Muzzling the Message

There's a fine line between confidence and fear and Canada's Prime Minister continues to show us which side of that line he's on. In his latest move to exercise ultimate control (is inherent authority next?), Stephen Harper has decided that he must muzzle the military brass just as he's already determined that he must slap duct tape over the mouths of his own cabinet members.

By demanding that all of their communications be vetted through the PMO, even to the point that requests for interviews with the military honchos must be approved by Harper - none of which to this point have been - the country is getting a further look into the mind of its new Prime Minister. And, it is a mind that has determined that it must exercise so much control that there is no doubt something's gotta give eventually.

This all begs the question: what is Harper so afraid of?

Had Harper's behaviour occurred in a vacuum, perhaps Canadians could just write it off as governmental discipline. But, because we have watched the same type of controlling regime operating under the dictates of George W Bush for the past five years and are keenly aware of the effects of living under the influence of managed propaganda, Harper's efforts are bound to meet much resistance from Canadians - especially as he continues to add more groups that must live under his umbrella of secrecy.

Stephen Harper needs to remember that he is the leader of a minority government which is prone to fall at the hands of the combined opposition at any time. He forgets that Canadians are far more liberally-minded than Americans and that the percentage of the population that likes living in a patriarchal state is much lower than that of our American cousins. It has been proven, time and time again from family to governmental levels, that strictly enforced discipline by a heavy handed leader causes far more problems than it actually solves.

In such an environment, more discontent is bound to happen than in an environment where freedom of speech is actually embraced. Stay tuned for a chorus of eventual retired military personnel to break ranks with Dear Father, just as the recent flood of US Generals have spoken out against Rumsfeld and Bush.

There are definitely instances where the expression of public opinions on certain matters can be a risk to a government. However, one needs to be able to weigh that risk freely and speak about the truth when it comes to standing up for basic civil and human rights. Harper's new policies of compliance will result in the same type of atmosphere we now see under the Bush regime. Without the ability to speak out publicly, we'll see the growth of whistleblowers and anonymous sources speaking to the media and the government will no doubt fight back by planting its selective leaks to control the message.

We've seen how that battle has played out in the United States, along with the fact that most Americans no longer trust the Bush administration. Harper would do well to study the recent history of our neighbours because he is planting a nail in the coffin of his tenuous hold on his minority government with every move he makes to exercise his fear-based control.