Why Stephen Harper's Values are Distinctly un-Canadian

"NOT"!!

Stephen Harper has repeatedly made the claim that Conservative Values are Canadian Values.  

In itself, this seems like a fairly harmless statement, typically political in nature that should probably be instantly dismissed as such.  If it had been made by any other political party, speaking about themselves at any other point in our history, this would be true. But this was Stephen Harper speaking these words and their meaning has far greater implications, beyond mere political rhetoric.

For one thing, Harper controls his party with an iron fist. He sets the tone, he sets the agenda and he sets the speech. Every single party member conforms to this strategy. If they can't, they don't speak, if they speak and contradict the party line, heaven help them. More than one man or woman has found their careers in ruin for doing so. 

To control his party, Harper has employed a cadre of non elected Zealots, euphemistically referred to as "political entrepreneurs". These are the boys in short pants. He has stocked the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with these henchmen and has given them unprecedented powers. Dimitri Soudas for example, Harper's former Director of Communications and a top adviser had in the past, been given the task of announcing Government Policy on National TV.  This was not an elected official, he was a mere employee, yet he enjoyed greater access to the Prime Minister and possessed "clout" far beyond any Parliamentarian sitting in the House of Commons. This remains true of ANY of the zealots in the PMO, that they have far greater power and control over our country than any of our elected officials, yet they are nothing more than "hired hands" 

So with a short leash tightly around the neck of his party, whenever we hear Stephen Harper utter the word "Conservative" , we should be hearing "I" or "me" or "my" as in,  "my values are Canadian values" .

And lets not forget, this party that Mr. Harper has a choke hold on, is Conservative in name only. They are, in reality, the Reform/Alliance party that usurped the Conservative name from the mortally wounded  PCs in 2003. There is very little in this New Conservative party that resembles the Progressive Conservatives of days gone by.This collection of Neo-Cons would likely consider John Diefenbaker or Robert Stanfield to have been Socialists.

So Stephen Harper is flaunting his values as being Canadian. So because they are his values, they are his party's and his Zealot's values. But what are Harper's values? Whenever the word comes up, which is often, it's usually connected with the word Family.

When the phrase "Family Values" comes up in the United States, at least in the political sense, it refers to ultra-conservative, right-wing fundamental Christian values. Groups espousing to be supporters of Family Values in the good old U.S. of A.  are also known to be well financed, powerful, intolerant and often racist according to various civil liberties groups. And for some reason, there is a connection between these right-wing groups and "Tea",  though what this connection is, remains unclear to the writer.

So In Canada , when Stephen Harper talks about Family Values, he is definitely on the same wavelength as his American cousins. Both he and his party have received support, both financial and otherwise from these ultraconservative groups south of the border. And we also know Harper to be a staunch Evangelical Christian. So when he makes any reference what-so-ever regarding the subject of values, we should know that Harper is referring to the Evangelical variety and that they have been well financed by folks outside of our borders.

So what are these Evangelical Christian Values? Well, for one thing, we know them to be adamantly pro-life. Which is not surprising in itself, but they aren't content with just Evangelicals being pro-life. Everybody has to be pro life. Which means that women's reproductive rights are non-existent in Harper's Canada.

In fact, women's rights are greatly diminished in Harperland.  Yes, they have a very necessary role in the family. They are the bearers of the children. Very important to be sure, but it is their primary role. Meaning for a good portion of their adult lives, women should be pregnant and left at home to raise the kids. State supported and licensed day care is an abomination you see.

So once a woman, according to the Government of Harper has outlived her reproductive usefulness, then and only then is she free to pursue other interests and ambitions. But she must at all times remain subservient to the man in the family. 

If they can't be converted,
non-believers are shunned
and left to die on their own.
No State support for these
"losers"

All Non-Evangelicals are to be pitied and saved. Meaning we non-believers must be convinced to adopt the same world view as our enlightened brethren.  But if we will not be saved, we must be shunned, exiled and left to our own pathetic devices, hopefully to die off and rid the world of our horrible socialist sins.

Homosexuals under Evangelical dogma, are the lowest form of life. As such, they should not expect to have any rights in Harper's Canada. They are not even to be pitied and saved like other non-Evangelicals. They are to be shunned, and hopefully, to die slow painful deaths. Which might explain why the Government of Harper would not allow cheap, generic AIDS medications to be produced for shipment to needy developing nations. Most likely, the Prime Minister believes that Aids is a scourge brought on by the evil of homosexuality and as such, gays should be left to be destroyed by their own deadly disease, horribly and painfully.

Unlike the traditional teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, the poor in the Evangelical world are not to be pitied and given help. They are to be blamed for their own plight and if they are not capable of becoming useful Evangelical citizens, they should be locked up like common criminals to teach them the folly of their evil existence. Never mind if they are mentally ill or drug addicted or both.

So, given the Evangelical world perspective, it is not difficult to see why Harperland is a very exclusive club. All are welcome to join the club and be saved, but those who won't, can quite literally, "go to hell"!  So the club excludes out of hand: Muslims, Hindus, Baha'i, Buddhists, Communists, Socialists, Feminists, Gays, Lesbians, Transgendered folk,  Liberals of any stripe, Unionists, impoverished, those with mental illnesses or addictions and basically, anyone who holds a dissenting world view.

Oh, and for good measure, Evangelicals don't believe in Global Warming, at least that it is man made anyway. If there really is Global warming so Stephen believes, it is gods will so nothing mankind does, one way or another, will make it better or worse.  Hence the rather archaic policies Harper has regarding the environment, ie: it's here to be used and exploited, not protected, because whatever happens, good bad or otherwise, is god's will!

So, given that Stephen Harper's world view is firmly rooted in his Evangelical beliefs, I would say that his concept of values, Family related or otherwise, are very far from the Canadian values I've grown up with and hold dear to my heart.

The Canada that I know is all inclusive. Everyone is welcome here regardless of their skin colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender. The more the merrier. Despite the fact that we are a cold, drab country for three-quarters of the year, we love lots of colour, pageantry and  displays of ethnic and artistic diversity. And if any newcomers to the country can play hockey, all the better. But conformity isn't the order of the day. Assimilation is an undertaking best left to the Borg...and the Evangelicals apparently. 

In the Canada that I grew up in, we care for and make every effort to rehabilitate the mentally ill, the drug addicted and the impoverished. Not only is that the truly Christian thing to do, but it is also the morally right thing as well. We have a very firm belief here in Canada, that all are equal, everyone has the same rights and as such, everyone has a right to be happy, healthy and to have a reasonable standard of living. To that end, the State makes every effort to create circumstances where every citizen can obtain these rights of their own accord and if they can't, the state has an obligation to look after and care for them as though they were members of the family, our "Canadian Family". And that is the core of Canadian values. Our society owes responsibility to everyone, regardless of who they are  as though we were all in some way, extended family. To my mind, this is what Family Values truly represents .

In my Canada, we are typically known to be stoic and eternally polite. But we are also known to be hospitable, forgiving, tolerant, accepting and possessing of the ability to turn the other cheek and recognizing that discretion, is often the better part of valor. And curiously, this last character trait  can easily be seen as a Progressive Conservative quality that has nothing what-so-ever to do with the new incarnation of the party known as Conservative.

So no Mr. Harper, your values, while representing a very small minority of Canadians (apparently, there are about 3,000,000 Evangelicals in Canada, mostly in and around Alberta), are very far from being representative of the entire country. But it is my distinctly Canadian values that says you are entitled to your beliefs. But it is also my Canadian mind-set that says you don't have the right to force them on the rest of the country.