"Bush And Harper Are A Threat To Democracy"
The Halifax Chronicle Herald has an op-ed today that tells it like it is concerning the Bush Harper 'Axis of Anti-Democracy.'
"People’s eyes tend to glaze over at the full litany of indictments against the Bush regime, which would fill a book, but here’s a bit of a re-cap.
There’s the lifting of habeas corpus, the justification of torture, the ripping up of the Geneva Accords governing the treatment of war prisoners, and the re-definition of "child soldier" from the international norm of 18 down to 16, not to mention starting a horrendous war without just cause.
On the home front, there’s the politicization of the justice system to reward Republicans and punish Democrats, the manipulation of regulatory bodies and scientific commissions, and the cooking of intelligence reports.
There’s also military "justice" – and even getting a phoney trial before a military tribunal only happened because the Supreme Court decreed it.
If all of that doesn’t sound too good, let us remember that the Bush administration is not alone. It has at least one fan in the international peanut gallery cheering madly – Canada’s Stephen Harper. Harper says he can’t bring Khadr back to Canada, as Britain and Australia have done with their nationals at the Guantanamo Bay prison, because there’s a judicial process underway, and he has full confidence in it.[...]
Bush/Harper are a hazard to democracy. At least the U.S. constitution is still intact enough to get rid of Bush when his term is up next winter – although it’s deeply unfortunate, for the U.S. and the world, that he’ll make it to the end unimpeached. In Canada, lumbering behind, the least we can do is get rid of his buddy."
Ralph Surette
Halifax Chronicle Herald
"People’s eyes tend to glaze over at the full litany of indictments against the Bush regime, which would fill a book, but here’s a bit of a re-cap.
There’s the lifting of habeas corpus, the justification of torture, the ripping up of the Geneva Accords governing the treatment of war prisoners, and the re-definition of "child soldier" from the international norm of 18 down to 16, not to mention starting a horrendous war without just cause.
On the home front, there’s the politicization of the justice system to reward Republicans and punish Democrats, the manipulation of regulatory bodies and scientific commissions, and the cooking of intelligence reports.
There’s also military "justice" – and even getting a phoney trial before a military tribunal only happened because the Supreme Court decreed it.
If all of that doesn’t sound too good, let us remember that the Bush administration is not alone. It has at least one fan in the international peanut gallery cheering madly – Canada’s Stephen Harper. Harper says he can’t bring Khadr back to Canada, as Britain and Australia have done with their nationals at the Guantanamo Bay prison, because there’s a judicial process underway, and he has full confidence in it.[...]
Bush/Harper are a hazard to democracy. At least the U.S. constitution is still intact enough to get rid of Bush when his term is up next winter – although it’s deeply unfortunate, for the U.S. and the world, that he’ll make it to the end unimpeached. In Canada, lumbering behind, the least we can do is get rid of his buddy."
Ralph Surette
Halifax Chronicle Herald
Thanks for posting this comment.
The biggest problem for Canadian voters is the lack of transparency. I believe much damage has occurred already but we have little evidence. For example, the turning over of key aspects of food inspection to industry. It was an accident that we found out about that.
No transparency in the administrative changes made by Harper is going to make it difficult for Canadians to hold the next government accountable for turning back the clock on these poor decisions.
Posted by
Deb Prothero |
11:32 am, July 19, 2008
Transparency was a major selling point last time round. Mike Harris said the same things in 1995 and we tried to warn the rest of Canada about Harper.
Sadly, not as many listened as we had hoped.
Fortunately we haven't had the same abuses as Bush has given his country with the liberties taken with the constitution and executive privilege. Bush and all his cohorts should be subject to prosecution just like anyone else.
Harper, I hope, will never back to the House after the next election.
But, of course, there are those who get their news and information from such sources as CanWest and don't bother analysing and critiquing what's going on.
That's why we get the likes of Harper.
Posted by
Anonymous |
7:01 pm, July 19, 2008