Church, in this case the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Nothing wrong with that, right? After all, in this enlightened age we don't attack a person for their religious beliefs, right? In fact, embracing Christian and spiritual values might even be considered a good thing, right? Wrong! Harper's religion apparently makes him dangerous.
Why It's Bad
Check out, here, here and here, and you will see why Harper's choice of churches has some people in a tizzy. Basically, the argument goes like this: 1) Harper belongs to an oddball Christian cult. 2) Harper makes his policy decisions based on this cult's superstitious teachings 3) this explains why Harper is "anti-science" and why he hates the environment. Of course, it's all nonsense, but sometimes nonsense works.
Case Number Two: Attack of the Photo Op
What Harper Did
During his visit to Northern Canada, Prime Minister Harper did what all politicians do: he took part in a dopey, innocent photo op. More specifically, he drove an ATV. Lots of people, of course, drive ATVs. It's a fun, outdoorsy activity, yes? Nope! When Harper drives one, it's a crime against humanity.
Why it's Bad
Turns out ATVs should actually be called "Death Machines" on account of riding one of these vehicles will apparently destroy the planet. Or at least that's how Harper's critics reacted to the photo op. While many saw Harper's little ride as harmless, his critics basically argued that by driving this instrument of Satan, the Prime Minister revealed himself to be someone who derives sadistic pleasure from desecrating our pristine environment. This in turn, means his ultimate goal is to strip mine the entire country! Also bad is that the ATV in question was not (horror of horrors) built in Canada. If you are going to despoil our delicate eco-system, you should at least do it with domestic products!!
Case Number Three: At least he didn't call it the Hitler Expressway
What Harper did
Recently the Harper government named a stretch of Ottawa road after John A. Macdonald. Surely, this must be the least controversial measure any Canadian government has ever undertaken. Macdonald was Canada's first Prime Minister, he was a Father of Confederation; we name highways, schools and federal buildings after him. His picture adorns our ten dollar bill. He's a national icon, for Pete's Sake. Yet, amazingly even this action rubbed Harper's critics the wrong way.
Why it's Bad
The Ottawa Citizen ran an op ed by author Timothy J. Stanley who informed readers that Macdonald was actually a white supremacist! And so Stanley urged the Harper government to drop the Macdonald moniker idea and name the road after a former Liberal Prime Minister. And I suppose if Harper refuses to do so, his critics will take it as a clear sign that the Prime Minister must be a racist.
So now you see how political spin works.
You can take a person who goes to Church, who partakes in outdoor activities and who appreciates our nation's history and turn him into a bible-thumping, white supremacist who likes to trample on endangered flowers.
Ain't politics wonderful!?
I also must have missed the memo that Harper is the only politician on earth that is criticized. But only the conservative ones count right? Maybe the reason that people are allegedly over criticizing him is because he is doing so much wrong.
Their sect does not believe in protection of the environment, as it's all part of "god's plan". Therefore, Harper shreds the agencies in place to protect our environment, so that we all suffer.
They believe in deregulation, and a wide open free market, just like the US, which almost bankrupted them, by the way. This is what Harper wants for Canada - he has stated so many, many times over the years.
To them, Israel is the "holy land", and can do no wrong. Their actions cannot even be questioned. Hence, Harper's one-dimensional lock-step defence of Israel at all costs, not matter what the truth is, and contrary to the rest of the world.
Ottawa is in the insidious grip of a secretive religous cult at present. Obviously, this right wing apologist mouthpiece is blind, as well as deluded.
as though the average person still cant fathom the false facade of a political photo op.
but mostly inspite of louis riel ...
I see you’re setting the bar so low it’s actually on the ground...perfect for any old snake to slither over.
1. Religion - unwavering support of Israel even when they killed a Canada UN observer when they bombed Lebanon. Anyone who even questions Israel is labelled an anti-Semite. Many Canadians are not Christians and yet are forced to adopt Harper's believes. What happened to religious freedom?
2. Photo Op - Harper spent $2B on G20 with nothing to show for but a Photo Op. It's been an ongoing theme that Harper goes out of his way to get a Photo Op with little to show for. Remember his promise of Arctic Sovereignty in 2010? It was indeed a great speech and even greater Photo Op
3. John Baird removed "Lester B. Pearson Building" from the address of Foreign Affairs. An honour given to Pearson after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. But of course he was a Liberal. Why is it okay for Harper to honour a Conservative PM and not a Liberal PM?
But thanks for taking 3 minor items and making them sound important. Let's talk breaking his own election fixed date law, proroguing parliament, robocalls, in-out scheme and other ways he's taken away democracy from Canadians.
1- Everyone is entitled to their religion, and the fact that the PM's is a bit more off the wall isn't anything to complain about. When he ended up appointing a Science Minister that didn't 'believe' in evolution, this is when it became a concern.
2- He went ATV'ing on his vacation. That's fine! Everyone is allowed to have fun. He pointedly went off the trails though into a delicate ecosystem that people are trying to protect. Anyone who hikes or mountain bikes knows that this is a bad move, especially when there are readily available trails made for people to use. If it was some random teen or drunk adult, no one would be singing their praises either
My original post had a bad, bad word in it. I am so repentant.
Works for the Conservatives.