Going to war ... at home

Politics is often a game of image. The strongest image of the Mulroney years was of Brian linked arm-in-arm with Ronald Regan, singing “When Irish eyes are smiling,” at Ronnie’s behest.

It was reminiscent - and I blush here - of insisting that our kids play, sing, read or show their latest music, poem or artwork to the relatives when deep down they really would rather not.

The strongest image I have of Stephen Harper was from his first visit to Afghanistan and then at a meeting of world leaders, dressed on both occasions in a flak-styled army vest.

At the time I worried that this meant he had an overdeveloped fantasy life and, like Dubya, was about to commit us to a quagmire. I was at least half-right.

But Steve’s war is to be against not the terrorists but rather the Liberals, NDP, Bloc and Greens. His boys are involved in the apparent character assassination of M. Dion, and he has opened a headquarters large enough, they believe, to shock and awe.

I understand Steve’s aggression, as the last couple of times out it was he who was attacked, as a Reform menace to Canada. The desire for revenge is as predictable as it is harmful to the best sort of democratic discourse. But revenge begets revenge until no one is standing, at least with any dignity or integrity.

Steve’s musclemen are readying for war. Some of their own may suffer “friendly” fire, while we mere citizens will be watching, praying that not too much damage is done to our country, waiting for the end of the battle and wishing it hadn’t started at all. Elections as warfare aren’t good for the polity: they build cynicism; make subsequent compromise increasingly impossible; induce folks to stay at home because they don’t want dirty hands or crushed hopes and expectations; induce fiercer subsequent animosity; and they play to the patriarchal conception of who belongs in politics.

A voters’ guide

It might be useful to review some voting strategies, if only to brace ourselves for what may follow.

The noblest way to vote is to identify those in our society in the worst social, economic or cultural position. Identify the party whose platform most effectively serves the needs and interests of these groups. Vote for it unless voting for another party would yield a greater likelihood of those needs and interests actually being served.

For example, if the party you favour most has no chance to win in your riding, vote for the party that’s ranked second on your justice scale.

Another noble way to vote is to identify all the needs and interests in the country, including your own, and then identify which policies would best realize those we have in common, now and for the future.

Vote for the party that most advances this common good, unless voting for another party would yield a greater likelihood of this common good being realized.

Somewhat less noble, but still well above the worst strategy, is simply sorting out what your own real interests and needs are and voting for that party most likely to serve them, unless this party isn’t likely to win in your riding.

This time I’m temped to identify the degree to which parties assume that we’re stupid. I’ll rank all the parties on this scale and vote for the one that insults our intelligence the least. Remember the adage that the first victim of war is the truth.

Some of you will read this as a plug for the Liberals. This would be too hasty a conclusion. Canada has profited and will profit from the strength of the NDP, the Greens, and yes, even the Bloc. And the Tories have some ideas that could well be defended in the formulae above, if they chose to.

This plea is instead for all parties not to spoil the integrity of Canadian democratic politics with angry heat, lies, bullying and manipulation. We deserve better.

The conduct of the provincial Tories in the past few weeks, in the budget and in the work of some members, has shown Tories acting well. It may not save them in the next election here, but it may yet serve as a model for saving the integrity of their national party.