The NDP has lost its roots and cannot govern Canada in its present form
To the Expositor:
So the election dust has settled and we can see more clearly whether the pan holds any nuggets that we can take to the bank. We should not really be surprised at what we find.
We should have known how wide and deep was our national loathing for Harper and his fascist tendencies.
The appalling Mike Harris crowd who rushed to Ottawa to lick their wounds never stopped snarling and yapping at Ontario with a visceral hatred that came from defeat. When Ottawa became Albertan it provided refuge for this rejected pack from Queen’s Park. The right wing oil cartel never forgave Pierre for his breathing the words “national energy policy.” This is where the hatred of Canada and Liberals and Trudeau came from.
The Liberal sweep followed the national desire for change back to open, eloquent, free debate. There is still a lot of work to do to satisfy our yearning.
There is no question in my mind that Harper’s main goal was to replace democracy with his own brand of neo-fascist tyranny. It is deeply disturbing to me that the party at war with democracy managed to garner 99 seats in Parliament to remain a force in the political future of this country. People like Kellie Leitch and Tony Clement got re-elected.
The realization of a national vision of un-policed science and free pursuit of environmental protection is still far away. We still long to be a progressive player in a team of countries dedicated to global humanity joined in the goals of human rights and human values. On election day we made a start. We must never go back to the dark Harper era we thought would never end. A national clinical depression has lifted. But the neo fascists and white supremacists always wait in the wings.
Humanism is the enemy of mystifying religious superstition. Along with our new prime minister we must re-dedicate ourselves to the separation of Church and State.
In fact, the only surprise we might have teased from the tea leaves of the election is the massive decline of the NDP. But even there we would have been more prepared if we had paid more attention to the legacy of Britain’s Tony Blair. His ‘Third Way,’ a book I have read, made it clear that the road to power would never lie through socialism. This word was erased from the NDP website so that now the NDP has no anchor and drifts rudderless without a compass in uncharted waters, a hazard to all other ships in the water trying to keep clear of it.
The NDP ‘s obsession with “the path to power” has become their only goal and motivation. But the electorate has a right to know what would they do with this power if given a blank cheque. Daycare is not socialism and could characterize any regime from Nazi to communist. The NDP has lost its roots and in its present form can never govern Canada. This is the biggest outcome from the election. Watching the NDP staring into the grave it has dug for itself has become a not very entertaining national amusement.
Joseph Gold
Kagawong
