Reboot Alberta

Sunday, August 03, 2008

The Ugly Face of Radical Conservatism

UPDATE AUGUST 5
I have been called to task on this post and I have reflected on some of what is said in this post. I do think some of it is potentiall unfair. The Harper affinity to follow George Bush's economic, security, social policy and political tactics is a fact. That said, nothing Harper or Bush does or says should have them implicated in any way with the radical right-wing Conservative violence in Tennessee noted in this post. I think I may have left that erroneous impression with some of the content of this post. It was not my intent. Rather than edit the post, I think this explanation is a more reasonable way to clarify matters. If the Anonymous commenter who made this observation would comment again using his or her real name, and in a civil manner, I would be glad to post the comment.

There is a worrisome group of extreme social conservatives in America who are, all too often, running amok with violence, often causing death, due to their rigid and raging ideology. They used to murder doctors around the abortion issue. Now they seem to have moved on to targeting liberals because they can’t tolerate then because they are different. This radical right-wing anger against difference recently played itself out in a killing spree in a Tennessee Unitarian church.

I often wonder about these people and how they justify their beliefs and behaviours, especially when many of them espouse a fundamentalist religious belief as well. I see the Harper government aggressively aligning itself in word and deed with the political and governing philosophy of the George Bush White House . This is not healthy for so many reasons and at so many levels...and it is especially problematical for any hope Harper has of forming a majority government.

It gets very complicated to see how this value set advances the best principles of American society and for how it influences Canadian society too, especially with Mr. Harper's affinity for such political values. Mr. Harper’s personal relationship with George Bush and his embracing of the deceitful neo-Republican political techniques, coupled with a fear based foreign policy, does not serve Canada well at all. There are some insightful bloggers commenting on this event and its implications too. I particularly like what The Red Tory as to say.

The Canadian orienting value set is very much more classic liberal than the social conservative orientation of some scary people in the States. That Canadian difference is a good thing from my perspective, especially when we see events like what happened in Tennessee recently.

I think it is time the Harper Cons created and articulated a specific Canadian conservative vision. We don’t need a conservative Canada that is just variation on the American Republican social conservative model that we see happening now under Harper.

Otherwise the default decision by Canadian voters will be to see all conservatives as the same – just like the neo-Republicans of America, or worse yet, to presume conservatives are mostly like the radical conservatives who are killing liberals based on intolerance for differences.

As the sign on the wall in the Chapter’s bookstores says; “The World Needs More Canada.” The time has come for Canadian conservatives to start speaking up about what it means to be conservative in Canada, socially, ecologically and economically. If it means the same thing as being a American Republican then who needs the Conservative Party of Canada?

9 comments:

  1. What? No Republican Guard in Canada? I'm trying to picture Conservative MPs with bushy mustaches and red berets. The Guard will be initially supported by the CIA until Canada starts attacking oil rich St. Pierre and Miquelon. Then, Canada will be accused of having weapons of mass destruction at secret locations such as Canada's Wonderland north of Toronto, Ontario Place, and stored underneath the Canada Goose statue in Wawa, Ontario. Damn those fireworks! Soon, Canada will be attacked by a future president George Bush IV or V. Then, conflict in Canada will occur between radical religious groups such as the Lutherans and Anglicans. They'll be accused of secretly transpanting organs from their adversaries and transfering them into their own churches. Amazing Grace!

    ReplyDelete
  2. When did Paul Martin take over this site?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Given that a sizable number of very key members of the HarperCon$ attend the Republican policy conventions, it's not exactly a big leap to understand that the CPC is really the RNC North - especially under Harper.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:49 pm

    At least two MLA's are going to McCain'$ convention.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ken C. writes: That said, nothing Harper or Bush does or says should have them implicated in any way with the radical right-wing Conservative violence in Tennessee noted in this post.

    Perhaps not directly. But we cannot ignore the fact that as the religious right wing has taken over both the Republican party and the CPC, it has emboldened less moderate voices to become louder and more intemperate.

    Some of those voices have been known to make statements that could be construed by some less reasoned individuals as a license to commit violence to their perceived adversaries.

    Bush has signalled quite clearly where he stands on social issues; similarly, Harper has done so by his own inaction with respect to numerous private member's bills in the House of Commons which are - politely - straight out of wingnut central.

    In that respect, Canada's conservatives need to take ownership of the extremism and either expunge it or bring it to heel. Simply put, violence done in the name of any political movement - sanctioned or not - sticks to that movement and its public faces.

    So, while your specific inference may not be 'literal truth', it contains a valid, and serious, problem that conservatives in Canada must face.

    (and no, I'm not the anonymous commenter that spawned your note)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous1:02 pm

    The conservative movement globally has many of the same tenets, particularly in Australia, the United States, and in Canada. Anyone who suggests that these are "old labels" should pick up a basic political science textbook.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Surely you are not suggesting a poli-sci TEXT book will give us insight into cutting edge contemporary political thought. They are usually more like history books.

    They are old labels and being in a poli-sci text book is all the proof you need for that statement.

    There is a different kind of pragmatic politics that is emerging that is not charisma or populists based. It actively eschews the tired old left-right/winners and losers approaches to resolving issues so characteristic of "old-style" politics.

    Stelmach's move away from government patronage appointments is a manifestation of this new approach.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3:08 pm

    Ken, as long as the grand poobahs of the Conservative party are the hardline social and religious conservatives who made their home in the Reform party, there's little likelihood of the Cons reflecting mainstream CANADIAN society. Their basic tactic is to ape the worst of the Republicans under Bush. When Obama becomes prsident, they'll do whatever is diametrically opposite to what he does. It's hive mind and group speak. They can't help themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous11:21 am

    Nothing concerns me more than people with views and actions influenced by radical ideology.

    The world would be a far better place if jihadi muslims and hard core right wing christian conservatives, for example, would all just take an extended vacation.

    I believe polls show that roughly 70% of albertans would vote democrat. I'm one of those!

    Clearly, Harper's biggest challenge in winning a majority is the ever lingering stigma of his more radical views expressed in the past.

    Like a lot of young people, fiscal conservaties and social progressives, Harper will never win me over completely.

    ReplyDelete

Anonymous comments are discouraged. If you have something to say, the rest of us have to know who you are