What is democracy? Taken directly from the Parliament of Canada's website (with the subtitle Democracy in Action!), it is described as:
"Canada’s Parliament, as conceived by the Fathers of Confederation in 1867, continues to be a vibrant example of democracy in action. In Parliament, our representatives examine the top issues of the day, decide on policies and laws, and hold the government accountable for its actions."
How does this happen, exactly?
"The House of Commons has 308 members, who are elected to represent the people in their ridings. Our Constitution states that a Parliament cannot last longer than five years, after which a general election must be held."
Wait. What was that? "ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE IN THEIR RIDINGS". Interesting.
What exactly is an election, then? (From The Free Dictionary online):
election [ɪˈlɛkʃən]
n
1. (Law / Parliamentary Procedure) the selection by vote of a person or persons from among candidates for a position, esp a political office
2. a public vote on an official proposition
3. the act or an instance of choosing
4. (Christianity / Protestantism) Christianity
a. the doctrine of Calvin that God chooses certain individuals for salvation without reference to their faith or works
b. the doctrine of Arminius and others that God chooses for salvation those who, by grace, persevere in faith and works
Wait. What was that? "THE SELECTION BY VOTE...A PUBLIC VOTE....THE ACT OR INSTANCE OF CHOOSING". Even more interesting.
So, if you believe in democracy, it follows that you believe in an honest, fair, and transparent electoral process. You believe that the Members of Parliament are elected by the people of Canada to represent Canadians and that they have the best interests of Canadians in mind. You believe that there are mechanisms in place to prevent your own government from committing criminal acts. You believe that in the even that said acts occur, there will be some accountability. You believe that through this process of accountability, the people have the right to democracy.
I bet these same people also believe in Santa Claus too. Come to think if it, a factitious character who knows everything about everyone probably IS a Conservative MP. On that premise, Santa Claus is more likely to be real than democracy. The most disturbing aspect of this for me is that no matter what happens, no matter how criminal, how intrusive, how greedy, how incompetent, and how untruthful this government is, they manage to have a loyal following. Doesn't that seem strange to anyone else? Seems to me that this type of government is more like this (from Encyclopedia Britannica online):
Dictatorship: form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. Now, that's plausible.
"It's an isolated incident".
Sure. "Let's be perfectly clear. Nothing could be farther from the truth".
