EDITOR,
Voter fraud? What next from our esteemed "Conservatives"?
I hope all have been following the latest voter fraud shenanigans back east and are regarding it with some well-deserved suspicion. Far be it for me to come right out and say that no doubt our noble federal government is behind it, but I wouldn't put it past them.
No, I don't particularly have anything against "Conservatism" per se, unless of course it is merely a quaint euphemism for "Republican" or "right wing," which actually I suggest it is. The evidence of the "Stupid on Crime" Bill, opposition to the Insite program, opposition to anything remotely mitigative regarding global warming, muzzling of government scientists, tacit approval of Sun Media's outrageous Fox News propaganda right-wing cheerleading My god, the list is long, but not least their deafening silence on the profound and statistically supported downward economic spiral of the middle class - a result of many years of the policy they promote. As David Burke recently noted, our own provincial Finance Minister Kevin Falcon has been one of the few government officials to address income disparity, and his take on it was nothing short of dismissive, callous, and obtuse if not downright hilarious! He may as well have said, "Let them eat cake"!
Anyway, all this may be "Conservative" I suppose, but the ideology buttressing it can be found if one merely Googles "Right Wing Authoritarian Personality Disorder," which should raise a few red flags. Sure, the Harper government has managed to paint a particularly "polite Canadian" version of their right-wing vision but I suggest this is simply because they know they couldn't possibly get away with the bizarre and outrageous ideology coming from their American cousins for now.
As far as the voter fraud goes, one of the defining characteristics of the authoritarian personality is amorality and dishonesty (from http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_authoritarianism). For those who think I'm "going a little overboard," well, that may be, but even if I'm half right, the picture isn't pretty, but don't take my word for it. Do a little research, start paying attention, and make some rational judgment - they absolutely hate it when we do that!
Bruce Kay
Squamish
