A sign of the times

Check out Andrew Coyne in today's National Post: This is our politics — three parties offering more of the same, saying little and differing less

"Previously, party leaders were obliged to pretend to believe in policies before they could abandon them...The day is not far off when parties will have more or less ceased to exist except as extensions of the leader, which if nothing else would be clarifying.

Pride of place, of course, goes to the Conservatives, who have devoted most of the last decade to shedding any vestigial belief systems in the service of electing what they learned to call a Harper government. This was called “moving to the middle,” or in other words giving up, and was greatly applauded by the wisest heads as a sign of maturity. For as long as they continued to believe things they could never win power, and without power they could never put into effect all the things they no longer believed in...

...Party discipline was now absolute, again to the cheers of the pundits. For, as it was said, how could the party hope to govern if it would not itself be governed? And wasn’t that really the role of members of Parliament: to shut up and do what they were told?

But the Conservatives are no longer alone...

...This is our politics, then, at least for the next two years: three parties offering more of the same, saying little, differing less, wholly in thrall to their leaders, and applauded on all sides for their pragmatism and discipline. Bliss is it in this dusk to be alive."

Yep, it's all about the leader of the party. Bow down and kiss his boots. And shut up while you're at it.

It's not about democracy. Its not about the people. It's not about our country. It's not about the unborn. It's not about values. It's not about morality. It's not about the family. It's not about compassion. It's not about anything that matters to you and me.

It's all about ego. It's all about power.

It was the best of times it was the worst of times.