They're at the Polls
Bob Stark

As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action....: . Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests."

Gore Vidal, Writer

A recent Ipsos-Reid poll suggests almost 40% of those surveyed believe the Conservatives under Stephen Harper are the most trusted party "to provide an open, responsible and ethical government".

I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to vote in another election. What's the point?

Seriously. I'm not suggesting that the members of her majesty's loyal opposition are saints but were those 40% asked if they were aware of why the government fell, precipitating the election?

The Conservatives were found in contempt of Parliament. The first time in our history a government has been so chastised.

Two or three... or more... I've lost count.... of their members are being investigated by the RCMP. Then there was the Bev Oda fiasco.... or NOT.

These are the more recent, known breaches of decency and democracy.  

On the election trail, Harper restricts his appearances to well-planned/screened photo-ops, with the press, restricted to four questions per day, kept standing far away, behind barriers, like protesters at the G8 Summit.

And they call it democracy.

We are basically a Petro-state with the Americans so far up our corporate and governmental asses they get to pull the puppet strings. In times of energy shortfalls, it is mandated that the Yanks will get our oil and gas first, giving new meaning to the old phrase shouted by Albertans during the Trudeau era's infamous National Energy Program - "freeze you Eastern bastards!"