REALITY by Bob Kismet
I have to face it. I love following politics, but I am not excited by this election. Not because I’m tired of elections – this being the 4th in 7 years – but rather, because I cannot see a likely result that is likely to please me.
We are likely heading toward a Harper minority, and the second most likely result, is, perish the thought, a Harper majority. That would likely be 5 years of punishment of the working class, and turn back the clock on social progress by about 50 years.
I am willing to see the good in any leader not named Harper right now, except for May, as her primary function is to siphon off and nullify the important environmental vote in order to get big oil’s Harper elected. Case in point is how Harper pushed to have her included in the national debate. The pride she showed in this achievement was shameful, considering to whom the credit rightfully should have gone.
However, I digress. I like them all, while acknowledging their glaring flaws, simply for not being Stephen Harper. Even Gilles Duceppe who is basically Quebec’s version of a Jack Layton, who also happens to be a separatist. If it wasn’t for the separatism, I would be very comfortable saying that Gilles Duceppe is the best man in federal politics.
What would excite me about an election right now would be if anyone responsible, in part, for bringing down the government, had some concept of how to win the election, and rest control of the government from a man who has shown nothing but contempt for this nation’s democratic institutions (more on that at a later date). However, it seems as though, with the Conservatives at their highest point in the polls in years, Stephen Harper has once again out-smarted his opponents, and fooled them into causing this election at the exact time Harper wants it.
So… this would be the appropriate time to look at a possible silver lining on a Harper majority cloud which would be filled with socially regressive bile and big business friendly stink.
If Harper follows through with his campaign promise to end the public funding of political parties, he may unwittingly be the author of his own future undoing. With a party like the Green Party receiving 2$ per vote they get per year, they run a pretty good business. Last time out, they got approximately a million votes. That means they now get about 2 million bucks a year which they can spend on stuff like salaries and activities for the party brass. Not bad. They can also use it to organize and advertise some votes away from the NDP and Liberals. This does nothing but help the Conservatives.
I used to like the idea of this public funding for parties when Chretien introduced it, as the intention was to decrease the financial disadvantage of parties that cater to people with less money. However, in my estimation, the opposite effect has occurred. It has strengthened the Conservatives.
I doubt Harper is dumb enough to follow through and impoverish his best allies, the Greens, but here’s hoping.
