Angry in the Great White North
"Harper Derangement Syndrome"?
Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 03:04 PM

Read other posts by Steve Janke published by the National Post
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"Bush Derangement Syndrome" is a well-known phenomenon in the United States:

the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency -- nay -- the very existence of George W. Bush

As Charles Krauthammer points out, it normally strikes the intellectually weak, but is beginning to affect others as well:

It is, of course, epidemic in New York's Upper West Side and the tonier parts of Los Angeles, where the very sight of the president -- say, smiling while holding a tray of Thanksgiving turkey in a Baghdad mess hall -- caused dozens of cases of apoplexy in otherwise healthy adults. What is worrying epidemiologists about the [Howard] Dean incident, however, is that heretofore no case had been reported in Vermont, or any other dairy state.

Moreover, Dean is very smart. Until now, Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) had generally struck people with previously compromised intellectual immune systems. Hence its prevalence in Hollywood. Barbra Streisand, for example, wrote her famous September 2002 memo to Dick Gephardt warning that the president was dragging us toward war to satisfy, among the usual corporate malefactors who "clearly have much to gain if we go to war against Iraq,'' the logging industry -- timber being a major industry in a country that is two-thirds desert.

Apparently, like a species-jumping virus, there are hints of the afflication mutating into a Canadianized version:

In Ottawa, about 250 people showed up to voice their opposition to everything from security certificates to the cost of university education.

They also demanded Canadian troops leave Afghanistan.

"There's no reason for these soldiers to be there," said Lincoln Addison, 25, a member of the Student Coalition Against War that helped organize Saturday's protest. "They're being lied to by their government."

In Halifax, there was a similar theme as hundreds of anti-war protesters marched downtown, banging drums, yelling out chants and carrying placards depicting war-ravaged children.

In Calgary, Dijla Al-Rekabi, 29, was moved to tears as she spoke to about 150 protesters about the situation in Iraq, which she left in 1996. "Iraq is a dream that I've had," she told the crowd. Now, Al-Rekabi said, she can only "look for the memory of it."

No reason for Canadians to be in Afghanistan? Why? Because Afghanistan under the Taliban can't matter to Canadians? Tell that to the families of the two dozen Canadians killed on 9-11.

But to think of Iraq under Saddam Hussein and his psychopathic sons as a "dream"? Derangement among Canadians already exists of course, directed at the United States, but now starting to target Canadians as well:

The protesters, some dancing to keep warm, then marched down Ste. Catherine St. to Complexe Guy Favreau, many carrying anti-Harper placards.

Among them: Harper is putting our lives in danger, and Mr. Harper, you were BARELY elected. Many chants targeted the U.S. president and Harper, including: "George Bush: terroriste, Harper: complice"

Philippe Viene, a 25-year-old community activist, took part to send a message to Harper, who has said that Canada's soldiers - sent by the previous Liberal government - will remain in Afghanistan.

"The Conservatives always said they were for the war in Iraq and the occupation," Viene said. "I want to send a message that we still don't want to participate in the war. And I want Canada's troops in Afghanistan to come back home, because we're just helping the U.S. military strategy in the region."

Helping US military strategy? Well, d'uh! Should we be help Sheik Omar? Or just sitting tight and hoping that the number of Canadians killed in terrorist attacks is kept to a dull roar (and of course, hopefully only evil business people).

Ah well, it's going to get worse from here on. It's only a matter of time before Stephen Harper changes from stooge to evil warmonger. The key will be the media. If the media reminds Canadians that Afghanistan needs help, that groups within Afghanistan like women or religious and cultural minorities stand to lose not just political freedom but quite possibly their lives if the Taliban return, that Canada was targeted by Osama bin Laden long before Canadians went into Afghanistan, then maybe the disease can be contained.

I hoping the media will be up to it. I also hope the Conservative Party recognizes the positive role the media can play (and will play, if the message is delivered correctly), but that it will only happen if the media is treated with some respect and understanding. You know what they say about flies and vinegar...

One thing to watch for is implicit or explicit support for the HDS crowd from the political class, especially the NDP and the far left of the Liberal Party. Well, maybe not support. More like manipulation. Goading the HDS-afflicted protesters on to more loud and disruptive activities and eye-catching stunts. One thing to watch out for is those politicians using the media more effectively to get that coverage and make life hard for Stephen Harper, harder than it should be for the relatively small numbers of radicals involved. That's where the Conservatives have to be proactive and have to win the media battle in order to win the larger public opinion war.

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