The Blog Quebecois points out that Paul Martin's speech last night castigated the Conservative Party as "neo-conservatives". Presumably this will be the official campaign slur, now that "Alliance-Conservatives" is no longer timely two years after the merger.
Uninformed observers will think he's referring just to the American right that everyone in this country is trained to fear on command, like Pavlov's dogs.
More informed listeners on both sides of the political spectrum understand that it's become a code word for Jews: more specifically, Jewish intellectuals and supporters of Israel.
I don't think Paul Martin intended it that way; it's just a common characterization, practically a cliche. But the rabid leftists who have loaded the word with its second sinister meaning will mumble it in the faculty lounges and newsrooms of the country, and all will know what it means.
Ezra Levant and David Frum are suddenly going to be held up as the eminences grises pulling Stephen Harper's strings, especially on foreign policy. Count on it.
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2 comments:
Ignatieff is only considered a neo-con because of his position on Iraq, torture of terrorists and the war on terrorism. And, while he can be severely critical of Bush and many current US policies, he is not only not anti-American, he is praiseworthy of much of America and isn't afraid to praise them in public. To the simple-minded, this equates with Canadian neo-conservativism. But he is a strong strong federalist and believes in the Canadian model of state regulation and management in partnership with business and labour.
He will be interesting to watch and to figure out as he speaks more about more and broader Canadian issues.
But he is no neo-conservative.
TB
Cerberus
Whenever I hear "Neo" I think of Keanu Reeves from the Matrix movies.
His character destroyed the evil empire that had enslaved humanity and awoke civilization from the forced slumber to face reality again.
Seems apt to me.
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