George Monbiot wrote a column in the Guardian: "Canada's image lies in tatters. It is now to climate what Japan is to whaling"
"The tar barons have held the nation to ransom. This thuggish petro-state is today the greatest obstacle to a deal in Copenhagen"
In the article George did not refer to our Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and I believe Stephen is really at the centre of this controversy. Of course, Canadians are going to be judged by the actions of our leaders, and I understand that most people don't want to know about our internal politics. And admittedly there are quite a few right wing conservatives living in Canada who agree with Stephen Harper's actions.
But this tar sands situations more than anything, illustrates the powerlessness of any country in the face of large multinational corporations. In this case Canada, because as luck would have it, the tar sands are here.
Let me just recap a little history for perspective. Harper's party started as an extremist right wing anti-immigrant party called the Reform Party in the 1980's. They were a fringe party from the start and held only a few seats in or around Alberta (tar sands area). Later they tried to gain power by changing their name to the Alliance party but nobody was fooled. With the beginning of the Iraq war, and Canada's stand against it (by the ruling Liberal Party) the stakes were upped again, and the combined weight of US public criticism, dirty tricks, plus corporate money forced the remaining right wing parties including the old Progressive Conservatives, to join the newly named "Conservative" party. . Under the Conservative party name, and with a new and inoffensive official platform, the Conservative party finally found enough respectability to eke out a minority government. This was against a divided left wing split among four parties.
Stephen Harper became our (minority) Prime Minister March 2004. His first agenda was kissing up to George W. Bush in any way possible. Given that he was leading a minority government, and had not mentioned Iraq in his campaign, his only avenue of action was relocating Canadian soldiers already in Afghanistan, to the most dangerous part of that country. The resulting high rate of casualties found favour with the Bush administration.
Not too long after, the Harper agenda changed. Bush's days were numbered, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were turning into quagmires. But the oil companies still needed Canada not only for access to the tar sands, but as an international political face for their corporate interests.
In December 2008, with a new green leader of the Liberal party, Stephan Dion, all the opposition parties combined to force a non confidence motion, with the goal of ousting Harper and forming a coalition government under the Liberals. Knowing this was coming, Harper went to the Governor General who made the unusual decision to prorogue parliament and effectively squashed the political tactic. So we still have Stephen Harper, who has learned that politically he can do just about anything he wants if it does not require an act of Parliament. Such as being a thuggish tar-baron on the world stage, which does not in fact require an act of parliament. But unfortunately drags the good name of Canada down with it.
Image: Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" in mock horror at the shenanigans of Stephen Harper.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2009
(2306)
-
▼
December
(302)
- Modification motor yupiter brushes
- No More Broken Promises Ever Again
- The Myth of Limitless High Priced Oil
- BMW Recalls 2008-2010 F650GS and F800GS Motorcycle...
- BMW Recalls 2008-2010 F650GS and F800GS Motorcycle...
- Bank Bonuses Again
- The most extraordinary motorcycle GPS mount (but d...
- Yamaha V-ixion Street Fighter modification pictures
- Yamaha V-ixion Street Fighter modification pictures
- Zen and the Art of Scientific Inquiry
- 2010 Honda VFR1200F Wallpapers
- 2010 Honda VFR1200F Wallpapers
- Honda CB300R-Honda Tiger 300CC Specification
- Honda CB300R-Honda Tiger 300CC Specification
- Ward Hawthorne 1938
- Ward Hawthorne 1938
- YAMAHA MIO Sporty Modification Low Rider the blues
- YAMAHA MIO Sporty Modification Low Rider the blues
- ~Monark Rocket 1951-1957
- Monark Rocket 1951-1957
- My Shifter + Hubs Bicycle Collections (Vintage)
- My Shifter + Hubs Bicycle Collections (Vintage)
- 2010 Honda CB Twister Specification
- 2010 Honda CB Twister Specification
- Honda Civic VTi-S Sport Car Tuning
- Honda Civic VTi-S Sport Car Tuning
- Vario Scooter Concept Modification
- Honda Blade Concept Modification From CBR600
- Honda Blade Concept Modification From CBR600
- Gambar Modif Satria F 150 Streetfighter
- Gambar Modif Satria F 150 Streetfighter
- Modifikasi Toyota Yaris Ceper Style
- Modifikasi Toyota Yaris Ceper Style
- Motorcycling in other Countries: Attitudes
- Gemballa Ferrari Enzo Sport Tuning
- Gemballa Ferrari Enzo Sport Tuning
- Modif green colour
- NEW 2010 HONDA CB TWISTER Release
- NEW 2010 HONDA CB TWISTER Release
- The Subliminal Message of Avatar 3D
- 2010 HONDA CB TWISTER PRESS RELEASE
- 2010 HONDA CB TWISTER PRESS RELEASE
- HONDA VFR1200F SPORTBIKE PICS
- HONDA VFR1200F SPORTBIKE PICS
- KAWASAKI NINJA 250CC FULL ORIGINAL BODY REVIEWS
- KAWASAKI NINJA 250CC FULL ORIGINAL BODY REVIEWS
- Swingbike Dodsun 1976
- Swingbike Dodsun 1976
- Raleigh Chopper Mk2 1975
- Raleigh Chopper Mk2 1975
- Raleigh Chopper Mk1 1972
- Raleigh Chopper Mk1 1972
- Raleigh Chopper Mk1 1970
- Raleigh Chopper Mk1 1970
- Raleigh Chopper Mk2 1973
- Raleigh Chopper Mk2 1973
- Raleigh Chopper Mk1 1969
- Raleigh Chopper Mk1 1969
- Some Titanic Delusions
- Putting the Christ Back in Christmas?
- Wallpaper Valentino Rossi Picture
- Ducati 1198R Corse Special Edition
- Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Pictures
- Ducati 848 Sportbike Wallpaper
- Ducati 1198S Pictures
- Ducati StreetFighter Picture
- Ducati Multistrada 1100 Motorcycle
- Casey Stoner Team Ducati
- Buell Firebolt XB12R Motorcycle
- Buell Ulysses XB12X Wallpapers
- Buell 1125R Wallpapers
- BMW G650X Country Side Motocycle
- BMW S1000RR Prototype Pictures
- BMW HP2 Motor Sport
- BMW K1300GT Wallpapers
- BMW F 800 ST Motorcycle
- Bimota Tesi 3D Best Pictures
- Bimota DB7 Oronero Motor Sport
- Aprilia Shiver 750 GT Sportbike
- 2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory Motorcycle
- Aprilia Shiver 750 Picture
- Solving the Gun Problem Just in Time for Christmas
- Why Santa Feels Safer in Canada
- Motor Scooter Modification
- Scooter Electric Modified
- Y2K: Jet-Engine Motorcycles
- Y2K: Jet-Engine Motorcycles
- Scooter Modification Photo Collection
- Motorcycling: The Friendly Wave
- Yamaha Mio Modified New
- Toyota Yaris Modified new
- Modification mio with blue colour
- Matic From Kawasaki
- Matic From Kawasaki
- Now Shipping: Desert Dawgs Motorcycle Rain Guards ...
- First American Woman to Ride the Cannonball Run
- First American Woman to Ride the Cannonball Run
- How To Drive in Snow
- Honda CBR 600 Custom
- Honda CBR 600 Custom
-
▼
December
(302)
0 comments:
Post a Comment