Canadian Post-Election Open Thread

Well, we've got good news, and we've got bad news.

The good news is, the New Democratic Party (the progressivistest of the lot) won a historic high number of seats, and Jack Layton (their party leader) will lead them to form the Loyal Opposition.

The bad news is, Stephen "Uncanny Valley" Harper appears to have won a majority, and will have more or less a free hand to work his Karlrovian evil for four years. We can expect tax cuts for the rich, and for corporations, cuts to services for less privileged people, discord with our quebecois compatriots, an end to piffling things like human rights cases, and I'm sure he'll be able to drum up a war or two to keep the fearmongering on the boil. Tough-on-crime will come, too, but of course not tough on silly crimes like rape that mostly hurt ladeez, tough on terrible injustices to "real" Canadians, like economic/social justice migration and how to prevent it, how to encourage more immigration from "good" (read: white enough) countries, eliminating the minimum wage, spending on stealth fighters, and other darling ideas of the protofascist/Bushist agenda. Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1989!

So the good news is good, but the bad news is awful.

Commenting guidelines: in addition to the usual, let us remember to engage with one another respectfully (anger is fine, insults are out) as we discuss the election results, to use "I" statements, and to please refrain from blaming other Canadians, whether for voting for the wrong party, or for choosing not to vote at all. Let's have some peace and order, while we hope and mourn for good government.

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