| Belinda Stronach, the billionaire blond bombshell (at least by political standards) who desires to be the first leader of the new Conservative Party of Canada, told the biggest whopper that will be uttered this year (and remember, this is an election year), when she blew through Mad Cowtown on January 22. "I will not lie," she told a packed press conference. "My government would be based on values: honesty, integrity, respect, transparency."
When I asked Stronach if she was willing to put her money where her mouth is – by promising to withdraw from the leadership race or resign her seat (if he gets elected) if she gets caught in a lie – she was deer-in-the-headlights dead on the road, until her aide yelled, "Next question, please."
Fewer and fewer Canadians are voting because they simply don’t believe anything politicians say. The fundamental principal of democracy is that the people are sovereign and no government can claim legitimacy without the consent of the people. If political aspirants continue to lie, more and more Canadians will refuse to lend legitimacy to what can only be referred to as deMOCKracy, by exercising their franchise. Can a government still claim to be legitimate if less than half the electorate bothers to vote? When presented with an opportunity to denounce traditional politics for the charade it is and renounce the use of fraud as a means of gaining power, Stronach refused. Had she done otherwise, I would not only have pledged my vote to her, I’d have volunteered for her campaign.
During her speech, Stronach did not utter a word about same-sex marriage, in spite of the fact that she told audiences in Ontario, Manitoba and B.C. that she was in favour of them earlier in the week. Not many points to be scored on the subject in a room full of people who still think any form of anal sex is not only kinky, but a sin against God for which you will surely burn in Hell.
But Stronach did repeat that she opposes the decriminalization of marijuana, saying, "It will make it more difficult for Americans to cross the border." Huh? No, honey, you’ve got it backwards. Without reform to pot laws, Canadians convicted of simple possession will get criminal records and the Yanks don’t allow drug criminals the honour of visiting that failing social experiment that’s being conducted south of the 49th. Interestingly, Stronach has admitted that she smoked weed in high school. Had she been caught and convicted, she would not be allowed across the border and, therefore, would have zero chance of becoming Prime Minister. Stronach fumbled her words when she broached the subject and her audience laughed, as if to say, "No sweetie, you’ve got us all wrong. Even we don’t care about that, anymore."
I’ve got some news for you, Belinda: the dinosaurs who read some stupid poll, likely commissioned by a law enforcement agency, and told you to come out against decriminalization did you a disservice. Those young Canadians that you are courting are laughing at you. Even if they don’t smoke, they don’t think their friends who do should be stigmatized with criminal records if they get caught. And, if you were an honest person, you would admit that you don’t think they should, either. But you are no longer an honest person, Belinda. You have chosen to become a politician, instead. |
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