1348 All Over Again

The Black Plague which killed as much as 50% of Europe's population over three years in the mid-1300s popped to mind today as the grand despair, which will become complete with Harper warming his toes before the fire at 24 Sussex, gave a first appearance in my psyche.

Clearly I share fucking little with my fellow citizens. Mike Harris, Ralph Klein, Brian Mulroney. Their mean-spirited approach to governing is about to be unleashed again on the nation. But that's just it, isn't it -- it ain't going to be unleashed, it's being invited in the front door and offered a welcoming cuppa...

This nation was fundamentally changed by the Mulroney regime. Changed in a way that made my cynicism complete. It was then I went from a highly active participant in the political goings on of the country, from a total current events junkie, to someone who could give a flying fuck. The pain was too much and then I lived under Mike Harris and watched hospitals and schools fail because they were meant to fit a private business paradigm of operations. I lived to see the complete transformation of Politics away from leadership and governing to utter fiscal management.

By the very fact they have a chance of taking power, those parties capable of taking power are, indeed, all the same ultimately. That's not cynicism, that's simple and plain real fact. Where differences rest are with the tone and competence of governing in the interests of the ruling class (and that class cares not for tone or competence only to be left unfettered).

Yes, yes, yes, people can and do change. Stephen Harper, however, has changed substantively not a bit. His tone will be set by his policies, which will lean hungrily to a fiscally centred world, where people and art and thinking and sharing and building a better society had fucking better well not get in the way.

Here's the warm and fuzzies in our neo-Cons own words:

Ralph Klein:

"The critics say you can't run government like a business. I respond, well, we can't run government like a government any more."

"I believe in free speech as long as you say the right thing."

Mike Harris:

"It's time for game week. Let's get ready to hit someone else.”

Stephen Harper:

"Now 'pay equity' has everything to do with pay and nothing to do with equity. It’s based on the vague notion of 'equal pay for work of equal value,' which is not the same as equal pay for the same job."

"You have to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from Eastern Canada; people who live in ghettos and are not integrated into Western Canadian society."

I can't wait to see Harper giving George W. a hand job on the lawn of the White House during the official visit.

I feel buboes at my throat and groin. The plague is soon to be upon us again.