Originally Published: August 5, 2013

Is the disclosure of the Stephen Harper enemies list just further advancement of Harper’s agenda of Harperism in Canada such as was McCarthyism in the United States?

Headlines like, Harper leads a new McCarthyism in Canada; “Scary time” for Canada; Harper has now introduced McCarthyism to Canada; McCarthyism, Canadian Style have touted the similarity between so-called Harperism and McCarthyism.

Whatever the case one could make for similarities between Stephen Harper and McCarthy, others in Canada believe he has developed his own ism: Harperism that is distinct from McCarthy and more dangerous.

It’s could be called a Heinz 57 mismash of isms transformed into describing Harper’s political agenda and self serving ideology to leave a Supremacist legacy like no other Canadian Prime Minister ever has. Other leaders have tried that, like  Adolf Hitler in Germany.

No Canadian has done or ever dared to do what Stephen Harper has done, and will do, with the political mandate he has left before 2015.

Harperism has been defined as:

• harperism |ˈhärpərˌizəm|
  noun
  1. the political philosophy that corruption is the highest good and proper aim of government.
  2. the pursuit of power; sensual self-indulgence.
  3. relentless political maneuvering. often informal; always slicker than a greased pig.
  derivatives
  harp•er•ist | noun & adjective
  harp•er•is•tic | adjective
  harp•er•is•ti•cal•ly | adverb
  harp•er•ian | adjective
• “The January 2006 Federal election results in Canada unexpectedly yielded a minority Conservative Government. The ‘great moving right show’ is having yet another run. In Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada now has the most ideologically committed neoliberal in power since Margaret Thatcher. The five priorities Harper has announced – an accountability package; a cut in the GST; a market-based childcare system; a law and order agenda centred on sentencing; and a reduction in healthcare wait times through increased delivery flexibility – all reflect these commitments. These proposals are embedded in the overall strategic priority of aligning Canada even more tightly with the US through increased overseas military commitments and further economic integration. Canada’s move into southern Afghanistan and increased troop deployment is already sketching in the new terrain. The major boost military spending, tax cuts and marketized public services proposed in the first Harper Budget on May 2 filled in more details. This constitutes the initial agenda of Harperism. It could hardly be more pressing for the Left to take some stock of what the Harper government is and might become.” {Greg Albo, “Figuring Out Harper” (8 May 2006) zcommunications.org}
• prime minister stephen harper conservative christian evangelical hypocrite
• reference: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=harperism

A further definition of Harperism has been advanced by Gregory Albo as:

• …….a clear effort to unite all reactionary and conservative forces into a coherent governing force, most notably to bring into the fold right-wing nationalists in Quebec; deeper integration with the U.S. will be pursued, initially expanding Canada’s imperialist role in military operations in Afghanistan as a component of the war strategy of the American empire, and following this up with trade and security policies to form “Fortress North America”; neoliberalism will be pushed further into social policy with greater market provision in such areas as healthcare and daycare and in the remaking fiscal federalism; and there will be a discursive emphasis on traditional Canadian “values” as a bridge to social conservatism, religious fundamentalists of all faiths. and a “law and order” platform.  This is far from the neoliberalism-lite of the Chretien government by which Canada differentiated itself from the hard right developments in the U.S.

Another has defined harperism as:

• Harperism ™
  noun (origin, Victoria,Canada) : A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a wannabe-dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent pro-Americanism and anti-environmentalism … all while selling their country out in the name of dirty oil.    http://homercat.blogspot.ca/2012/06/harpism.html

It could be argued as well, that Harper is just plain incompetent, and very good at it….and very good at incorporating it into Harperism.

In his blog Another Point of View, Mentarch outlines his eight principles of incompetence:

• Zeroth Principle: Incompetence is driven by intellectual sloth.
  First Principle: Incompetence surrounds itself with incompetence.
  Second Principle: Incompetence is ethics-impaired.
  Third Principle: Incompetence abhors transparency and accountability.
  Fourth Principle: Incompetence does or says anything to defend itself.
  Fifth Principle: Incompetence always supports incompetence.
  Sixth Principle: Violence is the last refuge of incompetence.
  Seventh Principle: Incompetence is nothing but consistent with itself.

In defining the intellectual sloth, Mentarch says:

• …..such a person refuses to accept any fact of reality which confronts, rattles, or even invalidates, the comfort of one’s “convictions”. To this effect, such a person will be arrogant, if not contemptuous, towards anything and anyone that confronts his/her ignorance generated by intellectual sloth“.
• To this, I also added that one who is afflicted with intellectual sloth is often deluded by intellectual vanity and invariably becomes a slave of expediency. Furthermore, everything is about image and appearance, instead of substance. Truthiness, instead of truth. All of these characteristics underlie incompetence – whether as nations, as communities, as citizens, as blue-collar/white-collar workers, as parents, and/or as thinking, reasoning human beings. In short, intellectual sloth transforms any adult person who is guilty of it into an irresponsible and reactionary child or adolescent, who lives only in the “now” while remaining blind to “yesterday” and “tomorrow”. Such a person thus becomes incompetent – in dealing/composing with reality, or in at least trying to understand it.

Harperism has been likened to fascism and corporatism as well:

• The 14 common traits of fascism, which the Harper government has pretty much covered:

PM ~ Harper Government

[x] Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

[x] Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

[x] Supremacy of the Military

[x] Rampant Sexism

[x] Controlled Mass Media

[x] Obsession with National Security

[x] Religion and Government are Intertwined

[x] Corporate Power is Protected

[x] Labor Power is Suppressed

[x] Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

[x] Obsession with Crime and Punishment

[x] Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

[x] Fraudulent Elections

And then we have comment from a progressive conservative who goes out of his way to describe harperism within the Canadian political spectrum in the blog article How To Know When You’re Talking to a Conservative.

Are Canadians really happy with Harperism? Do Canadians believe that if they ignore getting involved that Harperism will protect them as they exercise their apathy and allow others to control their destiny and fortune?

Will drowning their sorrows, escaping into their recreational drugs, losing themselves in their technology, satisfying their other addictions and selfish interests, make for their lives better? Make for a better Canada?

So, tell me….how’s it working for ya?….Living the dream life……giving others the power and authority to make decisions for you and your loved ones?….Your wishes coming true….no cares or worries with the Pied Pipers of “the one-percent” running things for ya?……Just saying….

I conclude with this last thought:

• First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–Because I was not a Socialist.
• Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
• Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Jew.
• Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.”
  -Martin Niemöller

Does anyone see the similarities?

Once again again, the 99 per-cent of Canadians lose.

Take care…..keep smiling…may the force be with you….work safe…drive safe….be good to each other….live long and prosper…..just saying…..

Signed,

Me

COPYRIGHT ANDREW PHILLIP CHERNOFF 2013