In the same way that the US swung to the right to express their
disapproval of Bill Clinton's sexual indiscretions, Canada is poised to
make the same mistake by rallying behind Steven Harper and the
Conservatives as a punishment for the Liberal government's sponsorship
scandals. Like many Canadians, I'm left wondering at what cost.
The scandal and subsequent inquiries have already come at considerable
public expense -- to say nothing about the cost to national
pride. Corruption in politics is systemic, especially where
separatist dealings are concerned, so evidence of it should come as
little surprise. I'm certainly suspicious of any party that tries
to preach from moral high ground. Witnessing the flagrant
cronyism and backroom dealings in the current Republic administration
hardly lends support to the belief that the right is immune from
corruption. More the opposite and to the extreme. And in
this quest for retributive voter justice, many Canadians seem to be
prepared to compromise their values, our values, to get a crack at
seeing Chretien on the stand by electing a leader who is
anti-environment, anti-gay rights, anti-abortion and anti-social
programs; a leader and a party who have built their platform on
appealing to greed and spectacle. Like many American friends who
have spent time out of the US and seen how their country's image has
been tarnished under the Bush regime, I'm fearful, for the first time,
of becoming ashamed of my country.