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Many political observers and bloggers, including me, have lamented the fact that outside of style, little separates the policies of either the NDP or the Liberals from those of the Harper regime. Given their timidity when it comes to policy proclamations, the biggest clue to their abandonment of a progressive vision for the country lies in their use of language.
The following succinct letter from a Star reader speaks directly to that fact as it pertains to Mr. Trudeau's leadership, but of course is equally applicable to Mr. Mulcair:
Young Mr. Trudeau continually makes reference to the middle class when pronouncing his grand scheme of things. When did the term working class become derogatory?
The political magicians have used their smoke and mirrors to convince ordinary Canadians that everyone can climb through the glass ceiling into the world of the corporate elite. No one wants to label himself as a worker; it has become something very undesirable.
There is nothing wrong with honest work and getting one’s hands dirty; it is time we all pulled together so that no one needs to be without adequate food, clothing or shelter. Social democracy is not a dirty concept nor something to be feared. It is the way of the future.
Larry Rendall, Grimsby
Put another way, as John Kenneth Galbraith once said, Though power corrupts, the expectation of power paralyzes.
Lorne, as the saying goes:
ReplyDeleteProbably the most distinctive characteristic of the successful politician is selective cowardice.
— Richard Harris
So appropriate! Thanks, LD
DeleteWhile I agree with that in regards to the Liberals, that is nether fair nor accurate in regards to the NDP. The NDP wants to expand pensions, lifting seniors out of poverty, provide money to the provinces, reduce tuition costs, create a cap and trade system, invest heavily in inforstructure, a affordable housing stradgey, pharmacare, national transit stradgey, invest in green technology, increase corporate taxes to pre harper levels, close tax loop holes, decriminalize weed, support insite, implement PR without having a referundum, get Quebec to sign the constitution, abolish the Senate, a fincial tranaction tax, cut susbidies to oil and banks, reject the F-35s, says no to Keystone and the Northerngateway pipeline, says no to the line 9 pipeline (and yes to a hypothetical future west to east pipeline that has a scientifically rigous evulation), restore and improve the gun registery, restore the naviable waters act, restore the Wheat Board, make women repsentation on federal boards 50% woman and a ton of other ideas and policies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input, Ryan, and I will take you at your word about NDP policies. One of the concerns I would have is why, as the Official Opposition, Mr. Mulcair and his party are not widely promoting these polices.
DeleteIn the interests of encouraging a wide-ranging discussion, I would appreciate your sending links along that demonstrate these policy positions. I will be happy to display them in a separate blog post.
As Martin Luther King once said, justice is denied when there is "nothing for which to vote."
DeleteKing knew of what he spoke, Owen.
Delete