Prorogued: Stephen Harper's decidedly republican approach to defending democracy

Canadian PM Stephen Harper and his conservative minority government continue to use pure republican scare, divide and conquer tactics. After all, it got them their 37% "mandate" to rule as if they had 50% + 1 of the votes. Let's review a few of the more popular ones.

Traitor!! Sound familiar? When in doubt, question your opponents loyalty and motives. That was theme all week, including in the media & in the House of Commons where opposition leaders, Stephane Dion (Liberals) Jack Layton (New Democratic Party) & Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois) were vilified. At least until Harper had the G-G prorogue (suspend parliament) to get a desperately needed stay of execution. Calling your opponents traitors worked for McCain and Palin. Well not quite. Bush kind of overused that one.
Socialists!! Sound familiar? If you can't impugn their motives, try a little red-baiting. It worked for Joe McCarthy et al.
Voter fraud!! Coup d'etat. Sound familiar? Why not suggest that your opponents are engaging in illegal activities in order to challenge the results. Obama's victory was wide enough that this didn't work this time in the US. While anyone with any common sense knows that there's no "coup" or "seizure" of power taking place in Canada, it sounds really good and scary.
Taliban Jack!! Sound familiar? "If you're not with us, you're against us." Funny how the first targets of the Taliban's pre-cursors, the mujahadeen, were the socialists in Afghanistan. But it sure sounds good. And why not? It's like accusing them of being witches.
Real Americans! Real Canadians! - Sound familiar? A variation on the traitor meme. Another sure fire way to isolate your enemies. Question their status as citizens of the country. Accuse them of sharing different values than "real" citizens. Real Canadians don't live in big cities except Calgary of course.
FISA Violations. Tape and release your enemies private caucus meeting proceedings. - Sound familiar? It's in the best tradition of J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon and Dubya.
Red states/blue states! Quebec and the rest of Canada! - Sound familiar? Why not whip up regional differences and accuse those in the "wrong" states or provinces of being "un-American" or "un-Canadian". Interesting that the Alberta separation, one of Harper's former pet issues is rearing its noble head again. Some would argue that to do anything less than give full support t0 is a wholesale, frontal attack on Alberta.
American flag pins and Canadian flags - Sound familiar? This one is pretty new for the Canadian scene. A proper display of the flag is obligatory or it proves that all of the above accusations are true. "Obama was too ashamed of his country to wear a flag pin." "Dion was too afraid of the sovereigntists to appear on TV with a flag in the background" (even if it wasn't true).
Enraged republican staffers "protest" in Florida - Enraged conservative staffers "rally" in Ottawa - Sound familiar? Remember Florida 2000? All those pumped up guys in suits flown down from DC to defend democracy by opposing a vote recount in Florida? This week it was their Canadian cousins waving the flag in front of the G-G's house, pretending to be a mass movement. "Defend democracy by shutting down the Parliament!", they cried.
Support the troops. Sound familiar? If you're not with Bush and Harper 100% of the time on 100% of the issues, then you don't support the troops. After all, they are fighting for democracy and it is because of them that we enjoy our freedoms. Every time a soldier is killed (three Canadians were killed in Afghanistan yesterday), their deaths are used as a bludgeon and as justification to continue fighting so that they don't die in vain. "If it wasn't for the troops, you wouldn't have the right to protest, so put your signs down and get a real job!!"