Personal Control

: Throughout its years in power, the Harper government has embraced an ideology dedicated to a gradual, but carefully managed redefinition of Canada democratic values and freedoms, according to Toronto Star. Characterized by a resolute, personal control over messaging, coupled with a singular management of policy and operational decisions, Harper autocratic style has over time incorporated a range of positions such as: wilful suppression or re-interpretation of information; attacks on the media and a devotion to a culture of fear, intimidation and secrecy; repudiation of common ground participation or reasoned compromise with its opponents; and control, misrepresentation, narrowing and elimination of scientific, social and financial researched facts and statistical data through targeted budgetary cutbacks, access limitations, security-inspired censorship and reductions in regulatory oversight. When ideology is made into an operational weapon, or set into a global context, it begins by exploiting the vulnerabilities of those least likely to be able to defend themselves, in addition to overtly attacking those who oppose its doctrines and philosophies. Majoritarian democracies, as recently described by Milton Friedman, are democratically elected ruling parties who interpret their election as a writ to do whatever they want in office, including ignoring the opposition, trampling privacy rights, choking the news media and otherwise behaving in imperious or corrupt ways, as if democracy is only about the right to vote, not rights in general and especially minority rights. Democracy is at best a temporary gift to those given access to its power. While referencing far-away politics in places like Egypt and Brazil, Russia and Turkey, that description of democratic rule should nevertheless resonate with many Canadians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.