Intolerance
Honestly, what the hell is with people? Over the last few days, I have gotten into four MSN arguments regarding politics. Now I do admit to having had a problem in the past, in regards to me spouting off all my views and such, but I've really been a good boy for the last while.
Out of the four, the only one that I 'attacked' for lack of a better term, was the one with a picture of Stephen Harper's picture superimposed on a Nazi uniform for her display picture. I took some exception to this. All I said was something to the effect of "Ha ha, very funny". But oh, she was serious. You see, it seems that Stephen Harper (soon to be Prime Minister Harper) is going to throw all the Jews, women, homosexuals and gypsies into concentration camps. Myself, along with millions of other Canadians must have neglected that when casting their ballots yesterday.
Another person gave me a "I hope you're happy, I'm going to lose my job" type speech. She's in training to become a nurse and of course all funding to public health care ends the second the Conservative government assumes power.
A third person asked me why I'm 'against a union based on love and respect' (in regards to gay marriage) and then called me hateful. Like I said, I'm going to good and non-confrontational. But the bottom line is that I do not support the notion of homosexuals getting married and I never will. A lot people share my views, including a majority of those in this country according to every single poll I've seen. I don't think gays should get married. Sorry. This doesn't make me a hateful person.
The final person simply told me to 'fuck off' when I told them to vote Tory. The had already told me they were voting for the Green Party and I playfully suggested the go Conservative. I was joking, this person was not.
I'm really far too tired (didn't sleep last night very much) to go into a long diatribe here, I'd just like to know where all this hatred and intolerance is coming from? Like it or not, Stephen Harper will soon be the Prime Minister of Canada. This makes me pretty happy. I'm less happy that he didn't get the sort of mandate he deserves, but chalk that up to those same, tired fear tactics working yet again. All Conservatives are NOT crazed, extreme right-wing ideologues. Most are not, 99% are not. Our values and beliefs are different than yours, but that doesn't make them wrong or scary or any of those bad things. I really am getting tired of being the one discriminated against here by people who are supposedly 'enlightened' liberals. When did being a social conservative become such a bad thing? I just don't get it.
posted by King Hippo at 9:24 PM
8 Comments:
If I had to guess, it's because the PC/ Conservative agenda has long been one that makes cuts to social programs and does lean more towards tax cuts for people and business in higher income brackets. Their fiscal conservativism comes at the greatest cost to lower income and middle class individuals. As well, they have less prevalent interest in environmental reform and preservation.
The Mulroney government's (mis)handling of the country's debt was another sore spot, as was the institution of the GST. A lot of people ragged on Chretien for not eliminating it, but it was Mulroney who gave it to us in the first place.
Then there was NAFTA, Meech Lake, and his economic policies.
This, historically, is why people have not enjoyed Conservative politics. Toss in Harris in Ontario and Ernie Eves and it took a lot to get people to turn back towards them.
yes, this has now truly become the most depressing blog.
Chaci- Being compared to Alex P. Keaton is a great compliment. I thank you.
D Rock- I know, I've really let myself go.
Del Fuego- Again, I could argue all of those points and come up with many others on the flip side why I (and many others) don't like liberal politics. I have to leave in 15 minutes, do I'm not going to do this, plus this really isn't a political blog.
However, all of your points are very fair and valid. Feel free not to like my politics and disagree with them. But being told to 'fuck off' (not by you) and having the man I support compared to a Nazi...well, I really don't think that's fair at all.
Beer- Uh, did I do something wrong? Please don't hate me.
Weird. I swear, my ex-boyfriend had that exact shirt/tie combo your "body" is wearing. I wonder if it's him? And if so, why is he shaking Stephen Harper's hand? And why do you have a picture of it?
ah, i wrote that becasue the election results make me unhappy, and now here are two posts, back-to back with harper's grinning (actually grimacing) face. and also i was slightly depressed that you photoshopped your head on to that portly dude's body.
Here's a question I had in mind during the campagin, and while listening to your celebrations after the victory: what are you so happy about? Shouldn't you be angry that Harper has moved his party's offical platfor away from the right to get votes? there's a very intresting article in the american site 'salon.com' (http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/01/25/canada/index.html) which discussed this point.
Now I know that you're a big fan of W, Cheney and Rove's brand of neo-conservatism, and that you were a card-carrying member of the much more fundamentalist Alliance Party. So what do you think of Harper's letter to the Washington Times, wherein he stated that he would not send troops to Iraq, as it was a baseless war? As mentioned in the article, he even told his own candidates and right-wing pundits in the states to tone down the rhetoric on touchy social subjects such as gay marriage, church/state division.
If the leader of a party that I supported did such a through pandering job in order to gain power, I'd me mighty pissed.
Beer, I have to thank you. That truly is a great question one that I will be happy to answer.
Yes, I do consider myself a neo-con in the Bush/Cheney/Rove vein and yes, I was a member of the Canadian Alliance. In fact, after the 2004 election, I was seriously doubting Mr. Harper as leader of the new party. Not because I didn't like him or didn't think he would make a good Prime Minister, but simply because I didn't think that he was electable.
All of this has to do with my being realistic. If it were up to me, the Canadian Alliance would be the ruling party in this country, but I know this would NEVER happen. The right had to be united to stand any sort of chance and to Mr. Harper's credit, he has taken what is a relatively young party a very long way in a short time.
All of the things you spoke of, he had to do. Otherwise, we would still have a corrupt Liberal party in power. Idealism sometimes has to take a backseat to realism. That's politics. I know that a government in the Bush/Cheney/Rove mold will never fly in this country and so does Mr. Harper. I don't think that he has sold out his core beliefs, but rather learned to play the political game a little bit better. Hope this answers your question.
yes thanks. a good, honest answer.
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