Harper plays politics with patriotism

Un-freakin-believable.

My take is here.

Is there no low to which he won’t dig?

Talk about obfuscation, Cat. Tell me anywhere in that statement you’ve just made how that justifies Harper’s decision.

Even Wells calls it “over-the-top” partisanship.

Seriously.. there is something wrong with Blogging Tory blogs based in Saskatchewan.

My point is that it isn’t partisanship to include or exclude opposition leaders from an international event . . . it’s standard operating procedure.

I brought up the history of VE+60 to illustrate that with the exception of the minority it wouldn’t have happened then either.

That this is being read as “partisan” is just silly. Dion, Duceppe, Layton, May do not represent Canada. GG Jean and PM Harper do.

FWIW, Scott, I’m not a BT but I would be a bT. (no membership though).

Cheers,
lance

1. The GG isn’t invited - Adrienne Clark is.
2. Harper planned to bring the government down during the 60th Anniversary ceremonies. He couldn’t let strategy and tactics get in the way of what is right. He couldn’t wait a few days.
3. Yes, Dion, Layton and Duceppe represent 70% of Canadians.

4. It’s a hit in the face for war veterans who may support other parties. This is not a “conservative” issue - it’s a Canadian issue. ALL Canadians of ALL political stripes fought in that war, not just conservatives.

5. Harper needs to grow up. This whole Johnnie hit me first nonsense is immature. He’s been PM long enough now to take responsibility like a man for whatever goes right or wrong during his tenure.

6. I do hope his mother is ashamed, she should be.

Let’s suppose there is something called a “Stephen Harper”. Let us further suppose its operating manual was written by Leo Strauss. If that were so, then many of the Harper decisions should not be read as projecting “visceral hatred” of the opposition, since there is a very big gulf between what motivates a Straussite, and ordinary humans. This creature does not at all hate the opposition, it just wants to surpress it so it can have its way. This is done, mainly, by governing in way that populates the poitical landscape with fearful situations, mainly war. And if you cannot have a big war, have a little one and gather around it all the war-talk propaganda you can. The War 1 memorial is just such an occasion and the only possible response in order to cancel the intended effect of the Harper decision is to do nothing at all. When he comes to brag it will soon be seen he has subordinated the nation to his party politics. That will not be accepted.
He, or it, will do lots of stuff like this and the opposition will have to learn to stick to principle no matter how futile it may seem at the moment. Dion seems to have this down pat. Though he will be severely tested when the Cons throw money into another publicity campaign of personal attacks on him.
What Harper has done is everything you say, but I believe the long view is best in dealing with a government consisting of people who despise the electorate and believe it is quite OK to lie about anything, to get to power.