For those worried about how “scary” Stephen Harper” is, have no fear. Harper is demonstrating that he can be in Canadian politics along with the best (or worst) of them. In September of last year I wrote in this column that the Conservatives did not have my wholehearted support because frankly, they didn't act like conservatives.
Back then I wrote: “… the Conservative Party has failed to differentiate itself from the Liberals, adopting the Libs' agenda almost word for word. There is no real vision in the Conservative Party of how things could or should be. Hence the party is forced to borrow from their opponents' platform. Why would anyone be in favor of having the Conservative Party form a government only to continue with the Liberals' policies?”
The answer of, course, is that otherwise they wouldn't get elected. The voters of Canada have gotten so coddled and spoiled through government largesse ostensibly paid for by “the rich”, that they cannot envision Canada as a country where opportunities for personal and financial success are available for everyone equally. Hence the small-minded envy that most Canadians feel for those who have achieved financial success and their readiness to punish that success with confiscatory taxation.
I recently listened to a talk radio program about Prime Minister Harper's plan to increase the program of transfer payments to “poorer” provinces at the expense of those that are wealthier. I was shocked, but on reflection, not surprised, at the number of Canadians that called in and said that it would be okay for richer provinces, such as Ontario to send an additional billion dollars to Ottawa. It didn't seem to matter that Ontario was paying some $23 billion more to Ottawa than the province was receiving in return for federal government services.
I was, however surprised that not one caller suggested strengthening the economies of poorer provinces through some sort of co-ordinated incentive programs. It's shocking how Canadians are ready to accept that there are poorer regions and accept that they will always be in abject poverty.
I am beginning to understand what philosophers and political scientists mean when they talk about democracy's shortcomings. Like every good idea, democracy has a long list of glitches that makes it imperfect. Reading a recent essay on democracy written in 1995 by strategic philosopher Max More, I began to understand that while democracy is probably the most desirable political system, particularly for enlightened societies, there are some glitches. More wrote:
“Consider a few of the shortcomings of existing forms of democracy:
and here's one that I'd like to add. Democracy has a tendency to engender pandering by politicians in order to continue staying in power. Hence Stephen Harper's unprincipled and opportunistic actions of late. Hence the Conservative Party running on a platform that is anything but conservative.
You see, just like water naturally runs downhill, it's always easier to go with what's worked in the past, rather than break new ground and attempt to capture the voters' imagination with a vision that is clear, unique and principled.
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