Critics on Conservatives

There have been many who have criticized Stephen (Harper) on his platform and how he neglects certain issues. Throughout the election campaign, Stephen has been careful to ask the electorate to look at the track record. If you do not make any boasts, you can not really be accused of using rhetoric. Stephen pretty much told us that he would continue governing with proper judgment as he has demonstrated with verifiable experience.

One issue though can be potentially used against him as being political rhetoric to garner votes. I say potentially but to be honest, the accusation has already been made against Stephen.... I just think that the accusation is way too premature to be done with credibility. There is no proof that indicates any malice on the part of Stephen.... but for this exercise, we can assume that it is accurate just so we can see another potential example of "lying" to get votes.

The issue comes to the recognition of Quebec as a national identity which needs to be protected and accepted. The accusation is that Stephen is only paying lip service and has no intention of honoring or of understanding this unique culture. The sovereignists proposed this possibility to recapture the electorate from Stephen for themselves. The evidence they used was the fact that Stephen had cut funding on culture (about 1% cut in comparison to the whole, but still a cut which is extremely important for the Quebecois). The second piece of evidence was that they used the misunderstanding of the Conservatives to prove that if the Conservative Party really understood Quebec then they would not have done certain tactics.

To explain, you must imagine that you are the father of two sons. One of your sons likes football and fast cars following in your footsteps (because you like these things as well), your second son prefers golf and birdwatching. You approach your second son and finally tell him that you accept him in his differences and that you will not hold against him his likes and dislikes..... Yet, on his birthday, you give him the very best sportscar money can buy..... In this situation, are you really accepting your second son's unique personality or are you trying to manipulate him into liking the same things you do? Well if the accusation is true, Stephen is lying deliberately and has no intention of respecting the law recognizing Quebec as a nation.

Again to be honest, Stephen can not be accused of this credibly except through a historical scrutiny which has yet to pass. But you must admit, that if it is true, it would be yet another example of rhetoric to manipulate the voters.

This metaphor draws from the event where one of Stephen's political party members was pointing out to the Quebec electorate how their previous votes had been completely wasted upon a political party who has never had any real power in the parliamentarian system. I believe that this is a cultural perception of the same political process of the parliamentarian system. For Stephen and his political party, the practice of power can only be achieved by being the dominant political party in the house. The majority sets the tone of the environment. For the Quebec sovereignist, a parliamentary system is democratic only when there are conflicting voices within the house and that public discussion is enabled.... it does not matter if their voice is the minority, as long as it is considered when any decision is made. If the Quebec sovereignist is ignored on every issue, it gives them legitimacy that their voices are not heard at all and fuels their movement.

So, their argument becomes this: if Stephen really does accept that Quebec is culturally different, why not try to understand their cultural code? A politician knows the linguistic code for Quebec: speak French to be understood, what may not have been understood yet is to know the cultural code as well. Pointing something which is true and relevant for you does not mean that it becomes relevant for someone else. Pointing out how another party has wasted their money and showed no tangible results becomes an exercise in futility when the results that were achieved were intangible yet felt and recorded as such.

-You produced no vegetables. (says Stephen's friend)
-We were trying to produce orchards for wine and we succeeded! (says the sovereignist)
-But vegetables are what is important to put on one's plate to consume. (continues Stephen's friend)
-If you have nothing to wash down your meal, it becomes bland. (counters the sovereignist)
(with the inevitable result that the Quebec electorate felt more confortable with the sovereignist party)

So again, it is not really possible to judge Stephen's intentions. If the accusation is true, then Stephen is using rhetoric. If the accusation is false, then it is a cultural misunderstanding on both sides of the spectrum. I suspect that this may be a simple case of cultural misunderstanding.... in the hopes that both begin to understand and communicate properly between themselves.... otherwise this particular misunderstanding can be abused and become deliberate propaganda (worse than mere rhetoric).