Why I Vote Liberal

Note to people who don't live in Canada: the federal Liberal party is a party of conservatives who don't want to legislate morality. The Conservative party of Canada (currently governing through democratic fluke) was once a party of true conservatives but has sold that birthright to pander to the lunatic fringe; much like the Republican party in the US, for much the same reason, and equally likely to repudiate its leadership once polls show which way the wind blows prior to the next election.

But the Liberal Party has been called "the natural governing party" and for good reason:

The Conservatives are busy futzing with laws about street racing and the age of consent--"feel-good" legislation that has no real effect, why? Because there are already laws in place dealing with those issues.

In between, they're trying to institute and affirm a series of "counter-terrorism" proposals including a domestic espionage program similar to that in the US, and trying deperately to prove that cosying up to Washington will actually do any good in the face of the evidence, and despite the fact that most Canadians are looking at the current White House the way you look at the guy who corners you in the bar and starts talking to you about the aliens, his friend Jesus, or the chip the government's implanted in his head that picks up I Love Lucy (which has an increasing chance of being true, these days).

Another note: Most of us here in Canada like and admire the US as a country, but right now it's like being invited to your best friend's Thanksgiving dinner and finding that his dad isn't wearing pants and keeps drunkely brandishing a loaded shotgun around the table snarling "who took my string? Was it you?"

So the Conservative Party's a washout. But my voting choice is more limited than that: Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party last week suggested negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Y'know, in many quarters I might qualify as a loonie leftie (despite being a conservative). But I just can't see myself voting for a guy who advocates treating the Taliban as a viable option.

The other nutty thing is that the NDP decided to advocate abandoning Afghanistan altogether. And I'm sorry--we helped break it (not that what was there before didn't sorely need breaking), and it's our mess to help clean up.

Yes, I know our erstwhile partner in this has inflicted as many casualties as the Taliban has. I know that they're mired in a pointless sideshow elsewhere. But that diminishes our responsibility not one whit.

So having eliminated two of the three main parties, I'm stuck with the same guys who screwed it up last time, despite chance after chance in their last five years; and who haven't yet managed to choose a leader at a critical time. Oh well, perhaps someone credible will emerge to do the job.

Of course, when you're looking around and saying "someone oughta do something", it often turns out that that someone is you. Maybe I should run for office. Easy work, low hours, high pay ... Hmmm.