tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804513671389132165.post8264542517446579107..comments2023-07-25T07:08:51.934-06:00Comments on Bill Longstaff: Do conservatives believe in democracy?Bill Longstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15883751372039947365noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804513671389132165.post-69871707061023254172015-05-10T15:53:36.323-06:002015-05-10T15:53:36.323-06:00Was it really necessary to ask?
What does democra...Was it really necessary to ask?<br /><br />What does democracy mean in this age of pan-neoliberalism? There is little need for leaders of democratic vision any more. Autocrats suffice nicely in administering market fundamentalist government.<br /><br />There has been a significant decline in liberal democracy and a rise in illiberal democracy over the past three decades. The United States is a clear example. Influence peddling (Sheldon Adelson et al), voter manipulation, the rise of corporatism - all of these things degrade liberal democracy and hardly anyone protests.<br /><br />Canada is trending in the same direction. Harper's imperious ways, his contempt for laws such as the Charter that restrain his excesses and the courts that uphold these laws, is proof has an expansive appetite for raw power. Harper doesn't serve the Canadian people. He manages them. He lies to them. He manipulates them with fear. He appeals to their basest instincts.<br /><br />The triumph of illiberal democracy is when people can be led to vote against their own and their nation's interests. Welcome to today's Canada, Bill.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.com