Canada on the road to greatness under Harper

by Tyler James

1 July 2012

Stephen Harper has made sure that Canada is ready to defend freedom if needed, and has rejected the political correctness that the bleeding hearts once thought was an admirable trait.

I know, people don’t want to make Canada Day political. They just want to be left alone to watch the fireworks, and drink their beer. But I’m here to tell you that this year, Canadians should stand a little prouder, and fly their flag a little higher, because Canada is kicking butt.

The quiet, yet strong leadership that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has brought to this country has not only saved it from the economic disaster that is the European Union, but is slowly but surely walking Canada up the steps to the top of the world podium.

Will Canada ever be a superpower? Probably not. The United States is having a tough enough time competing with China and Russia. But what Canada can become is an example to the world of how a nation can become great, even without anybody knowing about it.

The world is now taking Canada seriously again. Before, people admired Canada…but now people respect Canada. Before, people knew Canada because of its polite people, great hockey players, and funny comedians. Now they know Canada as one of the few countries who has emerged from the economic crisis virtually unscathed, and in fact prospering.

The world no longer views Canada as a push over, who placates to the UN and claims that its only identity is that “its not America”. Whomever thought that would be a distinguishing cultural distinction was really thinking outside the box.

Before Stephen Harper, Canada was a good country, but not a great country. Its potential was being capped due to an ever growing government, an identity crisis which many people welcomed, and an unwillingness to do the heavy lifting required to establish world peace. There’s trouble in the middle -east? No problem, we will leave it to the Americans and Brits and then blame them when the going gets tough. Not anymore.

Stephen Harper has made sure that Canada is ready to defend freedom if needed, and has rejected the political correctness that the bleeding hearts once thought was an admirable trait. Somehow Canada calling the Israeli/Palestinian conflict a culturally relative conflict, and in essence a problem where both sides were at fault was deemed virtuous in recent years. Today, the world knows where Canada stands. Harper has made clear that Israel has a right to exist. What a radical position!

While much of the world was still drunk on the socialistic utopian dream of ever increasing government entitlements, Canada slowly began to pull itself away from the drugs that have left nations like Greece, Spain, France, and Portugal on economic life support.

Ironically enough, when the United States (or at least their government) has began to buy into the idea that you can tax and spend your way out of an economic crisis, Canada has subtly rejected that failed notion, and made balancing the books a priority.

Harper and his economic team have made difficult, yet necessary decisions regarding a public sector that has been sucking the life out of the Canadian economic engine. They have set out to cut the fat, and make the government leaner, smarter, and more efficient.

Instead of hopping on the green energy bandwagon, Harper has made sure that Canada never trades in a growing economy for a dream that may never become a reality. Harper wasn’t willing to jeopardize Canada’s economic dreams for Elizabeth May’s dream of receiving a ribbon at the UN General Assembly for caring about the earth. Stephen Harper’s job is to grow the economy, not grow the egos of the elites.

Harper has done all of this while watching his opposition implode. The Liberals have an identity crisis of their own, and aren’t sure if they should trust a young Trudeau offspring with a tendency to shoot off his mouth at his political adversaries. The NDP has elected a leader whose only mantra is “I hate oil, I hate Alberta, and I hate my job.” The Bloc Quebecois is still wondering what exactly happened on May 2^nd, and the Green party is still hungover after their “ONE SEAT, FINALLY!” after party. As they say in the south…bless their hearts.

But who cares about the opposition, they will have lots of time to rebuild, and they will need every second. With the likelihood that Canadians would want to vote in another federal election at the same level as the Leafs winning the Stanley Cup next year, it is almost certain that Harper will have 3 more years to make this country even greater.

Sure, there are a lot of people who don’t like Harper. They think he’s plain, he’s square, and lacks the “gravitas” and the “vision” needed to lead this country. They long for the days of Trudeau mania, where Canada’s leaders were more like One Direction band numbers with Marxist inclinations.

But think to yourself, if Canada were still on the liberal path of big government, political correctness, and proud weakness- where would we be? What would the country look like? First of all, there would be a lot less whining from the radical left, which always makes things more peaceful. For example, you wouldn’t have Occupy ingrates camping out in beautiful Canadians cities defecating on cop cars. The stench in downtown Toronto during those protests had to be worse than the 2009 garbage strike.

But if you really want to know what Canada would look like if Harper hadn’t of rescued us, all you have to do is turn on your TV. Greece is on fire, because its citizens are finally finding out that the socialist promise was all a lie. The government which said it would take care of them from cradle to grave is out of cash, and guess who they are asking to bail them out? Harper’s Canada, that’s who.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of The Prince Arthur Herald.

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