Harper's scum. I'll grant that.
However, so is Mulcair. He's stabbed more old-guard Dippers in the back than Harper's ever managed to do in from the political battlefront.
Do I wish and hope for Harper to lose this election? Yes. But I don't trust either the NDP or the Liberals to do right for Canadians, either. Both leadership groups have thrown their lot in with neo-liberal ideology. Ostensibly free trade, although who it's free for is a roulette wheel guess. Further development of the tar sands. Half-measures somehow designed to magically halt Canada's further slide into recession.
Neo-liberalism is a failed ideology. It destroys nations. Even massive states like Russia can be brought down low by it. Even rich ones like Japan are forced into decades long recession.
And in this election, we have a choice between two neo-liberal parties, and one neo-conservative party. Not much of a choice, is there?
Harper offers nothing. He's a spiteful, hateful man. Who wields power not for anyone's benefit, but instead for entire groups' detriment. It's how he's been getting elected. Playing toward the lowest common denominator on the right wing.
Trudeau offers the same old song and dance, but nicer.
And Mulcair. He offers little. The old NDP policies are done for. They're vanished.
Listen. Historically, the NDP used to offer real life changing, earth shaking policy. Policies Canada had to adopt, such as old age pensions, and universal healthcare. What does today's NDP offer that's of that magnitude?
Today's NDP's first act would be... tax cuts. Ooh, how inspiring. Considering how working Canadians are in danger of falling from one tax bracket down to the next level, I sincerely don't think most people give a good god damn whether they're paying more or less in taxes, right now. What people want is job security. The old NDP would've promised hell or high water that they had working Canadians' backs. EI would've been the first damn policy revealed. Old funding levels not simply restored, but strengthened to levels not witnessed in decades. Hell, the old NDP used to bandy about the idea of a basic income. And the old NDP wouldn't have allowed businesses to simply go out of business as a cost cutting measure, either.
The NDP's childcare policy is pretty decent. Actually, it's probably their best policy. And it's exactly the sort of policy the Liberals and the Conservatives used to adopt from the NDP. Not today's parties, mind, but the old ones did.
The NDP's policy on the environment, though, is half-hearted. We honestly don't know how we can best proceed in the coming years, much less the next few decades. We have little clue what's going to happen. But what we do know is, the NDP is simply not promising enough. Invest in green technology? Of course. That's the least we should be doing. What's worse, is out of the three main parties, this is the best policy. How sad.
As for local governments, pensions, and healthcare, it's all plain vanilla. Restore programs to levels prior to Harper's government. Yawn.
Where's the vision? What's the plan, really? Do as we've been doing, but with more focus on the middle class? What? Seriously? Is that what today's NDP is about?
You know, honestly, perhaps my expectations for the NDP are unreasonable. I want for a grand vision. Something I can support. Nothing about the NDP, today, is worth supporting, though. They have one policy I sincerely agree with, but with a caveat: were there more job security, and more jobs available, I should think child care could eventually iron itself out. A helping hand should never be sniffed at, of course, but it's hardly a great plan that'll fundamentally improve Canada in the long term.
At this point, in the NDP, I can't advocate voting NDP. I can only state, vote for whoever's best in your district. However, I do advocate opposing Mulcair and his people. They simply can't be allowed to destroy everything the NDP once stood for. Hang around. Make life difficult for them. Make them work for every damn inch they wish to take. Take back what's important.
However, so is Mulcair. He's stabbed more old-guard Dippers in the back than Harper's ever managed to do in from the political battlefront.
Do I wish and hope for Harper to lose this election? Yes. But I don't trust either the NDP or the Liberals to do right for Canadians, either. Both leadership groups have thrown their lot in with neo-liberal ideology. Ostensibly free trade, although who it's free for is a roulette wheel guess. Further development of the tar sands. Half-measures somehow designed to magically halt Canada's further slide into recession.
Neo-liberalism is a failed ideology. It destroys nations. Even massive states like Russia can be brought down low by it. Even rich ones like Japan are forced into decades long recession.
And in this election, we have a choice between two neo-liberal parties, and one neo-conservative party. Not much of a choice, is there?
Harper offers nothing. He's a spiteful, hateful man. Who wields power not for anyone's benefit, but instead for entire groups' detriment. It's how he's been getting elected. Playing toward the lowest common denominator on the right wing.
Trudeau offers the same old song and dance, but nicer.
And Mulcair. He offers little. The old NDP policies are done for. They're vanished.
Listen. Historically, the NDP used to offer real life changing, earth shaking policy. Policies Canada had to adopt, such as old age pensions, and universal healthcare. What does today's NDP offer that's of that magnitude?
Today's NDP's first act would be... tax cuts. Ooh, how inspiring. Considering how working Canadians are in danger of falling from one tax bracket down to the next level, I sincerely don't think most people give a good god damn whether they're paying more or less in taxes, right now. What people want is job security. The old NDP would've promised hell or high water that they had working Canadians' backs. EI would've been the first damn policy revealed. Old funding levels not simply restored, but strengthened to levels not witnessed in decades. Hell, the old NDP used to bandy about the idea of a basic income. And the old NDP wouldn't have allowed businesses to simply go out of business as a cost cutting measure, either.
The NDP's childcare policy is pretty decent. Actually, it's probably their best policy. And it's exactly the sort of policy the Liberals and the Conservatives used to adopt from the NDP. Not today's parties, mind, but the old ones did.
The NDP's policy on the environment, though, is half-hearted. We honestly don't know how we can best proceed in the coming years, much less the next few decades. We have little clue what's going to happen. But what we do know is, the NDP is simply not promising enough. Invest in green technology? Of course. That's the least we should be doing. What's worse, is out of the three main parties, this is the best policy. How sad.
As for local governments, pensions, and healthcare, it's all plain vanilla. Restore programs to levels prior to Harper's government. Yawn.
Where's the vision? What's the plan, really? Do as we've been doing, but with more focus on the middle class? What? Seriously? Is that what today's NDP is about?
You know, honestly, perhaps my expectations for the NDP are unreasonable. I want for a grand vision. Something I can support. Nothing about the NDP, today, is worth supporting, though. They have one policy I sincerely agree with, but with a caveat: were there more job security, and more jobs available, I should think child care could eventually iron itself out. A helping hand should never be sniffed at, of course, but it's hardly a great plan that'll fundamentally improve Canada in the long term.
At this point, in the NDP, I can't advocate voting NDP. I can only state, vote for whoever's best in your district. However, I do advocate opposing Mulcair and his people. They simply can't be allowed to destroy everything the NDP once stood for. Hang around. Make life difficult for them. Make them work for every damn inch they wish to take. Take back what's important.
I feel very much the same way and hope to make the NDP shift back to where they belong, some day soon. I really regretted seeing (a) Mulcair join the party and be treated like a god and (b) win the leadership handedly.
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