Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Wonderful James Travers Reminds us That Our Democracy is Worth Fighting For


The Toronto Star has reprinted the article by the late James Travers that won him a national award: An eloquent plea for democracy

It is thought provoking and gut wrenching. A reminder of all we have lost.

The disconnect of Canadians to the political process and the disinterest to even vote, has resulted in the almost complete loss of our democracy, and has opened the door to a Harper autocracy.

And as we watch people in the Middle East and Africa fight for something that we have allowed to disintegrate, we should be ashamed.

In January, Andrew Coyne wrote: The damage done by doing so little What happens when a prime minister's only goal is to hold onto power.

The rebranding of Canada.

Stephen Harper refuses to be accountable for anything, paying off or shutting up anyone who disagrees with him or exposes his party's corruption.

He is a man so afraid of competition that he herds journalists out of a public event so that they can't hear Michael Ignatieff speak. We know it was no accident. It's what he does.

He gives more corporate tax cuts while our healthcare is in decline.

He's buying fighter jets that are no good for Canada and our needs.

He's building American style prisons when our crime rate is the lowest in our history.

He's selling off our nuclear resources.

So we need to ignore the polls. They are rarely right when conducted outside of an election. And instead focus on what's important to Canadians, beginning with out democracy. As Walkom says there is only one election issue. Stephen Harper.

He has to go before we end up the next Egypt having to fight just to have our voices be heard.

What he does is not normal, unless you're a Libyan dictator.


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