My hat's off to Steven Harper and his Conservative party.
I can't believe how effective they've been in muzzling their entire party. Not once has a Conservative candidate slipped into saying what they actually think, believe or plan to do.
I used to love this country and admire the Conservatives because they were never afraid to speak their minds each and every election It was always spicy things about fags, abortions, sending our troops to Iraq, and of course the odd racist comment thrown in for good measure. I loved that because it was their truth and like it or not, there are more than enough people who agree with every word.
Many truly believe that corporations should have complete ownership of our water, power and health care and we should cut social programs to pay for tax cuts. Personally I disagree but the countless conversations with people who vote proves that I am the minority.
Key point, 'people who vote'. Unfortunately our system is one where all conservatives vote and those in the middle or even on the left side of the spectrum don't. Youth, the working class and the millions of others who worry about their next meal simply don't vote. It's this depressing reality that has led to the age of strategic voting. Liberal or Conservative?
Sure the NDP were tied with the Conservatives, but the NDP will never be a contender for the top spot because none of their friends own the press. When you consider that most major news sources are owned by serious right wing conservative backers, it's no surprise to catch even educated people saying things like "I can't vote Liberal because they're crooks and the NDP will never form the government so I have to vote Conservative."
It's that mindset that forces me to seriously consider giving up on my fantasy world and vote strategically. It goes against everything I stand for, but if you look at our riding Squamish's voice is once again muffled by the two richest communities in Canada. With our current system of voter apathy the only role non-Conservatives can play is to choose which evil gets in.
As for the two evil choices there is a huge difference. The Liberals were caught in a million-dollar scandal. My favourite quote: "If Conservatives ran the country you wouldn't hear about this scandal." That's very true because we'd be losing twice that amount every day fighting in Iraq. As well, Conservatives' specialty is removing pesky regulations that hinder the private sector from taking our money directly.
So, on Monday we'll find out once again: is Canada mostly filled with homophobic, healthcare-profiteering, American apologists? No, but they're the only ones who are going to get off their asses to vote.
