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lonestar2004
Live to party,work to affordit.


Registered: 10/03/04
Posts: 8,978
Loc: South Texas
Last seen: 13 years, 1 month
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Stephen Harper's Neo-Conservatism
#5827052 - 07/06/06 09:36 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Stephen Harper's neo-conservatism
CBC News Viewpoint | June 26, 2006 | More from Larry Zolf
Stephen Harper's conservatism is new to Canadian politics. It is really a neo-conservative, social conservative government which, unlike any other Tory government, has peculiar rules it plays by. Above anything else, Harper believes that the state is inherently evil and cannot be trusted with anything.
In Harper's Tory land, the state has no role to play in climate change or controlling long guns, and has no right to intervene in the economy.
He loathes Keynesian economics, and believes the ideal state is by definition a non-socialist society.
To Harper, socialism is Friedrich Hayek's "Road To Serfdom" totalitarianism. Any government action is by definition socialist, and therefore goes against free enterprise.
His love of free enterprise is shown by his taking on the job as head of the National Citizens Coalition, a body that stands for unfettered free enterprise, and is patently anti-labour and opposed to the welfare state.
Harper's Hayek views and his pro-American views on the economy make him a big neo-conservative indeed. As a Reformer, he was violently opposed to day-care centres because he saw them as bastions of socialism, and he believed firmly that state day care was pure socialism and therefore a violation of the Hayek credo.
A Buckley-Harper comparison
Harper's hero worship of William Buckley Jr. reflects Buckley's belief in untrammelled free enterprise and the withering away of the state. Buckley's desires to whittle down the state are in complete harmony with Harper's paranoia about the state.
Harper's disavowal of Kyoto is based on his belief that oil-rich Alberta has the right to be untouched by federal regulations on climate change. His law-and-order stance and his enormous respect for the military also show how little use he has for traditional Canadian liberal values.
The Liberals, in their leadership race, have not attacked Harper for his free enterprise and pro-military views. In their confusion, the Liberals are playing right into Harper's hands.
Michael Ignatieff's stand on the war in Afghanistan is really arguing that Canada should abandon its traditional liberal values and embrace Harper's jingoism and militarism.
A Tory party unlike others?
Harper has so far been able to come up with a party that in no way resembles the Toryism of John Diefenbaker or Dalton Camp. Harper has no Red Tories in his government; to him, Red Tories believe in the state and the welfare state.
Harper's neo-conservatism even makes Brian Mulroney an outsider.
Mulroney had room for Red Tories like Dalton Camp and Hugh Segal, and did not hate the state. Nor did Mulroney buy the credo of the National Citizens Coalition. Mulroney did not abandon Keynesianism or labour unions; he was not a social conservative.
Harper claims he's only an economic conservative, not a social conservative. But here is the rub. Harper won't give the state a break in economic matters, but on social matters like same-sex marriage and abortion, he is ready, willing and able to interfere.
Harper's government is far more of a neo-conservative government than the government of U.S. President George W. Bush. The prime minister is building up a Canadian military so Canada can fight the war on terrorism as a real military power.
Harper's pro-business, pro-military, anti-welfare and social conservative stands all add up to problems. His Canada is not the real Canada.
His Canada is also not Quebec - the prime minister and the province have little in common.
He loves the Americans, and Quebec is anti-American and against the war in Afghanistan. The prime minister is also against the state, and Quebec relies on the state for its culture, for its existence.
Quebecers are also for abortion and same-sex marriage, and are pro-labour.
Harper, Ontario collide
Ontario is not Harper country either.
Ontario favours the state, the welfare state and government intervention in the economy. The province does not have the hatred for the state and the fear of socialism that Harper and his neo-con Tories have.
Harper's agenda is now so right of centre, so ideological, there is no room there except for hard-core right-wing ideologues. He may be doing well in the polls, but that's because the Liberals haven't sorted out their act yet.
Harper, it seems, is so neo-con, so socially conservative, that he's losing the Canadian middle class. His chances of getting a majority government have been badly hurt by his relentless drive to the far right of the political spectrum. http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20060626.html
If Hillary gets Elected I am moving to Canada!
-------------------- America's debt problem is a "sign of leadership failure" We have "reckless fiscal policies" America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better Barack Obama
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Phred
Fred's son


Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
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Re: Stephen Harper's Neo-Conservatism [Re: lonestar2004]
#5827158 - 07/06/06 10:34 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Ha ha ha! I can't believe Larry Zolf is still getting published.
His writing was never up to snuff even when he still had all his marbles. This latest example shows he's gone far downhill from there -- something I wouldn't have thought possible twenty years ago when I was still living in Canada.
And Canadian tax dollars paid for that latest appalling screed. I certainly don't regret my decision to leave Canada close to two decades ago.
Phred
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Alex213
Stranger
Registered: 08/22/05
Posts: 1,839
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Re: Stephen Harper's Neo-Conservatism [Re: Phred]
#5827173 - 07/06/06 10:40 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Phrederick, if you hate him he's almost certainly worth reading
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Annapurna1
liberal pussy

Registered: 05/21/02
Posts: 5,646
Loc: innsmouth..MA
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Re: Stephen Harper's Neo-Conservatism [Re: lonestar2004]
#5827335 - 07/06/06 11:33 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Stephen Harper's conservatism is new to Canadian politics. It is really a neo-conservative, social conservative government which, unlike any other Tory government, has peculiar rules it plays by. Above anything else, Harper believes that the state is inherently evil and cannot be trusted with anything.
In Harper's Tory land, the state has no role to play in climate change or controlling long guns, and has no right to intervene in the economy.
nothing could be further from the truth..unless "neoconservatism" has a different meaning in canada...neocons clearly favour unlimited expansion of state power.. they believe the state can be trusted as judge..jury..and executioner.. they have a definite role to play in climate change in accelerating its degradation.. and they intervene heaviliy in the economy on behalf of their corporate campaign sponsors (and against marijuana)...and while they havent shown any interest in controlling long guns yet..they prolly will if ppl should ever start to wise up to them...
Quote:
If Hillary gets Elected I am moving to Canada!
hilary is a neocon in the same camp as joe lieberman...as such..being an illegal alien in canada is still attractive..so long as the liberals in CA keep control of parliament...
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"anchor blocks counteract the process of pontiprobation..while omalean globes regulize the pressure"...
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MckennaManiac420
HEIL HOUSELER!

Registered: 02/27/06
Posts: 285
Loc: Drunk Male Prostitute
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Re: Stephen Harper's Neo-Conservatism [Re: lonestar2004]
#5833690 - 07/07/06 10:59 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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General comment: The Liberals are not attacking the Tory's $15b in military spending over the next 5yrs because the Liberals pledged $12b of it in their last budget.
Edit: The Harper just added to it
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Luddite
I watch Fox News


Registered: 03/23/06
Posts: 2,946
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Quote:
MckennaManiac420 said: General comment: The Liberals are not attacking the Tory's $15b in military spending over the next 5yrs because the Liberals pledged $12b of it in their last budget.
Edit: The Harper just added to it
Looks like the Canadians are going to have to process more of those oil sands and send the oil to the US of A to pay for it.
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