Those who say there is little difference between progressive parties and conservative ones ignore the extremism of the neoconservative ideology that dominates conservatism right now. The differnece is in fairness, compassion, and the desire to accomplish good, as well as respect for equality and democracy, and it is stark. In the US, the difference seems less so due to the allowance of the so-called "War on Terror" = to r4estrict and trample rights. Once the Patriot Act was passed the slope got more than slippery and now its hard to stop the slide.
The main similarity that unites parties claiming to represent both sides is the almost universal dedication to neoliberal economics. Neoliberalism is the devil that they have all soul their souls to. It rewards their rich sponsors, and in Canada their future employers, while tearing apart societies and exaggerating inequality. Deregulation, low-tax regimes for corporations and the wealthy exacerbated by tax haven tax evasion, downward pressure on wages, collective bargaining (which is democracy in the workplace), and rights, privatization of public services, and the use of interest to inflate economies and devalue currency is destroying the world economy and enslaving entire countries. And they are trying to fix it bu encouraging growth by spending less money and firing people. That encourages growth all right, of corporate profit.
The worse things get, the more they try and convince us that a trickle cast off by a few can feed the many. Sorry, the math doesn't work. That's why the fanatic neoliberals, neocons, try their best to keep their supporters ignorant. A little logic tears their whole world apart.
Neoliberalism is the evil corrupting most parties. Turning away from the neoconservative theology makes sense. Abandoning conservatism and liberalism entirely does not. We have to throw out the neoliberal water before it drowns the baby, but we have to keep the democracy baby. Once neoliberalism is abandoned, sanity can return to the parties and the neocons will be pushed back to the fringe where extremists belong.
The main similarity that unites parties claiming to represent both sides is the almost universal dedication to neoliberal economics. Neoliberalism is the devil that they have all soul their souls to. It rewards their rich sponsors, and in Canada their future employers, while tearing apart societies and exaggerating inequality. Deregulation, low-tax regimes for corporations and the wealthy exacerbated by tax haven tax evasion, downward pressure on wages, collective bargaining (which is democracy in the workplace), and rights, privatization of public services, and the use of interest to inflate economies and devalue currency is destroying the world economy and enslaving entire countries. And they are trying to fix it bu encouraging growth by spending less money and firing people. That encourages growth all right, of corporate profit.
The worse things get, the more they try and convince us that a trickle cast off by a few can feed the many. Sorry, the math doesn't work. That's why the fanatic neoliberals, neocons, try their best to keep their supporters ignorant. A little logic tears their whole world apart.
Neoliberalism is the evil corrupting most parties. Turning away from the neoconservative theology makes sense. Abandoning conservatism and liberalism entirely does not. We have to throw out the neoliberal water before it drowns the baby, but we have to keep the democracy baby. Once neoliberalism is abandoned, sanity can return to the parties and the neocons will be pushed back to the fringe where extremists belong.
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