After The Leader, enter: The Mini Leader.
Maybe it's just me, but seeing priviledged politicians, who have never served one nanosecond as a soldier in an actual live war theater, and trying to play Mighty General, or Supreme Commander, for all to see, admire and fawn over - well, this simply grinds my stones.
I can't help it: I find such poseurs (and typically chickenhawks) who use patriotism and military servicemen/women like P.R. props, while in so doing putting the lives of said servicemen and women in grave danger, absolutely disgusting and nauseating.
If you think that I am refering to President G.W. Bush, Vice-President Dick B. Cheney and all their neocon ilk - you would be right ... and wrong.
I am specifically speaking here of my very own (Canadian neoconservative) Prime Minister, Stephen J. Harper.
Yes, Harper went to Afghanistan this week in a surprise visit (again) for a photo-op in military gear, to give a pep talk to our troops and to parrot the usual neocon Bush-like talking points - such as "stay the course".
For a while now, I have repeatedly illustrated how Harper keeps on following in the footsteps of Bush - such as with regards to the Afghanistan War or Climate Change, as two examples among many.
Not convinced of this, yet? Then let's compare again some of Harper's words with some of Bush's:
S.J. Harper (05/17/2006): "We honor those who take risks and make the ultimate sacrifice by making a commitment to staying the course".
G.W. Bush (04/05/2004): "(...) So we've got tough action in Iraq. But we will stay the course".S.J. Harper (05/24/2007): "We can't set arbitrary deadlines (to get out of Afghanistan) and hope for the best".
G.W. Bush (11/30/2005): "(...) setting a deadline to pull out (of Iraq) is not a plan for victory".S.J. Harper (05/23/2007): "I don't have to tell you ... the risk that terrorism will come home if we don't confront it here (in Afghanistan)".
G.W. Bush (07/04/2005): "We're taking the fight to the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home".S.J. Harper (03/13/2006): "You (the soldiers) have put yourselves on the line to defend our national interests; protect Canada and the world from terror (...) it is in our national interest to see Afghanistan become a free, democratic and peaceful country".
G.W. Bush (11/30/2005): "We will not turn (Iraq) over to the terrorists and put the American people at risk. Iraq will be a free nation (...) and this will add to the security of the American people".S.J. Harper (03/13/2006): "(...) cutting and running (from Afghanistan) is not your way. It's not my way".
G.W. Bush (04/21/2004): "We're not going to cut and run (from Iraq) if I'm in the Oval Office".
And to think that one MSM journalist had the gall to report that Prime Minister Harper's "words no longer echoed the gunslinger idiom favored by U.S. President George W. Bush" in this week's speech to the troops. Are you kidding me?!?
Then again, this should not come as a surprise since the MSM was (predictably) largely fawning over the Prime Minister's staltwartness and historic bravery for being so near the front lines of the war (examples here, here, here and here).
Impolitical calls Stephen J. Harper "the Mini Bush". I could not agree more (as an aside, I recommend the reading of Impolitical's entries on Harper's latest visit to Afghanistan here, here, here and here - but I digress).
Still not entirely convinced? Then how about this: Prime Minister Harper is poised to join President Bush in scuttling or watering down any statement on climate change from the G8 summit of next month.
Better yet: while The Leader is quietly implementing a second surge of U.S. troops in Iraq, The Mini Leader is coyly planning to extend the Afghan mission of Canadian troops beyond their scheduled 02/2009 pull out. Why? Because "the work is not complete yet" (sayeth both The Leader and The Mini Leader).
Meanwhile, more soldiers die in Iraq and Afghanistan day after day after day after day, while those who keep sending more of them to their deaths parade and pose in military gear in order to dazzle the intellectual sloth-driven electorate with their boastful (but empty) patriotism and their politics of incompetence and lies, of ignorance and fear.
The final question is: when The Leader finally starts the Iran War, will The Mini Leader follow?
I keep hoping for (Canadian) federal elections ... soon.
(Cross-posted from Another Point of View)
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