CANADA VEERS INTO TOTALITARIANISM

Dear Canada, For eight years now, many of you have been calling US President George W. Bush a fascist, a dictator and a Nazi. Many of my fellow Americans have also called him that. But on Thursday of this week, your own Prime Minister showed his true totalitarian tendencies. I ask you, Canada: Who is more the dictator? Bush, who never suspended Congress or any elections despite the fears of many paranoids, or your own Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who essentially dissolved your government?

RIGHT: Prime Minister Harper stands tall amongst slaughtered Members of the Canadian Parliament this morning.

Harper's suspension of your parliament for purely political reasons seems downright Medieval to many of us in the Lower 48. Even so, I shall not call Mr. Harper a fascist, a dictator or a Nazi. He's doing a good enough job of applying those labels to himself without any unnecessary name calling by others. I will, however, accurately call him a totalitarian. Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper won a rare suspension of parliament last night, managing to avoid being ousted by opposition parties angry over the minority Conservative government's economic plans and an attempt to cut off party financing. Governor general Michaelle Jean - the representative of Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state - agreed to Mr Harper's request to shut down parliament until January 26th. Parliament was reconvened just weeks ago after the October 14th election. Mr Harper's request for suspension was unprecedented. No prime minister had asked for parliament to be suspended to avoid a confidence vote in the House of Commons. Full Story at Irish Times... Can suspension of elections be far off? Canadians, will you just sit on your arses and let Harper get away with this? We in the United States have long looked to your quiet little nation as a model of democracy and beacon of hope, ever since Canada was founded by people fleeing the fight for democracy down here (you know, back in the late 1700's). Since then we haven't paid you much attention. Now, however, with a seemingly power mad politico in charge, we might have to aim our radar a bit lower. History teaches us what happens when we don't pay enough attention to - I'm going to say it - dictators. Canada, your little dictator is just across the border from us. That makes us a bit nervous. RELATED: Canada’s “constitutional coup” and the corporate media - World Socialist Web Site Canada PM suspends parliament to keep power - CCTV, China From Napoleon to Custer - Globe and Mail Canadian Coalition Government Could Stop SPP/NAU... - El Dorado Hills Telegraph, CA