The Loyal Extra-Parliamentary Opposition

Yes, Liberal bloggers; we get it. In a majority government, the opposition is basically just a powerless debating society. (A state of affairs that a sizable unthinking, undemocratic minority evidently prefers!) So, yes, in this harpercon majority nightmare that we all find ourselves in, the NDP is powerless to stop anything. (Rather like the days of Brian Mulroney's majorities, when the Liberal "rat-pack" did their best to garner public attention to their criticisms of the government's policies. Say! If the "rat-pack" were brave and wily, ... maybe the NDP can provide some important debate as well! Or does that only work for Liberals?)

I'm not sure what the point of your constant reminding us of this is though. Yours is the party that played the role of the third-party spoiler this time around. If anyone is responsible for this state of affairs, it's you guys. And, furthermore, now that you're the third party, I'm curious to know why you don't just curl up and die and wander off in different directions to join one of the two mainstream parties.

Could it be because you believe in your centrist Liberal political philosophy and you feel dissastisfied with the remaining two alternatives? You say that you believe your own political views deserve their own vehicle and that you have vital ideas that need a hearing? Well knock me over with a feather!!! That's how I used to feel as an NDP supporter!! Maybe you're starting to understand about political convictions now, and how it's a stupid fucking argument to tell someone to abandon a party just because it's not capable of forming the government and actually divides the opposition to the government! Maybe criticisms should be addressed at the actual policies and their justifications, rather than to some empty-headed question of tactics.

Regardless, the main point - that the opposition to a majority government is basically powerless - remains true. So the question is, how else can we thwart the harpercon agenda (An agenda supported by a selfish or ignorant MINORITY of the electorate)?

We must continue to utilize all avenues of resistance.

harper is still vulnerable to legal investigations into possible criminality (such as complicity in torture).

Massive, well organized rallies can show the extent of public opposition to his stupidity.

Principled civil disobedience can gum-up the works.

Organized boycotts of harper-endorsing mainstream media (unless they LISTEN TO THEIR CUSTOMERS a-la the magic of the free-market!) until they agree to become truthful and critical of this despot.

But Canada has a long way to go. Our political culture has decayed under ten years of dog-whistle, right-wing propaganda.