Bare-Knuckle Rules Following

I have often fantasized that if the opposition parties defeat harper, they treat the harpercons with the same contempt and brazen illegal bullying that the harpercons used to dish out.

But it's just occurred to me that the rules of the game in Canada are such that they wouldn't have to break the rules like the harpercons are constantly doing. So, no lying to Parliament. No doctoring documents. No appointing bullying hacks to hound decent political managers to their deaths. No abuse of the power of prorogation. None of that sickening nonsense.

Just do everything by the book AND HOLD THE HARPERCONS ACCOUNTABLE for their sins. While the sham that is the Democratic Party of the United States blustered about the illegal, undemocratic policies of bush II's terrorist wars, not only did they do nothing about the Repugs criminal behaviour upon re-taking control of the legislature, they actively embraced same inhuman, authoritarian policies.

Hopefully, with the NDP and the Bloc supporting them, the Liberals won't be able to indulge in such stupidity. Here's how it should go: The harpercons will not get a majority. They are too obviously stupid, they've alienated too many regions of the country. They're mired in scandals and all they can do is bark about "AdScam." There will be another minority government. As soon as that happens, form a coalition.

FORM. A. COALITION.

End of fucking story.

Vote non-confidence in the harpercon government and tell the Governor-General you've formed a coalition. Let the harpercons scream. Let them threaten impotently that they'll take it to the people.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

It doesn't matter because coalitions are an acceptable part of a parliamentary system. It's legal. When it's done at the very beginning of a Parliament, the Governor-General has no choice but to comply. It's the will of the majority.

Let the people complain. As with so many other things in Canada, the people don't matter. And in this case, where the country is basically split 50-50 and part of the public's opposition to coalitions is based on partisan self-interest with most of the remainder being based on ignorance, it's a good thing that a coalition government can ignore them.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE OPPOSITION PARTIES WILL NOW HAVE POWER.

AND THEN THEY SHOULD USE IT.

Create a national daycare program. Bring the troops home from Afghanistan. Cancel the F-35 contract.

Here's a really wild concept for right-wing Liberals. Enacting policies that benefit the majority is good politics! It creates support for you among the general public!

And, as well, .... HOLD THE HARPERCONS ACCOUNTABLE!!!

There's no need for some sleazy handbook for committee chairs to obstruct the work of Parliament. The coalition must use it's majority to have the in-and-out scandal publicly aired. To investigate that sleazy obstruction handbook for committee chairs. To tear apart the bullshit committee looking at torture documents and have a public airing of that whole sickening mess.

Unlike the stupid Democrats who could very well be digging their own grave as Obama betrays his voters and lets the Repugs batter them, the Coalition should use its power to scrupulously destroy the conservatives as a political force. Let harper's ignorant and/or greedy political base self-pityingly wail in hypocritical self-righteousness. Let them make their empty threats. (They don't vote for you anyway.) Let them take their stand by the torturer-enabler. Let them take their stand by the incompetent bungler. Associate with that scum if you want to. It only makes your protests all the sweeter to our ears.

I would hope that Ignatieff's bruised ego, and the sense of mainstream Liberals of the profound danger of harpercon government to capitalist democracy (such as has been voiced by columnists who i mentioned yesterday) would enable them to join with the NDP and the Bloc in this pursuit of accountability for the harpercons.

I would hope that unlike the USA, our mainstream political elites are not so completely compromised and anti-democratic that they'd treat harper with respect and permit him to debase our politics for another day.