Cry, the Beloved Country

I originally wrote this back in March of 2016 but the angst I wished to share still applies. I have updated it by referencing the change in leadership of the Conservative Party in Great Britain as it makes a good example of how things should be here in Canada.

Back in March of this year (2016) the moment I saw the headline announcing the Federal budget the title of Alan Paton’s famous novel came to mind, “Cry, the Beloved Country”, because while I love my country all I wanted to do was cry. We are now powerless while the spendthrifts are in charge with no hope until the next election and even then so many will be so desensitised that they will have forgotten how it used to be and will end up re-electing these same fools.

Yes, we will all be of the same social class pretty soon; poor. Those that can afford to will have had already left leaving the rest of us with no future.

I have commented to friends in the past that in this country we have allowed politics to devolve into a “democratic dictatorship”. This has been brought about through bad policies put in place originally by the Liberal party, a party that at one time long ago could be summarised by the phrase “fiscally responsible but socially conscious” - ironically the same principals I believe in.

These policies were implemented under the guise of more power to the constituents but actually centralised more power with the party leader. They were quickly adopted by the other parties. But the Liberal party, both federally and provincially, has lost its way and opened the door to infiltration by “greenies” – environmental radicals that imagine themselves as gods who can control the world around them yet are so stupid that they do not comprehend the impacts of their “solutions” that put our industries at a distinct disadvantage. As a result, since so much of our economy is dependent on foreign trade, our home grown industries can no longer compete resulting in layoffs and company closures. Even those industries that are more resilient, such as mining where you cannot move a mine to a more politically favourable country, are unable to help because they cannot even get started anymore.

But I digress. The point I wish to make is that once a leader of a political party has been selected by party members, typically those who know little about the candidates, they are pretty much in full control- in other words a dictator. And if that party is elected with enough seats to form the government their leader has full control over that party. They will not be sanctioned by caucus as the leader has sole discretion as to who will be allowed to run for office come the next election thus keeping their caucus members in line. If this “leader” happens to be a fool we as a nation are even worse off. For those anti-Harper people across the country you now know what you helped replace him with, and a pox on all of you! If anything Mr. Harper calmly accepted all of the slings and arrows without ever over reacting and in return gave us reasonably good government!

 In the British system, from which our Canadian system was originally modelled, it is still the caucus, the elected representatives, who decide who amongst themselves, will be chosen as their leader and if enough become dissatisfied they can, and have, chosen someone else. As an example look at the rapidity that David Cameron was replaced! First, he showed great honour and respect for his country that he willingly stepped down as Prime Minister as he saw the obvious hypocrisy of negotiating an exit from the European Economic Union when he in fact believed Great Britain  should stay a member. Within a matter of weeks the caucus had selected a new leader of the party who thus became the new Prime Minister; Theresa May. Could this happen in Canada, a country whose parliamentary system is supposedly modelled on the one in Great Britain? Not a chance!

This devolution of our political system has been compounded in this country by a disgraceful fifth estate, the news media,  that collectively rather being the nation’s conscience, have either been strongly partisan by being anti-conservative or at best weakly open minded. The most disgraceful of all has been the CBC! This is a publically funded media empire that for the last decade has been so pro-Liberal that it has been sickening. For example I gave up watching the Rick Mercer Show due to his “Rant” as I became very tired of his continued attacks on then Prime Minister Harper and his government. Could the other parties be ridiculed for slips of the tongue and other faux pas’? Of course, but I certainly don’t recall any. Any public broadcaster should be neutral, or at the very least satirise all parties equally as none has the moral and ethical high ground and the March budget exhibited that to a tee for the current Liberal government.

As an aside I have noticed no more calls for “proportional representation” and other forms of “democratic representation” that do nothing but favour minority views. Obviously now that the shoe is on the other foot the Liberals are now more comfortable with “first past the post” after all. What hypocrites!

For whom does the bell toll? It tolls for all of us as we are doomed with this insanity. My apologies to John Donne but I cry for my beloved country.