Harper's Militaristic Agenda

by Al Mackenzie

Militaristic zeal appears to be sweeping the Stephen Harper Minority government. This militarism is just part of an apparent adopted agenda of 'Americanization' by this government. By the way, thanks so much Mr. Harper, for introducing Canadians to American-style reviews of Supreme Court Judge nominees. You and your associates in CanWest Global, and elsewhere in Canada's 'corporatized' mass-media, appear to be trying to "prepare" us for their apparently desired U.S. take-over of Canada. While Harper stipulates that this initiative was about "accountability", he reportedly shirks the kind of ethics review on which he had campaigned.

The spectre of Americanization against our national identity

Conservative Party interests in Canada's corporate mass-media try to whip Canadians into militaristic support for U.S. President George W. Bush pro-War policies.

It is indeed apparent that Mr. Harper's idea of so-called 'progress', is to make Canada a cultural, economic and political colony of the United States. To him and his government, this appears to include a desire to stir-up some kind of transplanted branch plant militarism in Canada. This strategy, is being executed with the support of jingoistic mentalities among Conservative Party Big Business allies in the media. However, arguably, his government's apparent militaristic agenda is a betrayal of our very national character; and maturation as a society. Such an agenda -- though being inconsistent with the objectives of his puppet masters south of the border -- may not be supported by the majority of Canadians.

United Empire Loyalists fled to Canada to escape the 'culture of violence' and of barbarity that they had personally witnessed in the American Revolution. These multi-cultural Loyalists, along with their aboriginal and francophone allies, sought to forge a revitalized Canadian nation.

These Canadians in their wisdom, sought to build and to develop a different kind of society in North America, inspired by the values expressed in our Constitution referred to as "Peace, Order, and Good Government". These Canadians, purposefully sought to create and to foster an alternative society, that was inspired by the kind of values which Americans appeared to have lost, in their historical reliance on the use of force, in order to achieve their expansionist objectives.

Former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. He championed Canada's independent and progressive leadership in international affairs. Pearson accomplished this by defending Canada's national identity as a peace-embacing society, in constrast with Prime Minister Harper's Americanized militarism.

Great Canadians like Tommy Douglas, and former Prime Ministers Lester B. Pearson, and Pierre Elliot Trudeau further championed the maturing of this Canadian vision. This was done by their support for a robustly independent Canadian identity that affirmed human rights and peace, at home, and abroad. Lester B. Pearson would win a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, toward the galvanizing of our identity as a vital symbol of the possibilities of humankind to achieve a society based upon peace, and human dignity for all peoples.

The current approach of the Stephen Harper minority government in Afghanistan, is inconsistent with the kind of maturation that Canada has achieved, as a socially progressive society. Afghanistan, could be simply viewed as a "problem" that has been created, and perpetuated by American foreign policy. This is a policy which purports to be driven by a Christian-inspired political leadership. However, the Bible proselytizes to "love your enemy" and to refrain from inflicting such violence, and operating toward a milieu of lovingkindness, and social justice.

Muslim girl crying under the intimidation and bombardment of American-led military occupation.

The Harper government's stated desire for Canadians, is to further undertake a belligerent combat role in Afghanistan, away from Canada's official peacekeeping status. Such a role on the pretext of a "War against Terrorism", will only make Canada a party to U.S. government policies to which most Americans have already objected. In the U.S., such policies have depleted vital public funding to social services, and to other areas, and has fostered worsening social malaise in America.

No doubt, Harper hopes that stirring up militarism in Canada will lead to public support for "Star Wars" plans, toward the complete destruction of Canadian sovereignty. Indeed, it has been reported by various scholars and independent journalists that "Star Wars" may require Canadians to completely surrender control of their geo-political space to an occupying U.S. military force, on Canadian territory.

Afghanistan Policies need re-consideration toward a substantive context for peace

What peace can ever be brought into Afghanistan, alongside military provocations, that generate related afflictions, and oppression against civilian populations, for what purpose? Indeed, the use of the Canadian armed forces to facilitate the apparent control of material wealth from which Americans are seeking to grasp, is not in the tradition of Canadian peacekeeping established by Pearson, and others.

Plenty money for U.S. Militarism but no money for Medicare or preventing worsening Genocide

Have you noticed that Mr. Harper seems to have plenty of money to want to commit the Canadian armed forces to facilitate the militaristic ambitions of his Master Puppeteers, and of his Minister of Defence? But, at the same time, his government has the audacity to support the medical privatization agenda of Mr. Charest in Quebec, or Mr. Klein in Alberta, and other provincial Premiers, (on the pretext that there is "not enough money" available for government to support a one-tier universal public healthcare system).

Mr. Harper is opening the door to the exploitation of the sick by the same greed-driven medical Establishment that Tommy Douglas thwarted, not because of a lack of public funds. Prime Minister Harper simply appears to want to pay back all of his party's political donors who seek to dismantle the Canadian Dream in favour of an Americanization agenda.

Meanwhile, Mr. Harper (and also his Prime Ministerial predecessor) substantively ignores the worsening execution of genocide in Sudan. At the same time, Harper hypocritically seeks to deploy Canadian military resources in the pursuit of materialistic driven campaigns in Afghanistan, in the guise of "nobility", and being magnanimous. However, such apparent cynical actions for ulterior motives, further undermines the possibilities of Canada to portray and to demonstrate mature international leadership. Pearson, John Diefenbaker before him; and Trudeau, were inspired by our communalistic multi-cultural values, that sought to steer away from America's penchance for domestic and well as international violence.