PM Harper’s constituency

[JohnyCanuck]

PM Harper’s constituency
Contributed by: robertjb

The unauthorized throne speech of the 39th Parliament

It is very easy to become cynical concerning Canadian politics but anybody who says we are dull or boring isn’t paying attention.

Say, for instance: How many countries elect a government that claims to be conservative, is really neo-conservative and are a bunch of wannabe Republicans, and; is going to be beholding to a bunch of separatists (aka theBQ) to hold onto power? Furthermore, they only hold a little more than a third of the seats in Parliament. Still further, the new PM only a few short years ago was leading a dead-ended political rump headed for oblivion, but after some rather scurrilous shenanigans, he is a prince instead of a political-road-kill pumpkin.

SNIP

In 1965 Canadian philosopher George Grant published his benchmark book, “Lament for a Nation”. He makes convincing arguments why Canada cannot exist as a nation because of our proximity to the US. As a “local culture” we are bound to be overwhelmed by the exigencies of empire and modernity. To maintain our sovereignty requires the exercise of socialism and nationalism, but these are counter to the age of progress-an opened ended liberalism driven by a free market economy.

SNIP

At the time Grant wrote the US was undeniably “the spearhead” of progress. To blindly emulate the US and its values and success was then somewhat defensible, but now the US is a very different country. Its values and leadership in the age of post-progress are open to question. Then it was a rising star; now as it resorts to a reckless militarism a wanton disregard for the rule of law and international treaties there should be greater skepticism. Its economic practices are challengeable and its democratic values are in serious erosion. The spearhead has been blunted!

Canada has a new government that sees itself as acolyte to The Empire-one on the verge of implosion. It is sending out ominous signals. Its agenda is predictable and which of its three constituencies; Quebec, the US, and the Rest of Canada, are going to be showered with its beneficence, and which is going to be sacrificed, is too easily predictable.

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20060226210338915

[Wabbajack]

1. Just a nitpick

but I wouldn't call 40% "little more than a third".

[Spazito]

2. It was 36% not 40% so it does qualify for "little more than a third

http://enr.elections.ca/National_e.aspx

[Wabbajack]

4. No not the votes

it said little more than a third of seats. 125/308=40.58%.

[Spazito]

5. Ahhh, thanks, I didn't read it closely enough n/t

[MrPrax]

3. Great Book BTW...

Lament for a Nation--if someone hasn't read it, they should and especially if they are Progressive. Many copies circulating...so no excuse. ;-)

BTW one of the featured columnists on that site is a old Prof of mine--Robin Matthews...he's a good guy on the nationalist front.

Matthews wrote a controversial book in the 70s called, "The Struggle for Canadian Universities"

--the basic idea was that canadian universities have, in particular, too many Americans teaching at them for a lot of reasons--primarily the fact that when the universities in Canada expanded in the 60s, quite a few ex-pats were newly minted as lecturers (couldn't get jobs in the US, nepotism, draft-dodgers who didn't like the Vietnam war, civil rights veterans)--his objection was and is particularly poignant for Canadian progressives, is that IF Canadians can't teach in their own univerities, then what exactly are Canadians going to be taught about Canada.

His comments on the fact that liberal Americans, essentially armed with only an American civil rights model, aren't really qualified to teach the Canadian social and political history.

Grant was a Conservative, but a thinking one, like Oakshott or Innis--he was impressed by Ellul's The Technological Society, which is a must read as well.

[IntravenousDemilo]

6. I wonder if Matthews thought it might be OK for American professors

to teach something other than Canadian social and political history. When I was studying music at the University of Regina conservatory in the late 1970s (a very left-wing era at a very left-wing university), my best composition prof was Dr Thomas Schudel, who was born in Defiance, Ohio. Come to think of it, most of my music profs were Americans, and I don't think I suffered from it...